“Fat angels.”
Delaney stepped forward through a short hallway into what was a fairly tame-looking bedroom, considering the rest of the decor. Emerald-green velvet curtains and gold satin bedding. She’d be sleeping there next to Grant. With Reggie and Finch right outside the door. She couldn’t decide how she felt about that, or about any of this.
All day she’d waited to hear something from Grant’s aunt, or his mother. She’d checked in with Melody once more but the phone finder app still showed hers as offline, and Melody asked so many questions, she didn’t dare call her again. Carl didn’t have any news either. But he did suggest a sloe gin fizz might be tasty.
Grant walked in behind her. “You OK?”
She nodded. “I’m OK. You?”
He let out a big sigh and scratched a chin in desperate need of a shave. “I’m good, but if that Reggie doesn’t stop coming on to you, I’m going to punch his lights out and he’ll have to try singing with his jaw wired shut.”
Grant didn’t have any jurisdiction over her. It wasn’t his right to make such a jealous declaration, and yet it warmed her through. They were on this adventure together, a team whether they’d intended it to be that way or not. Delaney smiled and stepped nearer, wrapping her arms around his waist. She rested her head against his chest and he pulled her in tight.
“Reggie’s not my type.”
“Good. What’s your type?”
“I don’t know. Whatever you are. Maybe that’s my type.” It was a foolish thing to say. Far too sentimental. She should be stepping back instead of encouraging him. She had enough things to worry about without adding this man to the picture. But he was already in the picture. In fact, he was the only constant she’d had in days. At the moment, he was all she had.
And at this moment, he was enough. She lifted her face up to his and he kissed her lightly.
“Pay no attention to me, kids,” Finch said, coming through the door and stepping around them. “There’s just one slight problem with this room.”
Delaney looked over at him as he walked around to a doorway on the other side of the bed. “Problem?” she asked.
He opened that door and peeked inside. “Yup. Little problem. This here is the only shower in the joint. Looks like Reg and I will have to tiptoe past you lovebirds. No worries, though. We’ve seen a little bit of everything on that bus so nothing you two do could shock us.”
Reggie strolled in next. “We could shower in pairs to speed things up. Elaine, you’re with me.”
She felt Grant start to move in Reggie’s direction but she squeezed him around the middle and he stayed put.
Finch pulled a phone from his pocket. “Hey, Sam just texted me. He says he and Humphrey are heading to the Jungle Room Lounge with Sissy and Clark to get some dinner. They want us to meet them. You guys in?” He glanced at Delaney and Grant. “Sissy is about your size, Elaine. She might have some clothes you could borrow.”
The thought of food and fresh clothes was probably the only thing more appealing than a shower right about now. She and Grant were back in their own original clothes, but she had nothing to sleep in and nothing clean to put on after bathing. Still, food was the first order of business. She looked up at Grant. “Hungry?” she asked.
She could see what he was thinking. He wanted her alone in that room more than he wanted food, but she wasn’t ready for that. As much as she was drawn to him, as much as the idea of a long, hot shower followed by long, hot sex with Grant appealed to her, she had to focus on basic survival first. She needed food and clothes. She needed her phone, her wallet, and her money. And she needed to tell him who she was. She needed to tell him about the sex tape. Then, if he even still wanted her, she could give in to the temptation of Grant.
“I’m hungry,” she added, before he’d had a chance to come up with a reason to say no. “Will you buy me dinner? I seem to have lost my wallet.”
Chapter 16