The Spiral Down (The Fall Up #2)(70)

His hands traveled up my lats, sliding under my arms until he was gripping the back of my shoulders impossibly tight.

I was vaguely aware of the wolf whistles and cheers in the backgrounds, but I couldn’t have cared less. It was Henry. Nothing else mattered.

“Ehm…” Levee cleared her throat. “You two should probably take this back to—”

I peeked open an eye to see why she’d stopped so abruptly when I saw Henry’s hand palming her face and gently pushing her away, all the while drawing me closer.

Chuckling, I broke the kiss. “She’s right.”

“No. She’d definitely wrong.” He groaned, reluctantly releasing me to scowl at her.

She smiled smugly and tossed me a wink.

My chuckle transformed into a full-blown belly laugh, which earned me a scowl as well.

“Fine. Let’s go.” He huffed, intertwining our fingers then dragging me toward the backstage entrance, smiling for the cameras like our public display of affection was the most natural thing in the world.

I mean, it was to us. But they didn’t know that. But I f*cking loved that they were finding out. We’d probably be trending on social media by the morning. And then the whole world would know once and for all that Henry was off the market and one hundred percent mine. Now, if only I could get him on the same page.

“Did you drive here?” he asked when we passed through security.

“No. Levee sent a car for me. I’m parked at the hotel.”

“Of course she did,” he mumbled.

I laughed and released his hand but only so I could drape my arm around his waist. “Complaining?”

His arm followed suit and wrapped around my hips as we continued to walk down the long hallway toward his dressing room. “I don’t know yet. I’ll let you know when I get you back to the hotel and naked.”

I abruptly stilled, pulling him up short with me. Arching an eyebrow, I asked, “Am I to assume that means you’re okay with me being bisexual now?”

His full lips hardened in a grimace. “I…”

I went back to walking, pulling him with me, and said, “Then you won’t be getting anyone naked.”

Though it was a fan-f*cking-tastic idea, I wasn’t risking him flipping out on me and taking off again until we’d talked. And I mean really talked, not the kind of talking Henry and I did best—with our bodies.

He released a suffering sigh and dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling. “And…now I’m complaining.”

I stopped again and turned to face him, backing him against the wall. “Oh yeah? Well, I’m officially complaining too. Mainly because we could have spent the last week naked, but instead, I’ve spent it alone, trying to forget about…” Our noses brushed as I leaned in toward his face, caging him in with my hands on either side of his head, and breathed softly, “You.”

His blue eyes darkened in an odd combination of guilt and arousal as he stood frozen against the wall. Another act had taken the stage, and the music poured in from the mouth of the hallway. But I heard him loud and clear as he timidly whispered, “Did you figure out how?”

My lips twitched when his cheeks stained pink and his eyes flashed down the hall to avoid contact.

“Nope.” I popped the P in his ear and then swept my lips down to his neck.

His breath hitched, and his hands came up to my hips, pulling me close. It took every bit of willpower I possessed not to roll my hips against his. If I had to feel his cock thickening against my own, Henry was going to get his wish of naked but we weren’t going to make it back to the hotel. I pivoted, resting my thigh between his legs, and his hands fell to clutch my ass.

“We’re talking about jerking off, right?” he asked, turning his head to offer me better access.

“Nope,” I breathed, trailing my tongue down his neck. “We’re talking about a week of tortured pining and self-loathing over a devastating rejection from the man I’m falling in love with.”

He had already been pinned against the wall, but before the word love had even cleared my mouth, his entire body turned rock solid.

I smiled, knowing I’d hit my mark. Now, all I had to do was wait and see what he was going to do with it. The hallway wasn’t the ideal place for this conversation, but maybe catching him off guard would be worth the gamble.

“Evan…” he breathed just the way that he knew lit me ablaze.

But, with the last week still separating us, it felt more like a knife trailing fire across my heart.

With a growl, I fisted the back of his neck and turned his head so our mouths were close but agonizingly out of reach. “Don’t you dare taint my name like that.”

His eyes searched mine as he replied in a shaky voice, “I…I don’t know what to say.”

“I’m sorry,” I prompted. “Say it.”

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, but it was the moisture that pooled in his eyes that issued his real apology.

Now, that I could accept.

“We need to talk, but I want your word that you will stop with the games and actually listen to me.”

He agreed immediately. “Okay.”

“I’m serious, Henry. The chase is over, and that bullshit over me being bisexual is done too. We both have bigger mountains here than our sexuality.” I roughly gripped his hard-on as I declared, “You want me.” Then I removed one of his hands from my ass and brought it to rest over my pounding heart. “And I want you.”