Rock Bottom (Tristan & Danika #2)(62)

“What does that mean?”

His brow furrowed as he scratched at his jaw. “Don’t get upset—“

“That’s never a good way to start off.”

“Yes, I know. It’s not good. Dahlia started coming to the house maybe three months ago. She was hanging around a lot. I tried to warn her off, and I made sure all of the guys knew that she was off-limits, but, I don’t know. I thought you’d worry about her, hanging around the guys that much, getting into that scene. She’s a very nice girl, but she doesn’t listen to me.

“I was hoping,” he continued, “when she met up with you again, that you could talk some sense into her, but she just kept putting off the meeting. She stopped coming around the house in L.A. a while ago, so I thought the problem was solved, but I was worried it would hurt your feelings that she’d spent time with the band, and still hadn’t so much as called you. I’m relieved you two seemed to hit it off, after all.”

“You two seem to have hit it off, as well,” I muttered.

He grimaced. “Yeah, I guess. When she came around to the house, I was usually locked up in my room to avoid whatever mess Dean was cooking up, but I did see her a few times. I just assumed she was there to visit one of the other guys, though I couldn’t have said which one.”

“And she told me you still have groupies visiting the house.” I wasn’t exactly shocked by this, but even so, I wasn’t pleased.

“You know I wouldn’t—“

“Yes, I know, but that’s not the point. The point is that you promised me you’d make some house rules over there.”

“I did, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been able to enforce them. Every time Dean does it, I refuse to work in the studio the next day, but I’ve got to tell you, that seems to be just what he wants. He’d love it if we were stranded there inevitably. The first three times he brought random chicks back, I left, went to a hotel, but that didn’t change a thing either. I try to kick them out myself, but they’re girls. I’ve kicked Dean’s ass, but he doesn’t give a shit what I do. I could leave, but at this point, I’d owe the studio more than I can afford to pay back if I back out of this deal. I’m sorry, but it’s become a mess that I don’t know how to clean up. Right now I just want to finish up and get the hell out of there.”

“How come you didn’t tell me about any of this before? It’s been going on for months?”

He shrugged, looking unhappy. “You have enough on your plate. What kind of man would I be, if I can’t even handle my own problems, especially considering your condition?”

“Just don’t go back,” I said suddenly, decisively. “It’s bad for you. This thing is taking its toll on you. We’ll figure out a way to pay back the studio, and if they try to sue, we’ve got Bev and Jerry to help you fight them.”

He moved behind me, both hands going to cup my belly very, very gently. “I can do this. I’ll finish it and walk away. We’ll need all of our spare money when this little angel comes along.”

I smiled, my heart in my eyes. I couldn’t help it, every time he talked about the baby, I melted into a puddle at his feet.

“She has a huge crush on you,” I told him after a time my voice very quiet. I did not want to be heard through the walls.

He winced, which told me that he already knew that. “Trust me, I hate that even more than you do. But what am I supposed to do? I have to be nice to her. She’s your sister. I’ve already asked her to back off twice. She stopped hanging around the house, so I think she got the picture.”

That satisfied me, at least on his end, but I had no clue what to do about her. Hopefully she’d just get the picture and move on.

He kissed my neck, one hand going up to palm my breast.

“Tristan,” I told him, trying to sound stern, but falling far short. “We can’t. Not with my sister under the same roof.”

“Oh, hell no. I’ll kick her out right now, if it’s going to be like that.”

I rolled my eyes.

“You’re just going to have to get over this type of shyness. We’ll be living in a house with a baby soon. Are we going to abstain just because our baby is under the same roof?”

I mulled that over. I hadn’t thought about the logistics of it yet.

“The answer is no, Danika. There’ll be no abstaining. If you need to, you can try to be quiet, but I’m not keeping my hands off you tonight, or any night. And think about how silly you’re being, considering all of the times with Bev and the kids under the same roof?”

He had a point, but so did I. “But this is different. The apartment is much smaller, and the sound carries in here.”

“I don’t f**king care.”

This was also a good point. I could see when I’d lost a battle, and this one I conceded gracefully, and unfortunately, loudly.

He stripped me, splayed me out on his bed, and worked on me with his tongue until I was biting my hand not to scream. He was relentless, and finally, when one small shriek burst out of me, he moved up my body and took me hard. There was no mistaking what we’d been up to by the time we were done.

I doubted the neighbors hadn’t heard.

“You’re an ass. It’s like you wanted her to hear.”