Wonderful, page 26
I cupped her cheek as I slid against her, trying to somewhat make this romantic for her. But fuck, it felt so good. I was already so revved up from just the thought of this, that it didn’t take long for my breaths to become pants, for the movement to become faster, for the tightening in my stomach to begin as I felt the wall approaching. Approaching fast, too fast. I needed to stop her. I didn’t want her to have to go through all of this. If she released me right now, we could finish this together, but fuck, it had to be right now.
“Kiera…” I pushed on her shoulder, hoping she understood.
She seemed to, but she also seemed to disagree. She grabbed my hips and pulled me deeper. That was enough to make it impossible for me to stop, and the pleasure slammed into me, forcing me to release into her. I grabbed the door handle as I came, needing to steady myself against the waves of euphoria. It hit me so hard; I felt like I might crumple to the floor. It took a long time for the bliss to fade, and a little guilt trickled in once it had. I hadn’t wanted that for her, but like all of this, it had been her choice, so I shouldn’t feel bad about it. And honestly, I was pretty sure stopping would have killed me.
As I recovered, Kiera tucked me away, then slid up the door. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t do anything but slump against the door with my eyes closed, trying to breathe normally. Kiera wrapped her arms around my neck, cuddling into my body. I knew I should be doing something, should be returning the favor, giving her an orgasm that was equally mind-blowing, but I just…couldn’t. I needed a minute.
I shifted to rest my head in the crook of her neck. I didn’t think I’d ever been so satisfied in all my life. “Holy…oh my…fuck.” I sagged against her body like all my muscles had stopped working. And they kind of had. I felt completely useless.
Kiera giggled as she stroked my back. “Don’t swear,” she murmured.
A tired laugh escaped me. “Sorry.”
We stayed like that for a moment as I tried to find some motivation to help her with her situation. But then I felt Kiera zip up her pants. When her fingers moved over to mine, zipping and fastening them, I pulled back to look at her. “What are you doing?” I asked. Clearly, we weren’t done here. A few more minutes and I’d be fine to go again. Maybe.
An amused smile on her face, Kiera gave me a soft kiss. “I’m making you presentable so we can finish celebrating with our friends.”
I tilted my head in confusion. “But you didn’t…don’t you want me to satisfy you?” I knew exactly how turned on she’d been when we came in here, and I hadn’t even touched her yet. Even if my body was being slow to recuperate, I could give her a release. She shouldn’t have to…suffer.
But she gave me a joyful smile and shook her head. “You did satisfy me.”
I was 100 percent certain that wasn’t true. “I did? Are you sure? Because you’re usually more vocal when you’re satisfied,” I said with a teasing grin. Don’t you want me to make you scream?
She bit her lip as she studied me, rubbing her legs together like she was dying for me to take her. I wanted to kiss her, unfasten her jeans again, and give her everything that she’d just given me. Like she could see that on my face, she pushed me back a little. “I may not have…finished…but you definitely made me happy.” Her finger came up to brush some hair away from my eyes. “I want to give you this.”
The comment made me smile while the look in her eyes made my chest tighten. God, I love her. Kiera smirked as she unlocked the door. “You can return the favor later,” she added. God, I really love her.
I softly laughed as she opened the door and led us back into the hallway. Yes. That was definitely a favor I would be returning later. Over and over again.
Chapter 16
BACK AT IT
We had a handful of days before the official tour for our album started. We were hitting the road with Justin and his band again, a fact I was excited about. We all got along really well, and after having toured with Paul, that fucking asshole, I understood just how important that was.
Kiera and I spent our free time catching up with friends or lounging in bed. Actually, we spent a lot of time lounging in bed. It was shameful of us really, but we were resting up for the exhaustion coming our way. And enjoying our privacy while we had it.
I was just about to head downstairs to make us a late-afternoon snack when my phone rang. Worried it was Matt again, I cringed as I looked at the screen. Seeing Hailey’s name made me smile, and I instantly picked it up.
“Hey, Hails,” I said, scratching my bare stomach. I briefly looked at my pants on the floor and wondered if I should be dressed while talking to my sister. But I had boxers on. Good enough. It wasn’t like she could see me anyway.
The line was silent for so long that I thought the call had dropped. I opened my mouth to say Hailey’s name again, but I was interrupted by a shrill screech and the words, “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!”
I had to pull the phone away from my ear, the scream was so loud. Kiera paused in typing on her laptop when she overheard Hailey’s exclamation. She gave me a questioning look, and I shrugged since I had no idea what was going on. “Hailey?” I asked. “Everything okay?”
There was another loud shriek in my ear. “I’m talking to Kellan Kyle. I can’t believe I’m talking to Kellan Kyle!”
A soft sigh escaped me as I realized that I was not talking to my sister. “Actually, you’re more yelling in my ear than talking to me. Who is this?” Kiera’s brows bunched, and I shrugged again.
The person on the phone giggled. “I am your biggest fan.”
I glanced at the screen, but it was still Hailey’s number on the display. “Did you kidnap my sister?” I asked, half serious.
“So you’re really her brother? For real?”
“Yeah, pretty sure. And who are you?” I asked again.
She let out a dreamy sigh. “Your future wife.”
A small laugh left me as I met eyes with Kiera. Not likely. I’m already married, and I have no intention of ever letting go of my wife.
There was an alarmed squeak on the phone followed by indistinct murmuring that sounded angry. Then a voice I recognized said, “I am so sorry, Kellan. She stole my phone.”
I laughed in earnest at the annoyance in my sister’s voice. I supposed I should have been prepared for that happening, especially since Hailey’s friends already had a waiting line for me. “It’s fine, Hailey,” I told her.
“No, it’s not.” Louder, clearly talking to her friend, she yelled, “I’m pressing charges!”
I heard her friend shout back, “Worth it!” and I laughed even harder.
Kiera smiled at me, shook her head, then went back to typing. I gave her a kiss on the cheek before turning to head downstairs. “So what happened?” I asked my sister.
She sighed. “Your music video happened. I swear my friends were bad enough before, but after seeing that they’re practically rabid.” She let out a long sigh. “You could have warned me.”
I cringed as I stepped off the stairs. “Sorry. I’ve been trying not to think about it. I guess I’ll have to be suspicious of every call from you from now on.”
“Oh no,” she said, “I’ve got my phone on lockdown. They’ll have to pry it out of my cold, dead hands. And I don’t think they’d kill me to talk to you. I hope…” I laughed as I walked into the kitchen. Hailey’s voice turned oddly serious. “Hey, I watched the video too. I don’t want to ask but…are you and Kiera…? Are you guys…?”
Closing my eyes, I sighed. First Denny, now Hailey. Just how convincing was that damn video? “We’re fine. She was there when I filmed it. She’s the one who talked me into doing it.”
“Oh,” she said, sounding genuinely surprised. “Wow. She’s a lot stronger than me. I’d probably claw Sienna’s eyes out. I kind of want to, actually.”
I smiled as I leaned against the counter. “Well, I don’t think Kiera would stop you. It hasn’t been easy for her. Even still, she’s been so incredible with all of this. I couldn’t do it without her.”
“I’m so proud of you, Kellan,” she said, joy in her voice. It shifted to a sigh. “But please, for the sake of my sanity, do not film another love scene. I just about died. That was so weird for me to watch.”
“Why did you watch it?” I asked with a laugh.
“It was like a bad car accident. I wanted to look away, but I just couldn’t. I told Riley he was grounded if he watched it.”
I could practically see her shuddering. That didn’t help my guilt, not at all. “Is it really that bad?” I asked, already cringing.
She was silent a moment before she spoke. “It’s pretty…well, my friends are printing out screenshots and wallpapering their dorms with them, so you do the math.”
“Great,” I murmured, regretting it for the millionth time.
“Why did you do that, Kellan?” Her voice was cautious, like she didn’t want to offend me, but she just had to understand.
I tilted my head back to look at the ceiling. Good question. “For my friends. For our career. I didn’t…I didn’t have a choice. Not really.”
Once again, she was silent for a moment. Finally, she said, “I’m sorry.”
My lips lifted into a small smile. “Thank you.”
“Everyone thinks you guys are together now. Like everyone.”
I shook my head as a burst of anger washed through me. I should have resisted Sienna and Nick from the beginning, and now it was just too late. “I know,” I told her. “But we’re not.”
“I know,” she said. “Well, now I know.”
Her comment made me laugh, then sigh. One down, only a few million more to go. Oh well. It didn’t really matter what people thought. Kiera knew the truth, and she was the only one who needed to know it.
Still, it would be really nice if people would stop asking me about Sienna. I barely knew the woman. Maybe now that we’d gone our separate ways, now that we wouldn’t be seen together anymore, the rest of the world would figure that out. And Kiera wouldn’t have to constantly hear about me and another woman. I longed for that day.
It wasn’t too much later that Kiera and I decided to watch the video. I’d been content with never watching it—just the idea made me nauseated—but Kiera felt it was something we should do, especially since it was the band’s first video. I understood that sentiment and reluctantly agreed, so Kiera pressed play on the video, and we watched it together. And it was horrible. Not visually…visually it had a sensual kind of beauty to it, but internally, it was awful. I had to stop watching it after a few seconds and fixated on Kiera instead.
Watching her watch it wasn’t much better, and the harder she squeezed my hand, the higher the guilt rose inside me. Once it was over, I was almost scared to talk to her, scared that I’d reopened a wound. Kiera was still staring at the computer, lost in her thoughts. I cleared my throat to gently break the spell on her, and she twisted to look at me.
As I searched her face, hoping for a clue on how she was feeling, she told me, “The two of you look amazing together. I can see why the fans are so in love with the idea.” I shook my head, wanting to object, but she cupped my cheek and stopped me. “Were you really thinking about me throughout that entire thing?”
I gave her a firm nod. “It was the only way I could get through it.”
The smile she gave me was soft, warm, loving, and tears grew in her eyes as she studied me. Tears of joy, I hoped. And they had to be, considering the peace I saw on her face. “Kellan Kyle, will you marry me?” she asked.
My heart felt like it was going to burst into a thousand pieces. God, I loved those words. Grinning, I moved the computer off her lap and slid my body over hers. “I thought you’d never ask,” I said, teasing her a little.
My lips moved to her neck, and she giggled. “Is that a yes?”
Pressing my hips against hers, I whispered in her ear, “With you, it’s always yes.”
I wandered down her neck, kissing and lightly licking the sweetness of her skin. Desire started burning inside me, and my breath and pulse both quickened in response. I’d just passed Kiera’s collarbone when she stopped me with a gentle nudge. I lifted my head to look at her, and she swallowed twice, like she needed a minute to recover before speaking to me. I kind of loved that just the look on my face had momentarily thrown her. Then she said something a little odd. “How long is the break in the tour schedule for Christmas?”
My gaze wandered over her shoulder as I thought. “Ah, I’m not sure. Four or five days, maybe a week?” Soft smile on my face, I looked back at her. “Why?”
She wrapped her arms around my neck as she shrugged. “Want to go to a wedding with me in Ohio?”
Everything about that sentence made me happy. Yes. Absolutely, yes. Shifting to her side, I sat up on my elbow. “Anyone I know getting married?” I asked, amused at how she’d phrased it and playing along.
She shrugged again. “Just some annoying wishy-washy girl that half the world hates.”
I had to raise an eyebrow at her. That statement was far from true; she must be worried about what the fans would think if they ever did know about her. I gently kissed her, easing a fear she didn’t need to worry about yet. Or ever. I’d never let anyone hate her. If she’d let me, I’d spout her greatness until everyone loved her just as much as I did. She just had to give me the freedom to speak about her.
“They don’t hate you,” I said, then I softly laughed and reminded her about her own restriction. “They don’t even know about you. And you’re not annoying or wishy-washy. At least, not anymore.” I laughed again, and she smacked my shoulder and frowned. Leaning forward, I kissed the corners of her mouth. “I would love to marry you in December…in Ohio…in front of your entire family. In front of my family.” Just the thought made me deliriously happy, and I loved the fact that we were making definite plans to solidify our symbolic marriage with a genuine one.
Kiera asked if I could find out the exact dates. I looked for my phone, ready to get things started, but she stopped me. “Could you do it a little later, though? I’d like to have sex with you first.”
A mixture of things coursed through me at hearing her bluntly say that. Pride was the first thing. Kiera had always struggled with telling me she wanted me, and she hadn’t paused or fumbled those words. She’d even said them seductively, a small half-smile on her face as she flirtatiously peered up at me. The second thing that hit me was happiness, and it was closely followed by attraction. Because damn, that was hot.
Still, I had to tease her a little.
Opening my mouth like I was stunned, I told her, “Why, Mrs. Kyle, I am shocked at your brazenness.” I shifted my expression to an eager grin. “I’m also incredibly turned on.”
I moved to slide on top of her again, but she pushed me onto my back and climbed on top of me. Her aggressive move made me laugh. But only for a minute.
Sooner than I would have liked, our quiet time in Seattle was over, and we were again saying goodbye to our significant others. Well, everyone was except for me. My significant other was coming with me this time, and that made the entire leaving process so much easier. Still, I felt bad for Matt and Evan. They’d barely spent any time with Rachel and Jenny. There would be a longer break once this tour was over with, but I knew firsthand how difficult it was to be separated. I would have felt bad for Griffin and Anna too, but I still couldn’t tell what the deal was between those two. For all I knew, they liked being separated since it made their reunions so…combustible.
We were in the Pete’s parking lot again, saying goodbye at our favorite place. Kiera and I had dropped off the Chevelle at the auto body shop below Evan’s loft, then gotten a ride over here with Evan and Jenny for a proper send-off with everyone. I might have teared up after dropping off my baby. Maybe. A little. Damn it, I missed my car already.
I hugged Jenny first, giving her an extra-tight squeeze. “This won’t be forever,” I told her, hoping she understood what I meant by that.
She wiped tears off her cheeks as we released each other. “I know. And I know this is important. You don’t need to worry about us, Kellan. Evan and I…we’re good.”
Her smile was sad but untroubled, and it made me happy to see that while she missed him, she wasn’t worried about him. “Good. Because you two are kind of my role models for a healthy relationship.”
Jenny laughed, and her eyes drifted to Kiera saying goodbye to her sister. “I don’t think you need role models anymore. I think you’re doing just fine.”
Considering all the things Kiera and I had kept from each other last tour, I wasn’t sure if that statement was true, but I appreciated it, nonetheless.
Jenny started to move away from me, then stopped. Stepping closer to me, she lowered her voice. “Hey, Evan told me about how hard the music video was for you. He told me what it put you and Kiera through.” Unwanted memories popped into my head, and I averted my eyes. Jenny placed a hand on my arm, and I looked back at her. “He also said the only reason you did it was for him. For him and the guys, so the band would have a real shot at making it, and I just…” She swallowed and looked like she might cry again. “I’m sorry you and Kiera had to go through that, but I’m…grateful that you did. The band means so much to Evan. You, the guys, you all mean so much to Evan. To both of us,” she added with a smile.
My gaze drifted to our feet as a weird feeling of warmth and acceptance went through me. It meant a lot to me that she understood, especially since I’d been feeling the weight of judgement on me ever since that video had released. Not sure if I could speak through the sudden knot in my throat, I nodded and pulled her in for another hug.
Rachel approached me once Jenny moved over to Matt. I opened my arms in invitation. Her tan cheeks flushed a little, but she stepped in for a quick hug. After we separated, she smoothed her sheet of dark hair, then bit her lip and quietly murmured, “Keep Matt safe?” She eyed Griffin after she said that, like she was sure if any harm came to Matt, it would be his fault. And honestly, she wasn’t wrong to think that.
