Played By Riggs

13

I woke up with James' arms wrapped around me in a vase-like grip. It was difficult to slip out of bed without waking him, but also difficult, extremely, because his touch felt so damn good. There wasn't one fraction of me that didn't want to stay, to spend the day in bed with him and screw work because I had employees that would pick up my absence, though my pride was just too immense to let that happen.

On my tip toes, I went on the search for my clothes. And my phone. I needed to text Keith and ask him to pick me up. There was shit to do, and it didn't involve lounging around James' apartment.

"Escaping already?"

Startled, I glanced up at the door and saw James stood there in his boxers, staring at me, waiting for an explanation.

"Not escaping. Just... making my way back to reality."

"You're escaping, Kelsey. After the night we shared, you were just going to slip out without a goodbye?"

"Can we not do this now? I would rather have this conversation when I've got more clothes on."

Or, not have it at all.

I spotted my bra, hung over the lamp on the coffee table.

"I don't remember putting that there."

I met his eyes as I shoved my bra on, and then, slowly, saw the grin form on his face. And, for the life of me, I couldn't help but grin back.

"Last night was pretty great," I nodded, laughing gently. "But, um, Keith is on his way. Today is the day for our promotion. Interviews, radio calls you name it. We have to take pictures for the newspaper first."

"Am I not invited?"

I frowned. "Of course you are. You're my partner in this."

He continued to watch me carefully for a moment before he asked, "so why were you going to run out on me?"

"Because I didn't know what else to do," I mumbled. Admittedly, I surprised myself with the admission. I wasn't expecting something so honest to spill that early in the morning. But, it did. And I couldn't take it back.

"What do you mean?" James asked, nearing me.

"You know what I mean," I grunted. "I don't do sleepovers. I don't do this. We talked about this last night."

"No. Last night we talked about the fact you don't want me to ask you any questions, that you don't want me to know anything about you. We never discussed you running out on me."

"Well," I inhaled a sharp breath, suddenly feeling so vulnerable. "You caught me. I didn't have the chance to run out."

He nodded slowly, and then after a few moments silence, let out a strangled grunt. "God, you frustrate me so much," he said. "And still I can't seem to cure my addiction to you. What time will Keith be here?"

My throat flexed and I was dragged in by his presence. Into his arms, into his safety and his touch that I, too, seemed to be completely addicted to. "15 minutes," I said. "Why?"

He leaned down to kiss me, his hands unclasping my bra that I had just put on, and answered my question.

**

Keith took a pit stop at my apartment, for if he could notice that I was wearing yesterday's clothes, then everyone else sure as hell wouldn't turn a blind eye. I didn't want to leave James in the car with Keith, because I knew what their discussion would entail, who would be the subject matter and what questions, warnings, would be thrown, however I also didn't want to invite James into my apartment. For one, it wasn't tidy or clean in the slightest. I was hardly ever there, but when I was, dishes and dirty clothes didn't half pile up, so he had to remain in the car.