CHAPTER 12
Had he seen us kissing?
“Yes, you are, Ace. I was just making sure Tessa was okay,” Kai said playfully.
My gaze traveled to him on the bed and found eyes the same rich color as warm maple syrup on me. His lips were slightly swollen, the crests of his cheeks flushed. Glancing up at his hair, I noticed it was in complete chaos, the strands fluffing up around his head. But, for some reason, the sight made him appear even more endearing...
A hand floated in front of my vision, distracting me from Kai. I peered back up into Ace’s blue eyes and accepted his hand to help me stand. His gaze darted down to my lips for a split second, and I wondered if I appeared just as disheveled as Kai.
Probably.
“Well, by the looks of it, Tessa seems to be doing just fine,” Ace said dryly.
Yes, he’d most definitely seen what we’d been up to. My cheeks heated, and I took a seat on the bed and stared down at my feet.
Ace continued. “I have four frantic men in the next room trying to help a little girl cook a simple bowl of oatmeal, so if you’re finished, they’d like to come in.”
“What about Samantha?” I asked him.
“She’s enjoying watching the guys struggle.”
Kai sighed sadly and flopped back down onto the fluffy bed. “I suppose we can continue later, Tessa.”
My mouth parted in surprise at his bluntness, but I shut it back closed quickly. He wanted to continue kissing me later? Or was he just messing around with me? And the better question was, which one did I want it to be?
“Tessa?”
I peeked up at Ace from under my lashes, still partially embarrassed at being caught kissing a man I barely knew. Then again, here I was, in their place... in their bed. Well, someone’s bed. The time to be shy was probably long gone.
I hadn’t done anything wrong by kissing Kai. If he asked, I would probably do it again. Even now, I could still feel the warmth left over from his lips on mine. The slight sting from where his teeth had...
Pushing away the memory, I responded. “Yes?” I asked quietly, my voice raspy and in desperate need of some water.
Kai groaned from the bed, but Ace ignored him as he came to sit on the edge of the bed. “Are you feeling up to seeing the others, or would you like to... rest a little while longer?”
My eyebrows lifted at his insinuation. There was nothing wrong with kissing.
He watched me for a moment before leaning closer, energy pouring off of him in waves, his arctic-blue eyes making a trail around my face. They paused when they landed on my lips, and I just about had a heart attack at the look in his gaze. He reached a hand up and gently brushed his thumb across my now-parted lips, setting my nerves on fire.
Where is the light... Where is the hope... To break down these walls... To help me cope...
The voice was familiar. Did it belong to Ace? His heart song? And back at the diner, had that been him, too?
Pulling back from me, a curious expression took place on his face. Sitting straight, a ghost of a smirk passed over his lips. “Sorry, you had something on your mouth.”
My jaw dropped just as the door banged open. “Hey, what’s the holdup?”
Oliver stood in the doorway, his hands placed on his hips while he glared into the room. Five other curious pairs of eyes peeked in from behind him.
“Ollie.” Ace sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I told you and the others to wait in the other room.”
I sat there awkwardly as Oliver and the others shuffled inside, their eyes assessing my physical state. I turned my face down, hoping they wouldn’t notice the telltale signs I had been kissing Kai. Then again, I didn’t know why I did. It’s not like it was any of their business that I’d kissed their friend.
Kai had kissed me...
Delicious shivers ran up the bare skin of my arms, and I mentally shook my head to clear the images while I focused on the group.
“Are you feeling better?” Christian questioned while he came to sit on the corner of the slightly rumpled bed. “You look a little flushed. Do you need some water?”
“Um, yeah, I feel a lot better,” I promised. My eyes sought out Hunter and saw he was leaning against the wall near the door, his arms crossed over his broad chest and his dark eyes on me. I swallowed hard before I continued. “I’m sorry for worrying all of you.”
Samantha remained in the doorway while Whitney shuffled inside, balancing a bowl and a glass of water in her hands. “Here, Sissy. We made you some oatmeal.”
I took them from her but set the water on the nightstand next to the bed. She took a seat beside me, casting me an assessing look out of the corner of her eyes. I didn’t want to worry her, so I smiled reassuringly.
“What in the love of butter pecan happened, beautiful?” Oliver demanded, his moss gaze hard with worry.
“I…” I paused and flexed my feet.
What should I tell them? That being around them all did strange things to me? That I kept hearing multiple songs going through my mind and it confused me? Oliver hadn’t seemed like he wanted me discussing this with everyone before we found a conclusion.
Flicking my gaze to Kai, I also thought about when he’d spoken to Hunter earlier. He hadn’t wanted to tell the others his speculations yet because he didn’t want to upset anyone.
I decided against telling them the full truth. “I think I just haven’t been eating and sleeping properly. I’m sorry for the trouble.”
Settling back onto the edge of the bed next to Whitney, I watched as Ace stood and followed Christian to sit beside Parker on the couch.
Oliver came over and sat down in between my legs on the floor, and I tried to hide my surprise when he began massaging my feet.
“Oh, you don’t have to do th—”
“Shut that gorgeous mouth of yours and let me give you a foot rub,” he scolded playfully, moving to tickle the sole of my foot.
I squealed, kicking out automatically and managing to get him right in the gut. He sucked in a pained breath, doubling over toward the floor.
“Oh,” I said in a panic and jumped down to the floor. I placed a hand on his shoulder as he groaned. “I’m so sorry, Oliver. Are you okay?”
He mumbled something I couldn’t make out.
“I’m sorry. What was that?” I leaned forward to hear him better.
“I said, ‘Nice one,’” he groaned and pushed himself up.
Covering her mouth, Samantha giggled at her nephew. She watched the room for a moment before disappearing down the hall.
“So,” I began, stirring the steaming bowl of runny oatmeal. Oliver seemed to be recovering just fine from my attack, but I kept a concerned eye on him. “You guys are pretty big fans of Origami Meltdown, too?”
Similar smiles went around the room.
Parker was the one who ended up answering me. “You could say that.”
Frustrated by their weird behavior, I scooped up a spoonful and blew on my food. I scowled at Parker. “Um, okay, Mr. Cryptic. I guess I’ll just wait to see what the big deal is about. I’ve already heard about the hot drummer and bassist.”
“Lead bassist,” Christian interrupted. “The other one’s a hillbilly.”
Hunter sent him a scowl.
I rolled my eyes at Christian. “Whatever. The lead bassist.”
Parker’s eyes darted to Kai’s and Christian’s. They both grinned at him unabashedly, and Parker rolled his eyes. I retrieved my water from off the nightstand and took a much-needed sip, grateful for the cool liquid on my dry throat.
“I like the keyboardist. He’s much sexier.” Parker leaned back into the couch cushions.
I choked on my water, and Whitney reached over to thump my back in concern.
He? Was Parker gay?
A loud buzzing began in the room, and Ace pulled his phone out of his suit pocket.
“Hello?” he asked, his keen eyes focusing on me. “What do you mean it’s not turning on?”
He listened for a moment longer to the person on the other end of the line, and I took the time to take another bite of the oatmeal. It tasted fine, just a little watery.
“Yes, we’ll come have a look at it right away.” He ended the call and stood from the couch, motioning with his finger at Kai to get up. “Come on, Kai. We’ve got to run an errand.”
“Fine,” Kai said with an exaggerated sigh. Sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he patted my head like a puppy’s and smiled playfully. “I’ll see you later then, jagiya.” Turning to Whitney, he bopped her on the nose. “And you, sweet pea.”
I nodded as he followed Ace out of the doors.
“Well, what are we going to do now?” I searched the room for a clock as I sipped on my water.
Reading the alarm clock on the nightstand, I found we still had hours before the concert. The guys all looked at Oliver and Parker in expectation, and I quirked an eyebrow at them.
“Now, sweetheart.” Parker came over and took the empty bowl of oatmeal from me. I hadn’t even realized I’d devoured it already. “We get ready for the concert.”
Christian grunted, and I glanced over at him, almost having forgotten he was there because he was being so quiet. “I’ll go grab the bags.”
Hunter whispered something to Christian as he passed him, distracting me for a moment. Christian nodded his head before leaving the room. Hunter’s hands clenched into tight fists, his knuckles straining white. He ran a rough hand through his blond hair, appearing lost and frustrated, but the moment he glanced up and saw me watching him, the look shifted.
Hunter stared back at me with hungry eyes, eyes full of sinful promises, and I felt both terrified and excited at the same time. I bit my bottom lip nervously, and his eyes followed the movement.
Smiling at Whitney, who had been unusually quiet since giving me the oatmeal, Oliver asked, “Do you want to help me with a super important job?” Her eyes brightened, and she bobbed her head almost violently. “Hold on one moment, then.” He headed off in the direction Christian had gone.
I watched him go, wondering what we would do about our situation. I still wasn’t sure if he or any of the others was my soul mate, but in the case that one of them was, what would we do?
Would they move here so we could get to know each other? Would Whitney and I be expected to go with them? Even if one of them was my soul mate, I still wanted to date and get to know the person first before making any big decisions. In our world, you didn’t have to choose your soul mate to be your partner. It was rare your other half rejected you, but it still happened.
But how could I date any of these guys if they were traveling around the States?
“It’s too bad you guys are leaving so soon.” The elastic on one of Whitney’s braids was slipping off, so I made busy work adjusting it. “I would have liked to get to know you all a little more before you left.”
“We’ll be here for the next week,” Parker said with a reassuring smile, placing a hand on my shoulder.
Static erupted through me, and a male voice tickled my thoughts. We’re all exposed to risks and chance... As we try to capture balance...
My mouth flew open in surprise, and my hands dropped from tying off Whitney’s braid. His mouth fell open in surprise, but before either of us could say a word, Oliver distracted us by coming back into the room. Topless.
CHAPTER 13
M y eyes remained glued on Oliver as he made his way deeper into the room. I couldn’t have looked away even if I’d wanted to do.
Which I completely did not.
Lean muscles corded his vibrantly tattooed arms, and they flexed slightly as he reached up to knead the back of his neck. His stomach was well defined with hard, golden abs, abs his shirts had tragically hidden from view before. He didn’t have much hair on his torso, nor any tattoos, and his skin smooth enough to lick... Woah, where did that thought come from?
“What the fuck are you doing?” Hunter bellowed, standing up straight from his position against the wall.
“Fudge,” Parker added. Noticing my perplexed expression, he shrugged. “There’s a child present.”
Oliver tilted his head at Hunter and gestured to a metal water bottle on the floor beside the couch. “What? I forgot my water bottle.”
Hunter scowled at him. “Where are your clothes?”
Oliver walked farther into the room and scooped up his water. He grinned and unscrewed the top. “I’m wearing more than you were earlier,” he pointed out, taking a swallow.
Hunter continued to scowl, but Oliver ignored him as his eyes found mine. He held my gaze as he finished his drink, small beads of water dripping down his chin and onto his bare chest. He set the bottle down and wiped his chin with the back of his hand.
Licking his lips slowly, he watched me, causing my mouth to part. It was then I realized I was still ogling him, and his gaze shifted into a knowing grin when I blushed. “Man, I’m still thirsty.”
I gulped, my eyes following some of the water as it trickled down his chest toward his low-riding jeans…
Samantha showed up in the doorway, her mouth open to say something when she spotted Oliver. “Oliver Scott Hogan!” Her accent came out thick and deep. “What do you think you’re doing running around half-naked? It’s indecent!”
Grabbing a couch cushion, she stalked forward and began smacking her nephew. Oliver yelped, trying to dodge her, and made a dash for the door.
Samantha was faster and managed one last hit to the back of his head. “Don’t come back until you’re dressed!”
Laughter filled the room as we broke out in chuckles and giggles. Samantha was a force to be reckoned with.
A few minutes later, Christian returned, holding a couple of large suitcases. “I’m not sure if Ollie wants these in here or in a different room.”
“Park’s room, please.” Oliver trickled in behind him, sporting a fresh green T-shirt. Parker sent him an amused look, and Oliver shrugged. “What? Your room’s cleaner than mine.” He nodded for Whitney and me to follow him. “Come on, beautifuls.”
“Huh?” I asked. I never agreed to help...
Oliver smiled at my taken-aback expression and grabbed my hand. Warmth rushed over the skin of my fingers and all the way up to my chest. “You two are going to be my assistants for this evening.”
Hunter glanced down at our clasped hands, and his face darkened, though he didn’t say anything.
Whitney willingly accepted Oliver’s outstretched hand, but he practically had to drag me out of the room. He led us down the hall to a bedroom across from his, and I glanced over my shoulder at the others before he ushered us into the room and shut the door. They all wore matching sympathetic expressions on their faces, which did nothing to reassure me.
“Now, this job is super important, Whitney,” he began, offering her a small, black bag. “I’m going to need your help making everyone beautiful tonight, okay? Do you think you can help me?”
Whitney nodded enthusiastically and danced from foot to foot.
“Great!” Oliver beamed at her. “Let’s set up everything first, then we can call Park in.” He bent down to unzip the nearest suitcase.
Inside were various items and accessories. I didn’t understand why he had them. All sorts of makeup—eyeliners, blushes, lipsticks—lined the case. There were even what appeared to be hair accessories, though they did seem more edgy and masculine.
“No,” he murmured to himself while he sorted through the items.
He pulled out a few items and set them aside. After rummaging through the bag for a couple more moments, he flipped the lid closed.
He stood up and clapped his hands together. “Okay, that should do it. Now, we just need Park.”
“I’ll get him!” Whitney volunteered, dropping her small makeup bag on the bed and scurrying out of the room.
I watched her go and rubbed the back of my neck.
“You okay?” Oliver asked while he took out some clothes from
another suitcase. The clothes were all in silvers and blacks.
I nodded. “Yeah, I just don’t see why you need me.”
“I don’t.” He shrugged, pausing with two gray shirts in his hands. He glanced up, his green gaze thoughtful. “But need and want are two separate things. I want you here.”
Parker and Whitney returned then, saving me from having to respond. Parker’s grim expression was similar to the one I’d worn just minutes ago when Oliver had dragged me along.
“Okay, put these on.” Oliver held out some neatly folded clothes for Parker.
Parker sighed and took them from him. He headed in what I guessed was the direction of the bathroom.
While we waited, Oliver let Whitney go through the makeup and items in the suitcases. She was fascinated, especially since I didn’t wear all that much makeup. These guys had assortments of glitters, moisturizers, and I swore I even spotted some lip plumper.
Why they had this much I didn’t ask. I’d learned in our short friendship that the guys had some unusual quirks and that I shouldn’t be too surprised by things like this.
A few minutes later, Parker returned.
Oliver looked up at him, and his eyes appraised Parker for a few seconds. “Okay, strip.”
I blushed furiously, and Parker didn’t appear any better.
“Ollie,” Parker ground out, jutting his chin toward where Whitney was smothering her giggles with the palm of her hand.
Oliver sighed and held out a few pieces of clothes. “Sorry, I forgot. Right, back to the bathroom, then.”
Parker came back from the restroom shortly after he’d left. He wore a charcoal dress shirt buttoned all the way up to its collar, and it fit his tall frame nicely. His black jeans rested low on his slim hips, and I glimpsed a flash of color when the hem of his shirt shifted slightly. Black leather combat boots covered each foot.
Lonely Lullaby: Ballad of a Broken Soul Series | Book 1 Page 9
