Bassist Instinct (The Rocker Series #2) (7 page)

“Thanks, Mum, I learned from the master,” Genna said and Amelia gave a small self-depreciating smile.

“Geneva Fleming, of course,” Fiona said and glared at Tess. “You could have told me.”

“And miss that face? No way, José,” Tess said smiling beautifully. Xav touched her knuckles with his own and grinned at her.

“I’m a huge fan, Genna, I just wasn’t paying attention to your name. Tess is a Du Pre, I was completely thrown off,” she said.

“Oh please don’t worry, I never expect people to know who I am, I’m always surprised when they do, to be frank,” she waved her hand. Connor winked at her.

“And just who is José?” Tate asked and the Americans laughed, leaving the Irish mildly confused.

After pie, coffee and tea they moved into the living room again and Fiona was pressed into playing for the hosts.

“Any requests?” She sat on the bench facing the keys.

“Yes, I have one,” Tess said and sat on the bench next to her. Tess leaned over and whispered a song name to her. Fiona shook her head.

“Hum a few bars? I don’t recall the name.”

“I theorized about it, da, da, da, da,” she said and Fiona touched a key and then another and a few more. Tess nodded.

“Okay, sing along if you know the words,” she said and began to play one of the band’s lesser known singles called
Alpenglow
. It was Tess’s favorite from the CD they released two years ago.

Connor, Ryan and Tate stared at Fiona with their mouths open, then looked at each other, finally they all stared at Tess who looked like a proud mother. Fiona didn’t even look at the keys, she was watching the shocked and delighted audience, but mostly her eyes lingered on Tate.

“Da, isn’t that…?” Alex said but stopped when he saw his dad’s shocked face. Connor laughed out loud and began to sing the words. Genna put her arm around his waist and they swayed gently to the music. When Fiona finished the room erupted into applause, even the caterers, who all came running out of the kitchen to hear Connor sing in the intimate setting.

“Christ, that was beautiful lass, you’ve a rare gift,” Connor said.

“And you have a tremendous voice. More range than most, well done,” Fiona said.

“Quit feeding his ego, lass,” Ryan said. The caterers were fawning over Connor, too. Ryan clucked at them and they laughed and went back to the kitchen.

Connor cornered Tess later. “What was that?”

“You mean did I tell her to memorize the song, and surprise you with it tonight?” She asked smiling at him.

“I suppose that’s what I mean, but clearly you didn’t. Her face hides nothing, she doesn’t seem the type to pull that off. You do, though.” He narrowed his eyes playfully at her.

“Eidetic memory,” Tess said and Connor leaned his head back.

“Ah, I’ve heard of it, but never met anyone who had it. She can hear something once and it’s there forever,” he tapped his head. Tess nodded. “That’s brilliant, that is.”

“Yes, she is.”

***

“You should have told me who your mother was, I feel like an idiot,” Fiona told Tess later in the kitchen.

“You feel like an idiot for not recognizing the author of a handful of books, but not about the rest of them?” Tess asked. Fiona looked at her.

“They’re really great books, Tess. What about the rest of them?” She asked as Tate walked into the kitchen.

“Come for a walk; work off some of the chicken we just gorged ourselves on,” Tate said to them.

“Turkey, you eejit,” said Ryan who stepped into the kitchen right behind Tate. “The grands are staying to catch the lads, let’s go before they wake; quick like.” He was making exaggerated faces at the three of them, urging them out of the kitchen in front of him before the twins woke up.

“Thank you both so very much for allowing me to join you today,” Fiona said to Alasdair and Amelia as she was ushered through to the living room. “You have a remarkable granddaughter, and the rest of them are delightful, too.”

“My dear, you haven’t even scratched the surface,” Alasdair said.

“May I ask one question?” Fiona looked at Alasdair.

“Certainly,” his eyes danced.

“Why ‘Lally?’”

“It’s the eldest grandchild’s prerogative to bestow the grandparent’s nickname. The Mite couldn’t say Alasdair, thus, I became Lally,” he puffed out proudly and grinned at Tess. “It’s a fairly common nickname for Alasdair in Scotland.”

“I love it,” she said.

“So do I, my dear, so do I,” he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

“She didn’t have any trouble saying Amelia?”

“None whatsoever,” Amelia said with a grin. “Please come again, my dear, you are enchanting.”

“Thank you,” Fiona said thinking there was more to the story as Tate ushered her outside.

They began walking; Genna was arm in arm with Connor, Ryan with Christie, and Xav with Tess. Piper and Edgar stayed with Amelia and Alasdair. Tate put his arm around Fiona pulling her close to kiss the side of her head. She stopped and looked at him with surprise.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing, Tate, Tate Dylan?” She couldn’t help but flirt with him, he was too much fun.

“I am busy finding you irresistible, if you haven’t noticed,” he said. “Should I have kissed your lovely mouth instead? Because I am dying to do just that.” She bit her lower lip and looked down at the anchor design on the button of his pea coat directly in front of her, unsure of how to answer.

“Tate, I should tell you that I recently lost my fiancé; I’m not sure I’m ready yet for... well, for much of anything. I’m sorry, you’re really very…” she stopped herself from saying “perfect” just in time and looked into those very pretty eyes.

“Handsome, mouthwatering, sexy?” She laughed, despite herself.

“Yes, yes, all of those things, and I think you know it better than anyone.” He took her hand grinning his sexy grin. “But I was going to say something stupid like ‘nice.’ I’m so glad you stopped me in time.” She smiled again, unable not to in his company.

“So am I. I’m sorry about your man, shall we go find him and beat him up?” Tate asked. She laughed a surprised laugh, and Tess and Xav turned around to see why, saw Tate had hold of Fiona’s hand and they looked at each other significantly and turned to begin walking again.

Connor started singing “
Sympathy for the Devil
,” by the Rolling Stones, with Ryan singing the guitar part, and Christie and Genna doing the backup “hoo hoos.”

“I didn’t
misplace
him, Tate, he died,” she said, and for the first time since it happened she didn’t feel ill when she said it. Tate, however, suddenly looked very ill.

“Christ, Fi! I’m an eejit, please forgive me,” he looked so shattered she smiled reassuringly at him and put her hand to his chest to soothe him.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, there’s nothing to forgive,” she said. “In fact, you made me laugh, you get extra points.”

“Tate, we need a bass for this song, mate,” Ryan called back to them, but Tate ignored him.

“Do extra points mean that I can take you out for coffee tomorrow?” He asked. “In an effort to ensure there was no permanent damage in the accident.” He gave her the puppy dog eyes again, and since they were under a streetlight she felt the full force of it. “I’m fairly certain you’ve been hearing Irish accents all night long, and one or two Scottish ones.”

“Yes, I’d love to go have coffee with you tomorrow,” she said while she laughed. The man was so endearing.

“Thank God,” he said, and pulled her hand to his mouth and bit her knuckle gently. It was so unexpected she gasped. One blond eyebrow cocked and he grinned at her. She was very receptive to his touch, he liked that a lot.

“You are very badly behaved, aren’t you?”

“I can be, if you like,” he grinned at her.

Fiona had to look away, she wasn’t sure what she wanted, or what she was ready for. She just met this guy, and he was leaving town, she shouldn’t get involved…but maybe this was just the thing to get her back on track. If it ended badly, and things could only end badly, would her relationship with Tess be awkward? Tate Dylan was laying the charm on pretty thick, and he was pretty irresistible without even saying a word.

Connor had moved on to “
Pride (In the Name of Love)
,” by U2, and Tate pulled her up to be closer to the rest of them and sang along with his mates, feeling surprisingly elated to be going out for coffee with a pocket sized beauty. Connor segued from U2 to his own song, “
Perching in the Soul
,” and Genna and Christie swooned and giggled.

“That’s funny, here I told you I was exclusively classical, but I recognized all of the songs Connor’s sung so far. I guess I’m not as myopic as I thought I was. He’s not shy at all, is he?” Fiona said. Tate gave her the same smug grin, and she finally said “What?”

“Nothing love, you’re simply a refreshing change, like a cool drink after a day in the desert sun,” he put his arm around her and they walked on. They somehow got to her street and she made to turn down it. Tate stopped her. “I don’t want you to go home just yet,” he said and she gave him a funny look. He bit both his lips together, realizing he was busted.

“You know where I live,” she said accusingly.

“Right, about that… Well, you wouldn’t give me your number, and you had just had a bang on the nut; I felt I had to see you home safe. Christie said I was stalking you, but it was purely in the interest of seeing you safe,” he said. “I’m not mad, I swear it.”

“Why would
you
be mad? I’m the one who’s being stalked.”

“Mad, as in mental, not angry. I’m not angry either, just so you know,” he smiled. “I was going to send flowers, but if you think I’m stalking you, that might be inappropriate.” He looked contrite and she did think it was either very sweet or very weird, she just wasn’t sure yet.

She looked up and saw Tess wildly dancing in the street with her brother. They were swinging each other around enthusiastically and she decided when the two bonked heads together and collapsed laughing that Tate couldn’t possibly be a threat to her. Connor and Genna went to their aid and were dragged down to the grass next to the pavement. Connor maneuvered so that Genna was on top of him, to protect her and the baby. He kissed her and there was a moment when they looked at each other that everything went still, the lust between them was so potent and visceral, everyone felt it until Alex jumped on his dad and knocked him back.

Fiona looked at Tate and he looked at her, and his gaze fell to her mouth and she knew he was going to kiss her and she wanted him to, but at the last second he snapped himself out of it and grinned at her.

“Wow, those two pack a punch,” he said and they walked toward the mess of bodies on the grass. Ryan was pulling Genna up and Xav gave a hand to Tess.

“Tell me about your family. Are they all as elfin and beautiful as you are at home?” Tate asked, and she laughed.

“No, my brother’s as tall as Connor. My mom was little, though, she was a ballet dancer with the Boston Ballet.”

“Do you dance?” She laughed again and shook her head.

“Two left feet, but you looked pretty smooth when we were on the steps.”

“Aye lass, I can dance, and I can teach you. Dancing’s more fun with two,” he leaned in and whispered the last bit into her ear and she felt tingles dance across her body from his words.

“I think I should go home,” she said. Tate smiled.

“I’ll walk you to your door,” he said. “And I’ll pick you up at 10:00 tomorrow.”

“Oh, for coffee. Okay,” she said. She looked beyond Tate’s shoulders and saw the crowd bunched up with some teenagers talking to them. “I should say goodbye.” He turned his back to the crowd and looked her in the eye.

“Fiona, I’m going to kiss you,” he said quietly. She looked a little like a deer in the headlights for a split second, but nodded almost imperceptibly. Tate’s kisses were something she wanted so much it scared her.

He stepped closer to her and lowered his mouth to hers very slowly, not moving his eyes from her mouth until his mouth covered hers. When his lips touched hers as softly as a butterfly’s wing she felt a tremor run through her like she’d never felt before and she inhaled to steady herself, getting a lungful of him, making her feel weak with desire.

He pulled her close to him and breached her mouth with his tongue. He hadn’t planned on it, but once there he simply couldn’t stop himself, and the shudder he felt pass through her body was his undoing. She kissed him back with arousing alacrity and he suddenly knew she was going to be the best thing in his life if he could only keep her once she found out about him.

The thought sobered him and he pulled away from her and then lightly kissed her again. He looked down at her mouth which was already swollen from his attentions and thoroughly irresistible. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him with an unfocussed stare, and then she smiled. What she wanted more than anything was to climb up his body and wrap her legs around him as she played with his hair and kissed him until they couldn’t breathe anymore.

She could feel his desire pressing against her midriff and she decided what she really wanted was to drag him home with her and use him shamefully.

“That was outstanding,” she thought if he hadn’t pulled away when he did she would have had an orgasm right there in the street from only his kiss. Was that even possible? She suddenly really wanted to know firsthand. She had never been so properly kissed, and she really wanted him to do it again, all her fears evaporating in the heat of his mouth on hers.

“Fiona Brooks, you took the very words from my lips,” he smiled at her and drew his thumb across her bottom lip. It was so soft. He leaned in again and bit the same lip lightly making her moan. “Jaysus, you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever met.” Her eyes went round at his words and her hand went to her chest as if to say “Me?” Tate moved away from her before he dragged her off to his hotel room, but he kept hold of her shoulders. “You’ve done naughty things to my body with a simple kiss.” She bit her lip and he leaned in to kiss her again. Those lips of hers were going to be the death of him. He’d only known her for a few hours and he was completely smitten. The conflicting instincts to run away, and smother her at the same time were jarring, this little woman was confusing the hell out of him. He stepped back.