“We can jam on video, too.” He looked at our joined limbs. “You said you couldn’t write songs after your brother left the band. This might sound harsh, but what kept you from quitting?”
“You’re not the first person who asked that. I had my time in the music business—we were successful for a flicker of a moment and I should get off the stage with my head held high.” I sighed. “But I can’t. Music is the only thing that speaks to me. Always has. That kind of passion doesn’t transfer to any other hobby or profession.” I looked at Ner and massaged my aching sternum. Weeks ago I would have said that I didn’t have the space for anything or anyone else in my life. But that had changed. I had to be careful with my words and even more so with my heart. Our time together was limited, and I didn’t want to ruin it with talk of a future we didn’t have.
“I get that.” Ner reached for my hand with his warm one, the stone on his pinkie ring gleaming in the light like seawater. A shiver shook my body, and I looked around for a blanket.
“Are you cold?”
“A bit. But you’re so hot.”
“Thanks.” He smirked, flipping his hair. “I feel it, I’m just not cold. It’s hard to explain.”
“Thermoregulation?”
“Of sorts, yeah.”
A knock on the screen door drew my gaze that way. Paula and Penny made hand gestures and silly, kissy faces at us through the glass.
“No, we’re not fucking and you’re not interrupting.” Ner chuckled and waved them over.
Penny slid the door open and strode towards the jacuzzi, her thin, pink robe trailing behind her like a cape. “Oh, thank fuck. I’m in the mood for a dip.”
“We wanted to give you some privacy, just in case.” Paula carried in a tray of drinks. “Also, I made strawberry daiquiris for everyone. But there’s beer, wine, or whisky if you’d prefer.”
“The daiquiri looks fantastic. Thanks.” I reached for it with a trembling hand.
“I’ll turn the heaters on. You’re blue, Rick.” Penny flipped on the units standing around the outside jacuzzi. “Hop in. The water will warm up soon.”
“You’re not cold either?” I asked, eyeing Penny and Paula’s see-through robes.
“Nope. We’re dragons.” Penny flicked her tail in the air. “But we like being extra toasty so the heaters help.”
As if rehearsed, they shrugged off their robes, tossed them on the chairs and spread their wings high and wide. The magnificence of their iridescent black wings took my breath away.
Paula rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck. The skimpy top of the black bikini she had on barely covered her breasts, just like the bottom contained a sizable bulge. Penny wore the same but in pink and holy shit they were identical, down to their long legs.
It was rude to stare butdayum. I snapped my gaze up to see the twins smirking.
“Rick, your face.” Paula cackled. “You can look your fill, we don’t mind. At least your gaze is full of appreciation, not disgust.”
Well, I was in love, not dead.What?My heartbeat sped up, and I put a pin in that thought. Right now was not the time and place to unpack it.
Her words echoed what Ner had said to me, and I grimaced. “Who the hell could be disgusted—” I shook my head. I knew the answer to the question: bigoted assholes convinced of their superiority.
“Just jump in.” Penny stretched in the jacuzzi, drink in hand.
“I’ll go change,” I said and headed towards the house.
“Look in the cabinet under the sink and use any products you need.” Paula winked at me while Penny waggled her brows.
When I made my way into the spacious bathroom and opened the cabinet, I knew what she’d meant. I took out a single-packed basic toothbrush, hotel-sized bar of soap, and a douching kit. Yes, I wanted to make good use of the time I had left with Ner.
Wearing my swim trunks, I joined them in the jacuzzi and accepted the red drink from Paula.
“We were just talking about the porn industry we started in,” she said.
“And how in this house we believe in more pride, less prejudice even if our main source of income is recording now.” Penny lifted her daiquiri up.
“I love that.” I clinked my glass to theirs.
