Josh glanced up, catching his gaze and holding it while he bent to take one of Leslie"s flushed nipples in his teeth. He nipped her tender flesh before soothing it with the flat of his tongue. Seth"s groin tightened to the point of pain. His hands strayed down his belly and into the waistband of his pants.
Joshua pulled away from Leslie"s breast, sliding his hands up to cup the soft globes. She moaned, her head falling backward so Seth could see the rapturous expression on her face.
“Kiss her,” Joshua told him. “Show her how you feel.”
A gush of clear fluid seeped from Seth"s cock and coated his fingertips in silky warmth. Leslie"s eyes fluttered open. Her mouth curved into a smile as he lifted his finger and tasted his own essence. She squirmed, a soft sound of longing passing her lips before he took them in a savage kiss.
Each brush of their lips wove a web of emotion that bound them ever closer.
She whimpered, sucking his tongue until their combined taste drove him mad. He dominated her mouth, his hands leaving his cock to cup her face. The ebb and flow of their kiss mimicked the thrusting rhythm of Joshua"s cock. In moments she was gasping as her orgasm swept her like a storm.
142
Kaitlin Maitland
“Christ, she"s tight.” Joshua groaned, his face drawn.
Seth pulled back, watching his partner struggle to prevent his own moment of release.
“Seth!” Joshua"s voice was guttural, and Seth knew what he wanted.
He shifted his body until his cock was pressed against the cold surface of the tub. He reached forward and cradled Leslie in his arms. Her sweet, damp body fit perfectly against his.
She moaned at the friction caused by the new angle of Joshua"s cock in her pussy. Her belly tensed, her pubic thatch just visible above the water where it joined with the golden hair surrounding Joshua"s cock.
Josh bucked, water cascading around them as he adjusted his grip on her hips and drove into her channel. Holding her steady against his chest, Seth slid his hands down her sleek body to the apex of her thighs. He brushed across the root of Joshua"s cock before finding her swollen clit. Using two fingers, he splayed the sensitive hood wide. The new position allowed the friction of Joshua"s shaft to send her careening toward another climax. She rested her head on his shoulder, whispering a plea for them to carry her higher. Finally, the tension pulled her taut as a bowstring, and she came hard.
Seth watched in a haze of lust as her pussy lips quivered around Joshua"s cock.
His partner grunted and thrust deep as he poured his semen into Leslie"s welcoming body.
Heart hammering, Seth looked up to see Joshua staring at him. He knew beyond doubt that he had to try to make things right, because this was where he belonged.
Crescendo
143
Chapter Seventeen
“I don"t feel right leaving you on your own tonight after everything that"s happened.”
Leslie couldn"t decide from Joshua"s expression if his disapproval stemmed from her choice to do her own thing or his decision to let her.
Warmth flooded her heart. Keeping this complicated relationship casual was becoming exhausting. Getting attached was always a bad idea, but it was next to impossible to remain unaffected, though there were moments she was still convinced this fairy tale couldn"t last.
Seth had already dressed for the night in a tailored suit. The pinstripes flattered his physique in a way that wiped coherent thought from Leslie"s brain. He leaned against the wall, fiddling with his silk tie. Checking e-mail on his phone seemed to give him an excuse to ignore both her and Josh. She thought the fantastic bathtub sex had pushed them past the awkwardness, but Seth still seemed to carry a hint of the uncomfortable feelings she"d sensed earlier. If it wasn"t the anal incident triggering his emotional shutdown, something else must have set it off.
“Seth needs you more than I do tonight.” She helped Joshua with his blue and white tie. “Besides, I won"t be alone.”
There was a knock on the suite door.
Joshua chuckled. “Did you plan that?”
She swatted his cute backside. “Go answer the door and find out.”
“We won"t be late.” Seth looked up from his phone. “Will you be all right?”
144
Kaitlin Maitland
She was tired of being ignored. Crossing her arms, she pushed into his personal space until he finally looked away from the phone and met her eyes.
“What"s going on with you?”
This was not the Seth she knew. This wasn"t the man she"d been living with for the past few weeks and snuggling next to in the dark hours. This man was different. He was a hard-assed lawyer with a wall around his heart.
Somewhere in her head she heard the other shoe drop.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in.” Joshua sauntered back in. “But I"m guessing you already knew.”
Shorter than Leslie by several inches, her friend Talia was no delicate flower.
She gave Joshua a smack on the back of his head before bouncing over for a hug full of squeals and garbled girlie excitement.
“God, you look fantastic!” Leslie took a step back and gave Talia a once-over.
She and Talia had always been jeans-and-sweater type of girls, but there was something to be said for the sassy designer skirt and fitted blouse of her friend"s new wardrobe. “I see you"ve been spending Erik"s money wisely.”
Talia pushed a stray lock of brown hair over her shoulder and tried to look contrite. “He"s constantly asking me if his sister Delia and I are playing a game he calls drain-the-trust-fund.”
“Where is Erik?” Seth"s tone was polite, almost disinterested, though something told Leslie he really wanted to have a chat with Talia"s husband.
A good question might have been why. They hadn"t seen much of each other since Erik and Talia had moved to New York, unless Seth came to New York far more often than Leslie realized.
Apprehension bloomed in her belly, and she had to take a few deep breaths to center herself. Cold and aloof were two adjectives she"d have never applied to Seth until now. She"d always spent time with him in Boston. Was New York so far outside his comfort zone that it changed his whole personality?
Crescendo
145
“He had a meeting tonight. You"ll see him tomorrow night.” Talia"s voice was neutral, but Leslie could see the wheels turning in her head.
Seth arched one dark brow. “Does tomorrow night have something to do with why Leslie has suddenly appeared in New York?”
With all the excitement and confusion surrounding their reunion, Leslie never once realized that no one had explained to Seth why she and Josh had suddenly crashed his business trip. Was that the cause behind his cool retreat? Did he feel as if they"d somehow imposed?
“Leslie has been asked to play in a benefit concert at Juilliard.” Talia frowned.
“Didn"t you even mention it to them?”
“Don"t look at me.” Joshua lifted his hands in surrender. “Leslie came to my office and convinced me we needed to get on a plane to New York.”
Talia stuck her tongue out at Joshua. “It"s so nice to see you obedient for once.”
“Obviously Erik isn"t beating you thoroughly enough. I"ll have to discuss that with him,” Josh said.
Seth didn"t say a word during the playful banter. Leslie wanted to go to him, to take his hand or somehow reach out and connect with him. For the first time since they"d met, she felt completely shut out and ill at ease.
“All right!” Talia threw up her hands. “Let"s get out of here before I break my hand trying to knock him out.”
Trying to ignore Seth"s brooding, Leslie picked up her jacket and headed for the door.
As she passed Joshua, he pulled her close and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.
“Call me if you need me.”
Unable to speak past the confusion, she nodded. Joshua"s gaze kept drifting toward Seth. She wondered if Josh knew what had so upset Seth and rocked
the delicate balance the three of them had shared back in Boston.
146
Kaitlin Maitland
Her last thought before she grabbed her instrument case was that she shouldn"t have been so relieved to leave them both behind.
“What the hell is going on with you, Seth?”
Seth was surprised that Joshua managed to wait until the door slammed shut.
He"d felt this conversation brewing all evening. Of course, the heart-wrenching looks from Leslie hadn"t helped.
Josh crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Are you going to tell me why you"ve decided to tap dance on Leslie"s feelings, or are we just going to pretend nothing"s going on inside that head of yours?”
“She"s got her own motives for coming to New York. Don"t pretend she came all the way up here for reunion sex.”
Josh"s blue eyes sparked with anger. “What the fuck, Seth? She might have other reasons for being in New York, but she asked me to come with her. And she wanted to find you. She"s reaching out to us. It"s what you wanted. It"s what you always talked about. Why turn your back on her now?”
Seth stalked back toward the windows. The New York skyline shimmered and danced above the dark pathways of Central Park. It was a beautiful view, but he"d rather gaze at the familiar shapes of downtown Boston from the comfort of his own living room.
Something was happening. He wanted to believe it was all coming together, but his instincts were screaming that he"d missed something important. Joshua had fallen for Leslie, for his beautiful, vibrant Leslie, who now seemed to welcome the possibility of a life with them. He"d started this whole ball rolling with a web of lies.
And now he couldn"t help feeling as though there were things, significant things, she wasn"t telling them.
“Did she tell you about the concert?” Seth finally asked.
Crescendo
147
Joshua moved to stand beside him at the windows. “No. She never said why she wanted to come. Just that she had to.”
“She"s here for a reason,” he murmured. “I suspect for several reasons.”
“You"re not calling bullshit on what she told us about her past.” Josh scratched his chin. “She was absolutely raw about it. She could never have faked that kind of emotion. She"s not that great of an actress.”
Seth considered the possibility but discarded it for the same reason Joshua had. Leslie didn"t act. She"d meant every word of what she"d shared with them. “She left things out. And I"d bet good money they"re pretty significant things.”
Josh sighed. “I love her anyway.”
An emotional noose settled around Seth"s neck and began to squeeze the breath from his body. “I do too.”
* * *
“So I got an odd phone call yesterday from a Professor Williamson.” Talia blew over the caramel-colored surface of her coffee. Leslie wrapped both her hands around her mug to better soak up the heat. The coffee shop buzzed with activity. Even on a Thursday, it was busy with caffeine devotees meeting to grab a quick cup of their favorite beverage before kicking off their evening plans.
The spot they"d chosen was an out-of-the-way corner. The table was pitted and warped, its only decoration an empty napkin holder. However, it was clean, and the padded chairs were comfortable enough for a conversation that promised to be on the lengthy side.
Leslie decided to cut to the chase. “Did you say yes?”
“Hard to say no since I"ve been familiar with the music for years.” Talia grimaced. “I thought he was going to have a heart attack when I told him I"d swiped copies of the sheet music from you when we were roommates.”
148
Kaitlin Maitland
Leslie laughed, surprised at how relieved she felt that Talia had agreed to help her with this intimidating concert fiasco. “To be fair, my grandfather wrote that music when I was only four or five. And I"m pretty sure Professor Williamson worked on it with him.”
“You took it with you?”
Memories flickered in her mind"s eye, coalescing into a stream of images from that night. “Yes. It was on the stand beside the violin.”
“That was the other thing the professor wanted to know if I was aware of.
You"d have thought he was tattling.” Talia rolled her eyes.
“It isn"t every day that you rediscover a 3.6 million dollar Stradivarius that everyone thought was lost for good.” It still felt weird to say that out loud. La Bella Ragazza had never been more than an exceptional instrument to Leslie. She hadn"t watched her grandfather purchase it at Christie"s auction house. It had simply appeared in the case one day. When she"d asked to play it, Grandfather had given her an indulgent smile and handed it over. She hadn"t stopped playing it since.
“Speaking of multimillion dollar investments.” Talia circled the rim of her ceramic cup with one fingertip. “What did Seth and Joshua have to say about that?”
The icy discomfort in Leslie"s stomach returned with a vengeance. “I didn"t tell them.”
“Are you kidding? You didn"t think that was worth mentioning?”
Leslie closed her eyes, feeling like she was sinking slowly into a pit she"d never be able to crawl out of. “It"s just a violin, Tallie.”
“It isn"t just a violin, Les.” Talia smacked the tabletop with the palm of her hand. “It"s an original Stradivarius that"s worth more now than when your grandfather bought it because it"s been lost for nearly fifteen years. When that thing shows up on stage tomorrow night, there are a lot of people who are going to be very interested in knowing where it"s been.”
Crescendo
149
Cold anger poured through Leslie"s veins, and her backbone stiffened. She owed her grandfather this, at least. No matter what it cost, it was time to stop running from the past.
“Your father will be after you like a rabid dog,” Talia predicted.
She snorted. “My father never owned La Bella Ragazza. Grandfather purchased it for me.”
“I thought you told me your grandfather"s estate was tied up in probate because your father was trying to get control of it.”
Why did life have to be so complicated? Leslie didn"t want the money or the house. She cared only about the music and the violin. Not because it was worth a killing, not even because it was a Stradivarius. Grandfather had chosen it for her.
Every time she picked it up, it was as if he were in the room again, smiling.
Talia took a long sip of her coffee. “They could"ve helped, you know. Their specialty is family law. They handle prenups and divorces, but they do a good bit of estate planning too.”
Leslie wasn"t stupid. Even if Seth and Joshua had been tax attorneys, she wouldn"t have doubted they could outwit her father. They were good at anything they set their minds to. And when they were together, they were unstoppable.
“I can tell you love them.” Talia touched her shoulder. “I never understood why you broke up with Seth the first time.”
“I don"t think love is going to fix this mess.” A sense of helplessness washed Leslie"s resolve away, and she outlined the devil"s bargain she"d made with Seth in exchange for his help with Niles"s custody case. “All three of us are basket cases, damaged by our pasts to a point where I wonder if we"ll ever be able to trust each other or be totally honest.”
“I"m not buying that, Les.” Talia"s tone was flat. “You"ve been refusing to live life for years. You just hum along in the background and avoid center stage. This stuff with Niles is a perfect example. You championed his cause when he moved in with you three years ago. Then you mediated my dismal relationship with Dylan 150
Kaitlin Maitland
before I met Erik. Then when I had the audition with the Jupiter orchestra, you were my cheerleader.”
Leslie squirmed in her seat. “You guys are my friends.”
“And now I"m going to be a friend and tell you to pull your head out of your ass and quit hiding from life.”
Crescendo
151
Chapter Eighte
en
It was like walking into a time warp. It even smelled the same—dust from the old music, rosin, and citrus-scented wood polish. The foyer narrowed as Leslie and Talia walked toward a set of brocade curtains draped across the entrance. Gold and ivory fleur-de-lis shimmered in the soft lighting. Leslie ran the tips of her fingers through the braided sashes and felt as if she were ten years old, entering the auditorium for the first time.
She paused before stepping through the curtains. The aisle spread before her.
Seats fanned out on both sides, stretching until they disappeared into the dim corners of the massive space. Talia tugged her forward, urging her down the slope toward the orchestra pit where Professor Williamson waited.
“Welcome!” He waved them down. “Did you bring it?”
Leslie wondered if it was really her he was interested in or just her grandfather"s music.
Talia jabbed her in the ribs. “Too late to back out now.”
“The hell it is. I think we could take this guy.” She tried not to laugh as the impatient professor squirmed like a toddler waiting for the bathroom.
“Is that La Bella Ragazza?” He reached for her case before she"d even stopped walking.
Ignoring his eagerness, she placed it across the arms of chair just inside the pit and opened the lid. The professor fidgeted as she took a moment to carefully remove the length of soft material covering the scroll. She dawdled a bit, amused by his antics. It was nice to have someone appreciate La Bella for what it was. She"d been 152
Kaitlin Maitland
hiding the truth for so long that it was like finally telling a secret you"d kept until you were about to burst.
Crescendo Page 15
