The Darkness Within Him: The Untwisted series Read Online Free PDF Page A

lips.
    ‘Nothing,’ I mumbled, shoving my hair behind my ear. Smug bastard, it was almost as if he’d read my frigging mind again. Was I really that transparent or were his comments just coincidental?
    Thankfully, he didn’t push it and instead turned his attention back to the music. ‘Your F-chord is slightly wrong: your first finger is slipping onto the G key and affecting the chord quality,’ he explained patiently.
    ‘Show me your hand position,’ he instructed, so I did. ‘Raise your forearm slightly,’ he ordered. God, he was so bossy. There was no pleasantness in his manner; it was just barked orders. But something in his tone told me I shouldn’t disobey a man like Nicholas Jackson, so I did exactly as I was told and actually found the chord easier to play.
    After I had played my horribly clumsy tune a few more times, he gently closed the lid over the keys, which I took as a hint that our impromptu lesson was over. Thank goodness for that. He was probably sick of my dreadfully slow chord changes by now, and to be honest I wasn’t sure I could take our close positioning for much longer without saying or doing something completely stupid anyway.
    ‘You follow instructions well; you would be a good student,’ Nicholas mused, his eyes still focused intently on mine and now blazing with something that I couldn’t determine. ‘I could give you some lessons if you like?’ he offered, to my complete surprise. ‘For free, of course, as a thank you for getting us spotted and signed.’
    Crikey, I thought, piano lessons from Nicholas Jackson would be amazing: literally learning from the very best. But I hesitated; considering the bizarre reaction in my body since I’d met him, I wasn’t sure it was such a good idea to spend any more time in close proximity to him … After all, he was scary and intimidating, not forgetting that I’d fantasised about him three times already.
    Quite explicitly, with all the sweaty details still vibrant in my mind.
    I considered his offer. I definitely found him hugely attractive, and there seemed to be some sort of buzz between us that I’d never felt before that would be quite interesting to explore. I tried to weigh it up in my mind. In the short time I’d known him, Nicholas had already fascinated and unnerved me more than any man I’d ever met, plus he’d no doubt be an amazing teacher. My inner conflict was disturbed by his voice. ‘Is that your tell?’ he asked, amusement again tinting his tone but not showing on his features. How did he do that? It was like trying to laugh without engaging your cheeks – almost impossible.
    ‘Excuse me?’ I asked, blushing and raising my eyes to his in confusion.
    ‘It appears to me that when you are nervous you tuck your hair behind your ear, Becky,’ he observed lightly, rubbing his hand absently across the piano lid.
    Oh. Did I? I hadn’t even been aware I was doing it. Not wanting him to think I was weak or lacking in confidence, which usually I wasn’t, I sat straighter and forced my hand to stay in my lap and not touch my hair any more, which I suddenly realised it was itching to do. Damn, he was right.
    ‘I have no idea, but I’m not nervous,’ I lied boldly. ‘I’ll accept your lessons, Mr Jackson, thank you.’ Ha, who was nervous? Not me. Well, not much anyway.
    ‘Call me Nicholas,’ he requested, a smile breaking on his lips – the first time he’d smiled properly all night, and it was just as incredible as I’d thought it would be, instantly sending a delicious shiver down my spine.
    ‘Do you ever use Nick?’ I said casually, feeling sure that a shorter, less formal name might help me see him as a less daunting character, but something dark and unpleasant flickered across his face, making my stomach clench uncomfortably.
    ‘No, call me Nicholas,’ he stated flatly. In the blink of an eye, his earlier smile was erased, leaving no trace of his better mood.
    God, what was I getting myself