Page 25 of Our Deceptive Heat

I raise my cup and clink it with hers.

“To my boss having some fun!” Molly shouts, drawing eyes towards us.

But I can’t be mad. Molly is like a drip of fun into life, and she’s infected me.

I have to protect her as best I can.

Chapter eight

Digs

Storm clouds crashed intothe world, and then there was you- Dillon ‘Digs’ Fate

I fold my massive arms over my chest and watch her approach. She’s in a pair of skinny jeans that make her legs look so freaking long and a black jumper. Simple. Classic.

And then I see the teal, and every instinct in me wants me to stomp over to her, wrap that dark hair around my wrist and jerk her head back so I can have free access to invade that sexy mouth of hers.

When did my fascination with the songwriter turn into this obsession that has me waking up in the middle of the night, dripping with sweat, and with a hard-on that aches? Oh, the minute I met her, that’s right.

I can’t see her eyes with those huge over-sized shades on, but I know she’s looking at me, I can feel it. The others are on the plane, but I wait for her, making sure she climbs the stairs first, unable to escape or retreat.

I wasn’t convinced she was going to show up, but here she is, proving me wrong. Her lips curl slightly in that perfect smile that is a mask. And that’s why she infuriates me so much because, once, just seeing me could tear that mask off her, but now it’s locked on, and she refuses to be shaken.

“Ryn, you made it.”

“My choices were this or retirement,” she says breezily and steps onto the plane. “Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for your wonderful invitation. I’m Auryn Raines, and I’m going to be redesigning your image for you. Cleaning up the messes and making sure you can sell more music to your fans.”

My pack stares at her like she’s crazy. To be fair, I think her behaviour is a bit insane, but I want to bend her over the cockpit and fuck her until the plane collapses, and that really would be crazy. Because I have a pack, and she is not a part of it and never will be.

And therein lies my frustration.

It was easier to suppress these feelings when she was a friend. I could tell myself that we were mates, buddies, something meaningful. I didn’t want to ruin anything. But now, I’m so mad at her that I’ve developed this dangerous combination of anger and sexual tension that is fed back through the pack bonds.

Because we all feel that way about her.

I slide past her, making sure my body doesn’t even graze hers, and throw myself into the seat beside Envy.

He keeps his head down, tapping to the beat of a song that I don’t know. Envy has this uncanny ability to play any music he hears on almost any instrument. But on stage, he plays on an acoustic or an electric guitar. Sometimes the keyboard. Mako’s on drums. I have bass, and Tyr sings like a damn bird.

I place a hand on Envy’s thigh, but he ignores me. Still, it makes me feel better to have that contact with him. I keep my eyes on her, watching as she finds a seat, pulls out a laptop, and starts tapping away.

I shake my head and glance at Tyr, who is trying really hard not to look at her.

“The first concert is in three days.”

“Yeah,” he agrees.

“We’re ready, right?”

“Digs, we’re good,” Tyr says confidently.

I sit back, trying to breathe evenly. I hate take offs because it reminds me I’m in a can in the sky, and my brain hates that thought passionately. My mouth is dry, my heart’s pounding, so I give in and squeeze Envy’s leg a bit tighter and then jolt when he wraps his hand around mine.

“It’s okay, Dillon, we’re here. Nothing is going to happen.”

I inhale and exhale while he keeps up a steady stream of low nonsense things, his deep voice droning in that delicious sound that always makes me feel soft and warm.

Envy is an introvert and totally the shyest member of the band. But he’s not always. When he relaxes, he’s loud, funny, and more than a little wild. That’s how I met him. He was protecting a kitten from some other kids, yelling more curse words than I even knew, and my eleven-year-old little heart didn’t stand a chance. I knew I had to be by his side forever.

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