Page 70 of The Stalker

“Do friends masturbate while thinking about each other?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Just as a completely hypothetical question, of course.”

Tatiana couldn’t breathe. He shouldn’t be asking that. She definitely couldn’t answer it honestly. Which meant she couldn’t answer it at all.

Why the fuck did you promise to never lie to him?

Not answering was as good as answering because of that promise.

“You don’t have time to be asking hypothetical questions. You need to shower and get dressed for your party.”

“Don’t forget my breakup.” He gave her a pointed look.

“Why do you insist on making this hard for me, Hayden?” Tatiana sighed.

He smirked at her for a second before he sobered. “I can see that you’re frustrated, so I’m going to ignore the obvious joke I could make.”

He walked back over to where she was standing. He stood too close to her, and she had to tilt her head up to look at him. He smiled down at her, his eyes full of amusement and sexual desire.

“If you don’t want me to flirt with you, I’ll stop,” he told her in a husky voice.

Yes. Tell him to stop. Do it, Tatiana.

She didn’t want him to stop flirting with her, as much as she knew that she should. All she had to do was say the thing that she needed to say, though.

She couldn’t bring herself to say it, so she said, “What I want—is for you to go shower so I can escort you to this party.”

Hayden’s eyes darkened with desire and he gave her a wicked grin. “Okay, then. I’ll go shower and contemplate my hypothetical question as I do.”

Heat flooded through her body, and her cheeks burned. Hayden looked at her for a few more seconds, seeming satisfied with her response, before he finally turned and made his way to the bathroom again.

When he closed the door behind him, Tatiana let out her breath in a whoosh. She walked over to the sofa and dropped into it. This was getting out of hand. Hayden had given her an out, and she hadn’t taken it. Jesse’s question from earlier played in her mind.

She wondered if she really was the best person to keep Hayden safe. If he kept flirting with her and she wouldn’t stop him, she could become incredibly distracted, and she couldn’t risk that.

I don’t know what to tell you. You’ve been ignoring all of my good advice thus far.

She was still contemplating the situation when Hayden walked out of the bathroom. He’d changed into fresh clothes. A pair of dark jeans and a black t-shirt, his biceps bulging from the sleeves. His hair was wet and slicked back from his forehead, and as he walked toward where she was sitting, the scent of his cologne hit her.

The least you could do is stop openly drooling over him, Tatiana.

“How do I look?” he asked her.

“This is what you’re wearing onstage?” she asked for something to say.

He frowned at her. “I was going to. Why?”

“I don’t know, I just expected something fancier and more ‘rock star.’ Your leather jacket or something.” Tatiana shrugged.

Hayden burst into laughter. “Yeah, the jacket would last maybe five seconds. Occasionally, Gabriel or Sebastian wear one because they want to look cool, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen them keep it on longer than two songs. It’s way too hot. I’m not sure my t-shirt will even make it to the end of the show.”

“I have noticed that you seem to like drumming topless,” Tatiana said without thinking.

I don’t think you’re committed at all to not flirting with him.

She berated herself mentally as she saw a seductive smile creep onto his face and he asked, “Have you now?”

“Let’s go. You don’t want to be late,” Tatiana said, standing quickly from the sofa and heading to the door of the room while Hayden laughed behind her.

She opened the door, and Jesse stood when he saw them exiting the room. They escorted Hayden to a spacious room where the other band members had already gathered, along with a group of people. Some Tatiana recognized from her research, others were celebrities, and some she didn’t know, but Hayden seemed to know everyone there.

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