A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies - Christina Lee Page 0,67
song. And maybe it was the melody or the amazing day they had, but Rhys’s heart positively ached. Ached with longing for the man who wrapped him up in an embrace and slid their mouths together, coaxing his lips open with his tongue to deepen the kiss.
Rhys had made out with his share of men over the years, but now that he knew what it was like to kiss Emerson, he wasn’t sure any other guy would measure up. And truth be told, he no longer felt like finding out.
Emerson had always represented a lighthouse in a stormy sea, a dazzling point of light in a blackened sky, making Rhys sure of himself and of where he undoubtedly belonged.
They slow-danced and laughed, and they kissed for so long, their lips felt bruised. They only broke apart when Aunt Janice’s headlights illuminated the driveway, and a minute later she deposited two exhausted kids on their doorstep.
24
Emerson
Audrey was still tired the following morning as Emerson drove them to school, but Sam blathered on from the back seat about their weekend. “I went in the wave pool, and it was so awesome.”
“He spent all his time in there because he was too scared to go down the big slide with us,” Audrey added in an exasperated tone.
Sam harrumphed. “Was not.”
“Were too,” Audrey countered. Ah, it had been a quiet thirty-six hours while it lasted.
“Stop making fun of your brother. Those slides used to scare you too,” Emerson said in a warning tone, and Audrey fell silent while Sam stuck out his tongue to get the last word in.
But their bickering wasn’t enough to douse his mood. His weekend had been pretty fucking awesome as well. After he put the kids to bed, he almost asked Rhys to sleep with him, but he’d ultimately decided against it. They probably both needed the space to consider what had transpired between them. Plus, was he ready to risk the kids knowing and being confused? Well, at least Sam.
Rhys had been so sweet and patient—and freaking hot—as Emerson fumbled his way through his first time with a man. He didn’t make him feel like an amateur, only sexy and deserving while he set his body on fire. Emerson definitely needed more of that, more of him. But he’d be lying if he didn’t admit he almost wanted Rhys too much, and that scared the shit out of him.
Sam bolted out of the car first, but Audrey stayed seated with her hand on the door handle. It was another long moment before he noticed she was trembling. “Audrey, what’s—”
“I’m sorry I told him,” she said in a rush. “I hope you don’t hate me.”
“Honey, I could never hate you.” Emerson’s heart was pounding because he knew what was coming; it was the thing he feared, but hoped he was wrong. “Now explain what you mean.”
“About the kiss,” she mumbled, keeping her gaze trained on the floor, where her book bag was lodged between her knees. “I was upset about you and Neil hanging out, and I wanted it to be—”
“When was this?” he implored, trying to sound normal instead of panicked and pissed. “When did you tell him?”
“After you left for the game.”
Emerson’s brain reeled with snapshots from their weekend. How Rhys had gone out with a friend that night, then came to Emerson’s room…and the rest was history.
“Oh my God, you didn’t know?” She looked stricken, her eyes filling with tears. “But you said everything was great. And Rhys said that everything would be okay.”
Emerson reached out with a shaky hand, knowing now was the time to switch into responsible parent mode before she became hysterical. He could swallow down his nausea until he got her into the building. She was only a kid and didn’t need the guilt or pressure on her shoulders, but damn if she hadn’t just rocked his world.
“It’s okay.” He made himself say the words through a strained voice as she threw herself into his arms and dug her face into his shoulder.
“I’m sorry. I just wanted you to have a chance.” She sounded wrecked.
“It wasn’t fair to ask you to keep a secret. It’s totally my fault.” Emerson squeezed her tighter, more so to hold the pieces of himself together. “I was only trying to give him time. But maybe that wasn’t the greatest idea.”
Time to remember on his own or come to the same conclusion.