Page 25 of The Texas Sterling Collection
I laughed as I walked from the kitchen drying my hands. Standing at the end of the loveseat, shaking my head, I held out my hand, wiggling my fingers. “My turn to be the teacher. Gimme!”
Rod lifted the guitar and held it out. “You can tell I don’t have a clue what I’m doing.”
Our hands grazed, and the familiar zing flowed up my arm. I shook hands with many men over the years and even touched Dusty in other places, but nobody else gave me the physical spark Rod did. I needed to stop touching him, or I would do something regrettable. “Never fear, Roddy. Watch and learn.”
Sitting on the coffee table, I started tuning his guitar. I glanced up and caught Rod’s eyes fixed on my face. He averted his gaze. Heat rose up my neck at the attention, and I focused back on the tuning. Finished, I handed the guitar back to Rod. “Here you go. All set for your first lesson?”
Rod grinned, oblivious of our brief unspoken moment…or at least that’s what he wanted me to think. “Sure!” He took the guitar and placed the edge on his knee, poised for my guidance.
I picked up my guitar. “Pay attention to where I put my fingers.” I waved the fingers of my left hand and nodded toward the guitar neck as I placed them. “Pay attention to the strings I pluck with my right hand.” I plucked a couple of strings to produce sound. “Pluck the same strings I do, and I’ll teach you a scale. We’ll go slow, so don’t worry.”
I played a note, and Rod played the same note. We repeated the process for each note and, after a few minutes, played a full scale.
“I’m impressed,” Rod said. “I thought you planned to teach me how to strum. You’re better at the guitar than you let on.”
I leaned my arms against my guitar. “Now, try it yourself, and I’ll help.”
Rod worked through the notes as I observed. “You’re doing fine.” I gave him encouragement. “Good fingering,” I nodded when Rod peered through his lashes for approval.
Like most beginning players, he tensed. Plus, I think he tried to impress me. I made a big deal out of all the musical instruments he played, so he needed to learn guitar. A relaxed student is easier to teach. I stood and strolled behind the couch as he worked through the scale again. “You need to relax. It’s a lot easier to play if you’re not fighting tension at the same time.” I kneaded the tense muscles in Rod’s shoulders.
After about thirty seconds, Rod stopped playing and leaned back with his eyes closed. “Oh…God…your magic hands do amazing things to my shoulders. I didn’t realize my neck and shoulders knotted up,” he sighed. “Please don’t stop.”
I kept kneading and gazed down at his angelic face. The beautiful man, I tried not to stare at. At this moment, I did. He let out a deep moan, igniting something within me. Before I stopped myself, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his.
Chapter Sixteen
ROD
My eyes flew open. Wyl kissed me.
“Shit!” He stumbled back and kicked one stool at the breakfast bar. “I’m so sorry, Rod. I have no idea what came over me.”
I turned as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, a terrified expression on his face. As much as I wanted this, it shocked me. The unforgettable brief kiss flooded me with pleasure, but did I somehow encourage him? The solid friendship we built didn't include crossing the intimacy bridge so soon. A bridge I wanted to cross, yet so many messages flowed through that one kiss, and so many things poised to go wrong. I tried to ease intimate moments into our relationship. But nowease intofell off the table.
Everything piled up, and panic set in. “I have to go.” I grabbed my soft case and zipped my guitar inside. I raced for the front door before I thought about what this situation did to him. I turned to him from across the room. His terrified expression made me pause. “Are you okay?”
Hands in a white-knuckle grip on the edge of the breakfast bar behind him, Wyl shook his head. “I don’t know.”
I shifted my guitar case to the other hand and reached for the doorknob. “I’ll see you in class on Monday.”
Wyl nodded, and I pulled the door closed as I left.
* * *
All weekend, my mind focused on the kiss. While I fantasized about being physical with Wyl, the kiss came out of nowhere. I enjoyed it. Too much. And therein lay the problem. I now had an answer to my question about Wyl's gay side. He never said, but no straight guy ever unexpectedly kissed another guy. Wyl mentioned a Marine relationship turned sour. Perhaps his first and only gay experience?
We couldn’t be intimate for many reasons, but if he struggled with his sexuality, I needed to help him. Racing out of his house, no doubt left Wyl with the impression I didn’t want him. I did, but we must set ground rules and plan to move forward together. We must be on the same page if we want an intimate relationship.
His fearful expression, now burned in my memory, gutted me. What did he fear most? A gay relationship with me? Ruining our growing friendship? Exposing a side of himself he wanted hidden? So many questions we must answer. Given our ease of talking with each other, I hope we can overcome this. The weekend gave me time to prepare what to say to him. Our Monday morning coffee would give us a chance to talk.
Chapter Seventeen
ROD
I rushed into the Fine Arts building on Monday morning, eager to find Wyl with a warm smile. We hadn’t developed a habit of texting or calling each other, so Thursday night was our last contact. An empty lobby greeted me. I tried to keep a positive attitude. Perhaps a horse took sick, or Walt. Possibly Walt’s new horse needed full attention. I thought back to that night. Wyl’s terrified expression. Did I make things worse by running away?
I made coffee and settled in my office, but couldn’t concentrate. My ears strained for footsteps coming down the hallway, but those steps only echoed in my imagination.
