Ripped: The Price of Loyalty by Tania Joyce

 

Chapter 16

Kyle followed Gemma out of the laundry in a daze, down the short hallway and out into the crowded living room full of drunk party-goers. After hearing she’d broken up with Hunter, he didn’t know whether he wanted to jump for joy, hug her, or take her in his arms and kiss her. Maybe all the above. His heart thudded so loudly he could hear it over the pumping music, and the blood rush to his head certainly wasn’t from alcohol.

Standing by old upright piano, Gemma grabbed the bottle of JD off the top, poured a straight shot, knocked it back, and poured another.

“Want one?” She waved the bottle at him.

“Why not?”

They chinked glasses and drank. The whiskey burned like wildfire in his stomach and all the way down to his toes. Placing the glass down on the fallboard, he let out a long, slow breath. Right then and there, he wanted to tell Gemma how he felt, but damn it, she’d just broken up with his best friend and probably needed time to get over him.

Pouring another drink, his hand trembled. He had no idea what to do or say to her, but he knew one thing for certain: he wasn’t going to lose her again.

The blaring music cut.

“Hey, everyone,” Hunter’s voice boomed from the doorway that led outside. “Let’s head down to the beach. The bonfire’s started.”

The crowd cheered, grabbed drinks, and headed out over the dune. Kyle hung back by the piano with Gemma, watching everyone leave. When the last of the party-goers headed for the door, she took a step to follow, but Kyle caught her arm.

“Can you wait a sec?” Kyle struggled to swallow. Struggled to draw breath.

“Sure. What’s up?”

The air felt thick and heavy. Touching her skin made his fingers quiver. Why did she have this effect on him? “Before the day is out, I want to give you your birthday present. Can we go outside onto the deck?”

She nodded, so he led her outside and they sat facing each other on the cushioned bench seat. Everything seemed surreal. The gentle breeze wafting through the air. Waves crashing on the beach. The sky filled with millions of stars. And Gemma, here with him . . . the most surreal situation of all.

He knew what he wanted. But did Gemma feel the same way? She’d denied having feelings for him before, and he wasn’t sure his heart could handle it if she didn’t. Was there a way he could find out that they had a chance to be together soon without making a fool of himself? Maybe his gift might give him some indication. “It was so busy this afternoon I never got a chance to give you this.” He dug his hand into his shorts pocket and pulled out a black velvet pouch.

“I was wondering when I would get something from you,” Gemma said sheepishly. “You’ve kept me hanging all day.”

Her face lit up when he placed the pouch in her hands. She tugged the cords open and tipped the necklace into the palm of her hand.

Staring at the square gold pendant and chain shimmering in the light, she froze. Was that a good sign, or a bad one?

“You’ve got it upside down.” Kyle’s voice snagged in his throat, and he turned it over in her hand.

“Oh my God,” she gushed, splaying her hand across her chest. “It’s staff lines, treble clef and G Major.” She brushed her fingers over the metal, examining the cut-out lines and the intricate gold embellishments.

“I had it custom made for you,” he stuttered, unable to gauge her reaction. “Do you remember—”

“The first song we ever wrote together at school was written in G-Major. I still have the piece of paper we wrote ‘All Wound Up’ on in a plastic sleeve at home.”

She looked up at him. Her beautiful green eyes swelled with tears.

“You like it?” he asked.

“I love it. It’s the best gift ever.” She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. He closed his eyes, squeezed her close, and absorbed the feel of her in his arms.

“Hey Gemma?” Kara called from the edge of the sand dunes fifty yards away. “You coming, or what?”

Gemma pulled away and wiped her eyes. “In a minute. We’re on our way,” she hollered out to Kara, then turned back to face him. “Here, help me put it on.”

She dropped the chain in his hand and spun around, and after fumbling with the clasp several times, he secured it around her neck. She shuffled back around and played with the pendant. The necklace was perfect. It hung exactly at the bottom of the dip in her throat. Just as he’d intended.

Then she looked up at him and his skin prickled. He could almost see the current of energy between them wavering in the air.

“Come on,” she whispered. “We better get down to the beach.”

Gemma rubbed her hand on his thigh, but he stopped her from leaving yet again.

His heartbeat thundered in his ears. “First, there’s something I need to know.” His voice scratched his throat, not coming out all cool, calm, and collected like he’d planned.

“What?” Gemma settled back onto the bench, her knee brushing against his.

He stared out across the seagrass-covered dune up to the lights shining in the neighbor’s house half a mile away and wiped his sweating palms on his boardshorts. “Why did you break up with Hunt?”

She lowered her gaze and picked at the frayed hemline of her denim shorts. “It wasn’t working. And . . . I had my suspicions he liked someone else.”

“Amie?”

Her head whipped up. Disappointment glazed her eyes. “It was obvious, wasn’t it?”

Kyle nodded. “Ever since that night they went to see the band together. Are you upset about breaking up with him?”

“To be honest . . . no. I’m not. It took us some time to realize we’re just good friends. Another relationship failure on my part. Do you think I’m going to end up just like my mother—”

“You’re nothing like your mother.”

“God, I hope not.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. Her emerald birthstone earrings sparkled like her eyes. “I hope something good has come out of it, though. Being with Hunt made me see things that were right in front of me the whole time in a different light.”

Kyle drew in a deep breath and held onto reins of hope. Was it wishful thinking for it to be him she was talking about? His vocal cords tightened like the strings on his bass guitar. “Did . . . did it have anything to do me?”

“It had everything to do with you.” Her voice was barely audible over the waves crashing in the distance.

Hot air rushed into his lungs. If his heart beat any louder, she’d hear it thump, thump, thump.

Gemma rounded her shoulders and rubbed her arm. “When we were in Vegas, I’d made up my mind to end things with Hunt but didn’t get the chance to talk to him. Then, at the awards show, something unexplainable happened. I got a shock from you when you helped me out of the car, and everything changed. Everything became clear. For the first time in months, I knew what I wanted. And it reinforced the fact that it wasn’t Hunt.” The smallest of a smile touched her lips. “Everything I was fighting to find and have with him, I already had with you. You’re my rock. It’s taken me far too long to realize that.”

A lump caught in his throat. It took a second for him to grasp the magnitude of what she’d said. He reached for her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. His palms tingled, feeling her silken skin beneath his callused fingertips. “That moment you had in Vegas happened to me a few months after my parents’ accident. I couldn’t explain what happened, but suddenly, I couldn’t exist without you. After losing them, then recording and touring, I bottled everything up inside. Then Hunt happened, and I didn’t want to cause problems so I lied about how I felt. I kept my distance and tried to stay out of the way.”

She shook her head. “Well . . . don’t do that anymore. I’ve made so many mistakes along the path to get here, but now . . . you’re all I see. I’m sorry me being with Hunt hurt you. Is there any chance you’d be able to forgive me?”

He stared down at the wooden deck, then looked up to meet Gemma’s inquisitive eyes. “I’m crazy about you, you know that. So, I guess there’s only one way I’ll ever be able to forgive you. And that is . . . be mine.”

For a split second, her face lit up before concern etched the corners of her eyes. “I’ve just broken up with Hunt. Does that bother you?”

He squeezed her hand tight. He didn’t care if she broke up with Hunter five minutes, five hours or five months ago—it was in the past. “No. No, it doesn’t.” He grazed his thumb over the back of her hand. “So, is it a yes?”

He held his breath. Waves crashed on the shoreline. People’s high-pitched laughter wafted up from the beach. Crickets chirped persistently in the grass beside the deck.

Then Gemma’s gaze softened.

Her mouth curled into a smile.

She bobbed her head. “Yeah . . . I’d like that.”

And that was all he needed.

His heart leapt and pounded against his ribs. She owned him—had done so for a long time.

“Then there’s only one thing we need to do before we go down to the beach.” Kyle straightened his shoulders.

“And what’s that?” Her eyes glimmered in the soft light.

“Something I should have done a very . . . long . . . time ago.”

Weaving his hand around her neck, he leaned forward and kissed her. Heat shot over his skin and all his senses exploded. The whiskey on her lips fed his hunger to taste her. Touching her skin made his fingertips twitch. The scent of her floral perfume flooded his nose. Everything about her invaded his mind.

He closed his eyes, opened his mouth, and sought out her tongue. Her lips parted, and her warm breath on his face made his heart hammer. Her kisses, soft and delicate at first, became forceful and hungry. Her hands tugging through his hair had his body craving for more of her touch.

Control. He had to keep control.

He had to slow it down.

But God damn it, he was kissing her. After endless months of agony, he was finally kissing her. He caressed her cheek and ran his hands down her bare arms—he had to make sure he was not dreaming about her once again.

She clawed at his shirt. Her fingernails dug into his back, biting into his skin. Fuck. She could rip his T-shirt to shreds if she wanted to because the low rumble deep in her throat sent jolts of electricity down his spine and turned him on to no end.

Heat scorched his lips. Gemma flicked her tongue like she knew exactly how he liked to be kissed. If he’d known better, he would’ve kissed her years ago. Before Ben. Before tour. And long before Hunter.

Catching his breath, Kyle rested his forehead against hers. “I’m yours, Gem. Have been for a long time.”

“Shh.” Gemma’s voice enveloped him like a warm embrace. “Kiss me again.”

She edged closer, resting her leg on top of his. She brushed her hand over his jaw and drew him toward her. His lips found hers again. Their tongues united, feeding off each other, shooting goose bumps down his arms.

Her hands were everywhere. In his hair. Clutching his back. Gliding over his arms and shoulders. Every time she moved, his fevered blood rushed south and his body temperature approached dangerous levels. His heart was close to erupting with more passion than a stadium full of screaming fans. How was he supposed to maintain control when she felt this good?

Just when he doubted his composure, she slid her fingertips down his chest, over his stomach, and around his waist. It tickled, and he flinched. She smiled against his lips and slipped her hand underneath his shirt. “I love it that you’re ticklish.”

“Don’t be mean.” He grinned, clasping at her hand.

The blaze from the bonfire peaking over the dunes caught his eye.

Time to stop.

Time for the beach.

But she clambered into his lap, straddled his hips, and kissed him again.

All his good intentions disappeared. Sweet Jesus! His heart was in freefall, not wanting to pull the ripcord to stop the adrenaline charging through his body.

There was no way he could hide the effect she had on him. His erection grew harder and harder within the confines of his boardshorts. Curling his arms around her, he pulled her closer. Her petite frame molded perfectly against his chest, intensifying the heat between them. Trying to keep his wits, he trailed a line of kisses down the side of her throat. He tasted salt from the ocean air on her skin, and her pulse throbbed beneath his lips.

She was so perfect. So beautiful. Everything he ever wanted.

But damn it.

It was her birthday.

People were waiting down at the bonfire.

Summoning all his inner strength, he dragged his lips away. Gemma panted, her cheeks flushed, her lips glistened and her eyes blazed. She reflected his own desire and made it impossible to look away.

“We need to get down to the beach.” He struggled to find his voice and hooked the shoestring strap of her tank top that had slipped off during their kiss back onto her shoulder.

She gave a barely-there nod, traced his lips with her fingertips, and showed no sign of moving. “Whatever this is between us, I don’t what to screw it up. Let’s take it slow. Okay?”

Kyle clenched his jaw, trying to will away his erection and ease the fire in his blood. He could do slow. Slow was better than nothing. If he could kiss and touch her like this, he’d cope. “Whatever you need, Gem. But I swear, I’m not going anywhere. Now come on, let’s go.”

He lifted her off his lap, stood and gave her a thanks-for-the-hard-on smile. He held out his hand, but she glanced toward his groin for a few fleeting seconds. When she looked back up at him her eyes swirled with wild energy.

She stepped forward and grabbed his T-shirt.

“I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to go slow.” Her tone was low and hot. “Fuck the bonfire. Take me to bed. Now.”