“Well, what are you reading?” She tucked her fingers between the buttons of his shirt, skimming his abs, just above his belt and the breath shot out of him in a hard thrust, but he said, as calmly as he could muster, “I’m reading memory lapse on your part.”
“Memory lapse!” She balled his shirt in her fist, pulling her body into his.
He brought his face down close, angling his cheek against hers, a fraction off touching. “You seem to think I’m going to forget what happened last time. I don’t just want your body, Rie. I’m wondering if that’s all you’re offering?”
Now her breath stuttered. “You won’t know til you try.”
He turned his head to whisper in her ear. “I won’t try til I know.”
“You play too safe, Jake. Aren’t I worth the risk?”
God yes! She was. Just to feel the silk of her skin moving on his was worth more than he could say, but he couldn’t face it if she shut down on him again. “I need to know if you’re in this all the way.”
She put her hands on his waist and pressed her body against his. “You’ll enjoy the ride while it lasts. I don’t think you’ll want a refund.”
He could tear her net costume off with one hand. He could toss her over his shoulder with the other. He didn’t think she’d mind. They could be somewhere private in fifteen minutes. Hell, who needed private? He looked into her violet eyes, put his flattened palm against her cheek. “All the way.”
She dropped her eyes a
nd in that moment he knew it was still a game to her. He was simply another obstacle for her to conquer, like any other fear she had. Hearing her sobbing from the corridor outside her room that night had torn him up enough; but knowing she was reacting to him as a problem to face, a challenge to overcome was somehow worse.
He breathed her in, cosmetics, shampoo and something of the night and its dark atmosphere—mystery and revelation, secrets and lies. He kissed her softly, far more softly than their words—a kiss with no agenda. Probably not what she’d expected. She’d have wanted to taste passion but he gave her goodbye.
Her eyes flicked open when she caught the taste. She murmured, “No,” and caught his bottom lip with her teeth, bit down, not to hurt but to warn she wasn’t letting him go. He broke away laughing. He should’ve known she wouldn’t make it easy. Kiss not kill, but two sides of one coin. But she wasn’t going to get to call all the shots. He’d surprised her. They weren’t done yet and that was a point to him. Two-one.
By the drum kit, How absently tossed and caught his sticks. He said to Roley, “Did you know about that?”
“Fuck, no,” said Roley incredulously, his eyes fixed on Rielle and Jake.
“Reckon we should warn him off?”
“Fuck, no.”
“But he’s a nice guy; she’ll mash him up.”
“Nah, look at him, he’s got her number. We might actually get to see the day the Ice Queen melts.”
33. Score
Jake stood with Glen looking at the tangled wreck of a dropped lighting console. “Can you MacGyver that?” Glen said to Bodge.
On his hands and knees, Bodge grunted which was his way of saying, ‘Yes sir, right away sir, no problem sir’.
They were running behind on the set build, having battled typical Melbourne four-seasons-in-one-day weather that sent them a morning thunderstorm and stopped work for two hours. Now the sun blazed and it was steamy hot and in less than an hour the band was doing a site inspection. Jake wanted the construction crew off the stage as soon as possible, the show crew on in thirty minutes, and he wanted pigs to fly whistling the theme song to Game of Thrones as well.
Then the band showed up early. Friggin’ early. Sharon took them backstage.
“We’re not ready for a sound check.” Glen moaned, as roadies ran left and right of them, readying the stage with new urgency.
“I know, I know,” Jake said holding his arms out in supplication. “I’m sorry, I told them we had weather problems, but they were keen to get going. They’ve got another sponsor commitment tonight.”
“Not helping me, mate.”
“Okay, give me a job. All hands to the pump.”
That’s how he happened to be running cables, like the good old days, when the band appeared on stage.
“When’d you get demoted, Jake?” asked Stu.