Page 48 of Painted

“No, you weren’t,” Rhys insisted. When Early peeked up at him, he went on with, “You were a young, inexperienced person who wanted to learn and follow your instincts.”

“It was my first time,” Early whispered.

“I know. Now,” Rhys said. “I wish I’d known before. I would have done things differently.”

“You must hate me for not telling you,” Early said, unable to raise their voice beyond a whisper.

“I definitely don’t hate you,” Rhys said, stroking his thumb over Early’s cheek.

That small gesture was electric and nearly brought tears to Early’s eyes. “I still don’t know what I’m doing,” they confessed.

“Spoiler alert, but I don’t think anyone actually knows what they’re doing,” Rhys said with a smile. “I don’t know how to live my life without my sister.” Emotion filled his voice. “I struggle every day with her loss, with the way she was taken from us. I was in the car, you know.”

Early nodded. They did know that.

Rhys swallowed, then said, “I should have been driving that night. We’d all gone out to dinner, I’d said I would be the designated driver, but I had a few glasses of wine anyhow. Raina was still breastfeeding, so she didn’t have any, so she took the keys from me. I should have been the one that took the impact.”

Early’s eyes widened. That was new.

“You couldn’t have known,” they said, clasping a hand over Rhys’s. “No one can ever know something like that would happen.”

“I know,” Rhys nodded gravely. “And I’m dealing with that in therapy. Nick basically kicked my ass and told me to talk to my therapist more often, so I’ve started doing that.”

Early smiled, proud of him.

“I talked to her about you as well,” Rhys went on. “About how I think you’re wonderful, how I know I messed up with you, but how I want to try again. I want to see if there’s something here, something we can build on. I know there is.”

Early caught their breath. Their heart suddenly felt too full to say anything.

Rhys gazed hopefully into their eyes. “Do you think there could be something between us?” he asked.

Early blinked rapidly as their eyes stung with potential tears. Never in a million years would they have ever thought someone as wonderful as Rhys would ask them that question. All they could do to answer was to nod.

Rhys smiled. “Good.”

He leaned in, clasping a hand behind Early’s head and bringing their mouths together for a kiss. It wasn’t a sweet, chaste kiss, but it also wasn’t an overwhelming smash of mouths that might make them feel out of control. It was hot and needy, but tender and considerate at the same time.

Early’s eyes were closed so they could savor the bliss of it by the time Rhys rocked back and said, “Come on. Let’s go home.”

They opened their eyes, afraid they’d see the end of their date in Rhys’s expression. But on the contrary, the heat and excitement in Rhys’s eyes hinted that their date had only just gotten started.

FOURTEEN

Finally,something was going right. And all it had taken was for Rhys to get the hell out of his own way and let himself treat Early the way they should be treated. The Chameleon Club had been the perfect first date for the two of them. Early had been quiet around the boisterous members of The Brotherhood, but they’d enjoyed themselves all the same. Rhys didn’t need to ask a bunch of probing questions to know Early felt comfortable in an environment filled with people just like them, and just like him as well.

Dancing with Early had been an unexpected treat. It had been part of the night’s plan from the start, but Rhys hadn’t expected to enjoy it so much. He also hadn’t expected to take Early aside so that he could give the apology Early so desperately deserved. It had taken a hell of a lot of courage to say those things, and really, more needed to be said.

But for now, as they drove along the M20 with the scattered lights of the other cars occasionally lighting Early’s face and casting intriguing shadows, Rhys was on fire. He hadn’t dared to say much since leaving the club for fear that the mood between him and Early would be broken by ordinary conversation, he’djust put on the radio to a soothing station and let the music and the night do its work.

He was still buzzing by the time they pulled into the family parking lot at the back of Hawthorne House. Judging by the smile Early gave him when they both got out of the car and headed for the door, joining hands once they were on the path, Early was still in the mood, too.

Mood or no mood, Rhys was determined not to make the same mistakes twice once they reached his flat and the door was safely shut behind them.

“Do you think we should talk about things?” Early asked, one arm stretched across their body as they rubbed their other arm. Their face was turned down, their eyes peeking up at Rhys invitingly, and a strand of dark hair had come loose from their sexy style. It hung across their pale cheek, where a tiny dark patch along their jaw hinted they’d missed a spot while shaving earlier.

Rhys loved that hint that everything wasn’t black and white with Early, that they were as interesting and mysterious as an unexpected present under the tree on Christmas day. He stepped forward until he was so close Early had to let go of their arm and look up at him to maintain eye contact. He brushed the strand of hair off Early’s face and tucked it behind their ear, then grasped their head with both hands and leaned in for a kiss.

For all his lack of experience, Early was a wonder to kiss. They were so open and accepting, probably more than they knew. Rhys had kissed a lot of people in his past, but they’d all tried so hard that he’d felt put on the spot.

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