Page 92 of His Greatest Muse
“He has been extra sassy today, hasn’t he?” Addie asks. “I think we can loosen the grip on his hair a bit, though. Maybe that will help.”
“He’s beensosassy tonight!” Paisley shrieks. Her hold on my hair only relaxes for a milli-fucking-second before she’s tugging again.
I part my lips to tell her it hurts when Tinsley leans forward and brushes her lips against my cheek. The pain in my scalp disappears. Her closeness fills my senses. “You’re doing well with her. Despite the swearing, of course. I’ll make this worth your while once you’re finished. Only one more braid to go.”
I tighten my grip on her leg, my next exhale shuttered. My cock stiffens at the promise before I’m jerked by the roots of my hair closer to Paisley. I suck back my displeasure. Whatever Tinsley has planned will be worth this pain. If it isn’t, she’ll be the one to answer to that with my handprint on her ass.
I’ve never let anyone besides my mom, sister, and Tinsley touch my hair. It’s always been long, and Adalyn didn’t grow up with many girls her age besides Tinsley. I was always her hairstyle test subject, even when I complained about it and told her to fuck off. She was never this rough, though. Justice hasn’t taught his daughter how to be gentle yet, apparently.
If it weren’t for Tinsley flashing her smile at me when she asked me to do this tonight, I wouldn’t have considered it.
“Easy, girl,” Adalyn tells Paisley, carefully working her fingers beneath the little girl’s and beginning to lead her through the braid again. “Pulling hard might make the braids sit closer to the scalp, but they’re more painful. We have to find a comfortable middle ground so that we can’t even feel that we have our hair in braids when we finish.”
“He keeps moving when I try and tuck the end piece, and then I lose it,” Paisley huffs. “I have to pull it hard.”
I blow air through my nose. “I keep moving because you’re ripping my hair out.”
“That’s more money in the sass jar,” Justice says.
This night isn’t real. “There’s a fucking sass jar now?”
“Another toonie!” Tinsley adds.
“How about I just grab your wallet and empty it into the jar? I think I see it on the counter there.” Justice stands and knocks his knee into my shoulder as he walks past. He swipes my wallet from the counter and opens it up before riffling through the pockets. “Do you really carry this much cash with you?”
“Not all of us are poor,” I throw back.
He rolls his eyes and pulls out three one-hundred bills. Spreading them in his fingers, he starts to fan himself with them.
“This should be enough to cover tonight, don’t you think?”
“Clean him out. Maybe that’ll teach him to mind his manners,” Adalyn says. Justice makes no move to take more.
I continue to stare deadpan at him. “You might as well take it all. There’s still another side of my head to braid.”
The thousand dollars in my wallet is nothing compared to what’s sitting in my account right now. It’s his if he wants it. Money has never mattered to me.
He tightens his gaze, attempting to read me. I don’t give him anythingtoread. Finally, he looks away and sets my wallet back without opening it again. The colourful bills in his hand get shoved inside a clear jar before he comes back to the couch.
“You’re too nice. I would have taken it all. How did you end up playing drums for my brother again?” Addie asks him.
He settles on the couch before answering, “Luck. I was playing at the same dive bar Noah was set to sing at, and Sparks found me practicing in a back room. She was either incredibly desperate or had impeccable taste.”
“Desperate,” I grumble. A flick on the side of my head has me attempting to look back, only to have my hair yanked again.Fuck.
“Sparks has always had good taste, believe it or not. Before Reggie showed interest in Noah, she was still hanging around his surly ass, trying to convince him to try for a chance in the industry. If Tinsley weren’t in the picture, I think Sparks may be the second most believing person in him,” Addie replies. “Obviously, I’m in a league of my own. I always knew my brother was going to succeed.”
A knot builds in my throat. The money, the fame—it’s all because of my sister. Because of her annoying inability to let things be as they are. She’s a meddler, and she meddled hard when it came to my career.
“I like Sparks,” Paisley notes, telling us her opinion again. She’s a talker like her father.Lucky me.
I zone into the feel of her fingers on my head to see how much longer I have to sit on this goddamn floor for. Seems like she’s on the other braid now, about halfway down. Adalyn isn’t helping her anymore. And I don’t think I’ve lost any more hair.
Circling a hand around Tinsley’s ankle, I stroke the exposed skin between her sock and leggings. Not for the first time since I was forced to the ground, I let my mind wander to the last time we were in this position. Me on the floor before her, my head between her legs. The desire to kick everyone out of this bus and take her on the couch makes me ache. I swallow a groan and press my other hand against my thigh.
It's a punishment from God himself not being able to spend every day and night alone in bed with her. We’ve fucked like crazed animals the past few days. In the gyms, after fights, and before shows. Our bunk reeks like sex and the scent of her perfume.
“I’m done!” Paisley shouts. The hands disappear from my hair.