Page 7 of Obsession on Repeat (Vinyl Hearts #1)

"Wake up, sleepyhead," Sullivan chuckled. Sitting on the bed, he placed a hand on my shoulder, nudging me. "I cooked us breakfast."

"It’s too early. Five more minutes." I squealed as he tickled me and twisted myself onto my back, trying to knock his hands away from my sides. "Okay! Okay! I give!"

"That’s what I thought." He brushed his lips against mine then rose from the bed. "Come on, I made bacon and eggs. Do you want orange juice or milk?"

"Um, orange juice."

He turned to head back into the kitchen, pausing in the doorway. "Stop staring at my ass."

Blushing, I shrugged. "Sorry, not sorry." I let my eyes linger on him. "I’m going to brush my teeth. I’ll be right there. "

Yawning, I stumbled into the bathroom. I blushed at spotting the bite marks on my collarbone. I turned on the water as cold as I could get it, hurriedly brushing my teeth.

"Rory?"

"Coming!" I flicked off the light, quick to change into comfortable shorts and his discarded tee shirt before I entered the kitchen. I noticed his quick survey as I walked past him. "What? You didn’t think I was going to come in here naked, did you?"

"Is there any way to answer that so I won’t get slapped?"

Smiling, I accepted the glass he held in his hand. I sipped the juice and eyed the table he had set up with plates of bacon, eggs, and toast. "I thought you only cooked bacon and eggs."

"I fibbed a little."

"I’d say a lot." I inched upward on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek and then slid into a seat at the table. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome." He sat down across from me, and for a few minutes, we filled our plates, eating in silence.

I shoved a piece of bacon into my mouth, chewing thoughtfully. I glanced up to find him watching me and paused mid-chew. "What?"

"Nothing." He lowered his glass. "I love watching you eat."

I picked up another piece of bacon and threw it at him. He easily caught it. "You should eat." I snatched up my fork and stabbed the eggs on my plate. "Growing boys need fuel."

"You sound like my mother."

"Trust me; I’m nothing like your mother," I snickered.

"I fully realize that."

The obvious meaning behind his words flustered me. "About last night…"

"I’ll find a way to make this work. We’ll make it work."

"You’re leaving."

He laid down his fork, wiping his mouth with his napkin before he made his way around the table to squat next to me, resting his hands on my knees. "Rory, look at me."

Slowly, I turned my head to meet his eyes.

"I want to date you, distance or no distance." He reached out to grab my chin, so I couldn’t look away. "Don’t you want to be with me?"

"What if we try and it’s not enough?"

"It’s enough; you have to trust me on that."

"This isn’t easy for me. I’ve never let people into my life."

Releasing me, he rested his weight onto his knees. "Why is that?"

"My childhood wasn’t perfect. It was hard. Growing up alone was hard. I’ve spent so much time moving and not looking back that I’ve forgotten what it feels to have anything meaningful. Do we have to talk about this right now? "

"No, of course not. Do you need more orange juice? How about some coffee?" He stood slowly, passing a hand over my hair. "Coffee sounds good right about now."

I grabbed his hand and pressed my face into the palm of his hand. "I want this to work, too."

"I know." He pressed a kiss into the top of my head and stepped back when I let him go. "Coffee, coffee…" He glanced around. "You don’t have a coffee pot."

I winced shamefully. "It broke the other day."

"No problem. I’ll run down to Starbucks."

"I might be on a tabloid most wanted list now, but I’m pretty sure I can make it there without being noticed," I smirked. I rose from the table and pressed a kiss to his lips. "I’ll be right back."

"Excuse me."

I glanced over my shoulder to stare at a woman standing behind me in line.

"Is this you? "

My gaze drifted to the magazine in her hand. "I don’t think so." I turned my attention back to the line, moving forward as another person was served.

"This is you! You’re dating Sullivan Masters! What’s he like? Is he as sweet as everyone says? I bet you’re having sex. I can’t say I blame you."

I turned quickly to glare at her. "Is that the kind of thing you usually ask a random stranger?"

"You’re not a random stranger." She shook the magazine at me. "You’re dating Sullivan Masters."

"That’s a trash magazine."

"Honey, if the story is false, these pictures say all we need to know. I know I certainly don’t kiss my good friends that way."

"I’m surprised you have any friends." I stepped up to the counter. "Can I get a tall vanilla latte and a venti caramel macchiato, please?"

"Aw, you’re getting his favorite drink; that’s so cute."

"Lady, if you don’t leave me alone, you’re going to be wearing it."

"Well, don’t you have a nasty attitude?"

Turning to the counter, I handed the cashier my debit card.

"Yeah, it matches your face," I muttered. I nodded my thanks as the cashier gave me back my card. Ignoring anything else the woman had to say, I shifted to the side to wait, and as if sensing my frustration, I didn’t have to wait long until my order was ready .

Holding the drinks, I went backwards out of the door. A flash of lights went off.

"Rory! Over here!"

I turned too fast, flinching instinctively. There were two of them; paparazzi, clearly not local. One had a camera already raised, the other holding a phone filming me.

"Are you and Sullivan living together now?"

"Is this the real thing or a summer fling?"

I stepped past them, jaw clenched, walking fast. One of them tried to keep up, calling after me.

"Rory, come on! We want your side of the story!"

I stopped short and turned around to face them. "You don’t have my side of the story, and you won’t get it standing outside a Starbucks with a lens shoved in my face. He’s not here, so why don’t you guys find someone else to pester?"

"Is the tall coffee his?"

"They’re both mine. I’m thirsty."

The photographer laughed, another series of flashes went off.

"Seriously, stop it. I doubt magazines want my picture; they won’t sell without him in them."

"Thanks for looking out for us, but we know how to do our jobs." The same man spoke up again, his shutter clicking. "Obviously you don’t own a mirror, gorgeous. These will sell, trust me. "

"Whatever." I headed down the sidewalk, mindful they were following me at a short distance.

It was by some miracle I was able to get into my car without spilling the coffees or tossing them. I let out a sigh of relief when I finally pulled into traffic. Weaving in and out in case others were following, I managed to make it back to my apartment in record time.

Sullivan greeted me at the door with a smile, but it quickly turned into a frown at the look on my face. "What’s wrong?" He shut the door and took his drink that I extended to him. "Did something happen?"

"If you call being asked personal questions and having my picture taken as something happening, then yeah.

" I turned around on my heel. "This woman, this random stranger, asked me all these questions about you and made a comment about our sex life…

" I threw my hands up. "You are so lucky I’m not a jealous person because she would be wearing my latte right now! "

He smirked from over the rim of his cup.

My eyes narrowed. "So, help me, if you’re laughing at me…"

"How’d you know this was my favorite?"

Blushing, I paused to take another sip of my coffee. "I have the internet, and I own a phone. Quit trying to distract me from being angry."

"I’m sorry." He sat his cup onto the table and opened up his arms. "Come here. "

"No."

"Rory? Come here, baby."

"I said no, Eggs." I laughed when he blinked in surprise. "You would not believe some of the shit they put on the internet. Eggs, what a nickname." I smiled coyly before sipping my latte. "Let me guess, you ate too many eggs as a kid?"

"Actually, I…"

"No, wait. You got caught sleeping with eggs in your bed thinking they’d hatch chickens?" I shrieked as he came forward, turning toward the kitchen, but he was faster, wrapping his arms around my waist to pull me against him. "I’m going to spill my coffee!"

"Then I suggest putting it down," he growled in my ear, "or else you’re going to get it all over your nice bed sheets."

"Think rather highly of yourself, do you?"

"I didn’t hear any complaints last night. Pretty sure those words coming out of your mouth were praise enough without me saying anything." Promptly, he plucked my cup out of my hand and sat it next to his cup on the table. He picked me up, slinging me over his shoulder, and soundly slapped my ass.

"Sullivan Carl Masters the Second, put me down!"

"Lorelai Marie Jones, you did not say my full name!"

"I did! Now put me down!"

"What’s the magic word?"

"Penis. "

He almost dropped me, his shoulders shaking with laughter. "It does start with a P."

"Oh, I’m sorry." I clutched the bottom of his shirt tightly with my fists. "I couldn’t hear you from all the blood rushing to my head!"

My response only made him laugh harder, his reaction making me laugh as well, and I gasped as his knees buckled, sending us crashing to the floor. I grinned, breathing hard as I pressed his arms flat above his head. "What’s the magic word?"

"I believe you said it was penis."

"Your penis?" I chuckled, matching his grin with one of my own, and straddled his hips. "What a dirty boy you are, Sully. What would your fans think if they heard you talk that way?"

"To be honest, my mind isn’t exactly on my fans right now." He lifted his hips as if to demonstrate his meaning, and it made my breath catch.

"Shame. Though I’m pretty sure my mind is in the exact same place as yours."

"Good to know."

I released his hands, and my eyes closed as his hands drifted up my jean-covered legs. My tee shirt gave him easy access, and a moan poured out of my throat at feeling his warm hands discover my bare breasts.

"You went out without a bra on? "

"Mm-hmm." I gasped when he pinched my right nipple and opened my eyes to glare down at him. "Those are attached, sir."

"Trust me, I know." His smirk was dangerous. "Besides, you like that."

"There’s a lot of stuff I like." I placed a soft kiss on his chin, trailing my lips up his jaw line and lingering inches above his ear. "Stuff that would make a good boy blush."

Before I could react, he rolled us, this time trapping my arms to the carpet. "I wouldn’t be so sure of that."

I wiggled under him as he dipped his head to nip at my throat. "Sullivan…"

"Yes, baby?"

"I’m going to miss you." My eyes opened as I felt him roll away, his body leaving mine completely. I pushed myself up on my elbows. He sat beside me, his arms folded over his bent knees. "What is it?"

"I wish you wouldn’t say that."

"Why not? It’s true."

"We agreed to try to make this work. Why are you fighting it?"

"Fighting? I—"

"I want you to come with me, back to LA." He shifted his gaze to me. "I want you to live with me. I’ll help you find work. I thought earlier that’s what you were agreeing with me to do, so how can you miss me when you’re going to be with me? "

"I have never said I was coming with you. We’ve never talked about me living with you. You’re the one that said distance or no distance."

"I know but, I assumed you’d agree, especially after last night."

"Last night was wonderful." I nervously shifted my hand through my hair. "That doesn’t mean things are signed, sealed, and delivered. It was sex."

He stood with a grunt, suddenly towering over me. "That’s all that was to you?"

"What else should I call it?"

"Sex between two people who care for each other isn’t just sex. It’s more than that!"

"I’m sorry, but I guess we’re not on the same page." Standing, I propped my hands on my hips, mindful that his height gave him several inches over me. "You seem to have this fairy tale version of our relationship revolving in your head. I have a life here. You can’t expect me to-"

"You said you were moving soon, that you do every two years."

"Do you think that if I agree to go back to the US with you that I’ll stop moving? That I’ll settle down and be the perfect girlfriend for you? I’m sorry, but that’s not me. That’s not who I am."

"Who are you then?" Sullivan spat back. "I suddenly don’t have a damn clue. Every face you show me turns out to be a fake. "

"Fake? You’re one to talk."

"What the hell does that mean?"

I rubbed my forehead. "Let’s calm down. I don’t want to fight."

"I asked you a question, Rory; what the hell does that mean?" Out of frustration, he kicked the table, the cups shaking. "Answer me!"

The action, one so unlike any side of him I had ever seen, startled me. I stared at him, taking a step back with my hands raised. "Calm down or leave."

"If I walk out that door, I’m not coming back. Do you want that?"

"No, I meant it when I said I care about you. I’m open to working on something more, but I can’t simply up and move. I thought we were going to take things slow, maybe try long distance first, and -"

"I didn’t think you’d actually want to do that."

"We’ve known each for two weeks! And now you’re asking me to move in with you halfway across the world!"

He ran his hand over his hair, letting out a long sigh. "I don’t know if I can do this. It hurts to think I can be this close and not touch you."

"What are you talking about? You can touch me whenever you want."

"There’s a difference, I see it in your face. Last night, I felt it, but now… "

"I’m sorry." I watched him turn away. "I wish things were different, but they’re not." Inside, I panicked, but I forced myself to remain standing where I was. "Where are you going?" The whispered words came out the exact moment he swung the front door open.

"I need some time to think."

The door shut behind him with a soft click.

I stood there staring at it as if any second it would open again. The silence that filled the room felt familiar. He’d left me. Again.