Strings of the Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

hit me with it.”
    “Mitchell didn’t think our sex life was adventurous enough, so he wanted me to start going to this private sex club his father belonged to.”
    Rhys’s usually tan skin paled, and he staggered back. “Fuck me, I didn’t need to know that.”
    “Well, that’s the truth about what happened. We actually broke up a few weeks before I left, but I figured my parents could handle that story better. I mean, if Jake found out, Mitchell probably wouldn’t need to worry about his sex life because Jake would render him dickless.”
    After staring in disbelief at me for a moment, Rhys finally threw his head back and howled with laughter. “Yeah, you got that one right. Of course, I’m tempted to find this asshole myself. Who the hell does he think he is trying to corrupt you like that? He should be happy some beautiful girl wanted to waste her time with him at all.”
    My heart beat wildly like a jackhammer in my chest at his words. “Thank you. He really was a decent guy. I just didn’t know there was all that seedy stuff below the surface.”
    “Don’t let a jerkoff like that bring you down. You’re better than that.”
    “That’s sweet, Rhys. Thanks.”
    “And now I think it’s time for a conversation change. Somehow I feel like I fell into the Twilight Zone by standing here talking about sex with you.”
    With a scowl, I countered, “I’m almost twenty-one, Rhys. I’m not a baby anymore.” I’m sure my petulant tone did nothing to prove my point. All I needed was to stomp my foot, and I would look like I was throwing a tantrum like a toddler.
    “Okay, okay, you’re not a baby. That has been fully illustrated to me today,” he replied, with a grin.
    “Good. Now we can officially change the subject.”
    Rhys glanced around the porch. “So this is a really nice place. I expected you to be in some of those converted hotel room dorms or any of the other shitty housing for college students.”
    I laughed. “I lucked out on finding this place in a Craigslist ad of all things.”
    “You’re shitting me?”
    Shaking my head, I replied, “Totally serious. Of course, after I met the owner, Cassie, I wasn’t too surprised that she listed the room like she did.”
    Cocking his brows, Rhys inquired, “Is she an eccentric old woman with a house full of cats?”
    I grinned. “Actually, she’s twenty-five. She rents out four of the five bedrooms.”
    “Nice.”
    “My parents were much more sold on me living here than in some of the SCAD dorms, especially since I lived at home the past two years commuting to Georgia State.”
    With a wink that got my poor heart stuttering and sputtering again, he said, “They wanted to keep their little angel out of temptation and trouble once she went away from home for the first time.”
    “Something like that.”
    As Rhys leaned in closer, an impish look twinkled in his eyes. “Tell me, Allie-Bean, how much trouble have you been up to? I promise it’ll just stay between you and me.”
    “Ha, like I’d fall for that one,” I countered.
    “Scout’s Honor,” he replied, holding up the three finger salute.
    With a sigh, I leaned back against the banister. “The truth is actually worse than anything I could lie about.”
    “Seriously?”
    I nodded. “I don’t go anywhere besides school and work.”
    “Ah, but you could be holding back the truth about what kind of work you do. Art students get into all kinds of seedy and salacious jobs. Like nude modeling, for instance.”
    “I-I don’t t-think so!” I sputtered, my face flooding with warmth.
    Rhys laughed at my embarrassment. “Then what is your innocent place of work?”
    “The same place I worked at back in Atlanta—the Mellow Mushroom. They just gave me a hook-up for the one down on Liberty,” I replied.
    “You work at Penis Pizza?” he asked, his voice laced with amusement.
    “Excuse me?”
    He grinned. “Sorry. That’s just what the guys and I used to call it when we lived in