Page 22 of Kiss Away Your Pain (Wounded Hearts 2)

He uprights himself, leaving me in a melting puddle. “You wanna go up next?” he asks with a sly nod to the stage.

“Oh hell no,” I say, taking a small step back with my head, my torso, my entire body.

A laugh bursts out of him.

“Not your thing, huh?”

“I know what I’mgoodat and what I’mnotgood at. No way in hell would I ever get on a stage and sing. No. Fucking. Way.”

We all hurl into laughter. Crazy talk.

“Hey, you guys want to come back to our place for a drink? Or maybe s’mores?” Destiny asks.

“I’m in,” Enzo shoots me that sultry smile.

“Yeah, absolutely. I just need to use the restroom before we go,” I say. “Be right back.”

I makemy way to the restroom, slightly lightheaded from what just happened. Tucked into a stall, I overhear some women talking.

“Did you see the way he looked at her? It was like no one else was even in the room,” says one voice.

“I know. I wish I could find a man who looked at me the way he looked at her,” says another voice.

“With his looks that intense, I can’t even imagine how mind-blowing he is in bed. Holy shit,” says the first voice. They both chortle.

“That man is off the market. Hook, line, and sinker.”

Still in my stall, I can’t help but smile. Itwaskind of intense the way he looked at me as he sang. I’m not even going to think about what he’s like in bed. I can’t go there. I heave a sigh, trying to slow my pulse.

The clickety-clack of their footsteps fades. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and exit the stall. Meeting back up with Enzo, Destiny, and Nicco, we head to their house.

As we drive, I have to know more about this hidden talent of Enzo’s.

“So, we were clearly blown away by you. How long have you played and when did you know you had such an incredible voice?”

“Nah, it’s just something I do for fun. My friends are all pretty busy with their lives and their jobs so I don’t see them that much. And my sister and her husband are busy. You know my previous agent wasn’t getting me much work so I had some time on my hands and started fiddling around on the keyboard. Took some lessons online and enjoyed it so I kept learning new songs. Then I’d pop into Stage 2 here and there and sing a few songs. People seemed to like it.”

He’s so modest. “Like it? Did you hear that place?”

His chuckle is endearing.

“You’re really good. Have you ever thought about singing professionally?”

“Nah, it’s not my thing. I don’t care much for the spotlight. Even a small crowd like tonight makes me nervous. But I enjoy singing so I do it sometimes. I try not to think about all those people watching me. Put me on a big stage and I’d crack.”

“But you’re a model. You’re literallyinthe spotlight for your job.”

“That’s different though. I can’t see when people’s eyes are on me in a magazine ad or on a billboard somewhere. And photoshoots are usually only a few people and no one’s looking at me specifically. Singing on stage in front of hundreds of people? No way. No thank you.” He chuckles again then briefly looks over at me with that seductive smile of his. “But I’ll serenade you any time you want.”

The skin on my arms tingles as my core heats.

“Do you have any other secret talents I should know about?”

He pauses, looking left and right at the stop sign. “I’m a mean baker.”

“Hah,” torpedoes out of me. “You bake?”

“What?” He laughs at my stunned reaction. “I bake,” he says, stern yet playful, and lifts his shoulders toward his ears.

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