Page 49 of Extended Bridge

My phone rings.

I hold up my finger. “Don’t get too carried away there, Rock Star. Not all parts were involved.”

As I send Ma’s call to voicemail, he gives a single word reply. “Yet.” He pauses. “Telemarketer?”

“Nope. Ma. I couldn’t answer her while we’re both naked and talking about orgasms.”

“And she’s smart, too!” He kisses me again, as if I earned a reward. “Call her back later. When you’re dressed in a parka.”

I shake my head. This man is incorrigible. From out of nowhere, a yawn overtakes my entire being.

“Nap time,” Bennett declares. “I don’t care if it’s midday, there’s a rule that you have to sleep when your body requires it. We both know how much you adore rules.”

“Oh there is such a rule, is there? I’ve never heard this one before.”

He nods his head. “Definitely. I heard it from a grey-haired sleep doctor on late night television. Haven’t you ever watched him?”

I giggle. “No, can’t say I’ve ever heard of him. What station?”

“All of them. He’s a frequent guest on the late-night shows, don’t you know. The crew loves him because he encourages them to getmore sleep.” He opens his mouth and yawns. I’m sure it’s a fake. “Now it’s our turn to listen to the old doctor.”

I can’t resist this playful side of Bennett, so I force myself into work mode. Standing, I put the ice pack back into the freezer. When I return to the bedroom, the next thing I know, I’m horizontal. Muscular arms anchor me against an amazing man. My head tips back. “Thank you, Bennett. You knew I was ready to bolt, but you didn’t let me.”

“From now on, I’m not going to let you escape due to some crazy thoughts in your head. You’ve got me for the long haul, Jenna Westfield.”

I kiss his chest. God help me, but I like the sound of this.

“Good job with these exercises, Bennett.” I adjust my ponytail and ease him up to a sitting position. “Let me take this.” For the second time today, I remove the ice pack from his thigh and return it to the freezer.

“Thanks.”

After our nap, he went to sound check and then returned to his bus for another PT session. “Are you ready to heat up the stage tonight in Philadelphia?”

“You tell me, Miss Physical Therapist. I promise not to pull an Elvis, but I should be able to rile up the crowd.”

“I have no doubt.” I toss the towel into a hamper I secured for our sessions. “There. Back to normal in here. I’ll bring this hamper back to my bus and you won’t even know I’ve been here.”

He holds up a finger. “One. I never want to forget you’ve been here. Two. I have more room in here than you do, so leave the hamper where it is. Three. I don’t want you to go to another tour bus.”

“You’re very sweet, but I think it’s for the best. Especially with all the media prowling around.”

He waves his hand. “Fuck ‘em.”

“Such a Darren thing to say. Except he had the ability to fly under the radar, for the most part. You, not so much.”

He plops onto the couch and pats the cushion next to him. I should go back to my bus and change. “I need to get dressed for the concert. Can’t exactly show up like this, after all.” I motion to my leggings and tunic top.

“You have time.” He swallows. “I think we have one more thing to talk about.” He examines my reaction. “Darren.”

After what happened earlier on the stage, and on his bus, I’m ready. “Guess we need to exorcise his ghost, huh?”

“In a way. I wish you didn’t blame yourself for his overdose.”

“I wish the same for you,” I protest.

His finger covers my lips. “I want to thank you. I was worried, at first, about how you’d be able to see me as Bennett and not as Darren’s bandmate.”

“I’d never?—”

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