LITTLE SECRETS
Ronan kept his promise and I felt the proof of it the next day, groaning as I rolled over, the sound echoing slightly under the cover of his wing. His warm frame followed mine, curving against my back, and I sighed, snuggling back into him.
Voices carried up from the stage far below, and I tried to muffle the sound against a pillow, turning over again and hiding my face against Ronan's chest. His arm circled my back, a soft kiss brushing over the top of my head.
"Can I hide up here today?" I whispered.
Ronan cleared his throat, squeezing me briefly. "Only if you want the entire theater in a panic."
Because of Beth. Of course.
"You can hide up here for another hour…maybe," Ronan said, twisting to look out the window. "We're already late."
And I was never late.
I sighed and wiggled away from Ronan's warmth, wincing as his wing lifted for me, cold air rushing in. I sat up, and then grimaced as I glanced down.
"My robe." My robe was filthy, forgotten beneath us for the entire night, and Ronan was smirking as if he was proud of the fact.
A small part of me allowed that he did deserve some credit for the mess he'd made of me during the night. Later, after some tea and food and stretches, I might even admit to him that was by far his best fuck to date, if only for sheer and spectacular stamina. For now…
"I have a few things you should be able to put on, at least until we get downstairs," Ronan said, stretching in the bed with the sun gleaming on his stunning red skin and his muscles flexing.
Between Antin and Ronan, I'd orgasmed so many times the night before that my eyes ought to have been permanently crossed, so why was I looking at this imp like he was breakfast?
"I'm hungry," I said, trying not to glance at his cock. "Thank god I don't have to rehearse. I'm going right back to sleep after I eat."
Ronan's smile grew even more smug, if that were possible, and he sat up, rolling out of the bed and to his feet. I admired the way the sun struck his rounded ass and wrapped my arms around my knees, resting my chin on top. I smiled as he bent over and debated teasing him with a whistle of appreciation. His balls looked like hanging cherries from this angle.
He stood up again, turning and holding out a white shirt and a pair of trousers, lips twisted in a puzzling frown. "I can always fly down and pull something from your dressing room, if you'd rather."
I shook my head, standing up and crossing to him to take the shirt, pulling it over my head. "This will do. It's not as though we haven't all seen each other naked anyway." I paused, watching Ronan slide into the trousers, his smile huge. "What?"
"What, what?"
"What are you grinning about?" I asked, laughing.
He shrugged. "It'll annoy you."
"Tell me anyways," I said.
He rolled his eyes and stepped forward, large hands cupping my ass and drawing me to press against him. "Forgive me for enjoying the idea of flying you down, in my shirt, full of my cum, after having you in my bed all night." He shrugged and pressed a quick pecking kiss to my lips before that bright grin returned.
"That does annoy me," I said, a little too breathless for such a simple kiss.
"I warned you," Ronan said lightly. "Now hold tight and cross your ankles."
I tucked my face into his throat, noting that Ronan still smelled of sex and something sweeter than usual, and then Ronan lifted me off my toes and ran for the edge of the loft.
The moment of suspension, floating in his hold in the open air, always made my heart swoop in my chest, and I gasped against Ronan's skin, eyes unable to resist opening, seeing the floor of the stage so far below us. His wings hitched us briefly upward before he twisted and we started to spiral down to the floor, the voices below clearing and rising, a little bright note of surprise from a girl, and the stamp of feet hurrying out of our way.
But it wasn't one of the other girls who greeted us as Ronan's wings beat us down into a steady landing. Nireas stormed forward, eyes wide and the shimmer around his throat almost ghostly pale.
"There you are!"
Ronan jogged back a few steps at Nireas's approach, and the giant halted abruptly, the lower set of his arms crossing over his chest.
"Here we are," Ronan said. "Where's the fire?"
"You're late," Nireas muttered, two eyes flicking down and the third still fixed to my face.
"How late?" I asked.
"Not just you," Evie chimed in from the edge of the seat, her hands twisting her lap. "Margaret hasn't arrived yet either. But you're here now, so maybe…"
"It doesn't change anything," Nireas said, shaking his head. "Margaret is still missing."
"She's not missing, she's just…" Evie protested, but her voice trailed off to quiet.
"Late, like Beth was late," Nireas snapped.
"Stop it," I hissed up at Nireas, his gaze sudden and fierce on mine. "Don't work everyone up. Margaret is still new, and she's…young."
"Mr. Reddy sent a few hands out to her neighborhood," Evie said, and her hands started to twist again in her lap. "So hopefully…"
"You need to eat," Ronan said, rubbing a hand up and down my back.
"Your guest act isn't here yet either," Evie said slowly. "But I suppose no one minds."
I frowned at that, and Ronan's arm slid over my shoulder, pulling just a little to guide me toward the wings.
"Maybe it's not even a coincidence," Nireas muttered, still staring at me. "He left after she did, after all."
I opened my mouth to argue, to defend Constantine perhaps, but what did I know? I'd fallen asleep in his room. I looked to Ronan, but he was just glaring back at Nireas.
"Wouldn't surprise me," Evie answered softly.