Page 12 of Something to Believe In
She leaned down and kissed his lips softly, then she lay down. He tucked her into his side and held her tightly. Fear that she'd get up and leave tore through his chest. Her arm stretched across his stomach. He kissed her forehead softly and heard her sigh. His heart swelled even as his mind worried about what would happen if the band found out.
He drifted off to sleep until he felt Mads moving off the bed. "Where are you going?"
She smiled. "I have to go home. I don't want Jami to come out here and find us."
He inhaled deeply and sat up. "Right."
They began dressing. Neither of them said anything. Lost in thought, worry, and, for his part anyway, happiness. He wanted to march right up to Jami's house and tell him, We're together. Deal with it. But what would happen next?
Mads pulled on her top, covering up her sexy body. He stepped up to her and pulled her close. Her arms immediately wrapped around his waist as he folded his arms around her shoulders. His heartbeat increased. She chuckled. "I can hear your heartbeat. It sounds like you're beating out a drum solo."
He chuckled. "Always when you're near."
Her arms tightened.
He pulled back reluctantly and kissed her lips. "I can't do that out there."
"I know."
She sounded sad; his gut twisted. "We'll be okay, Mads."
"Promise?"
"Yes. No matter what." That would be his assurance.
He turned and opened the door, letting Mads step out of their sanctuary first. He followed her. Both of them walked slowly, as if each of them were meeting a firing squad. All it was was reality, and that felt very heavy now.
He reached for the door to the outside, paused, and looked into her beautiful, sad eyes. "I promise."
He kissed her quickly, then opened the door. She moved toward her car, and he moved toward his. He waited until she started her car and drove toward her apartment. He started his car and followed her down the road until he turned off toward his home.
Entering his house, he'd never felt more alive and lonelier at the same time. He pulled a notebook from the side table drawer and plopped down in an easy chair. To capture his feelings, he wrote a few words. He kept writing until his fingers cramped. He filled three pages and decided he'd better get some rest. Tomorrow, they had music to write, and he wanted to be on his game. And he was eager to see Mads again.
Stretching, he stumbled to his bedroom and undressed. He almost took a shower, but the aroma of Maddyn's perfume on his shirt and skin changed his mind. He dropped onto the bed, pulling his t-shirt with him. Sniffing deeply, he closed his eyes as visions of making love to Maddyn replayed over and over in his head. He'd never had feelings like this about any other person in his life. His heart nearly broke as she drove away. His stomach knotted, and he decided they'd find a way to spend the night together from this point on. They'd keep their secret and still do what they both loved to do - make music, go on tour, and make good money.
Chapter Ten
Maddyn woke to the sound of someone trying to get into her apartment. Jumping out of bed, she rushed to the door. She saw the knob turning, but the lock didn't allow entry. She looked through the peephole and saw only the top of a baseball cap.
"Who is it?" she called out. Her heart raced, and her stomach turned.
The person on the other side of the door stopped trying to get in but didn't respond. She peered out again to see the top of the ball cap. Why would someone hide their face? The only answer that came to mind was that they were up to no good.
"I asked who was out there," she said louder.
The person stepped back. He wore a uniform of some sort. Dark blue, but not a cop. There was a name tag over the right pocket that was faded red, but it looked like it said ‘Bob’. The logo on the left side of the shirt said, AAA Heating and Cooling.
"I'm sorry. I was told to come to this apartment and look at the furnace."
"You have the wrong address."
The man looked around at the door across the hall, then at her door again. "1982 North Howard Street, Apartment 4."
"This is 1892 North Howard Street."
His brows shot up, and his eyes rounded. "Oh, I'm so sorry."
He walked away, and she waited until she heard the outside door close before she relaxed.
