Vaudeville Runaway, page 8
It was the hardest shit she’d ever done but she made it look pretty – she made the stunts as terrifying as possible, dropping eight feet down into the splits looked painful, but she’d gotten used to it a long time ago. What sucked was pulling herself up with one hand so she could do a cute little spin, only the tips of her toes on the floor.
She was showing off a little, but Kitty knew Adam and Damien and Calvin were watching. She knew they were judging her performance – and yeah, a small part of her wanted to make them feel just as breathless as they’d made her feel during their performance.
As needy as she felt right now – she wanted to make them burn with desire.
Kitty caught a glimpse of them as she spun and tried not to think too much about the smolder in their eyes.
When would the song end? Kitty didn’t know, and she almost didn’t care. She threw herself backward, grabbing the pole and then releasing her thigh grip so her body flipped over. She didn’t use the metal to stop herself – nope, she wanted to prove to them all that she understood the difficulty of their performances.
So Kitty contracted her entire core and stopped—completely still in a right angle, toes pointed at the floor like a ballerina – three inches above it. Somehow it was timed perfectly with one of the pauses in the never-ending song and the cheers that roared through the tent could probably be heard across the water.
“Kitty Peters everyone,” Calvin said with that husky voice of his, putting down his guitar. “She has the grace and skill any one of us do. Thank you for your performance.”
Slowly she let herself inch to the floor until her feet finally made contact. Kitty breathed deep, making sure to control it so she didn’t sound super out of breath.
Grabbing the microphone she grinned. “Who’s as surprised as I am that I didn’t fall?” They all laughed as she’d hoped they would and Kitty gave them a tiny bow.
When she stood, Calvin was standing right in front of her with a small smile on his face. Had she ever seen him smile before? It was hard to remember when he was normally so grouchy. “Am I allowed to put my dress back on?” she asked, holding out her hand.
Calvin held the cable-knit sweater and eyed it for a moment. “What if I said no?”
“I would freeze to death.” Kitty took a step closer to him, barely noticing when other performers started dancing around the pole as the music continued – going on forever in a primal song that spoke to that wild place inside her. “And everyone would keep staring at my ass.”
He chuckled and slipped a finger in the side of her black underwear, using it to tug her forward. “I suppose we can’t have that.”
Taking the dress from him, Kitty couldn’t help but smirk. Calvin was in a good mood and she definitely wanted to take advantage of it. She slipped the dress on over her head and decided to forget the tights.
“And you don’t plan on putting a shirt on?” she asked, adjusting the long sleeves so they covered her hands.
Calvin tugged the hem of her dress down over her ass, looking her up and down as he did so. “Why would I when you keep looking at me like that?”
Christ, having Calvin say that shit made the temptation even worse. Obviously he wanted her to look at him. Did he want her to touch him too?
Then his smile widened ever so slightly and he brushed back the hair that had to be sticking up after putting her sweater back on. Kitty looked for Laura in a panic and the witch snapped her fingers, instantly fixing the static frizz.
Calvin glanced over at Laura who was now staring at the ceiling of the tent like it held all the secrets of the universe. “I’m glad you two are friends,” he told her, putting his hands on her waist. “You’re hair looked fine before, but I’m flattered you care what I think.”
Kitty wanted to smack her forehead. It had been years since the last time she’d flirted with someone she wasn’t already dating. It made her feel like a total noob. “Well, you know…” she trailed off, trying to think of something witty to say, but she just panicked. “I should go make sure she’s all good. Since we’re friends now, and all that.”
His eyes twinkled at her and she wanted to smack him for silently laughing at her, but Calvin just nodded and released her. Kitty cursed herself for being so stupid and ruining the moment. Turning back to Laura she smoothed her dress.
Catching her hand before she could walk away Calvin pulled her back hard enough she slammed into his chest. Kitty looked up in surprise and the desire she saw in his gaze left her breathless. “Tell her you’re going to join me for a dance,” he growled into her ear.
The way he said it – there was no room for argument.
“Yeah,” she agreed – the word practically a whisper. “I’ll uh, do that.”
Calvin released her with a smoldering grin and Kitty practically ran over to Laura.
“What did he say?” Laura asked, glancing over Kitty’s shoulder at the Alpha behind her.
“He wants to dance.” Kitty begged with her eyes and already the witch was shaking her head. “Ask the hottie and come join me? I’m really fucking nervous about this – especially since you failed as a bestie and didn’t tell me I was supposed to perform for everyone.”
Kitty pinched Laura’s arm when the witch planted her hands on her hips like she was going to argue.
“Please,” Kitty said, stressing the word as hard as she could. “I know he’ll say yes. I refuse to be the only couple out there for everyone to gawk at. If you come dance others will too.”
Laura sighed through her nose and gave Kitty a look that said ‘you owe me.’ “All right fine, but what if he turns me down?”
“He won’t.” Kitty dragged Laura through the crowd and then pushed her towards him.
The witch stuttered and then looked back at Kitty. She gave her two thumbs up and waited for the guy to smile and nod and take Laura’s hand before weaving her way back through the crowd to Calvin.
She didn’t want to wait too long and have him come hunting her. Kitty paused and considered that thought. Well, maybe she did.
Then he found her and Calvin grabbed her hand, yanking her to him as the music swelled and changed once more. “You came back,” he murmured into her hair, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her pressed closed.
“Of course I came back,” she said. “I said I would.”
Calvin smiled at that and it made her heart flutter.
Kitty had no idea the Alpha could be such a flirt.
Or how much she would like it.
Chapter Ten
Calvin
Calvin hadn’t expected to be so drawn to Kitty. He’d noticed it earlier when his lion had nearly taken over and ripped that lawyer to shreds. Then he’d watched her in the crowd during the performances.
Everything about her was electric.
Then that fucking dance.
He hadn’t seen the one Damien had – but his Third wouldn’t shut up about it, or how perfect she would be for the Cirque de Nuit. And seeing her skill just now…Damien had been right. She wasn’t just good – she was perfect.
Even though she was human she had magic. It was in her personality – in the way she moved and talked and in everything she did. Watching her peel off that dress and perform moves that most of his troupe couldn’t even manage had him nearly stumbling in the music.
The only ones who had heard his slip up had been Adam and Damien. And the latter had given him a look that said I told you so.
Yes, he had. And now all Calvin wanted was for Kitty to choose them and the circus.
But it wasn’t that easy. It was never that easy. He didn’t have the luxury of following her anywhere she wanted to go.
Sometimes he hated the circus and all its obligations.
Then her hands ran up his chest and every thought went right out of his head. “You’re a good dancer,” Kitty told him. “I wasn’t sure you actually knew how.”
Calvin raised an eyebrow at her and then looked over her head at Laura who was dancing with Paul. The witch…he’d felt guilty ever since she’d come back from university. Their past was all mixed up in the present and even though it was a huge mess he was glad she’d made friends with Kitty – he was relieved she had pushed Laura into reaching out, in making connections with their family again.
What would happen if Kitty decided to leave?
She’d only been there for a short time, but already Calvin could see his world crumbling when she left.
“Hey, are you okay?”
He looked back down into those enigmatic eyes of hers. Kitty was attuned to a lot more than she let on too. “I’m just happy Laura is having fun,” he said. “Coming back to the circus from the outside world can be hard sometimes. It’s why we usually have two or three doctors, but…well, her partner didn’t want to leave and we aren’t supposed to force anyone.”
Kitty followed his steps easily, a simple little rumba his mother had taught him. “Who was her partner?”
“Her sister.”
Calvin was surprised when Kitty didn’t instantly ask him a hundred more questions.
Instead she said, “That explains a lot.”
Laura was pissed off all the time for a lot of reasons. But this was definitely the biggest one. “Yes, it does. Not just that, but her sister just found out she’s mated to a wolf here in Portland. The whole thing is a disaster.”
Calvin decided he didn’t want to talk about Laura anymore. “Do you have any siblings?” he asked.
The song paused and Kitty made the motion of drinking. “I’m dying of thirst.”
Laughing, he pulled her off the dance floor and grabbed a bottle of water from one of the coolers. Cracking it open for her he held it out, wondering if she would answer his question.
“I have one,” she said after a long drink. “He was born when I was ten. So we aren’t very close, but I still think he’s amazing.”
It wasn’t hard to hear the disappointment in her voice. He didn’t have to be a shifter to know the subject bothered her too.
Kitty looked back over at Damien and Adam. “So does everyone’s family stay here in the circus?”
When was the last time he’d had to explain any of this to anyone? Most in his generation had already mated up if their mates were born here in the circus. The others…it was one of those things, but no one had asked him to look for their mates yet.
And those like Laura – the witches and demons and vampires kept to themselves. None of them mated unless paired with a shifter so…it was a miracle they all managed to coexist. It was part of their contracts though, and the magic was as binding as the mate bond tunneling its way through his heart.
“Come sit with me,” Calvin said, grabbing a seat near the band and tugging Kitty onto his lap.
This way his Second and Third could still see her and she could see them. It made him smile to see how openly she appreciated all three of them.
“My father used to be Alpha of this pride,” Calvin told her. “He retired a few years ago and handed over duties to me. To make the transition easier he joined the West Coast Pride with my mother and my other two fathers. They’ll come back when there are grandchildren to take care of. But this way my word and rule cannot be questioned. It gives me time to assert my place here.”
Her lips were parted and Kitty held the water halfway to her mouth like she’d forgotten she was going to take a drink. “That’s amazing,” she murmured. “I love that you guys have all this shit figured out. It’s very…it’s like you have your own culture.”
The way her brown hair curled over her shoulders in shiny waves reminded him of the chocolate they made. Calvin couldn’t resist touching it. It was as silky and smooth as he’d thought it would be.
Kitty didn’t blink or push him away, but she took a big swig of water. Calvin smiled again – more than he could remember since he’d been left with the responsibility of the entire circus. She was just…adorable. Self-assured and yet still so nervous about him and the other two.
“We have had a long time to build this,” he said, pushing the hair behind her shoulder and brushing his fingers across the bare skin of her throat. “The Cirque de Nuit has existed nearly as long as America has.”
“Really?”
Her curiosity made him want to tell her everything. It couldn’t hurt honestly. Maybe it would even help her choose before she had to leave.
Calvin tapped her nose, fascinated by his inability to stop touching her. “Yes. A little after the turn of the 19th century my family arrived from France. We’ve been a traveling circus since my ancestors arrived almost two hundred and fifty years ago.”
Kitty drank some more water and Calvin breathed in the smell of her sweat still laced with desire, wine, her natural sweet smell, and now curiosity. It was heady. She set down the water bottle and clasped her arms around his neck. Calvin had no idea what she was thinking, or what she was about to say, and he hated how much he liked that.
He wanted her to stay, but he also felt blindsided by the mate bond.
Even knowing the general time he’d find her, Calvin had still been shocked by her arrival.
“Can you speak French?” she asked.
That made him laugh. “A little, but only because of my grandmother.”
Kitty perked up at that. “Is she still here?”
Calvin nodded. “She helps with a lot of the cooking and childcare with the other grandparents. They do easy repairs, concession stands, childcare, and cooking for the families…but none of them are forced to work.”
“I think I’d like to meet the families,” she said, glancing over at Damien and Adam. “Do you guys have brothers or sisters? There are so many people here and right now I only see the young ones.”
“Well,” he teased, tightening his fingers on her waist as he tried to ignore how much his lion liked what she was saying – she wanted to meet his pride. “Children can’t really stay up this late to party, and the older ones are in bed early along with the babies. It leaves the rest of us time to ‘burn up our youth’ as they like to say.”
Kitty turned back to look into his eyes and her fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck. “I’m sorry you had to lose your parents. I understand why, but it also seems unfair when Adam and Damien’s get to stay.”
No one had ever said that to him. No one in the entire circus would even think to say that because this was just how it was done. But Kitty understood. As an outsider she could see things that they would all miss.
It made sense to him now why his family had always insisted on taking in outsiders whenever they could. It would keep them in check – remind them of what was real, of the world outside.
“I miss them,” he admitted, pulling her closer so she was against his chest. The feel of her heartbeat against his settled his lion and he practically purred. “I was a spoiled only child, but I still have Mamie, my grandmother.”
Kitty looked down at his lips and Calvin didn’t understand why but his breath caught.
Here she was, getting him to pour out his heart and soul and all he wanted to do was kiss her – taste her.
“At least you can call them,” she said. “They’re still there for you even if they’re far away.”
Calvin couldn’t help himself. He reached out and traced her bottom lip, wondering what she would do if he leaned down and nibbled. “Mhm, we’re actually going to see them in a few months since we’re traveling south. They’re just outside San Francisco.”
Kitty wiggled in his lap and he was suddenly grateful that she was there to cover his hard on. “I’ve never been to San Francisco.”
The crowd dancing and drinking and playing music in the tent became muffled – like they were in the next room instead of surrounded by it all. Calvin only had eyes and ears for Kitty. She was the only thing in the world worth his focus at the moment.
It would be the perfect opportunity to tell her all the wonderful things he’d seen and how at times it felt like America was multiple different countries instead of one, how sometimes he planned their tour into Canada and Mexico and all the things they’d see there if she just came with them.
But Calvin didn’t want to influence her decision. He wanted to know if and when the time came that she’d chosen him and Adam and Damien because she wanted that more than anything – that she would give up Vegas for a traveling circus.
So instead of talking he took her mouth with his.
She tasted like cherries and desire – hot life burned in her veins and it suffused every part of her until Calvin felt like she glowed bright enough to cast out the dark. Kitty was pure, undiluted life.
It didn’t come tamed and obedient. She was wild and carefree and followed her heart and soul wherever it led her. Calvin ate that up as he sucked her bottom lip and then nibbled on the top. She tasted like sunlight.
Her gasp when he slipped his tongue into her mouth nearly sent him roaring at everyone to get the fuck out so he could flip her onto her back and take her right then and there. But her cold fingers gripped his shoulders, anchoring him.
Calvin pulled back and studied her face, wondering if he’d overstepped.
But she was grinning and her blue eyes were twinkling. “I didn’t expect you to be such a good kisser.”
“Oh?” Calvin raised a brow at that. From what Adam had told him she’d kissed Damien earlier that day. He shoved down the small bit of jealousy he felt thinking about it again. “Better or worse than your last kiss?”
She blushed like he’d known she would. “Different. Not better or worse.”
Crafty little thing. Calvin kissed her again, gently—sweetly this time. Any remaining hint of jealousy he felt that Damien had gotten to kiss her first dissipated when she sighed happily into his mouth and he tasted it on his tongue.
True happiness tasted divine.
Then Adam tapped her on the shoulder and she looked up at him with a smile as large as the one she’d given Calvin, but she didn’t move from his lap. “Thank you for the doll,” she said. “And hey, you can play the drums.”
