Damnthat was hot.
My heart sped up as heleaned closer. I could almost taste him at this distance, almost feel his scaragainst my lips.
“You coming back in?” Lucyasked from over Fox’s shoulder, breaking the spell. I sprang back, guilt makingmy cheeks burn like I was a kid caught climbing onto the kitchen counter to getat a forbidden batch of cookies.
Lucy looked concerned, too.It wasn’tevery day she had to deal with someone fainting, I supposed.
“Not just yet,” Fox answeredfor me, voice low and apologetic. “Give us another minute?”
“Take fifteen,” I said,since I was supposed to be in charge here. Tempting as it was to let Fox takeover, I couldn’t give that up, too. Not after everything. “And then we’ll…reassess.”
Lucy nodded, heading backtoward the sound booth.
“You need to rest,” Foxsaid, turning back to me. His hand brushed against my knee, a tiny tinglelingering where he’d made contact when he moved it away again. “You know whatreally does make you sick? Stress. And no deadline is more important than yourhealth and happiness. It’s not more important thanyou.”
Wasn’t it?
It felt that way. Everyonewas breathing down my neck to get this album finished on time after I’d already blownone deadline. This was my last chance to get it done before the tour.
The tour. Ten venues overthe course of two weeks, spread over California and Nevada. Some tour.
This was a step on theladder, I told myself. Hard work would pay off. One day I’d be famousenough to do my own thing.
One dayseemed awfullydistant.
“Itisn’tmore importantthan you,”Fox insisted, as though he’d read my mind. “Nothing is. You need to rest.Recover. Figure out your next move. And eat some real food.”
I extracted the secondpeanut butter cup from the wrapper.
“Not quite what I meant,”Fox said, a smile making his scar twitch.
I needed to stop staring atit. He’dthink it bothered me if I kept looking, and it didn’t.
I wanted to lick it.
“Doyouwant it?” I asked,holding the peanut butter cup out in offering. The heat of my fingertips wasalready starting to melt the chocolate, and I must have looked like a shyfour-year-old, but I wanted to give Fox… something.
He was the first person who’d told me I didn’thave to finish this album as quickly as possible. That meant something to me,in a world of people who wanted it and wanted ityesterday.
Even though I wished nowthat I’ddoneit yesterday—ortwo weeks ago—I was grateful. Grateful to have someone look out forme,for once, and not just their own interests.
“You eat it, love. You needthe strength.”
Love.
I knew it was somethingBritish people said, but it was nice to hear. At minimum, it was a sign thatFoxdidcare.
I’d probably scared him bypassing out like that.
The embarrassment wasfading. Fox had a way of making me feel at ease. I figured that was because hewas a bodyguard on top of being a private investigator.
It might have been nice tohire him as a bodyguard. What if he came on tour with me? I wasn’t sure if therewere any security arrangements to speak of, but maybe I could convince therecord company he was worth bringing along.
But then… would he wantthat? DidIwant that?
There wassomethingabout Fox. I’dcried in front of him. I’d seen him naked.
We were basically marriednow.
