Chapter 5 #2
“No questions? You’re just in?”
“You’re being all cute and flirty and confident. Of course I’m in.”
“Great. So you know the rules of never have I ever, right?”
He paused, his fork held in midair. He blinked at me a few times then lowered his fork to his plate. “This feels like a trap.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s just a game.”
“But I’m sober. So I’m not going to drink.”
“You can drink water. Think of it as a reverse tit for tat. We’re just getting to know each other.”
“It still feels like a trap.”
“Hey, we don’t have to play if you’re afraid. It’s fine.”
He huffed. “I know what fine really means.” He huffed again. “Fine, let’s play.”
I snickered. “That wasn’t telling at all.”
He laughed too, and the look in his eyes made the butterflies in my stomach come out in full force.
I rolled my eyes and felt so giddy. I couldn’t think. “You go first.”
“Fine. Never have I ever…seen my best friend naked.”
I tipped my head then picked up my water and took a sip.
So did he.
“You’re supposed to say things you haven’t done.” I pointed out, laughing.
He shrugged. “That’s not exactly easy to do.”
“Right.” Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. But still, there were things I wanted to know. “Never have I ever had a threesome…”
He took a sip.
“…with my best friend.”
He kept drinking.
My eyes widened. “Really?”
He shrugged. “It was a long time ago. Back when we were first touring. Before we even were a name. And technically that was two questions, so I get the same.”
“It’s not my fault if you drank too soon. I wasn’t done asking my question.”
“Sure, sure.” He laughed. “Never have I ever…thought about someone else during sex.”
I took a sip.
So did he.
I laughed. “Never have I ever…cheated on my significant other.”
I fully expected him to drink. I mean, he was a rock star—god really. They weren’t faithful.
Right?
Mal lifted his eyebrows and set his glass down.
I boggled. “Seriously? I said significant other. So not just wives—”
“Technically there’s only been one of those. Well, maybe one and a half, but that’s a whole different story.”
I blinked a few times as I wondered how someone had half a wife, but he went on.
“I’m not a cheater. Girlfriends, wives, whatever. Once I commit, that’s it. I keep it zipped. I’m a faithful guy.”
“I…didn’t expect you to say that.”
Mal shrugged. “It’s not really newsworthy. Despite what some people want you to think, it’s not that hard to keep it in your pants, really.”
“Really?” I repeated. “When you have all those women and groupies just throwing themselves at you?”
“Sure they’re hot, but at the end of the day they’re not the person I want—the person I care about. Some things are more important than getting off. And honestly, sex like that isn’t much different than masturbating at the end of the day—it’s all soulless and empty.”
“Huh.” I hadn’t expected him to be so open and surprisingly honest.
It was nice.
And so freaking hot.
He lifted an eyebrow and then his water glass. “Never have I ever read a smutty romance book.”
I picked up my glass and drank.
“I knew it!” Mal crowed, pointing a finger at me.
I flushed and looked away. I knew it was nothing to be ashamed about, but it wasn’t exactly something I liked to talk about either. Especially with a hot guy.
Then Mal took a drink, keeping his eyes on mine.
“Wait…are you thirsty or have you—”
He waggled his eyebrows.
“Seriously?” I squealed.
He shrugged. “I was teasing my assistant because she left one in my office once. So the next time she came over, I had it open and was reading it in front of her. It started as a joke, but I gotta admit, I got into it. They had all the music industry stuff wrong, but the relationship and the sex scenes were enthralling. I might’ve finished it before I gave it back to her. ”
“Wait, so your assistant left a rock star romance book—a paperback—in your office?”
He shrugged. “Yeah. Like I said, it was good.”
And he didn’t see that as a blatant advance? Didn’t get that she was clearly interested in him? Wow.
I wanted to probe deeper, but I didn’t want to sour the mood, so I continued the game and blurted out the first question that came to mind. “Never have I ever…been arrested.”
He took a sip. Then another. Then another.
“Okay, okay.” I waved at him. “You can stop. But seriously? How many times?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Does a juvie record count?”
“Um, yeah.”
“Then…five, no, six times. Twice as a teen for vandalism—our neighbor was an asshole. Twice for disorderly conduct, aka bar brawls, when we were first on the tour circuit. Once in the UK for assault. Kinda got into it with our opening act, but in my defense I was high. And of course, most recently for possession around…a little over nine-ish years ago.”
“That’s… That’s a lot.”
“It is.” He stared at me over our long, cold dinner and gave me a sad smile. “That’s also life with an addict. Regretting your choices yet?”
I shook my head. “Nope.”
“Wow.” He laughed incredulously. “Really thought I scared you off with that last one.”
I lifted a shoulder. “The night’s still young.”
“It is.” He surveyed me over the rim of his glass. “And so are you.”
“Are me and my zero arrests making you aware of our age difference?”
“No, I’m pretty sure your endless optimism is doing it for me.”
“What can I say? I’m an optimist by nature. Or I was before. Kinda hard to be optimistic when you’re canceling your wedding and going on your honeymoon alone.” I grabbed my water and hid behind the glass, wishing like hell I’d ordered some wine instead of water out of deference for Mal’s sobriety.
And immediately I felt bad. He didn’t ask me to avoid alcohol. I made that choice on my own.
“Right. I think that’s the end of that game.” Mal made a sound that could’ve been a laugh, but it was harsher than any laughter I’d ever heard. “How about a dance?” He pushed back in his chair then stood, holding his hand out to me over the table.
I looked around the room. There wasn’t a dance floor that I could see. And now everyone was staring at us. “What? Where?”
“Right here. Right now. Dance with me, Saylor.”
There was music playing faintly in the background. But it didn’t make me want to dance.
That look in Mal’s eyes did.
Shakily, I stood up and put my hand in his. And he very suavely led me to a wide gap between the tables that I hadn’t noticed earlier. Turning me with a sure hand, he pulled me close to his chest, and we swayed together on his impromptu dance floor.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears as I took a deep, shuddery breath. I was very much aware of all the eyes in the room being on us.
Mal kept one of my hands in his but held up toward his chest while he spanned my lower back with his other. Brushing his lips against my temple, he whispered, “Relax.”
I laughed softly. “Never in the history of the world has telling a woman to relax actually worked.”
He laughed with me then murmured, “Why are you so tense?”
“I don’t know.” I pulled back slightly so I could look into his eyes. They were gentle and intent on mine. “It just feels like one of those moments, you know? Important. Memorable.”
He stared into my eyes for another beat then leaned down and kissed me. It was quick and gentle and almost over before it began. Then he gathered me back into his arms and we swayed some more.
It was easily the most romantic moment of my life. I didn’t want it to end.
But of course it had to.
Several minutes later, Mal whispered, “You ready to head back?”
His lips brushed against my temple and I swooned again.
Sighing deeply, I finally pulled away and nodded.
And that was the moment I realized we’d started a little movement. All the other couples in the room were dancing too.
Shaking my head, I tugged on Mal’s hand as I stepped toward the exit.
“G’night,” Jone called as we walked past him.
I tried to ignore the leer he sent Mal’s way.
Although judging by the huff he made, he’d seen it too.
We walked hand in hand down the beach path toward my treehouse and my heartbeat thundered in my ears.
This was it.
I was going to do it.
One vacation fling coming right up.
We’d have sex. And have fun for the next ten-ish days. And then when our trip was over, we’d go our separate ways.
I was an adult.
I was single.
I could totally have a fling.
Actually, I might puke.
“This is where I leave you,” Mal said as he pulled my hand, urging me to stop walking.
I looked up and realized we’d walked to my place. We were here, and I hadn’t even realized it. “Wait, what?”
He sighed. “You might not have said anything, but you’re throwing all these signals. Clearly, you’re not ready. Like I said, we’ll go at your pace. Or who knows, maybe not at all if you’re not ready.” He shrugged. “I’ve been celibate for eleven months—what’s one more?”
“Wait, you don’t want to sleep with me?”