Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 29451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 29451 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 147(@200wpm)___ 118(@250wpm)___ 98(@300wpm)
After I’ve taken care of Deke’s needs, I check into my own room, one floor down from the penthouse. No frills. Just a place to cry in the shower and have a recurring nightmare about tonight until the sun comes up.
“Hey,” says the male hotel clerk, before I can walk away. “Aren’t you the girl who sang on stage with Deke Decker tonight? June Bug, right?”
“Oh, um…yes,” I sputter, fidgeting with my wallet. “I was just filling in.”
“You were amazing.” He hesitates, before leaning toward me with his forearm on the counter. “Hey, you wouldn’t be interesting in grabbing a drink in a while, would you? My shift ends in an hour—”
“We all set, June Bug?” Deke says, coming up behind me. Without giving me a chance to respond, he settles a big hand on my hip and squeezes, his lips grazing my temple. “I’m dying to hit the sheets.”
“Deke Decker,” sputters the clerk, rocking back on his heels. “Holy shit. I should have realized it was you that reserved the penthouse—”
“Is my girl done here?” Deke interrupts.
The young man’s mouth snaps shut, his shoulders slumping with disappointment. “Yes, sir.”
“Great.” The singer’s smile is icy. “Have that drink with someone else.”
“Yes, sir.”
Deke steers me away from the counter before I’ve fully registered what happened, his hand firm on the small of my back. Did Deke just mark me as his territory to that hotel clerk? Why would he do that? We might have kissed on the bus—and it might have been the most transcendent moment of my entire twenty years on earth—but it meant nothing to him. To Deke, I’m just another girl in a sea of girls.
You’ll need to be brave when I fold you in half and use you like just another easy cum dump tonight.
“Why did you do that?” I hiss at Deke.
“Do what?” he drawls. “Save you from that boring punk?”
“I didn’t ask for your help.” We stop in the middle of the lobby, our conversation drowned out by the boisterous crew. One of the roadies has been bringing in the luggage from the undercarriage of the tour bus. I grab the handle of mine now, prepared to make a quick exit. “Whatever.” I hand him a tiny booklet. “Here is the key to the penthouse. They’ll be bringing up your luggage and dinner shortly. Good night.”
I’m surprised when Deke matches my stride to the elevator. “You’re telling me you wanted to have a drink with that kid?”
“I hadn’t decided yet.”
Deke scoffs. “You’re a million fucking miles out of his league.”
“At least he didn’t call me a cum dump.” I breeze into an open elevator and send Deke a tight smile. “He had that going for him, didn’t he?”
The elevator begins to close, but he slams his hand into the metal door, halting its progress. He hangs his head a moment, the brim of his cowboy hay obscuring his face. “I shouldn’t have said that.” When he looks up again, those blue eyes are guarded, but…sincere. “I was an asshole, June Bug. I’m always an asshole.”
“I noticed. Can you let the elevator close now?” With a grunt, he steps into the car beside me, allowing the ride to begin. “I didn’t mean with you in it.”
He hits the button for the penthouse. “Come to my room. We’re going to talk.”
“About what?”
“The scrapbook.”
My face heats so rapidly, I know my cheeks are probably crimson. “What scrapbook? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Oh, that’s the way you’re going to play this? Denial?”
I keep my eyes on the floor numbers. Almost to my floor. “Yup.”
The elevator dings, signaling my stop.
When the doors open, I’m only allowed to take a single step before Deke is blocking my exit, his mountainous frame backing me into the car. My back presses against the cool steel of the wall, Deke’s body stopping just short of touching mine. But he’s close enough to feel his heat on my breasts and thighs. Close enough that his breath stirs the hair on the crown of my head. “We’re having a talk, you and me,” Deke says in a low voice. “The end.”
“Fine,” I say through my teeth.
The door opens again behind Deke. His attention dips to my mouth, his tongue touching the corner of his lips, blue eyes considering. I’m appalled by the sudden racing of my heart. Is he going to kiss me again? Now? In the elevator?
Would I let him, even after what he said?
I’ll never know, I guess, because he takes the handle of my suitcase and wheels it off the elevator. I follow cautiously, watching him unlock the grand double doors that lead to the penthouse suite. He doffs his hat and gestures with it for me to precede him through the door. Into the lamplight I go, unable to marvel over the impressive interior. Unable to do anything but try and control my pounding pulse.