band?”
She shook her head, touched the worn surface of the counter,
apparently grounding herself. “Probably not. At least, not if they’d cleared it
with me beforehand. I was always too—too everything with you, Riku. Yes, it
scared me. Of course it did. At twenty-one you’re supposed to play the field.”
“There are rules?” He watched her, waited. She might have
rules. He didn’t. “I’ve always taken things for what they are.”
“You’re supposed to have a passionate, often unrequited
crush at fourteen, probably on a teacher. Then another and then you learn it’s
not the one and only time. Then lots of boyfriends, lots of kissing and
fondling. Learning. After that, the hymen goes. And then more but education
should come first until you’re nearly thirty.”
“Whose laws are those?”
“Mine.”
He might have known. “And you’re the person who makes them
are you? I always preferred to break them.”
She grimaced, a cute tweak of her nose. “I know.” She folded
her arms across her chest, a gesture that plumped up her breasts beautifully. “I
made my own laws. When I was sixteen. I’d had the crushes, so I decided to go
along with the plan. Everything worked until I was eighteen and I met you. Then
everything went to shit.”
“Thanks.” His turn to grimace.
“I didn’t mean it that way.” A smile tugged at the corner of
her mouth. “You look like one of those cute Japanese masks.”
He knew. “It’s not supposed to be cute.”
“You decided to go elaborate after all.”
“I did. I couldn’t resist the kimono and you can’t wear one
of those onstage without makeup. Besides, the eagle’s flaking.” He turned his
head away so she could see. He’d lost the tips of his wings. “Good experiment
but not entirely successful. It’s done its job. For some reason I was feeling
great.”
She grunted. “Huh. That didn’t last.”
“It lasted right ’til I got offstage and discovered you’d
gone home.”
“I sent my apologies.”
So defensive. He had her on the ropes, so to speak. The
notion gave him ideas he shouldn’t be experiencing. Not part way through an
argument. Although with her in this state maybe more pressure would help her
tell him more. Changing his angle of approach might work.
He leaned toward her, put his weight on his forward foot.
She tilted her body back. Ha. “Not enough, Cyn. Not nearly enough. Now I know
you didn’t have the hint of a migraine. I want to work through this. First, I’ll
tell the band exactly who and what you are. And what you mean to me.”
He’d deliberately left the comment open but she didn’t take
his lead and ask him what she meant to him. Just as well, because he didn’t
want to define their relationship. Not yet, for he wasn’t sure himself. He
badly wanted to find out though. Since her, no other woman had meant as much,
which was weird to say the least because he’d met and fucked some awesome
females. They’d fucked him. He couldn’t remember what one of them had looked
like now. Not when he was in the same room as she. The woman of mystery.
Not for much longer. He’d have answers this time.
She swallowed. “I can’t go back.”
“You can. Whatever else you are to me, Cyn, you’re my friend
and you’re part of my life. I’m not letting you leave unfinished business again.”
That sent her hands to her hips and she pushed her chin
forward. “I get no say?”
“Sure you do. Tell me to fuck off and consider me gone.” He
paused. “For a while, until I work out another way to get to you.”
“Stalking?”
He laughed, short and sharp. “Me? C’mon, Cyn, you know me
better.”
She had to. He didn’t care about anything but the
music and he could do that in a place in the middle of nowhere. Except he’d
found the people who worked with him and each other to make something even
better. He’d miss that but he didn’t have to worry about money. Never had. He
came from wealthy parents, had the
She shook her head, touched the worn surface of the counter,
apparently grounding herself. “Probably not. At least, not if they’d cleared it
with me beforehand. I was always too—too everything with you, Riku. Yes, it
scared me. Of course it did. At twenty-one you’re supposed to play the field.”
“There are rules?” He watched her, waited. She might have
rules. He didn’t. “I’ve always taken things for what they are.”
“You’re supposed to have a passionate, often unrequited
crush at fourteen, probably on a teacher. Then another and then you learn it’s
not the one and only time. Then lots of boyfriends, lots of kissing and
fondling. Learning. After that, the hymen goes. And then more but education
should come first until you’re nearly thirty.”
“Whose laws are those?”
“Mine.”
He might have known. “And you’re the person who makes them
are you? I always preferred to break them.”
She grimaced, a cute tweak of her nose. “I know.” She folded
her arms across her chest, a gesture that plumped up her breasts beautifully. “I
made my own laws. When I was sixteen. I’d had the crushes, so I decided to go
along with the plan. Everything worked until I was eighteen and I met you. Then
everything went to shit.”
“Thanks.” His turn to grimace.
“I didn’t mean it that way.” A smile tugged at the corner of
her mouth. “You look like one of those cute Japanese masks.”
He knew. “It’s not supposed to be cute.”
“You decided to go elaborate after all.”
“I did. I couldn’t resist the kimono and you can’t wear one
of those onstage without makeup. Besides, the eagle’s flaking.” He turned his
head away so she could see. He’d lost the tips of his wings. “Good experiment
but not entirely successful. It’s done its job. For some reason I was feeling
great.”
She grunted. “Huh. That didn’t last.”
“It lasted right ’til I got offstage and discovered you’d
gone home.”
“I sent my apologies.”
So defensive. He had her on the ropes, so to speak. The
notion gave him ideas he shouldn’t be experiencing. Not part way through an
argument. Although with her in this state maybe more pressure would help her
tell him more. Changing his angle of approach might work.
He leaned toward her, put his weight on his forward foot.
She tilted her body back. Ha. “Not enough, Cyn. Not nearly enough. Now I know
you didn’t have the hint of a migraine. I want to work through this. First, I’ll
tell the band exactly who and what you are. And what you mean to me.”
He’d deliberately left the comment open but she didn’t take
his lead and ask him what she meant to him. Just as well, because he didn’t
want to define their relationship. Not yet, for he wasn’t sure himself. He
badly wanted to find out though. Since her, no other woman had meant as much,
which was weird to say the least because he’d met and fucked some awesome
females. They’d fucked him. He couldn’t remember what one of them had looked
like now. Not when he was in the same room as she. The woman of mystery.
Not for much longer. He’d have answers this time.
She swallowed. “I can’t go back.”
“You can. Whatever else you are to me, Cyn, you’re my friend
and you’re part of my life. I’m not letting you leave unfinished business again.”
That sent her hands to her hips and she pushed her chin
forward. “I get no say?”
“Sure you do. Tell me to fuck off and consider me gone.” He
paused. “For a while, until I work out another way to get to you.”
“Stalking?”
He laughed, short and sharp. “Me? C’mon, Cyn, you know me
better.”
She had to. He didn’t care about anything but the
music and he could do that in a place in the middle of nowhere. Except he’d
found the people who worked with him and each other to make something even
better. He’d miss that but he didn’t have to worry about money. Never had. He
came from wealthy parents, had the
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