Page 30 of Spark

“Now I really will have sweet dreams,” Ruby whispers.

It’s the last thing she says before her breathing turns rhythmic, making it clear she’s fallen fast asleep against my shoulder. As usual. And once again, like always, I love every second of Ruby’s body pressed against mine. Albeit, not in the precise way it’d be, in a perfect world.

7

KENDRICK

Turbulence jostles me awake, and I’m yanked out of a dream.

A sex dream.

About Ruby.

I look around, feeling disoriented, and remember I’m still on the plane to Vancouver, sitting next to the woman who was sucking me off in my dream.

I fell asleep?That’s a first. And so was that dream. At least, that was the first time in a long while. Thanks, Kai. I’ve probably got you to thank for planting the idea of a sex dream about Ruby into my subconscious brain.

An uncomfortable ache between my legs commands my attention. When I look down, sure enough, I’ve got a raging, straining boner poking up behind my soft sweats—one Ruby will surely notice, if that turbulence woke her up, too. I cover my tent pole with my hand, just in case, and then sigh with relief when it’s apparent Ruby is still dead to the world.

Taking care not to wake her, I tilt her slack body away from me, slide out of my seat, and head toward the back of the plane. A few minutes later, after exiting the bathroom, I noticeSavage and Laila hunkered together watching a show and head over to say hi. Also, to make sure they’re both genuinely unbothered by Ruby reminding everyone about my embarrassing early crush on Laila.

“Hey,” I say, resting a forearm on the back of an empty seat in front of them.

After they both greet me warmly, Savage asks, “Did you forgive Ruby yet?”

“Yeah. I let her sweat it for a bit, though.”

The three of us chuckle.

“What about you and Kai?” Savage asks.

“No forgiveness yet.”

“Good,” Laila says with a laugh. “Let him suffer till at least Vancouver.”

“Agreed.” I shift my arm on the seat. “So, listen, I just want to double-check we’re cool. You know, because of what Ruby said.”

They both simultaneously wave at the air.

“That’s old news, KC,” Savage says, as Laila says something similar.

“Just wanted to be sure. Thanks.” I bite my lip and shift my position again, wrangling my thoughts. I don’t think that’s why I came over here, after all. I think maybe there was something else motivating me. “Hey, would you two do me a favor? If Ruby asks to crash at your place for a week when we get back, could you make up some reason why she can’t?” I explain the text Ruby got from her building manager and the fact that she didn’t leap at the chance to crash at my place, even though it’s way more conveniently located to Reed’s studio in North Hollywood. “She said she doesn’t want to cramp my style,” I say. “I’ve only got the one bed, and she’s convinced I’m going to be fucking half of LA in it when we get back.”

“Sounds about right,” Savage says with a snicker.

“Not true.”

“KC, you always date like crazy when we first get back from tour. You settle down after that, but it’s definitely your pattern.”

Laila’s been looking at me suspiciously this whole time. With narrowed eyes, she says, “So, if I understand your motivations here, you want us to turn Ruby away?—”

“If she asks, yeah.”

“So she says yes to staying with you.”

“Right.”

“For no other reason than it’d be more convenient . . . forher?”

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