Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
Callie picks a horror movie. Of course she does.
I couldn’t care less what’s on the screen when she drops down directly beside me. There’s enough room on this couch for ten people, which means this growing attraction isn’t one sided.
A smile plays on my lips as I remember her reaction to my accidental strip tease earlier.
“What’s so funny?” she asks.
“Nothing.”
I school my features and squint at the TV.
“Casey!”
“Shh. I’m trying to watch… what are we watching again?”
She shoves me, and my smile spreads into a grin. Especially when she eases against the backrest, tilted even closer to me. Our thighs are touching, and with her short dress, that’s no easy thing to ignore.
It’s easier than it should be, though, since it’s her scowl when she’s yelling at me I love the most. Luke warned me this would happen. He knows me too well.
I dismiss thoughts of Luke for now. I have to give my head and heart a break if I have any hope of surviving Phase Two of his spiral.
Giving my tortured brain a rest is much easier than usual now that I have the world’s biggest distraction cuddled up against me. I lean down to say something and clamp my mouth shut.
With her eyes closed and lips slightly parted, my pit-bull princess is out cold. I shake my head with a smile. The opening credits are still rolling on this stupid movie.
Now what?
I’m afraid to get up and wake her, but I also can’t sit here without moving for the rest of the night.
I brush some stray hair from her face, hoping she stirs enough that I can shift her to a more comfortable position. When she doesn’t budge, I try a slight skim of her cheek.
Damn, she’s beautiful.
So beautiful it’s making my innocent gestures feel creepy. I shouldn’t be touching her when I’m this attracted to her.
I do my best to shimmy out from under her and gently lower her to the cushions. I grab a decorative blanket flung over the back of the couch and secure it around her.
Curled up and tucked in the fuzzy cocoon, she’s back to being the wide-eyed girl from the diner. It’s nearly impossible not to return to the couch and draw her into my arms. I just want to hold onto her forever. Ensure all the terrible shit that’s happened to me never happens to her.
Case-in-point: the jerk on the other couch.
There’s no way in hell I’m leaving her alone with that predator, so I make another attempt to wake him. When words don’t work, I shake his shoulder. He swats my hand away, and I do it again.
“You need to go now, Orin.”
He mumbles something and sinks right back into a deep sleep. I grunt in frustration as I scan his giant body. Callie and I barely dragged him five feet from the couch. There’s no way I’m getting him to the door on my own.
With no other choice, I plop down at the end of Callie’s couch on the side closest to Orin. If he wakes up, he won’t be able to get near her without waking me. But I’ll do my best not to fall asleep. I’m not taking any chances.
I reach for the remote and let the marathon begin.
Light streams in from the floor-length windows. Disoriented, I squint into the glare for a clue about my surroundings. I’m… somewhere. On a couch.
In Luke’s hotel room.
I drop my head back to the armrest. Something soft tickles my skin, and I glance down to see the world’s fuzziest blanket tucked around me. It still smells like Callie’s citrus body wash, or whatever it is she uses.
Man, that’s a dream to wake up to.
I don’t move for a second, enjoying the thought of her transferring the blanket to me. Then I remember the reason I gave myself a neck cramp on the couch instead of taking the huge guest bed.
The blanket dislodges from my chest when I push up to check the other couch. Thank god it’s empty. Orin must have taken off sometime during the night. Good riddance. I still don’t understand why Luke would invite that pig.
Oh wait. He didn’t. His concierge did.
Yeah, we’re going to be discussing that one later.
I order my aching body to stand. As feared, every muscle feels like it’s been beaten with a hammer. If I never have to drag another body across a room, I’ll be grateful. Guess that means serial killing is out.
Callie is nowhere to be seen, and a wave of panic runs through me when I squint toward the door and find her bag missing.
What if everything that happened last night freaked her out?
Luke’s illness. My flirting. Did I come on too strong?
I barely came on at all by my normal standards, but she’s not the kind of woman I’m used to.
Oh god. What if Luke still doesn’t have her number and I’ll never see her again?
Shit. Luke.
I move toward the hall to check on my friend and freeze when I hear water running behind the guest room door.
Relief floods through me. That’s either Orin or Callie, and there’s no way Orin would stoop so low as to use a spare bedroom shower.
It’s frightening how happy I am to hear running water, so I force myself to continue down the hall before this gets any weirder. When I reach Luke’s door, I brace for the worst.
The shades are drawn, but there’s still enough light for me to make out the lump on the bed. When it rolls toward me, I let my hand drop from the door.
“Hey,” the lump croaks. “I’m good.”
I swallow a rush of sickening nostalgia at the familiar scene. “Five or six?”
“Five.”
Five out of ten on a scale of “passed out by a gravestone” and “rocking a stadium.” Not bad for the mess he was last night. He’s never above a six. Anything below a five would have been a “not good.”
I stare at the floor, not sure what to do next. I don’t know this script anymore.
“Okay. Well, let me know if you need anything. I’ll order coffee and food. Also, I’m going to steal some of these complimentary toiletries, if that’s okay.”
“Of course. You can also charge whatever you need to my room. ”
“Thanks.”
I start toward the bathroom.
“Hey, Case?”
I stop and pull in a quick breath.
“Yeah?” I turn to face him again.
Luke is sitting up now. I can’t see details of his face, but I can tell he’s looking at me.
“I do remember some of last night. And I’m still a dick and I still love you.”
My chest goes tight. My fingers clench around the door frame.
“And I still believe you,” I force out. “Take a shower and let’s get some food in you.”
He doesn’t stop me when I duck into his bathroom and raid the pile of hygiene products.
The water is still running in the guest room on my way back to the living room.
After ordering room service, I clean myself up in the half bath attached to the great room, brush my teeth, then settle in to brave my phone for the first time in…
well… almost a day. I don’t think I’ve checked it once since I arrived at Luke’s suite.
There wouldn’t have been anything on there I wanted to see, but I don’t have an excuse anymore.
I stare at the long list of notifications with a sigh. Who knew becoming a twenty-five-year-old rockstar meant you’d have a hundred overbearing parents constantly on your case.
TJ: CALL ME. Why is everyone talking about a party in Luke’s room?? You better be working on those tracks.
I ignore that one for now. Our manager is just going to yell at me, and it’s too early for that many expletives.
Sweeny and Eli must have heard the rumors as well because they want to know what’s up and why they weren’t invited.
That could get messy, so I assure them the rumors are overstated and they didn’t miss anything.
They probably won’t see my response for a few more hours anyway.
It’s only ten in the morning here which means it’s… bedtime for them there.
The next one sends a chill through me, so I ignore it completely.
My email inbox is even worse. The Label is still pissed about Kara Corbin and demanding something. I don’t open the message to see what. The preview was enough. There’s an attachment though, and that’s never good.
The weekly reminder about my “contract obligations” is a separate email.
Below that is another request from a publisher about a book deal. I can’t help but wonder if people would be so interested in cashing in on my life if it hadn’t gone to shit in such spectacular fashion. Funny how The Rise is a fleeting news article and The Fall is a blockbuster bestseller.
I’m more than relieved when the food arrives. Not only am I in need of an interruption, I’m starving. Other than the few snacks last night with Callie, I haven’t eaten a full meal in… I don’t even know how long.
I didn’t really have a plan when I jumped on a plane. I still don’t. Everything feels contorted right now. Like I’m running down a path and just realized there is no path and I have no clue where I am.
Thank the heavens for pancakes, eggs, and coffee.
And Callie.
I hear her before I see her. Her hair is wet and she’s back to casual street clothes.
And I still can’t take my eyes off her.
I forget to chew the eggs in my mouth and almost choke as she approaches. I swallow them down and fight not to cough like an idiot.
I’m afraid I didn’t pull it off when she frowns and scans me with an expression I can’t interpret. Hopefully, she’s just hungry and in desperate need of coffee. I can’t take two grumpy suitemates at once, and I don’t see Luke taking on the role of resident bundle of sunshine.
“Morning. I had some food sent up if you’re hungry,” I say with a wave toward the dishes on the island.
I had to scrub away substances I don’t even want to think about to accommodate the family-style dishes I ordered.
I never know what, or if, Luke will eat, so we go with a mini buffet on days like this.
After one peek at the mess when they delivered room service, the hotel employee assured me housekeeping would be up shortly. Hopefully, they’re sending an entire crew. I’ll be raiding Luke’s wallet for the tip on that one.
Callie plops down on a stool, staring at my hair like it’s offending her.