Double Time
Page 51
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Trey picked up Xavier’s discarded shirt and tossed it at him. “Now who’s making up bullshit stories?”
“Believe what you must.”
Trey entered the bathroom and locked the door. He wasn’t sure if he’d locked it to keep Xavier out or to keep himself from inviting him in. Trey had to take a shower though or Reagan would know he was keeping things from her. He wanted to be completely honest with her about everything. Well, except for his past attraction to men. She didn’t need to know about that, but everything else… completely honest. He was still trying to convince himself that he was being honest with Reagan when he finished his shower and found, with a strange mix of relief and disappointment, that Xavier had done what he’d asked and left.
He wasn’t prepared to find Reagan waiting for him outside the dressing room door. Had she seen Xavier leave? That was bound to bring up all sorts of questions he wasn’t prepared to answer.
“Feel better?” she asked in a clipped tone.
Shit. She knew about Xavier. Why else would she be pissed off at him?
“Not really. I’m clean now, but I need some alone time with my woman to alleviate the rest of the heat in my body.”
He drew her against him and kissed her, hoping that he could distract her enough to make her forget all those questions that must be swarming around in her mind.
She pulled away. “Is there a woman in there?” she asked. “Is that why you tried to get me out of the way?”
“A woman?” Trey said, feigning astonishment. “Of course not. Don’t you trust me?”
“You’re not acting very trustworthy,” she said, wrapping her arms around her body to shut him out. “I can’t think of any other reason why you’d want to get rid of me so quickly after the show.”
“I didn’t want to get rid of you.” He went to the dressing room and pulled open the door. “Go ahead and have a look. There are no women there.”
She didn’t look inside. She turned and started walking down the corridor as fast as her legs could carry her.
Trey jogged to catch up with her. “Why are you mad?”
“If you’re going to cheat on me, break up with me now, Trey,” she said, her eyes trained on the door that led outside. It was as if she couldn’t get away from him fast enough.
“I’m not going to cheat on you, Reagan.”
“Because trusting someone and having them cheat on you? It f**king rips your heart out.” She slammed the door open with both hands, startling several of the crew who were loading things into the semitrailer outside.
Trey finally caught up with her at the bottom of the tour bus steps. He grabbed her by both arms and turned her to face him. His heart gave an unpleasant lurch when he saw the tears swimming in her eyes.
“Reagan,” he said, “don’t be upset. I wasn’t cheating on you. I wouldn’t do that. If it came to that, I would break up with you first. Okay? I promise.”
She covered her face with both hands. “Don’t look at me. I can’t stand for people to see me cry.”
He tugged her against his chest and she buried her face in his shirt. “I can’t see,” he said, rubbing her back with both hands. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset about this though. I swear nothing happened.”
“You’re hiding something from me. I know you are.”
“I’m not.” He hated to lie, but damned if the truth wouldn’t hurt her more. He was serious about not cheating on her. He would never do that to anyone, especially not someone he cared about as much as he did Reagan.
“You are, Trey. I know you’re not telling me something. I’m not stupid.” Her arms went around his back and she drew him closer. “Just tell me. Even if it hurts. I want to know.”
“The truth?” Half-truth. “You’re right.” She made a pained sound in the back of her throat, but he pushed on with his explanation. “There was someone waiting for me in my dressing room. I didn’t go in there to fool around with them. I went in there to get rid of them. Okay? Every city I go to, I have several people who are used to hooking up with me after a show. It’s going to take a while for them all to realize I’m not available anymore. That I have a girlfriend now and I’m not interested in them.”
“So you were trying to get rid of me earlier.”
“I was trying to avoid hurting you, Reagan. I had no intention of cheating on you and I didn’t. I just didn’t want you to have to deal with a jealous ex-lover.”
She looked up at him and smiled in relief. “Thanks for telling me the truth.”
Half-truth.
“You can tell me these things, Trey. I’d rather know than have you hide them from me.”
“Okay. Next time something like that happens, I’ll tell you.” But there were things he couldn’t tell her. If she was this upset over finding out that he hadn’t cheated on her, how would she react if she knew the person who’d been waiting for him in his dressing room hadn’t been a woman as he’d led her to believe, but rather a man?
Chapter 14
Reagan wasn’t exactly an early riser, but the members of Sinners slept most of the day away. She supposed she’d have to get her sleep cycle more in sync with the up-all-night, sleep-all-day lifestyle of the average rock star, but for now she was wide awake at seven a.m. and the bus was still and silent. Trey was snoring softly beside her. He’d earned his sleep after the hours of pleasure he’d gifted her the night before. It was almost as if he was trying to prove something or make up to her for some wrong that he continued to deny. Not that she was complaining. The man was a phenomenal lover. She believed that he hadn’t cheated on her, but she wondered how long it would be before he did. The opportunity was always there. It would be so easy for him to give in to temptation. She’d just have to trust him. No matter how scary that thought was. Ethan’s cheating had ripped her apart inside, and she didn’t care for an encore. But if she wanted to be with Trey, and she did, she knew she couldn’t spend every moment they were apart seething with suspicion.
Reagan inched toward the edge of the mattress, trying not to disturb Trey as she got up. She had to pee and a shower sounded like a little piece of heaven, but Mr. Cuddles apparently had some extrasensory perception of when his bedmate was about to vacate the premises. Trey’s arm wrapped around her waist and he tugged her against him, spooning up against her back and tangling her in his arms and legs until she was trapped. He murmured something unintelligible against her hair. She relaxed into his warm body and told her protesting bladder to shut up. This was nice. There was no place she’d rather be. She gently stroked the skin on his forearm, concentrating on the rhythm of his breathing. She could have lain like that for hours. If she hadn’t had to pee so bad.
“Believe what you must.”
Trey entered the bathroom and locked the door. He wasn’t sure if he’d locked it to keep Xavier out or to keep himself from inviting him in. Trey had to take a shower though or Reagan would know he was keeping things from her. He wanted to be completely honest with her about everything. Well, except for his past attraction to men. She didn’t need to know about that, but everything else… completely honest. He was still trying to convince himself that he was being honest with Reagan when he finished his shower and found, with a strange mix of relief and disappointment, that Xavier had done what he’d asked and left.
He wasn’t prepared to find Reagan waiting for him outside the dressing room door. Had she seen Xavier leave? That was bound to bring up all sorts of questions he wasn’t prepared to answer.
“Feel better?” she asked in a clipped tone.
Shit. She knew about Xavier. Why else would she be pissed off at him?
“Not really. I’m clean now, but I need some alone time with my woman to alleviate the rest of the heat in my body.”
He drew her against him and kissed her, hoping that he could distract her enough to make her forget all those questions that must be swarming around in her mind.
She pulled away. “Is there a woman in there?” she asked. “Is that why you tried to get me out of the way?”
“A woman?” Trey said, feigning astonishment. “Of course not. Don’t you trust me?”
“You’re not acting very trustworthy,” she said, wrapping her arms around her body to shut him out. “I can’t think of any other reason why you’d want to get rid of me so quickly after the show.”
“I didn’t want to get rid of you.” He went to the dressing room and pulled open the door. “Go ahead and have a look. There are no women there.”
She didn’t look inside. She turned and started walking down the corridor as fast as her legs could carry her.
Trey jogged to catch up with her. “Why are you mad?”
“If you’re going to cheat on me, break up with me now, Trey,” she said, her eyes trained on the door that led outside. It was as if she couldn’t get away from him fast enough.
“I’m not going to cheat on you, Reagan.”
“Because trusting someone and having them cheat on you? It f**king rips your heart out.” She slammed the door open with both hands, startling several of the crew who were loading things into the semitrailer outside.
Trey finally caught up with her at the bottom of the tour bus steps. He grabbed her by both arms and turned her to face him. His heart gave an unpleasant lurch when he saw the tears swimming in her eyes.
“Reagan,” he said, “don’t be upset. I wasn’t cheating on you. I wouldn’t do that. If it came to that, I would break up with you first. Okay? I promise.”
She covered her face with both hands. “Don’t look at me. I can’t stand for people to see me cry.”
He tugged her against his chest and she buried her face in his shirt. “I can’t see,” he said, rubbing her back with both hands. “I don’t understand why you’re so upset about this though. I swear nothing happened.”
“You’re hiding something from me. I know you are.”
“I’m not.” He hated to lie, but damned if the truth wouldn’t hurt her more. He was serious about not cheating on her. He would never do that to anyone, especially not someone he cared about as much as he did Reagan.
“You are, Trey. I know you’re not telling me something. I’m not stupid.” Her arms went around his back and she drew him closer. “Just tell me. Even if it hurts. I want to know.”
“The truth?” Half-truth. “You’re right.” She made a pained sound in the back of her throat, but he pushed on with his explanation. “There was someone waiting for me in my dressing room. I didn’t go in there to fool around with them. I went in there to get rid of them. Okay? Every city I go to, I have several people who are used to hooking up with me after a show. It’s going to take a while for them all to realize I’m not available anymore. That I have a girlfriend now and I’m not interested in them.”
“So you were trying to get rid of me earlier.”
“I was trying to avoid hurting you, Reagan. I had no intention of cheating on you and I didn’t. I just didn’t want you to have to deal with a jealous ex-lover.”
She looked up at him and smiled in relief. “Thanks for telling me the truth.”
Half-truth.
“You can tell me these things, Trey. I’d rather know than have you hide them from me.”
“Okay. Next time something like that happens, I’ll tell you.” But there were things he couldn’t tell her. If she was this upset over finding out that he hadn’t cheated on her, how would she react if she knew the person who’d been waiting for him in his dressing room hadn’t been a woman as he’d led her to believe, but rather a man?
Chapter 14
Reagan wasn’t exactly an early riser, but the members of Sinners slept most of the day away. She supposed she’d have to get her sleep cycle more in sync with the up-all-night, sleep-all-day lifestyle of the average rock star, but for now she was wide awake at seven a.m. and the bus was still and silent. Trey was snoring softly beside her. He’d earned his sleep after the hours of pleasure he’d gifted her the night before. It was almost as if he was trying to prove something or make up to her for some wrong that he continued to deny. Not that she was complaining. The man was a phenomenal lover. She believed that he hadn’t cheated on her, but she wondered how long it would be before he did. The opportunity was always there. It would be so easy for him to give in to temptation. She’d just have to trust him. No matter how scary that thought was. Ethan’s cheating had ripped her apart inside, and she didn’t care for an encore. But if she wanted to be with Trey, and she did, she knew she couldn’t spend every moment they were apart seething with suspicion.
Reagan inched toward the edge of the mattress, trying not to disturb Trey as she got up. She had to pee and a shower sounded like a little piece of heaven, but Mr. Cuddles apparently had some extrasensory perception of when his bedmate was about to vacate the premises. Trey’s arm wrapped around her waist and he tugged her against him, spooning up against her back and tangling her in his arms and legs until she was trapped. He murmured something unintelligible against her hair. She relaxed into his warm body and told her protesting bladder to shut up. This was nice. There was no place she’d rather be. She gently stroked the skin on his forearm, concentrating on the rhythm of his breathing. She could have lain like that for hours. If she hadn’t had to pee so bad.
