Page 9 of Obsession on Repeat (Vinyl Hearts #1)

A loud curse woke me. I peered over the back of the couch to see Sullivan holding a hand against his forehead, his other hand gripping the bedroom door frame. Wincing, he looked up to find me watching him.

"Damn door frame walked into me."

I stood from the couch. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was hit by a truck, and then a plane…" He moved slowly into the living room, his hand rubbing his forehead. "And maybe a nuclear bomb, I’m not sure."

"Can I get you something?"

"An explanation would be nice." He lowered his hand. "Why did you sleep on the couch? The bed is big enough for two people."

"You needed to sleep. I thought you would appreciate the room. "

"After several shots of whiskey, last night’s events are a little fuzzy, but I’m pretty sure I asked you to stay with me."

I stiffened at the hard tone of his voice. "I’m pretty sure you remember trying to feel me up, too. The last thing we needed to do was make this more complicated than it already is."

"We’ve had sex. I don’t see how one more romp in the sack would have messed you up more."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "I’m not going to fight with you, especially not with the state you’re in right now."

"I’m fine." He growled but lifted his hand back to his forehead again. "I have a headache the size of Earth, but I’m fine."

"There’s Tylenol by the bed. Enough time has passed that taking more won’t hurt you."

"I’m touched that you care."

I flinched at the coolness in his voice, struggling not to attack back. "I do care."

"You’ve got a funny way of showing it."

"Why’d you get drunk? Colin came here—"

"Shit." He glanced around quickly, frowning as stared down at his boxers. "I forgot all about him. Where's my phone?"

"I put it on the end table."

He disappeared into the bedroom, staying there for several minutes, until he returned dressed in his jeans and his tee shirt.

"Is everything okay?"

"He’s with his family right now. I’ll call him in an hour to come get me."

I studied him. "Do you want me to drive you somewhere?"

"If I say yes and get you to drive me to the hotel, that’ll only give the press more fuel for the fire, and we both know how much you hate that."

"I’m only trying to be nice."

Sullivan let out a short bark of laughter. "Thanks, I appreciate it. Better late than never I suppose."

"Why are you saying these things to me?" I whispered, flinching again at the fact I felt tears gather on my lashes.

He let out a long sigh. "Because I want you to know exactly how I feel, Rory. I’m hurt, and it’s not my head that’s killing me.

I didn’t ask to come here and fall in love with you.

I never imagined that would ever happen, not even after that first night, but it did. Sometimes you don’t get a choice."

"You always have a choice; people feel things all the time. It’s whether you act on them or not that separates humans from the animals."

"Are you listening to yourself? I mean, the words come out, but do you hear them? "

"I understand perfectly what I…"

Frowning, he took a step toward me. "I don’t think you do. You’re placing love on the same shelf as what to make for dinner or what movie to watch. Those are choices. Love, that’s on a shelf all on its own."

"I wouldn’t know." I trembled as he made his way around the couch, reaching out to stroke the top of my head. "Please don’t…"

"Whoever he was, he was an idiot for hurting you."

I felt a wave of embarrassment when I started to cry. He said nothing, watching me for a few seconds before he pulled me close and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He rocked me while I cried, my fingers clutching the fabric of his tee shirt.

"It’s okay, Rory. I’ve got you." He pressed several kisses to the crown of my head, continuing to stroke my hair. "Let it out. I’m here."

I pressed my face into his chest. "Why?"

"To be honest, I don’t know. I could tell you it’s because I love you, but I don’t think that would mean anything to you right now."

I shoved away from him, a hard glare on my face. "This isn’t some movie, this isn’t… This isn’t where you come in all gallant and noble to save me!"

He immediately matched my loud tone with one of his own. "I don’t know what to save you from, Rory!" He threw his hands up. "Someone else? Yourself? You keep pushing me away!"

"I’m angry! That’s why I’m pushing you away!"

"You’re not angry, you’re scared. You’re scared because this is real, and you don’t know what the hell to do with that."

I opened my mouth to argue, but nothing came out. My fists clenched at my sides.

"You feel it, Rory. Don’t lie to me, not now."

I pointed to the door, heart thudding. "Leave."

Before I could move, he reached out and pulled me into him. "Tell me you don’t care," he whispered. "Look me in the eyes and say it meant nothing. Say I’m merely some guy you slept with, and this is over."

I struggled for breath, for words. My gaze dropped to his shirt, then to his hand curled around mine. "I…" My voice cracked. "I wish I could."

"Say it, and I’ll go."

I looked up at him, eyes brimming. "I’m trying to protect myself. That’s all I’ve ever known how to do."

"I know, but I’m not here to break you."

I hated how warm his arms felt around me, how in that moment I didn’t want to deny anything he requested of me. "I don’t want to need anyone."

"You don’t need me, but I’m here anyway."

"I don’t know how to do this. "

"You don’t have to know. Stop pretending you don’t feel anything." His hand tightened on my back. "Say it."

"I don’t know if I’m ready to say all of it."

"You don’t have to say everything," he murmured. "Say what’s real."

"I think I’m falling in love with you."

SIX MONTHS LATER

I snuggled deeper into the sheets, content to be enveloped by the down comforter. I released a loud sigh, burying my head into my pillow, and smiled at the feeling of Sullivan’s arm circling my waist.

His soft lips skimmed the slope of my neck before pressing warmly on the spot below my ear. "Baby," he whispered, "it’s time to get up."

"No, get back in bed with me."

"As tempting as that is…" He shifted to twist me flat on my back and slid easily between my legs. "I have a meeting in an hour with my agent, and you have another interview to show up to on time. "

"Where's the fun in that?"

My pout made him laugh, and he pressed a kiss against my lips before he slipped from the bed. "Get in the shower. I’ll put on some coffee."

"How about…" Sitting up, I didn’t attempt to catch the sheet as it fell to my bare waist. "You forget the coffee and join me in the shower instead?"

He groaned, rubbing a quick hand over his face. "Rory, you know as well as I do that if I join you, we’ll probably never leave the house today."

"You act like that’s a bad thing."

"Definitely not." He leaned over to place a kiss on the top of my head. "I’m going to go make coffee. I could use a cup."

I flopped back on the bed. "I might cancel my interview today."

He paused from picking up a discarded shirt from the floor. "Why? You’ve been back in the States for a month now, and you’ve only been to two interviews. Are they going that badly?"

"I wouldn’t say bad…" I toyed with the sheet. "Nothing’s clicked, that’s all." I slipped out of the bed, bending down to grab a shirt by my feet and slipped it over my head. I grinned as I caught him watching me. "Having second thoughts about that shower?"

"You’re going to be the death of me. "

"Certainly not. If you died, who would be around for me to tie to the bed and have my wicked way with?"

Ignoring the news reporter on the television, I concentrated on the article documenting another random celebrity’s wild weekend.

I turned the page, pausing at the picture of Sullivan and Colin, the article describing an upcoming Two of Hearts episode.

It was typical, talking mostly about the characters and intricate plot, but it was a smaller picture of him with a skinny blonde that caught my attention.

"Sullivan Masters and co-star, Scarlet Nix, of the upcoming flick ‘Beautiful Lies’ do promotion in New York. Sources claim the two share more than acting together, and it looks to be the start of a hot romance."

I snorted out loud. "Trust me, World News, he prefers brunettes.

" I tossed the magazine into the trash can and dumped what was left of my coffee in the sink.

I was out the door in less than thirty minutes, dressed in comfortable black slacks and a white tank top, my hair slicked back into a high ponytail .

Traffic was typically busy, and I tapped the steering wheel to the beat of the pop song playing on the radio. Sitting at the jammed red light gave me time to think.

In the end, I had decided to finish up my contract at Venom.

We had spent every waking hour communicating by phone and email, both of us testing the waters of our new relationship.

The long break between Australia and moving in with him had cooled the interest in the media about me, most reporters chalking me up to a fling that he had left behind. We had done well laying low.

Now I was in Los Angeles, and the world was my oyster, so he teased me.

Living with him was an easy adjustment after a few weeks, but it was driving me crazy.

I wasn’t the kind of person to lie around and depend on someone else.

I missed being a DJ. So far, the clubs I had seen did nothing to capture my attention, and the people were less than friendly until they realized who exactly they were talking to.

Word of my arrival in LA had hit the underground running.

When I arrived at a club named Euphoria, it was a struggle to get out of the car instead of doing an illegal U-Turn and returning home.

Euphoria was one of the largest clubs I had ever seen from the outside, nothing meeting my gaze but looming dark brick and glass windows.

The stone steps lead up to two large wood doors.

I nodded at the doorman as he opened one. He eyed me but said nothing.

I put on my best smile at the woman standing behind the hostess podium. "I’m here for an eleven o’clock DJ interview? I’m-"

"DJ Fetish!" She grinned widely, her earrings dangling against her long streaked red and black hair. "I have been waiting forever to meet you. I mean, I totally dig your work. When I heard you were coming, I was—"

"Gina, that’s enough." A tall redhead made her way up to us, and I relaxed at hearing her familiar voice. She smiled, displaying perfect, white teeth. "I’m Vanessa Wexler. We spoke on the phone. Forgive Gina. She can be a bit overwhelming when she’s had too much caffeine."

"It’s nice to meet you, Gina."

"Nice to meet you, too."

Vanessa motioned me to follow her. "I looked over the resume the second you faxed it to me. I’m a bit surprised you don’t already have work lined up."

"I’m picky when it comes to where I work." My eyes flickered over the space, looking around at the multiple floors. The main level was ready for the upcoming crowd, several staff members stocking the bar.

"The doors never open before ten. We close at three." Vanessa walked at a steady pace. "We don’t approve of drugs, solicitation, or sexual activity near the bar area or on the main floor. "

"What about the other areas?"

She shot me an amused look from over her shoulder. "Solicitation is never appropriate and carries a heavy penalty that Bruno at the door graciously takes care of."

"You run short hours; how do you keep this place afloat?"

"We’re the hottest nightclub in all of Los Angeles.

We have been for the past five years. The line at the door always starts building at eight on the dot.

" Vanessa laughed at my raised eyebrows.

"People want the best, and they’ll do anything to get it.

We cater to celebrities and regulars, although we do go the extra mile for celebrities, hence the three floors. "

"Considering the area, that’s understandable."

"Main floor is open to anyone. The second floor is for staff, and level three is for VIP only."

I shifted uncomfortably. "To be honest, I didn’t bring my equipment if you’re looking for me to audition. I’m sorry if I’m wasting your time."

"I never waste my time, Ms. Jones. If I had thought that about you, I would have declined our interview by phone instead of canceling a business meeting and making you drive all the way down here."

"You canceled a meeting in order to meet with me?"

Vanessa shrugged nonchalantly. "We do what we have to in this business to stay ahead. I can’t have someone else scooping up the best DJ in the world right now, can I? "

"Do you have an interview with this DJ after me?" I chuckled. "I sure would like to meet them."

"I asked you to come down to talk to you; that’s how I hire people in my line of work.

I look for motivation, confidence, how relaxed they are, and how they deal with topics such as the mention of sex and drugs.

You can tell a lot about a person’s business persona simply by looking at their personal one. "

"And now that you’ve seen mine?"

"I want to offer you the job. Euphoria is open every night except Sundays. The backup DJ will cover your other night off. I require all employees to be here by eight for setup and to attend any meetings. The dress code is strict. You’ll be expected to wear black shorts and a black tank displaying our logo, unless we’re hosting a party or important function. "

"How do you pay your employees?"

"You’re paid every Friday through a bank of your choosing. Cash tips are handed out after closing. Upper level employees such as the DJ and the bouncers are given a bonus of a thousand dollars with perfect attendance after six months. Tax taken out, of course."

I almost swallowed my tongue but managed to regain my composure. "Of course."

"If you need some time to think about this… "

"No!" I objected loudly with a shake of my head. I blushed at seeing Vanessa’s amused look and cleared my throat. "I’ll take the job. I’d be honored."

"I believe the pleasure is all ours. Come with me, and we’ll fill out the necessary paperwork."