Page 76 of Lick
“Sure I do. But the air-conditioning’s a bit cold in here,” he said, wrapping the jacket around my shoulders.
“No, it’s not.”
He gave me a lopsided grin that would have melted the hardest of hearts. Mine didn’t stand a chance. With an arm either side of my head, he leaned in, blocking out the rest of the room and everyone in it.
“Trust me, you’re finding it a bit cool.” His gaze fell to my chest and understanding dawned on me. The dress was made from some light, gauzy fabric. Gorgeous, but not so subtle in certain ways. And obviously my bra wasn’t helping at all.
“Oh,” I said.
“Mm. And I’m over there, trying to talk business with Adrian, but I can’t. I’m totally fucking distracted because I love your rack.”
“Excellent.” I put an arm over my chest as subtly as possible.
“They’re so pretty and they fill my hands just right. It’s like we were made for one another, you know?”
“David.” I grinned like the horny, lovesick fool I was.
“Sometimes there’s this almost-smile on your face. And I wonder what you’re thinking, standing over here watching everything.”
“Nothing in particular, just taking it all in. Looking forward to seeing you play.”
“Are you, now?”
“Of course I am. I can’t wait.”
He kissed me lightly on the lips. “After I’m finished we’ll get out of here, yeah? Head off somewhere, just you and me. We can do whatever you feel like. Go for a drive or get something to eat, maybe.”
“Just us?”
“Absolutely. Whatever you want.”
“It all sounds good.”
His gaze dipped back to my chest. “You’re still a little cold. I could warm you up. Where do you stand on me copping a feel in public?”
“That’s a no.” I turned my face to take a sip of the water. Arctic air or no, I needed cooling down.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Come on. With great breasts come great responsibility.” He took my hand and led me through the crowd of party people as I laughed. He didn’t stop for anyone.
There was a small room attached to the back with a rack of garment bags and some makeup scattered around. Mirrors on the walls, a big bouquet of flowers, and a sofa that was very much occupied. Jimmy sat there in another dapper suit, legs spread with a woman kneeling between them. Her face was in his lap, head bobbing. No prizes for guessing what they were up to. The red of her dress clued me in to her identity, though I could have lived a long and happy life never knowing. Kaetrin’s dark hair was wrapped tight around Jimmy’s fist. In his other hand he held a bottle of whiskey. Two neat white lines of powder sat on the coffee table along with a small silver straw.
Holy crap. So this was the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle. Suddenly my palms felt sweaty. But this wasn’t what David was into. This wasn’t him. I knew that.
“Ev,” Jimmy said in a husky voice, a sleazy, slow smile spreading across his face. “Looking good, darlin’.”
I snapped my mouth shut.
“Come on.” David’s hands clutched my shoulders, turning me away from the scene. He was livid, his mouth a bitter line.
“What, not going to say hi to Kaetrin, Dave? That’s a bit harsh. Thought you two were good friends.”
“Fuck off, Jimmy.”
Behind us Jimmy groaned long and loud as the show on the couch reached its obvious conclusion. David slammed the door shut. The party continued on, music pumping out of the sound system, glasses clinking, and lots of loud conversation. We were out of there, but David stared off into the middle distance, oblivious of everything, it seemed. His face was lined with tension.
“David?”
“Five minutes,” yelled Adrian, clapping his hands high in the air. “Showtime. Let’s go.”
