He smells good, looks amazing, and dear God, he’s in his underwear next to me, in a bed. What am I doing? I should get up right now and walk out of here. I should, but I am temporarily paralyzed in his bed, his wicked, rock star bed.

I must smell awful since I was on an airplane and in an airport most of the day.

I wonder if he’s watching me. I wish I knew. I wish I hadn’t lain on my side. Could I move to my back now?

No. Absolutely not.

Worry and sleep deprivation exhaust me, and I must fall asleep because, when I wake, I hear his soft snores, and oh, my, goodness. OH, MY, GOODNESS, he is holding my pinky, and his ankle is linked over mine.

My body tenses immediately, and I can barely breathe.

I hear his sigh, and then he rolls over, moving his leg across mine, his arm crossing over my body, the opposite hand’s pinky still locked with mine.

His nose nuzzles into my hair, and he inhales a deep breath. Then he gives a slow, deep moan.

I feel him. He’s hard … And, oh, dear, I think he’s waking up.

“Relax, babe. If you’re still here, you did real well last night.” His nose rubs back and forth against my hair slightly. “Smell good, too.”

I push him off me and jump up off the bed. “I did nothing last night, Memphis Black.”

The tone in my voice surprises even me, but he deserves it, him and his … hard penis.

“Shit, Tales, I—.” He rolls away, taking his erection with him and smirks at me as he starts to open his mouth.

I hold my hand up, and his mouth snaps shut. Then he sucks his lips in, and his chest vibrates.

“You’re laughing at me?”

“Wow, what the hell happened to you?” He shakes his head and stands up.

My eyes move south, and then I quickly look away.

“Tales, it’s morning wood. Don’t take offense.”

“You’re just … you’re—”

“Well, you’re, just, you’re,” he teases me as he adjusts himself, “kind of hot now, Tales. I mean, you even have boobs. Nice ones, too.” He laughs as he gets out of bed and brushes past me, then stops and leans in. “I’m gonna shower. Wanna save some water?”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Now, Tales, you and I both know you don’t feel that way, and if you were a little more experienced …” He chuckles. “If you were even a little bit experienced, I know damn well you’d be taking me up on that offer. For the good of the environment, of course.”

I turn and retreat to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me and quickly locking it.

“Did you just lock me out of my bathroom?” I hear a bang on the door then a deep, dark laugh. “I need to piss, Tales, and I can have that door open in three, two …” I hear the door handle jiggle.

“I’m using the bathroom!” I yell as I jump off the toilet and pull up my pants.

The door opens, and then I am standing there, looking at him with my mouth gaping open as he smirks, walking past me.

He is standing at the toilet when I hear him start to pee while I am right there, like, right in the same room.

“Oh my goodness! You are—”

“Pissing excellence, and you are—”

“Disgusted.” I can’t help the giggle that escapes as I walk out of the door as quickly as I can.

“Most chicks would pay money to see this, Tales,” he says with a loud laugh. “Front row, first class, VIP, and you walk away?”

I hear him flush the toilet before he comes out when I am walking out the door.

“Where you going?” he asks as I hear his footsteps behind me.

“To find my bag, my phone.” I pause. “Away from you.”

“Wow, you’re a little spirited nowadays.” He laughs, and I feel his breath hit the back of my neck.

“Good morning.”

I look up to see River, and if I wasn’t embarrassed, I would be totally fan-girling right now.

“How was it?”

“She’s my sister’s best friend,” Memphis snarls a bit, shocking me at the one-eighty he just did.

“Good morning,” I say as I grab my phone and bag off the floor next to the couch where I left it. I look at the phone screen and see it’s dead. Grabbing my bag, I open it to find a charger. “Is there a place I can plug this thing in?”

“That’s what he said.” Finn appears, pointing at Memphis with a sinful grin and winks. “Nothing, man?” He points to me, and my gaping mouth snaps shut.

“You’re all—”

“Not all of us.” Billy B walks up and extends his hand. “I’m Billy. Welcome.”

I shake his hand quickly, then pull away.

“Outlets over there.” He points to the kitchen counter. “Set it on airplane mode once you get a screen; charges faster.”

“Thank you.” I nod, then walk away, trying to act calm and cool, which I’m not, not at all.

Once it’s plugged in, I look behind me to ask Memphis if Madison has contacted him to find all four are staring at me.

“You have a nice body,” River says as if it’s no big deal, but it embarrasses me completely.

Memphis slugs him in the arm.

“What, man? She does. Long, lean, and tight as—”

Memphis punches him in the arm harder this time.

“’Da fuck, man?”

“Memphis,” I call his attention back to me. “Did Madison call or message you?”

He shrugs and scowls, not looking away from River. “No idea.”

“Could you check?” I ask, and he finally looks back at me. “My phone is—”

“It’s in my room. Come on, let’s go see.”

“She can’t stay out here?” Finn asks in a harassing tone.

Memphis doesn’t say anything, only looks at them before walking over and grabbing my hand, but I pull mine away quickly.

“Wow.” River laughs loudly.

“Back the fuck off,” Memphis snarls. “Let’s go, Tally.” He points to his room.

“You think we’re all gonna try to jump her if you leave the room for two seconds? Shit, Black, you are—”

“She’s a fucking preacher’s kid, probably just sprouted tits two days ago, and she certainly—”

I quickly walk past him and toward the room to see if I can find his phone and get away from the most embarrassing conversation I have ever sort of been involved in.

I hear the door shut behind me as I am searching around the side of the bed and look up.

“You’re pissed at me?” He seems shocked.

“I want to know what’s going on with Madison. If she’s okay, alive, in the air”—I turn and scowl at him—“if she needs a ride from the airport.”

“Didn’t get the message, Tales. No need to be pissed off at me.” He’s standing inches in front of me, looking down at me, and my heart speeds up, like it did that night, like it did last night. “You’re not pissed at me, are you, Tales?”

I take a step back, retreating because I don’t know what he is all hot and cold about. Why one minute I’m a kid he seems annoyed by and the next he comes at me like he is on stage, all “Look at me, I’m Memphis Black, rock star,” and it’s making me angry.

“Could you please check to see if she—” His laugh interrupts me. “I don’t think it’s funny.”

“You’re funny.” He smirks, reaching down and grabbing a pair of white shorts that he pulls his phone out of.

I glance down at it, seeing the notifications light up, message after message.

He clicks on one and slowly turns his head, studying the screen, and his brows shoot up. “Dayum.”

“What?” I reach for his phone, but he holds it up so I can’t get it.

“Oh no, Tales, you don’t need to see that,” he jokes.

“See what? Is she okay?”

“The naked picture that the chick sent me is more than okay.”

“Pig.”

“Why am I a pig, and why the hell are you getting so angry at me, Tales?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I blush.

“You want me.” He plops down on the bed. “Admit it and we can get past the dis and head right into the possibilities of the comfort—”

“I want to know if Madison—”

“Storm’s causing delays,” he reads from his phone. “She hopes to be in tomorrow morning and asks that I take good care of you.” He tosses his phone on the bed and lies on his back, linking his hands behind his head. “I’d take really good care of you if you weren’t a virgin or my—”