Page 134 of Pretty Obsessed

"River," Alexander yelled after me but I ignored him.

I had to see Emory. Try and make things right.

Twenty-Five

River Wade

Islept fitfully on the redeye I'd gotten a seat on. Thankfully I was mostly left alone, only asked to sign a few things and take some pictures. The sun barely rose over the horizon as we deboarded the plane. I had no idea where Emory was staying but I knew where he'd be this morning. I'd again bribed and begged his agent until she'd sent me his events and locations.

He had a signing set up at a big local bookstore. I knew he'd be there early. So I had to catch him. I pulled my hat low as I walked towards the store. They weren't open yet, but the line already stretched around the building. I smiled seeing it. As last minute as it was, he had all these people waiting for him.

I strolled right up to the door and pulled it open, happy to find it unlocked.

I had an employee jog over. "Sir! Sir! You can't be in here. We aren't open yet. If you're waiting for the event, there is a queue."

I turned around and gave her my best smile. The one I used on fans. "Hey there, so sorry, no I'm not here for the event. Well, not really. I'm here to support my friend. Emory Ker. He told me to meet him here, but I'm not quite sure where to go, and I think his phone died." All lies of course, but I wanted to surprise him.

"Oh!" Recognition filtered over her face. "You're… Wow." The tabloids must have been running in her mind. But I didn't have time for rumors. She could say what she wanted. I didn't see anything wrong with showing up to support a friend. People would make of it what they may. "Yeah, he's in our back room. Right, this way."

"Thank you."

We walked past a couple of other employees who looked confused until their eyes landed on me and then the usual wide-eyed stare. No one followed us or tried to stop us.

"In here." She tried to follow me.

"Do you mind if we have a moment?" I kept up my charm.

"Oh sure. If either of you needs anything…"

"Thank you," I glanced at her name tag. "Margret."

I slipped around the corner, trying to catch him off guard. I selfishly wanted to see what he was doing. He sat with a notebook writing, pausing, scratching out, and writing.

"Fancy meeting you here."

He jumped, eyes lifting from the paper, but he regained his composure fast. "Frequent storage rooms often, do you?"

"Maybe I do. Why are you judging?” I closed the space between us, brushing my fingers up his arm.

"What are you doing here?" He glanced at his watch. "Don't you have to be on a flight in a few hours?"

"They left last night. I flew here."

"Why?"

"Because I own you when we are in the same city." I pressed my lips to the spot under his ear. "Or maybe I missed you."

"You're going to use that rule and just show up all the time, aren't you?"

"Yes." More than he realized, but he'd see.

"So I have to be ready any time and any place for you to pop out of nowhere?” His tone was sarcastic but the bulge in his jeans told me he liked it.

"Correct. I could pop up anywhere." I grabbed his hard-on roughly, giving over to the need pent up over the last twenty-four hours.

"Here?" He looked around at the boxes of books surrounding us. They'd brought in chairs, but it was a glorified storage room.

I eyed him with a grin. "Yes, you're mine when I'm here. Those are the rules. There were no stipulations. Those are the rules."

---