Men. They were an irritating species at times. If I didn’t like dick so much, I’d choose a woman every time. Far less complicated.
“But it weakens me. It weakens my stance and the point I made to Presley. It’s typical male behavior, and I hoped for better from you.”
A faint redness inched over his cheekbones. “Ouch. You don’t pull your punches, Spitfire.”
“No, I don’t. So, please, leave it. You’re bound to come into contact with him at the studio, and when you do, I want you to smile, be nice, and act like the bigger man. Can you do that?”
One of his shoulders popped up. “I guess.”
“Good.” I cuddled into his side and laid my head on his chest. “Now I won’t have to murder you, which would be very inconvenient.”
He chuckled, his body relaxing. Thank God.
“Besides,” I continued. “If I did have to murder you, then I’d have to find a new date for my mother’s sixty-fifth birthday party a week from Saturday, and that would be a pain in the ass at such short notice.”
Stiff Joz made a return, and not the fun kind of stiff I liked to play with. “You want me to come to your mother’s birthday party?”
I looked up at him. “Yes. Is that a problem?”
“No.”
“Did you know you have a habit of making no sound like yes?”
He scratched behind his ear. “Sounds like a three or four-month dating kind of thing.”
“Oh, stop. It’s a party, not an ambush. My family are the coolest people on the planet. Cooler than you.”
“Lies.”
I prodded him between his ribs. “Please come. You’ll have fun, I promise. I’ll bring an array of vibrators if that makes the medicine go down a little easier.”
He flipped me until I was beneath him, then settled between my legs. “Now, that’s an invitation I can’t say no to.”
Chapter 24
Joz
And now for a not so friendly warning.
“That’s a wrap.”Carl put both his thumbs up. “Good work, Joz.”
“Thanks.” I eased my guitar over my head and propped it against the wall. “Do me a favor and don’t tell Aspen it’s in the can. I want to tell her.”
“You’re the boss.” He grinned. “Well, technically, she is, but who am I to stand in the way of a man who wants to surprise his girl?”
I pointed my finger at him. “That’s privileged information, buddy.”
He made a zipping motion across his mouth. “My lips are sealed.”
“They’d better be, or I’ll glue them for you.”
He laughed. “Right, man, I’m headed home. My wife has probably forgotten what I look like.”
I winced, guilty that I’d kept him away from his family. Ever since I flew back to New York the day after Aspen landed inLondon and handed my arse to me on a silver platter filled with mind blowing orgasms, Carl and I had pulled a fair number of all-nighters. I’d wanted to ensure the entire album was done before my flight to Seattle first thing tomorrow morning for Aspen’s mother’s birthday, and he’d agreed to put the hours in to help me.
A family party, though. I had regrets. Not about seeing Aspen. I’d never regret that. But I hardly ever saw my own family, yet I was expected to pony up to celebrate with a bunch of strangers.
Still, it was one night. I’d do it for Aspen. I’d give her anything. She already owned me, and I couldn’t be happier about it. What we had, in and out of the bedroom, was pure decadent indulgence. I fucking loved the way she’d take control in one breath, then hand it to me in the next. I craved both obeying her and commanding her. Relationships like ours rarely worked, yet we’d fallen into a rhythm as if it had always been there, waiting for us to discover it.
