I rub small circles over his side since that’s as far as I can reach around him. “Sorry for not asking before I dragged you out of there, and for the forced cuddle,” I mumble into his t-shirt.
He grunts. “I like this.” I can feel his chest expanding as he lets out another long sigh. “And I appreciate the save. I never know what to say and my tongue stops working entirely.”
“How did you even get into the business?” I ask. “You don’t seem like someone who wants or needs the attention.”
He snorts. “Blame Dorian for that. I always liked drumming, but he was the one who wanted to audition when we were in high school. My dads insisted we go together, and I somehow got roped into auditioning, too.”
I nod. Maybe it would sound nuts to someone else, but I spent years working under Cedar Orlog’s thumb while I secretly hated every minute, yet felt like I didn’t want to let him down.
“I get it, really I do.” I pull back, squeezing Cal’s hand, and he gazes down at me.
“Maybe I can rig you up a mini taser so you can electrocute any fans when they get too close.”
His lips quirk up. “Might not be something management would approve, electrocuting our fans.”
“They should keep their hands to themselves, then.”
Chapter 12
Cal
We’re all exhausted after driving solidly for the past three days, and I somehow wound up with Sin fast asleep with her head leaning on my arm. She’s drooling all over me, but I can’t find it in me to mind.
It’s past midnight and I can’t bring myself to wake her up either.
Somehow she sensed I was struggling at the gas station and she got me out of a situation that was making my skin crawl. She dove into the fray of overeager fans and swept me away with zero fuss. It was exactly what I needed. And then holding her in my arms after settled me like nothing else.
Safe to say, after the past couple of days in the car with her breathing in her sweet scent, I’m feeling off-kilter.
We pull up into the clearing in the woods where our cabin is located and I slowly retract my arm, careful not to disturb her. Then, carefully lifting out her sleeping form, I carry her inside.
I stride through the living room with single-minded determination and pick one of the guest bedrooms, kicking the door open and placing Sin carefully down onto the bed. The cleaners have been in to freshen the place up since we haven’t been here in months, and the air smells faintly of lemons.
I don’t know what the fuck’s going on with me. But it fills some deep forgotten part of me to take care of her like this.
What I really want to do is tuck her into my bed, where she’ll smell like me until she showers my scent off. But that’s just my instincts going into overdrive.
I have to keep reminding myself that giving into them would be crazy. There’s no way Sin wouldn’t freak out if she woke up in my bed.
I slink back to the doorway of her room and almost trample Micah, where he’s gazing after her with a besotted expression on his face.
“Might want to give her some space, man. You don’t want her to wake up and find you watching her sleeping. She’d probably find it creepy rather than cute.”
Although with Micah, who knows? I’m pretty sure anyone would scream if they awoke to my ugly mug staring down at them.
Plus, I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing advising him. It’s not like I know anything about women.
But Micah nods at me like I know what I’m talking about, his eyes wide. “Right. Thanks for looking out, I appreciate it. I just... I don’t know how I feel right now.”
My lips curl into a half smirk. “Cuff still working?”
“Seems to be. I’m feeling my own emotions for once instead of everyone else's, and it’s... kind of confusing.”
I bet. I clap him on the shoulder and wince as he jolts forward.
“I like her, man,” he continues. “I like her a lot. It’s fast, I know, but—” He trails off, looking almost miserable about it.
Yeah, I know exactly how he feels. My instincts are a confused tangle right now, mixing with the logical part of my brain and messing me up inside.
