It was like Gideon was talking to us, urging us on. Telling me to take the chance. I could hear the warmth in his voice, like we were having coffee over the grand piano in the music room. He'd set his mug down, careful not to leave a ring and look at me. "Why would you give up your best chance at love?" he'd say.

Just like he was saying now.

I didn't know yet if Jonah was my best chance. But I knew I wanted to take this chance.

I was startled when his lips found my cheek, but I wasn't surprised. What surprised me was how soft his lips were after yesterday's onslaught. What surprised me was the care he was taking, kissing away my tears until my cheeks were dry, then pressing his lips to my eyes like he was giving a blessing.

I opened my eyes to see him looking at me, something new and strange in his expression. "Ruby, you're incredibly beautiful," he said like this was the most obvious thing in the world.

I didn't know what to say. I started to say something but it was caught and swallowed when his lips brushed against mine.

At once we moved against each other, already anticipating the other's desires. It was like yesterday had been a rehearsal, and today was the real thing. Today we knew exactly what to do.

He cradled his hand around my neck, kissing me softly as Gid's guitar strummed. He took his time, nibbling and tasting, deepening by degrees. Waiting until I was right there with him, moaning into his mouth, arching myself against his body. I could feel his confidence, the self-assured way he bided his time until he had me panting for him and then, when I was finally trembling with a sweet, crazy need, he laid me down as the song faded out into silence.

"Good," he breathed into my neck.

"What?" I asked, running my hands up his back and feeling the way the muscles bunched with barely-held back power.

He pulled up and looked at me with the wicked gleam in his eyes making them even greener. "Wasn't sure I could fuck you with my uncle singing in the background."

I snorted. "You think we're about to have sex here?" He gave me a grin and I rolled my eyes. "Talk about romance. You're a real Prince Charming, you know that?"

"I'm not Prince Charming, baby," he growled as he slammed his lips against mine. "I'm a King."

His kiss swallowed up the smart remark I wanted to make and his hands erased all traces of it from my brain. Before I knew it, I was arching up into him, pulling him down to me and attempting to kiss every inch of his exposed skin "You're impossible," I moaned against his throat as his hands slid down. "You make me so fucking angry I want to throw things. I keep, ah!" I gasped as his hand slipped below my waistband, "thinking I've got you - oh my god - figured out and then you do something that totally throws me off and why? Why Jonah? This is crazy. What are we doing?"

"Right now I'm trying to get your pants off," he growled.

I smacked him in the shoulder, but then lifted my hips from the ground, letting him peel my morning yoga pants down off of me. He let out a hiss when he saw I'd gone bare underneath, but he didn't attempt to touch me. Instead he slid back over me and supported himself with his elbows as he gazed down into my eyes.

"I know," he said, looking me full in the face. "You've got me totally twisted up, it's the truth. I'm hot and cold because my life is pretty screwed up right now, Ruby, but I can tell you that the best thing that's happened since I came home, hell maybe the best thing that's happened in a much longer time that that, was realizing who you were." He brushed his lips across my jaw. "You make me feel like I can start over again, be a better person this time." His kiss found my lips. "You make me feel brand new."

A flush of warmth spread through my body, like I was melting from the inside out. I kissed him back, hard, not really understanding what he was saying but feeling the truth of his words right down to my toes. He was caught between two roads right now, but with a rush of power even more heady than his kisses, I realized that I could nudge him onto the one that made him a better person.

I caught his lip between my teeth, hearing him hiss, but holding him there as I looked him in the eyes. He held perfectly still, but I could feel him lengthening under his jeans, the warm hardness pressing against my thigh, and the feeling of having this man, this rockstar who'd been the fantasy of every girl my age, belong to me had my head spinning like I'd been drugged. "I changed my mind," I told him as I released his lip.

"About what?"

"About whether we're having sex." I licked my lips.

He groaned against my neck. "Is that a yes? Tell me it's a yes, Ruby. I've wanted you - ." He trailed off, groaning as my hand closed over his jeans, cupping the shape of him, and then widened his eyes. "Is that my answer?"

"This is crazy, but we have to take a chance, right?" I asked, gesturing to the tape recorder. Then I grinned. "Yes."