I smile devilishly. "Oh, Mr. Maxwell, I know for a fact that you know exactly what happens next. You fuck me like a demon."

An eyebrow shoots up at my filthy language, and even I'm surprised by it. What can I say, he brings out the naughty in me.

"No, I mean after after. Tomorrow morning. Where do we stand?"

I blink in confusion. What's he talking about? I can't think past the next few seconds, and he wants to talk about tomorrow?

"Huh?"

His features darken a shade. "You were pretty clear back in Vegas that you didn't want to be in a relationship with me. Does this--" he waves a hand between our naked and almost-touching bodies "--mean you've changed your mind?"

Honestly, I hadn't thought about it. I can't deny that I pretty much haven't stopped thinking about him for the last couple weeks, and seeing him tonight got me more than a little hot and bothered. So when he slammed me up against my door like a rutting animal, my brain checked out and instinct took over. Of course, now my head is running in circles trying to figure it all out.

Nothing's changed. He's still a wild musician whose lifestyle is just too crazy for me. Even if I did want a relationship with him, it could never work out. Once they find a real manager, he'll be traveling so much we'd never see each other. Factor in all the groupies offering all kinds of favors, and I wouldn't stand a chance.

Neither would my heart. Because even right now, after a short tryst that happened weeks ago, it's about to break open all over the place.

"I..." It's all I need to say. He can read it on my face.

Any vulnerability that remained in his gaze winked out like a dying flame. "I see. Then I think I'd better leave."

I want to argue. I want to beg him to stay, to make love to me all night as a final goodbye, but I know the answer will be no. And he's right, as much as I hate to admit it. Sex will only confuse our already confusing situation.

 "I'll ask your Dad to borrow some clothes," he says as he shrugs back into the robe. I'm not sure Dad will have anything that would fit him, but I don't argue. I couldn't even if I wanted to. All the air has been sucked out of my lungs.

Drax turns back to me before opening the door and walking out of my room, and possibly my life. He stares at me for a long moment, and I swear he's going to say something profound, something to make me change my mind. I almost want him to. Then again, it's almost a relief when he does speak, because the simplicity of his words say it all.

"Bye, Lola."

"Are you telling me that he just left you hanging on the edge of orgasm without finishing you off?"

Pepper, whose hair is a vivid green now, is positively outraged at my revelation two days later. We're sitting in a booth at the back of Pepper's Pot but, as usual, it's packed. No fewer than four heads turn our way at her words.

"Shhh," I hiss. "Besides, that's not the point. The point is that he left without having sex. What guy does that? I thought it was against their code or something."

Pepper shrugs and bites a hunk out of one of her incredible asiago rolls. "Guys may be a lot of things, Lo, but they're still human. Sounds like the dude wants more than a backstage quickie."

 "But..." I shake my head but I feel the truth of her words. "Naw, it can't be."

"Why?" She swipes her forearm across her chin to wipe away a dribble of curry pumpkin soup. Pepper doesn't bother with social etiquette. She figures she's already covered in soup anyway, so what's a little more.

I take a thoughtful -- and much more tidy -- spoonful of my Thai-spiced watermelon soup with crab meat. My answer is a moan as I savor the way the serrano peppers boost the crab and balance the sweetness of the watermelon. Pepper's creativity never fails to astound me.

She grins and repeats her question. It takes a few seconds for me to fully recover.

"Come on, Pepper. Look at Drax. Then look at me."

She's about to argue and tell me how gorgeous I am, but I hold up a hand before she can ask the restaurant full of people if they'd fuck me.

"I'm not coming down on myself, but get real. Besides, our lifestyles are totally incompatible. I'm a homebody. You know that better than anyone. And Drax is...well, he's no homebody."

"Well, that's true. I can't count how many times you've ambushed me into playing Scrabble with your dads when I came over to take you out clubbing. But maybe a little partying would be good for you, ever think of that? Loosen you up a bit?"

"I tried, I really did, but I didn't like who I became. He talked me into wearing a corset, for goodness sake. In public!"

Pepper narrows her eyes at me. "You didn't tell me that. Bet you looked hot as fuck!"

I blush at the compliment and the memory. At the time, I was kind of horrified, but looking back, I did look pretty voluptuous. Drax seemed to think so, anyway. Then I remember Drax's ex-girlfriend Shelby laughing at me when my boob popped out of the contraption.

"I think in the end I looked scary. Doesn't matter. I just don't understand what he wants from me."

Pepper smirks. "He probably wants to marry you."

I choke on a hunk of crabmeat and start coughing uncontrollably. Pepper hops up and slaps me on the back, as if that trick has ever worked once in the history of the world.

"You okay?" she asks, all innocence and sweetness. Pepper is anything but innocent and sweet.

I wave her away once I can breathe again. "Yeah, fine. Just went down the wrong pipe."

"Ah. I thought it might have been something I said."

I snap my gaze up to meet hers. There's a twinkle there but I can't tell if she knows something or is just teasing me. She can't know, I finally decide, no matter what the warning bells in my head say. Not only does she not have time to read gossip sites, I know for a fact that she loathes their very existence because she tells me so every time she catches me looking at one on my phone.

"Nope, just crab."

The silence between us is weirdly awkward so I focus on my soup. I chance a peek up only to catch her grinning at me.

"What?"

She points her spoon at me, dripping orange soup all over the table. "It's true! That was you! I thought so but Raul said it couldn't be when I showed him. But it was! You married the rockstar!"

More heads swivel in our direction, instinctively knowing that our conversation is infinitely more interesting than yet another discussion about fluctuating interest rates.

"How the hell did you find out? And when?! I've been back for two weeks and you didn't say a word."

She's guffawing now and the whole restaurant watches. Pepper's known for her curt and frequently surly attitude toward customers, so to see her laugh must be a treat. Or maybe they're hoping she'll send everyone a round of Pepper's Poppers.

 "I saw the blog post the night it was posted," she manages to say through chortles. "I showed Raul but he said you'd never do something so foolish, and that you'd never dress like that in public."

I blush because Raul's right. Lauren would never do such a thing. But apparently Lola had other plans.

"I didn't say anything because I assumed if I was right, you'd tell me the minute you got home. Since you didn't, I figured Raul was right. But can I just tell you how pissed off I am that you didn't tell me? Real bitch move for a bestie."

She's smiling but I can tell my not-so-little secret has hurt her feelings. We tell each other everything, so my keeping this from her is pretty major. As if I don't feel bad enough as it is.