Rhythm of Us: Book 2 Of The Fated Hearts Series (3 page)

Gray and Chase began to playfully trash talk about one another’s team. I would normally have found the moment extremely entertaining, and even joined in, but I was too busy building a fort around my heart out of self-preservation. I could not – no, would not – allow myself to think about Ben as anything other than my sister’s maybe-boyfriend.

THERE WAS NOTHING
about Xavier Cruz that didn’t drive me wild. He hit every single one of my hot buttons and some I didn’t know I had. For instance, that tiny hoop ring at the corner of his luscious bottom lip drove me wild with the urge to tug it with my teeth. Then it made me wonder where else he might be pierced. God, I’d give Chase’s right nut to find out. Chase! It was all his damn fault I found myself in this lustful predicament. He’s the one who invited Xavier to lunch last year in his attempt at matchmaking, which failed miserably. It didn’t appear that Xavier saw me as anyone other than Ellie’s friend.

Xavier was exactly the opposite of who I normally found myself attracted to. I usually found myself drawn to professional guys like myself. Xavier, was an edgy musician, and so fucking beautiful I could barely take my eyes off of him. Too bad he didn’t seem to notice or perhaps he just didn’t care.

I remember the day we met so vividly. It was the first time I had met a man and wanted to take the time to get to know him better. His shy smile and the sparkle in his eyes took my breath away. It went beyond just his physical good looks too. There was something about him that grabbed me and didn’t want to let go, but he went back to LA after a few months and I never had the chance to figure out what that
something
was. All I knew right then was that the sparkle in his eyes that captivated me last year had diminished greatly and I wanted to be the one who put the light back in his eyes.

I stood off to the side where I could keep my eyes on my prize while the other guys took their turns bowling. I memorized every detail of Xavier so I could replay them later when I got home. I loved his messy, dark brown hair that was probably a month or two past a haircut, but that sexy bed-hair made my fingers twitch to run through it. His skin was the color of my favorite caramel candy and my mouth watered to taste him. Those dreamy, light brown eyes stood out in contrast to his long-as-fuck, black eyelashes. I could’ve written a poem about Xavier’s lush, pillowy lips. The thoughts they conjured up were probably still illegal in most backwoods states.

I let my eyes travel down his lean body and imagined the beautifully honed body beneath the casual clothes. He was quite a bit shorter than me, probably 5’8 to my 6’3, but the thought of tucking his head beneath my chin made me get the warm and fuzzies. I realized that he wasn’t dressed like a rocker that night, but chose to dress in basic dark denim and a Nationals t-shirt. He changed the way he dressed and went back to using his first name rather than his stage name, Ellie was right about something being wrong with him and damned if I didn’t want to find out what so I could help fix it.

I was a fixer. I fixed things for the people that I cared about. I didn’t know Xavier well enough to categorize him as a person I cared about, but his sister was at the top of my list of favorite people. We just clicked the minute I met her on my first day at Wright Creations. Our relationship reminded me a lot of Chase’s friendship with Ava. I looked around and saw Ellie sitting beside Ava, who pouted because her giant for a husband and Chase talked her into sitting it out.

I once asked Ellie why Ava seemed so much closer to Chase than Xavier. She told me that Ava didn’t move to DC until her freshman year of high school and by that time Xavier was already attending Saint Cecilia’s, a prestigious private school for performing arts, instead of the public high school that Ava and Chase attended. It had impressed me when I learned that Xavier was a very accomplished, classically trained musician. I think his training in musical arts explained why he didn’t come across as a rocker to me. He dressed the part and he sang the part, but Xavier was soft spoken and lacked the swagger I would expect from a rocker. He was a great example of why you shouldn’t label people and try to cram them in boxes and categories.

He had shocked everyone when he boarded a plane for LA to pursue a career as a rock star instead of continuing his training with the intention of playing in a symphony someday. He applied for and was accepted at Julliard, but decided not to go a few weeks before he was due to leave for New York. I was dying to know the story behind his decision.

“So, are you just home for the wedding or are you staying for an extended visit?” Miller asked Xavier.

“I’m home for good.” Xavier’s voice was calm and without emotion.

“Can I buy you a beer?” Miller moved a little closer, cocking his head to the side.

I recognized that coy move from when Miller used it on me and damn had it worked. We spent one long, horny night together not long after I started working for Gray. We both knew it was a one-time thing and our run-ins haven’t been awkward until that night at the bowling alley when he flirted with the man that I wanted.

“Thank you, but I don’t drink.” Xavier smiled shyly.

“A soft drink perhaps?”

I’d never been a jealous man. I’d never met the man I wanted to commit myself to in a relationship, so jealousy would have been ridiculous and a waste of energy. Even if I wanted a commitment, the amount of time I spent traveling over the past few years for my job probably would have destroyed any attempt at a relationship. But, I learned something new and totally unexpected about myself the night of Chase and Gray’s bachelor bowling party that had me feeling off balance.

When it came to Xavier Cruz, I had an ugly green monster living inside me that burned an acidic hole in my stomach. I stood there quietly, but in my mind, I punched Miller in his flirty, fucking mouth and staked my claim by pulling Xavier into my arms and planting a big kiss on his lips. Tongues and roaming hands were definitely involved. My vision was so real that I could almost taste him. I took a step forward, but was saved from making an ass of myself when Gray intervened.

“Fuck no,” Gray told Miller, furiously shaking his head. “Xavier isn’t going to be one of your toys, Miller. Go find someone else to fuck around with and leave him alone.”

“Yes, Dad,” Miller whined and turned away to get a beer from the bar.

“Thanks, Dad, for saving me from big bad Miller.” Xavier echoed Miller with a playful smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I am perfectly capable of saying no for myself.”

I stood quietly and watched the interaction between Xavier and Gray. It surprised me greatly to see how protective Gray was of Xavier, and I figured it had to stem from the time Xavier came back from LA with Chase and Gray. I found myself wanting to be the man to shield him from all the ugliness in the world. The protectiveness I felt for Xavier went above and beyond anything I had felt before and I found it to be a little unnerving.

“I know that, X,” Gray said affectionately. “I didn’t mean to insult you, but I just know Miller’s track record. Miller’s more suited for someone like him,” Gray grouched, pointing over my shoulder.

I turned to see who could cause so much irritation for Gray on such a happy night for him. Chase’s good friend and former lover, JJ, had just entered the bowling alley. He stood just inside the door looking uncomfortable until his eyes landed on Chase, then a slow smile spread across his handsome face as he made his way over to our group. I could hear a low growl emanating from Gray’s throat.

I had the displeasure of accidentally overhearing arguments over JJ between Chase and Gray on a few different occasions. I tried not to eavesdrop, but I got pinned in the hallway or bathroom a time or two, not knowing whether I should make my presence known or just wait until they were done talking, but my curiosity always got the best of me.

It all boiled down to Gray being jealous that JJ was Chase’s former lover and Chase insisting on him remaining in his life. Chase was adamant that JJ only wanted friendship and Gray was more adamant that JJ was in love with him and always had been. Chase would blow out a frustrated breath and tell Gray that it wasn’t true, and it didn’t matter even if it was, because Chase loved Gray and only Gray. That little speech was given with absolute sincerity and won Gray over every single time.

I would stand smugly in the hallway or bathroom and be thankful that I wasn’t a jealous man and that I wasn’t involved in a relationship. It seemed so much cleaner to hookup, then go home to the peacefulness of my home.

But, that night at the bachelor party, I learned another surprising part of myself. I wanted Xavier Cruz with a fervor I’d never known and I didn’t want anyone else to look at him, let alone touch him. I wasn’t in love with him, wasn’t even sure I liked him, but I sure as hell wanted to find out. I saw in his eyes that something or someone was haunting him. Maybe others wouldn’t recognize it, but I sure as hell did. I had seen that same haunted look in my own eyes growing up. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy and would require a lot of patience on my part, but I also felt in my heart that he’d be worth the wait.

“Hey, cutie.” JJ pulled Xavier into a one-armed hug then proceeded to ruffle his hair. “It’s good that you came home. For good, I hope.”

Xavier jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow a few times and JJ finally stopped. “You’re still so fucking annoying,” Xavier groused while he tried to straighten his messy hair.

I didn’t miss the smile that clung to his lips over JJ’s antics and I was ready to join Team Gray. I could even feel the growling snarl begin to rumble in my chest. Gray looked over at me as if he could sense my inner thoughts. He raised a questioning brow at me, but I only shrugged in response. I couldn’t put a label on anything that I felt that night, other than irritation that other men wanted Xavier. I wanted him to myself, but for how long, I couldn’t say.

“Let’s get to bowling,” Gram said coming up behind us. “Lennie wants to go home soon so I can tuck him in.” This was said with an exaggerated, lecherous wink that had all of us younger folks groaning with the images that pierced our skulls. “Oh shut up,” Gram snapped at us. “I may be old, but I’m not dead and I’m going to enjoy the sexy times with my man while I still can.”

“Please stop, Gram,” Chase begged.

The beers got passed around and I found myself relaxing and enjoying the night with my friends. At one point, Miller and JJ, being the consummate bachelors, started giving Chase and Gray a hard time about committing to one sex partner for the rest of their lives.

“I mean, don’t you get sick of having sex with him?” Miller drunkenly asked Chase while pointing at Gray. “I’m not saying you suck in the bedroom,” he quickly explained to Gray, “well I’m sure you suck there, and other places too, but what I meant was Chase having sex with just you. Forever!”

“I’m the luckiest man in the world,” Chase said sweetly. “It just gets better and better every time.”

“Baby, I’m the lucky one.” Gray pulled his fiancé into his arms for a heated kiss.

“I might puke in my mouth,” JJ stated flatly, but I didn’t miss the look he cast in Chase’s direction. I figured Gray was probably right and JJ was in love with Chase.

While JJ and Miller made gagging noises like ten year olds, I focused on Gray and Chase’s interactions. They were so in tune with each other that I found myself wondering for the first time if I was possibly missing out on something in my life. What would it feel like to have someone special waiting for me at home, ready to offer me a hug and kiss after a hard day? What if sleeping with the same man night after night felt like a sacred bond and not a noose? The more I questioned the more I drank. The next thing I knew the party was over and I was too far gone to drive. I’d never been much of a drinker and it was embarrassing that I had to get someone to drive me home. I looked around for Ellie, but couldn’t find her anywhere.

“She’s not here,” a soft voice said from behind me. “I’ll give you a ride, Ben.”

I spun around and found Xavier standing close behind me, so close I could smell him. God, how I wanted him to take me for a ride, but my idea for a ride and the one Xavier was talking about was a lot different. At least I wasn’t so far gone, that I blurted out what I was thinking.