Heart's Duo (Ugly Eternity #4)

by Charity Parkerson

  With the front door still rattling beneath Genevieve’s fury, Benton went in search of Sophie. He found her inside his bedroom, unpacking her suitcase. His rage over Genevieve’s shoddy treatment of Sophie fled at Sophie’s serene expression. If she was upset in the least, it didn’t show. Crawling onto the bed, Benton stretched out and watched Sophie, silently awaiting her final judgment. She proved to have more patience.

  “You should kick my arse to the curb right now?”

  A wisp of a smile crossed her face at his observation. “I love it when you get all British on me.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Sophie froze. “Why? It’s sexy as hell when your accent deepens.”

  “About Genevieve,” he clarified. “I had such big plans for us today. There’re roses awaiting you in the kitchen. Plus I had all these ideas involving candle wax, chocolate, and bubbles. I wanted you to remember this day for the rest of your life. Of course, now it’s all a bit of a damp squib, but my intentions were good.”

  Sophie tossed the shirt in her hand on top of the nightstand and joined him on the bed. On her side, she pillowed her cheek with her hands and held his stare. She was blinding. Sometimes it made him a little insane. “All of that for a talk? You’re a hell of a conversationalist.”

  “All of that, minus the nude woman, of course, because I love you and I want you to stay.”

  “Awww, dude! No naked women? I’m heartbroken.”

  He wasn’t sure how to take her reaction. Sophie obviously wasn’t upset, but neither did she seem wowed by his confession of love nor his offer. In case she wasn’t getting it, he repeated his declaration. “I love you, Sophie.”

  “I love you too, Benton.” It came out sounding prim. He couldn’t help but smile. Even now, she couldn’t resist being clever.

  “I want you to stay.”

  Her eyebrows rose. “That’s the plan.” A bright smile stretched her lips. “One of the perks of being the boss is that I have the next two weeks to do as I please.”

  Benton couldn’t return her smile. She truly wasn’t getting it. “I not talking about for a fortnight, Sophie. I want you to stay for good.” Her smile fell. That wasn’t good. Rolling, he covered her body with his, pinning her to the bed with his weight. “It isn’t always going to be this way, I swear. Genevieve—”

  Sophie shook her head, cutting him off. “I knew what I was getting with you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “There’s always going to be someone better than me waiting around every corner.”

  “Genevieve isn’t better than you.”

  “The next one might be,” Sophie shot back. “But I’m not worried about any of them.” She really wasn’t. He could see it. It didn’t reassure him in the least. No concern usually meant there were no feelings involved. She’d said she loved him too, but it didn’t sound like it. Thankfully, she didn’t allow him time to stew before adding, “Because I love you and trust you.” He liked hearing it. She still hadn’t agreed to stay. He didn’t like that. Repositioning their bodies, he settled between her thighs and urged her arms over her head. He’d keep her chained here until she agreed if he needed to do so. Benton wasn’t above such things.

  “Do you love me enough to stay?” She didn’t answer. Panic welled in his chest. “I know it’s asking a lot. You’d have to uproot your entire life, give up your job, and trust me to take care of you, but I would, you know? Plus, you’d be two houses from your brother. Not that I intend to let you leave this bed to visit him.”

  “As if you could stay away from Hawke,” she accused, still avoiding his question. She was killing him.

  “I’m gutted, Sophie. Don’t tease me. Since the moment you asked me to dance, I’ve been incapable of looking away from you. It’s killing me only having your texts, and for almost a year, I’ve had more of those than this.” He rocked against her, enjoying the way her eyes glazed over. Her lips parted, and a flush crept up her neck. She was so responsive. “Every second out of your company is torture. Put me out of my misery. Tell me you’ll stay.”

  “Convince me,” Sophie said on a gasp as he rolled his hips again, hitting at just the right angle. He intended to do just that. The sound of breaking glass rent the air a split second before the wail of his alarm system bounced from the walls, piercing his eardrums. Benton shot from the bed.

  “Are you fucking joking?” Benton’s long stride tore up the distance between his bedroom and the front door. He didn’t understand where this nonsense was coming from, but he was ending it today. Sophie was his heart. He’d be damned if he allowed his past to steal his future. If he had to burn his house to the ground and start over in another country, he was spending the rest of his life with Sophie. The front door slammed against the wall with such force it almost bounced closed again when Benton threw it open. He was fully prepared to blast Genevieve only find Wesley standing there instead.

  With planter raised, preparing to bust out a second window Wesley froze when Benton filled the doorway. His shirtless state threw Benton for a loop until he spotted Genevieve clinging to Wesley’s back wearing the man’s shirt. They both wore matching outraged expressions as if he was the one interrupting them. Proving Benton’s brain wasn’t working properly, his only thoughts were on his planters. He didn’t even know he owned any. Now one was in his living room.

  “What in the fuck are you doing out here?”

  The roared question still echoed through the air, seeming twice as loud when the alarm suddenly fell silent and Sophie ducked beneath his arm. She held onto this waist. “I found the key fob,” she explained even though he hadn’t asked. Wesley went from crazed to calm in an instant at her appearance. His shoulders squared, almost as if there wasn’t a half-insane woman hanging from them. A flash of confusion crossed Wesley features before he clutched the planter to his chest and swiped his fingers through his hair, obviously attempting to put on his best face. A spike of jealousy ran through Benton. It took every ounce of his will to not push Sophie behind him, hiding her from view. Wesley had a history of woman thievery.

  Benton tried to see Wesley through Sophie’s eyes. He was younger by ten years. Those years showed. They made his brother closer to Sophie in age. There wasn’t a single gray strand marring the man’s dark hair and his eyes weren’t an odd shade or hardened the way Benton’s were. He was also shirtless. Benton scowled.

  Wesley’s first words confirmed his fears. “Who’s this?” The arm draped over Sophie’s shoulders tightened against his will at Wesley’s flirtatious tone.

  “Get bent, you smarmy bastard.” He could feel Sophie shaking with barely suppressed laughter. He couldn’t help but glance in her direction to see her reaction to Wesley. Sophie wasn’t looking at his brother. She was looking at him. Her eyes were shining. It did something to his chest. He loved her.

  “She’s a twat. That’s who she is,” Genevieve mumbled against Wesley’s back, reminding everyone of her presence. Sophie took a step in the woman’s direction. Benton held her in place.

  “Genevieve isn’t worth it, I assure you.”

  Sophie huffed. “I’m not going for her. Your brother has my plant.”

  Wesley glanced down at the fake greenery in his hands, looking like a child who’d been caught being naughty. Genevieve’s head appeared over Wesley’s shoulder. Her evil gaze honed in on Sophie. “Your plant?”

  Sophie nodded. “Yes. My plant. Now, I expect you to set it down and back away.” Wesley immediately did as told. His cheeks turned red with embarrassment, but Sophie wasn’t finished. “I just spent twelve hours on a plane and I’m tired. The last thing I need is some spoiled children breaking the windows in my house and showing their asses to my neighbors.”

  “Your neighbors?”

  Sophie focused a cold look on Genevieve. Benton was certain if it had been aimed at him he would’ve taken a step back. He couldn’t look away from his avenging angel. “Are you a parrot or an idiot?” Sophie asked, making him la
ugh. He tried smothering the sound with a cough even though he was sure it fooled no one. “Yes. My plants, my window and my man. Now, take your drama back to your own goddamn house and leave us in peace.” Benton wanted to ask if she meant it. It was possible she was only standing up for him and not accepting his offer, but he couldn’t find out until he got rid of the circus on his lawn.

  “I’m sorry,” Wesley trailed off, obviously hoping Sophie would supply her name. She didn’t. The silence stretched on until Wesley shifted Genevieve’s load to a better position on his back. The move confirmed Benton’s thoughts. He’d been supporting most of the woman’s weight all along and this was all a show. The pair thrived on bullshit. “I didn’t realize my brother had gotten married,” Wesley added, obviously still fishing. Sophie simply lifted her eyebrows, waiting for them to leave. “My apologies for the window.”

  Sophie dipped her chin. “I expect someone here to fix it by tomorrow. Not you, of course.”

  “Of course,” Wesley repeated. “It’s my fault after all.” Benton tried hiding his smile. She was something else. In a matter of minutes, Sophie had gotten more apologies from his brother than Benton had in years.

  “I’d tell you to get a broom and sweep this shit up, but I don’t want you or your side show in my house.” Oh god. Wesley had to go. Benton wasn’t going to make it. For a moment, she sounded so much like her mother it was too much. Sophie shot Wesley an annoyed look when he still didn’t move. She waved him away. “It’s time to go home,” she reminded him. Wesley blushed again.

  “Of course. Sorry,” Wesley repeated, tightening his grip on Genevieve’s legs around his waist and heading for his car parked the curb. Genevieve attempted to break his hold and called a few choice words over her shoulder, but Wesley was having none of it.

  “That little bastard broke our window,” Sophie muttered before Benton had time to question her.

  “I can replace the whole damn house if you mean it.”

  “Have you ever known me to say something I didn’t mean?” She wrapped both arms around him and met his stare. No. He hadn’t. Benton ran his fingers through her hair, seeing a future brighter than anything he’d witnessed in a long time.

  “Thank you.”

  Sophie’s brows drew together in a frown. He hadn’t meant for the words to come out sounding sad, but there it was. Even he wasn’t entirely sure what he was thanking her for. Everything, he supposed. Finally, he settled on the biggest thing he’d never been able to get enough of when it came to her. “For believing I’m worth more than I am.”

  She shook her head and pressed her lips to his chest. “You’re worth everything, Superman. Everything.”

  Chapter 8

  Every time Joss’ gaze landed on Maddox, his mouth watered. They’d fallen into an odd pattern of making love, spending time together and never speaking of anything heavy. Whereas there should’ve been insecurity and fear, there was none. Joss had decided the long spell he’d spent never expecting Maddox to speak to him again had made him more willing to accept anything. He’d thought he’d lost Maddox in every capacity. By some grace of God, he hadn’t.

  In the grand scheme of things, his heart mattered not at all. If Maddox chose to never touch him again, Joss would accept it as long as he could hang onto him in some way. Maddox was his best friend. Always. There were moments when his heart yearned for more. Moments like now. If he added it together—most likely—Joss had listened to Maddox sing a million times over the years. It never got old. Sometimes he wondered how his hands continued moving over his guitar without his brain controlling them. His focus drowned in the vibrations of Maddox’s voice. From his vantage point, he had a great view of Maddox’s profile as he leaned toward the microphone. The way his throat worked reminded Joss of all the times Maddox swallowed his cock. Joss drew a slow breath through his nose. The people inside Khronos were in real danger of getting a show they didn’t pay to see.

  When Maddox called a break, Joss nearly sagged with relief. For some reason, tonight was especially bad. With only his presence, Maddox owned him. Joss dragged his feet, waiting until everyone else disappeared into the crowd before stepping off stage. He went straight for the bar. In the past few months, he’d done a decent job of cutting back on the alcohol. Tonight, there was something in the air—brewing. He was damn near ready to crawl out of his skin. He was scratching at his cage.

  “How’s it going?”

  The burn of Jack still stung the back of Joss’ throat, buying him time. Finn had materialized from out of nowhere. He set his shot glass aside, motioning for Dylan to hit him again. “I’m good. How’ve you been?”

  Light blue eyes flashed with humor as if Finn knew exactly how uncomfortable he made Joss. “I’m always good.”

  Joss’ eyebrows rose at Finn’s heavy sexual innuendo. Even the man’s smile was wicked. Joss didn’t think for one second it was directed at him. It was more of a vibe Finn carried. Sometimes Joss felt like he got a different version of Finn every time he ran into the man. It was a mystery. “That doesn’t surprise me,” Joss said, choosing to go with the truth rather than attempting to match wits.

  “You’re back with the band.”

  Joss tossed back his second shot before responding. “Yeah, a couple of months now.”

  Finn nodded. “I’ve been too busy to come by for a while.” He glanced around, searching the nearby faces with his gaze. Joss wondered who he was looking for. Not enough to ask, but the question ran through his head. “Does your being here mean you and Maddox have kissed and made up?” Finn didn’t meet his gaze as he asked. Warning bells rang in the back of Joss’ mind.

  “We’re friends again if that’s what you mean.”

  Finn dug his hands into the pockets of his jean jacket. His gaze continued moving over the crowd, avoiding Joss. “Just friends, huh?”

  “Can I get you a beer of something?” Joss asked, dodging Finn’s question. At his offer, Finn finally focused on him. The laughter was gone from his eyes, and Joss found himself—once again—staring at a different version of the man.

  “Sure. I’ll take that beer.”

  Joss waved Dylan over and ordered, happy to have something else to focus on. As he waited for Dylan to fill the glass, his gaze automatically sought Maddox. At the opposite end of the long bar, Maddox downed some water while listening to whatever Cade was speaking to him about. As if he felt Joss’ stare, their eyes met. Maddox’s mouth lifted in one corner. Joss’ breath caught. Goddamn. He couldn’t even function. Finn reached past him, accepting the chilled glass.

  “I wanted to talk to you.”

  Joss tore his gaze away from Maddox and gave Finn his full attention. “That sounds ominous.”

  Finn brought the drink to his lips, swallowing down half its contents. As far as stall tactics went, it was a good one. Joss didn’t want to notice how the man’s gorgeous lips looked capable, but he suddenly wanted a beer pretty damn badly. Maybe Finn should go into advertising. Just watching him drink made Joss thirsty. He also thought he’d develop a permanent eye twitch before Finn finally spoke again.

  “Considering our last conversation and seeing as you’re here now, I feel as if I should run something by you.”

  “All right.” The warning bells were back, clanging louder than before, especially when Finn shot a glance in Maddox’s direction as if ensuring the man stayed out of earshot. His next words confirmed Joss’ fears.

  “So Maddox has been coming to Plethora every Wednesday for a long time.” That was news to Joss. Unfortunately, his ignorance didn’t stop Finn. “I don’t want to step on any toes, but I’m going to ask him out. Seems like the two of you aren’t going anywhere and I like him. A lot,” Finn added as if it made things any better. Joss had zilch. His first reaction was to punch Finn in the center of his sexy face before a heavy weight settled in his chest.

  “Why are telling me?” Even to Joss his voice sounded dead.

  Finn shrugged. “Like I said, you seemed pretty hard
core into him last we spoke.”

  “You don’t need my permission.” Holy fuck. The words tore at Joss’ throat like glass before shredding his heart, but the truth was staring him in the face. This was where he’d gone wrong with Hawke. The time had come for him to undo his mistakes. Finn seemed like an okay guy.

  “I’m not asking for it.”

  Somehow Joss dredged up a smile he didn’t feel. The way it pulled unnaturally at the corners of his mouth made him wonder if it appeared as strained as it felt. “You’d better hurry if you want to catch him before he’s due back on stage. Enjoy your drink.” Only God understood what the words cost him. Somehow Joss’ knees held him as he walked away. He couldn’t watch it happen and there was nothing left to say. As long as Maddox was happy, he’d find a way to accept it. It wasn’t as if he’d ever had a real hope anyway.

  *

  Something was up with Joss. Maddox swore the temperature dropped ten degrees in the bar. He searched for Joss in his panic. Even he couldn’t explain why he felt an immediate need to find him. Something was wrong. He could feel it in his chest and in the way the air thinned until he could barely breathe. Maddox focused on the spot where Joss had been standing only moments earlier. Joss was gone. He snagged Cade.

  “Have Dylan turn up the music for a few. I need to do something.”

  Concern filled Cade’s eyes, but he nodded. “No problem.”

  With a pat on the man’s shoulder, Maddox started to push his way through the crush only find Finn blocking his path. Several months earlier Maddox had found himself visiting Plethora, the club where Finn played, more and more often. The man possessed a brilliant mind. Maddox liked him. Finn didn’t know all of Maddox’s bullshit. For one night a week, Maddox got to be someone else—someone without a black past. At any other time, he’d be thrilled to see Finn. Right now, he needed to find Joss.