Page 37 of A Billionaire Rebel

At some point, I was going to have to work on her guilt for feeling like she’d trapped me or was keeping me from doing what I wanted, but that was a conversation for a different time.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” She waved a goodnight at Damon and then disappeared into her bedroom.

“I take it that was my cue to go.” Damon stood and stretched, his shirt rising up enough to show a strip of firm muscles and a hit of those sexy v-grooves at his hips.

“It doesn’t have to be,” I said, butterflies fluttering in my stomach. “You can stay longer if you want. And we don’t have to stay out here.”

His eyebrows went up. “Jamie’s okay with that?”

“She is.” I reached out and took his hand. “But it’s okay if that’s not what you want to do.”

He had Bair’s memorial tomorrow, after all.

“I’d love to stay.” He stood a step closer to me. “And I have a favor to ask.”

The hint of vulnerability in his eyes immediately told me that this was important.

“All right.”

He hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “Will you go with me to Bair’s memorial tomorrow? I don’t want to go alone.”

Emotion welling, I put my free hand on his cheek. “Of course.”

The relief on his face twisted things inside me that had nothing to do with lust or physical desire. At some point, wanting to help him had become wanting to take care of him, and that was a dangerous road to be on. Except I didn’t think I could stop, not without walking away, and I wasn’t strong enough to do that.

Twenty

Damon

I’d been thinkingof asking her to go with me tomorrow since I’d left her at the store to get ice cream, but I hadn’t wanted to say anything when Kevin had been awake. The last thing I needed to do was be responsible for a toddler asking what a memorial service was. But after the kid was in bed, I’d been enjoying just sitting with Jae, not talking or even thinking. I hadn’t realized how much I’d needed some downtime, and I hadn’t wanted to interrupt it.

Then she’d climbed on me, and everything else had fled my mind. If her sister hadn’t come home when she did, we might’ve both ended up getting off without taking off any of our clothes.

Now, as she led me to her bedroom, I was glad I’d taken a moment after she’d asked if I wanted to stay to ask her to come to the service with me. With that off my mind, I could enjoy the rest of my night with her.

I closed the door behind me, and she turned on a lamp, casting the entire room in a soft glow. When I’d woken up here the other day, I’d been more focused on finding my clothes and not so much on the décor, but now I had the chance to look.

Damn.

ASlippery When WetBon Jovi poster hung between Stevie Nicks and Carrie Underwood. More than one Blake Shelton and Fleetwood Mac. Album covers and concert posters. The walls were covered with them. And among them were several Holden album covers. Actually,allof our album covers, and not just the more recent ones after we’d signed with the label.

“Wow. How did I miss this before?” I asked. “And how in the world didn’t you recognize me the first time we met? Are you secretly a Hawk groupie?”

Her eyes narrowed, and she pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it at me. “Do you want to discuss my music tastes, or do you want me to keep taking off my clothes?”

I winked at her. “Can’t we do both?”

She pointed at me. “Get naked, or I’ll kick you out and take care of myself.”

No way in hell wasthatgoing to happen.

I yanked off my shirt and reached out to grab her wrist. She let out a yelp that I muffled as I greedily took her mouth. Her free hand grabbed my waistband, then slid around the back. I made a sound in the back of my throat, dropping her wrist so I could get my hands on her ass.

Damn jeans.

She shoved her hands under the back of my pants, startling me with skin on skin. The bite of nails on my ass made me growl, and I picked her up, palming firm cheeks as I moved us over to the bed.

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