Page 3 of Obsession on Repeat (Vinyl Hearts #1)

Just inside the door of my apartment, I stumbled, but he was there to hold me steady. I met his kiss without hesitation, barely paying attention as the door shut behind us from a well-placed kick. I ignored the butterflies that threatened to choke me, settling instead with hugging his neck.

I jumped up to wrap my legs around his waist. I giggled when he caught me with a grunt, his hands gently cupping my ass. "My bedroom is the second room on the left."

"What about your kitchen?"

"If you prefer a table to a bed, that’s fine with me."

Chuckling, he lowered me gently to my feet. "I’m thinking more as I’m thirsty and could use some water."

I watched him walk into the kitchen, eyeing his backside appreciatively. I leaned against the door frame, waiting as he located a cup and used the water filter on the refrigerator to fill it. At the sound of my snort, he turned mid-sip to gaze at me from over the rim.

"I thought you were kidding." I watched him finish the entire glass. "Guess not."

"I’ve wanted something to drink since the club. I’ve filmed in places that went up to 106 degrees, but I swear, Venom felt much hotter."

"It’s all those bodies, sweating and moving together." I let my gaze trail his body. "It’s one of the many reasons why I love working there. The music takes over, and you lose yourself. It’s one of the best highs in the world."

"I’ve never thought of it that way. I can relax in my house to Classical and lose myself in the same way."

I took a few steps closer to him. "Classical music is a completely different ball game than dance and techno. You can’t get sweaty listening to Mozart."

Sullivan lowered his glass onto the counter. "Maybe you’re not listening to it the right way."

I raised my eyebrow at him when he moved forward to match my steps. "I must admit the image of you listening to Mozart is very sexy."

"I know what you’re doing, Rory."

"You do?"

He stroked the side of my face, sticking strands of my hair behind my ear. "You think that by seducing me, I’ll somehow lose interest and leave you alone. "

I chuckled, a mock look of surprise on my face. "You won’t?"

"Nope."

"Well, damn. What if I let you seduce me?"

He laughed, the now familiar sound making my stomach do flips. "You’re too much." He brushed his lips against mine. "It’s late. I should go."

"To bed? You’re in luck, I’ve got one."

Playfully, he rolled his eyes. "I have to get up early to do some promotion tomorrow. When I’m free, I’ll call you."

"I might answer."

"Might?"

I tilted my head, letting a slow grin spread across my face. "I’ll think about it."

The first time he called, I didn’t answer. I stared at my phone, watching as it continued to vibrate against the glass coffee table. With a sigh, I scooped it up and hit Send, clearing my throat. "Hello?"

"I thought you weren’t going to answer," Sullivan chuckled.

Toying with my hair, I wrapped the long strands slowly around my fingers. "I’m not sure why, but I did."

"I’m glad."

"How was promotion?"

He sighed into the phone. "They had me in front of the opera house on this boat taking pictures all day with the other actors."

"Aw, you poor baby. What a horrible way to spend your day."

He chuckled, catching the sarcasm behind my words. "I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t complain."

"Nah, you can say whatever you want. I don’t care." It was a lie, but I wasn’t going to admit it. "I guess you’re all done for the day. Are you going out with your friend?"

"As a matter of fact, I’m on my way to visit my sister and her family that live in the city. She’s having a small cookout tomorrow. I thought, maybe… you might want to join us?"

I blinked, a tight knot forming in my stomach. Meet his family? It felt too soon, too personal, and way outside the boundaries I’d set for myself. I tightened my grip around my coffee cup, focusing on the warmth, trying to ground myself. "Why?"

"I thought it would be a nice way for us to spend time together outside of work. I don’t want you to feel pressured."

My pulse quickened. His casual tone wasn’t fooling me. He was trying to sell me on the idea, but all I could think about was the inevitable mess this could turn into. "I’m not the family type."

"Come as you are, there’s no expectations."

My chest tightened, and I felt old defense mechanisms kick in. "It’s been three days since I met you." My voice came out hoarse, more defensive than I meant. "I don’t get involved that quickly with anyone. People leave. They always leave."

"I’m not asking for anything more than your company and a chance to get to know you better."

The sincerity in his voice made it harder to breathe.

No one ever asked me for that. I was used to running, to disappearing when things got too real.

I swallowed. "Fine, but don’t expect anything more from me.

I’m not some happy, perfect girlfriend who is going to fit into your perfect family picture. "

Sullivan chuckled into the phone. "I never thought you were, Rory. I’m only asking you to spend time with me. I’m not going to force you, but I would enjoy it if you came with me. If not, we can do something later."

I hesitated, uncertainty swirling inside me. "I’ll come, as your friend, but don’t push me after that."

"Of course. No pressure. Say the word, and I’ll take you home."

It was a terrible idea. One, I was already regretting. "Okay."

As he pulled up to a brick, two-story home, I noticed flowers growing in the front yard and a tire swing in a tree to the side. It wasn’t surprising that the family inside matched the scenery outside.

Lainie Taylor was an inch shorter than me with brown hair and hazel eyes.

Her husband, Keith, was tall and lean with shoulder length blonde hair, an obvious native to Australia.

Within minutes of watching them together, I knew they were hopelessly in love.

Their ten-year-old daughter, Jane, was a mix of the two, full of energy and imagination.

She had clung to Sullivan’s legs the moment he stepped inside the door.

"Want to help me in the kitchen?"

I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see him tickling Jane. "Sure." I followed Lainie into the kitchen and stood there awkwardly until she handed me a mixing bowl.

"You can help me with the salad. Sully tells me you’re a DJ at Venom?"

I didn’t look up from cutting the lettuce. "That’s right. "

"To be honest, I’m surprised he went. He hates public places with a passion. In fact, I tried to get him to take me when we were growing up, and he always refused."

"Are you his only sibling?"

"Yes. I met Keith when I was studying law at UCLA. We waited until Jane turned five to move back here." She watched me chop the tomatoes. "Do you like my brother?"

I almost slipped with the knife. "Excuse me?"

"Well, he rarely brings his girlfriends around to meet us. With his line work—" Lainie hesitated. "I’m sorry. I’m blabbering."

I continued chopping the tomatoes. "We’re just friends." I turned my head as she made a noise in the back of her throat. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," she smiled. "Sully said you’ve never seen his show."

"I don’t have a lot of time for television." I shrugged, dropping the tomatoes into the bowl before I shifted my attention to a bag of carrots. "It’s usually a bunch of crappy reality shows or fake news anyway."

"I can’t tell you though how many times I turn on the TV and am shocked to see his face," she chuckled. "He doesn’t talk about it a lot, he keeps his business and personal life separate, but he’s incredibly proud of the show."

"It’s not easy being an entertainer. You have to please a lot of people when you’re only trying to please yourself. "

"Is that how you feel about your music?"

"Being a DJ can be hectic, but you get into a groove after a while, no pun intended." We exchanged a small smile. "Once you get acquainted with your crowd, the music tends to take care of the rest."

"Do you two ladies need any help?"

We looked to the doorway to see Sullivan, Jane in his arms. The little girl’s arms were wrapped around his neck, and she giggled as he made a funny face at her.

"You’re pretty," Jane smiled. "Isn’t she, Uncle Sully?"

He grinned at her before shifting his gaze to me. "She’s beautiful."

"Are you going to get married like Mommy and Daddy?"

I turned quickly to the counter, blushing so hard I knew I matched the tomatoes inside the bowl. "I think the salad is ready now."

Lainie laughed, shooting me an apologetic look before she poked Jane playfully in the stomach. "Silly girl, you know you shouldn’t ask stuff like that. Go wash your hands, it’s time to eat."

"Okay, Mommy." Jane motioned to be put down and rushed off to the bathroom.

"I’ll go find Keith." She patted Sullivan on the arm as she passed him.

He cleared his throat, pausing to scratch the back of his neck. "Sorry about that. "

"It’s alright. You can’t control what a child says, I know this."

"Don’t let it bother you. Lainie and Keith are perfectly aware that…"

"Aware of what exactly?" I turned to face him. "Cause whatever it is, I’m out of the loop. I was never good at family stuff. I basically raised myself. This is exactly why I can’t get involved with you."

"You’re scared of finding something real, and I get that, but the hardest part sometimes is taking the chance no matter how scared you are."

"I don’t know what you want from me!"

He reached forward to pull me close. "I can’t explain this, but you make me feel… different. Everything can be absolutely crazy around me, yet when I see you, it all goes away. Haven’t you ever felt that way?"

"Listen, if you want a good time, I’m your girl, but when that time is up, that’s it. I’ll be moving on in about three months to some place new, and you’ll be wherever you’re filming next. You know deep down that I’m right about this."

"Guys!" His sister's voice came floating from the dining room. "We’re ready!"

I grabbed the salad off the counter. "Let’s enjoy lunch, and then you can take me back home."

"I’ll prove you wrong."

"You’re certainly welcome to try."