Worthy of the Harmony (Mountains & Men Book 2) (36 page)

I chuckle and shake my head at her. I don’t know why she’s gotten sentimental all of a sudden. I’d be willing to bet she’s
totally
raggin’. The thought crosses my mind to tease her about it some more, but then I think better of it. If I’m right—it’s better just to let her have her day.

“Get to work, twerp. These clothes aren’t going to fold themselves.”

She sticks her tongue out at me before plucking another t-shirt from the basket. “You’re such a brat.”

I WAKE TO THE
feel of his lips brushing across my shoulders. When he reaches the middle of my back, he sweeps away my hair so as to continue his journey to my other side. I don’t open my eyes. I don’t move a muscle. I’m not ready for him to know I’m awake yet. I’m not ready for this day to begin.

How the fuck did Saturday get here so quickly? How can this be the beginning of the end? How am I going to let him just
walk away
with my heart?

I have no answers to my questions. Only this moment. Only his warm, wet lips on my skin. I simply enjoy his sweet kisses and will myself
not
to cry.

After he has kissed his way from one shoulder to the next, he returns to the center of my back and kisses his way down my spine. When he reaches my ass, he bites me, making me giggle, and the low treble of his chuckle can be felt through his lips as he presses them where he just bit me.

“Thought that might get you up, sleepy head.”

I groan, turning my head so that I might see him from over my shoulder.

“Come on, gorgeous, wake up. Take a shower with me.”

“What time is it?” I grumble.

“Just after ten. I’m supposed to meet up with Rosy at eleven thirty. She’s coming by the house to pick up a key and gather up a bunch of Maestro’s stuff.”

I nod, aware of the arrangement he has made with his sister. Since all of the guys will be gone for the next six weeks, Rose and Violet have been left to look after the house, and Maestro will be staying with Rose. These are last minute details—the little things that need to be taken care of before the boys and Alex hop on a bus headed for Texas.

“Baby, come on,” he urges me, leaning down to kiss my lips. “Please?”

“Well—since you said
please
,” I quip, forcing myself up.

“That’s my girl,” he says with a grin. “I’ll go start the shower.”

He jumps out of bed and heads for my bedroom door, stark naked. As I watch him go, staring at the tattooed mountain-scape that spans across his broad shoulders, I hope Sarah isn’t home. We’ve gotten far too comfortable in her absence. Not that it will matter much after today.

I’m just climbing out of bed when I hear him call my name, urging me to join him. I assume, given the lack of commotion, that we’re alone and I don’t need to worry about Sarah. I don’t bother with any clothing, either, before I follow after him. When I reach the bathroom, I see that he’s already in the tub, and I waste not another second before I join him. He smirks at me when I do and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me against him.

“Fuck. I’m going to miss you, baby.”

The tears his words provoke catch me off guard, and my breath catches in my throat, hindering my ability to speak.

“Hey, now,” he murmurs, pressing his lips to my forehead. “No crying.”

I nod, pushing myself up onto my tiptoes so that I can wrap my arms tightly around his neck. He’s right. I’ll have plenty of opportunity to cry later—but not here. Not now. Not when I still have him in my arms.

I try my best to tamp down my emotions and then turn my head to kiss his cheek. I kiss him again and again until he turns his head as well, lining up our lips, giving me exactly what I want—what I
need
. When the tip of his tongue slides across the seam of my lips, gently seeking entrance into my mouth, I immediately open up for him. My stomach tingles and my pussy aches as I kiss him deeper. He reaches up and buries his fingers in my hair, tilting my head back as he takes full control of my mouth, and I moan in surrender.

He might not belong to me, but I belong to him, and I’m not afraid to show him.

He kisses me until my lips are swollen and my pussy is primed and ready, and then he goes down on me. He makes me come twice—once with his tongue, then immediately after with his fingers. I’m more than happy to return the favor, dropping to my knees.

The sound he makes when he spills his release down the back of my throat reminds me of our first night together. I loved to hear him groan then, and I love it even more now.

We wash each other clean, taking our time and using our hands. When we finally get out, he has just enough time to get dressed before he has to leave.

“I’ll be back to get you around six,” he tells me, sweeping my damp hair behind my ears.

I nod, knowing full well that tonight will not go as planned. It can’t. I won’t let it.

“Okay, I have to go. Rosy will hound me if I’m late.”

“Yeah, go,” I hardly manage.

He brushes a kiss against my lips, smiles at me, and then kisses me once more. “Bye, baby.”

My
goodbye
gets stuck in my throat, but he doesn’t seem to notice as he leaves me alone in my apartment. As soon as the door latches closed behind him, the tears I was holding back before come forth in full force.

I cry knowing that I’ve just said goodbye to his sexy smile.

I cry knowing that we’ll never have another morning covered in kisses again.

Knowing that his beautiful blue eyes will not look at me the same after tonight.

Knowing that I am a fool.

That it’s too late.

That I’m in love with him…

And the depth of my love doesn’t change a damn thing.

T
HE LIVING ROOM
in our house is a picture of our future. All of our bags are packed, piled together and ready to be loaded up. I gather Maestro up in my arms and kiss the top of his head as I look around, a knowing smile on my face. The five of us guys moved into this house with hopes of making music and making a name for ourselves. Now, we’re well on our way to doing just that. We can hardly wait to get the hell out of here.

I leave through the front door, headed back to Millie’s. I got a bunch of last minute shit done today, including getting Rosy all set up to keep my little guy while I’m away. I couldn’t really bear spending the day without him, though, so he’s been with me all day. The boys’ll be happy to have his company at dinner tonight, anyway. In fact, they’ll probably be just as happy to see him as Pepper is to see Millie. Maybe with my girl there, Pepper will be less emotional about my leaving. Though, I suppose I’m not holding my breath on that one.

I pull into Millie’s apartment complex right at six o’clock. I leave Maestro in the car, intending to be inside for only a moment. However, after I knock and Millie opens the door, I know right away that something is off—
way the fuck off
. My stomach drops at the sight of her—dressed in the same pair of sweatpants and long-sleeved t-shirt she was wearing when I left this morning. Her hair is a beautiful mess, draped down her chest and swept behind her ears, leaving her red puffy eyes fully on display.

“Millicent, baby, what’s wrong?” I ask, reaching for her.

She takes a step back from me, shaking her head, and I frown in response.

“Millicent?”

“I can’t go with you tonight. I’m not going to Pepper’s.”

“Why? What happened? What’s going on, doll face?”

I watch as she readies herself, taking a deep breath and straightening her spine before she looks right at me with her dark green eyes. “I’m breaking up with you, Sage,” she barely manages.

Fuck. She’s running
.

I know this without any explanation. I know this because I’ve been introduced to her fears—I’ve met the demons in her eyes. Only, I’m not afraid of them like she is. No way in hell will I let this happen.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” I mutter, taking a step toward her.

“Sage—” she starts to say, holding her hand up to stop me.

“No, Millicent—I’m not letting you do this.” My heart rate picks up speed, my whole body gearing up for a fight.

“You don’t get a say.” Her voice cracks as fresh tears spill down her cheeks, and all I want to do is pull her into my arms and promise her that she doesn’t need to be afraid.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm down so that I can talk some sense into her. “Millie—doll face—we’re going to be fine. I promise, baby, we’ll get through this. It’s only six weeks. That’s nothing. You
know
it’s nothing.” I reach for her cheek, and this time, she doesn’t pull away from me. Instead, she leans her face into my palm and closes her eyes.

Too soon, she cups her hand around mine, gripping my fingers before pulling them away from her face. “I can’t do this,” she tells me. “I can’t be your girlfriend. I thought I could, but I can’t. We just don’t fit together, Sage. Don’t you see that?”

“Dammit, Millie—don’t do this. Don’t do this again, baby. You want me and I want you, so we fucking fit. That’s it! It’s not complicated.”

“No. You’re wrong. It
is
complicated. You’re destined for greatness and I—I’m not.”

“Mill—” I reach for her once more but she shoves her hands against my chest, silencing me.

“This is not up for discussion. You need to leave.”

“Like
fuck!
” I cry. “I’m not losing you, Millicent. Enough with this bullshit. Let me in.”

“No,” she insists, shaking her head before she tries slamming the door in my face.

I’m quicker and stronger than she is and I smack my palm against the door, pushing it back as I reach for her with my free hand. She gasps when I pull her flush against me, leaning down to press my forehead against hers.

“Millicent—I’m begging you. Don’t do this. You
can’t
do this. It’s not what you want. It’s not what
either
of us wants.”

“But—”

“Baby,” I whisper, tracing my nose down the length of hers. “Stop fighting me.”

She grips two fistfuls of my shirt before a sob spills from her mouth. “I can’t! Don’t you get it? I can’t wait for you to open your eyes and see that this won’t last—
we
won’t last. You’re leaving tomorrow and I bet it won’t take but six
days
for you to see just how much bigger you are than this town, than
me
. You won’t want to come back. You won’t want me. And I get it, Sage—I get it. But—”

I scoff, cutting her off as I reach up and hold her face in my hands, wiping away her stream of tears. “
Bull-fucking-shit
, Millie. That’s all bullshit. Don’t stand here and tell me what I will and will not want when you apparently have
no fucking idea
what you mean to me.”

She growls in frustration, batting my hands away from her as she stands her ground. “
You
don’t tell
me
what you will and will not want when
you
have
no idea
how this tour will change you! And it will change you, Sage—don’t tell me you’re so naive that you think it won’t.”

I growl back at her, running my fingers through my hair in frustration. She’s so goddamn stubborn. If there’s one thing I know about this tour, it’s that she’s just as naive about it as I am. If she only knew what she did to me—my no-nonsense girl. She’s always argued that she doesn’t fit into my world, that she’s too different, but that’s what I like the most about her. She sees the world in ways that I don’t; and I don’t get how she does it, but she grounds me and lifts me up all at once. She makes my heart sing. When I’m with her, when I hold her in my arms, I know that I don’t want anyone else—that no matter what, I’ll fight for her. Somehow I know that if I don’t, if I give up, if I walk away, I’ll lose a love worthy of its own melody.