For Both Are Infinite (Hearts in London Book 1) (21 page)

“Are you okay?” he asked. I nodded, and he pushed my hair out of my face and lifted my chin with one hand. “I hope you trust me that I’m here for you and don’t mind. You’re mine now, but he’s yours and you’re his too. So please don’t be afraid of hurting me… I told you, I want to be yours in every way and that includes having someone to talk to.”

He cupped my cheeks and held my face up as he said this, and we continued looking at one another. As he stared into my eyes he whispered words that made my stomach bubble with fear and excitement. In his deep, quiet voice he said, “Ellie, I’m going to kiss you now. I can’t wait any longer.”

He stared down at me to make sure I was okay with it. With torment in his eyes he awaited my approval and I nodded so slightly, I wasn’t sure he’d notice. My breathing became staggered as if I had just run hundreds of miles, and I knew he could feel it with his left hand on the nape of my neck, his fingers wrapped softly around it. His other hand was on my hip, gripping it avariciously.

Shortening the distance between us, he softly, almost not at all, placed his lips on mine. My heart leapt in my chest at the brief encounter they shared, the small flutter, slow and short. It was a kiss where he’d simply allowed our two mouths to connect together, to introduce themselves, and then he didn’t move. Those seconds were breathtaking as he allowed our lips to touch, leaving me wanting more. He tested the waters, and then he did it again, for longer but with a hint of movement.

Pulling away from my lips I felt his eyes descend upon mine in the most carnal way. There was more than desire though; it was joined by a fear unique to him. He was worried, nervous to continue and afraid it was too much for my sad, grieving heart to handle. But it wasn’t.

I moved my hand up his back and placed it similarly on the back of his neck. I then pulled him down to encourage him to continue; he took it welcomingly and placed his mouth fully on mine. The kiss became possessive, demonstrating that I was fully his, and it was sweet, like biting into the most perfectly ripened fruit that molds to your mouth. His lips were warm and soft, gentler than I could’ve imagined, contrasting with his facial hair that scraped against my skin deliciously. I could feel myself melting into his fingers as his other hand rose from my hip to hold my face. I kissed him back passionately and all my fears disappeared.

I could sense the depth of his care in that kiss, and it made me tingle all over, awakening something deep in my heart as his mouth massaged mine. There was a new sense of happiness blossoming within those soft, passionate pecks, some short, some longer. It almost felt dream-like, except it was real. He was real, and he cared immensely for me, causing my heart to float and my eyes to water. He likely felt small tears escaping down my cheeks because he pulled away and whispered, “Are you all right?”

I didn’t allow him to pull too far. “Yeah, it’s just nice to have someone to call mine again.”

Rhys pulled me close once more and met my mouth with one simple, but wonderful kiss. He hugged me tightly and kissed the top of my head paternally. “I am yours. I’m so happy to hear you say so.” After one more quick kiss on the lips, he asked, “Do you still want to watch?”

“Yeah,” I whispered.

I leaned closely to him for the duration of the movie, and it was nothing short of wonderful. He held my hand the entire time, occasionally using his other one to stroke my head affectionately. We laughed at the cheesy parts, and discussed all the great songs on the soundtrack. I learned that Rhys had a deep appreciation for music and he told me he’d be sending me some songs soon. Towards the end of the movie, I started yawning uncontrollably and after the finale Rhys turned off the TV and asked, “Tired?”

I yawned while shrugging, and he laughed, scooping me up off the sofa. We stared at one another for a second, one that was loaded with so many new emotions, so many hopes for the future. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m glad we stayed in, this was perfect.”

A subtle smile crossed my lips. “It really was.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

R
hys dropped me off and kissed me again at my doorstep. It was shorter, but still soft and sweet like his others and I grew addicted to the taste of his mouth after only one night. It wasn’t so bad kissing someone else, it was wonderful actually; my heart raced to do it again. Before he left he asked if he could take me on a proper date the following night, somewhere fancy. I insisted he didn’t have to, but he kissed me and told me against my lips that it was absolutely necessary. Naturally, I agreed after being drugged by his mouth. The following morning I awoke to a text from him.

Rhys: Good Morning :) I’d really like for you to listen to this song,
Magic
by Coldplay. It’s a must after last night and perfectly describes how I’m feeling about you.

I downloaded it, and dressed up for dinner as Chris Martin’s voice sang “
And I don’t, no it’s true, want anybody else but you, call it magic.
” I added it to my phone permanently, aware that this was Rhys’ version of a love letter to me. He considered music to be poetry and I couldn’t wait to get more.

Since Rhys had told me we’d be going somewhere fancy, I dressed accordingly in black skinny pants and a pink blush top. It didn’t show off any cleavage, but was still suggestive and tight, and I was pretty pleased with the end result. I had a feeling he would be too. I chose high heels that would still leave me shorter than his 6’4 frame, and wore my hair in a high ponytail. He had warned me not to wear my hair down, claiming it his new weakness, explaining he couldn’t control his actions when I looked like
that
. At first his words unsettled me, but then I began to admire the unconfined version of him, the maleness and his attraction to me. It made me feel desirable and after years of shutting out even glances from others, I loved the way he looked at me.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about PDA with him, it had never been my thing, but I was craving his lips on mine again, still in a daze from his physical affections. I imagined they would be wonderful, but I had no idea the power he’d hold over me when his lips actually touched mine. It was like floating weightlessly, and the only things that kept me grounded were his hands on my face and our joined mouths.

Our dinner reservation was for 5:30 p.m., a last minute addition he was able to call in so he picked me up just before 5:00p.m. I peeked at him through the door and he looked so sharp. I’d yet to see him dressed up like that, but he wore black pants and an extremely fitted black shirt with a gray twill blazer. He looked like the perfect combination of classy and sinful. I felt guilty spying on his body, but there was no way to avoid noticing that he looked like sex on a stick. I wasn’t that sorry for it either.

When he saw me his jaw dropped a little, as he tried hiding his reaction, but failed when his eyes bathed me in admiration. They caught my gaze and slowly trailed all the way down my body before he brought them back up to my face. There were flowers in his hand that he’d lowered in surprise, leaving them hanging dejectedly to the ground. I started worrying that it was too much, that my outfit wasn’t appropriate, especially as he hadn’t said one word since I had opened the door.

“Rhys?”

He shook his head and came back to reality, finally making eye contact with me. “I’m sorry, that was rude of me.”

“Huh?”

“Staring at you like that.” He stepped forward and put his hand around my waist. “You look flawless, and I swear I’m not trying to be crude, but you’re incredibly sexy. I know your hair’s up, but that outfit may complicate things.”

He was incredibly animated and flushed as he spoke close to my face, and then he leaned forward and pressed one passionate kiss on my mouth. It was quick, but seductive as he opened his mouth and tasted my lips. “If I kiss you more than that,” he said, lifting his hands, “I don’t think we’ll make our reservation.”

“Rhys!” I squealed, secretly loving it. “Do you want me to change?”

“No way! I love that you’ll be by my side looking like this. You look stunning.”

“So do you. I stared at you through the peephole for a while.” I wasn’t sure why I offered this, maybe so he wouldn’t feel so bad, but I instantly regretted it.

He stepped back and tilted his head, astounded to hear my admission. “Really now?” I nodded, red as a tomato and he continued laughing. “Well now I don’t feel so bad. Come, I’m excited for you to see where I’m taking you.”

∞

When we arrived at the restaurant, Rhys came around and opened the door for me, leading me into the venue. It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness, but when they did I saw just how beautiful the dimly lit room was. The walls were covered in dark espresso wood and painted in a warm orange color. The space was barely lit by synthetic lights and instead each table was covered in candles, their flames bouncing off the walls along with the ones from the gorgeous fireplace. I noticed the tables were empty and I figured we were having dinner early to avoid the crowds and gain privacy.

Our host ushered us to the back room, a private dining area with a ceiling that caused my jaw to drop; above all the tables were vines and leaves that were covered in white roses. It was something out of a movie or fairy tale, and I couldn’t believe he’d brought me there for a first date. Once the waiter explained the specials and the menu, we were finally left alone.

“Rhys, this is amazing. I feel like I’m sitting in a dream.”

He placed his hand face-up on the table and I grabbed it. Rubbing my hand with his thumb, he said, “I’m thrilled you love it. I thought you would.”

We placed our orders, and after the waiter served us wine, Rhys made a toast. “I want you to know I’m elated to be here with you. I know this is quite new, Ellie, but I’m exceptionally happy.”

I held my glass to his. “Me too.”

He told me about his day, how his mother came over for lunch and told me a little about her. She lived in London, but spent part of the year at her Scotland cottage. Fortunately, she'd made Rhys ecstatic when she promised to attend his Friday show and I got the sense that they were close. He mentioned that she heavily influenced his career choice and supported him more than anyone, and I wondered when I’d get to meet the woman that molded him. I wondered if she would like me. Then, out of nowhere, he changed the subject to my schedule.

“So, I know we talked about your schedule last night, but I wanted to discuss something with you.” I nodded as I sipped some wine. “I don’t get much time off from the show, but we hired an understudy and I’ll get 10 days in October while they earn experience. I also get a few night shows off throughout the season, but I have to request them ahead of time with Michael. So I was thinking of asking for some Thursday nights off, maybe a Saturday or two, so we could spend them together.”

“Okay,” I beamed. “That sounds nice. That’s great you get a break in October.”

“Yes, that’s what I wanted to discuss with you.” He nervously took a sip of his wine. “I had an idea, but you need to be open-minded, okay? Let me finish before you freak out.”

“All right,” I nodded nervously.

A hesitant smile crept over his mouth and his jaw protruded slightly as he laughed with humility.

“So…I wanted to see if you’d let me take you to Paris. I would love to take you. I wanted to before and you can stay at my place. I obviously don’t expect us to stay in the same room; I have three so you’d have your own room and bathroom. I'm aware you were planning your trip, so I thought we could go together.”

He was so nervous, the entire time his eyes flitted around the room and he couldn’t keep eye contact. He spoke quick, flustered words as he tried to convince me to say yes. I’m sure my expression didn’t help; I’d been staring at him in disbelief since his first sentence. And then my response was not what he expected. “Rhys, are you sure you want to plan that far in advance with me?”

He shrugged, “Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

“It’s 6 weeks from now…”

“Well, are you planning to break things off before then?” He seemed hurt, surprised even.

“No, not at all.” I reached for his hand and he offered it to me, but he still seemed offended. “It’s just, most guys don’t commit that far in advance, or this early on.”

He hummed and squeezed my fingertips. With a vague smile, Rhys looked down at his lap for a moment. “Ellie,” he looked at me. “I’m not most guys, I adore you. I’m not afraid to say that I want this relationship to have a future.”

Right there, Rhys tore a little hole into my heart and buried himself so deeply that there was no way I’d ever get rid of him. Not even if I wanted to, not even if he hurt me. I stared back at the way the candlelight glimmered on his pale skin and light eyes, eyes that were filled with warmth, for me. I didn’t hesitate after that. “I’d love to go to Paris with you.”

“Perfect. I’m relieved,” he smiled and clenched his jaw. “I’ve already started planning a bit. You may have to miss two days of work, perhaps put it in your schedule now? Look through your book and tell me what you must visit, and I’ll plan everything.”

“Okay.”

As I fell asleep later, my jaw was killing me from smiling all night and I realized how out of practice it had been.

∞

I spent the next few days accomplishing errands and catching up with people other than Rhys. Tuesday morning I called my mother because she’d been harassing me about the play since Friday night. Of course she had no clue I was busy with Rhys and dealing with a new relationship, so I got it over with and told her everything. She laughed and made little sounds reacting to my stories about our fight, about dinner the night before, and how sweet he’d been. She told me to enjoy myself, that I deserved it.