Chapter 10

10

Sadie stood behind King, her entire body vibrating with emotion. The heart wrenching song that was pouring out of him was tearing her to pieces. It told their story. Of two broken kids meeting when their lives were in turmoil and they needed each other the most, and the suffering they both endured when they were ripped apart. It was love and loss and solace and pain.

And it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever heard.

Without a word, she picked up her guitar and started to strum cords that matched his energy. He looked over at her and nodded his approval.

Sadie felt as if she were transfixed. As if the music was almost making itself and she was nothing but a vessel. Though since King's emotional energy was pouring into her, she supposed that maybe she was. This song, the words, the chords, the vibe, they were one hundred percent coming from King.

And when his voice faded and the last note died out, she wobbled slightly, feeling as if all of her energy had been drained. She slowly sank onto her chair while they both stared at each other, neither of them saying a word.

It wasn't until Cosmo appeared in the room and pressed into her leg that she finally broke their connection and reached down to pick up her dog. Cosmo snuggled into her and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Lucky dog," King said with a small smile.

Sadie opened her mouth to say something, but the timer on her oven went off and she stood so fast she nearly dumped Cosmo on the ground. "Whoops. Sorry, boy." She gently placed him on the floor and then headed into the kitchen, grateful to have a little bit of space. That impromptu recording session had been intense, and she wasn't at all sure what it meant.

As she was taking the mac and cheese out of the oven, King arrived and started rummaging through her cabinets for plates and then her drawers for utensils.

"Thanks," she said, grabbing a couple more beers. If she was going to make it through the night, she was definitely going to need another drink or two. "We just need to let this sit for a few minutes."

King nodded, and while he was setting the table, she got Cosmo his dinner and a fresh bowl of water. Once she was done, she leaned against the counter with her hands in her pockets, not sure what to say.

Thankfully her phone rang, giving her something else to focus on. "Melissa? Hey."

"You've got to do me a huge favor," her friend said.

"Sure. Anything." Sadie went to her drawer to find a serving spoon for the mac and cheese.

"I need you to go out with Kasper again. Jasper says he really likes you and?—"

"What?" Sadie was already shaking her head. "That can't be true. I basically walked out on that date. Kasper can't possibly want to see me again."

"Oh, he does. He says that the tarot reading spooked you, and he wants another chance to prove the reading wrong."

Sadie laughed. "He thinks the tarot reading was the problem? Are you serious? The tarot reading was the only decent thing that happened. It gave me an excuse to get out of there. I'm sorry, Mel, but that would just be wasting everyone's time. I'm not interested."

"I know, but Jasper has four tickets to see the Crimson Vamps tomorrow night. Actually, he and Kasper have four tickets, and Jasper is saying that Kasper is freaking out about being a third wheel and threatening not to go unless he has a date. Now Jasper is saying he doesn't want to go if his brother doesn't go, and you know how much I love the Crimson Vamps. Please? Do it for me? I'll owe you big time. I'll… I don't know, mow your lawn, or wash your windows, or cook you dinner for a month."

"Good goddess, don't threaten to cook for me. I might not survive it," Sadie said.

"I'll get takeout then. Please, Sadie? Just one more date? I promise I won't ask again," she pleaded.

There was nothing Sadie wanted to do less than hang out with the boring twins. What did her friend see in Jasper anyway? Likely she was a lot more interested in the band, but one never knew. Her friend didn't have the best picker when it came to men. But Sadie had to admit that Jasper at least seemed harmless. It wouldn't hurt for her to date him for a while. But it would hurt Sadie since she knew she couldn't say no to her friend. "Fine. I'll do it, but you don't owe me anything. You're already letting me and Cosmo stay at your house while it's getting fumigated and the repairs are being done over the next couple weeks. We'll call it even, okay?"

Since Sadie's house needed to be tented for termites and then needed work to repair the damage they'd caused, she and Cosmo needed to vacate for a couple of weeks. Melissa had offered her spare room, and Sadie was more than grateful.

"I'll still do something as a thank you," she said. "My house is your house. You know that. And I know you don't want to do this, but I love you for it. How about I treat us to a day at the spa sometime soon?"

"You don't have to do that."

"Yes, I do," Melissa said. "They're meeting us at the brewery after your shift. I'll see you there." The call ended, and Sadie dropped her phone before burying her face in her hands as she let out a groan.

"Sounds like you have a hot date," King said, his voice tight.

Sadie looked up at him. He had a smile pasted on his face, but it couldn't have been more forced. "Hot is a vast overstatement. If that had been any other person in the world besides Melissa, I would not be in this mess."

"So you really aren't interested?" he asked, sounding unsure.

Sadie let out a bark of laughter as she grabbed the serving spoon. "What about that phone conversation made you think I actually want to go?"

It was his turn to chuckle. "Nothing really. But I had to make sure."

"Why?"

"This is why." He took the spoon from her hand and placed it on the counter. Then he wrapped one arm around her waist and raised his other arm to bury his fingers in her hair. Pulling her impossibly close, he whispered, "I've been wanting to do this since that first night I saw you at the brewery."

Sadie stared at his lips, all thoughts of Jasper and Kasper gone. Gooseflesh popped out on her arms as anticipation sent a tingle up her spine. When he didn't move, she let out a breath and whispered, "Kiss me, King."

His lips turned up into a slow, self-satisfied smile when he said, "My pleasure." He moved in, gently pressing his warm lips to hers.

Suddenly, King's emotions washed over her in a mix of elation and longing. And then impatience as his tongue darted out and he licked at the seam of her lips. Sadie opened for him and just like that, she was lost in the passion. Her hands clutched at his shoulders as her body leaned into his heat. She wanted him. All of him.

All too soon, he ended the kiss and pulled back slightly, pressing his forehead to hers. She stayed perfectly still, breathing him in. She'd never responded to another man the way she responded to King. Every molecule of her being had been in on that kiss, and if he'd taken her to her room, she'd have gone, no questions asked.

The thought startled her, and suddenly she stepped back, not sure where that had come from. She wasn't one to rush into such things, especially when she had no idea where their relationship stood. As of now, they were collaborators and friends. Friends who had to work together for who knew how long with much of that time spent on the road.

"Do you think the mac and cheese is ready now?" King said, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"Huh?" Sadie blinked at him. Then she shook her head. "Yes. Of course." She glanced down at the counter, finding the spoon in the pasta dish, and she got to work portioning out their dinner.

"Hey, Sadie?" King said softly.

"Yeah?"

"You should know that after dinner, I'm planning for a proper make-out session." He winked at her and then grabbed both plates to take them to the table.

Sadie stood in the kitchen, holding onto the counter to give her weak knees a moment to recover. Finally, she took a deep breath and joined him at the table.

The scent of the mac and cheese was so delectable that she started to salivate. Her stomach grumbled with hunger. She placed a hand on her stomach as her cheeks flushed with heat. "Sorry."

"No need to apologize. I'm starving, too." He picked up his fork and grabbed a bite, and the moment the cheesy goodness hit his tongue, his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he let out an obscene moan of pleasure. "Holy balls, Sadie," he said after he swallowed. "This is delicious."

"Thank you." She shoved a forkful in her mouth and echoed his moan.

His eyes filled with heat, but he didn't say anything. He just turned his attention to his plate, shoveling it in as if he hadn't eaten in days. Honestly, it was a lot like when Cosmo ate his dinner. The dog had never met a meal he didn't love.

Sadie tried to pace herself and was amused when King got up for seconds.

"I could eat an entire vat of this," he said when he sat back down.

"Me, too," she agreed. "I always forget how delicious this is."

"One day, when we're living together, I'm going to request this once a week," he said.

Sadie froze. Did he just say what she thought he'd said? Was he seriously making plans for their future?

When she didn't say anything, he paused and glanced up at her. Then he gave her a slow smile. "You're not freaked out, are you?"

"No," she said automatically. But yes. She was very freaked.

"Sure." He chuckled and went back to his dinner. When they were done, King took their dishes to the kitchen and started loading the dishwasher.

"You don't have to do that," she said as she placed a lid on the glass dish that held the mac and cheese.

He didn't turn around as he said, "You did most of the cooking. I've got this."

Sadie cleaned up the counters and then took Cosmo out. When the pair returned, she found King waiting for her. Without a word, he took one of her hands and led her into the living room. He paused when they reached the couch and brushed a lock of her long hair out of her eyes. "Tell me, Sadie, am I staying or going?"

She raised both eyebrows. "I thought we were going to have a proper make-out session?"

"That's what I wanted to hear." He sat on the couch and then tugged her down so that she was sitting sideways across his lap. Then he kissed her with everything he had, and Sadie decided maybe he'd been onto something when he'd mentioned them living together one day. Because right then, she'd have been content to have him stay forever.

The make-out session went on until Sadie was completely lost in him, and just when she was about to haul him into her bedroom, King pulled back. He was breathless when he said, "I better go."

"Now? Seriously?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. King McGrath had kissed her senseless for over an hour, and suddenly he was ready to leave when all she could think about was ripping his clothes off? What was wrong with him?

"I have to. If I don't, I'm never going to stop." He looked pained as he got to his feet.

"But—"

He gently placed his fingers to her lips. "Not tonight, Sadie. Not after we wrote an intense song together or after you accepted a date with another man. When we finally take that step, I want it to be after we've chosen each other. Because I promise you that if I had you tonight, there is no way you'd be going to see a band with some guy named Kasper tomorrow."

Sadie couldn't help the smile that claimed her lips. She stood and gave him one last kiss before she walked him to the door.

He stepped out onto the porch. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Probably not tomorrow. I work during the day, and then I have that thing with Melissa. But I'll see you the day after when we rehearse on the stage at the brewery."

"Oh, I'll be there for that. But make no mistake, I'll definitely see you tomorrow." He winked and then took off at a jog toward the black SUV.

As Sadie closed the door, Cosmo came running over. She looked down at him. "What have I gotten myself into?"

Cosmo just blinked up at her.

"Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Come on, boy." She picked him up and headed for the back door. "Let's take you out and get to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."