Page 87 of Missing Chord

Pete laughed. “Not narrowing it down much.” He pushed to his feet, went over to a locked box, and dug something out. “Here.” He passed a laminated card on a lanyard to me. “Crew pass, in case you need to come back in. We always have a couple of extras in case someone gets sick and we need a pinch hitter.”

“Oh, um, thank you.”

When I took hold of the pass, Pete held on a moment longer, meeting my eyes. “Be good to Griff, right? He may seem like a big tough guy, but we’re all vulnerable and easy to hurt underneath.”

I wondered if Griffin had described how we’d broken up. All I could say was, “I’ll try hard not to hurt him again.”

“Fair enough.” Pete let go and dropped back into his seat.

Griffin said, “I’m a big boy, Pete. I got this.”

Pete raised an eyebrow at him but didn’t respond.

Vanessa came down the aisle toward us. “I’m parked behind the crew bus. Blue Chevy.”

“Lead the way.” Griffin stepped aside to let her by, then asked Pete, “What time are you hitting the road tomorrow?”

“Nine-ish? We can come by the motel and pick you up, though, so you don’t have to find a way back.”

“Hell, yeah, I’d appreciate it.” Griffin sketched a wave. “Night, everyone. You killed it. Seriously, most amazing show I’ve ever seen you do. And you backed me up like fucking angels. You’re the best.”

A chorus of goodnights followed us out of the bus behind Vanessa.

She led us to a mid-sized sedan. Griffin waved me into the passenger seat and took the back, on the grounds that I needed the leg room. He wasn’t wrong. I’d spent a lot of the day on my feet and danced more than I had in the last ten years. While I wished I was sitting in the back too, pressed against him, it would’ve made Vanessa seem like a chauffeur, and I couldn’t deny getting to stretch out my legs was heaven. I sighed. Maybe extra hard.

Vanessa looked over at me as she backed out of her parking space and laughed. “Long day?”

“But so worth it.” I glanced over my shoulder, almost afraid I wouldn’t see Griffin back there. His smile in the dim back seat settled my nerves. “Weirdest day ever but best ending in the world.”

Griffin gave me a thumbs up.

Vanessa didn’t chatter as she drove, and the things Griffin and I wanted to say to each other were private. We rolled along the moonlit desert highway in comfortable silence. Vanessa seemed to know where the motel was, which was good because I’d have had to dig my phone out and GPS it. She pulled right up to my unit when I gave her the number and said, “Goodnight, guys.”

Griffin leaned forward. “I owe you a ton, for finding Lee and Yolanda, for this drive. If I offer you a big tip will that be welcome or not so much?”

Vanessa smiled. “I have three kids back home with my husband. I won’t say no to a tip.”

“Great.” Griffin dug out his wallet and passed her several bills folded together.

We got out and watched her drive off, then turned to my door. “Don’t expect much,” I warned as I unlocked it.

“All I need is you,” Griffin answered. “Although grabbing clean underwear while I had the chance might’ve been smart.”

“I don’t have enough brain cells for smart tonight.” I ushered him past me, switched on the light, and closed the door behind us.

“Me neither.” Griffin pushed me back till my butt hit the door and kissed me.

His mouth on mine, his thigh between my legs, set my world on fire. I needed more, right now, needed Griffin as close as I could get him, lips and skin and dick and breath. I clutched his ass in both hands and hauled him in tighter. He laughed against my mouth and nipped my lip, grinding our bodies together.

“Bed,” I gasped, because as hot as this was I wanted him naked. “Clothes off.”

“Fuck, yeah.”

We separated to strip, not taking the time to make it slow and sexy. I’d do slow later, tease and torture Griffin until he was begging. Right now, I just wanted him under me, skin to skin. I yanked off the bedcovers and tipped Griffin onto the mattress.He went willingly, grinning up at me, and I plastered myself on top of him and kissed him till we were both breathless.

When I had to pull back and take a deep breath, I propped myself on my elbows to look down at him. Griffin Marsh, my Griffin, lay there caged by my elbows, his lips reddened from my kisses, pupils blown wide. His hair haloed his head, ebony and silver, and his chest rose and fell under me.

“Am I too heavy?” I slid up a knee to lift a little of my considerable weight off him.

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