Page 98 of All Tied Down

“Well then, let’s go before Theo and Des quit on us for landing an indecency charge in the middle of their date night.”

“Way to kill the mood, Rockstar,” she teases as I peek out the door, checking to make sure the coast is clear before leading her back toward the gallery.

Now I just need to find the car because all I want to do is get my wife home.

EMERSON

The morning light peeks softly through the blinds, and while exhaustion clings to me like a second skin, Garrett has made himself a blanket, draping himself over me.

But I don’t mind.

He looks so beautiful like this.

Peaceful.

Worn out.

The ache between my legs is a not so gentle reminder of how he ravaged me last night, his need for me insatiable. He’d been wild—unhinged—and I loved every second of it.

“Go back to sleep,” he grumbles, wrapping his arms tighter around me as I run my fingers through his hair, my nails scratching against his scalp.

“I can’t help it.”

“I can help you if it means we can not be up while the morning hour is still a single digit.”

“This is the best part of the day though.”

“I’d beg to differ.” He stretches against me, groaning as his erection drags along my thigh.

“Let me go put the coffee on and then we can shower,” I tell him, rolling to the side and grabbing my phone.

THEO: Thought you’d want to know

THEO: (attachment)

THEO: (attachment)

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I sit up and click on the first link. It’s an article about Garrett and me attending the event last night titled Garrett North and Emerson Andrews wow at art fundraiser in Chicago.

Skimming through it, I can’t help but smile. I don’t recognize the reporter but it’s flattering—focusing on the details of the event and peppering in things about us.

It’s certainly a nice change.

Closing out of it, I open the second and freeze, my finger hovering over the screen as I take in the headline.

“What’s wrong?” Garrett asks, suddenly awake as he sits up next to me. Instead of answering, I just hand him my phone and watch as he shakes his head.

Darren had been arrested for disorderly conduct shortly after getting escorted out of The Painted Muse last night, after causing a scene at another local bar. Surprisingly, Heather bailed him out and he was given a court date for later this month.

Waiting with bated breath for Garrett to react, I can only hope that he doesn’t feel guilty—that he doesn’t feel responsible for Darren continuing to spiral after we saw him.

“I wish I was surprised,” he says quietly, his dark eyes full of sadness as they meet mine. “I never wanted this for him.”

“I know. But you did everything you could. You tried to get him help, but he needs to be the one to take that first step. He has to want it, and the guy we saw last night doesn’t want it.”

My phone vibrates again—this time in Garrett’s hand.

THEO: There are a ton of other articles combining the two stories—you guys did it. There’s a lot of positive press for both of you and the band