Page 17 of Reverb
Fear. He hated hearing that. “As far as I could tell—no. Other than DSLR Dude.”
She relaxed her shoulders. “Eh, he drops off quickly when he realizes I’m not taking the train—at least now he does.”
“Any reason why?”
Her smile was bloodthirsty. “Couple of times early on, I decided to walk around for hours. Even went across the Brooklyn Bridge, and then back. I think the fifteen-mile days nearly wiped him out, so he lets me go when I walk more than a mile, basically. Especially if I’m alone.” She rolled her neck out. “I mean, how many photos of my backside do you think the public needs?”
David mocked being in thought, then shrugged. “Itisa very nice ass, Mish.”
She laughed and punched him in the arm. “You’re a fucking jerk, you know?” All cheer in her voice.
“I am not!” He smiled back. “And you know it.”
Her smile settled into something more private. “Yeah, I do. You’re fun. And—thanks. For coming in and facing my wrath.”
The way her gaze flicked from his eyes down caught David so off guard. So did the deepening of her smile. “I—well, I know you can take care of yourself. But it helps to have a friend sometimes?”
“Is that what you are, David?”
Oh fuck. There shouldn’t be sparks or chemistry, and he certainly shouldn’t be getting hard for Mish.Again. “I could be.”
She huffed a laugh. “I have to ask, if I were one of the guys, would you’ve followed them?”
“Yes.” The truth rolled off his tongue easily. “If any of them were in the same situation, you bet your ass I’d make sure they were safe. And yeah, I’d make sure no one was following them, too.”
“Except it’ll never happen to them.” She picked up her beer again and drained it. “Doesn’t happen to dudes.”
“Sometimes it does. Not as often. But obsessive fans can harass any gender, you know?”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.” Her smile was too damn sad, as were the creases around her eyes. “The thing is, I’m alone. If anyone were to touch Ray, I’m pretty sure Zavier would break bones. He nearly took out Carl once, but Ray stopped him. And Adrian can be fucking intimidating when he wants to be.” She waved at the bartender and handed him a credit card. “Put his beer on mine, too.”
David sat up straighter. “I can pay for my own beer.”
“Yeah, well, I’m gonna. You have an issue with that?”
Not really. “Next one’s on me.”
There was that summer-warm smile again. Somehow the lipstick had remained. “Next time, how about we just go out for a beer, rather than you following me?”
Heat rose to his cheeks. “We can do that.”
She got her card back and signed the slip. “I bet if it were one of the guys, you wouldn’t be putting on the charm so hard.”
Putting on the...“Hey, I...” But she had him to rights. He’d not be flirty if he were sitting with any other members of Twisted Wishes. She punched him in the arm again, and his insides tumbled. “I try not to mix business and pleasure.”
Even when every nerve screamed to do so.
“Oh, that’s too bad,” she purred into his ear, her hot breath caressing the side of his face. One beer couldn’t have gotten her that tipsy, so it wasn’t the alcohol.
Which meant she knewexactlywhat she was doing. God, he wanted to slip his hands into those curls and kiss her, feel her breath mingling with his. Taste that lipstick. He hadn’t been this turned on in ages.
“You’re something else, Sullivan.” His voice was choppy, and he downed the last of his beer to fix that.
“So they say.” She pushed back on the stool as if to stand—but he touched her hand, enough to get her attention, and her long gaze was expectant, her body still tensed to rise.
“You’re not alone, Mish.”
A tremble in her arm and a whole host of emotions. “I want to befree, David. Of the worry. Of theconcern.” She stood then, and turned away.
