The Spiral Down (The Fall Up #2)(28)

“Evan?” Jessica whispered when I didn’t answer.

Blinking rapidly, I dragged myself out of what could have very easily become my first wet daydream.

Shifting to hide the bulge in my jeans, I replied, “Yeah?”

“You looked lost.” She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and looked away in a wasted effort to be coy.

I needed her to be brazen. I had enough work in front of me with Henry. If I was going to make this happen, I had to pull his attention away from Tabitha the Twat long enough for him to agree to Jessica.

“I wonder what’s taking so long?” Tabitha whined while fixing her hair in the mirror. Again. For the fiftieth time.

Over the last thirty minutes, I’d discovered that, while Tabitha was absolutely beautiful to look at, she was a raging hemorrhoid to be around. She had bitched about everything, including the fact that Carter had escorted us to Henry’s dressing room after the show. Despite the fact that Jessica had said that Henry had been preoccupied and distant at dinner, Tabitha had still gotten her thong in a knot that he hadn’t worn her on his arm while he did…well, whatever the hell famous musicians did after a concert.

Henry had made it clear to me on the plane that Tabitha was his, but I wasn’t sure I could stay hard with her in the same room.

No. Jessica was our girl.

She would be the physical barrier that made my desperate need to be with Henry safe. Her very presence would take our interaction from off-limits to open season.

I smiled to myself, and then I slung my arm around her shoulders and pulled her into my side. “I was lost. But I’m back now.” I winked and mentally counted the shades of pink her cheeks flashed through on their journey to red.

Four.

None were even remotely as appealing as Henry’s natural bronze.

“I bet he fires that guy who put us back here,” Tabitha said, pacing the room.

I dramatically rolled my eyes, which made Jessica giggle. She shifted closer into my side, and I smiled down at her. That smile fell seconds later when Henry came flying into the room.

“I’m so sorry! I got out of there as soon as I—” The words died in his mouth when his eyes landed on me.

But they didn’t just land on me. They landed on my hand—which was wrapped around Jessica’s waist.

“Hey, baby,” Tabitha purred, moving to his side.

Henry remained frozen as she sidled up beside him. The sad surprise in his gaze locked on my hand pained me.

And then it set me ablaze.

I f*cking loved the disappointment that contorted his handsome face.

There was no way to misinterpret his feelings.

He wanted me.

And he was afraid I wanted her.

It might have made me an *, but I had to fight a smile back. There wasn’t any point in pretending I didn’t want him too. As much as I enjoyed a good game of cat and mouse, I enjoyed the bypass-the-bullshit, get-on-your-knees-so-I-can-f*ck-your-mouth game more.

“Henry,” I called, his mask falling into place as he lifted his eyes to mine. I released Jessica and took two long strides in his direction. “Can I have a word with you in private?”

He nodded robotically, his eyes flashing back to Jessica before he silently followed me out the door.

Tabitha groaned her objection, but Henry’s only reply was to snap his fingers to silence her. Her face was priceless.

I nearly took a header into Carter’s chest when we exited the room.

“Everything okay?” he asked, glancing over my shoulder at Henry.

“That room empty?” I pointed at the door across the hall. “I need to have a word with Henry. Alone.”

His eyebrows popped in surprise, but a slow smirk formed on his lips. “Yep. Sam and Levee just left. It’s all yours.”

I didn’t acknowledge Henry, but I felt him follow me.

Carter’s brow furrowed as we passed, and when I glanced back at Henry, I understood why. Deep lines of unease were visible on his forehead.

When we entered the dressing room, I found that it was nearly identical to the one we’d just left. Minus Beauty and the Beast, though, of course.

It was clean. Well kept. But completely generic. The blank walls were better suited for dirty, drunken rock stars than the kind and classy Levee Williams. Or even the smooth and sexy Henry Alexander.

“I’m glad you made it,” Henry finally spoke, walking to the fridge nestled in the corner. He retrieved a beer and then offered one in my direction.

We weren’t going to be there long enough for me to finish it, so I shook my head.

“You’re my boss,” I announced, settling on the arm of the brown leather sofa.

He shrugged and tipped the beer to his lips. “So I see you cozied up with Jessica.”

I didn’t know Henry well at all. I actually barely knew anything about him that I hadn’t read on the Internet. But I did know that, regardless of how hard he’d tried to play that statement off as innocent, it was still an accusation.

Jealousy wasn’t attractive on anyone.

Except for Henry Alexander when it was over me.

Then it was f*cking beautiful.

My lips twitched in synchronization with my cock.

His eyes dropped to my mouth and then narrowed.

“I need to know my job is safe,” I said, linking my fingers together and resting them in my lap.