Page 47 of Animal Beats

“My vote is ‘yes.’ However, I’m not the rule-follower here.”

Her lips purse. I give her a second, and the minute her eyelids close, I score my advantage. My chest rubs against hers and we kiss. Perhaps it’s being horizontal, but this feels more intimate. “I don’t want to rush you.”

“Río, I can’t think straight right now. You make me feel alive, and I like it. But we’ve had a long day.” She bites her lip again, and this time, I reach out and sooth the abused skin. “I should go to bed.” Her lips purse. “Alone.”

Okay. Not what I expected to hear, but nothing she says is ever expected. I dip my forehead toward hers. “Are you sure?”

She sighs. “We need rest.”

“Not a ringing endorsement.” Instead of pushing her for what I know we both want, though, I surprise even myself by choosing the honorable path. I stand and offer her my hand. “I’ll honor your wishes. With one caveat.”

Taking my hand, she gets to her feet and pulls the dress onto her shoulders. “What might that be?”

“The second bedroom remains unused.”

She processes my statement. “Río, I’m not going to⁠—”

My fingers cover her mouth. “Only for sleep, Hayden. Nothing more.”

“Are you sure?”

Am I sure I won’t attack her in the middle of the night? Beg her to take care of my morning wood? Not ask for a kiss goodnight? I settle on the last. “After I get my goodnight kiss, I promise I won’t try to take advantage of you.”

A slight smile tugs at her lips. “I can live by those terms.” She leads the way to the main bedroom; her dress still unzipped to the top of her underwear.

But can I?

14

HAYDEN

Iwake from a delicious dream, wrapped in strong, muscular arms. Last night, Río was amazing. The way he kissed and held me as if I meant something to him was intoxicating. More than any Gold Rush he’s ever had, I imagine.

The guilt I felt over inviting his father to the awards ceremony was awful. He and his stepmother were only there for the media, certainly not to see their son. They were light years apart from how my parents treated me.

Most telling, though, was how Río takes every single monetary item for granted. Hotels, flights, restaurants hold no meaning for him. For me? I’m always amazed at the level of opulence. Which he—and perhaps all of Untamed Coaster—considers a given.

Río turns and flings his arm over his head. Freed, I take this opportunity to watch him. In rest, he seems much younger, closer to maybe two years older than me rather than our actual five. His jaw is square, lined with some stubble, which only enhances his good looks. Even his blond hair tousled across the pillow is endearing.

Stop it, Hayden.

Last night was a one-off. I’m only here to keep him out of trouble. So what if he gave me a tiny bit of insight into the rest of the band? I’ve seen enough of his past to know this isn’t something that lasts. No, thank you.

I have a job to do. That pays good money. I check the time, and—how did this happen?—it’s already ten o’clock. Time for me to stop lounging about and make sure the press from last night’s award ceremony is correct. Update UC’s website. In other words, get to work.

My gaze travels back to the sexy drummer next to me. In an alternate universe, perhaps a relationship between us could be a thing. This is real life, however. He deserves to sleep the day away while I need to buckle down. Before I can make a move out of bed, my phone rings. I rush to pick it up, spurred on when I see the caller. “Hello?”

“Miss Vaughn?”

“Yes.” My heart pounds. I only ever get calls from this number at my sister’s school when there’s an issue. Slipping from the sheets, I walk into the empty second bedroom, quietly closing the door behind me. “Is Mila okay?” As I speak, I open the closet door and find a robe and slippers. Definitely not something I would ever see at the budget hotels on my typical list.

“Miss Vaughn, Mila’s been having one of her episodes. It started yesterday. We’ve tried to calm her down using all of the usual methods, but nothing is working. We fear her well-being requires your personal touch. When could you get here?”

I shrug into the robe, tying it around my waist. This happens maybe once or twice a year, where my sister becomes overworked and unable to settle. I do a quick calculation. “I think I can be there in a couple of hours.”

“Great. We’ll restrain her until then.” The line goes dead.

My shoulders slump. Restrain? Oh, Mila, what is going on inside your loving brain? If my parents were still here, they’d already be at her school and rocking her back into a good state. They’d also visit her once or twice a week. It’s been what? At least a month since I’ve seen her. When she gets like this, phone calls don’t count.