Strings of the Heart

by Katie Ashley

  I shook my head in disbelief at her. “Jake would blow a fucking gasket if he knew you lost your virginity in his loft.”

  Allison merely rolled her eyes at my declaration. “Like he hadn’t defiled that place in a million different ways before Abby came along.”

  “Actually, he never brought chicks to the farm. I’m pretty sure the only woman he’s ever had sex there with is Abby.”

  “Really?” Allison asked, her brows rising in surprise.

  “It’s the truth. I’d tell you to ask him, but that would be totally inappropriate.”

  She giggled. “I agree.”

  We sat in silence for a few moments. After I popped the tops on another beer for the two of us, my curiosity got the better of me. I detoured to a questioning path I had no fucking business going down. “Besides this Dylan, has there been a lot of other guys?”

  Allison cocked her brows at me. “Are you actually asking me for my number?”

  Grimacing, I guzzled down half the beer I’d just opened. After I swallowed, I shook my head. “Sorry. That was wrong of me.”

  As her fingers played with the label on the beer bottle, Allison stared straight ahead. Finally, she murmured, “Three.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Her gaze flicked to mine, and she gave me a mischievous smile. “My number is three.”

  I sucked in a breath like I’d been sucker punched in the gut. I wasn’t sure why her number mattered to me. I didn’t know whether to be relieved or slightly shocked. Not that in the vast scheme of things, three was that big a number. I knew Jake would be horrified she had been with one guy. “I see.”

  Raising her beer bottle to her lips, Allison snorted. After taking a sip, she eyed me. “That’s all you have to say. ‘I see’?”

  “Congratulations?” I suggested.

  She laughed and shook her head. “Not quite the reaction I expected.”

  “And what did you think I would do?”

  Tilting her chin in thought, Allison replied, “Go all apeshit and tell me that three was entirely too many partners for a girl my age.”

  “Oh please, you make me sound like some uptight Neanderthal man. Your life, including the sexual aspect of it, is entirely your business and yours alone. Fuck anyone else who tries to tell you anything different.”

  “Thank you for your candor.”

  “You’re welcome,” I replied, with a smile.

  “As much as I would like to think I was liberated sexually, I’m still pretty old school.”

  “You mean like not wanting to partake in that asshole’s sex games?”

  “No, I meant my attitude about who I will be with.” Cutting her eyes over at me, she shook her head. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. It seems the alcohol is freeing my tongue more than I would like. The truth is that two were relationships, Dylan and then the douchebag of late, and then one was pure lust.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Now you’re getting judgey?”

  I laughed. “No, it’s just hard to believe that after how you’ve described yourself that you actually just succumbed to lust.”

  A giggle burst out of Allison lips. “Did you just say succumbed?” This time she snorted. “Oh Rhys, you sound positively blue blood when you’re down here and away from the guys. They would so call your ass out if they heard you.”

  “Whatever,” I grumbled.

  Nudging my shoulder with hers, she said, “Your turn.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “And why not?”

  “I don’t want you to think badly of me.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Like I don’t already know you’re a slut.”

  “Y-You think I’m a slut?” I sputtered indignantly.

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “I’ll have you know my number isn’t over a hundred.”

  “How comforting,” she mused.

  Rising to my feet, I stalked over to the trashcan and tossed my beer bottle. “You know, the fact that I’m now a famous musician and have that low a number is pretty impressive. Your brother’s was off the charts.”

  “Not surprising that Jake surpassed slut to reside into dirty whore territory.”

  My anger dissipated, and I found myself laughing at the summation of her brother. After popping the top of my third beer, I sighed. “I think it’s time for a conversation change.”

  “More questions?”

  “Sure. Just ones that don’t have anything to do with sex.”

  “Sounds fair to me.” With a grin, she added, “Fire away.”

  I thought about a safe question to ask her. “Okay, how old were you when you drank for the first time?”

  “Sixteen—it was the champagne at my party.”

  “Ah, I see.”

  “And you?”

  “Twelve.”

  Allison’s eyes bulged. “Twelve? That’s just a baby.”

  “It was just one drink. I didn’t start down an alcoholic path at that age.”

  She giggled. “I’d hope not.” Taking another sip of her beer, she asked, “So where was it?”

  “It was during a society party of my parents. I wanted to be like the older guys who were there. We’ve already established that I was a socially awkward misfit, so it should make total sense that I was being a dick to try and fit in. So when they dared me to drink a glass of Scotch, I downed it in one gulp.” I shuddered as the memory flickered through my mind. “I thought I was going to die. I think I ended up puking most of the night, and lying to my nanny that it was some stomach bug.”

  Allison frowned. “You poor thing.”

  I chuckled. “Nah, I deserved it. But it did teach me a lesson about trying to fit in with the older kids. From that point on, I didn’t give a shit about what they thought—I was really my own person.”

  “Such a wise revelation to have for such a young person,” Allison mused.

  Shaking my head, I replied, “Kids in my world grow up fast. When you’re shuttled away to boarding school practically as a baby, you learn to only rely on yourself. In the end, that’s all you have.”

  When I looked up at Allison, tears shimmered like diamonds in her dark eyes. Trying to ease the tension of the moment, I laughed. “Okay, no more beers for you.”

  “Sometimes you remind me so much of Jake.”

  “I do?”

  She nodded. “He tried for so long to close himself off to other people—not to let them see his weaknesses.” A lone tear streaked down her face. “His pain.”

  “Allison—”

  “I see you, Rhys,” she whispered.

  My heartbeat thrummed wildly in fear at her statement, causing me to feel like an utter pansy. Christ, what had I done to make it so easy for her to be able to see through all my bullshit? The better question was why she was still sitting beside me after seeing the real me?

  As if reading my mind, Allison said, “I see all of you, and I’m not disgusted.”

  Not liking the direction the conversation was taking, I rose out of the swing. I needed to put distance between Allison and myself. Things were getting too personal and deep too quickly. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d opened up to anyone like I had with her. It wasn’t enough that she was so compassionate and caring. At the same time, she distracted me by being so fucking hot. At one moment, I wanted to hug her to me for the comfort she could provide. Then at the next, I wanted to peel her sexy-as-hell black dress off that could make a guy spring wood at fifty paces and stroke every inch of her creamy white skin.

  “Yeah, well, I think that’s enough for tonight. You have class in the morning, and I need my beauty sleep to gird up strength to deal with my parents.”

  After wiping her tear-stained cheeks, Allison bent over and picked up her sexy heels that she had discarded when we sat down. Her eyes held so much emotion that I could tell she was fighting hard to hold it back. “Thank you for inviting me tonight.”

  “It’s me that should be than
king you. I might’ve been auctioned off to a cunt, as you called it, if it hadn’t been for you.”

  A shadow of a smile played on her lips. “I’m glad I could save the day.”

  Without second guessing myself, I leaned in and gave her a hug. As we swayed back and forth, Allison’s hands came up to grip the back of my shirt. Having my arms around her stirred me on both an emotional and physical level. But with her sexy curves pressed against me, I was certainly focusing more on the physical side. She was so delicate, just like the magnolia on the pendant I’d given her. With her scent and softness overwhelming me, my mind railed at me to pull away. All right, asshole, you have about two seconds to pull away before she feels just how much you’re enjoying copping a feel.

  When I finally pried myself away, I smiled at Allison. “I’ll text you about doing movie night soon.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  After placing a tender kiss on her cheek, I turned and walked away. But even as I put distance between us, I couldn’t shake the feeling of that hug. Even when I lay down that night, I could almost still feel her in my arms.

  And that made me scared as hell.

  The following two and a half weeks flew by in a whirlwind of school, work, and most importantly, Rhys. We hadn’t spent a day apart since he arrived in Savannah. True to his word, he came to my house the night after the auction for Monty Python and Penis Pizza. He ended up sleeping on the couch because we kept talking and drinking beer long after the movie was over. The second best thing besides Rhys dressed to the nines in a tux was Rhys tangled in blankets with tousled hair while asleep on the couch.

  Of course, that night I also experienced a level of mortification I hadn’t known existed. I’d fallen asleep snuggled next to Rhys with the strains of Hugh Jackman singing as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables. The closeness of him, coupled with his smell, had done a number on me as I slipped further and further into dreamland. Amid the foggy wisps of my sub consciousness, I began to dream. As I lay on my bed, Rhys loomed over me, his eyes hungry with lust. I found that not only was he very naked, but I was naked as well. Rhys’s mouth captured mine with his own. At the feel of his warm lips on my own, I reached up to wrap my arms around his neck, drawing him closer to me. My fingers ran through the silky strands of his hair, as he thrust his tongue into my mouth.

  As we continued to kiss, he brought one of his hands up to cup and knead my breast, tweaking the nipple into a hardened peak. I moaned into his mouth, scissoring my legs to get the friction I desperately wanted. Sensing my need, Rhys’s other hand slipped between my thighs. His fingers slid long strokes up and down my wet slit before one finger plunged inside me. “Rhys,” I panted, as one finger became two.

  “Allison,” Rhys murmured, as he stared into my eyes with a combative mixture of love and lust.

  I cupped his cheeks in my hands, feeling the stubble along his skin. I wanted nothing more to feel that stubble grazing the inside of my thighs as he went down on me. As his fingers pumped in and out of me, I arched my hips in time. “Please, please,” I begged.

  “Allison,” Rhys repeated, his free hand shaking my shoulder. When his fingers disappeared from inside me, I cried out in frustration.

  “No, don’t stop!”

  He started shaking me harder and harder until my eyes snapped open. Rhys stared down at me, not with lust, but with concern. “Allison, wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”

  “Oh…my…God,” I muttered, as my hands came up to cover my cheeks that blazed with humiliation. How was it possible I had just been having a sex dream about Rhys as he lay right next to me? I wanted to bolt from the couch and lock myself in my room, but I remained paralyzed on the couch.

  “Are you okay?” Rhys asked.

  “Fine. Just fine,” I muttered behind my hands.

  “That must’ve been some hell of a dream the way you were moaning and thrashing about. I’ll know now not to watch any horror movies late at night with you.”

  When I continued to keep my face hidden, Rhys hand came to gently pull mine away. “Hey, what’s the matter?”

  I bit my lip to keep from blurting that my panties were soaked from having a literal wet dream about him. I sure as hell hoped he couldn’t smell my arousal. Instead, I sighed. “Just embarrassed, that’s all.”

  Rhys gave me a genuine smile. “You’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about. Want me to lie here with you until you can go back to sleep?”

  I couldn’t believe he was willing to do that. “Please.”

  “First order of business is to put on something less depressing to watch than Les Mis. I think a comedy is in order to chase away the nightmares.”

  “Me, too.”

  And then he had dug out Robin Hood: Men in Tights from my roommates and my communal DVD collection. He had wrapped me in his arms, and we both fell asleep again. It had been heaven on earth, minus being woken up from the naughty sex dream.

  As the days went on, we continued spending more and more time together. When we were together, everything was good—the conversation, the food we ate, the places we went to see. Rhys was the quintessential Renaissance man. He was someone who could be doubled over with laughter at inane comedies like Anchorman and DodgeBall one night and then the very next be thoroughly enraptured at a poetry reading or art gallery opening. You could talk to him about anything—philosophy, history, or literature. He was always well versed and could bring the most interesting aspects to a discussion. He’d won over two of my roommates by being able to help them with their Design Law class. Being with Rhys was like getting to see the very best of both worlds—the society intellectual he had been born as and then the down and dirty, beer-drinking rocker he had become. Rhys’s complexities just made me love him all the more.

  In each and every way, we seemed like the perfect loving couple. But we weren’t—there still managed to be a wall between us, preventing us from taking it to the next level. As much as I hated it, Rhys kept things strictly platonic. He never sat too close to me on the couch or held my hand when we were out exploring the city. I was trying to be patient and go with the flow, hoping that things would change, but my patience was starting to wear thin the more time went by.

  But tonight was the change I desperately was hoping for. Earlier in the week, I had accepted an invitation to a party at his parents’ house. So far, Rhys had never taken me there. We had hung out strictly at my house. While I had met his mother at the bachelor auction, I couldn’t help thinking that the invitation truly meant something more.

  So once again, I found myself living a Cinderella-esque lifestyle where I dashed in from work to get ready for the ball with my handsome prince. After the bitch had made snide comments about my dress last time, I was determined not to face that again this time. While I was completely ready to spend far too much out of my savings on something posh, Cassie once again came through for me. Through her family connections, I was able to borrow a dress from an upscale store. The only catch was I would have to model for them in their fall collection show, which I guess wasn’t so bad. With my height, barely there boobs, and small frame, I had been courted to model before. But just like performing, it wasn’t for me. I was much too shy for the limelight, and I much preferred staying behind the scenes with fashion design.

  As I slid the gold tube of lipstick over my lips, I put the final touches on my appearance. With my reflection staring back at me in the full-length mirror, I couldn’t help feeling just like Cinderella. The store had really come through in the most perfect dress imaginable. It was satin and strapless in a deep red, almost wine color. From the bust to the waist, the crisscrossing design fit me like a second skin before flowing out around my hips. Rather than the magnolia necklace, I was wearing the pearls Jake and Abby had given me for my high school graduation. And on my feet were the sexiest strappy heels that matched the color of the dress.

  Glancing at the clock on my nightstand, I realized it was almost time for Rhys to pick me up. I grabbed the glitt
ery clutch purse I would be carrying and then hurried down the hall. In the kitchen, I could hear Cassie chattering away with two of our other roommates, Kelly and Tammy. When I appeared in the doorway, I received several whistles. I couldn’t help grinning. “Thank you.”

  “You’re going to knock ’em dead tonight,” Cassie said.

  Sticking my foot out from beneath the dress, I asked, “Are you sure these heels aren’t too much?”

  “No, they’re sexy as hell,” Cassie replied, to which Kelly and Tammy nodded.

  “They just don’t feel like me.” Running my hand over the satin, I sighed. “I guess that none of it feels like me.”

  Cassie shook her head. “You look absolutely sensational, heels and all. You’re dressing the part that’s expected for you tonight. Be thankful that Rhys seems to appreciate you just as much when you’re in jeans and smelling of tomato sauce after work.”

  I laughed. “I guess you’re right.” The sound of a car pulling up interrupted anymore of my self-deprecating tirade.

  “Is that him?” Tammy asked.

  “I hope so,” I replied.

  “Daaaamn, Rhys has one sweet-ass ride!” Cassie exclaimed. When I turned around, she was at the window, peeking outside through the blinds.

  “Would you please stop that? It makes you look totally creepy spying on him like that.”

  “I’m not spying. I’m being a concerned homeowner. A strange car pulled into the drive, so I am checking it out.”

  Rolling my eyes, I muttered, “You’re impossible.”

  “What kind of car does he have?” Tammy asked, joining Cassie at the window.

  “You know I don’t know anything about cars.”

  Cassie flipped the blinds again. “Hmm, it’s definitely a classic. Maybe a ’60’s Ferrari or Porsche.”

  “Yeah, it’s old. It was left to him in his grandfather’s will.”

  “Sweet,” Tammy said.

  At the ring of the doorbell, I skidded across the floor in my uber-high stilettos. “Once again, I’m thinking these shoes were a mistake.”