I shake my head as he pulls me to him firmly. “I owed you.”

“Is this a competition? Please say yes,” he teases.

He releases my head, then spreads his hand across my ass. Then, with one hand, he lifts, and I squeal until he sets me on the vanity.

“Batter up!” He drops to his knees, pushes my skirt up, and spreads my legs.

“What are you …? Oh, God!”

His mouth covers my panties. I feel his tongue moving up and down the fabric, and I am unraveling … reeling. If I am dying, I will take it now.

“Oh, Memphis.” I grip the edge of the counter and fall back slightly.

I feel a tug and hear a rip.

“Fucking hate those things.”

He pushes his tongue into me, and I try to scoot back, but he captures my knee and lifts my leg over his shoulder. “Stays there,” he growls as his tongue pushes in again.

“Don’t think I—”

“Don’t think, Tales. Feel.” I feel him shoving something—his finger—inside me, and he hisses as he looks up, while still licking and sucking around my clit. “Mmm,” he moans, and the vibration causes me to buck.

“Oh, don’t, don’t …” I beg.

Mischief and desire dance in his eyes, and he does it again and again and again until I crumple apart.

He doesn’t give me a chance to catch my breath. He is sucking me and using his fingers, and … I look down to see he is watching me fall apart … again.

“Water,” I pant. “Memphis …”

“Mmm,” his mouth vibrates against me again.

“I don’t want to hurt you, but … Oh, God,” I cry again, this time less forcefully, because he is sucking the little force I have left out of me … with his mouth.

He sits back and licks his lips, smiling a cocky little smile as I try to get my ultra-relaxed muscles working again.

“Sweet cheeks?”

“Huh?” As I open my eyes, he is looking over at the massive Jacuzzi tub.

“You wanna turn that off?” He smirks, lowering my leg, then standing.

“Oh … hell.” I jump up and scurry over, turning the water off.

I feel his hand on my hip and the soft covering of his wrapped arm on the other. “Don’t. Move.”

“Memphis …” I begin to object.

“Sweet Jesus, Tallia, your ass is so, like, POW!” he grumbles.

“Can I move now?” My voice hitches as his hand cups me between my legs.

“Uh-huh.” He pushes my skirt up, and then I feel his lips touch my bare behind. He growls.

Either he’s hungry, or he’s hungry.

“Any chance you’re on the pill?” his voice rasps as his finger runs between my legs, causing me to tremble.

“No.”

“Any chance you’ll consider it?”

“Doesn’t work that way,” I moan, arching into his touch.

“What way is that?” He kisses me again.

“Not instant—oh, God.”

“Not looking for instant, Tales. Looking forward and behind.” He nips my butt cheek, a low chuckle escaping his throat.

“But—”

“I love yours,” he says, nipping it again. “And before you say a damn thing, this thing, the you-on-your-knees thing, the my-face-between-your-thighs thing, the your-perfect-ass-bent-over-in-front-of-me thing—that’s gonna happen again and again and—”

I stand up and turn to give him a soft dose of reality. However, he grabs the back of my head and kisses me relentlessly. When he finally pulls back, leaving me wanting more, I look up at him as tears sting my eyes.

“It’s not realistic. You’re touring.”

“You’re schooling.”

I flinch when he mentions school.

“Spill it, Tales.”

I shake my head. “Everything’s fi—”

“You are an easy read, Tales.” He cups the side of my face.

“How so?” I hold my hand against his.

“I’m not going to give away all my secrets,”- he smirks as his eyes rake down my body—“but your body talks. Your eyes, Tales… They talk and I’m listening, so spill it.”

I pull my hand away, “You can’t tell Madison. You just can’t, okay?”

“I’m thinking, after the past few days, she kind of has an idea.”

I shake my head as I fist my hair in my hands. “I’m not going back to Julliard. I’m not, and it’s totally okay. I mean, things just weren’t meant to be. It’s perfectly fine, and—

“It’s your dream, Tales. Hell, my mom knew that when you were—”

“You need to just stop talking and get into the bath. I won’t …” He grabs me and hugs me. “It was a foolish dream,” I whisper, “and I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Tales, I’ve seen you dance. I know you’re amazing, so whatever they said that made you decide not to go back—”

I pull back, needing distance, needing a change in subject.

“Bath. Please, Memphis. I’ve made up my mind, and I won’t be returning.”

“Tales …” He uses that tone that all those people at my dad’s funeral used.

“Don’t. Just … go.” I point to the tub, and he steps in, holding his hand up as if to retreat. “Thank you.”

“Join me,” he says, resting his elbow on the side of the tub.

“Your mom, your sister, your—”

“Beautiful. You’re so fucking beautiful.” He is staring at my mouth, and I’ve read enough Cosmo to know what to expect after sexual intimacy. He’s feeling the afterglow, but heck, so am I.

“Do you need anything more?”

His eyebrow shoots up. “What are you offering?”

I cover my face and laugh.

He grabs my skirt and pulls me toward him. “Just sit for a minute, okay? Just sit here and don’t think, Tales. Just—”

“You’re beautiful, too,” I say, shaking my head from side to side.

“I like that you think so.”

“You make me laugh, like a lot.”

“And come,” he says. I uncover my face and roll my eyes. “A lot.”

“I am so sorry about all this stuff—the past couple days, your dad … and all those horrible things that happened to you.”

“It got me sympathy dome from Tallia Annabelle Priest.”  He winks.

I now know what dome means.

“She also stuck by me when I was a dick, lying out in the hospital—”

“And endured your sexual harassment for days,” I add.

“And is still sitting here now.”

I look into his eyes as he looks into mine.

“You’re in pain.”

“So are you. I’m so pissed at my father, Tales. So fucking pissed. But you, well, you lost yours and I—”

“I’m pissed at him, too,” escapes my mouth.

“Why?”

“I didn’t mean to say—”

“But you did, Tales, so tell me.”

“You just got out of the hospital. You just—”

“Look, Tales, I’m gonna tell you a little secret about men, okay?” I nod. “After a blow job, ending the way the one you gave me did, a man is on cloud ninety-nine for a good half hour. I’ll be pissed off soon enough, so right now,” he pauses and smirks, “you should suck it up, okay? Talk to me.”

I don’t want to say any more, so I lean down and kiss him.

“I’m going now. Remember, Mads doesn’t get to be part of this” —I motion between us—“thing, okay?”

“Whatever,” he rolls his eyes and leans back.

I stand up and walk out, saying, “Text me if you need me.”

“I plan on it.”

***

After helping with dinner preparation, I decide to give Madison, Memphis, and their mom some time alone. I go into the guest room, lie back on the bed, and look at my new phone. I’m not going to lie and say I hate it, because I don’t. I love it.

I have a message from Jane, my school roommate, one of the few numbers I recognize. I click on the green app and it opens.

Are you in Florida?

Yep. How are you?

I type out.

Are u prego?

Holy cow! What?

NO

! What are you talking about?

STD lead singer? You and him. I swear it was you in the picture on Twitter.

No. Memphis is my best friend’s brother, and