I’d tell him the whole truthlater. For now, I just needed to getthisoff my chest.
“I know,” I murmured,keeping my voice so low he would have had trouble hearing me in his other earanyway. “I love you.”
I’d never said that to anyonebefore.
Maybe I still hadn’t. Maybe it didn’tcountif Fox couldn’t hear it.
But it counted to me. I knewhow I felt.
Saying it aloud seemed tomake it a hundred times more real. I kissed my way back along his jaw, pausingto brush against his lips before moving to the other ear, nuzzling it for amoment while I decided what to say next.
There was another thing onmy mind, but I wasn’t sure how to approach it.
“I’m going away in a fewdays,” I said.
“I know.” Fox sighed. “But I’llbe here when you get back. Well. I’ll be in Sacramento, but the drive isn’t allthat far. Could even pick you up.”
“You’d do that for me?” Iasked, leaning back to look at him.
“Pick you up? Not exactly ahuge ask, is it?”
“No, I mean… wait. For me.”
“Yes,” Fox said without apause, as seriously as he’d ever said anything. Maybe itwouldhave been safeto whisper in his right ear, after all. “Unless you’d rather I didn’t?”
“I don’t want you to wait,”I said in a rush, my heart clenching as Fox’s face fell. “I want you to comewith me,” I added, the words running together as I struggled to get them outfast enough.
“On the tour,” I clarified. “As,umm. Well. Personal security, I guess.”
I couldn’t take him as myboyfriend and I wasn’t sure he wanted to take two weeks off work, but we coulddo this. I was sosurewe could do this. I’d find a way.
For the first time in mylife, Iwantedto find a way. If there was one thing I wanted to takewith me, it was Fox.
Fox could keep me safe andsane and hold my hand when I needed it most. He’d gotten me through one bigdisaster this week and I’d finished an album I wasn’t sure I’d ever get torelease.
Just like he’d promised,everything was all right. I could have my career, and Fox, and chocolate.
“Okay,” Fox said. “Yeah.Okay.”
“Really?”
“Really. If that’s what youwant.”
I looked for any hint thatFox might be kidding, or just going along with my ridiculous idea, but all Icould see in his face was sincerity.
Joy swelled in my chest. Foxwanted to come with me.
“It is,” I said after asecond too long, busy staring into Fox’s eyes.
A broad grin broke over Fox’s face. He tookmy hand, warm fingers chasing the post-sunset cold away, and lifted it to hislips to kiss the knuckles like a gentleman in a Jane Austen novel.
“Then I’m all yours.”
***
Every brush of Fox’s fingers againstmy bare skin was electric. I arched under him as he trailed down to my stomach,hard cock jutting against my thigh, lips trailing down my neck.
“Fox,” I gasped as he movedlower, hands curling around my hips. Wet kisses, half teeth down to my stomach,Fox’s tongue dipping into my bellybutton on the way past.
