Heartstrings: The Complete Collection

4. Harmony

Chapter 4

Harmony

I’m warm and comfortable and snuggle further into the pillow. My eyes fly open when the pillow shifts beneath me, and I suddenly realize I’m nestled against Mack’s side, my cheek resting on his chest with his arm wrapped around me.

Oh, shit. I don’t remember drifting off, but I guess the sleepless nights of the last week and the motion of the car lulled me to sleep.

“Hey, sleepyhead.”

Mack’s voice is a deep rumble beneath my ear. I shiver as he sifts his fingers through my hair and his fingers brush my neck. I know I should move, but I can’t seem to make my body obey.

Mack Solomon is casting a spell over me. It’s one thing to see him on TV but in the flesh? He’s devastating. I’ve never experienced anything close to the emotions surging through me at his proximity. I may not know much about men, but he’s waking up parts of me that have been waiting just for him. Like a sleeping dragon stirring from a long slumber, he’s breathing fire into desires and needs I never knew I had.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you,” I mumble, finally pushing myself to a sitting position and running my hands over my disheveled hair. I must look a mess.

“No problem. You make these cute little snoring noises, and you talk in your sleep. Something about reindeer and popcorn.”

My stomach performs a triple-back summersault with pike as he turns the full force of his smile on me. “Oh, God!” I cover my hot face with my hands, wishing I could slide through the floor of the limo.

Mack laughs, suddenly looking younger and more carefree. “That’s nothing. Jess sleepwalks, and I had to rescue her from the roof one night.”

I gape at him. “From the roof? ”

“Yeah. She watched Scream before she went to bed and thought Ghostface was chasing her, so she climbed out her window onto the roof. Luckily, I was still awake, sitting on the decking below her room, and heard her clambering out. Took me a half hour to coax her back inside. She didn’t remember a thing the next morning.”

I burst out laughing at the image of Mack trying to talk his sister off the roof. “She sounds interesting.”

“She’s great,” he says, his affection for his sister clear. “You’ll get to meet her in a few minutes.”

“I will?” I glance out the window, and it dawns on me we’re no longer in the city. “How long was I asleep? I thought I was booked into a hotel.”

“About an hour and a half, and I canceled your hotel booking. No point staying in a hotel when I have a guest house,” Mack replies as the limo slows, and Max makes a right turn through a set of gates and onto a dirt track.

The house at the end of the track blends perfectly with its surroundings, sheltered by the Catskill Mountains and framed by the cerulean sky. It’s enormous with a rustic appearance, making me think of home cooking and roaring fires. Huge windows glint in the afternoon sunlight and comfortable chairs sit on the huge wraparound deck.

The limo comes to a halt in front of the house, and Mack leaps out and opens my door before I have the chance.

“It’s beautiful,” I breathe, stepping out of the limo and taking it all in.

“I had it built after Mom died,” Mack tells me. “I took time out to be with Jessica, who was only fourteen when Mom passed. I wanted her to have a stable home away from the city, and it’s my bolt hole from the madness.”

“I can’t imagine a more beautiful location,” I say, breathing in the fresh air and drinking in my surroundings. “Hard to believe we’re only a few hours from the city.”

Max hands my case to Mack. “I’ll leave you guys to it. Call if you need me,” he says, turning back toward the limo.

“Thank you, Max,” I call after him.

He smiles and waves before climbing behind the wheel and heading back up the track.

“Is he going back to the city?” I ask, turning to look at Mack.

“No, he lives a few miles up the road, so he’s close by if I need him.” Mack links his fingers with mine, sending a delicious wave of goosebumps up my arm which brings my nipples tingling to life. “Come on, let’s get you settled, and then I’ll give you a tour of the house. Jessica’s dying to meet you.”

Mack leads me to the guest house, a few hundred yards from the main house. Single story, it’s sheltered under a large pine tree. The front door opens straight into the living area with high, vaulted ceilings and slate tiled floors. The afternoon sun gleams over the intricate woodwork, giving the space a warm and welcoming vibe.

“There’s a bedroom through here,” Mack says, tugging me through the living area and down a short hallway.

I gasp as he opens a door on the left, revealing a spacious room with a king-size bed covered in pale blue, fluffy bedding. The room is further furnished with a large chest of drawers, a squishy armchair, and a desk in front of the big window.

Mack places my case on the bed as I cross to the desk, running my fingers across the polished wooden surface. “This is stunning. I can imagine sitting here for hours writing lyrics.”

I turn to find Mack standing right behind me, and my breath catches in my throat as I look up into his deep-brown eyes. He’s gorgeous. Every woman’s fantasy and I can’t quite believe I’m the one he’s looking at with an intensity that has heat curling low in my belly. He smells amazing, a mixture of sandalwood and man that I want to commit to memory.

He cups my face, and his eyes drop to my mouth. “What are you doing to me, Harmony Sinclair?”

“The same thing you’re doing to me, I think,” I whisper as he slides his hands into my hair. I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this intense, complex man who looks at me like he wants to claim me. And, God help me, I may let him.

He fists his hand in my hair and tugs me closer. His warm breath fans across my mouth as he traces my lower lip with his tongue. “You taste as good as you smell,” he growls, nipping at my mouth.

Mack swallows my small moan as he seals his lips to mine. My knees turn to butter, and I grip his shoulders as he pushes his tongue inside to taste me. I drink in his flavor and commit it to memory. I want to taste him forever. I never want to leave his arms.

His hands slide down my back to my hips, and he pulls me flush against him, pressing his hardness against my stomach. I whimper, fisting my hands in his t-shirt, and the kiss explodes.

Keeping his mouth on mine, Mack backs me up until my legs hit the desk behind me. Lifting me, he sits me on top, pressing my legs apart and nestling his hips between my thighs. My body takes on a mind of its own as I wrap my legs around his hips, grinding against him and trying to get some friction where I need it.

I thread my fingers through his hair and dig them into his scalp as he ravages my mouth. His big hands cup my breasts, and I gasp into his mouth as his thumbs slide across my nipples, making my core clench.

“Mack?”

The female voice cuts through the haze of lust gripping us, and Mack tears his mouth from mine. We’re both breathing heavily, sucking in air as if we’ve run a marathon.

“Holy shit,” Mack mutters, pressing his forehead to mine.

“Yeah,” I whisper, a little overwhelmed by the passion that exploded between us. The knowledge I would’ve let him strip me bare and fuck me senseless if we hadn’t been interrupted is shocking.

“Mack? You here?” the voice calls again, closer this time.

Mack moves away, and my eyes widen as he adjusts the hard bulge pressing against his jeans. I stand on shaky legs, smoothing down my messy hair and trying to get myself under control as a pretty blonde woman pokes her head in the door.

“There you are. Didn’t you hear me?” she asks, moving into the room. Her blue eyes land on me, and she squeals. “Oh, my God, you’re here! I’m so excited to meet you!” The curvy blonde pulls me into a warm hug. “I love your music so much.”

“You’ve listened to my music?” I ask when she releases me.

“Only every YouTube video you’ve made. I adore your version of Visions of Her .”

“I … thank you,” I reply, embarrassment heating my cheeks.

“This is my sister, Jessica. I’ve introduced her to musicians and movie stars before, and she’s never been this excited,” Mack says, shaking his head.

“Ugh. Sorry, I should’ve introduced myself. I’m Mack’s stepsister if we’re being biologically precise. We have … had the same mom. She died when I was fourteen.”

I wince. “Mack told me. I’m sorry for your loss. I know what it’s like to lose a parent. I lost both of mine in a car wreck when I was four.”

Jessica gives me a sympathetic smile. “I knew we’d have things in common, but I’m sorry that’s one of them.”

I nod, returning her smile. “Yeah, but we’re both survivors, right?”

Jessica’s smile broadens. “Yeah. I like that. Come on. I’ll give you a guided tour of the main house.” She loops her arm through mine and tugs me back down the hall and out of the guest house.

The main house is as beautiful inside as out. Huge living room with a piano in the corner, state-of-the-art kitchen, a small, well-equipped gym, a large office, and that’s without the five bedrooms upstairs and the purpose-built recording studio at the rear of the property. This was a house built for a man with music in his blood.

Mack disappears while Jessica shows me around, and by the time she’s done, I know all about her job, how she works for Mack as his PA.

“There’s no true job description as it is different every day,” she tells me as we make our way back to the large living area. “I roll with Mack’s ever-changing schedule and work on the go a lot, handling the day-to-day tasks, running errands, making travel arrangements, shopping, screening phone calls, scheduling, and whatever else comes up.”

“Sounds interesting,” I comment, already at ease with Jessica. She’s like a ray of sunshine and so easy to be around it’s impossible not to like her.

My gaze immediately falls on Mack as we enter the living area. He’s sitting in an armchair, strumming on a guitar, and sweet heavenly lord , he’s damn hot with the sexy scruff along his jaw and his dark hair flopping over his forehead. His long fingers strum a few chords, and I imagine those fingers moving over my body, strumming places no man has ever touched.

Jessica nudges me and tips her head toward the piano. My eyes widen, and I shake my head.

“Go,” she whispers, looking toward the piano again.

My feet are moving before I can overthink it, and I sit, lifting the piano lid. My fingers fly over the keys, instantly falling in with Mack as I pick up the melody of Always , the haunting ballad he wrote a few years ago.

Mack begins to sing, and his smooth, powerful voice sweeps through me as his calloused fingers slide across steel guitar strings. Emotion, raw and unfiltered, flows through me, and my legs tremble as note after note, beat after beat, hypnotizes me.

I shiver as his eyes find mine, piercing me to my soul. Our gazes remain locked, and I harmonize with him as if we’ve been singing together for years. The song soars, filling the living room, and the melody pours from me with an intensity I’ve never experienced before. I lose myself in the emotion, in the purity of the notes. And I lose myself in the man sitting a few feet away. Completely and utterly.

The last notes fade away, and silence fills the air for a few seconds before Jessica claps enthusiastically.

“Wow. Just … wow! I have goosebumps,” she enthuses, rubbing her hands along her arms. “I knew you guys were going to make sweet music together.”

I’m trapped in the heat of Mack’s, my breaths ragged, my heart thudding against my ribs. Singing has always given me a buzz but singing with Mack is a high beyond compare … well, apart from sex with him, which I’m sure would blow my head off.

Endorphins zip through my bloodstream, igniting wants and desires to the exclusion of all else. I want to body tackle him, kiss his face off, and have him lick every inch of my body. If the fire in his gorgeous brown eyes is any indication, it’s mutual.

I squeeze my thighs together on the throb pulsing there. My panties were already damp from our earlier kiss in the bedroom, but now they’re sticking to my swollen flesh, such is the need pounding through my body.

“Um, earth to Harmony and Mack!”

Jessica’s voice reaches me through a haze of lust, and I finally tear my gaze from Mack to look at the pretty blonde.

Jessica stands with her hands on her hips, a knowing smile on her lips as she looks between Mack and me. She looks pleased with herself as she announces, “Harmony Mack. Has a nice ring to it.”