Page 4 of Tangled in Tinsel

But before I can her friend is bustling through the door looking frazzled and flushed. Oh yeah, she has totally been with Cyrus, and if Cyrus is like me - which I know he is - he’s thinking about the future and how to have his lady down here be a part of it. I know this because I am thinking the same thing with my little fairy. And I know something else also…both of us are going to have what we want because that’s just how me and Cyrus work. Men like us always find a way to get what we want!

Chapter Three

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Tempi

I hop off the lap I’m sitting on and rush over to Lyric. She’s never looked this way before, all flushed and breathless. It’s not a bad look for her. It makes me wonder what went down in that bedroom.

“Are we finished? Did he say he would help you?” When she doesn’t answer me, I give her a little shake so that she refocuses back on me. “Focus Lyric! Did he say he would help you or not?”

“Not exactly.”

Her voice is small and I can tell she’s trying to hide something. “So…what did he say if he said he wasn’t going to help exactly?”

“Jesus, Tempi, tell me you have the safety on!”

I’m not sure if she’s trying to redirect me from the secret she’s trying to keep hidden or I'm really that terrible with this thing. I shrug for her mostly and go with the truth. “I don’t know. How the hell am I supposed to tell when I don’t have a clue how to work the damned thing?”

“Well, can you please just put it away? I doubt your…captive is going to force you to use it.”

I shrug again as both of us look at the big bull of a man sitting handcuffed and in the chair. I put the gun down on the island in the middle of the room. It’s far enough away that I can reach itif I need to but not close enough that someone else can get to it before me. Hopefully.

“For God’s sake, Lyric, tell me what he said if he said he wouldn’t exactly help?”

“He…he said he would do it if he…if I…he wants me to…” she uses her hands to show me by smooshing the two palms together and entwining her fingers and looking down at what I suspect is her, um…area. Realization dawns on me.

“Well don’t do it until he signs something. He’s a politician. They lie for a living. Actors would give you more truth than a politician, for crying out loud.”

Her eyes widen, “Tempi! I can’t! I’m a virgin!”

"Yeah, so am I but if that big unit in there was to ask me to, I would be riding him for all it's worth. Besides, you said you thought he was sexy." The truth of those words hit me hard.

It’s not like I’m keeping my cherry for religious reasons or because I want to wait for a special time necessarily. I just…haven’t ever been attracted to anyone enough to want to do that with them. It’s never really come up before, so I just didn’t think about it. I was always too busy with my art to worry about men. They seem to bring too much drama with them.

But this big bastard might just change my mind.

“Look, you can do this one thing, free your dad and walk away knowing you did what you had to do. Or you can wait around until Tony takes it. Either way, you got a decision to make that’s not an easy one but you know I’m here no matter what. Here for you.”

She shudders at the mention of the sheriff of our town. He is a real slime bag. I can see why he would want the sweet, innocent Lyric. She makes everyone happy and is so pure. I have no idea why she’s my best friend but I sure am glad she chose me. And I will be forever loyal to her because of it.

She grabs onto me and both of us hold on tight to one another for a little while before she goes back upstairs to deal with her last line of defense. Leaving me with my own mountain to scale - so to speak. I turn back to find the grayest eyes I have ever seen latched onto me. He really does make me feel…different than anyone else ever has.

I push some of my hair back out of my face. It really is the bane of my existence. I have forever been cursed with bright red hair. I look like that freakin’ comedian that was popular years ago. And I have forever been likened to Pipi-freakin’-Longstocking. I would go home daily and cry my eyes out about it. I thought about dying it…dark, like Lyrics. Her hair is so beautiful and…manageable. Mine - not so much!

“So…tell me about your friend. He’s not going to be a flaming douchebag to Lyric, is he? I mean he’ll listen to her, right?”

“Well, we were just about to bargain for me to be a champion for you and your friend. So maybe you should come up here and persuade me to speak to Cyrus for you. Especially if you’re not sure she’s going to be able to give Cyrus what he asked for.”

“Did you hear what he asked for?” He nods. Do I think she can do it? Does it matter? What part of this whole thing could we not stand to have someone on our side when things go bad? “Okay, but you only asked for a kiss.”

He shrugs his shoulders like he doesn’t even care if I kiss him or not. His indifference makes my brows knit together and I start to nibble on my lips. I want him to care! I want him to be torn up for just one kiss from me! I want to be the pretty girl - just once damn it!

I pull myself back in his lap by using his shoulders to balance like before. This time I find it easier to find a spot to sit but still my palms grow damp and my heart thumps in my temples. “Alright. Tell me what I need to do.”

“Bring those lips over here and put them on mine.” He seems so sure of all of this. I bet he gets laid all the time. I bet women throw themselves at him or hang off those broad shoulders and bulging muscles. The thought just eats me up inside. I hate it. Jealousy feels a lot like heartburn.

I put all that out of my mind and lean forward. I realize my mistake as soon as our lips touch. His tongue pushes at the seam of my mouth demanding entrance and I give it to him. It never occurs to me not to. Once inside, I’m no longer in control of anything. All I have to do is sit here and think about how soft his lips are and how ironically sweet his mouth is. I would have thought his mouth would have been…I don’t know, smokey, taste like alcohol or if I was truly unlucky, some other woman’s lipstick. But he tastes of none of those.

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