Sated

by Charity Parkerson

  She started to ask where he thought she’d go, but managed to swallow it. He’d been the one to drive them there. Not to mention, she’d gotten so turned around in the crowd, she’d never find the parking garage again, even if she’d been the one with wheels. Thankfully, Trey didn’t wait for her to give her word before taking off. Finding an empty spot between two shop windows, Arbor leaned against the wall. The hot brick seared her skin, making her instantly sorry. As she jumped away, cursing herself for being an idiot, she caught a glimpse of a neon sign shining through one of the windows. It was a red hand with an eye in the center of its palm. Purple gauze blocked out the rest of the interior, keeping Arbor from peering inside.

  Her gaze slid toward the cart where Trey stood, waiting his turn. As if he felt her eyes upon him, he met her gaze and smirked. A girlie sigh rose in her throat at the sight of his lips twisting into the knowing grin. Fuck. It was like he was stripping her out of her clothes in his head. Unfortunately, the second he looked away, an image of Lyric’s and Killian’s mouths colliding flashed through her mind, making her nipples harden.

  Arbor had spent her entire life finding every man she met lacking in some way. Now, three men had fallen in her lap—equal in their sexiness. The neon sign flashed, capturing her attention once more. She could pop inside and learn her fate. How long could it possibly take? Surely she could be in and out before Trey missed her. With another quick peek in his direction, ensuring he was otherwise engaged, Arbor slipped inside the shop before she could change her mind. As the door slid closed behind her, a shrill voice sliced through the air, making Arbor’s heart jump into her throat.

  “Go away. You have nothing to trade.”

  Pressing the heel of her hand against her chest, attempting to slow her racing heart, Arbor searched for the source. An old woman who was barely tall enough to see over the counter stared at her through narrowed eyes.

  Arbor crossed the room. “I have money.”

  Weathered hands swiped away Arbor’s claim. Her white hair vibrated, seeming to mimic her outrage. “Meh! What do I care of money? That’s a greed of the living. Now, go away.”

  The shopkeeper’s comment didn’t sound as odd to Arbor as it should have, considering the woman looked very much alive. Of course, if Arbor had learned anything in the past few weeks, her eyes were a pair of liars. Nonetheless, Arbor didn’t back down.

  “I need you to tell me my future.”

  She eyed Arbor thoughtfully. “Nothing to tell, is there?”

  “I’m standing here,” Arbor argued. “Considering that thirty seconds from now it’ll be the future, what will it hurt to try?”

  Every deep line in the shopkeeper’s face hardened, matching her tone as she enunciated every word. “As I said before, you have nothing to trade.”

  Arbor couldn’t let it go. “Please? I’m sure we can work something out.”

  Holding her stare, the woman snatched up a deck of Tarot cards. Arbor hadn’t seen them sitting there. It was almost as if they’d magically appeared. She bit back a hysterical bubble of laughter over the irony. Without bothering to shuffle or even as much as look at what she held, the woman pulled three cards from the stack before placing them face down on the counter. “I wonder,” she mused aloud as she flipped the first one over, “if you smiled as you gave away your heart.”

  There wasn’t enough air in the room for Arbor’s lungs to work properly. Three hearts circled a picture of a microphone. “Lyric,” Arbor said without thought.

  A sword shaped like a guitar came next. “Did you sigh as you traded your body?”

  It was Killian’s card. She knew it beyond a single doubt. In all her days, Arbor had never seen a Tarot deck such as this, but these cards were hers. She could feel it. The old woman’s hand hovered over the final card. Arbor held her breath, completely incapable of looking away.

  The door flew open, banging against the wall in Trey’s fury. “For fuck’s sake, Arbor. You have no business in a place like this. It’s dangerous. Do you have any idea how many times a week I get called to this street or what happens to women here?”

  The shopkeeper snorted, dragging Arbor’s attention away from Trey’s enraged expression. Leaning closer, the psychic dropped her voice to a whisper before quickly flipping over the final card. “Did you moan as you lost your soul?”

  Arbor knew. Before she even dropped her gaze to the counter, she knew what she’d see. As Trey reached her side, Arbor swiped her hand over the cards, flipping them over before he caught sight of them. She forced a smile for his benefit.

  “I was feeding my paranormal junkie side,” she said, doing her best to calm his temper while her mind raced. It was odd. Arbor half-expected to start hyperventilating any second, but an eerie calm settled over her instead. Trey ran his hands through his hair, leaving it standing on end.

  “Damn, Arbor. You scared the shit out of me.” Arbor started to crack a joke, hoping to pull a smile from him, but he did look worried. It caused the words to die on her tongue.

  Instead, she chose a different tactic. “I’m fine, Trey. When I saw the shop, I came in without thinking about it. I didn’t realize you weren’t right on my heels.” Reaching over, she linked her fingers through his. The instant their palms touched, he brought her hand to his mouth. His warm breath brushed over her skin as he blew out a sigh of relief. Her gaze slid back to the scattered cards.

  Trey gently tugged at her hand, drawing her attention back his way. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” His face hardened as he turned his head in the shopkeeper’s direction, adding, “Before you end up getting robbed blind.”

  Arbor glanced between them, mesmerized by Trey’s deadly expression and the way the elderly woman eyed the opposite wall. In spite of her blatant refusal to look at Trey, the elderly woman’s voice didn’t lose any of its edge. She used the same biting tone with him as she’d used with Arbor.

  “Got nothing left, does she?”

  For some reason, one that defied all logic, hearing the woman say such a thing to Trey caused Arbor’s temper to snap.

  “I have everything.” The over-the-top growl surprised even her as it left her lips. Arbor didn’t back down. When the shopkeeper and Trey focused on her, wearing matching concerned expressions, even that wasn’t enough to shake Arbor from her building rage. “Everything,” Arbor repeated, stressing each syllable.

  Perhaps, one day while she hadn’t been looking, Arbor had gone crazy. If so, it didn’t change the way she felt. There was no way the woman should know about Lyric and Killian. It could’ve been that Arbor was harboring some guilt over spending her time with three men, and—in response—she was allowing a shysters’ parlor tricks get the best of her. Either way, she didn’t like the way they were treating her, as if she was too stupid to take care of herself. It seemed to her that she’d done a pretty damn good job of surviving this long without anyone’s help. Shaking off Trey’s hold, she headed for the door, leaving them to whatever they had going on between them. She almost made it to the corner, where she hoped a bus would pick her up, before Trey overcame her.

  “I’m an asshole.” Arbor didn’t bother to correct him or to slow her step. Jogging ahead of her, he stepped into her path and left her no choice but to draw up short or slam into him. She started to step around him, but he snagged her around the waist before she could get away. “I’m sorry, okay?” Arbor kept her gaze locked on a lamppost in the distance, refusing to meet his stare, but Trey didn’t back down. “In my line of work, I see a lot of shit, Arbor. These people are capable of the worst sort of…” He growled, sounding frustrated before starting again. “You’re in my head and life seems brighter for it.” Her gaze slid to his while her mind drifted back to the final card—a castle with the arm of the law wrapped around its center. The woman could’ve seen her on the street with Trey. She could’ve absorbed a thousand tiny details about Arbor before setting out those cards. Trey was right. People were capable of anything. She realized she was clutching his
shirt. It seemed her hands had already forgiven him.

  “I’m the one who’s sorry. You know this place better than I do. I don’t know why I reacted the way I did.”

  A sad look passed over his face. “Because you had every right to,” he answered, making it sound so simple. “I want to keep seeing you and I’m trying hard not to fuck this up. Being overprotective of you is something that I can’t promise to control.”

  “You have gorgeous eyes,” she said, cutting him off before he could take any more of the blame. His teeth snapped together at the compliment as if he had no idea what to make of her words. Since she enjoyed his reaction more than she cared to admit, she didn’t stop there. “I sort of want to run my fingers through your hair right now too.” His eyes crinkled in the corners, proving she’d chosen the right attack.

  “Is that all?” The heavy humor in his tone made it hard for Arbor to keep a straight face. This was too important to blow it now with a smile. Instead, she made a show of slowly shaking her head.

  “This gun you’re carrying is a real turn on as well.” Running her hand down his back, she didn’t stop until she reached his handcuffs. “I’m dying to get you out of this shirt because you have an amazing body. It shouldn’t be hidden. Not to mention, you come equipped with toys. It’s distracting.”

  Reaching behind him, Trey snagged her hand and brought it around to his mouth. He touched his lips to the inside of her wrist while holding her gaze. Arbor held her breath in anticipation. She wasn’t disappointed. His tongue swiped over the spot where his lips had been. A massive wave of déjà vu swept over her. An image of Trey wearing only a pair of well-worn jeans and nothing else flashed through her mind. You make me hope and dream. She could hear his phantom words ringing in her ears.

  Trey’s eyes fell closed. “You make me hope and dream.” The air left her lungs. She blinked rapidly, attempting to wipe away the crazy coating her vision. It simply wasn’t possible that she’d known what he was going to do and say before it happened. He stepped back, out of her hold. In her shock, Arbor let him go. A smile touched his lips. She tried to return it. It must have passed muster. Trey didn’t seem to notice that she was totally flipping out on the inside. “Have lunch with me again tomorrow.”

  Arbor nodded, since she wasn’t capable of doing anything more, but she had no intention of missing out on spending time with him. After all, if she was seeing his future, then she already knew more about him than she did about herself.

  Chapter Five

  “Poor Trey. He must be the most put-upon personal guard ever. All he does is listen to me ramble on non-stop. Even though he doesn’t complain, I wonder sometimes if he gets tired of not having a life outside of being with me. I try to make a point of doing things I think he’ll enjoy, simply to give him something to do. His happiness matters to me for some reason. Yesterday, I tried talking to Killian and Lyric about it. After all, Trey has a degree in forensic science and he’s been talking about getting a job in that field. I don’t want him to leave because he’s sick of looking at my face. Of course, when I said as much, Killian laughed until I thought he was going to pass out. Lyric shook his head and called me an idiot. Thankfully, he said it in a loving way, so I wasn’t forced to unman him. That would’ve sucked for everyone. Either way, I give up. I want everyone to be happy, but I don’t know how to make that happen.”—Feb. 10th

  Eight months earlier…

  It was rare for her to drink. Tonight was a bit of a celebration for the guys, and maybe a little pouting for Arbor. She went far to hide it. With the house now empty of all guests—except for Hunter and Echo—Arbor was trying hard to keep the room completely in focus. Her men would be leaving her in the morning. It was only for three days, but it was the first time they’d been apart. After they did a quick round of interviews across the country, they’d be back to get her, and the real fun would begin. They were going back on tour. Arbor wasn’t feeling it yet.

  She’d played her part, keeping up the smiles. Lindsay, the new backup singer, had been the final person to leave. There was something going on with Hunter and Echo in regards to the new chick. Arbor was too tired to try to puzzle it out. She kind of wished the three of them would fuck and get it over with, but Arbor kept it to herself. If there was anything she understood, it was not wanting everyone discussing an odd relationship dynamic. Still, considering the way she lived her life, she didn’t understand why the three were playacting as if they didn’t want to give it a go.

  With Killian and Lyric out in the studio, doing a final equipment check, she was allowing Echo to soothe her nerves. The woman had magic fingers. As Echo dragged her fingers through Arbor’s hair, pulling it into a braid, a moan rumbled from her throat. She meant it too. This was the only reason she let Echo treat her like a human Barbie. For some reason, the gothic woman enjoyed testing out different hairstyles on Arbor. Arbor loved having her hair played with. It was a win/win. Hunter’s phone chirped.

  Peeking one eye open, Arbor eyed the brown-haired giant who served as the band’s drummer with malice at the interruption. He chuckled, snagging Lyric’s jacket.

  “I’m out.”

  Arbor sighed. “How are you going to steal a woman’s coat?” She was only half-joking. There might be nicer jackets in the world, but there wasn’t a replacement for the one he was holding. It was priceless to her.

  A dimple showed in his cheek as he tossed her a wink. “No worries, mate. It’ll be back covering your delicious body before you have time to miss it.”

  Slightly mollified, she toned down the pout. Trey snorted, catching her attention. When he had it, he rolled his eyes to let her know he wasn’t fooled. He’d been with her too long. Echo slid out from behind her, intent on joining Hunter at the door. Arbor snagged her arm, pulling her to a stop and kissing her cheek before she could get away.

  “Please be careful tonight?”

  “No worries, chicky. Hunter’s hooch is driving.”

  Hunter sighed like a man doomed. “Trina is a good woman. Would you stop calling her a hooch?”

  Echo blinked innocently. “I’ll be good.” Seemingly satisfied, Hunter tossed Arbor a wave as he headed out.

  Flashing a mischievous smile Arbor’s way, Echo followed in his wake, calling, “Good at it!”

  Left alone with her thoughts, Arbor eyed the mess of empty liquor and beer bottles sitting around the living room. With a weary sigh, she pushed to her feet. After locating a box of trash bags, Arbor began the tedious task of putting things to right. The instant the first bottle went in the trash, Trey was at her side, holding the bag open for her and following her around.

  “Are you nervous about the tour?”

  She was, but Arbor also felt disloyal for admitting it. Instead, she shrugged and changed the subject before Trey could question her further.

  “Does it get old having to hang out here with the band all the time?”

  It was Trey’s turn to shrug. “I don’t hang out with anyone.”

  Something about his tone seemed odd to Arbor. It only caused her to want to know more. “I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean. You’re here and they’re here.”

  He eyed her with a closed expression for a full minute before answering. “I have better things to do than pay attention to a group of spoiled rock stars.”

  Arbor smiled at his description. Nonetheless, curiosity still ate at her. “Like what?”

  “Watch you.”

  This time, he didn’t look at her as he answered. Even though she couldn’t explain why, his answer was important and missing his expression as he gave it mattered even more. She needed to see his eyes. Searching for a way to keep digging, she said the first thing that came to mind.

  “Sounds boring.” Really. It did.

  Finally, she had his attention. Turning his head, he held her gaze. “Why?”

  Because she was boring, but she didn’t have time to say as much. Reaching over, Trey snagged the rubber band at the tip of her braid and tug
ged. After tossing it in the trash, he ran his fingers through her hair, working the braid lose. He kept the same physical distance as before. There wasn’t any part of their bodies touching other than his fingers in her hair, but the way he stared at her felt the same as having his hands running over her skin. She caught herself holding her breath, wondering what he would do next.

  “You shouldn’t tease Echo by letting her touch you. The poor woman is already infatuated.”

  “She’s not.” Arbor didn’t know why she was arguing, except it gave her something to concentrate on other than the way he was looking at her.

  “Oh, babe. You’re so clueless.”

  Before she had time to feel insulted, he dropped his hand and took a step back. “There’s a question I’ve been dying to ask.”

  The forced humor in his tone let her know he was going to pretend as if nothing happened. She was cool to let it drop. “Shoot.”

  “How did these people meet?” Arbor snorted at the wonderment in his voice. “I mean, seriously,” Trey added, obviously working up to being outrageous. Arbor recognized the ploy. She let it happen. No good could come of anything more. “Lindsay is from God only knows where.”

  “Very flat American accent,” Arbor agreed with a serious nod.

  “Exactly! Now, Hunter and Echo are obvious Aussies while Lyric couldn’t be more of a New Orleans’ native.” He said Orleans like O-lens, making her chuckle. She finished his thoughts.

  “And Killian is a Londoner. I get you. The story isn’t as exciting as you’d think. To use Killian’s exact verbiage, talent scouts and all that rot, but they’ve been together since their teenage years.”