Strings of the Heart (31 page)

“Then I’ll give you actions—I’ll give you anything in the world. Somehow and someway I’ll prove to you that I’m the right man for you.”

“Oh Rhys,” she murmured before she threw her arms around my neck. Closing my eyes, I reveled in the feel of her pressed against me. She felt so warm, so soft, and so comforting. Her body was like home—the first one I’d ever truly had. God, this felt so right. This felt so complete—
I
felt so complete.

Tears stung my eyes when I realized how stupid I’d been and how close I’d come to losing her. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” I murmured over and over in her ear.

When her hand came to rub wide circles across my back, I lost it. The fact that she could still show me compassion and care after all I’d done to hurt her was too much. I sank to my knees under the strain of the emotions. Although I was mortified at my behavior, I couldn’t help it.

“Rhys?” Allison questioned, her voice ringing with concern.

“Fucking hell, I’ve been so stupid for so long,” I moaned, my head pitching forward onto the floor. The harsh carpet fibers scratched along my cheeks, and I welcomed the pain.

I felt Allison kneel down beside me. “Oh Rhys, it’s okay…it’s going to be okay.”

Raising my head up, I stared into her beautiful face. When it came down to it, I couldn’t believe such a sweet spirit like Allison actually cared for me…loved me even. “I think about how much I hurt you…” My eyes closed in agony. “You shouldn’t forgive me, Allison.”

Her tender hands cupped my face. “You let me decide about that one.”

“You’re too good to me,” I argued.

“I know,” she said, a teasing grin lighting up her features.

I couldn’t help laughing at her comment. “You are going to make me work for your love, right?”

Smiling, she said, “Oh yes, very much so. Don’t think you’re getting any make-up sex either.”

Groaning, I replied, “You are cruel.” But then I gave her a small smile. “But I understand, and I’ll take whatever you give me.

Allison smiled as she leaned in to bring her lips to mine. It was a soft, almost chaste, kiss. When she started to pull away, I felt desperate to have her close—to feel her skin beneath my fingers, to taste her soft, warm lips. My hand came to the back of her head, keeping her locked firmly in place. My tongue ran across her lips, urging her to open for me, and when she graciously did, I shuddered at the contact. I’d needed to taste her more than anything. The hand that once held Allison’s head in place came around to cup her face. My fingers ran over her soft cheeks as our tongues slowly swirled with each other. Although I would had given anything to run my hands all over Allison’s body, I reined myself in to respect her and acknowledge the fact we were rebuilding our relationship.

The door flew open, causing me to jerk away from Allison. Eli arched his brows at us from his spot in the doorway. “Just thought you’d like to know that Jake is looking for you.”

“T-Thanks,” Allison replied, as she pulled herself off the floor. I followed close behind her.

“No problem.”

When Eli turned to go, I said, “Wait.”

He stared expectantly at me. “I’m sorry, man. I never meant for this to happen. I didn’t—”

Eli held up one of his hands to silence me. “After the other night, I knew exactly what I was up against when it came to Allison. I simply wasn’t the guy for her.”

“That’s awfully fucking noble of you. Are you going to bludgeon me in my sleep?”

“Rhys!” Allison shrieked, while Eli only chuckled.

“No, man, we’re all good.” Glancing from me to Allison, he gave her a warm smile. “It’s not like you stole my woman or something because she was never mine to begin with. She was always yours.”

Tears pooled in Allison’s eyes, and she rushed past me to throw her arms around Eli’s neck. I had to fight the caveman urge to go over and yank her away, but I knew this was just part of her kind, compassionate side. “I’m so sorry, Eli. I never meant for you to get put in the middle of all this. You’ve always been such a good friend to me. I don’t want to lose that,” she said.

“Don’t be sorry, and of course, I’ll always be your friend. I’m just glad you’re going to be happy now,” Eli replied. After Allison pulled away, Eli then gave me a pointed look. “She is going to be happy, right?”

I nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, she is.”

“Good. Because I don’t want to have to kick your ass for hurting her.”

“You won’t have to, I swear.”

“What about Jake?” Eli asked.

When I opened my mouth to tell him I was planning on telling Jake immediately, Allison shook her head. “He doesn’t need to know quite yet.”

“He doesn’t?” both Eli and I said in unison.

Allison cocked her head at me. “After the last few months of hell, call me crazy, but I’d like to have a little while of happiness with you without things being crazy with Jake.”

“She makes a good point,” Eli mused.

“Whatever,” I grumbled. Before I could argue with her that it probably was a horrible idea not to tell Jake, the man in question came barreling through the door, knocking Eli out of the way.

“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Are you okay, Allie-Bean?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Allison replied.

Jake narrowed his eyes at Eli before pulling Allison into his arms. “Are you sure you’re not just saying that because he’s here?” Jake questioned in a low voice.

“I’m positive. I just had a little meltdown, okay?”

When Jake pulled away, he gave her a skeptical look. “Look, if taking care of the twins is too hard on top of your internship, we’ll hire someone else. I don’t want you to be unhappy.”

Although I felt like a sappy chick, I couldn’t help it when my heart warmed at Jake’s suggestion. As much as I cared about Allison, I was glad that she had a big brother who loved her so much. I hoped that intense love also meant that Jake would take the news of us being together a little easier. I mean, he did claim that he didn’t want her to be unhappy, right? Deep down, I knew I was grasping at fucking straws on that one.

“No, no, it’s fine. I love taking care of the twins,” Allison protested.

“But you—”

“I’m just having a really hormonal, PMS day, okay?”

All three of us males groaned in unison at the mention of the dreaded PMS. “And singing that song just made me think of Mitchell,” Allison added.

It was completely wrong of me, but I couldn’t help being a little impressed by how well she was able to lie so convincingly on her feet. Jake seemed to buy the story. He gave Eli a sheepish look. “Sorry for busting your chops, man.”

Eli shrugged. “It’s all good. But you might want to start chilling the fuck out when it comes to who Allison is dating.”

“Is that right?” Jake challenged, jerking his chin up defiantly.

“If you don’t, you’re going to have a stroke before it’s time for Jules to date.”

Jake winced. “Don’t even say the words ‘Jules’ and ‘date” in the same sentence.” He rubbed his chest. “My heart can’t bear the thought of some douche trying to take advantage of my baby girl.”

A roadie appeared in the doorway. “Excuse me, Jake, but Abby’s onstage and ready to rehearse.”

Jake nodded his head in acknowledgement. “I’ll be right there.”

When the roadie left us all alone again, Jake eyed Allison. “You’ll be all right?”

Allison smiled. “I’ll be fine. I better go relieve Mia and Lily of twin duty.”

Jake and Eli then headed out the door, leaving Allison and me alone again. “Walk with me?” she suggested. I nodded and then followed her down the hall to the Runaway Train dressing room. Allison eased open the door. The darkened room was quiet. Jax and Jules were snoozing away in their portable Pack ‘N Play. Mia sat on the couch across from them, feeding Gaby a bottle. At the sight of us, she rose off the couch. “I better go make sure Bella isn’t wreaking havoc down the hall…or I should say that
AJ
and Bella aren’t wreaking havoc,” she said with a smile.

Allison giggled. “Thanks for watching them for me.”

Mia glanced between the two of us and then winked. “No problem.”

Once she was gone, I slid my arm around Allison’s waist, and we stood there together, staring down at the sleeping babies. At Allison’s sigh of contentment, I whispered in her ear, “I’m so glad you don’t have to leave them.”

She bobbed her head in agreement. Then she glanced up at me and smiled. “But I’m also glad I don’t have to leave you,” she replied, which caused my heart to thrum wildly in my chest.

“So am I.”

And we stayed just like that until I heard my name being called in the hallway for rehearsal. Then, and only then, did I tear myself away.

A
fter Rhys poured out his heart to me and begged for my forgiveness, I wanted nothing more than to hole up somewhere alone with him for weeks and weeks. But nothing in our lives seemed to want to go the way I fantasized. After Eli found us in the dressing room, we didn’t have another moment to ourselves that night. We were constantly with Jake and Abby and the other members of Runaway Train.

When it came time to pull out of Portland for Seattle, I couldn’t hide my surprise when Rhys bypassed the Jacob’s Ladder bus and started for Jake and Abby’s with me. “What are you doing?”

He rolled his eyes playfully. “Staying with you. What does it look like I’m doing?”

As we climbed up the bus stairs, I replied, “While I’m touched by the thought, I would think we wouldn’t want to be doing anything to call attention to ourselves.”

“Yeah, well, I was thinking that although Eli seemed all right with the two of us, it might be a good idea to give him some space tonight.”

“What are you going to tell Jake and Abby?”

Rhys shrugged. “I’ll think of something.”

He didn’t have long to think up a story because Jake and Abby came up the stairs then with the twins in tow. Jake raised his brows at the sight of Rhys. “What’s up, man? You lost?”

With a chuckle, Rhys replied, “No, I just thought I might crash here tonight.” He looked pointedly at Abby. “Your brothers fucking snore like bears.”

Abby giggled. “Yeah, they do. I had to wear Beats headphones when I was on the bus with them just to get a good night’s sleep.

And just like that we were off the hook. I helped Abby give Jax and Jules their bottles and then we put them to bed in their crib. While Jake and Rhys sat in the living room drinking beers and shooting the shit, I slipped into the bathroom and changed into a T-shirt and pajama pants. When I came out, I found Abby had joined the guys and was lounging on Jake’s lap. When she leaned over and whispered something in his ear, his eyes bulged. “Yeah, we should all get to bed. Abby and I are still kinda weak from recovering.”

“Riiiigght. That’s why you’re going to bed now,” Rhys murmured around the mouth of his beer bottle. Abby playfully smacked his leg before she rose off of Jake’s lap.

“Night guys,” I said.

“Night, Allie-Bean,” Jake said, stopping on the way to the bedroom to give me a kiss on the cheek. Abby grinned at me before she disappeared into the bedroom with Jake.

I turned back to look at Rhys. “Guess we better go to bed.” Realizing my mistake, I lowered my voice and quickly added, “I mean, we should go to our different roosts to go to bed.”

Rhys grinned as he remained on the couch, scratching Angel’s ears. “I’m going to stay out here for a while. Unwind a little.”

More than anything in the world, I wanted a good night kiss from him. But even though I was pretty sure that Jake and Abby were
busy
and not coming out any time soon, I didn’t risk it. “Good night, Rhys,” I said, softly.

“Good night, Allison.”

I then turned and hightailed it down the aisle to my roost. By the time I settled down, I couldn’t go to sleep. Not with the thought that Rhys was so close but so far away. So I grabbed my sketch pad and pencils out of the cubby above the bed and started working on my designs. I don’t know how long I’d been working when I thought I heard movement outside my roost.

When I determined it was footsteps in the aisle, I stilled my pencil on my pad. Suddenly, the curtain to my roost jerked open. Before I had a chance to react, Rhys ducked inside, covering my body with his very
naked
one. I widened my eyes in horror. “What are—”

He silenced me by bringing his lips to mine. I immediately moaned. It felt like forever since I had been able to kiss him. Our mouths moved desperately against each other, as if we were trying to feel every single sensation all at once. His tongue lightly swept against my bottom lip, and I thrust my tongue out to meet his. As our tongues began to twirl together, moisture began pooling between my legs. Of course, it didn’t hurt that his hips were pumping against mine, a perfect friction that was driving me wild.

When Rhys pulled away from my mouth, I whined in frustration. Ignoring me, he kissed and nibbled a trail across my jawline over to my ear. His sweet, warm breath tickled my earlobe before he began speaking in a soft voice. “Don’t be mad at me for coming to you like this. I know you said you were going to make me work for the make-up sex. But I thought if I lay there one more minute so close to you but so far away I would explode.”