Rock Me Deeper (Licks of Leather #5) - Jenna Jacob Page 0,15
a tiny house by the lake? And then do what? Bus tables at Trudy’s day and night while I wait on the customers?”
“Is that what you’re doing now, waiting tables at Café Trudy?”
Though there wasn’t an ounce of pity in his voice, his eyes blazed with it.
I flashed a tight smile. “Not all of us can be superstars.”
“That’s not what I—”
“Get out,” I growled. “I can wash myself.”
Bristling, he clenched his jaw and rinsed the soap off his hands. “I know you won’t because you’re too fucking stubborn, but if you need help, holler.”
I wanted to refute him, but he’d simply call me a liar. Syd was the only other living person on the planet who knew me, knew every skeleton locked in my closet. Knew my strengths, and dammit, he knew my weaknesses. Like a fool, I’d told him every one of my fucking fears. Sure, they’d been the fears of a girl, but the woman in me still hadn’t been able to conquer most of them.
And why was Syd getting pissy with me?
I wasn’t the one who’d walked away.
I wasn’t the one who’d made a mountain of promises and broke every single one.
I might be the hopeless idiot who still loved his sorry ass, the hopeless idiot who’d spent the last fifteen years praying he’d one day come back. Fine, that shit was on me. But the rest…all the rest was on him.
Pressing my lips together to keep from spewing the venomous rage bubbling within, I curtly nodded.
“Don’t worry, angel, I won’t be holding my breath,” he drawled as he left the shower.
I closed my eyes and counted to ten, forcing the anger to bleed from my system. Then I made the fatal mistake of glancing at Syd as he dried off beyond the glass door. Try as I might, I couldn’t ignore the way his delicious muscles rippled and bunched.
Dammit, why am I torturing myself like this?
With an inward curse, I turned my back on the too tempting view and slathered my hands with shower gel. After a quick glance over my shoulder, I was relieved that Syd was gone. As I glided my soapy hand over my arm, white-hot agony screamed from every cut and burn, stealing the breath from my lungs. Biting back a sob as a thousand swords sliced the flesh off my bones, I let my tears mix with the water cascading over my face.
I was glad Syd couldn’t see me now. After his soul-stealing kiss, I didn’t want him seeing me fall apart again. I’d shared enough vulnerability with him. It was time to rebuild my walls. Sliding my soap-soaked hands over my legs, I trapped an unholy cry deep in my chest and quickly rinsed the burning lather away.
My whole body quaked under the overload of pain. My limbs felt like rubber but moved like cement. The walls of the shower started to sway as black spots ate at my periphery. I reached for the faucet to steady myself but misjudged the distance and fell to my knees with a bone-jarring thud. I closed my eyes and sucked in several deep breaths, then tried to blink the inky spots away.
The shower door suddenly opened with a sharp clatter.
“Dammit. Why do always have to be so fucking hardheaded?” Syd barked angrily.
I tried to wave him away, but he was already turning off the water and hoisting me into his arms. Muttering and cursing, Syd carried me to the bedroom and carefully placed me on top of the oh-so-soft mattress.
I peered up at him as the spots faded away and the scent of food punched my senses.
Syd was dressed in a pair of nylon shorts with a dark tee stretched tight over his rugged chest. I wasn’t sure if it was the food or the sight of him that was making my mouth water. Probably the latter.
“Why didn’t you… Never mind. I know why you didn’t call for me,” Syd scowled as he gently toweled the water from my body. Like before, his anger didn’t transcend his touch.
“It’s not like I planned on falling.”
“You sure you didn’t pass out?”
“I didn’t pass out. I just got a little light-headed.”
“Light-headed, hardheaded, makes no difference when you nearly faceplanted in the fucking shower, Caris.”
Syd continued to grumble as he patted my legs dry. I bit back a smile. He might be a famous rock god now, but in many ways, he was still the same old Syd.