Page 108 of Hard Rock Deceit
By the time everyone had left, the living room was a mess. Beer bottles, dirty glasses, and trays of half-finished finger foods litteredtheroom.
"Leave it," August said when I started to gather up the trash. "I'll hire someone to come in and cleantomorrow."
"If this is how rich people live, sign me up," I said, repeating my previous thoughts. "I don't even own adishwasher."
"Would youliketo?"
I turned to August, confused at the hint of hesitation in hisvoice.
"What do you mean?" Iasked.
He stepped over empty cans on the carpet and came to stand in front of me. I blinked up at him, taken aback by the uncertainty inhiseyes.
"Come with me,"hesaid.
Leaving the living room a dirty mess, he led me upstairs to his bedroom, my hand cradled gentlyinhis.
On the way, I noticed something on the wall. A framed photograph. A black and whitecityscape.
"That's my photo,"Isaid.
He stopped on the stairs, turning back with a quirk of his lips. "I told you I wanted tobuyit."
“I didn’t think you actuallymeantit.”
“Of course I meant it,” he said. “I want to cover my walls with yourphotos.”
When we entered his bedroom, August opened the door to his walk-in closet and gestured for me to go in. The thing was the size of my current bedroom. He wasn't using all of it. Half the hangers wereempty.
"Will you move in with me?" heasked.
My heart stopped, breathtakenaway.
"I never would have been able to get through any of this without you," he said. "I've always been the one to take care of others. I've never had to rely on anyone. I never wanted to. But with you—" He took my hands in his, gripping them tight, not able to continue. I understood what he was tryingtosay.
"Yes." My heart pounded sweetly in my chest. "I'd love to move inwithyou."
A relieved smile graced his lips. "Good thing I already made room in my closet for all yourstuff."
"Are you telling me you didn't already know what I was goingtosay?"
"For once, I wasn't sure," he admitted. "But I'dhoped."
I threw my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes to press my lips to his. We kept the kiss light for long moments, brushing our mouths together gently, breathing in each other. I could never get enough of his scent, that earthy-sweet aroma that was uniquelyAugust.
"How do you always smell so good?" I murmured. "I just want to eatyouup."
"You already did that, remember?" His lips curved into asmile.
He picked me up, hoisting me into the air. I wrapped my legs around his hips reflexively, squeezing my thighs to hold on tight. With my breasts squished against his firm chest, our kisses turned desperate, mouth mashing together in a hot, wetslide.
With three long strides, he crossed the room, throwing me on the bed. I squealed, bouncing several times on the mattress. He hurried out of his shirt, tossed it to the floor and crawled betweenmylegs.
The scar on his shoulder stood out in deep contrast to the smooth skin surrounding it. It was raised and red, painfullooking.
I ran my fingertips over it lightly. "Doesithurt?"
"Not anymore. It healed well." He settled his weight between my spread thighs. "You don't have toworry."
