Page 53 of Cruel Alpha Bully

“Gina…” I begin.

“Yes?”

I wanted to ask about her life in Denver, if she misses it, but now I’m afraid to know the answer. I can’t stand the thought of losing her.

“I hope you had a great birthday,” I say instead.

“I did, thank you. We should head off soon, though. That cold wind is picking up.”

I refuse to let her help me pack or carry anything. We hold hands as we head back to the truck, not needing to say anything.

When we pull into the driveway, Gina heads for the door, but I grab her hand, pulling her towards the garage.

“Hmm, what are we going in here for?” she asks. “Do you have some tools to show me?”

“Only one that’s really impressive,” I say, laughing.

I unlock the roller door and push the button for it to slide up. As the door moves out of the way, Gina gasps in surprise.

“Bae!” She hurries inside, and I flick on the light so she can see better.

In the corner of the room sits a huge, classical piano made of rich, dark wood. It was the very best I could find, and I had to order it from out of town.

“Do you like it?” I ask nervously. Gina is walking around it, running her fingers gently across the shining, smooth finish.

“It’s beautiful,” she gushes.

“I know you said your Gran left you hers, but—”

“Gran’s is an antique,” Gina says. “I could have it polished, tuned, and refitted, but it would be a lot of work, and she may never play well again. Not like this one…” Her voice trails off as she sits down on the seat, lifting the cover over the keys reverently. “This baby is ready to play, right now.”

She runs her fingers over the keys, pressing one here and there. The instrument resonates, filling the small space with the odd notes.

“Well,” I say, walking up to her and sitting at the other end of the bench. “Play me something.”

She blushes, looking away. “I don’t know—”

“Go ahead, Gina, please,” I whisper, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “Show me all of you.”

She looks into my eyes for a second, looking very shy and unsure. Then she kisses me lightly and turns back to the keys.

She begins to play, and the notes fill the air. I’m not sure what she’s playing—maybe something she composed?—but it’s beautiful. The spiraling, lifting notes form a haunting tune that moves me, making me contemplate deeper things.

Meanwhile, I’m just watching her. Watching her nimble hands dancing up and down the keys, watching her body sway to the music, and watching her beautiful face as she lights up under the power of her talent and skill.

Not only is it the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, I am now utterly in awe of this woman. The more I understand her, the more I realize I can’t ever let her go.

Chapter 19 - Gina

Every day with Bae is nothing short of magic. It’s hard to believe that I dreamed about this for so long, and my imagination pales against the beauty of the reality I now live in. I’m so full of excitement and hope, I’m almost ready to believe that dreams really can come true.

A few days after my birthday, I’m still caught up on how thoughtful Bailey was, the effort he went to in making me feel special. I play the piano for a few hours each night, and Bae always sits right next to me, his eyes full of appreciation as he watches me play.

So why am I still scared? Why do I feel like the bomb is hovering over my head, about to drop at any second?

There is no reason to feel this way. Bailey has shown me with his every word and gesture that he wants me in his life—and his body very enthusiastically tells me how much he wants me in every other way.

Still thinking about Bailey’s efforts on my birthday, I ask Martin for an extra-long lunch break and stop at a couple of stores to get Bae’s favorite pastrami and cheese sandwiches and cream cakes. He left early this morning to open the store, and I’m pretty sure he hasn’t had lunch yet, so I want to surprise him.

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