Read Online Light My Fire (Rock Royalty Book 1) by Christie Ridgway - Free Book Online
Authors: Christie Ridgway
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"In my arms you were sweet and soft and willing as hell."
She glanced at him. "Gee, thanks. Rub it in."
"Mercy, please," he said his eyes rolling heavenward. "One minute you're complaining about your lack of response, now you're annoyed when I point out you were plenty responsive to me."
"Fine." She returned to inspecting her fingernails. "It's possible I'm not quite reasonable on this topic, okay? I'm a little raw about it, actually."
"Cilla—"
"Let's drop it. Drop it forever."
"I don't think I can. My conscience won't allow me to let you wander around with the misunderstanding that you're what...cold, frigid?"
"Well, I am. And not just with Tad, either."
Ren was shaking his head. The kind—pitying—expression in his eyes made her want to cringe. "Let it go, please," she begged him.
"Cilla, you've got some kind of negative feedback loop going on in your head."
Spare her bedroom advice from the Mighty Kisser, she thought, temper beginning to kindle. "Hey—"
"Honey," he continued, "it's not that hard—"
"If you think it's so easy, or if you think I'm so responsive, then why don't you want to do something more about it?" The words exploded from her mouth. "But that's right, you don't want to take things 'further.'" She put air quotes around the word.
He grimaced. "Because—"
"Let it go, Ren. Let it go and leave me be, unless, that is..."
His eyes narrowed. "Unless what?"
In the back of her mind, her good sense was shouting again, but Cilla wasn't thinking clearly. She hadn't been thinking clearly since Ren came back into her life and now after the evening she'd had, seeing Tad with Cilla's replacement, and then that unexpected kiss...
"Unless you want to teach me," she said, feeling reckless and rash. "You're going to be here for another couple weeks. You could do something useful with your time."
Ren took his hands from his pockets and straightened away from the counter. "Like what, exactly?"
Cilla slammed her arms over her chest. "Mentor me." Shocked as she was at her own words, they continued to flow from her mouth. "You could be my sexual mentor."
When she saw him start in surprise, she told herself again to shut it down. But some impetuous part of herself couldn't leave well enough alone. "What do you say, Ren? I dare you."
Early morning, and Ren was navigating the L.A. traffic, getting his sister to the auto salvage yard where she worked. He glanced over at her, noting the way she was sucking down the coffee they'd stopped for at the Laurel Canyon market. The place had been busy, some business types and entertainment moguls heading into skyscrapers or studios for the day, others looking like they were winding down after an all-night jam session or a frenzy of painting or sculpting. Canyon country contained all kinds.
Cami must have felt his glance. She looked over. "What?"
"I'm wondering how you're keeping up with this double life of yours. Salvage gal by day, Lady Music by night."
She held up her paper cup. "Caffeine, and lots of it."
"Payne treating you okay? Is he paying you a decent salary?"
"I like the job," she said. "My particular yard's more of a holding facility. Not too many buyers come by. I sit in a trailer most of the day and when I'm not keeping up the inventory on the computer or dealing with the occasional customer, I can play my guitar, do some writing."
"Payne's not in your face, then?"
She shook her head. "He's good to me."
For some reason the warm affection in her voice felt like a blow to Ren's chest. He cleared his throat. "Are there any other men in your life?"
"Just my mystery man."
"Who?" Curious, he slid her another look.
A small smile played around her mouth. "An occasional client. Makes an appointment. Comes late at night. I indulge him because he doesn't complain about the prices I jack up just for him."
"Is that safe?"
"Don't worry." She waved a hand. "He's harmless."
Ren refocused his gaze on the ass end of the Lexus in front of him. "What about
She glanced at him. "Gee, thanks. Rub it in."
"Mercy, please," he said his eyes rolling heavenward. "One minute you're complaining about your lack of response, now you're annoyed when I point out you were plenty responsive to me."
"Fine." She returned to inspecting her fingernails. "It's possible I'm not quite reasonable on this topic, okay? I'm a little raw about it, actually."
"Cilla—"
"Let's drop it. Drop it forever."
"I don't think I can. My conscience won't allow me to let you wander around with the misunderstanding that you're what...cold, frigid?"
"Well, I am. And not just with Tad, either."
Ren was shaking his head. The kind—pitying—expression in his eyes made her want to cringe. "Let it go, please," she begged him.
"Cilla, you've got some kind of negative feedback loop going on in your head."
Spare her bedroom advice from the Mighty Kisser, she thought, temper beginning to kindle. "Hey—"
"Honey," he continued, "it's not that hard—"
"If you think it's so easy, or if you think I'm so responsive, then why don't you want to do something more about it?" The words exploded from her mouth. "But that's right, you don't want to take things 'further.'" She put air quotes around the word.
He grimaced. "Because—"
"Let it go, Ren. Let it go and leave me be, unless, that is..."
His eyes narrowed. "Unless what?"
In the back of her mind, her good sense was shouting again, but Cilla wasn't thinking clearly. She hadn't been thinking clearly since Ren came back into her life and now after the evening she'd had, seeing Tad with Cilla's replacement, and then that unexpected kiss...
"Unless you want to teach me," she said, feeling reckless and rash. "You're going to be here for another couple weeks. You could do something useful with your time."
Ren took his hands from his pockets and straightened away from the counter. "Like what, exactly?"
Cilla slammed her arms over her chest. "Mentor me." Shocked as she was at her own words, they continued to flow from her mouth. "You could be my sexual mentor."
When she saw him start in surprise, she told herself again to shut it down. But some impetuous part of herself couldn't leave well enough alone. "What do you say, Ren? I dare you."
Early morning, and Ren was navigating the L.A. traffic, getting his sister to the auto salvage yard where she worked. He glanced over at her, noting the way she was sucking down the coffee they'd stopped for at the Laurel Canyon market. The place had been busy, some business types and entertainment moguls heading into skyscrapers or studios for the day, others looking like they were winding down after an all-night jam session or a frenzy of painting or sculpting. Canyon country contained all kinds.
Cami must have felt his glance. She looked over. "What?"
"I'm wondering how you're keeping up with this double life of yours. Salvage gal by day, Lady Music by night."
She held up her paper cup. "Caffeine, and lots of it."
"Payne treating you okay? Is he paying you a decent salary?"
"I like the job," she said. "My particular yard's more of a holding facility. Not too many buyers come by. I sit in a trailer most of the day and when I'm not keeping up the inventory on the computer or dealing with the occasional customer, I can play my guitar, do some writing."
"Payne's not in your face, then?"
She shook her head. "He's good to me."
For some reason the warm affection in her voice felt like a blow to Ren's chest. He cleared his throat. "Are there any other men in your life?"
"Just my mystery man."
"Who?" Curious, he slid her another look.
A small smile played around her mouth. "An occasional client. Makes an appointment. Comes late at night. I indulge him because he doesn't complain about the prices I jack up just for him."
"Is that safe?"
"Don't worry." She waved a hand. "He's harmless."
Ren refocused his gaze on the ass end of the Lexus in front of him. "What about
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