EIGHTEEN
I peeledmy eyes open and stretched my sleepy limbs, relishing the feel of the bazillion thread count sheets beneath my body. I felt so much more relaxed than I expected on such little sleep, and when I rolled over and caught a glimpse of the clock on the bedside table, I understood why.
“Shit!”
Clad in nothing but Garrett’s T-shirt, I bolted out of bed and sprinted to Liddy’s bedroom. It was already eleven in the morning. I was running seriously late, and I still had to get Liddy up and to daycare before I started my twelve o’clock shift at Bernie’s.
When I discovered her bedroom empty, I turned on my heels and shot toward the stairs. “Liddy!” I shouted, my feet sliding on the floor once I hit the landing. I swung around the railing, nearly landing on my ass in my rush. “Liddy, monkey, we’re running late! I need you to get read—”
I skidded to an abrupt halt once I hit the kitchen, barely having a chance to take in everyone milling about. My eyes landed on a smiling Garrett surrounded by the rest of the members of Civil Corruption. “Where’s Liddy?”
“Morning, baby,” he crooned in that silky, rock-god voice of his, moving from the island and coming to a stop less than a centimeter in front of me. It was like waking up in an alternate reality where everything was opposite of the real world. In the real world, Garrett sent a raging bitch to kick me out of his bed the morning after. In Opposite World, he bent me over his arm and kissed the ever-loving shit out of me in front of his staff, bandmates, and said raging bitch I mentioned earlier. I liked Opposite World so much more. “Since Ian’s on the list, I had him take her to daycare early this morning so you could sleep in.”
A soft, fuzzy warmth worked its way through my bloodstream, causing me to temporarily forget our audience and melt into him as I curved my arms around his neck. “That was really sweet, but you didn’t have to do that. I’m used to functioning on little or no sleep. I’ve had three years of it.”
His arms tightened at the same time his face grew hard. “We’re sharing the burden now. You’ve been doing it all by yourself for too fuckin’ long.”
I smile and lifted onto my toes, planting a kiss on his jaw. “Stop it or I’m going to jump you again. And I really need to get ready for work.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to see you guys finally pulled your heads outta your asses,” Killian spoke up, “but all this touchy-feely shit is gonna make me hurl.”
An embarrassed blush crept up my cheeks as I offered an apologetic smile over Garrett’s shoulder.
“Shut the hell up,” Garrett grumbled, slinging his arm over my shoulders and turning us both to face the crowd with me glued to his side. “You’re just jealous ’cause all you can get are bitches who look like they’ve been rode hard and put up wet, and I’ve got a class piece in my bed.”
I wasn’t a huge fan of being called apiece, or how hediscussed us sleeping together so openly, but I was too flattered by everything else he’d said to kick up a fuss about it.
The sound of a sarcastic snort pulled my attention from the guys’ argument, and I turned to see Kimber sitting at the kitchen table, glaring at the laptop screen in front of her. “Since when were gold-digging whores considered class?” she muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.
The atmosphere in the room went electric. Rosita inhaled a shocked gasp and Garrett’s entire frame went rigid. I could tell he was about to spring into action, but I didn’t need him fighting my battles for me. “That’s kind of hypocritical coming from you, isn’t it?” I snarled. “What the hell are you even doing here?”
No one had ever looked at me with so much hatred before. “I’m the guys’ assistant, so I’m hereassisting. I’m doing my job.”
“Is that what they’re calling prostitutes nowadays?” I asked in a fake sugar-sweet voice. “Because I’m pretty sure the reason you’rereallyhere is to reverse cowgirl whichever guy pulls his dick out first. Apologies for the language, Rosita,” I finished, turning in the cook’s direction.
“Sometimes it’s called for,” she replied with a firm nod before turning back to the stove and acting like nothing was happening around her.
“Are you really going to let her talk to me like that?” Kimber whined. “When you’re bored with her, she’ll be gone just like all the rest, andI’llstill be here. She needs to show me some respect.”
“That’s the mother of my child you’re talking about, Kimber.” Garrett growled threateningly. “I’d watch what comes out of your mouth next.” There was so much menace laced through his words that a shiver worked its way down my spine.
“Are you kidding me? I’m practically part of this band and you’re going to choose her over me?”
“Bitch, you’re nothing more than a groupie we let hangaround. Only difference between you and them is that you get paid to do all the shit we don’t want to. If you actually want those checks to keep rolling in, I suggest you shut your fuckin’ mouth, do your goddamn job, and show my woman some respect. I hear any more of your bullshit about Gwen, I’ll can your ass so fast you won’t know what hit you. You get me?”
By the way her face screwed up in anger, I had a feeling she most certainly didn’tget him. But while she struggled with her inner rage, I struggled not to throw myself at Garrett and demand he take me on the kitchen table again, audience or no audience.
Instead of answering, Kimber slammed the laptop closed and gathered it up, along with her purse. She made to pass me, but I couldn’t help but get one last barb in before she stormed out. Leaning in, I whispered so only she and Garrett could hear. “You should know, you just spent the morning working on the exact same spot Garrett fucked me stupid on last night. Have fun with that mental image.”
Luckily, she stomped from the house before her head could explode and make a mess everywhere.
“You’re a vicious little thing,” he murmured into my ear after the front door slammed shut. “It’s hot as shit, baby. If we were alone, I’d bend you back over that table and fuck you so hard it’d break.”
“I hate her” was the only reply I could come up with in that moment. “Like, serioushate. The kind of hate where I shave all the hair off her head, and her eyebrows for good measure.”
He blinked down at me slowly, then teased, “Jesus Christ. Women are fucking savages.”
I punched him in the arm as hard as I could, but it didn’t seem to do anything but hurt my hand. “Ouch, damn it,” I muttered, rubbing at my sore fist and scowling up at his smug grin.
