?
Devin’stongue slid over the length of my spine and he bit my neck, sinking his teethinto my agitated skin, after over an hour of headboard-pounding lovemaking. Hewrapped his arms around my waist, sighing into the crook of my neck as herolled us over to spoon on the cloud of blankets and billowy sheets.
“Fuck,”he sighed into my hair. “I love you, KJ.”
Ismiled, blissful in our private moments away from the entourage. “I love youtoo.”
“Youever think about how fucking crazy it is that we’ve only been together for sixmonths?”
Iintertwined my fingers with his callused hands, and I grinned. “It feels likeso much longer than that.”
Hetouched my shoulder with a series of lazy kisses. “Like forever,” he murmuredand then he stopped, unwrapping himself from my body and bounding from the bed,naked and beautiful, to grab his notebook from the case of his new guitar.
“Writinganother song about me?” I smiled, already missing his touch and smell.
“Youknow it,” he said absentmindedly, flipping to a fresh page.
“Well,Maestro, while you do that, I’m going to grab some ice,” I said, climbing fromthe bed and grabbing a robe from the back of the couch.
“Hmm… huh?” He looked up from his scribbling and glanced at me as I tied the sasharound my waist. “I can just call room service,” he offered, gesturing towardthe phone. He looked at me as though I had sprouted a twin from my chest.
“Babe,do you remember what it was like to be anormalperson?” I asked, onlyhalf-joking as I grabbed the ice bucket. “I think I can manage to walk down thehall to the ice machine.”
“Ithas nothing to do with being anormal person,” he reasoned. “It’s aboutsafety, and you’re walking out there in nothing but a robe?Alone?”
“Dev,it’sfine. I can handle myself,” I said, as I grabbed my card key. Icrossed the floor to plant a kiss on his chest. “I’ll be right back. Send thecavalry if I haven’t returned in five minutes.”
Heharrumphed as I headed to the door. “Wait,” he called, and got up to grab myphone. He handed it to me. “At least take that.” He kissed the top of my head,and I rolled my eyes, stuffing the phone into my pocket, as I entered thehallway and left my paranoid boyfriend.
The monotonous carpet of greyscale geometrics,pavedmy way down the long hallway of identical doors. It reminded me ofTheShining, which immediatelybrought to mindthebook my dad had been reading before he died. I swallowed, realizing it’d been awhile since I thought of him. Maybe it was all the distractions, I thought as Iwalked the length of the hall. Maybe I was too focused on keeping Devinlevelheaded during a time when it would be so easy for him to lose himself.
MaybeI was too busy trying to save him, to remember that once upon a time I hadfailed the other man I loved.
Shakingaway the torments of my sudden reprieve, I entered the small sitting area atthe end of the hallway and quickly turned toward the ice machine, not botheringto notice that I wasn’t alone.
Asthe machine groaned awake and began to dispense ice into the bucket, I jumpedat the sound of a throat clearing. I spun around, clutching at the sides of myrobe and saw Robbie sitting there, bottle of vodka in his hand.
“Firecracker,”he said, holding the bottle up. “Care to join me?”
Ishook my head, throwing him a timid smile. “No, I’m good, thanks.”
Hestood up, and I touched my fingers to the bucket. Ready to grab it and hit himwith it, if he dared to try anything. I wasn’t scared, but I wouldn’t putanything past him and I didn’t like that feeling of vulnerability. I calculatedhow fast I could run back to the room. How fast I could get the card key out ofmy pocket to open the door.
Approachingme, he smiled. “Been keeping our golden boy occupied, huh?”
Thecomment made my skin crawl and the only thing I could think to say was, “He’snotyouranything.”
“Actually,”he said, holding up a finger, “he’s my boss, if we’re being technical here.”
Heplanted his opposite hand against the wall behind my head as that one fingertraced the line of my hair. I let my eyes close, feeling his hot,alcohol-tainted breath against my face and my pulse quickened. Robbie onlylaughed. “What do you think I’mgonnado to you,huh?”
“Idon’t know,” I replied honestly.
“Christ,Firecracker … open your fucking eyes.”
Islowly peeled my eyelids back, staring up at his face, and he smirked.
“I’mnotgonnahurt you.Fuck, I want to, believeme … I’d love to see what you got on underneath that robe, pull your hair anddrive my dick right into that pretty, smart-talking mouth of yours. Teach you afuckinglesson. But,” he shook his head, twisting his lips, “nah.O’Leary’s myfriend, and friends don’t fuck each other’s women. Notunless they have permission. That’s a rule.” And still, his hand smoothed overmy hair.
