Yeah. Yeah, that was exactlywhat I thought.
“Do you care about me?” Iasked, still holding his gaze. I was terrified he’d say no. That I was readingthis all wrong. That he was offended that I’d kissed him but too polite to sayso.
“Yes,” Fox said softly. “Morethan I ought to.”
My heart stopped as hereached out to me, warm hand cupping my cheek. I held my breath as my stomachtightened, anticipation making my whole body hum.
“Please do stop me if I’mmaking a mistake,” Fox murmured, leaning closer, tilting his head so our noseswouldn’t crash into each other like they had the first time.
I didn’t stop him. Icouldn’t have stopped him, not now, not when I was getting what I wanted.
A soft, happy moan vibratedin my chest as Fox’s lips touched mine, warm pleasure washing over me like thewaves of a tropical beach. My lips parted, and he tasted of peanut butter andchocolate, and he smelled amazing. Mandarin and cedar, with something spicy Icouldn’t identify.
Strong fingers squeezed mywaist, making me gasp and then moan again as Fox’s tongue swiped at my lips,pressing me up against the ledge of the sink. The last thing I’d expected wasto have the best kiss of my life in a recording studio bathroom, but that washappening.
Fox leaned in further,covering my lips with his own, sucking the lower one between them and worryingit with his teeth before pulling back, brushing our noses together as he gaveme space to breathe.
At some point, Ihadputmy hand on his chest. Giddy and grinning, I slid it up to toy with the buttonsI’dwanted to play with before.
“That all right?” he asked,his voice a low purr that curled up like a warm cat in the pit of my stomach.
I nodded, lost for words. Itwas hard to believe this was happening. I shouldn’t have beenlettingit happen, forso many reasons I’d lost count, but Iwantedit to.
As long as no one ever knew,was it that bad? Maybe I could have this. For a little while. Just this once.
A man like Fox was more thanI deserved. More than I’d ever hoped for.
The scar through Fox’s lip pulled ashe smiled, making it look twice as wicked. “Feeling any better?”
I nodded again. Fox wasgrounding. He made me feel like I could doanything. Anything at all.
“Good,” he said. “I want youto do something for me.”
“Anything,” I promised, andImeantit. Fox had doneso much for me. Whatever he wanted, I owed it to him.
“I want you to go back inthat booth and record the song you wrote,” he said, holding my gaze with hisjewel-green eyes. “Because you owe yourself that. And maybe they won’t let itonto the final album. Do it anyway. Do it for yourself.”
I blinked at him.
A dozen responses spunaround in my head, fromI don’t have timetoit’s stupid anyway, but I knew Foxwouldn’taccept any of them.
He was kind, and he was patient,but he was also holding me accountable. How could I refuse to do this one thinghe was asking of me when he’d stuck his neck out earlier?
There was every chance he’d get a call withinthe hour to tell him he was fired. He’d done that forme.
I could do this for him. Ihadto do this for him.
Fox’s thumb stroked my cheek,warm and grounding, and all I wanted was to lean into his touch and promise himeverything. Promise him that I’d do whatever he wanted because he was sonice.
“Okay,” I agreed, a rush ofnerves and adrenaline coursing through me. It wasn’t what I was supposed to bedoing. If—no,whenUncle Vincent found out, I’d be in trouble.
But I trusted Fox to bethere for me when it happened. To take my side.
And maybe even to kiss meagain after.
His whole face lit up, eyessparkling.
Damn. He wasbeautiful, and I kept being blindsided by it because he was also comforting andwarm and all kinds of other good things. It wasn’t fair that he was hot,too.
