Page 19 of Fire

“So what the fuck are you doing home already, Romeo?”

My head snaps up to my sister, feeling almost startled by the interruption. “I, uh…” I choke on my words, but Pres thankfully doesn’t seem to notice as she scoops the eggs out of the pan and plops them onto the toasted bagels. “I never sleep over. Gives the wrong impression, you know?”

But that isn’t true. I’ve spent the night at a woman’s house before. Not a lot, but occasionally, when it’s late, or I’m too tired to get home. Last night, it wasn’t late, and I definitely wasn’ttired. Which is precisely why I didn’t, because I knew that if I did, I would have spent the entire night wrapped up in Zara.

I would have fucked her until the sun came up and maybe even longer.

It wasthatgood.

I think I have scratch marks down my back from her nails, and I know she’s suffering from some serious beard burn between those silky thighs of hers.

She rolls her eyes. “You know, there’s nothing wrong with sleeping with the same woman more than once,” she says, a hint of amusement in her tone. “I know you act as if monogamy is some kind of contracted disease, but it’s not.”

“I’ve slept with the same woman more than once.” I point out, but then drop it because having a casual hookup for a week isn’t that different from a one-night stand. “Look, Pres. I know you’re all about relationships now that you’re happily in one. But it doesn’t mean it’s for everyone.”

She walks over and puts a plate down in front of me, with a bit more force than necessary, I might add. “This isn’t about me and Jace. And how would you even know? Have you ever even tried? I mean, do you really want just to have meaningless sex for the rest of your life?”

“Clearly, you haven’t had enough meaningless sex to know the value of the word.” My eyes widen in horror. “God, why did those words just come out of my mouth? Gross. Anyway, moving on ’cause I don’t ever want to know the answer to that.”

She laughs as I stuff a bite of the sandwich in my mouth. It’s good. Way better than anything I could whip up. She even poured me a cup of coffee and dumped in the proper amount of cream and sugar.

Damn, maybe she should stop over more often.

“It’s not that I don’t want a relationship,” I begin. Her eyebrow arches, and I let out a sigh. “Okay, what I mean is I’mjust not looking for one right now.” My mind, for some reason, goes immediately to last night to the feel of Zara’s slick, naked body writhing under mine.

Fuuuck.

I nearly choke on the coffee I’m drinking as my mind goes blank. What was I saying? Right, relationships. “It’s just that where I am in my life, where I’m headed with the tour and everything, I just can’t have any distractions. I need this tour to work out, Pres,” I insist.

I need to prove to Edwin and every other fucker who doubted me.

I need to prove I’m worth something.

I need to…succeed.

“It will,” she assures me. “Dad told me you were in his office yesterday, gunning for that gig. They’d be stupid not to sign you as Evans’s replacement.”

“Temporary replacement,” I clarify, for her sake and mine. I can’t let myself get comfortable. “He’s not leaving forever.”

“Which means you have the tour to showcase your talent all over the country. It will get you noticed, and then bands will be falling all over themselves to sign you.”

I appreciated her enthusiasm, and I really hope that’s how it all pans out, but there are still so many hurdles left between here and there. And to get there, I need to be at the top of my game.

That means total focus.

Nonstop practicing and absolutelynodistractions.

“I went over to Zander’s yesterday, and I think I’ve got the gig. But, he wants a doctor on tour,” I tell her after I guzzle down nearly half my mug of coffee.

“That’s great, Hen. But why a doctor? For Marisa?”

I nod. “He’s worried about her getting sick or hurt or witnessing her first orgy.”

“What?” She nearly spits out her coffee.

I just shake my head. “Never mind.” I wave my hand. “The point is, we need a doctor, and we need one fast. I might have made it sound like I could get him one, or at least Dad could.”

Her eyes widen. “But the tour starts in just a couple of weeks. How are you possibly going to find someone willing to leave their job on such short notice? No one even remotely qualified would do that…” She holds her hand up to stop the argument I am about to throw her way. “Even for the opportunity to gallivant all over the country with rock stars. Nowhere reputable would hold a position for someone that long. Doctors are in short supply as it is.”