Page 11 of Librarian & the Rockstar

I gape at him in shock. "Seriously?"

"Yep. We're not getting out of here until tomorrow at the earliest." He holds up my tote bag. "I tried to get a signal to call out, but couldn't do that, either. I'll have to walk out tomorrow to call for help. I did find this on the floorboard of the SUV, though. Figured you might need it." He drops it onto the table beside the door.

I plop back down onto the couch, burying my face in my hands. "This is a disaster."

"Damn. Am I really that bad?"

"What? No, of course not. I just…" I huff out a breath. "I feel bad for intruding, that's all."

"Loralei." He stomps toward me and then crouches at my feet, prying my hands away from my face. Once I meet his gaze, his lips quirk slightly. "You aren't intruding. The cabin has two bedrooms, so there's plenty of room here for both of us. We'll ride it out for the night, and then I'll walk out tomorrow to call for rescue. It'll be fine."

"I still feel bad," I whisper.

"Yeah, well, don't," he says, tipping my face back. "That'll only piss me off. You aren't bad company. Stop acting like you are, okay?"

I bite my lip and then nod. "Okay."

He stares at me for a long moment, like he's checking to make sure I mean it, and then he relaxes slightly, his fingers brushing my cheek.

I don't mean to do it, but I lean into his touch anyway.

And maybe it's my imagination, but I swear his eyes darken a little, his gaze dropping to my lips. Does he want to kiss me?

God, I want him to, so freaking badly I'm ready to crawl out of my skin.

Instead, I pull back, pulling a little space between us.

Do not throw yourself at him, Loralei. Do not.

It's going to be a long night.

Chapter Five

Ash

"Fuck," I grunt, one hand planted against the wall of the shower. My other is in a tight fist around my cock, stroking. Loralei's face flashes behind my eyes, and I grip myself tighter.

She'd probably kill me if she knew what I was doing right now, but I can't help it. Every time she looks up at me through her lashes, I want to haul her onto my lap to see if she tastes as good as she smells. I want to hear her make that same fucking sound she made earlier—before she ran off to the bathroom like she was fleeing for her life.

I'm an asshole for telling her that we're stranded. I know I am. But she was ready to walk out of my life, and I panicked. I need to keep her here a little while longer. Just long enough to…what? Convince her to give me a chance? Figure out what the fuck is happening to me? I don't know.

All I know for sure is that today is the most fun I've had in a long time. She's the first person who has looked at me like a person in even longer. She hasn't asked a single question about the band, my career, who I know, what it's like to be a celebrity, or any of that. She looks at me like I'm just a man.

I forgot what that was like. I forgot how it felt to sit beside a beautiful woman and just be a normal fucking dude.

And Christ, she is so pretty. Every damn time I look at her, I feel stupid. Anyone can grind at the gym until they have the perfect body. They can hire whatever surgeon they want to perform whatever miracles they want. None of that will ever make you glow from the inside the way she does.

It won't change the light in your eyes or the unguarded way you laugh, or the sweet way you smile, either. There's just this softness about her, this realness, that's rare. It's so fucking perfect.

"Loralei," I groan, my thumb running over the head of my cock when her big doe eyes flash behind my eyes. Her teeth sink into her bottom lip, the sound of her laughter echoing in my head. My stomach muscles contract, my balls drawing up.

I come with a groan, my seed spilling down my hand and spraying across the shower wall. I grunt, locking my legs to keep myself upright. My heart pounds, every muscle in my body going loose at the same time.

"Fucking hell," I pant, my head drooping forward. I watch as my cum swirls down the drain, my cock softening. For long moments, I just stand there, trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing.

I'm too young for a midlife crisis. But maybe that's exactly what this is. I ran away from every responsibility I've ever had to a cabin in the middle of nowhere. I lied to Loralei just to keep her here. To what end? What do I really expect to happen here?

My whole life is paparazzi, stadium shows, and a never-ending parade of parties, public appearances, commitments and obligations. Hers is her books. I saw the way her entire face lit up when she talked about the library. That's where she belongs. It's what makes her happy.