Page 66 of Just Wait

My hands fly up, and I take a step forward, which causes her to take a step back.

“Fuck,” I mutter, shaking my head. “Everyone says I’m a dick, but I swear I wasn’t trying to be. I just wanted to be honest with you because the more you’re photographed with us, the more the story will grow…”

“No, I got what you were trying to say. I promise I didn’t take it that way,” she says, glancing back toward the bedroom. “If I’m going to stay, I can’t get upset every time the press gets a picture, and I’m going to need to accept that I’ll run into Theo. It’s not fair to the fans for one of you to constantly leave early.” She smiles tightly, backing toward the bedroom. “Thank you for the advice and for protecting me earlier. It means a lot, Kincaid.”

Jesus.

I hope that was sincere.

If I fucked everything up by talking when I shouldn’t have, Mal will never forgive me.

“No problem.” I pull my hands down, shoving them into my pockets. It’s hard to keep myself from asking what she’s leaning toward doing. “And for what it’s worth, I think you should stick around. You deserve to have fun. I promise, it will get slightly less chaotic the more you get used to it.”

It’s also a nice fuck you to her ex, but she doesn’t seem as vindictive as I am.

She’ll get there.

It’ll just take some time for that love to turn to hate and eventually…apathy.

Chapter Seventeen

Lumen

The guys make it back to the bus, and we take off for Columbia. I took a three-minute cold shower because I didn’t want to steal all the hot water two nights in a row, and it was surprisingly refreshing.

I’m stretched out across the bed in a sports bra and shorts, humming along to the music in my head as I work on the lyrics Malcolm created. I should probably try to get some sleep, but I’m still buzzing and not tired at all.

I’m bummed I can’t bust out the instruments to test the riff that my head won’t let go of.

The soft thump of someone knocking on the door catches my attention, and I roll over onto my side, calling out, “Come in.”

“I missed you, baby doll.” Malcolm slides inside wearing a smirk and even lower slung sweatpants than last night. He’s slender enough that there aren’t bulging muscles on his chest or stomach, but when he moves just right, the lightest outline of abs and obliques become visible.

His biceps and forearms always show lithe muscles, but the ones on his chest are just sneaky enough that they only really show when he’s playing, and I have no idea why I love that so much.

He doesn’t hesitate to climb onto the bed at my side, stretching out languidly and resting his head on his palm.

“No offense to your comfy jammies from last night, but the bra and workout shorts are way sexier.” His sharp, pointy canines dig into his lower lip, and he reaches over, running two fingers under the thick strap of my bra.

His skin is warm, and his scent hits me with an intensity I’m not prepared for.

I sway toward him, huffing obsessively.

Wow.

I thought I’d experienced a light high when it came to Theo’s scent, but I’ve never felt anything like this.

When Kincaid and I were walking past the paparazzi, he pulled me close to his chest. I couldn’t get enough of his hazelnut scent. Even that doesn’t compare to how badly I ache for Malcolm…

What would he do if I buried my nose in his bare chest, sniffing out where he smells the strongest? Would he push me away? Or let me wallow in all his delicious pheromones?

He’s rather skinny.

I bet I could pin him to the bed if I tried.

I blink repeatedly as rational thought catches up.

What the hell is wrong with me?