When Razer went offstage, I still had tears.
“Damn it, girl, you've got it bad,” Carlie said. “I’ve got to get back to the bar, I guess. And you should check with Sally to see who won this battle for your heart. Ha, ha, as if that isn’t obvious.”
"I can't tell you," Sally said. "I promised. There's going to be an official announcement. On stage tonight. I'm giving the results."
Fuck that shit. I didn't care. I knew who'd won. If the winner got me then Razer didn't need the numbers. He had the only vote that counted. I went backstage to find him. And who the hell decided the official announcement thing anyway? No one had run it by me. I leave the club for a few minutes to attend to personal business and everyone goes off and does their own thing.
It took forever to fight through that crowd. So many people wanting to stop and congratulate Razer. Rubbing his arm, patting his back. Putting drinks in his hands. What a bunch of goddamn cock-blockers. He kept shooting me apologetic glances that turned my belly to mush.
Finally, we got a moment to ourselves. I grabbed his hand and pulled him down the back stairs to my office.
“Do you really feel like that?” I asked.
He nodded.
“You’re crazy,” I said.
"Crazy about you, that's what I am," he said. His smile threatened to split his face and that hint of a dimple danced with joy.
I punched him. "That's so cheesy." But I loved that he said it.
My body burned for him and it might take forever for that fire to be quenched. If he was crazy, I was even crazier.
He put his arms around my waist and held me tight. It all disappeared. The bar, the noise, it all melted away. Instead, there was just him and me. Together. His mouth found mine and, as our lips locked, I knew this was real.
I drowned in his kiss. I’d only dipped my toes in that pool of feelings before, now I dived headfirst. I didn't need to hold back. I could give myself to him.
"I'm sorry," I said. "Sorry, I've been such a bitch. I wanted to ask you to stay. Not for the club and not for the competition but for me. But the words didn’t come out like that.” I bent my head, not able to stand the intensity of emotion shooting between us. “I got so used to pushing you away that I didn’t realize that I never wanted that at all.”
He raised my head so I was forced to look at him. I looked into his eyes. Yeah, he still wanted me. He didn't need words to tell me that.
"There's nothing to be sorry about, Vi. I always knew you were mine, you just had to take your sweet time finding that out for yourself. Anything worth anything is worth waiting for."
He winked as he said that.
“Hey, I told you. Never call me Vi.” Then I punched his arm.
All the sadness weighing me down disappeared. Razer was here and I was in his arms and life was perfect. If the bar closed, if I lost my job, if the world ended, I'd bear it all because I had the one thing I'd thought I'd lost.
“I love you Razer. There. I said it.”
He didn’t answer with words but with the press of his lips against mine. A kiss that promised eternity. When that kiss threatened to develop into much more, I broke away.
"Let's just rush out. No talking to anyone downstairs. No dilly-dallying," I said.
Normally, I'd stick around after any gig but I wanted to leave as soon as humanly possible. It seemed like we had a whole lot of talking to do. And by "talking", I meant talking with our hands and all our other body parts. Naked talking with lots of groaning and grunting involved.
He had his hands on my waist and the touch seared into my skin. I needed to explore that much further.
"I've waited this long for you. I can wait a bit longer," he said. "I want to know who won."
"No way." Did he have any idea how much my body burned for him? If he made me wait around, I'd end up molesting him in the bar. "What does it matter?"
"This isn't just about you, Vi. It's about my honor."
I groaned. That settled it. I'd have to just douse myself with ice water or something. I couldn’t win against his honor.
Chapter 40 ALEX