Page 44 of Worth the Trouble

Her eyes drop to my phone, and I realize I’m white-knuckling it.

“Nope.” I shake my head and force a grin, trying to bury the fact that… She. Still. Hasn’t. Responded.

What the fuck?

Merry narrows her dark eyes at me like she doesn’t buy what I’m saying.

“Shouldn’t you two be off somewhere fucking by now instead of sitting here obsessing about where I’m putting my dick?”

“First, gross.” Merry sticks her tongue out in disgust. “I don’t want to know what you do with your dick. At this point, I’m surprised it doesn’t have its own passport it’s so well-traveled.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Merry rolls her eyes. “You would. And second, we already fucked in your guest room thirty minutes ago, so don’t worry about us.”

Noah’s mouth falls open before he bursts out laughing. He’s not surprised by Merry’s blunt tongue by now, and apparently, her calling me out is hilarious to him.

“Touché.” I wave my hand at her.

I appreciate a woman who owns her sexual needs, and Merry is definitely one of them. Not that I’ve ever been into her. Noah pissed on that proverbial tree the second she started working for the band, and he’s my boy so I’d never do that to him.

“So, spill. Who’s the girl?” Merry asks, leaning closer.

“There is no girl.” I brush her off. “Girls—plural—always. Don’t try to put your relationship shit on me.”

“It’s cute you think I can’t tell you’re lying.” Merry smiles, sinking against Noah’s chest. She wraps her arms around his neck, and he breathes her in.

What is with all the weird couple shit?

I look to Noah for some backing, but he’s got his eyes on me like he also knows I’m full of crap.

I’m not.

It’s nothing.

Lili is an itch that needs scratching. Once I finally grow some balls, I’ll use her to break my celibacy streak and then throw my dick a “welcome back” party with a couple of strippers. Problem solved.

My phone lights up and my stomach jumps to my throat. But the feeling sinks when I look at the name on the screen.

Jude is calling again, not taking the hint that I’m really not in the mood to deal with the shit going on back in LA. I hit ignore and put my phone back in my pocket. Maybe if I stop staring at it for five seconds it’ll do what I want it to.

The party is in full swing around us, and Noah and Merry fluctuate between making out with each other and talking with me. My house is filled with people and it’s how I like it. At least, I used to. Tonight, it feels a little suffocating.

“Rome, baby.” Some blonde chick with big bouncy tits and no bra plops herself in my lap.

I’m eighty percent sure I’ve fucked her, but who knows. Women are handsy with me, whether they’ve had my dick in them or not. Rockstar problems—or lack thereof.

Merry shakes her head at the girl, but I ignore her. Before Noah, Merry probably would have had her tongue down this chick’s throat in no time. Screw the judgment.

“How are you, baby?” The blonde chick leans in close.

I hate it when women call me baby—or anything other than my name. It’s hypocritical since I’m the king of nicknames, but whatever.

“Relaxing.” I stretch my arms along the back of the couch, and she seizes the opportunity to sink against me.

She’s hot and warm and something to sink into if I want to get my mind off the chick currently occupying every corner of my brain. And she’s not looking at me like she wants me to love her, which makes her the perfect solution to my problems.

If only it sounded better than it does right now.

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