Page 79 of Rockstar Baby

Or without her

I’ll never be the same

I stopped, my fingers falling still. And chanced a look at her in the fading light.

Her eyes were damp with tears.

“That’s…” Her throat moved. “You really wrote that for me?”

“Do you think there could be another ginger fairy?”Ever?

I didn’t say the last part aloud, but it echoed through my head.

Her lips curved. “Just as there could be no other Lucky Charms.”

“Not true. I ate some just last week.”

On purpose. To remind myself of her.

As if I ever forgot.

“You ate yourself?”

“This conversation is veering dangerously close to perversion. Alas, I’m not that flexible.”

Her smile grew and the constriction in my throat lessened.

“I wrote that for you weeks ago. I’d tried a few times and nothing came out right.” Idly, I strummed the strings. “Today the last verse just seemed to flow. It needs more work of course, but—”

“It’s perfect. No one’s ever written anything for me.” She dashed at the tears dripping off her chin, laughing self-consciously. “Well, an old high school boyfriend did. But no one who—”

She broke off and stared at me. I stared right back.

I needed to know what she’d meant to say. But I didn’t have the stones to ask.

Rather than completing her thought, she leaned forward and took the guitar out of my hands. She traced the sunburst pattern on one of my most treasured instruments, her touch reverent. Carefully, she set it in its case and turned to me.

I cleared my throat. “Easy enough to string some words together.”

Anything to fill the silence.

She pressed her finger to my lips. Then she sat back on her haunches and drew her quirky skull-patterned top over her head.

No warning. No time for me to prepare. Not even a lifetime would be enough.

The last of the sunshine shimmered over her skin. I tried to keep my gaze on her lovely face, on the ends of her red hair trailing in the wind, but I couldn’t stop from taking in the sight of her perfect breasts encased in lace.

Lace that dropped away to leave only pale flesh and tight pink nipples.

My mouth went dry. I could only stare, my heartbeat throbbing in my head, as she straddled my lap.

Someone could see.

The protests inside me were weak. Practically nonexistent. And I didn’t think to shield myself as I wrapped my arms around her. All I could think about was Ivy.

She coiled her arms around my neck and rocked into me as our mouths met. This kiss wasn’t like any of the others. The same desperation fueled it, but there was more. Gentleness. Affection. Maybe even some regret.

A lot on my side, for sure.