Page 139 of A Duet of Darkness and Dreams

She shrugs. “He already did.”

“No,” I plead, sinking off the bed to kneel in front of her. “No, listen. You stay with me. Finish out the last week of the tour. We’ll all go home together, just like we meant to, and we’ll figure it out from there.”

She presses her lips together. “And then what?”

“And then . . .” But Idon’tknow what comes next.

“I might not even get my degree now. I won’t be able to get the job I need to pay off my student loan—”

“You can live with me,” I say in a rush. “I’ll take care of you. You don’t even have to work, I can provide for us both. Just stay.”

A sad smile flashes across her face before her eyebrows scrunch together. “But that’s not what I want.” My grip loosens, but she rushes to grab my face. “Sorry, what I meant was that I don’t want tojustbe that. To be the girlfriend of a drummer. I want my own career, my own success. My own dreams to come true.”

My eyes water, and I sniff to keep the tears away.

“You got yours,” she whispers. “And it’s wonderful. Now I have to figure out how to get mine.”

“I know you think running home is the answer. I promise youit’s not. Don’t run away from the people who are trying their best to help you.”

She blinks furiously and looks up at the ceiling. “I don’t know,” she whispers with a shrug.

“Stay with me—with us. Give it a few weeks. If, once we’re home, you still want to go, I’ll drive you to Arizona myself.”

“You will?” she asks with a quirky smile.

“Yeah,” I say, running a finger over her cheek. “If I’m going to be your boyfriend, I guess I have to meet your parents.”

She smiles a real smile, that sweet little dimple appearing in her cheek. “So you’re my boyfriend now?”

I twist my mouth and tilt my head. “I mean, if you’d rather refer to me as your sex slave, I’m cool with that too.”

She slaps my shoulder, but I push forward to kiss her. When I pull away, her eyes open slowly. “Okay,boyfriend.”

I grin. “You’ll stay?”

With a chuckle, she nods. “Yeah, I’ll stay. But I’m going to need to be distracted.”

My hands run up her thighs and I whisper against her mouth. “Good thing you have a sex slave to use.”

CHAPTER 44

Seek & Destroy

DAVE

Idon’t think I’ve ever been as dressed up as I am at this moment. Definitely haven’t worn a button-down shirt or tie in over a decade. How do guys dress like this everyday and not suffocate? Pulling on the collar, I take one last look in the window outside of theEast Bay Chroniclebefore opening the door and walking toward the front desk.

A young brunette woman with cherry-red lipstick looks up at me and does a double take. “Hello, can I help you?” she asks.

A strand of hair falls out of the makeshift ponytail I threw my hair into to make it seem a little more professional. “I have an appointment. Dave Noblar?”

She raises her eyebrows. “Are—are you really?”

“Uh, yes?”

“Oh my god, my boyfriend is a huge fan!” she says, standing so abruptly her chair falls backward. “Do you . . . Sorry, but do you think I could get your autograph for my boyfriend?”

A smile tugs at my lips. “I, yeah . . . sure. What’s his name?”

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