Love & Revelations: A Love & Ruin Novella (The Love & Ruin Series Book 6)

by J. A. Owenby

  Hendrix collapsed on top of me and rested his head on my chest. “Those beats are for you.” I played with his hair as we caught our breath.

  “And mine for you.” Hendrix stood up, leaving me cold without the warmth of his body in mine.

  “Let me help.” Hendrix fastened his jeans and collected my bra and shirt. He remained quiet as he dressed me while kissing my shoulder.

  “Are you okay?” I hopped off the table and took his hand.

  “I’m a little nervous about your gift.”

  “Mm, haven’t you figured out I don’t care about gifts? Time alone with you is all I ever need. You’re already giving that to me. I don’t need anything else.”

  Hendrix released a visible sigh. “I guess I needed to hear that.”

  “Babe, don’t ever doubt it.” I traced a heart on his cheek with my fingers then kissed him.

  “Let’s go stretch out in the bedroom. We still have a few hours to go,” he said.

  It was dark when we arrived in Maine, but I could still make out the turbulent ocean water as Hendrix drove the rental car up the winding coastal road. I’d already asked him a million questions, but the only responses I received were pursed together lips or a smile. I’d finally given up. It didn’t really matter anyway. He was all I wanted.

  Hendrix turned onto a street that led us outside a small town then a few miles later slowed in front of a huge house. The headlights shone on the front of the magnificent Victorian home and the Bed & Breakfast sign. The porch wrapped around the side of the house and multiple white rocking chairs were scattered across it.

  “Hang on.” Hendrix parked the car, hopped out, and hurried to my side. He smiled as he opened the door for me.

  “Thank you.” I sucked in the fresh, salty air and waited as Hendrix grabbed our luggage from the trunk. A harsh wind blew in off the water, and I pulled my coat tighter around me.

  “Let’s get inside where it’s warm. This is definitely colder than Spokane.” He shivered as he spoke.

  I giggled as we hurried along the snow cleared sidewalk and up the wide cement stairs. Hendrix ushered me inside and flipped on the outdoor and indoor lights. The warmth of the large fireplace greeted us.

  “Wow,” I whispered. “This is beautiful!” A blazing fire crackled in the living room. Glancing down at the polished wood floors, I noticed a trail of rose petals. I glanced at my fiancé and grinned. “Roses?”

  “Mmhm.” He placed our suitcase in the entrance against the wall and took my hand, then guided us into the dining room near a large row of windows overlooking the coast. “We’re the only ones here. I had the staff prepare the rooms, fire, and food, then they left to give us complete privacy.”

  “Really? You rented it just for us?” I turned around to face him, unable to hide my giddiness and bouncing on my toes. “I can’t wait to see it in the daylight.” The flicker of candles cast a cozy warmth over the room, and Hendrix popped open the champagne bottle waiting for us in the ice bucket. He raised his glass, and we toasted to us.

  I took a sip and studied my surroundings.

  “The entire house has windows like this. You can see for miles and miles.” He pointed toward the ocean.

  “Oh, you’ve been here?” I asked, sipping my drink.

  “Yeah.”

  “When? Did Franklin bring you up here when you were little?” I didn’t miss the sadness that crept over his expression when I’d asked about Franklin. They were super close now, but it hadn’t always been that way. Franklin had battled with alcoholism and made some poor choices when Hendrix was younger. The day had been fantastic so far, and I didn’t want to bring up unwanted memories.

  “We didn’t travel a lot during those years, but I came to check it out when you went to Louisiana for a weekend to follow up on your safe house for rape victims.”

  After Ada Lynn had passed away, she willed me her home and property. My rapist had finally been caught, and it was my time to give back to those who had struggled along the same dark path I’d overcome. I chose to build a safe place for the victims and provide help and counseling.

  “Let me show you the rest of the place before we eat.” He took my hand in his, and we continued the tour. The kitchen was large with restaurant-style appliances and black granite countertops. I wondered how many people the B&B could hold at once.

  “This is the outdoor space.” I followed him through the back door and out onto a covered patio.

  “I bet it’s gorgeous in the summer.” The crash of the waves against the rocks reached my ears, and I snuggled into Hendrix. “Even at night, it’s beautiful.”

  “Just like you.” He gave me a sweet kiss on the top of my head before we went back into the house.

  There were eight bedrooms upstairs, each with a different theme. They all had fireplaces and en suite bathrooms which provided privacy and made for an intimate ambience. My favorite room had a massive four-poster bed and an accent wall with shiplap. For the first time, I spotted the cliff with a walking trail and walked over to the window.

  “Do you like it?” Hendrix wrapped his arms around my waist from behind me.

  “Thank you. It’s perfect, and I love it.”

  “Good. Happy Valentine’s Day.” He leaned down, his soft lips brushing against mine.

  A sigh of contentment escaped me. “Can we stay in this bedroom?”

  “Yeah. This is my favorite, too. I’ll start a fire to knock off the chill.”

  I laughed as he flipped a switch on the wall and grinned. “Done.”

  We hurried downstairs, my tummy growling loudly. “I’m not sure champagne on an empty stomach is a good idea.”

  “Go sit down, babe. I’ll bring you dinner.” Hendrix turned right into the kitchen, and I settled in at the dining room table.

  “Steak and lobster.” He placed a plate with a lid on it in front of me, then one for him. “Before we eat …” Hendrix grew serious.

  “Is something wrong?” Butterflies fluttered in my chest as he disappeared and returned with our luggage. He sank to his knees, opened the suitcase, and produced a manila envelope.

  “This. This is what was in the locked desk drawer.” He handed me the envelope and stood slowly.

  Frowning, I pulled out a thick stack of papers. “What?” I shook my head in confusion. “Hendrix, what is this?”

  “When we were in Louisiana, Ada Lynn told me that when you were ten, you told her you wanted to visit Maine. She said you were absolutely adorable describing the home you wanted to live in.” He gave me a sweet smile. “She went on to give me the specifics of the house or at least what she could remember.”

  I gasped. “This. Oh, my God.” My hands flew over my mouth as tears welled in my eyes. “This is really close to what I had described to her. I mean, I’ve never been here, it was just all in my imagination. Hendrix,” I whispered, tears spilling down my cheeks. “How did you find something so close to what I’d described?”

  “Franklin, Mac, Cade, Pierce, and Janice all helped me. It was really a group effort.”

  “It’s more than I could have ever hoped for, and it’s ours for the entire weekend.” I flung my arms around him.

  He rubbed my back and held me. “It doesn’t have to be, Gem.”

  I pulled away from him as he wiped my tears of happiness away with the pad of his thumb.

  “What do you mean?” Then, it dawned on me what the papers were.

  “Let’s get married here. Let’s set a date and have the ceremony on the cliff with all our friends and family. Let’s start our next chapter right here,” he said softly.

  More tears.

  “Let’s vacation here. Anytime we need to escape from the crowds of people calling our names, let’s come here. If you say yes, the house is ours.”

  More stupid tears. Overcome with gratitude and love for this amazing man who was mine, I flung my arms around him and buried my face in his neck. “Yes. Yes.” I wiped my cheek. “Thank you.”

  “You’re we
lcome, babe. I wanted to start our future together in a place you love.”

  “It’s all so amazing. I’m just a little overwhelmed.” I fanned myself with my hand. No one had to tell me my cheeks were flushed. I could feel it.

  After I calmed down, we signed the house papers.

  “This is our first big purchase together. Congratulations, babe.” Hendrix gave me a long passionate kiss. “Let’s eat, then I’ve got something else for you.”

  “What?” My shoulders sagged. “My gift to you … was ruined. We were so busy with the performance in Seattle; I ran out of time to do something else for you.”

  Hendrix responded with a gentle smile. “I have you. It’s all I need. Eat.”

  Half an hour later, we had full bellies, and the champagne had relaxed me. I definitely felt better, plus I was excited to see the B&B … our new house in the daylight.

  Hendrix cleared our plates, then we refilled our glasses and went to the living room. I sat on the navy-blue and white striped couch as Hendrix reached behind a matching chair and produced a guitar case.

  I laughed. “You’re full of surprises. When did you bring that in? I never even saw it on the plane.”

  “Dad loaded it for me. You were in the restroom at the airport after we landed when I slipped it in the trunk of the car, then when you were checking out the kitchen, I ran like a madman and brought it in.” He chuckled and took it out of the case. He played a few chords and hummed.

  I tucked my feet beneath me and watched as the flames in the fireplace cast shadows around the room. We’d not bothered to turn the lights on, which was perfect and incredibly romantic.

  “This is the song I’ve been working on like crazy. I was going to play it for you if you said yes to the house … And, you did. This is for you, Gem.”

  There is no me without you

  You’re the beat of my heart

  The air I crave

  All I need is you by my side

  Let me love you through the night

  Just leave everyone behind

  Say you’ll be mine

  Say you’ll be mine

  I need all of you

  With all of me

  Your heart, your soul

  The essence of you

  Let me love you the rest of our days

  Just leave it all behind

  Say you’ll be mine

  Say you’ll be mine

  Tears streamed down my face as Hendrix softly played his guitar and continued to sing in front of the roaring fire. The more he sang, the more I fell in love with him. These were stolen and precious moments I’d cling to for the rest of my life. His emotions were raw and vulnerable. He finished the song and placed the guitar back in its case.

  “It’s beautiful. I absolutely love it.” My voice cracked with my emotions.

  “Thank you. I think it captured what I feel for you.” His expression softened as he stood, took a few steps back, reached behind the chair again, then produced a large package wrapped in brown paper. He placed it on the seat and slowly ripped the paper off.

  “Oh, wow!” I hopped off the couch. “It’s beautiful. How?” I gaped at the picture of me in the orange dress next to the moon, swinging and laughing.

  “Wait.” He produced another package and proceeded to tear the wrapping off.

  “Hendrix. They’re even framed!” I pointed at the second image of me, lying on the bed with the red blanket between my thighs and covering my breasts. “I was thinking about you during the shoot. The look in my eyes … is all about you and how much I love you.”

  “Thank you. Obviously, I was still able to do something with the images. Kami helped,” he said, leaving the pictures propped up against the furniture. “Those were my two favorites, and I’d love to hang them in our new house. Maybe the sexy one in the bedroom and the other in here over the fireplace.”

  “Really?” I asked, a bit embarrassed that I’d be on display.

  “It would make me a happy man. Happy Valentine’s Day, Gemma.”

  I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him, my heart filled with love for this man who had breathed new life into me the first time we met, taught me what real love was all about, and wasn’t afraid to show me his own vulnerability. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him.

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, babe. Maybe tomorrow we can walk the grounds and start planning the wedding.”

  “Yeah?” Hendrix’s smile lit up his entire face.

  “Yeah. I’m ready to move forward. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too, Gemma Thompson, and I can’t wait to call you my wife.”

  Chapter 9

  Enjoy this sneak peek for Love & Consequences!

  If I were into girls, I’d totally want to do my best friend, Gemma.

  I leaned against the door frame of my stepdad Franklin’s kitchen and watched while Gemma rummaged through the bowl of fresh fruit on the counter. Her long wavy hair flowed down her back, and she swayed slightly as she hummed under her breath.

  “You think you can just waltz into someone’s house and take their oranges?” I asked, my tone teasingly accusatory.

  Gemma’s head rose quickly, her brows arched in surprise as she snatched her hand away from a Honeycrisp apple. This girl was absolutely clueless about how gorgeous she was. Not only did she have the red hair and blue eyes that melted all the guys into a hormonal puddle, but she was one of the most genuine people I’d ever met.

  We were in stark contrast to each other in the looks department. My dark brown hair was either in pigtails or hung straight down my back. Unlike Gemma’s, my chocolate brown eyes didn’t change with my mood or the clothes I wore.

  Her entire expression lit up at the sight of the grin spreading across my face.

  “Mac! I’ve missed you so much,” Gemma said, darting across the kitchen, applying my signature move and crushing me in a bear hug. “Even though the tour has been awesome, my heart ached to be home with you and Franklin,” Gemma said softly against my ear.

  “Yeah, me too, bestie. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you.”

  She pulled away from our embrace, studying me. We hadn’t seen each other since the horrific night that changed our lives, almost a month ago.

  “How have you been?” Gemma asked, resting her hands softly on my shoulders. “And no bullshit,” she added, punctuating her words with a quick squeeze.

  I mentally willed my lip not to quiver as the memories suddenly rushed over me, and my stomach twisted into knots. There was no way I could fall apart in front of her. I didn’t want anyone’s pity or to think of me as weak. Especially her. She’d saved me from my kidnapper, Brandon Montgomery. Gemma had unselfishly traded herself in exchange for my life, and I had no fucking clue how I’d ever repay her for that.

  “Hey,” Hendrix said, waltzing into the kitchen and breaking me away from my inner turmoil. He’d just provided the distraction I needed to avoid lying to my best friend. I wasn’t okay.

  “Hey,” I said, grinning like an idiot at my rock star stepbrother who was also Gemma’s boyfriend. Hendrix’s band, August Clover, had just returned from the first leg of their US tour, and when they left again tomorrow, I’d go with them. He flipped his shoulder-length brown hair out of his face and went straight for the food.

  “Sorry we got in so late last night.” Hendrix opened the fridge door and grabbed the pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice Ruby, our chef, had made earlier.

  Franklin was a prominent attorney in Spokane, Washington with all the right connections. When I was in grade school, he built a ten bedroom Colonial mansion complete with an indoor pool and guest house that sat on fifteen lush rolling acres. Hendrix and Gemma had their own house ten minutes away, but they also had a room and stayed over often. Even though I understood their need for privacy, I wished they were here all the time.

  “I was hoping to get in soon enough to spend a few days with Franklin, but we need to leave tomorrow morning," he said, grabbing a glass and fill
ing it.

  "Yeah, Franklin was really disappointed," I said sadly. "I was a little bummed too, but this time I'm coming on the road with you!" I did a little happy dance.

  “We can all have dinner together,” Gemma suggested.

  “I’m soooo glad you’re here,” I said, giving her another hug.

  “Me too, Mac. I’ve really missed you. Are you excited to join us on the tour?” Gemma asked.

  I couldn't be prouder of my best bestie. She'd shown up at our dorm room a broken girl, terrified of almost everyone. But in just a year, she'd grown into a confident woman who stared the world straight in the eyes, singing on stage alongside my brother in his band.

  “The bus is everything you could hope for … cramped spaces, no real privacy, sharing one bathroom with four guys, and an overabundance of testosterone.” Gemma rolled her eyes and shot a sideways glance at Hendrix.

  Hendrix responded with a crooked smile.

  “Omigosh. I can’t believe I’m going with you. The first few weeks you were gone flat out sucked monkey toes. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love spending time with Dad, but it’s not the same without you and Hendrix.” Franklin was technically my stepdad, but he was the only father I’d ever known since my sperm donor skipped right out the front door when I was a baby. “And I haven’t seen Mom since she took off for Europe.” Excited, I tugged on her hand and dragged her behind me to the tan marble breakfast bar. We slid our butts onto the bar stools and faced each other with silly smiles plastered on our faces. “Plus, since I’m single, I doubt you’ll hear me complain about too much testosterone. It would be a welcome change. Well, I mean Dad has testosterone, but ... Like, dudes that are my age, and I’m not related to or sort of related to or ... You know what I’m trying to say. Anyway, the one thing I’m not looking forward to are the beds on the bus. I’ve gotten spoiled by the California King in my room. Knowing my luck, I’ll roll right out of the bed, land on the floor, and wake up John and Cade.”

  “It won’t be bad,” Gemma replied, taking a bite of the crispy red apple she’d finally selected from the overflowing fruit bowl. “They can actually hold two people, it would just be snug.”