Текст книги "Lyric"

Автор книги: Regina Frame

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I crossed my arms over my chest, which only thrust my breasts higher, catching his attention. "As you can see I made it home safe and sound." I reached for the doorknob, but he stepped in my way, blocking me from closing the door.

"I asked you to wait. Why did you leave?"

"It looked like you had better things to do and besides, I told you, that's not really my thing, anyway." Something ghosted across his face, but disappeared just as fast.

"Would you be surprised if I told you, that's not really my thing, either? Don't get me wrong, I love performing, I love meeting fans, but there are times when I just want to find a quiet place to chill, you know? Read a book or watch a movie. Talk to a friend. Besides, your friend told me you weren't feeling well. You look more than fine to me." He narrowed his eyes in a playful way. Damn, he was cute.

"You think you can tell that from what? The whole five minutes we spoke at the bar? I'm that transparent huh?" I laughed. "You really should've been a doctor," I joked.

"If you remember correctly, we spoke in the hallway outside the meet and greet room, so you better make that at least ten minutes." It was his turn to laugh and when he did, good God, a dimple appeared in his cheek that made me want to lick it. He just got hotter by the minute.

"So, are you going to invite me in or kick me out? Cause, I can honestly say that Levi Cross has never been kicked out of a girls place before." He grinned at me, as if he knew there was no way in hell he would be kicked out. I grinned really, big and reached around him for the doorknob, bumping his hip as I did. I pulled on the door, forcing him to step aside. He looked at me confused.

"If you don't mind," I said, nodding my head toward the door. "It's getting kind of late and well . . . I was headed to bed." I gently pushed his shoulder and he stepped just outside my door. His eyes traveled backwards, from my bare feet and thighs, and then up to meet my eyes. He winked playfully.

"Oh, darlin’, I don't mind." He flashed his perfectly white teeth and winked again.

"Good, because there's a first time for everything," I said, and closed the door in his face. I stood with my back to the door, grinning like a fool, and wondering what had just happened. Was this all a dream? Levi Cross, was just at my apartment? And, I just shut the door in his face.

"This is not exactly what I had in mind." I heard him say through the door. I could almost hear the smile in his voice.

"Goodnight, Mr. Cross."

"It's Levi." I heard him correct through the wooden door, as I walked down the hall toward my bedroom. I stepped into my room and stared at my hot-pink vibrator lying on the bed. Dead batteries. My battery-operated boyfriend really had let me down this time. Damn him!

Peyton

I stepped into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee, only to find Jules, sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a smirk on her face.

"What?" I asked, reaching for my favorite coffee mug in the drying rack.

"Rough night?" She giggled, while tapping her red manicured nails on the old laminate table.

"I'm sure I should be asking you that. I'm not the one with a hangover and I slept just fine, thank you." I blew at the steam billowing over the top of my coffee mug.

"Are you sure about that? Because when I came home earlier this morning, there was quite the mess in the kitchen," the corner of her mouth quirked up, into an almost evil grin. I was in such a state after I closed the door in Levi's face last night; I'd forgotten to clean up my mess in the kitchen. Shit!

"Wait just a minute!" I slapped my palm down on the counter. "You wicked bitch! You hid all the double A batteries, didn’t you?" It was all perfectly clear to me now. My friend was evil. She laughed hysterically, while I couldn't help but glower at her.

"Oh. My. God! When Levi found Marcus and me on the patio, he asked if I knew where my friend was. I told him that you went home sick. He seemed genuinely worried, so when he asked for the address, I gave it to him. I thought, "BAM!" Peyton will be getting laid tonight! What the hell, is wrong with you? You probably crushed his ego."

"I kind of doubt that, besides, I'm pretty sure there were plenty of girls waiting in line to stroke said ego, so no worries there." I walked across the room and poured myself another cup of coffee. "So, tell me what happened with you and that Marcus guy? Did you get some last night?" I asked, quirking a knowing brow.

"Lucky doesn't even do it justice. That man was hung, fucked like a stallion, and he wants to see me again tonight! Hell, I'm surprised I can even sit down today." She winced a little as she shifted in her chair.

"That's a little TMI, Jules. What are you two doing tonight besides the obvious?"

"There's a small party at his house on the East side. He asked me to come and said to bring a plus one." A smirk graced her lips.

"Plus one?" I inquired, pointing at myself. She rolled her eyes at me as if I'd just asked the dumbest question ever and nodded, with the world's biggest smile plastered across her face.

"I don't think so, Jules. I don't think . . ."

"What? Do you have better things to do? You're afraid of having a little fun?"

"That's not it and you know it. I saw the look in Marcus' eyes last night. He looked messed up on something. You know I'm not comfortable in an environment like that. I might've had to grow up in it, but that doesn't mean that I have to be a part of it now." Jules took a step in my direction and looked at me with understanding in her eyes.

"I know sweetie. I'm sorry, I didn't even think about that. If you don't want to go, that's okay. I totally understand. I honestly didn't see Marcus or anyone around us, do anything but drink last night. If I had, I wouldn't have stayed." She looked down at the floor, and then up to me. She'd clearly made a decision. "I'm not going either. We'll go to a movie or . . ."

"Stop." I held up my hand in front of her face and she stopped talking. "I'll go, just promise me that if things start to get heavy, we're out of there. Both of us!" I stressed the last part just to be sure she understood. Who was I to stand in the way of my friend’s happiness? However, if something happened to my friend, I'd never forgive myself. At the same time, maybe she was right and I did need to get out a little, to be a little more trusting of people. Just because Teake did drugs and screwed around on me, didn't mean they were all like that.

"You're really going to go?" She grinned and bounced up on her toes. "I promise you won't be sorry. We'll stick together and you'll see, it'll be so much fun!" She wrapped her arms around my neck, causing me to stumble a step back. We both laughed at her excitement.

"Sorry." She stuck her bottom lip out in an attempt to look apologetic, but it didn't work. I couldn't help but laugh again.

It was a thirty-minute cab ride to get to Marcus Little's house on the East side. The house was built on the beach and looked like a small city. I'd never seen anything like it. Our cab stopped at the gate, pressed the intercom button, and waited a couple of minutes for someone to answer and let us in.

We drove for what seemed like another mile at least through the immaculate kept grounds until we came to the front of the house. It was a multi-story, white stone mansion, which was lit up like the department stores on Christmas. The trees and landscaping even had tiny, white lights scattered throughout. This was how rock stars lived. Wow.

We paid the driver and walked up the stone pathway to the double glass doors at the front of the house. We could see people walking about through the beveled glass in the doors and loud music poured from the house. I lifted my hand to knock, but Jules pushed the door open and took a step inside.

"What are you doing? We can't just walk into someone's house without at least knocking," I told her over the loud music.

"We were invited and besides, no one would ever hear us over the music anyway. Come on." She grabbed my hand and pulled me through the entry hall where several people were gathered, but none of them even seemed to notice us.

"You made it!" Marcus came out of nowhere and buried his nose in Jules neck, causing her to giggle. He lifted his head and kissed her on the lips before noticing that Jules was still holding my hand. "Hi, I'm Marcus and you must be Peyton." He offered his hand for me to shake. It didn't escape me that he'd just seen me with Jules last night at the after party. He must have been truly messed up.

"That's me." I smiled and took his hand.

"Jules has told me a lot about you. I'm glad you could make it. Why don't we grab a drink and go out back to the patio?" He crossed the room with us in tow, grabbed three bottles of Bud Light, and handed two of them to us. We once again followed his lead through big open doors and onto a covered patio that overlooked a massive guitar-shaped pool. Marcus dropped down into an overstuffed gray chair next to the fireplace while I took a seat on the sofa across from them.

People walked all around us, half-dressed, drinks in hand. Some were even wearing swimsuits and had been in the pool. I guess that's why there was a massive fireplace on the patio. Nights in LA could get cool at times. It made me wonder if the pool was heated.

"I see someone I need to speak to." Marcus shifted, so that Jules slid off his lap and onto the chair. "Be right back," he said, kissing her forehead. Jules looked up at me with a big grin on her face. Seeing her smile made it worth coming, even though I felt like a third-wheel—one with a flat, at that.

"I'm going to find a restroom. Want to come with?"

"Nah . . . I think I'll stay here," I said. I leaned forward and sat my beer on the glass table in front of me.

"Okay. Suit yourself. I'll be right back." I watched her disappear through the crowd and into the massive house.

Levi

I parked my midnight-black Camaro behind a long line of expensive sports cars in front of Marcus' house. I shook my head as I walked toward the multi-story mansion. I'd never been one for all the flashy stuff. Shit. My dad was a cop until he was taken from us, and after that, my mom worked as a receptionist at a local medical office to make ends meet. It helped that my dad had good benefits, but we still lived on the lower end of a middle-class lifestyle.

I had all the money that some people only dreamt of and still; I lived a modest lifestyle. I tried to buy my mom a new house when our band hit it big a few years ago, but she wouldn't hear of it. She had said that my dad bought that house for her, when they were first married and there was no way she would ever part with it, so after a lot of begging on my part, she finally agreed to allowing a few updates to the old two-story home.

"Levi, my man!" Marcus called my name as he stepped onto the stone pathway in front of the house. A tall guy with messy, dark hair mumbled something, walking around me and further down the path.

"Nice digs, man." I smirked, looking around at the immaculate landscape.

"What good's the money, if you can't spend it man? I keep telling you . . ."

"I know, live the lifestyle," I said, rolling my eyes at him. "Who was that guy? He looked familiar." I questioned, tipping my head toward the guy that just left.

"Who? Teake? He's the guitarist for Nuclear Disaster. He also deals in party favors." He arched his brow as he pulled a baggy full of white powder from the front pocket of his jeans. Fuck.

"I'll meet you outback." He told me, as he turned and took the stairs two at a time. If I had to guess, he was going to the bathroom to do a few lines before making his way back to the party.

I grabbed a beer from the large bucket of ice beside the patio door and stepped out into the cool night air. I looked around to see if I could spot some of the guys, but there were just too many damn people. I did see a familiar curtain of blond hair hanging over the back of an outdoors sofa. How the hell, was she sitting alone? I strolled over with my beer and plopped down on the empty space beside her. Her head lifted from where she stared at her phone and her beautiful, gray eyes sparkled from the glow of the fireplace.

"I see you're here with all your imaginary friends." I laughed and gave her a playful wink. A small smile curled on her pretty, pink lips before she laughed nervously.

"They're the best friends anyone could ever ask for," she said. "They always give you the best advice. You always look good to them and they'd never ever talk trash about you on social media." She waved her hand to the empty seat in front of us. I arched a brow and took a swig of my beer.

"Who's talking trash? I'll kick their ass!" I looked at the crowd around us and she lightly chuckled.

"I'm only kidding," she said.

"I see you found your next baby momma," Marcus snickered, as he dropped into the chair across from us. Peyton's friend, Jules, wasted no time crawling onto his lap.

"Fuck that," I grunted.

"I think you already did that, man." He thought he was being funny, but that's how rumors started and I didn't need that shit!

"I'm just pissin’ with ya. Don't go gettin' your dick in a knot over it!" He was definitely high now judging by his blown-out pupils.

"Not funny, dude. Not funny at all." I felt Peyton shift on the cushion beside me, and a frown appeared on her beautiful face.

"You're married?" Her brows pinched together.

"Fuck no, I'm not married!"

"So, you have a child and you're not married?" She looked at me as if she would have expected this from me. That was what pissed me the fuck off. People thought they knew me when they didn't!

"Don't listen to him, no kids and not married," I quickly assured her. Marcus snickered from his seat across from us, so I lifted my hand and flipped him the middle finger.

"I'm just fucking with him. You see there was this chick stalking him, claiming that she'd slept with him and had his baby. That shit was all over social media, but none of it was true. I just like to bust his balls over it!" Marcus laughed and I could see Peyton visibly relax beside me. I had to get her away from Marcus. He liked to shoot off his mouth about shit he knew nothing about and I didn't want her believing everything he said.

"What do you say, we take a walk and get away from this ass clown?" She looked across the coffee table to where her friend sat in a lip lock with said, ‘ass clown,’ and then let out a sigh.

"Sure. Why not?" She stood and I grasped her hand with mine. Surprisingly, she didn't pull away. It was probably because we mentioned the friend-zone last night. We weaved our way through the throng of people gathered around the pool and took the steps leading out to the beach. The music faded into the background and the sounds of waves crashing replaced it. It was such a peaceful sound and peace was something rare for me these days.

"This is beautiful," she said, as she lowered herself onto the white sand, which was now bathed in inky moonlight.

"Not as beautiful as you," I whispered, reaching for her hand. Her body stiffened for a moment, but she didn't pull away.

"I thought we decided on friend status." She looked up at me through dark lashes.

"Friends hold hands," I said, giving hers a gentle squeeze. "Tell me something about yourself. I want to get know my new friend." I gave her my best smile. It’s the smile, which was known for melting panties.

"You, first." She nudged my shoulder with hers, sending a wave of heat throughout my body. Her floral scent tickled my nose and I wanted nothing more than to kiss her in that moment.

"Well, let's see. Where to start," I said playfully, while scratching my chin thoughtfully. "I started singing at a young age. I play a few instruments. It's something that I find very relaxing. I'm nothing like the other guys when it comes to partying. I'm not saying that I don't indulge occasionally, because I do. It's just not an every night or weekend thing for me. There are many times after a show that I'll just go back to the bus or my hotel room and play my guitar or write lyrics. It's something that I can get lost in and forget about the world outside, even if it's only temporary." I honestly had tried to cut down on the partying and groupie activity.

"What about family? Do you get to see them much with all the traveling you do?"

That was the one topic, which made me the most uncomfortable. But, if I wanted to get close to this girl, I was going to have to get used to talking about things that made me sad. "My dad died when I was small and my mom is a two-time breast cancer survivor. She actually still lives here in LA, in the same house I grew up in," I told her.

Her beautiful eyes turned a stormy gray and a look of sadness appeared on her sweet face.

"I'm sorry," she replied softly.

"Thank you. My dad's been gone for a while now, and my mom, she's my hero. I'm eager to go see her now that we're back in LA for a while." I looked at her for a moment, taking her in before changing the subject. "Now, tell me about Peyton." I nudged her shoulder this time.

"There's not much to tell. My dad left when I was really, small, so I don't remember much about him. Then, my mom, let's just say, we no longer talk." She swallowed hard and tears glistened in her eyes. Oh, shit.

"What about school? Work? I want to know everything there is to know about you." God, she was going to think I was some kind of crazy stalker now.

"I'm graduating in six months with a degree in business. What I'll do from there, I'm not really, sure yet. I work enough hours at a coffee shop on campus to help Jules with expenses, but that doesn't leave much for anything else. I've been trying to find another job, it just hasn't happened yet."

As soon as the words left her mouth, I knew what I was going to do, and if the rest of the guys didn't like it, they could suck me! "I might know of something," I said.

"Oh really?" she asked, her voice hopeful.

"Hell yes! Our band is looking for an assistant. With your business background, I think you'd be perfect."

"You're shittin’ me." She laughed and covered her mouth. She looked at me as if she didn't believe what I’d just offered her. I couldn't help but laugh at her comment.

"I shit you not!" I laughed. "I was actually going to place an ad in the paper next week and hopefully start interviewing, but, if you want the job, it's yours."

"Really? I mean; that would be great!" She threw her arms around my neck and rolled us back onto the sand. The scent of ocean and fresh flowers filled my nose as she stared down at me with flushed cheeks. "Thank you, so much." And just like that, she was up on her feet.

"I have to go tell Jules. She's going to die when she hears the news." She brushed herself off and looked back to where I sat on the sand. I couldn't move, because from the moment she threw her arms around my neck, my cock had sprung to life. There was no way in hell, I'd stand up now and scare her off.

"You go ahead. I'll catch up to you." I watched her perfect hips swaying, as she walked up the steps and disappeared from sight. I doubted that we could ever be just friends. That girl was mine. She just didn't know it yet.

Peyton

"You've got to be the luckiest bitch I know," Jules said from where she sat on my bed. I shuffled through the hangers in my closet in search of something to wear. I was meeting the band at a small get together tonight at the bass players house. Levi told me he'd pick me up at seven. It was already six and I'd yet to decide on what to wear. I did remember he told me to wear something warm, because Linc and Honesty lived on the beach, and the breeze coming off the ocean could get chilly at night. I finally decided on a dark pair of jeans and a soft pink sweater.

"Let's just hope the guys like me, or I'll be stuck at the coffee shop longer than I want to be."

"They'd be crazy not to love you. You sure I can't go with you? I kind of have a thing for the drummer." She winked at me.

"Jules, you have a thing for rockers, period." I laughed and ran the brush through my long, blond hair. "What about Marcus?”

"We're just having fun. He has my number if he wants to call, maybe I'll answer, and maybe I won't. Besides, you know me, I like variety." She giggled, walked from the room, and disappeared down the hall. There was one thing about Jules; she was a free spirit. She had probably been a hippie in a former life.

"Relax, you've got nothing to be nervous about." Levi's silver skull ring, clicked against the metal of the gearshift as his Camaro sped down the interstate. It was bad enough sitting in his brand, spanking new mean-machine with him, looking delicious in a pair of designer jeans and gray, long-sleeve sweater, but I was actually going to meet the rest of the band. I felt so jittery right then that I wanted to crawl under the seat and hide. I smiled and brushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

"That's easy for you to say. You know these people and I don't. I'm not used to being around famous people. They make me nervous." I admitted and resisted running my damp palms over the tops of my jeans.

"Really, Peyton, we're just normal everyday people. We eat, sleep, and deal with normal shit just like everybody else." I bit down on my lower lip and stared out the window, watching the scenery fly by.

We rolled to a stop in front of a multi-story beach home, protected by a tall brick and iron fence. Levi punched in a code and the large, black gate swung open, granting us entrance. It wasn't as large or elaborate as Marcus Little's mansion, but it was a close second. Palm trees and flowering shrubs looked as though they'd been strategically placed to highlight the structure of the home. There was a circular drive and a coral color, cement path, which led to the house’s entrance. The cut glass in the door sparkled in the light of the beautiful chandelier that could be seen through the double doors.

"Take your shoes off!" A beautiful brunette eyed Levi as we stepped inside. He grumbled something under his breath about Honesty, while he slipped out of his chucks.

"What the fuck? I used to live here. I never had to take my shoes off then." Levi replied playfully, and then hugged the beautiful woman. For a moment, something in the pit of my stomach didn't set well. Could this be an old girlfriend? What was more disturbing was why that thought bothered me?

"You don't live here anymore. Besides, we got new carpet and I'd like to keep it nice without you guys fucking it up!" She laughed, before turning her attention to me. Wow. She really was beautiful and suddenly I felt like a sack of potatoes. A knot formed in my throat when I extended my hand.

"I'm Peyton Frost." Levi wrapped his arm around my shoulder and tugged me into his side. A very warm side, making my girly parts tingle. Damn.

"Peyton, this is Honesty, Linc's wife." He tilted his head toward the beaming brunette. I really should have done some band research if I was hoping to work with them.

"It's so nice to meet you, Peyton. The guys are out back if you'd like to join them. I'm just going to finish up in the kitchen and then I'll be out," she said, looking from Levi to me.

"I'd love to help, if that's okay," I offered.

"I would appreciate that." She smiled warmly and I relaxed a little. Levi gave a salute and laughed as if he knew he'd just received his marching orders. I watched him walk out onto the patio to join the rest.

"So, Levi told us that you're taking the assistants job," she commented, as she began placing sub sandwiches onto a large platter. "I think that's great. They could really use someone to help them out. They've been without a manager for a while now. That's another story for another time," she added.

"I honestly don't know how Jinx and they guys have made it this long without someone. I try to help as much as I can, but my free time is about to become filled with other things." She grinned when she said it, but didn't elaborate and I didn't ask.

"They have a website, Facebook page, Twitter accounts, among other social media sites to keep tabs on. They're good about posting things for their fans, but some of the guys need a little more guidance than others. Just to give you an example," she arched her brow with a grin. "Chance likes to post dick pics." She rolled her eyes, and I couldn't help but full-out belly laugh.

"I swear, they are like babysitting a bunch of three year olds sometimes." She laughed, and picked up the now overflowing platter of sandwiches. "Grab the chips if you don't mind." She nodded toward the big bowl sitting on the counter.

I grabbed the bowl and fell into step behind her, feeling a little more at ease than the ride over. We stepped out onto the patio that surrounded a sparkling, blue pool. The guys were all lounging nearby nursing beers. Levi stood from his chair and closed the distance when he caught sight of me.

"Guys, this is, Peyton Frost. She's the band's new assistant, so show her some love, but not too much, because I've got my eye on this one," he said, pulling me into his side. The touch caused my body to light up like the fourth of fucking July. It was as if we’d never even had the friend’s discussion. Levi introduced me to the members and he was right, they were just like normal people. Maybe I could handle this job after all. They all stood and made their way over to the table where Honesty and I stood.

"We've heard a lot of good things about you, Peyton. We all look forward to working with you. I'm Jinx by the way," he said, offering his hand to me. He gave me a smile, which revealed two deep dimples and perfectly, straight, white teeth. He was handsome, but not nearly as handsome as Levi. Jinx was all lean muscle, where Levi was ripped.

"I can see you meet all of the qualifications for the job." The guy with the Mohawk said, as he was checking me out. He was a little shorter than the other guys, but the blue Mohawk made up for the difference. His body was covered in tattoos and had several facial piercings. Did he think that I was hired just because I had a pretty face and nice body? Did he think I was just another groupie? I sure hoped not. It couldn't be farther from the truth.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I practically snarled. The pretty blond with pink streaks in her hair elbowed him in the side and gave him the evil eye.

"I'm just yanking your chain! I'm Chance, by the way, and that—is Sparkles. He tilted his head toward the blond.

"My name is Honor, and please ignore him. He thinks he's such a comedian." She smiled and the diamond stud in her nose twinkled under the lights. That's when I noticed that she also had several facial piercings.

A tall guy with dark hair and bulging arms covered in tattoos, stepped up to the table, and wrapped his big beefy arm around Honesty, causing her to giggle.

"This is Linc," Levi said, tipping his head toward the big man. He plays bass, but mostly, he and I write the music for the group. You'll see more of him when we get into the studio next week."

We all gathered around the table and ate, laughed, and the guys shared some pretty, funny stories. They told me about their adventures on the road, and how some women would go to extreme lengths, just to get with the guys. It made me think about Teake and the pictures I'd seen in the tabloids, but for once, it didn't hurt my heart like it did.

"I better get you home," Levi said, standing from his chair, and reaching for my hand. We said goodnight to everyone and headed for the door. Levi opened my car door and helped me inside, before sliding into the leather seat on the driver's side.

"So what'd you think?" He looked at me with a crooked grin and that damn dimple popped in his cheek.

"Everyone was really nice. I think I'm going to like working with you guys." I smiled, but felt a blush creep up my neck and onto cheeks, because I was really looking forward to working with him. It's as if he could read my mind. He gave me a wink, and his blue eyes sparkled playfully under the streetlights.

"So, I was thinking that maybe we could get together tomorrow night and discuss the fundraiser. I could cook you dinner and we can toss around a few ideas. I'd really like to see what we could come up with." He glanced at me before turning his eyes back to the road.

"Get outta here! You? Mr. rock star can cook?" I said playfully.

"I'm really offended by that remark. I'll have you know that I'm a damn good cook." He arched his brow and laughed.

"I'm so sorry if I wounded the big bad rocker, I would love for you to cook for me, but only if you'll let me make desert."

"Ooh! Maybe we should have desert first, then." The way he said it, led me to believe his idea of desert and mine, were two different things entirely. I couldn't help but laugh.

"You are so bad," I said playfully. My cheeks heated and the tips of my ears burned.

"You have no idea, just how bad I can be." Wow.

Levi pulled into a parking spot in front of my building and jumped out, before I could even reach for my door handle.

"I really enjoyed meeting the band tonight. I'm excited about working with them. I think it's gonna be great. I've already got some ideas for ways to promote you guys."

"I look forward to hearing all about them tomorrow night." He grinned and pressed his hard body against mine, so that my back was pressed against the door. My breathing picked up a notch and I looked into his blue eyes, full of lust.

"What are you doing?" I placed my hands against his chest and gently pushed against the hard muscle, but he didn't budge.

"I've been thinking about how much I wanted to kiss you all night. Do you have any idea how hard it was to control myself tonight? Watching you interact with the rest of the band? They fucking loved you," he grinned.

Levi leaned forward, ghosted his lips over mine, and my core clinched tightly with the anticipation of his lips on mine. My eyes fluttered closed and my lips parted, waiting for his lips on mine, but the kiss never came. When I opened my eyes, he took a step back. I immediately felt a chill from the loss of his body heat. God, I wanted that kiss. I wanted it so bad! He flashed a cocky grin, because he knew the affect he had on me. How could he not? I was flushed from head to toe. God, I loved that grin. He was getting me back for closing the door in his face the other night.