Page 136 of Broken Bridges

“Bring it.” Tia smiled against my lips.

As my heart pounded loud and proud, cameras flashed and clicked around us. Ignoring the hollers and hoots from the reporters, I took Tia’s hand, and we continued toward the venue. I joined the guys for more photos and interviews, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Tia nor the smile off my face.

Fuck, I was in love.

And I freaking loved it.

I hoped the press loved seeing the two of us together. For Tia’s sake, not mine.

Guess we’d find out tomorrow.

***

I woke to Tia straddled across my hips in her red boyleg panties and tank top. Her long hair tickled me as she licked and sucked my nipple. Each swirl of her tongue sent a jolt straight to my hardened dick. That wasn’t my normal morning glory. I clutched the back of her head and rolled her down onto the hotel mattress. “Are you still drunk?”

We’d had a wild night at the after-party and hadn’t been fazed by not winning our category. Everhide had taken the statue. Some of the night had gotten blurry.

“Yes...and horny.” She clutched my butt and wriggled against my crotch.

“You’re insatiable.” I kissed her lips, caressed her hip, then slid my hand around to clutch her tidy ass. I drove my hard-on against her panties. Too much fabric lay between us.

“Hmm. I want that, but...” She shoved me on the shoulder, then waved her cell phone in my face. “Look at this?”

I blinked at the screen, struggling to focus. A bright picture of us last night on the red carpet blazed before my eyes. “Hmm. We look good.”

“It’s more than that.” She wriggled out from underneath me and sat upright against the headboard. “We’re out there. We’re on every news site.”

I flopped back down onto my pillow. My boner was not happy about the situation. “How long have you been awake searching the Internet?”

She glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 10.12a.m. “Half an hour. You were too cute sleeping beside me. I didn’t want to wake you. But I got hot just looking at you. Sorry, I got carried away.”

Yeah, my balls were suffering because of it. “You can jump on me anytime.” I loved sleeping beside her and waking next to her every day, but burying myself inside her and making her come was even better. I wanted to finish what she’d started, but she was fixated on her cell phone. Damn it. I rubbed my eyes and blinked the sleepiness away. “So hit me. What do the headlines say? The good and the bad.”

This was important to her. I’d listen to every crappy gossip report if needed.

I rolled toward her. Draping my arm across her waist, I hugged her hip.

She sucked in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Okay.” Her fingernail tapped against the screen. “E-Times says, ‘Hollywood Star Steps Out With Hot New Beau,’ JustJared wrote, ‘Didn’t know Lewis King was bisexual. How hot is this couple?’ Glamor voted us as one of the best-dressed couples of the night.” Her voice rippled with excitement, then it dive-bombed. “There are some bad ones. Fabulous Freaks posted, ‘Tia Tanner Stole One of Our Men—Bitch,’ GossipOnline wrote, ‘Tia Tanner Can’t Be Dating Lewis King. He’s Gay. Fake-dating Alert,’ and AngelTownNews wrote, ‘Tia Tanner’s at it again. New Lover. New scandal.’”

I kissed her gorgeous, toned bicep. Slipping my hand beneath the hem of her tank top, I rubbed and tickled her tummy. “Hmm. I like being your scandalous lover.”

She giggled and playfully clipped me on the head.

“Ow!” I tickled her ribs. She flinched, giggled again, and sank a few inches. Leaning over, I kissed the top of her boob. “Those headlines were okay. There’s always good and bad.”

“Yeah. There was nothing written about me being hot-headed, so that was a huge win. Being nice and not lying helped. Lesson learned. I’m not going to let the bad articles get to me. I’ll focus on the positive ones...or even better than that, no headlines at all...after today.” She curled towards me; her legs rested against my chest. “The posts about us being a hot couple and making the best-dressed list were cool.”

“Those headlines are a first for me.” I slid my gaze and my wandering hand over her scarred leg. I loved that she no longer hid the marks from me. They were part of her, and I loved every inch of her body.

“I like being your first.” Her eyes glinted as she clutched her cell phone against her chest.

“And my last.” I kissed the tip of her knee, resting against my chest. “You are the one and only woman for me. And I am your man. See here?” I traced the scars on her lower leg. “If you look at these marks from this angle, they form an L and a K. My initials. I’m permanently etched onto your skin, like ink.”

“Really?” She swiveled her leg to see the lines. “Oh my God. I will never unsee that. That’s so cool.”

“We’re destined to be together forever.” I kissed her sweet lips.

“Yeah.” She pressed her forehead against mine.

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