Текст книги "Rock Hard"

Автор книги: Olivia Cunning

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 24 страниц)

Jessica rose onto her toes and then rocked back on her heels again. Sed couldn’t thrust into her, like she wanted. Only her limited movements allowed any stimulation between their joined bodies.

“This is a beautiful song,” Sed whispered.

“Yeah.” She forced her eyes open to watch the arcing water, moving in time with the music. “Celine Dion.”

“Yeah.” He sang the romantic lyrics into her ear, two octaves lower than the famous diva. The sound of his incredible voice in her ear, singing words that would make any girl’s heart melt, was almost as spectacular as having his cock buried inside of her in public. Almost.

“I’m surprised you know the words to this song,” she whispered, hoping she looked inconspicuous as she climbed back up on the concrete railing in front of her and slid up his cock.

“Near. Far. Wherever…” he sang quietly.

She stepped off the barrier again, driving him deep. He leaned forward, pressing deeper.

“Ah, Sed,” she whispered.

“…heart will go on.” He paused in his singing. “God, Jessica. This is too much.”

“Do you want to stop?”

His hand slid up under her top, his strong fingers caressing the bare skin of her belly. “No. It just makes me want to throw you in that water and tear into you like an animal.”

She grinned. “I’d like that.”

She leaned over the banister, drawing him out of her slightly. He leaned back and then took a step forward, thrusting deep into her. She bit her lip, stifling a groan.

Jessica caught movement out of the corner of her eye. One of a pair of young men pointed at her and whispered something to his friend. The second guy’s eyes opened wide and he whispered something back.

“I think those guys over there are watching us,” Jessica murmured.

Sed wrapped his arms around her, drawing her against him. “Do you think they can tell what we’re doing?”

“If they can see my face, I’m sure they’ve figured it out. You feel so good inside me. I can’t hide my pleasure.”

“I want to see your face.”

“When the song ends we’ll find a room.”

They watched the fountain’s performance, sometimes standing still, sometimes moving together and apart, never finding a tempo, but always in tune with the sensuality between their bodies. He continued to sing into her ear. Every nerve ending in her body came alive, tingling with excitement. Nothing existed on Earth but Sed’s body, his intoxicating voice, and the gushing water of the fountain.

The song ended and the water fell still with a gentle splash. The area around the fountain went dark. Using the darkness as cover, Sed thrust into her vigorously, his tongue lavishing a pleasure point behind her ear, his breath stirring the fine hairs along her neck. His hands massaged her breasts, rubbing her nipples against the fabric of her shirt until she thought she’d go mad. Her back arched as her body trembled with release. She came so hard her legs gave out on her. She clung to the railing, biting her lip to keep from crying out.

The street lamps around the fountain flickered on. Sed pulled out and quickly shoved his rigid cock into his pants, while she rearranged her skirt.

She took his hand, her face flushed. “Let’s go find a room.”

“Let’s go to the Eiffel Tower.” He nodded in the direction of the brilliant white lights engulfing the pointed tower across the street.

“I think it closes at 12:30.”

“Then we’d better hurry.”

Her pussy throbbed with renewed excitement as her mind raced through possibilities. She trotted after him toward the pedestrian bridge at the end of the street, giggling at his enthusiasm. About halfway across the bridge, he deposited her on his shoulder and took off at a run. She laughed and let him carry her, holding her skirt down over her thighs so passersby didn’t get an unexpected view of her bare ass. He didn’t set her down until they reached the entrance of the Eiffel Tower replica at the Paris Hotel and Casino.

“We’re getting ready to close,” the attendant told them. “It would be better to wait until tomorrow. If you go now, you’ll just have to turn around and come right back down.”

“That’s fine.” Sed handed a hundred dollar bill to the young man and took the escalator to the elevator entrance, ignoring the photographer who wanted to take their picture.

They were the only ones waiting to go up, though when the elevator opened, at least a dozen people got off to leave. After the car cleared of tourists, Sed tugged Jessica into the glass-walled elevator. He pushed the up button and when the door closed, he backed her up against the wall. She pretended his proximity didn’t affect her.

“The view on the way up is spectacular,” she said, but she wasn’t admiring the view outside. The scenery inside the car held a grander appeal. She reached up and removed Sed’s sunglasses so she could look into his sky-blue eyes. She tucked his shades into his pocket, never taking her eyes from his. His eyes glazed over with desire as he stared down at her.

“Let me out of my pants,” he urged. “I need to be buried inside you again.”

She unfastened his pants and his cock sprang free.

Sed grabbed her thigh and lifted her leg to his waist before guiding himself into her body. He groaned as he thrust up into her. He took her hard and fast, grinding into her and grunting his enthusiasm with each penetrating thrust.

The rapid raising of the elevator car made Jessica unsteady. She gripped his shoulders and leaned her back against the railing so she didn’t lose her balance as she strained against him. One of his hands stroked her naked thigh, the other tangled in her hair. He pulled her head back and sucked on her throat.

The car began to slow as it neared the top.

Sed sighed remorsefully and pulled out, tucking his abused cock into his pants again.

When the elevator door slid open, they were standing innocently side-by-side holding hands. Sed guided her around the crowd of people waiting to get on the elevator and led her to the observation deck. A few people stood gazing out of the tower at the bright lights of the strip below, but most waited at the elevator to leave the closing attraction. Sed pulled Jessica to a deserted corner and shielded her body from the thinning crowd with his body.

“You know I can’t control myself around you,” he said.

She was counting on it.

His hands moved under her skirt, massaging the globes of her bare ass. He lowered his head to kiss her. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and she sucked it deep. He pulled her closer, grinding her pelvic bone against his—crushing his cock between their bodies. His fingertips ran down the crack of her ass until he found the puckered flesh he sought and dipped the tip of his ring finger inside her. She jerked and tugged her mouth away from his.

“I want to swallow you,” she whispered. “We need to find a room immediately.”

He glanced over his shoulder and looked around. There was no one there but the two of them. His hands moved to her hips and eased her down. She peeked around his body to ensure herself that no one was nearby and then crouched down in front of him. A cool breeze fluttered under her skirt and drew her attention to the hot ache between her thighs. Why was it always like this with him? He made her so wet and needy. Another reason to hate him.

And want him.

Sed’s hands gripped the wire cage surrounding the observation deck as she freed his cock from his pants and drew him deep into her throat.

His head fell back, his hat tumbling to the ground as he groaned in that primeval way that made her pussy clench. She clutched the leather encasing his muscular thighs as she sucked him, drawing her head back and then taking him deep into her throat again. She bobbed her head faster, sucked harder, knowing he needed release.

“Ah, Jessica. Ah, yeah. That’s perfect. Everything you do to me. Perfect.”

“Excuse me, sir. The observation deck is closed now,” a hesitant voice said behind them.

Jessica paused, her heart racing in her chest. Public engagements always excited her, but getting caught? Not so much.

Sed glanced at the female attendant over his shoulder. “I’ll give you a thousand dollars if you forget I’m up here for twenty minutes.”

“Oh. My. God,” she said, her pitch and volume increasing with each word. “Sed Lionheart. I’m your biggest fan!”

Jessica released his cock from her mouth and stood up. Sed let go of the wire fencing to wrap an arm around her, drawing her against his chest and poking her in the belly with his erection.

“We’re kind of busy,” Jessica told the star-struck young woman.

Her gaze moved from Sed’s face to Jessica’s. “I thought you were alone,” she murmured. Her eyes widened in sudden realization. “Oh. You can’t do that here. The deck is closed. You have to go down now.”

“I was going down,” Jessica told her.

Sed tossed his head back and laughed, his arm tightening around Jessica’s body. Jessica’s hand slipped between their bodies and wrapped around his cock. He jerked, his breath catching in his throat. Poor guy was about to explode. Her hand shifted to his balls, finding them hot and full. He shuddered.

“Sweetie, I’ll autograph something for you if you just disappear for about twenty minutes,” Sed said hoarsely.

“I saw your concert tonight,” the girl said, her gaze stuck to Sed like superglue. “How’s your throat?”

“Still a little sore, but it will get better. So, Eiffel Tower Girl, do we have a deal? Leave us alone for a few?”

“Yeah, I’ll pretend like I didn’t see you for twenty minutes or so, but I want your shirt.”

“You’ve got it.”

“And a thousand dollars.”

“Fine.”

“Like, right now.”

Sed shrugged off his long leather coat, allowing it to fall to the ground, and pulled his shirt over his head. He threw it at her. The young woman caught it, cradled it against her chest, and lowered her face into the fabric to inhale his scent. She sighed, her eyelids fluttering in bliss.

Jessica’s nostrils flared.

“I’ll pay you later,” Sed promised. “Go away now.”

The attendant nodded and disappeared around the corner.

“I really hate your fans sometimes.” Jessica noticed they were entirely alone now. All the other tourists had left.

“If someone else had caught us, we’d have to leave.”

“Good point.”

He untied the string at the back of her neck and pushed down her bodice to expose her breasts. “I’ve been wanting to do that since we left the bus.”

He lowered his head and sucked her breast into his mouth, his tongue working against her rigid nipple. Her free hand moved to the soft, short hair on the back of his head, while her other hand slowly stroked the length of his cock.

He released her aching breast from his mouth. “Grab hold of the fence behind you.”

The fence? What did he have in mind? She lifted her hands over her head and held onto the thick chain-link wire fencing with both hands. “Like this?”

“Yeah. Hold on tight.” He gripped her hips and lifted her feet off the ground. He stretched her body out in front of him, settling his hips between her legs.

“Can you hold on like that?” he asked.

“For a little while.”

“Let me know when your arms get tired.”

He surged forward, filling her with one deep thrust.

Her back arched involuntarily. “Ah, God, Sed.”

He supported most of her weight with one hand under her lower back, the other under her hips. She wrapped her legs around his hips and gripped the fencing tightly as he thrust into her.

“Lean back,” he whispered.

She walked her hands down the fence several rungs. When she opened her eyes, the Las Vegas strip came into view upside down. Below, she saw headlights of countless cars, an ambulance flashing red and blue lights in the distance, and the spectacular casinos lit in all their glory. Despite the view, she couldn’t keep her eyes open. He felt too good to think of anything but his thick cock filling her, receding, filling her again. In this glorious, yet acrobatic, position, he rubbed against her G-spot with each penetrating thrust. Her arms began to tremble with fatigue, but she didn’t want him to stop just yet. She was so close.

“Sed,” she called. “Fuck me hard. I wanna come. I wanna…”

He thrust into her harder, his fingers digging into her flesh as he pounded against her.

“Oh. Oh. Oh, yes,” her vocalizations grew louder and more needy with each thrust. Her excitement and pleasure built and built and built.

Her entire body convulsed as she came. He almost dropped her and had to strengthen his hold as she screamed into the night. She shuddered violently as ripples of pleasure spread from her pulsating core, down her thighs, and up her belly and back. He refused to relent. Kept pounding into her—harder, harder, oh God, yes, harder—until another orgasm shook her and another. She knew she was chanting his name at the top of her lungs, but couldn’t stop. As her fourth orgasm pulsated through her, he thrust deep and held still, waiting for her to regain her bearings. When her body relaxed, Sed squatted and lowered her feet to the ground.

“You okay?”

She released the fencing with one hand and rubbed her face. She laughed, somewhat maniacally. “You could say that. Wow, that was…”

“…amazing.” He pulled out with a wince. “Can you stand? I don’t think I can hold you that way much longer. I’m getting tired. I guess I need to work out more.”

Most guys couldn’t hold her like that for fifteen seconds, much less fifteen minutes. She used the fencing to pull herself to her feet. He stood before her and cupped her face, kissing her tenderly. He stroked the bare skin of her upper arms. “Turn around.”

She never minded him bossing her around at times like these. She trusted his sexual inventiveness far more than her own.

She turned to face the Vegas strip. He moved behind her and pushed her skirt up around her waist. Gripping her hips, he entered her again, this time from behind. He had to bend his knees to penetrate her, because even in three-inch heels, she wasn’t tall enough to accommodate his height. He caressed her buttocks and belly as he thrust into her slowly and rhythmically. As he had yet to come, she knew he had to be dying, yet he still considered her pleasure first, building her back to the pinnacle methodically.

It was time for her to regain control.

She bent forward slightly, changing the point of friction between their bodies.

He groaned. She rotated her hips, and bent further still, squeezing his cock tightly within her body.

“Jessica, that feels…”

“…amazing.”

“Yeah.” His breathing became sporadic as his thrusts quickened.

That’s better. Lose yourself. She bent further, her hair brushing the ground in front of her now. Squeezed harder. Relaxed. Squeezed. “Uhn. Uhn.” He punctuated each thrust with groans and gasps.

Come hard, Sed. She clenched her vaginal muscles even tighter to increase his stimulation. Think of nothing but me. She slowly straightened her back, changing their point of friction again. When she stood completely upright, she slowly bent forward again.

His strokes became rapid and shallow, his breathing chaotic, his groans low and primal. His hands gripped her hipbones, trying to hold her still as he continued to pound into her. Faster. Faster. Harder. Oh, yes. He thrust deep and then paused.

“Hold still, hold still,” he pleaded. He took several deep breaths and then began to move more slowly. Deeper. Gyrating to increase her pleasure.

She grinned. There was nothing better than a lover who held back for as long as possible. She put her hands on her knees and rotated her hips to the left and then to the right, grinding him inside her. And there was nothing more fun than trying to make him come.

“Jess. Jess.”

She rotated her hips to the left again. With a primal growl, he grabbed her hair and pulled her upright. He lunged forward and pressed her body against the fence, thrusting into her vigorously, repeating incoherent words into her ear.

He grabbed the fence with both hands. Metal rattled loudly as he strained against her and shuddered violently as he let go inside her at last.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” he shouted. “Oh God, Jess. Jess…”

There was nothing sexier than when this man, who was always in command, completely lost control.

His body sagged against hers, crushing her into the fencing. She allowed him to catch his breath for several minutes before she complained.

“Sed, I can’t breathe.”

“Sorry, sorry,” he panted. “I don’t think I can pull out yet. Give me a minute.” His lips brushed against her hair at the side of her head. He leaned away from her slightly, giving her just enough room to take a decent breath, but kept himself buried inside her.

“You have to leave now,” the Eiffel Tower attendant said from behind them.

Sed sighed and pulled away with a stuttering gasp. He tucked his slackening cock into his pants while Jessica straightened her skirt and pulled her top up to cover her breasts. She tied the strings behind her neck. Sed retrieved his leather coat from the ground and slid into it.

His naked chest and stomach, which showed between the sides of his duster, drew Jessica’s appreciative attention. Yummy.

Sed located his hat and crammed it onto his head. Walking unsteadily, he dug his wallet out of his pocket and fished out multiple hundred-dollar bills. He handed them to the young woman.

“Thanks for your discretion,” he said. “Worth every penny.”

She flushed and shook her head. “Keep it. I don’t want your money. I do want your autograph.” She handed him a black marker and the shirt he’d given her earlier.

Sed signed the stretched fabric against his thigh and handed the shirt back to her.

“And can I have a hug, too?” she asked, smiling hopefully.

Sed glanced at Jessica for approval. She knew he had to indulge his fans on occasion, so she shrugged.

He attempted a weak, one-armed embrace, but Eiffel Tower Fangirl wouldn’t settle for that. She wrapped both arms around his waist and rubbed her face against his shoulder. The young woman trembled from head to foot and continued to cling to him long after he’d dropped his arm.

Jessica tapped Fangirl on the shoulder. Not because that pang in her chest was jealousy: no, she just knew that Sed was exhausted and ready to head back to the hotel. “You’re done,” Jessica insisted. “We’re leaving now.”

Fangirl’s head swiveled slowly and she glared pure hatred at Jessica. Jessica wouldn’t have been surprised if the petite brunette started spewing split pea soup in her face.

“No one asked you, Jessica.”

Jessica’s eyes widened.

“Yes, I know who you are. You’re the stupid bitch who broke Sed’s—”

Sed covered the young woman’s mouth with one hand and chuckled uneasily. “I’ve got to go now.”

He pulled free of Fangirl’s embrace, took Jessica’s hand, and stumbled toward the elevator. Once they were inside and on their way down, Sed leaned against the wall.

“How did she know my name?” Jessica asked.

He shrugged. “Probably read it in a tabloid or something. Don’t worry about it.”

How could she not worry about it? Some demon-possessed fan girl knew her by name and probably had it in for her. Jessica fiddled with the bracelets on her wrists. She wondered how many other Sedric Lionheart fans thought she was a stupid bitch. Because Sed could obviously do no wrong. And why did she care anyway? She knew what a self-centered jerk he was, even if every other person on the planet was clueless.

Sed wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her closer. “I can’t wait to get you to a nice, comfortable bed,” he murmured. “Nothing but missionary position for the next several days.”

She smiled and snuggled closer, her hand resting on the warm skin of his belly. Yes, that was what she needed to focus on. Their sex-only relationship. Not these unfounded feelings of hurt over Sed’s ridiculous fans. Who cared what they thought of her? “Missionary? I’ll believe that when I see it.”

Sed kissed her on the forehead. “You know what I hate about you?”

She scowled, some strange emotion stealing her breath. “What?”

“You know me too well.”

“You know what I hate about you?”

“What?”

“Everything.”

“Oh yeah?”

She nodded.

He chuckled. “Baby, if that’s how you show your hatred, I can’t wait to see how you show you care.”

Chapter 13

Sed accepted the set of keycards from the clerk at the Bellagio Hotel’s check-in desk. He took Jessica’s hand, his heart already drumming with anticipation, and headed for the elevator. Whatever little game she was playing with him, he was more than happy to participate. That h-word did a number on his heart every time she said it, even if he didn’t believe she really meant it, but he had no doubt he’d win her back. She was slipping already.

His cell phone rang, startling him. So few people had his private number. Who would be calling him at one o’clock in the morning? He retrieved his phone from his pocket and checked the number on the incoming-call screen. Eric?

“Yeah?” Sed answered.

“Hate to bother you,” Eric said. “I didn’t know who else to call.”

“What’s wrong?” Sed covered his free ear with his hand and started walking toward the exit for better reception.

“They just checked Trey into Intensive Care and I can’t get ahold of Brian. Trey keeps asking for him, but I guess Brian turned off his phone.”

“What? Why is Trey in the hospital?”

“He had a seizure right after you left, so I called an ambulance. They did an MRI and he has a subdural hema-something-or-other. They have to drill through his skull to, oh I don’t know, fix it. Can you find Brian? Dare is freaking out and scaring the hell out of Trey. Trey could really use Brian’s levelheadedness right about now.”

“I’ll find Brian. I mean how hard can it be? I have no idea where he is and there are only a million hotel rooms in this city.”

Jessica grabbed his arm. “He and Myrna are at the Venetian. A suite with a Jacuzzi tub.”

“Jessica says he’s at the Venetian. Is Trey going to be okay?”

“The doctor said he has a fair chance of recovery if they can decrease the pressure on his brain in the next few hours.”

“If?” Sed ran a hand over his face. “Jesus Christ. This is all my fault.”

“Sed, that’s bullshit. It’s all that bouncer’s fault. You shouldn’t bash people in the back of the head with an aluminum bat.”

Sed glanced down at Jessica who was trotting beside him and staring up at him anxiously.

“If I hadn’t reacted the way I did when I saw…” He avoided looking at Jessica and opened the door to the nearest cab. “Can you take me to the Venetian?” he asked the cab driver.

“Sure thing, mate.”

Jessica climbed into the cab and Sed slid in next to her.

“I’m off to find Brian at his hotel. You try calling the front desk. I’ll call you back soon.”

Eric sighed in relief. “Thanks, Sed.”

Sed ended the call.

“What’s going on?” Jessica took his hand firmly in hers.

He shook off her grasp. He should have been there for Trey, not fucking Jessica along the Vegas strip. If he’d never seen her in the first place, they’d have never been in a bar fight and Trey wouldn’t be in this life-threatening position. “Trey’s in the hospital. I’ve got to find Brian.”

“What’s wrong with Trey?”

“He had a seizure. Something about brain swelling. I don’t know. Eric didn’t explain it very well.” He leaned forward to talk to the driver. “We don’t want to sightsee, dude. Hurry up, okay? It’s an emergency.” He reached for his wallet and tossed several hundred-dollar bills into the front seat.

The cab driver hit the gas, whipping around stalled traffic without hesitation. Soon, they pulled up to the Venetian hotel’s entrance and drew to a stop.

Sed handed another hundred to the driver. “Can you stay here and hold the cab for me?”

“My pleasure, mate.” He turned on the “off duty” sign and put the cab in park.

“What can I do to help?” Jessica asked.

“Stay here. You’ll just slow me down.”

She looked hurt, but nodded in agreement. Sed hopped out of the cab and raced into the opulent lobby. He hurried to the check-in counter to find the night clerk immersed in a heated debate with someone on the phone.

“I can’t ring someone’s room at this hour, sir. I understand that it’s an emergency, but the guest in question has a do not disturb under any circumstances ord—” The clerk flushed beneath his olive complexion. “No sir, my head is not permanently inserted in my ass.”

Sed jerked the phone receiver out of the clerk’s hand. “Eric?”

“Who is this?” someone said on the other end of the line.

“It’s Sed.”

“This is Dare. Will you punch that stupid fuck of a desk clerk in the face for me?”

“If he doesn’t call Brian, then yes, I’ll punch him in the face for you. And again for me. And three times for Trey.”

“Sir, you need to calm down,” the desk clerk said, while repeatedly pushing a button to call for security.

Jessica appeared at Sed’s elbow. She took the phone out of his hand and handed it to the desk clerk. “Jean Carlo,” she greeted the attractive Roman-looking guy.

How the hell did she know him? Had she gone out with this stupid jackass? Watched the fountain with him? Let him put his hands on her? Screwed him? Had she liked it? Begged for more? Sed clenched both fists so he wouldn’t reach across the desk and strangle the fucker.

The desk clerk’s eyes widened with recognition and he smiled fondly at Jessica. “Feather. Lovely to see you.”

Feather?

“I’m sorry my friend is a little out of hand,” she said.

“A little? Did you see what he did? He just yanked the phone—”

“I’m sure he’s sorry.” Jessica looked up at Sed pointedly.

It was obvious that he’d get nowhere with his current tactics, besides tossed out of the hotel on his ass.

“Yeah, I’m sorry,” Sed said. “A guest in this hotel has a friend who’s in the hospital. He might die. Do you understand? I need to speak to Brian Sinclair. Trust me, he wants to know about this.”

“You are the one who doesn’t understand. Mister Sinclair is a celebrity, and—”

“I know he’s a celebrity. He’s in my fucking band. Jesus—”

Jessica covered Sed’s mouth with her hand.

Security had arrived. “Is this guy causing a problem, Jean Carlo?”

Jessica stared deeply into Jean Carlo’s eyes and shook her head pointedly. He mimicked her motion. “Just a misunderstanding,” Jean Carlo said to the security guards.

The four large men stepped to the side of the desk, keeping a close eye on Sed, who happened to be wearing leather pants, a duster, and no shirt. He supposed he did look even more suspicious than usual.

Jessica crooked a finger at Jean Carlo and leaned close to him. Sed’s body tensed. As if he hadn’t wanted to punch this dumb fuck in the face enough already.

The way-too-handsome clerk smiled while Jessica whispered into his ear. He scrawled something on a piece of paper and handed it to her.

She kissed his cheek and leaned away.

“I’ll see you at the club tomorrow night, Feather,” Jean Carlo said. “It’s payday.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Sed’s knuckles cracked under the strain of his clenching fists.

“Oh, I’m sorry, sweetie,” Jessica said. “I got fired. I thought you knew.”

Jean Carlo scowled, his slim dark brows drawing together. “Fired? Well, where are you working now?”

“Nowhere at the moment, but I’ll let you know if I start dancing again.”

Jessica grabbed Sed’s sleeve and led him away from the desk.

“Wait, he still didn’t call Brian.”

“Shh,” Jessica demanded. She pulled him behind a pillar and handed him the slip of paper the clerk had given her. “This is Brian’s room number. Jean Carlo can’t call their room, but we can go up and knock on the door. And if we get into trouble, he did not help us. Got it?”

“Don’t you need a guest key to get on the elevator?”

She handed him a plastic card. “Any more questions?”

“Did he really call you Feather?”

Her nose wrinkled, making him want to kiss its adorable tip. “My stripper stage name. Any other questions?”

“Did you fuck that guy?” He jerked a thumb in the direction of the front desk.

“None of your business.”

Maybe. But he still wanted to kill him. “Let’s go get Brian now.”

Within minutes, they were standing outside Brian’s hotel suite. Sed knocked loudly. No answer.

“You don’t think they’ve gone out, do you?” Jessica asked.

“Highly unlikely,” Sed said. “He’s with Myrna on his honeymoon. If anything, he’s passed out from exhaustion.” He knocked again, more loudly this time. “Brian,” he shouted. “Open the door.”

There was a loud thunk on the other side of the door. A moment later, Brian yanked it open. He had a sheet bunched around his naked hips. His entire body was drenched in sweat and his shoulder-length black hair stuck to his damp face and neck.

“This better be important.”

“Is that Sed?” Myrna appeared behind Brian, cinching a bathrobe around her waist.

“And Jessica,” Brian grumbled.

While Brian scowled at this discovery, Myrna grinned. “You two should consider getting your own room. We’re using every square inch of ours.”

Sed didn’t know how to break the news other than just blurting it. “It’s Trey. He had a seizure and he’s in the ICU at the hospital. He keeps asking for you, Brian, so Eric sent me to find you.”

“Trey?” Brian said, dumbstruck.

Myrna’s knowing grin faded. “It’s his head injury, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, he has a subdur– hema…um…”

“A subdural hematoma?” Myrna winced. “Are they draining it?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sed said. “I don’t really know.”

“I’ll find Brian some clothes and we’ll be right out,” Myrna promised.

Myrna tugged Brian inside and closed the door.

Sed leaned against the wall heavily. “Thanks, Jessica. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

She smiled and nodded. “I feel kind of responsible for the entire thing.”

“Why? It’s my fault.”

She shook her head. “You should call Eric and let them know we found Brian.”

He dialed Eric, who answered on the first ring.

“Did you find him?”

“Yeah, we’ll be on our way in a few minutes. Which hospital?”

Eric relayed the hospital’s location. The hotel suite door opened and Brian emerged, still pulling his shirt over his head. Myrna closed the door behind them, stumbling against the wall as she tried to walk and put on her shoes at the same time.

“Lead the way,” Myrna said.

When they were all on the elevator, Myrna leaned against Brian and brushed the hair from his face. “He’ll be fine, sweetheart.”

“What’s a subdural whatever-you-call-it?” Sed asked Myrna, who seemed to understand what was going on.