Starfire(29)

Maybe one of those rehab places celebrities go? I’d love a fixed routine and dorm-style living, for a bit.

Obviously, instead of booze or drugs, I would check myself in for sex addiction.

Yep.

My addiction was sex with ultra hot guys.

All those chiseled abs and bulging biceps… the hot, urgent kisses… the licking and sucking, flesh against flesh… the first step is admitting you have a problem.





CHAPTER 9


As I locked the door Tuesday night, my throat tightened with a hint of nostalgia. The store’s days at this location were numbered. I turned around and looked at Java Jones, across the street. After the move to the former Black Sheep Books location, I’d have to get my lunch from a new place, where the staff didn’t know my usual order.

I crossed the street and went in to get a mocha—to get one while I still could!

Kirsten gave me a knowing look as she steamed the milk. Did she know that Golden and I were both dating Adrian Storm? And that Dalton was back in town? She sure looked like she was thinking about something. If the rumors were to be believed, she’d gone to sex rehab herself once. It hadn’t cured her, though, which meant there was probably no hope for me and my inability to resist a bumpy man chest paired with a few compliments.

“What’s new since lunchtime?” she asked.

“I don’t know. What have you heard?”

“You’d better not forget about us, or I’ll have hurt feelings.”

“What?” I took the mocha, smiling at the perfect chocolate curls resting atop the foam.

“After you move the bookstore,” she said. “I won’t get to see your face twice a day. I don’t know how long I’ll last here without your funny stories.”

My cheeks warmed as I fidgeted with the lid. How ridiculous was I to suspect everybody was so fascinated with my private love life?

“I promise I won’t disappear,” I said.

She came out from behind the counter and gave me a hug, squeezing me tight. “Get out of here before I get really emotional,” she said.

As I walked back out with my mocha, my head felt like a helium-filled balloon, barely attached to my body. I’d always thought of Kirsten’s friendliness toward me as professional courtesy, and nothing more. The idea I was more than a customer to her was humbling.

I hit the end of the block. Shit. Did I lock the door?

Once you ask yourself that question, you have to turn back and check.

The door was unlocked, which was a first. Even worse, someone was inside the bookstore. My heart started to pound.

The lights were off, but I could see movement.

I yanked open the door to find a familiar face.

“Adrian!” I yelled. “You scared me.”

He was measuring the counter with a yellow measuring tape, and he wore black jeans and one of his old black band T-shirts, so he’d been nearly invisible with the interior lights out.

“The store’s closed, ma’am. You’ll have to try the library,” he said, grinning.

“And get those disgusting library book cooties? With the grocery lists and curly hairs tucked between the pages?”

He chuckled. “I’m going to tell my aunt, the librarian, about your slanderous comments.”

“It’s not slander if it’s true.” I set my purse on the counter and peered down at the notes he was making with a carpenter’s pencil. “How is your aunt?”

“Dating a hairdresser. He’s a badass with tattoos, and a widower, too.”

“Wow. Good for her.” I looked around, noting that beyond the beaded curtains, the bathroom door was closed. Was Golden there with Adrian? Was that why he’d waited until we were closed and I was gone?

“I’m alone,” he said, picking up on the unspoken question.

“Are you okay? You didn’t tell me what happened with the rat.”

“Peaches, I’d rather not talk about it, because I can’t win. Either I’m a savage monster who murdered an innocent rat, or I’m a pussy who didn’t have the nerve to take care of a problem. Either way, you’ll never look at me the same again.”

I stared at his face for clues, but he had his poker face on. “You’re so weird sometimes, Adrian.”

He finished measuring the countertop. Looking down at his notes, he said, “Want to catch a movie with me tomorrow night?”

“I’ve got other commitments.”

He looked up, catching me with his blue eyes. “You’re seeing… him?”

“That’s okay, right?” I rubbed my arms, feeling a chill suddenly. “This is all so complicated. Maybe I’ll just cancel.”

“No, you should see him.”