Compromising Kessen (The Vandenbrook #1)(34)
Author: Rachel Van Dyken

It wasn’t supposed to go like this; he was supposed to be mortified and angry. Instead, he was taking it in stride, as if he had done it before.

It made her nervous.

He smiled at her knowingly.

Then he began humming.

He went through the entire list, twice, and when he was finished singing he sauntered to his seat, but not before winking at her.

Dinner was gone, and all the boys were now seated with her in the dining room. Christian didn’t say a word. He simply left the room, only to return dressed head-to-toe in a three-piece suit.

Kessen looked to Duncan and Nick, who were trying unsuccessfully to hide their smiles.

“What are you doing?” Kessen asked.

Christian smirked. “Well, I did hum all the songs. Did I not provide you with acceptable enough entertainment and fulfill my end of the bargain?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“No buts. Now it’s my turn to continue dating in my fashion.”

She laughed. “Oh, yeah. And how do you plan to do that?”

Duncan and Nick looked at Christian, both grinning like complete idiots.

“I intend to seduce you.”

“Hear, hear!” Nick shouted. Duncan whistled and hit the lights.

This was not good. Not good at all. She thought of a million things she could say to deter him from his present state of mind, but was rendered speechless when he sat at the piano.

“Oh no,” she said out loud, putting her hands on her already red face.

Duncan nudged her. “Don’t you mean ‘Oh, yes! Yes! Yes! Yes?’”

Her glare turned hot on his face as he shrugged his shoulders innocently and crossed his arms. “Kessen’s nervous,” he said under his breath, so only Nick and she could hear.

Nick nodded his head sadly. “She doesn’t have much experience with men, poor dear.”

“Ah, I see. I wonder how many other men have tried to tutor our young Kessen in the ways of the world,” Duncan said out loud.

Nick held out his hands. “It can’t be more than two. No, I couldn’t imagine that. She’s probably nervous because she’s so innocent. It happens, you know.”

Duncan slapped his hand across Kessen’s back. “Don’t worry, Christian will take good care of you.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she mumbled.

And then it began.

Christian played like a pro. It was as if every key on the piano reached up to greet his fingers before he even put pressure to it. The music glided through the room and made emotion ripple in her chest as if she were part of the song he was playing. Embarrassingly, she found herself with her eyes closed when the music ended.

She quickly opened them to see all three boys smugly grinning in her direction.

“Like taking candy from a baby.” Nick chuckled.

She scowled and crossed her arms. The disappointment was evident on her face when Christian got up from his seat behind the piano to stand in front of it. Duncan replaced him and began playing Maroon 5. Stupid Nick; she would kill him. He had told them the biggest secret of all.

Kessen had a sick obsession with Maroon 5 songs, and one in particular which was extra-sensual. She would never have admitted such to anyone other than her best friend, the dirty little traitor. She threw a pillow at him, but naturally he ducked just in time to feather his hands into a wave, an expression of pure satisfaction plastered across his chiseled face.

And that’s when things took a turn for the worse.

Suddenly Christian was singing.

“Oh no, not good, no, no ,no,” she chanted to herself, then out of desperation, closed her eyes.

He continued to croon right in front of her chair. “I know I don’t know you, but I want you, so bad.”

Even her body was treacherous. She was tingling all over. It took every ounce of restraint not to physically attach herself to his person.

She opened one eye and caught him taking off his jacket. Out of desperation she sat on her hands.

Oh, Lord.

Then his suspenders.

She gulped.

Then his shoes, which wasn’t that big of a deal except for the fact he was prolonging the inevitable.

It was suddenly extremely hot in that room. She looked to Nick and Duncan for help but they had retreated and left her there in the lion’s den. God help her, she wanted nothing more than to be eaten alive.

Christian was still singing and humming. She noticed the boys had put the actual song on the sound system.

They were completely alone in a dark room with candles, and the most sensual song she had ever heard. Panicked, she closed her eyes again.

Christian took it as an invitation to completely crowd her space.

She felt his hot breath on her face as he whispered the seductive words into her hair. Instinctively, she opened her mouth—for what, she didn’t know. A kiss? Air? To scream? Any of the above would have probably sufficed.

His voice was velvety smooth and breathless. “Tell me all your secrets. I’ll keep them, I swear.“

How was it possible he sounded better than Adam Levine himself? And why did Nick have to go spilling all of her secrets about men who could sing and play the piano? And why did Christian have to be good at absolutely everything? Well, everything but paintball.

One point for Kessen.

Then she opened her eyes in time to see his lips inches from hers.

Ten points Christian. Heck, she’d give him her point if he’d just kiss her and continue looking at her as if she was the most delicious thing on the menu.

Chapter Nineteen

Christian hadn’t meant for it to go this far. When Kessen closed her eyes he motioned for the guys to leave. Naturally they were reluctant to bow out of a free show, but they dragged their feet to the door and turned the lights even lower for him. Not that he needed a more sensual mood than he already had going.

He would have cursed if it wouldn’t have broken the moment. Unfortunately, he was too good. Too good. He was supposed to be seducing her, not himself in the process!

Here he was crooning a song Nick said was her most guilty pleasure, and her expression nearly undid him. It was definitely supposed to be the other way around. He focused on the wall for a few seconds before he continued his seduction.

He was a Vandenbrook, for crying out loud. He liked her; they were getting married. He could do this!

After about five more seconds of mental coaching, he pulled Kessen into his arms and began slow dancing with her. The heat radiating from her body was toxic to every remaining sane brain cell, rendering him completely without logical thought.

Other parts of his body had ideas of their own, though, as she pressed closer into him.