Page 83 of Revive
Ginny rested her petite derriere again. “So, we’re bedding down in this bush, then?”
The way he saw it, it was as good a place as any. At least it was dry, and relatively wind proof.
“Fair enough. But I’m using you as a pillow—”
“Use away.”
“—and leaving you to explain why I had to do that to my hubby when he gets all grumpy and pissed about it. You know he has an inferiority complex over how shit hot he thinks his bandmates are in comparison to himself and has nightmares about one of you stealing me away.”
“Dumb arse,” he muttered. If Ginny had wanted any of the rest of them, he was sure she’d have got them. But she didn’t. Ash was her soulmate through and through. “He doesn’t half envisage some shit. But at least he’s house trained and parent friendly.” It was more than could be said for the rest of them.
“Pot. Kettle,” she mumbled. “But also, what are you talking about, Spook Mortensen, you’re all nice boys, who clean under their fingernails and defend the meek and oppressed.”
“I’m a troubled, sadistic fucker with about six different anxiety disorders. No one takes me home to meet the parents.”
“Bollocks! Alle would totally take you home for Sunday dinner, if she had any wrinklies to show you off to. I’m guessing dins with her brothers isn’t high on anyone’s list of must do activities.”
“Two out of the four aren’t that bad.”
“That right?” Ginny nestled into his side, with the collar on her coat pulled up over her chin. She tucked her hands between her thighs mumbling something about cold fingers.
“Thanks for staying with me, Ginny.”
“You’d have done the same for me. Have done, in fact, on multiple occasions. Hence all that good guy stuff I just said that you like to write off as bullshit. She’s going to be okay, Spook. The two of you are going to be fine. There’ll be wedding bells and plenty more kinky sex fests in your future. I know it in here.” She pressed her heart to the centre of her chest.
“Wedding bells.” Say what?
“Yeah, sure. Why not?” She nudged him with her head. Then found a comfortable spot in the dip below his collarbone. “Now don’t go upsetting me by telling me you’re a non-believer.”
“All right,” he said. “I won’t.”
But she was going to be disappointed if she was waiting for an invite.
“Good man. You know if Xane had been as amenable as you, Dani would never have left.”
“Ginny, I don’t think a ring would’ve solved that.”
She made a dubious grunt. “It sure as dammit wouldn’t have hurt. It’d have given her more faith—”
“The fuck it would.” That sort of shitty manipulative crap really riled him. “She left because I screwed things up for them, we both know that. Not because Xane wouldn’t put a ring on it.”
The fact she didn’t argue constituted a confirmation in his eyes.
“Are you still shagging him?” she asked after several moments of awkward silence.
He bit his thumbnail. “Don’t know. I guess. Maybe.” It wasn’t as if they marked bonking sessions on the calendar like rehearsals. More pertinently, nor did he plan his breakdowns. He missed Xane’s presence right now. Xane had a way of making the shit less overwhelming.
“I don’t get it,” Ginny said, voice muffled by her collar. “You’re obviously in love with Alle, so why the need to shag Xane? I know the rumours, but really, he’s that awesome a shag?”
That wasn’t what it was about at all. “Why the need for me to be monogamous?”
“Fair,” she grunted. “Look, I freely admit I don’t really get the whole sharing thing. Multiples when you’re free and single, sure, but having an actual polyamorous relationship, I could never do it. I’d rip the face off anyone who looked at Ash like that. And yes, I realise that sounds totally backwards given I encouraged Dani to give the whole thing with Xane and Luthor a try, and even now, I’d love to see them back together. But they really seemed to work, you know? The pair of them really do love her. I’m not sure what you and Xane are though.”
Why did they need to label it?
“You know Dani figured they’d find another woman to join them once she was out of the picture, or even that they’d go through a whole string of them, but they haven’t. Unless they’ve been really discreet.” She frowned, then shook her head. “Nah, it’s just been you. And like I just said, what the hell is that even about?”
He had no intention of even trying to explain it. Even if he did try, he doubted she’d understand. He never needed to label it for himself. “Alle’s fine with it,” he said instead. That was what mattered. “Does Dani know?”
