“Or you can join me,” Dev said. “Nothing recharges you like a country full of willing women.”
“Women aren’t vitamins,” I said.
“Dude, they’re like vitamin coffee. They wake you up. Make you think better. Make you feel young and studly.”
“Still no thanks.” I had no reason to fly thousands of miles for that when I had Emily next door. She made me laugh and put me off my guard, and I liked her. And she made me want to shield her from the world, even though the urge was ridiculous. But when she had that sad, resigned look in her eyes yesterday, I’d felt the need anyway.
“Bro, you still sore about Caitlyn?” Dev asked.
Cole tightened his mouth. “She’s a bitch.” He knew how I felt about people violating my privacy—and trying to profit off me. “She recently posted that she had to leave you because you were impotent.”
I let out a hollow laugh. Of course she did. Caitlyn would say or do anything for attention. She probably didn’t know I’d blocked everything—all her social media and email accounts, phone numbers, everything—so I couldn’t see any of her shit.
“Don’t worry. I commented and reminded her that she didn’t leave you, but you threw her out like month-old trash because she was frigid and fourth-rate in bed,” Dev said, his eyes flinty. “I also added that no self-respecting man wants to stick his dick in a bag of icy sand.”
Damn. I almost felt sorry for Caitlyn, although she’d kind of asked for it. Dev had a thing about women who betrayed their men, and he had a very sharp tongue.
Max grunted. “Total bitch.” Three syllables meant he had my back one thousand percent, no questions asked.
“She sure is, but just so you know, she has nothing to do with my life anymore. I’ve completely blocked her.” I put the book down and shifted on the couch to get more comfortable. Emily was the one who occupied my thoughts.
Devlin’s eyes grew large. “The Very Bossy Engagement?” He laughed. “What the hell are you reading?”
“Chick book,” Max said. He sounded like he was in shock.
Cole frowned like he was trying to remember something. “I think Teri liked that one…”
“She likes Emma Grant?” What a coincidence. My baby sister, and now Cole’s fiancée. Emily must have been more famous than I’d realized.
Or maybe not, because Cole looked confused.
“Who’s Emma Grant?” Dev said. “Your new girl?”
“Hot?” Max grunted.
“Is she a rebound? Hotter than Caitlyn?” Cole said.
I considered that. Emily was nothing like Caitlyn, and I didn’t think of my ex when I was around Emily. She wasn’t hot in the flashy, overtly sexual sense. Not like Caitlyn or the women who swarmed around us—or around Dev in particular. Emily was beautiful in a quiet and almost nerdy way, seemingly unaware of her feminine appeal. Or maybe she simply didn’t care about people who only wanted her when she had perfect makeup and a thousand-dollar dress on.
But no matter how messy her hair was, whether she wore glasses or not, or what crazy shirts and pants she put on, she made me feel alive. Interested. Engaged. She was one of a few women who didn’t make me feel like I had to be “on”…being the rock star Killian Axelrod. I could just be a guy, who happened to live next to her house, and she treated me that way, even though she now knew who I was.
It was liberating and sexy as hell.
And she tasted like heaven, too, my dick reminded me as it swelled.
“Of course she’s hot. Why would you date an unhot chick?” Dev said before I could answer.
“Unhot isn’t a word,” I said.
“It is when you’re discussing people.” Dev grinned. “Got a pic?”
“No,” I said, not wanting to share even her official author photo. I didn’t want Dev checking her out when she and I hadn’t cemented anything yet. We’d had that one kiss…and the dinner. I wanted us to be an official couple before Dev met her. That way, he wouldn’t scare the shit out of her by wanting to know if she was a faithful type or some bullshit like that. “She’s a writer, and my next-door neighbor.”
“But… The Very Bossy Engagement? That’s a thick book. She worth all that effort?” Dev asked, growing more serious.
“It’s a good book.” I defended Emily’s creation, feeling like she would’ve done the same for my music. I hoped.
“I watch chick flicks with Teri,” Cole said. “They aren’t that bad. I mean, as long as you don’t mind watching something dull that your woman thinks is funny.”
“Obviously they weren’t her books adapted into movies,” I pointed out.
“You have a fucking crush on her,” Dev said.
Max grunted his agreement.
“Shut it,” I said. I liked Emily and all, but a crush? That sounded so…junior high.
“Your face is getting red,” Dev said.
“He’s right.” Cole grinned, the traitor.
“He hasn’t slept with her yet.” Dev said.
“Uh, guys? Hello? I’m, like, right here with you.”
“Yeah, right there blushing,” said Cole.
“It’s the lighting. Sunset.” I gestured in the direction of the windows.
Cole guffawed. “Does the sun set at three sixteen p.m. in Virginia?”
“Fuck off,” I said, since I couldn’t come up with a better comeback.
“Just do her and you won’t have to read about bossy engagements anymore,” Dev said. “Besides, it isn’t like you can stay in Virginia indefinitely. Do her before June. It’d be a bitch driving back and forth between Virginia and Dallas.”
I paused. June wasn’t even two months away. But that was when our vacation was over, and we were supposed to get back together and start working. We’d be in Dallas, and Emily would be here. In Kingstree.
The idea of being away from her clenched around my chest and squeezed until it hurt. For some bizarre reason, I couldn’t imagine not having breakfast together. Or just hanging out, reading her books and talking with her.
Loud knocks on the door came, pulling me out of the sudden funk.
“Billy’s!” the man at the door boomed.
“Gotta go. It’s my plumber.”
“Is that what you call her?” Dev laughed harder.
Even Max and Cole sniggered.
“It’s the plumber. For my water heater.” I gave the gang the Vulcan salute. “Fuck off and prosper.”
I hung up and opened the door to a couple of burly-looking men who looked like they could play extras in a prison yard scene. Then I prayed they knew what they were doing with water heaters.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Killian
The next day I got up early and went for a hard run. I kept thinking about what my band mates had said.
June First.
Then no more Emily.
Despite the sweat pouring down my body, I felt a cold shiver along my spine. It made my teeth clench.
Cole and Teri stayed together despite a lot of time apart and all the bullshit that came with him being in a rock band because they’d known each other since forever. Emily and I had barely exchanged a kiss.