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pitched into complete darkness, but this time
she needed it, welcomed it, allowed the void to calm her senses from the
joyride that was Ricky Bradshaw. Geez, she had truly underestimated the
drummer’s skills. She tingled and pulsed in places she never knew existed and
she liked it…a lot.
    She crawled to the edge of the bed and switched on the lamp
before opening the drawer of the side table. Two strips of condoms lay inside,
eight in total, and nothing else. She placed one strip by the lamp and made use
of the bathroom off the bedroom, silently praying Ricky would soon be done with
his call and decide to join her.

Chapter Two
     
    She stepped out of the shower, alone, and disappointment
stayed plastered all over her face as she dried herself in front of the mirror.
She scowled at her reflection, contemplating what could be so important to drag
Ricky away from a free supper so early in the morning. They’d only completed
the first course and she was far from done. She wanted the full banquet—the
all-you-can-eat buffet!
    She tightly wrapped a towel around her bust and tucked it
underneath her arm, switched off the bathroom light before strolling back into
the bedroom. The thick carpet beneath her feet was luxuriously soft and tickled
between her toes as she combed her fingers through her hair in an attempt to
free the worst of the tangles.
    After grabbing the condoms by the bedside, she folded them
into her palm and then flinched when yelling echoed from the next room. She
couldn’t quite make out what Ricky was saying so she scurried to the closed
door and pressed her ear against it.
    “I don’t give a flying fuck what the goddamn will states. I
don’t want one thing from that asshole. What? Well if it’s not completely
worthless give it to Goodwill. I don’t care, just get rid of it.”
    She glanced down at her fisted hand before straightening and
quietly turning the doorknob, pulling the door ajar a few inches.
    “No, I won’t be there. I’m busy, I told ya that already.
Well she can do whatever the hell she wants, but I’m not changin’ my mind for…
I haven’t spoken with her in how many years? So what the fuck would give you
the idea I’d start now? Damon, I pay you a shitload of money to take care of
this crap so just do what you’re freakin’ told and we won’t have a problem.”
There was a long pause and the silence was deafening. “No, you make it go away
or I’ll find someone who will. If you still want me as your client, you’ll call
me back when it’s done. I don’t care what time it is, just do it.”
    She pulled the door open all the way and stood beneath the
arch, appraising the flex of his back muscles as he slammed the phone onto the
kitchen counter and stomped into the open living room.
    Filled with uncertainty, she considered if it would be wiser
to simply get dressed and slip out of the hotel room—be content with the little
time he’d given her. Whatever was going down had him in a rotten mood and she
didn’t want to bear the brunt of his anger.
    It came as a surprise when soft music played on the stereo,
seemingly giving her feet permission to venture farther into the dragon’s lair.
He’d breathed fire into the phone, surely scorching the ears of the poor soul
on the other end, but she prayed only puffs of smoke remained. Smoke she could
deal with.
    With timid feet, she crept into the kitchen which openly
faced the living room and waited to see if he’d notice her. He sat with his
back to her, hunched forward on the black leather couch.
    The soft music wafting throughout the room switched to a
sultry ballad as she approached the tall refrigerator and opened it in search
of something cool to quench her thirst. Large, warm hands wrapped around her
waist as his nose nuzzled the nape of her neck, nudging her hair out of the
way.
    “Hurry up and getcha drink, princess. Time’s a wastin’ and
the bell’s already ringin’.” He nipped her earlobe with his teeth.
    “And