Page 13 of Sweet as Sin (Bad Habit 1)
The bed began to shake with Nico’s stifled laughter.
“Quiet on the set!” Obi’s shout was shrill. He was immediately obeyed. By everyone but Nico, that is, who chose that exact moment to declare into the silence, “Fuck, you’re adorable.”
Ground, please open up and swallow me. Please.
“We’re rolling! Cue music!”
A song began to play over the speakers. A lone violin note in plaintive high C, accompanied by the bass treble of a cello, filled the room. Then, sweet and soulful, aching with longing, a voice sang out.
My heart black as midnight on hell’s darkest shore
Yearning for something, or someone, before
It’s too late and I’m damned to this place
Of silence, and madness, and endless deep space
It was beautiful, that voice. Nico’s voice.
I opened my eyes to see him there above me, staring down, the smile fading from his eyes. He swept his thumb across my lower lip, and began to sing along with the lyrics.
His voice was soft, intimate, as if meant only for me.
I’ve wandered and hungered and waited for you
I’ve prayed on my knees to find something true
And now that you’ve found me and claimed me for yours
You’re taking me deeper than I’ve ever been before
Soul deep.
Soul deep.
Deeper than I’ve ever been before.
I was breathless. Wordless. Every cell in my body was aware of him, of his heat and weight, the wind-clean scent of his skin, the glow of the lights on his hair. Mesmerized, I couldn’t look away.
In that moment, no one else but the two of us existed.
“CUT!”
Startled by the shout, I dragged my gaze from Nico. Obi stood with hands on hips beside a video camera, looking all sorts of pissed.
“Replacement—Kat! You can’t just stare at Nico with your mouth open! You’re the one with the power in this song, right? You’re the muse. The bride who’s about to leave him at the altar. Look at the wall, look at the ceiling, pretend to be bored. Look at anything but him! Yo?”
“Um, yo.”
Obi nodded. “Good. We’ll go again.”
Nico shifted his weight. His leg slid over mine. I chanced a glance at him, to find him smiling, his hair falling into his eyes. He whispered, “Your heart’s poundin’, Kat.”
He was flirting with me. The man was shameless. Even if he didn’t remember he had a girlfriend, I did.
“It does that when I’m bored.”
He grinned, clearly not believing a word I’d said. I had to be more convincing.
