Chapter Eleven
“Are you okay, Evie?” Annie asked.
“Huh?” Evie jumped, then turned around and put her hand on her chest. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just have a lot on my mind.”
“You look like you haven’t slept. And now you’re walking around like a zombie.” The older woman narrowed her eyes at her. “What’s wrong? Was it what happened yesterday?”
“No, I’m fine. Really.”
Annie leaned in. “You know, I can’t remember the last time you sang that song so well. I swear, I’ve heard it a million times on the recording, but yesterday was the first time it made me break out in goosebumps.”
She blushed. “It’s a great song. You and Jane are really talented.”
Annie tsked. “Don’t undersell yourself. You’re an amazing singer and, someday, you’ll find that break.”
Evie gave her a weak smile. “Thank you, that means a lot to me. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to work on my choreo with the other girls for Act Two.” She gave Annie a nod and walked to the dance room.
Get your act together, girl, she told herself. She couldn’t afford being flighty right now. No matter how distracted she was or how much her chest hurt when she thought of last night.
Sex with Connor had been indescribable. Even now, she could still remember the feel of him inside her. She thought her heart was going to give out the entire time, and the mere memory of the two orgasms made her knees buckle. Connor said he didn’t have sex with Janelle nor did he want her, and Evie did believe him. She wouldn’t have had sex with him if she didn’t. He thought she was beautiful..For a brief moment, she did feel beautiful in his arms.
Then she ruined it.
She sighed, thinking about what had happened after. What was she thinking, asking him where he lived and implying she wanted to stay over? Because that’s what she had done, right? Guys didn’t like it when you were too obvious. With her previous dates and boyfriends, she should have known. When she was dating Richard, she never even hinted that she wanted to sleep over at his place until after a month of going out. She had obviously come on too strong with Connor. When he brought her home but didn’t even ask to stay, she just shrugged and said goodbye, even though hurt slashed through her like a knife. She was a better actress than she thought.
But what were the rules in this case? Should you invite yourself over a month after having dressing room sex or before then? She shook her head. She wished there were some kind of dating handbook called “What To Expect When You Boink A Lycan You’ve Been Crushing On for Months.”
She hadn’t even seen him at all today, though she knew he was around. She also never got around to apologizing to Janelle, and maybe the pop diva had forgotten her demands. Last she heard, Steven had scheduled a separate rehearsal with Janelle today and asked that the chorus work on the new dance routine for Act Two in the afternoon.
After a grueling morning session and a quick lunch break, it was time for the dance rehearsal. “Evie, good, you’re here,” Nicole called when she entered the dance studio. “Let’s begin.”
Evie pushed all thoughts of Connor aside and listened as Nicole went through the revised routine. It took all her concentration, and she was glad for the distraction.
The afternoon passed by and the choreography rehearsal was brutal, but it seemed they finally nailed it. Sweat poured down Evie’s face, and the back of her shirt was soaked. She grabbed her towel and dried off, then finished an entire bottle of water. Her stomach grumbled angrily. Wow, I must have burned some serious calories. She had just scarfed down a hamburger, fries, and a shake at lunch, and she was hungry again.
“We’re gonna hit the showers and call it day,” Nicole said. “Then, happy hour at Paddy’s around the corner? They’ve got two for one beers until six.”
The thought of alcohol made her nauseated for some reason. Strange. Usually a post-rehearsal beer was what she needed to relax. “I’m pretty tired; I haven’t had a workout like this in months. Or should I say torture.” She laughed. “Maybe another time? I think I’ll need a hot bath after today.”
Nicole chuckled. “All right, next time then.” With a wave, the other woman walked away.
Food, her stomach seemed to say. “Ugh.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine.” She walked to the catering table, which was still laden with bagels, sandwiches, pop, and some healthy snacks like veggie sticks and fruit. She really should go for the veggies, but everything else smelled delicious, especially the basket of homemade chocolate chip cookies that were still warm. Her mind made up, she grabbed a plate and piled it with cookies and sandwiches.
“Hmmmm …” Finally, her stomach quieted down. She had a sandwich, a can of pop, and was biting into a chocolate chip cookie when she heard a voice behind her.
“I like a woman with a healthy appetite.”
The other half of the cookie fell from her mouth and onto the plate. She swallowed and then turned around. “Oh, Aiden, I didn’t see you there.” Her eyes dropped to the half-eaten cookie. “Sorry,” she mumbled.
“Hey.” He touched her arm. “No need to say sorry. I should apologize. It’s rude to watch someone else eat and then comment on it.”
She shrugged. “It’s okay. I was just filling up after a long cardio workout.”
“You know,” Aiden began. “If you like desserts and sweets, there’s this restaurant on the Lower East Side that only does desserts. Maybe you’d want to go out with me sometime?”
Evie put down the plate and then turned to him. “Aiden, I’m very flattered.”
“But?”
“But … it’s just …” Inappropriate? She and Connor did the nasty on top of a dressing table in this very theater less than twenty-four hours ago. Who was she to say what was inappropriate and what wasn’t?
“There’s someone else,” Aiden finished.
She bit her lip. “Yes.”
He gave her a weak smile. “No worries, I understand.”
“Thank you, Aiden,” she said. “You really are a great guy.”
“You’re not going to say ‘friend’ are you?” He chuckled. “What do you kids call it? ‘Friend-zoned?’”
She laughed. “Right. Well, don’t worry about it, old man, these young whippersnappers don’t got nothin’ on you. You’re still a catch.”
Aiden threw his head back. “I’ll remember that,” he said. “Well, I should go check on a couple of things. I’ll see you around.” He gave her a nod and then walked away.
Evie watched him walk away, then let out a sigh of relief. She really was flattered by the attention, but it was better to just be honest and not string him along. Aiden was a wonderful guy, but she just didn’t feel anything for him.
The lights from the stage dimmed, and she knew the crew was shutting down for the day. That meant she would only have a couple of minutes to shower. She was pretty sure no one else on the subway would appreciate how she smelled right now.
She grabbed her bag from the dressing room and raced to the showers, praying the crew hadn’t locked up yet. Thankfully it was open, and the lights were still on. She quickly stripped and wrapped a towel around herself, then walked into the shower area. She chose the first stall and pushed the curtain aside.
“Evie.”
A thrill ran up her spine at the sound of a rough, low voice. “Connor?” She turned around. He was standing there, his bright green eyes boring into her. Warmth crept up her neck. “What are you …”
His eyes burned with desire, and she felt breathless. He moved forward, and she had no choice but to step back.
Connor was so big he made the already cramped stall seem even smaller. His coffee scent tickled her nostrils, and memories of last night came back, making her wet. Oh God. He continued moving forward until her back hit the tiles.
“Connor.” Her eyes dropped to the floor.
“You turned him down.”
“Huh?” Her head snapped up.
“Aiden.”
She shrugged. “Yeah, I did. So what?”
Hands braced on either side of her. “Evie, can we …” He stopped short, and his eyes widened.
She wasn’t sure what had come over her, but she had dropped the towel, letting it fall to the floor. Connor let out a pained grunt and then swooped down, claiming her mouth in a kiss. His lips were unexpectedly soft, though. A surprising contrast to the rough hairs of his beard.
Hands, warm and large, cupped her bare breasts. The calloused pads of his fingers teased her nipples into hard buds, and she moaned into his mouth. Were they really going to do this here?
She moaned in protest when he moved his mouth away from hers. What was he … oh no. Connor knelt down in front of her and spread her legs.
“Connor … you shouldn’t … I should … shower first …” She felt embarrassed. Connor shouldn’t go down there, not when she’d been working out all day.
“You smell delicious,” he said with a groan. Shock shot through her system when she felt his wet, rough tongue lick a stripe up her slick nether lips. “And you taste delicious.”
“Nnnghhh!” she cried out when he spread her apart with his fingers and pressed his face between her legs. She dug her fingers into his hair and scraped her nails along his scalp. It was sweet torture—the sweeping of his tongue and the press of his lips against her pussy. He slid into her, teasing her, and she clenched around him, making him move faster into her. He fucked her with his tongue expertly, pushing her just close enough to the edge without sending her over.
Fuck, she was going to come any moment. He must have sensed it. He hooked one of her thighs over his shoulders and pushed into her even deeper.
“Connor!” Her voice echoed through the shower room, but she didn’t care who heard. Her body convulsed as pleasure tore through her. He didn’t stop but kept going, his tongue lashing at her, and she shivered as a smaller orgasm followed.
Her breath came in ragged pants, and her heart finally began to slow down. How long had she been standing there, leaning against the shower door with Connor between her thighs? He stood up and then kissed her again. She could taste herself on his lips and it was dirty, hot and it turned her on even more. Her pussy gushed with wetness, thinking about having him inside her, and she reached down to tug at his pants, her hands brushing against the bulge there. God, she wanted him—needed him—badly. And—
A soft vibration from his pants made her stop and withdraw her hands. Connor let out a soft curse as he ran his hands down his face, then reached into his pocket.
“What do you want?” he said gruffly into the phone. He cursed. “Fine. I’ll be there.”
Evie quickly grabbed the discarded towel and held it to her chest, like a security blanket. “What’s wrong?”
“Quinn,” he said. “Says I gotta go to the office now. They got some information from Booth.”
“Oh.” She tried not to sound deflated, but she wasn’t that good of an actress.
“Evie,” he began, “shit. I … fuck.” He cursed softly. “I keep fucking things up. I’m sorry.”
“It’s all right,” she replied and took his hand. “Let’s go.”
“Go?”
“To the office.”
“You’re coming with me?”
“Of course, I am,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “C’mon, Quinn’s waiting.”