Page 48 of Lick
Just as fast as he’d dipped me, he set me to rights. My head spun. I put a hand to the wall to stop from stumbling. I rubbed at my mouth, trying to get rid of the taste of him, while Mal gave me a wounded look.
“Damn it. That hurt.” He carefully touched his tongue, searching for damage. “I’m bleeding!”
“Good.”
Pam and Tyler chuckled, highly amused.
Arms wrapped around me from behind and David whispered in my ear, “Nice work.”
“Did you know he was going to do that?” I asked, sounding distinctly pissy.
“Fuck no.” He rubbed his face against the side of my head, mussing my bed hair. “I don’t want anyone else touching you.”
It was the right answer. My anger melted away. I put my hands on top of his, and the grip on me tightened.
“You want me to beat the shit out of him?” asked David. “Just say the word.”
I pretended to consider it for a moment while Mal watched us with interest. We obviously looked a lot friendlier than we had in LA. But it was nobody’s business. Not his friend’s, not the press’s, nobody’s.
“No,” I whispered back, my belly doing backflips. I was falling so fast for him it scared me. “I guess you’d better not.”
David turned me in his arms and I fit myself against him, wrapping my arms around his waist. It felt natural and right. The scent of his skin made me high. I could have stood there breathing him in for hours. It felt like maybe we were together, but I no longer trusted my own judgment, if I ever had to begin with.
“Malcolm is joining you on your honeymoon?” Pam’s voice was heavy with disbelief.
David chuckled. “No, this isn’t our honeymoon. If we have a honeymoon it’ll be somewhere far away from everyone. Sure as hell, he won’t be there.”
“If?” she asked.
I really did love Pam.
“When,” he corrected, holding me tight.
“This is all real cute, but I came to make music,” Mal announced.
“Then you’re just going to have to fucking wait,” said David. “Ev and I have plans this morning.”
“We’ve been waiting two years to come up with something new.”
“Tough shit. You can wait a few more hours.” David took my hand and led me back toward the stairs. Excitement ran rife through me. He’d chosen me and it felt wonderful.
“Evvie, sorry about the mouth mauling,” Mal said, sitting himself down on the nearest box.
“You’re forgiven,” I said with a queenly wave, feeling magnanimous as we headed up the stairs.
“You going to apologize for biting me?” Mal asked.
“Nope.”
“Well, that’s not very nice,” he called out after us.
David sniggered.
“Okay, people, we need to move boxes.” I heard Pam say.
David rushed us down the hallway, then closed and locked the bedroom door behind us.
“You put your clothes back on,” he said. “Get them off.”
