Chapter 32 #2
“Yeah, we’re all here. Plus some extras.”
“Stone,” Hazel warns.
“I’m not sure if anyone else will answer the door, if you know what I mean.” His lips tilt upward ruefully.
The implication of his words is a knife to the heart. Xander might as well reach into my chest cavity and rip out my heart. It would hurt less than knowing he’s losing himself between someone else’s thighs.
“Gotcha,” I nod and walk backward toward the door. “Have a good night.”
I turn before they get a glance at the tears building in my eyes. Hazel tries to follow me, but Stone whispers something to her quietly. I press myself against the wall as soon as the door closes behind me.
One lone tear rolls down my cheek. I swipe it away angrily.
How fucking dare he hook up with someone when he’s spent the better part of the tour working his way back into my heart.
All the sweet things he’s said to me run through my mind as I stalk down the hall to his room.
Laughter and moans filter through the door of Tobias’s room followed by a loud thud and another long moan.
Jesus. He’s obviously having a good time.
I’m about to ruin Xander’s. It blows my mind that he would be so irresponsible to be hooking up with a groupie on the same day that he had to take a paternity test. Is everything he’s said to me a lie?
I lift a hand and knock on his door. Even though I have a key, I don’t want to just barge in and possibly see something I can't erase from my mind. There’s no answer, so I knock again and wait.
Fuck it. After giving him another minute and getting nothing, I open the door with his key and barge into the room like a bat out of hell.
I cross the living room of his suite and push the bedroom door open.
Anger courses through my veins as the bathroom door swings open, and he walks out still dripping in a cloud of steam with a towel tied loosely around his hips.
“What’s wrong?” He looks down at me with concern. His eyes catch on the hoodie, and his lips lift into the tiniest smirk.
“Don’t smile at me, you fuck wit.” I give him a little push.
He doesn’t move an inch. “Calm down.”
“Calm down? I just talked you down from a panic attack not twelve hours ago, and now you’re fucking some random woman in the shower? I hope to god you used a condom this time.” I walk past him and into the bathroom, fully expecting to find a naked woman hiding.
He presses both his forearms against either side of the door jam while I turn in a circle looking for her. Confusion washes over me as I realize there’s no sign of a woman. No bra on the floor or hair tie on the counter.
“Satisfied?” He smirks at me. “Or do you want to look under the bed next?”
“Fuck you.” I dart under his arm and cross to the closet. Maybe she’s hiding in there. But there’s nothing aside from empty hangers and extra pillows.
“Jade.” His hands wrap around my shoulders, and he turns me in place and backs me against the wall. “There’s no one here but you and me.”
My lips part, but no words come out as I stare at a water droplet rolling down the plane of his chest. He captures my chin between his thumb and forefinger, lifting my face until our eyes meet. His gaze dips to my mouth as he runs his thumb up to my lower lip and drags the pad across it.
“You’re jealous,” he says with wonder.
I shake my head and try to say no, but he slides his thumb into my mouth, effectively silencing me. “Don’t even try to lie to me right now. You thought I brought back a woman and were ready to tear her limb from limb.” His eyes darken when I close my mouth around his digit.
He pulls his hand from my face but keeps me caged. “Tell me to stop. Tell me you’re terrified to trust me. That you’re afraid I’ll leave you again.” He presses his face to my neck and breathes me in. “Just don’t lie to me. Especially when I’ve never lied to you.”
My fingertips skate down his still wet body until they rest lightly on his towel.
He lifts his head and searches my eyes for all the truths buried in their depths.
I’ve been able to lie to myself for so long, assuming that it was just his presence that made it feel like he was everywhere.
But it’s not. He’s not just all around me, he’s inside me.
The most tender part of my heart, still soft and protected by walls I built brick by brick, belongs to him.
The tension bleeds out of him when I nod. “I was jealous.” He leans down to kiss me, but I stop him. “And I am terrified that we’ll hurt each other again. I’m scared that this will ruin my professional reputation. I love this job.”
Pain ripples across his features as he starts to pull away. I slip my fingers under the edge of the towel and loosen the knot. His eyes drop to where the towel pools around his feet.
“But not as much as I love you.”
His gaze darts back up to mine sharply, hope swirling in his amber irises. His lips tremble as he starts to speak but can’t find his voice. He draws a shuddering breath and slams his lips onto mine.
This kiss is everything. A soul-stealing frenzy of years of pain stripping each other bare and rebuilding hearts.
I reach down and yank the hoodie over my head, tossing it aside as his palms find my bare breasts and knead them.
I push my pants and panties down in one go, letting him steady me as I step out of them.