Strings of the Heart

by Katie Ashley

  Leaning in much closer to me than I would have preferred, the guy said, “Why waste your money on him when you could go home with me? I guarantee I’d show you a screaming good time. All. Night. Long.”

  “Give it a rest, Donaldson,” Rhys’s voice came from behind me.

  At the feel of his hand on my lower back, I instantly relaxed. Tilting my head, I took in his tight smile. “I apologize for not being able to meet you sooner.”

  “It’s okay.”

  Rhys glanced from me to my lecherous admirer. “I see you’re making some acquaintances.”

  Donaldson, as Rhys had called him, held out his hand. “Where are my manners? I didn’t introduce myself properly to you. I’m James Donaldson.”

  “Allison Slater,” I replied, shaking his hand quickly. But before I could pull away, he was bringing the back of my hand to his lips.

  “I’ll see you later then, Miss Slater. I certainly hope you’ll be betting on me tonight.”

  “Don’t fucking count on it,” Rhys growled under his breath.

  James winked at me before thumping Rhys on the shoulder. “Always a pleasure seeing you, too, McGowan. Have a lovely evening.”

  Rhys scowled at James as he walked by us. Then he turned back to me. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that asshole.”

  “He wasn’t that bad.”

  “Oh, trust me, I’ve known him since we were kids. Not only is he a bully, but he is a womanizing douchebag.”

  “Then I should have kneed him in the balls rather than allowing him to kiss my hand.”

  Rhys stared wide-eyed at me for a second before busting out laughing. “While I would have loved to see that, I’m not sure you would have made the best impression.”

  I giggled. “Me either.”

  “Enough about that asshole. Thanks to him I didn’t even get to greet you properly.”

  “It’s okay.”

  He shook his head and stepped out in front of me. Taking my hands in his, he surveyed my appearance. The heat of his stare caused my heart to break into a gallop. “You are absolutely breathtaking tonight.”

  “Thank you,” I replied, breathlessly.

  Rhys smiled. “Considering that you’re putting every woman in this room to shame, I’m not surprised that jerkwad was coming on to you.”

  “Aren’t you the flatterer tonight?” I teased, while trying to keep my careening emotions in check.

  “I just call it as I see it.” When his gaze dipped from my eyes down to my chest, his jovial expression momentarily faded.

  In one fluid movement, Rhys closed the space between us, backing us into the corner of the drawing room. Immediately my head spun as I went into sensory overload at the nearness of him. His deep musky scent filled my nose while the heat radiating off his tux-clad body almost singed the skin exposed by my strapless couture. While I stared questioningly into his face, his dark eyes remained locked on my chest. To the average observer, one would have assumed Rhys was exhibiting typical male behavior by ogling my breasts, but I knew better. Most of all, I knew him better than that. His attention was drawn to the pendant nestled in the valley between my average-sized cleavage.

  When his fingers grazed against the bare skin of my breastbone, I couldn’t help the tremble that went through my body. I wanted nothing more than to feel his hands on me. If I was honest, I fantasized about them most nights, especially to get me through a dry spell without an orgasm.

  Once he had grasped the pendant, Rhys weighed it in his hand, taking in every aspect of it before his gaze flicked up to mine. “I can’t believe you still have this, least of all wear it.”

  His almost accusatory tone momentarily stung me, and I jerked back from him. His grasp remained firm on the pendant, causing the satin ribbon to slice into my neck almost like I was on a leash. “Why wouldn’t I still have it?”

  He shrugged. “I guess because it was so long ago when I gave it to you.”

  “It was at my Sweet Sixteen party,” I reminded him.

  “I remember,” he murmured.

  “You do?”

  He held my gaze as he fingered the raised magnolia on the pendant. “Of course I do.” One side of his lip quirked up in a half smile. “That was only four years ago, Allie-Bean. I’m not so old that I’m having memory loss.”

  A nervous laugh escaped my lips. “You’re not old.”

  “Just older than you,” he mused.

  “Only by a few years,” I countered, kicking my chin up determinedly.

  In his brown eyes flecked with gold, I saw the question he would never dare to verbalize. Four and a half years had passed since that momentous night by the fountain at my party. There had been other loves and other life experiences for me. After all that time and distance, he wondered what it was about the simple necklace, hand painted by his sister, that made me continue to wear it, especially on the choker so close to my heart?

  What I wanted so desperately to tell him was I wore the necklace because in spite of all the loves and other life experiences for me, I was still madly and completely in love with him. Swallowing hard, I replied, “I like to wear it because I love magnolias—I always have. Magnolias remind me of strong women—the kind I aspire to be like. But most of all, it reminds me of home.”

  Rhys bobbed his head, accepting my half-truths as if they were the gospel. In the end, maybe avoidance was better for both of us. At least for now, I would keep telling myself that. Now that we were on the cusp of unchartered territory, I would play the game for as long as I had to in order to win his heart.

  He tenderly placed the pendant back on my breastbone and then stepped back. “I’m glad you still have it, and that it means so much to you.” Just as we were about to lapse into an awkward silence, Rhys asked, “Are you hungry?”

  Of course he would have to change the subject. “Maybe a little.”

  “Come with me.” He then led me back into the hallway and down to the dining room. He grabbed me a plate and started piling on some hors d'oeuvres. “You still like all things cheese, right?”

  I stared at him in shock. “Uh, yeah, I do.”

  He grinned. “Try the spinach and cheese canapés. They’re delicious.”

  As he went about adding some fruit to my plate, I couldn’t help asking, “How did you remember I liked cheese?”

  He shot me a withering look. “Like I haven’t sat beside you at a million BBQs and dinners over the years. You even eat shredded cheese on your hot dogs.”

  If this had been an old Southern novel or movie, I might’ve swooned at that very moment. Sure, it was just a detail about cheese, but he remembered it. About me. “You’re right. I do. My mom claims it was because she craved it so much when she was pregnant with me. Apparently, she never liked it before.” I clamped down on my lips to once again keep from blabbering like an idiot.

  Rhys smiled as he handed me the plate. “There. That should take the edge off until we can go to dinner.”

  “Thank you, kind sir,” I teased.

  With a laugh, he rested his hand on the small of my back. He then led me down the hall to a beautifully decorated living room or sitting room. Motioning up the length of the room, he said, “The auction is going to be in there. Most of the people who are betting will be in there and in here.”

  Chewing on one of the canapés, I wrinkled my nose. “It’s still so bizarre to me that they have bachelor and bachelorette auctions. It seems so outdated.”

  “I totally agree with you. That’s one reason why you won’t find me listed in the program.”

  “What a shame. I might’ve been inclined to bet on you.”

  Rhys gave me a sexy smirk that outrivaled any of AJ’s. “Yes, but you’re the lucky girl who gets to have me for free,” he challenged.

  I swallowed hard. Trying to save face, I quickly said, “That’s true. I wouldn’t want to waste my money.”

  Rhys laughed heartily. He opened his mouth to say something else when we were interrupted by a woman in a glitterin
g blue gown. “There you are,” she said.

  Rhys instantly tensed. After appearing to force a smile, he replied, “Hello, Mother.”

  Although I tried not to stare, I couldn’t help taking in every aspect of his mother. They both had the same dark hair and eyes. Her hair was swept back into a tight chignon at the base of her neck. Although she had to be in her fifties, she appeared very fit and youthful. She had a face devoid of wrinkles, which was either good genes or a good plastic surgeon. I was betting on the latter.

  “It’s almost time to start.” She glanced from him to me. Her red lips pursed curiously while her eyes narrowed shrewdly. “And who is this young lady?”

  “This is Allison Slater. You know my bandmate, Jake?”

  Disdain flooded her face at the mention of the band. “Yes, I do.”

  “This is his younger sister. She’s attending SCAD.”

  “How lovely,” Rhys’s mother replied, with as much enthusiasm as if Rhys had said I was in Savannah for a prostitution convention. Instantly, I was assaulted by the line from Pretty Woman when Julia Roberts’s character, Vivian, says about Edward’s friend that you could freeze ice on his snotty wife’s ass. That was the epitome of Rhys’s mother.

  Ignoring her tone, Rhys said to me, “This is my mother, Margaret.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” I said, extending my hand.

  After she gave my hand a quick shake, she turned her attention back to Rhys. “I hope that you’ll fetch a good price tonight at the auction.”

  “I think we’re going to raise a good deal.”

  “You misunderstood me. I meant, I hope you bring in a lot of money.”

  Rhys dark brows knitted in confusion. “I don’t think I understand.”

  “You’re the final bachelor of the evening.”

  I couldn’t help gasping in surprise, especially after the conversation we’d just had. Rhys also appeared floored, but then his face reddened with anger. “I don’t recall agreeing to be paraded around tonight, Mother. In fact, I’m pretty sure you know how I feel about auctions.”

  She gave a dismissive wave of her diamond encrusted hand. “It’s all for a good cause, isn’t it?”

  “I don’t like being played like this. I think I will have to graciously bow out.”

  Margaret narrowed her eyes at him. “With your name already in the program? I don’t think so, Rhys.” When Rhys started to protest further, Margaret shook her head. “I will not have my event ruined by your petty demands.”

  As an antique clock struck the hour, Margaret jerked her chin up at Rhys. “It’s time to start the auction.” Without another word, she turned and stalked away from us.

  Rhys’s jaw clenched and unclenched. Reaching out, I tentatively touched his arm. When he didn’t flinch away, I patted him. “I’m so sorry.”

  He momentarily closed his eyes. “It’s okay. I don’t know why I’m even surprised. She does bullshit like this all the time.”

  “I know earlier I was teasing, but if I had any money, I’d totally bet on you.”

  Rhys’s eyes popped open and a smile curved on his lips. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  “But—” I started to protest.

  He shook his head. “To ensure that I don’t have to be someone’s plaything for an evening, I’ll give you the money to bet on me.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Sure. Why not?”

  “But how will I know when to stop?”

  “That’s the thing. You won’t stop. You will be the winner. Okay?”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  Rhys leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Thanks, Allison. You’re a lifesaver.”

  I enjoyed the nearness of him for a fleeting moment before he whirled around and made his way to the front of the study. Picking up a microphone off a marble-topped table, he stood behind a small wooden podium that had been brought in. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I hope you’ve come here ready to dig deeply into your pockets for this wonderful cause because it’s now time to start the auction for autism research.”

  Applause rippled through the room. “I am your host this evening, Rhys McGowan—” He was interrupted by shrieking whistles and cheers. He smiled good-naturedly. “Thank you, I appreciate your enthusiasm. I hope you’re paying attention to your programs this evening for which bachelors are available and in what order. So let’s get this started by calling up our first bachelor of the evening, Walt Harrison.”

  I stood back, watching Rhys go through the motions. He was actually quite good at emceeing. He kept the crowd laughing and the bachelors moving through.

  I was momentarily distracted when a girl my age bumped into me. “Nice dress.”

  “Oh, thank you. I actually borrowed it from a friend.”

  A sickeningly sweet smile appeared on her face. “No doubt from the back of her closet considering it’s so old. I can’t even count how many seasons ago that dress was fashionable.”

  Her friends encircling her giggled behind their hands. While there were a million and one things I wanted to say to her, I found it incapable to verbalize any one of them. Gripping my champagne flute tighter, I merely edged away from the group of stereotypical society bitches.

  I had just taken a sip of bubbly to calm my nerves when a voice behind me caused me to choke. “Don’t worry about my niece, honey. She’s a second generation cunt.”

  Whirling around, I took in an elegantly woman in an emerald dress. Her salt and pepper hair was swept back from her face with glittering combs. She gave me a genuine smile—the first one I had witnessed all night besides Rhys’s. “Thank you…I think.”

  She laughed. Extending a white gloved hand, she said, “I’m Vivian Percy.”

  “Allison Slater.”

  “I don’t think I’ve seen you around these shark-infested waters before.”

  “No, thankfully, this is my first time and hopefully my last.”

  “I don’t blame you on that one. Who are you here with?”

  “Rhys McGowan.” When her blue eyes widened, I quickly said, “He and my brother are bandmates.”

  “Ah, yes, Rhys McGowan. He grew up to be such a cutie pie, didn’t he?”

  With warmth flooding my cheeks, I replied, “Yes, he did.”

  “Thinking of betting on him this evening?”

  “Um, well…” I wasn’t sure if Rhys wanted me to make our plans known.

  “He’s a hot ticket, honey. If it were me, I wouldn’t have to think twice.”

  “Yes, I am planning to bet on him.”

  Vivian smiled. “Good for you. Now hold my spot a minute while I run and grab a bite to eat. I’m famished.”

  “Sure.”

  Two more bachelors were auctioned by the time Vivian returned. “Who is next?”

  I glanced down at the program. “A Jackson Marshall.”

  Shifting her plate to her left hand, she said, “Oh, thank God, I didn’t miss him.”

  “Is he your boyfriend?” I asked casually.

  Vivian hooted with laughter. “Oh honey, maybe forty years ago I would’ve tried to get my hooks into him, but he’s young enough to be my grandson.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  She waved her hand that held a canapé. “Don’t be. There is a reason why I want to bet on him.”

  Rhys interrupted my thoughts by saying, “Going once, going twice, sold for one thousand dollars.”

  As applause erupted around us, Vivian leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Jackson’s father was arrested awhile back for absconding with investors’ money—total white-collar criminal, if you get my drift. The one thing that people in Savannah society prides themselves on are being close-minded, unforgiving assholes. It doesn’t matter that Jackson is an upstanding young man with a 4.0 GPA at Vanderbilt. Most people here would love to see him ostracized, even though he couldn’t help, nor was responsible for, what his daddy did.”

  At that moment, Rhys called Jackson’s name. When he strode up to the podium, my eye
s bulged in surprise. It was as if Chace Crawford had entered the room. Jackson’s blue eyes sparkled as he glanced into the crowd. “Oh my,” I murmured.

  Vivian chuckled. “I forgot to mention how handsome he was, didn’t I?”

  “Just a little.”

  Taking the microphone, Rhys read off a biography about Jackson that of course made him sound entirely too good to be true. When he finished, Rhys said, “Now let’s start the bidding at five hundred.”

  Silence reverberated around the room. As Jackson’s beaming smile receded a bit, Rhys cleared his throat. “Do I have five hundred?”

  As Vivian drew in a breath, I shot in front of her. “Five hundred!” I blurted before I could stop myself. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have five hundred dollars or that I didn’t even want to begin to explain to my parents why the charge on my “emergency” credit card was actually for a bachelor auction.

  A gasp went up in the crowd, and Rhys blinked at me a few times like he wasn’t sure he could believe what he was seeing. Jackson, meanwhile, broadened his smile and winked at me. I ducked my head as my cheeks flushed.

  “Well, well, look at you,” Vivian whispered.

  Cutting my eyes over to hers, I replied, “I couldn’t help it. I felt so bad for him up there.”

  “Never fear, honey. I’m about to put all these narrow-minded assholes in their place.” She grinned. “I just hope you don’t mind if I outbid you.”

  “Oh no, please do. My bid was simply a moment of impulsive stupidity.”

  I then shifted my gaze back to Rhys who appeared to have finally recovered from my outburst. It seemed that I had gotten the ball rolling on some bets for Jackson. “We have nine hundred. Do I hear a thousand?”

  With a wave of her hand, Vivian said, “Ten thousand dollars.”

  My mouth gaped open in shock while chatter buzzed around us. Jackson grinned and shook his head at Vivian. Rhys coughed. “I believe that was for ten thousand dollars?”

  “That’s right, sugar,” Vivian drawled.

  “So we have ten thousand for Jackson Marshall. Do I have eleven?” He then had the audacity to look at me and raise his brows. When I scowled back at him, he laughed. “That’s ten going once, twice, and sold to Mrs. Vivian Percy.”