Page 59 of Reflex

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It was pushing 2AM by the time they wound up in Spook’s hotel room.3AM once they’d sipped drinks and talked over the meal and the one-upmanship that had sprung into being between Ronnie and Rock Giant.They’d left them both still in the hotel bar cruising for fun, and as likely to crash and burn and wind up drunk and entwined on the bed together as awash in female flesh.

Eating, being around the band, and doing normal things relaxed the uneasy tension that existed between her and Spook.They’d sat together and apart.Talked as one, and held entirely independent conversations, proving to themselves that it wasn’t necessary to sit in one another’s pockets.Spook remained a curious dichotomy.For a while he’d held her hand under the table, and it had been his decision to invite her back to his room, but then he’d jolt in response to an idle caress or get twitchy if he caught her looking at him a certain way.

“Are you sure you want me to stay over?”she asked while he was in the process of pulling bits of clothing from a hold-all.

“Sure?No.But I’m trying it on for size.Here, this should fit.”He passed her a faded to grey Black Halo T-shirt with a series of pinprick holes in the front where the fabric had probably snagged on his belt buckle.

“Thanks.”She headed into the bathroom to change.By the time she returned, Spook had changed into a pair of low slung lounge pants that hugged his hips and made her want to lean over and lick the lines of his Adonis belt.

“Rules?”she asked when he drew back the covers.

“Sleep.”

“That’s it?”

He sighed, and it turned into a yawn.

“So, I know naughtiness and shenanigans are out, but how do we stand on snuggling?Do we need to build a wall of pillows down the middle of the bed?”

“No walls necessary.We’ll keep our hands to ourselves.”He kissed her goodnight on the brow, before rolling onto his side, legs tucked up, arms around the pillow, so that she was presented with the wall of his naked back.

Still, she was in his bed.That was progress.

Alle stared at the wings of his shoulder blades, tracing with invisible fingers the lines of his tattoos.In the moonlight, they seemed watchful and alive— Hugin and Munin observing her with unblinking eyes.They’d probably peck her to death if she dared reach out.Instead, she found herself mirroring his posture.Inches apart, she nevertheless folded herself to his form.

“Goodnight, Spook.”She’d been wishing him the same thing every night since the last one they’d spent together.Tonight, at least, she got a mumbled reply.