Page 50 of Of Heartbreak and Harmony
His sunglasses are back on, a new joint is lit between his lips, and I trail him as he weaves through bodies. It’s only a little after midnight. ArtFusion events go until three every night, but I don’t protest. I feel myself crashing from the excitement, like I’ve crested the tippy-top of a rollercoaster, and all that’s left is the plummet.
He leads me all the way back to the park exit corresponding with my camping section, then he stops walking.
“Get that shit off before you fall asleep.” Despite the sunglasses, I know he’s not looking at me. Everything about him has cooled. From raging fire to burning ice. “You can overheat. Don’t leave it on too long.”
“Okay,” I say with a sharp nod. “Thanks.”
He blows a stream of smoke from his nose, the pungent smell of weed growing stronger, then he starts to walk backward.
“Sleep tight, Firebird.”
I don’t watch him leave this time. I turn and walk through the exit, heading for our campsite. Once I’m by the van, I try to peel the paint off my body, but it’s not as easy as I thought it would be. I drag myself to the shower structures set up for our camping section and wait in line. When it’s my turn, I use my soap to wash Torren’s artwork from my skin. After fifteen minutes, I’m scrubbed clean of any proof that Torren King ever touched me, a chill settling deep in my bones despite the hot night.
When I get back to my camp and crawl into my tent, I take out my phone and finally check my message threads. I know what I’ll find even before it’s opened.
Or rather, what Iwon’tfind.
There’s no text with Torren’s number. There’s no text because he sent the photo and then deleted the thread. That realization makes my breath catch for a whole new reason.
Torren deleted the thread because he didn’t want me to have his phone number.
Guess I’m not that special after all. I’m an idiot for even thinking I could be.
16
TORREN
PRESENT DAY
I knockon the suite door at ten on the dot.
It’s Mabel who lets me in. I glance around the main room, but I only find Red, Sav’s personal security, sitting on the couch with Ziggy on his lap.
“You working late?”
Red looks up from his phone as if he’s just noticed me, but I know he was probably watching the live stream of this floor’s security camera. He knew I was on the way the moment I stepped into the hallway.
“I’m working always,” he says gruffly, then goes back to his phone.
Red takes Sav’s security seriously, and he has since she brought him on a few years ago. I didn’t stop to think about how much this stalker bullshit must be stressing him out, too. He barely took days off as it was. Now? I bet Sav has to force him to sleep.
“Savvy is in her room video-chatting with Levi and Brynn. But Callie will be right out.”
I open my mouth to tell Mabel thank you, but I snap it shut again when Callie’s bedroom door opens, and she steps out into the main room. When she sees me, she stops in her tracks and eyes me warily. She worries that plump lower lip, making the dark red lipstick glisten, and I zero in on it before I let my eyes roam the rest of her body.
I tell myself I’m doing it to get into character. We’ve got to go outand put on a show. I might as well start now. That’s what I tell myself. I choose to ignore the fact that I couldn’t look away from her even if I wanted to.
Callie’s wearing a green minidress with cut-outs on either side, exposing her soft, pale skin. It fits her like it was painted on. The neckline sinks low, showing off cleavage that makes my mouth water, and the hemline stops just below her ass cheeks. The way she looks in that dress makes me want to bend her over every flat surface just to make her scream my name.
She looks good. Better than good. She looks gorgeous. Sexy. The kind of sexy that could cause me serious problems if I’m not careful.
I fist my hands and breathe through the onslaught of lust until it ebbs, becoming more manageable. Easier to ignore.
“Damn, girl. You look hot,” Mabel says, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah? I’ve never worn anything like this before.”
“It looks great on you. Hot as fuck.”
