Bassist Instinct (The Rocker Series #2) (10 page)

“Yes, ma’am,” he said and she gave him a glare. “I mean, Fiona.” She smiled back at him, she could play, too. He pulled out his wallet and opened it and then took his driver’s license out and handed it to her. She looked at it carefully and handed it back.

“You are exactly a foot taller than I am, you can change the batteries in my smoke alarms while you’re here,” she said and he smiled again and stepped into her house.

“Was that you playing?” He asked gesturing to the piano.

“Oh yes, I do that a lot, but if it’s a problem, I can go on campus…”

“It’s no problem, it was beautiful.”

“Thanks,” she said. He looked at the piano.

“Where’s the sheet music?”

“There’s some in the bench if you want to play, help yourself,” she said.

“Where’s the sheet music for the piece you were just playing?”

“Oh, I wasn’t using any, but it’s probably in there somewhere,” she pointed at the bench. “Or in a box in the basement,” she grinned. “Do you play?”

“A little ragtime, my mom made me take lessons. But I don’t play like that,” he said thinking of the music she’d just played.

“Well good for your mom. I love ragtime, it always reminds me of ‘The Sting,’ a great movie. I have some Joplin in the bench, I think, feel free to fool around with it, I’m not touchy about sharing the piano.”

“I’d be embarrassed after hearing you play,” he said.

“Don’t be too impressed, it’s just what I do.” She waved at the piano. “Anyway, I wasn’t born being able to play, at one point I was pretty horrible; piano teachers cringed when I walked in the room.” She lied, but it was worth it to hear his laugh, and she smiled at him. It was a rich sweet sound. “Let me show you where your room is,” she said and went upstairs leaving him to follow.

“This is your bathroom,” she pointed at a closed door. “The laundry’s in here,” she opened a door next to the bathroom. “And here is your room. Help yourself to food, or whatever. I’d rather you not smoke in the house,” she said.

“I don’t smoke,” he said. She nodded. “Are you really Liam McBride’s sister?”

“Yes, why?” She laughed a little.

“You don’t favor each other, and you’re a lot more trusting than he is,” Sam said.

“Well, we have different mothers, his was tall and blonde; mine wasn’t. As for the trust thing, maybe that’s learned behavior,” she shrugged. “He sure trusts you.”

“He must if he sent me here,” he said wondering how this lovely little woman was so trusting. He was a big scary man, and she was standing three feet away from a bed, and she didn’t know him at all. He shook his head.

“He sent you here, huh?” She said and his face went instantly blank.

“He suggested you as a haven of sorts,” he recovered.

“Hmm, well, there’s a fresh pot of coffee in the kitchen, follow your nose. Help yourself to whatever,” she smiled at him. There was a knock at the door and she jumped a little, her eyes got big.

“Is everything okay? Are you nervous about something?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m just going to have coffee with this guy,” she said. “Are you all set?”

“He makes you nervous?”

“No, uh, well, yes, a little, I guess,” she said a little embarrassed. She bit her lip and tried not to blush.

“Call my number if he gives you any trouble, I’ll come running,” he said and she laughed.

“You’re very sweet, but he won’t, that’s not really his style, I don’t think,” she said and walked out of the guest room and down the stairs. “But I don’t know, I only met him yesterday. Your key’s on the table here. See you later.” She opened the door. “Hi.”

“Hi yourself,” Tate said and kissed her cheek. She closed the door behind her and they walked away from the house. Tate took her hand as they reached the street. “Have you got a favorite coffee shop in town?” She nodded.

“I do,” she said.

“I have one request,” he said turning to her. He looked like he was going to ask her a huge favor and she stepped back but he squeezed her hand in his.

“Okay.” She waited for it.

“That we avoid the crêpe place,” he said and she gave him a curious look.

“They make really great crêpes,” she said.

“That’s where Connor and the rest of them are, I’d rather have you to myself for a bit. In the relative privacy of an anonymous coffeehouse,” he shrugged. “Unless, of course, you’d rather.”

“No, I don’t mind at all. They are lovely folks, don’t get me wrong,” she started.

“They certainly like you,” he said looking at her and smiling. “Every single one of them told me to keep my filthy paws from you. That’s when the twins started barking. It seems to be their new form of communication. Before the barking they had a few words, like ‘don’t’ and ‘no,’ but now it’s all barking and growling. Mind you, they still make their wishes known, it’s kind of fascinating,” he grinned and she thought he was the cutest man she’d ever met. He had dimples and the bluest eyes she’d ever seen and again, such a great accent. Funny, her father had the same accent, but on him it wasn’t compelling at all.

“So, crêpes are off the menu, I think I can handle that,” she smiled and they walked toward the coffee shop hand in hand.

***

“She hasn’t got a half ounce of sense, has she, Liam?” Sam Gooding asked his friend.

“What’d she do now?” Liam asked resigned.

“Well, she let me in, for one thing,” he said.

“Well, it’s those cheekbones; you are very pretty,” Liam said.

“You think you’re funny. She didn’t look at my ID, and when I forced her to she looked at my height. My
height
, man. She noticed that I’m a foot taller than she is. Are you adopted? She’s a foot shorter than you, too. She’s minute. She called me sweet! Sweet! Anyway, then she gave me a key and she left with some guy she only met yesterday who makes her nervous,” he exhaled loudly into the phone.

“Oh God, not a Grungie?”

“A what?”

“Worst case scenario it’s Tate Dylan of the Bubblin’ Grungies trying to get into her pants. Slim blond guy? Maybe forty five?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” Sam said. “He’s with the Grungies, huh? I thought he’d be bigger, but the man moves like a snake, he could be trouble if he wanted to be.” Sam assessed his potential foe.

“I’ve moved up my departure time, I’m not getting anything done here, and she’s next on this asshole’s list, I know it. Now with Dylan sniffing after her…dammit. I’ll text you when I’m wheels down in DC.”

“Okay. And don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on your little sister,” Sam said.

“Thanks man,” Liam said. “If anybody can it’s you.”

“Ain’t nothin’ but a thang,” Sam said and touched his screen to end the call and followed the unsuspecting couple down Wisconsin Ave.

***

“This is a bookstore,” Tate said.

“This half is, the other half is a coffee shop.” Fiona smiled at him. “My favorite coffee shop. It’s my favorite bookstore, too.” They walked into the other side of the shop and waited on line.

“Hi Fiona, what’ll it be?” The barista asked her and then turned to smile at Tate. She did a double take and looked at him closely. “You look familiar.”

“I’ll have a tall latte, and whatever he’s having,” she turned to Tate who had his hand on his face again, and he was looking down.

“I’ll have the same,” he said and she thought he sounded just like any American she’d ever heard. He pulled money out of his pocket and put it on the counter and stepped back, turning his face away from the barista.

“Are you okay? Do you know her or something?” Fiona asked with her eyes wide.

“Her? No. Look, Fi, I’ll find us a quiet table to go…”

“Hide?” She said. “You’re freaking me out, Tate, you’re acting weird. Did you rob the bank next door?” He chuckled.

“I know, and I’m sorry,” he tucked her hair behind an ear and smiled at her. “I’ll come clean soon enough, I’m just enjoying myself for a rare change.”

“All you do is enjoy yourself, Tate. I think a lot of it is at my expense, too.”

“Never in life, don’t even say that. I know I’m a jackass, from a nation of pranksters, but I like to tease you, love, you’re so tease-able.” She reached out and poked a finger into his ribs and he laughed and took her hand in his.

“Go find a place in the bookstore half to hide, I’ll find you,” she said and he kissed her cheek again, pulled the hood of his hoodie up and vanished into the back of the store. She couldn’t help but watch him go. He was incredibly graceful, and completely adorable.

“Here you go, Fiona,” the barista said putting her coffees on the counters. “Your friend overpaid, by the way, here’s your change.”

“Here,” she gave her a nice tip. “Thanks,” she lifted the coffees and turned to go find her enigmatic date.

Tate was sitting in one of the big leather chairs in the back of the bookstore peering over a coffee table book open in front of him. He stood when she came close and took one of the cups from her with a smile.

“There’s just the one chair, will you take it? Or will you share it with me? You don’t take up much space,” he said. He sat and tapped his thigh. She cocked her head at him.

“Neither do you, Dylan,” she said and he laughed. “Scoot over.” He did and together they sat.

“Thank you for the coffee,” he said.

“You overpaid for it, I just carried it to you,” she said turning her head to him. He leaned over to her and kissed her. She didn’t pull away. “Here’s your change.” She handed him the cash.

“Fiona,” he said looking at her. “I should tell you everything.”

“Only tell me when you want to, Tate. You enjoy yourself a little longer. Today we’ll just…” she swept her arm around the bookstore.

“Drink coffee?”

“Yes, and then maybe eat some lunch, I missed breakfast,” she smiled at him.

“Why’d you miss breakfast?”

“I played instead.” His eyebrow went up.

“What did you play, love?”

“The piano, of course. It’s almost a compulsion for me.”

“I know what you mean, I’m that way with my… stringed instrument,” he grinned at her.

“Is it a guitar?”

“It is a five stringed bass guitar, yes.” He was still grinning, but Fiona felt his muscles tense since she was pressed right up against him. She wouldn’t press him for any more personal information.

“Is there a story behind the five strings? I thought they were all four strings.” He chuckled.

“When you’re Irish, there’s a story behind everything. My brother Thomas and I went to the pawn shop to get a bass guitar, and I fell in love with the red one.” He chuckled. “I had no idea what to look for, but it was beautiful and I had to have it. I borrowed £84.00 from him, and took it home. I had to go back a week later with money from my brother Daniel for the amp and strings. It was the only time I was happy to have so many brothers, I borrowed money from each of them. I still use it, it has the sweetest sound.”

“Did you know how to play?”

“Absolutely not. Ryan said to go find a bass because he was starting up a band and they needed a bass player.”

“So, I never quite got what the relationship between you and Tess is.”

“I think that family is who you choose as much as who you’re forced upon. Connor, Ryan and Razz are closer to me than my own brothers. We’ve been mates since primary school, and we work together and play together. So when Connor married Genna a few years ago, we absorbed the Fleming/Du Pres into the collective, or maybe they absorbed us into theirs. I suppose you could call Tess my niece. Although she might balk at the idea,” he grinned sweetly at her.

“You all act like you’re very close, it’s heartwarming,” she sounded wistful to his ears.

“Your family not close, then?”

“You could say that. I’m close with my brother, though. So, how much time do you spend in the States?”

“Quite a bit, actually. I love it here. I reckon about a third of my time is here. I have too much real family in Dublin, it gets a bit oppressive. My Mam had six kids, and all of them have given her grand babies but me. I’m a bloody failure, apparently,” he said with a smirk.

“Do you not want kids?” She asked and then wished she could take it back, that was a very personal question, but Tate was completely forthcoming.

“I’d love kids. With Christie’s two lads and Genna and Mary up the pole, I think about it a lot. It’s sometimes hard to find someone who’d want to share my… lifestyle.”

“Is that a euphemism for something?” Tate laughed.

“No, not really. I’m just away from home quite a bit.”

“Is that why you haven’t told me what you do? You want me to be so stuck on you that I’d give up everything to be with you?” She joked but he nodded seriously.

“You might be spot on there, love.” He put his arm around her and pulled her to him kissing the side of her head and inhaling her.

“I love my job, Tate,” she said quietly.

“I know, lassie, I know.” They were quiet for a few minutes. Tate wondered what he had gotten himself into. She was not the type to just shag on the fly, he’d insult her, and that was the last thing he wanted to do... insult her that was, he absolutely wanted to shag her. She was a woman who was meant to be kept for the long run, and he was a sprinter. Usually sprinting in the other direction. Why was he wasting her time? What was he thinking? Why did she smell so good?

“Do you want kids?” He asked her, throwing caution to the wind.

“Yes… eventually,” she hesitated, not really wanting to open up so much to him. Here was a gorgeous man who made her weak with longing, but who was probably going to be on a flight back to Ireland in the very near future. She shouldn’t be talking about how much she wanted to have kids before her biological clock stopped ticking altogether, she’d frighten him.

“Did you and your man plan on it?”

Fiona looked at him sharply. She couldn’t talk about Dean on the first date.

“I’m sorry, Tate, do you mind if we don’t talk about him, just yet?” He touched her cheek with one finger and she felt desire snake its way right down to her belly.

“Forgive me, Fiona, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m new at this, I’m…” he ran his hand through his hair. “Unaccustomed to getting to know people, I guess.” He looked at her big round eyes. “I want to skip the small stuff with you and get right to the marrow. I want to know what makes you tick, Fi, what you want, need, desire. I’ve not cared before, it’s an odd sensation. Am I frightening you?” She shook her head very slightly then nodded.