Chapter 8 #2
Thank fuck for that. I let out a sigh of relief, which just seems to annoy her even more. She turns her back toward me, grabs a glass from her cupboard, and gets herself some water.
I cautiously approach the kitchen, knowing that I’m now skating on thin ice and need to drop the subject.
I’ll figure out how to handle this on my own while I’m out in Los Angeles.
“Darlin’, I’m just concerned for your safety.
” I walk to her and place my hands on her waist, turning her so she faces me.
She doesn’t hug me back and looks down into her water.
I grab her chin and tip it up, forcing her to meet my eyes.
“The thought of anything happening to you drives me insane with fear. Are you going to be mad at me for wanting you safe?” She searches my eyes for a brief moment before shaking her head.
“Good,” I whisper before tipping my head with every intention of claiming those lips of hers.
Just when I’m about to taste her, the cat jumps up on the counter and startles us.
He looks at me with weary eyes before plopping his butt down into a sitting position.
I don’t know how to react around cats. Growing up, the only kind of animal we had was dogs, and all the cats that I’ve met before have all been temperamental.
I decide to test the waters and reach out my hand to pet him. “Hi, Apollo.” He immediately swats at my arm, scratching me with his claws. I pull back to inspect the underside of my forearm and see a long red slash. I glare at the little fucker for getting me good; this shit stings.
“That’s what you get for suggesting a dog in his house.” Aly smirks at me while she grabs Apollo and takes him off of the counter. “You better start wooing him. If Apollo won’t love you, then I don’t know if I can.”
I narrow my eyes at her and watch her expression to see if she’s joking.
She better be fucking joking. She can only manage a straight face for five seconds before a giggle finally escapes her.
I grab her wrists and haul her against me then link her arms around my waist, bring my hands up to cup her cheeks and pull her face to mine.
I start to kiss her softly, nibbling gently on her bottom lip while trying to remind myself to keep things slow and let her take the lead.
The minute her tongue touches my lips, I’m done being a gentleman.
I growl loudly as I part my mouth, my hands plunging roughly into her hair, and I deepen our kiss.
Every stroke of our tongues against each other has my dick hardening until it’s painfully screaming to be let out.
I break free of our kiss, resting my forehead against hers while we catch our breaths.
“I think it’s time to go upstairs and go to sleep,” I say in a husky voice. I look at my watch to see it’s already past midnight, leaving me just a few hours before I have to head home to grab my suitcase that is already packed. “I need to be up in four hours so I can go back home to grab my shit.”
“Are you sure you still want to spend the night? You would probably get more sleep if you went home.” She looks at me with concern, and her thoughtfulness for my well-being warms my heart.
“I can sleep on the plane. You just need to behave and keep your hands to yourself tonight or we both won’t be getting any sleep,” I warn her with a joking smile and she laughs. I drop a kiss on her forehead, and she grabs my hand to lead me up the stairs to her bedroom.
The master suite takes up the whole second floor, with the second bedroom being downstairs off the kitchen.
It’s a huge room with vaulted ceilings, a ceiling fan, and two windows with a view of the backyard.
Her bedroom is decorated in the same style and colors as the rest of the house —warm, cozy, and inviting.
“Did you bring anything else to wear to bed?” she inquires while glancing at my T-shirt and jeans.
“Considering I usually sleep naked, no, I didn’t.” Her eyes go wide and I laugh at her deer-in-headlights expression. “Don’t worry, I’ll sleep in my boxers tonight. If you really feel you have no self-control around me, I’ll sleep fully clothed.”
Her lips twitch and she rolls her eyes at me.
“Sleeping in jeans is uncomfortable. I’m fine if you keep your boxers on.
” She walks past me to the bathroom and pulls out a basket from underneath the cabinet.
“Here’s an extra toothbrush, and you can borrow some of my toothpaste.
” She puts a new toothbrush down next to one of the sinks of the double vanity.
I watch her pull out toothpaste from a drawer, put some on her toothbrush, and start to brush her teeth.
I follow her lead, and we stare at each other through the mirror the whole time until her electric toothbrush shuts off.
I leave her to finish and go back in the bedroom.
I take my shoes and socks off, followed by my shirt and jeans.
The moment I pull back the comforter to get into bed, Aly’s perfume drifts into the air, annihilating my senses.
I groan as my cock reacts and I try to hide myself underneath the sheets. I throw one arm over my eyes and tell myself to go to sleep. Pretend you’re in your grandma’s house, Gavin. Trick your mind into thinking you aren’t in Aly’s bed, but your grandmother’s old moth-ball-smelling guest room.
My mental mind game starts working until I hear the bathroom door open, the lights turn off, and the pitter-patter of her feet coming closer and closer to me.
I feel the covers slide off me as she pulls them back, and the bed shifts under her weight.
I wait to feel her lie down next to me, but after a couple of minutes, nothing happens.
I peek out from underneath my arm to see her staring at my abdomen.
Having her this close and watching me causes my dick to immediately stand at attention.
“Aly, you need to stop,” I warn her as I take my other hand and try to cover myself.
“You have an eight-pack. How is that even possible?” She reaches out and starts counting my ab muscles, each stroke of her finger jolting my dick higher and higher until it’s aching against my belly.
“Aly,” I moan out in a plea. “Stop touching me and go to sleep!” Unable to trust myself if she keeps this up, I flop over onto my stomach, turn my head in the opposite direction, and grip my cock with my hands to keep it from going anywhere near her.
“Okay,” she says reluctantly. I feel her lie down and get the covers settled over both of us.
The silence only lasts for about one minute before she loudly sighs and starts fidgeting.
I feel her flipping back and forth between her back and her stomach.
Finally, she inches closer to me and wraps her arm around my back.
“Are you okay?” I twist my head to face her to find we’re merely inches apart. I grit my teeth, telling myself to behave and not kiss her, because if I start, I won’t be able to stop.
“Yeah, it’s just been a long time since someone has slept in bed with me, so my body isn’t used to it.”
The thought of someone else besides me being in this bed with her makes me want to put my fucking fist through the wall. “Get used to it, darlin’, because this is going to become a regular occurrence.”
“I hope so,” she whispers, her minty breath tickling my nose. She leans forward and places a soft kiss on my forehead. Goddamn, this girl is one of the sweetest fucking people I’ve ever met.
“Are you nervous about tomorrow night? I can’t believe this is your first late-night show appearance.” I feel her start to draw circles on my back, the mere touch of her fingers sending sparks down my spine to my toes. I have to blink a couple times to remember what she just asked me.
“No, I’m not nervous, but that’ll be a different story once we’re there.
You know they do most of the taping of the shows in the afternoon and it’s broadcast later that day, right?
” She shakes her head and I continue on.
“The daytime talk shows start taping at 12:30 pm, so as soon as we land, we’ll go straight to our hotel to get styled and ready before performing on The Ellen Clarkson Show.
Then it'll just be a whirlwind of more shows and interviews the whole time we’re there. ”
“Is Sosie excited about the trip?”
“Sosie is actually not going. She prefers to never step foot in the state of California ever again,” I tell her with a yawn, and I suddenly start to feel tired. My dick has finally deflated enough to where I can lie next to her and not be in pain anymore.
“Why is that?” she asks, and I hesitate a little. If Aly is going to be in my life the way I want her to be, then she needs to know everything. My gut is telling me I can trust that she won’t tell Sosie I told her.
“Sosie left California to get away from her parents, because they’re drug addicts.
They’ve been that way for most of her life.
When they lived in Austin, my parents tried to protect her anytime my aunt and uncle got in trouble with the law.
She lived with us during the times they were sent to jail or rehab, but they never stayed clean long.
I think the longest they ever did was two years. ”
“Oh my God, that’s awful! No wonder Sosie seems so hostile.”
“Hostile is a nice way to put it.” I chuckle, because Sosie can be a raging bitch sometimes for no reason other than the chip on her shoulder, and her distrust for everyone she doesn’t personally know.
“When did they move to California?” Aly asks.
“When she was thirteen. Out of the blue, my uncle said they were moving, because he got a job out there. Never told my dad he was even considering leaving Austin. The main core of the family still lives in Austin, so it was a shock that anyone would want to leave.” I’ll never forget that day for as long as I live.
Sosie was screaming and bawling her eyes out, begging my parents to please adopt her so she didn’t have to go.
We asked her parents if she could live with us, but they refused.
“Sosie hated California and being taken away from our family. I think deep down she knew her parents were on a downward spiral. Fortunately, she had wonderful neighbors who helped take care of her until she could take care of herself. We would talk every day and keep a countdown to the day she turned eighteen. Once she graduated high school, we bought her a one-way ticket back to Austin, and she moved in with my parents.”
“Poor Sosie. That really makes me sad for her.”
“Even being back home, Sosie felt on edge. She had this nagging feeling they would come back. When my schedule was getting too crazy for me to control, I offered her a job to be my assistant, and she’s been here ever since.
” I sigh, hating the fact that my aunt and uncle are such scum to not give a fuck about their daughter.
How Sosie didn’t turn out to be like them is a miracle.
“I don’t have any plans on Sunday. Do you think Sosie would want to hang out with me?” Aly asks in a tired, soft voice.
“You don’t have to do that, baby.” I bring my hand up to her cheek, my thumb caressing her cheekbone. How is this gorgeous, amazing creature still single? And how am I the lucky bastard she’s willing to take a chance on?
“I know I don’t have to, but I want to,” Aly says before yawning. I slide my arm down her waist, cup her hip with my hand, and pull her against me.
“I’ll give you her phone number before I leave. Promise me you won’t be upset if she tells you no?” I ask her softly.
“I promise.” Her voice is barely a whisper, and I know she’s on the verge of sleep.
“Sweet dreams, baby.” I kiss her lightly on the lips and listen to her breathing, a sound I realize I want to listen to every night for the rest of my life.