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“More obnoxious with age.” River grins about Knox’s apparent heartbreak before aligning his eyes with me. “I thought I recognized your voice. It just took me a bit since you sound a little envious.” After almost knocking me over with a welcoming hug, he takes a second swipe at Knox’s massive attitude. “That never happens when it comes to him.” After gesturing his head to Knox, he nods it in the direction he came from. “I set the DVD player up. Do you want popcorn?”
“What kind of question is that? Of course he wants popcorn. It is a movie marathon. Only a psychopath wouldn’t want popcorn during a movie marathon.” Knox messes up River’s recently combed hair before heading toward Nicole’s room, to which the door is now closed. “And make sure you keep the volume up. Things are about to get rowdy.” He cups the doorhandle before spinning to face us. “Although you should probably have an early night. Rehearsals start at five.”
“In the morning?” River and I stammer out in sync.
Knox nods before cracking open Nicole’s bedroom door. “The alarm in your room has been pre-set.” He preempts my question before I can ask it. “It is the third door back from the room River will be snoring in before the second section of credits roll.”
“I’m staying here? With you?” I try to keep my tone neutral during my last question. I fail.
A groan rumbles in my chest when Knox fans his arms out wide before saying in a showy tone, “Welcome to life in the fast lane, baby. I sure fucking hope you can keep up.”
If it isn’t bad enough I have to sleep in the same hotel as the couple I’d rather destroy than help guide toward marital bliss, I have to share a suite with them as well.
This is as fucked as it gets.
14
NICOLE
“Iknew you wouldn’t stay away for long.” Bonnie places down her brush kit before digging through her makeup cart for my favorite lipstick. “All smart career women buy the testers of discontinued stock.” She laughs at my ick expression. “Let’s see who’s grossed out when you win best dressed at the Grammys next year.”
I love her optimism, but it is a little too soon to be hedging bets like that. “Are we doing a full dress rehearsal again today? I thought yesterday was a one-off.”
“It was,” Bonnie agrees. “But since the gallery is about to be brimming with music buffs dying to sample all you have to offer, Knox figured we should give them the full shebang.” She peers down at her makeup chair. “So get your cute little ass over here and tell me all the goss while we make you as glamorous as that hunk of man meat you’re hogging to yourself.”
“I’m not hogging him—” My phone ringing saves me from explaining how I knew she was referencing Laken instead of Knox.
Everyone assumes Knox and I are banging boots. They would never suspect Laken since he hasn’t looked me in the eyes since our night on the roof.
“I’ll be back in a minute. I need to take this.”
Bonnie waves to announce she heard me before she goes back to sorting through her makeup cart.
Jenni’s voice roars out of my phone's speaker before I can attach it to my ear. “Why the hell are we only hearing about this now? You slept with a stranger but waited forty-eight hours to update your friends.”
“I can’t help that you were traveling halfway across the world with no cell service.”
I veer past Laken standing guard in the dressing room hallway and enter the alley at the back of the dance studio.
“It’s okay. I don’t need a shadow out here,” I assure Laken when he attempts to follow me out.
“Is that him? Is he the Adonis you screwed senseless before you knew he was your new bodyguard?”
I cup the phone at the speaker end to ensure Laken can’t hear Jenni, before shifting my pleading eyes to Knox. “The alleyway is locked, and there isn’t another person in sight. Does he need to follow me out here?”
I’m being a grump because I barely got an ounce of sleep last night.
That’s two sleepless nights in a row.
Get your mind out of the gutter. My lack of sleep last night had nothing to do with multiple orgasms and everything to do with the fact the man who stole from me was sleeping only doors down from my unlocked room.
I was up half the night checking my songbook was where I hid it.
Yeah, right.
My hurt is intense, but the memories of my night with Laken are stronger.
Knox finally caves after taking in my fluttering eyelashes for almost thirty seconds. “Five minutes—”
