Painful, page 6
“I thought you’d never ask…” I murmured, lowering my lips to hers.
She giggled as our mouths connected, and I was overcome by a rush of warmth and longing. I loved her so much, and nothing was ever going to change that fact. It was just about the only thing in my life that I was unwaveringly certain of—I was going to be in love with Kiera until the day I died.
Chapter 4
UNCOMFORTABLE/COMFORTABLE
I awoke before Kiera the next morning—not too surprising. After my morning routine, I went downstairs to make some coffee. I was pouring water into the back of the machine when Kiera stepped into the kitchen with me. I did a double take when I saw her. She was yawning and stretching, exposing a good portion of her stomach.
That delicious sight distracted me for a moment, but I recovered when she looped her arms around my neck. “You’re up,” I said. “I thought I’d have to wake you with the aroma of Arabica beans.”
Giving me a soft smile, she kissed my neck—it instantly ignited me. “As much as I love coffee, you smell infinitely better. And the bed was cold without you.” She pouted for a half-second, then smiled and kissed me.
Reveling in the feeling of her skin on my lips, I murmured, “How about we go warm it back up?”
She averted her eyes in an expression of demureness that I found absolutely irresistible. Laughing, I pulled her tight and kissed her head. “How about we have coffee, then go search out a new bed. Something large that we can roll around in.”
A coy smile was on her lips when she peeked up at me. “Not too large. My room is only so big.”
“I’m nothing if not sensible,” I answered with a smirk.
She rewarded me with a musical laugh, then placed her soft lips to mine. Heaven. I savored the sweetness a moment, then told her, “I was serious about rewarming my bed though…we’ve got plenty of time.”
Smacking my chest, she moved away from me. “No, we don’t. You know as well as I do that if we go back upstairs, we won’t come down again until it’s time for me to go to work.”
I gave her a look of mock indignation. “Are you saying you would hold me hostage in my own bedroom? Make me have sex with you over and over again?” Changing my face, I gave her a wicked grin. “Because I’m completely fine with that.” I held my wrists together in front of me, ready for her to capture my body…since she had already captured my heart.
Kiera sputtered, her cheeks flaming bright red. “I…no, Kellan…I…I’m gonna finish the coffee.”
Her awkward embarrassment was so cute, so sweet. Half the fun of riling her up was seeing her reaction. But even with how much that amused me, I’d love to see her feel confident and secure enough to throw my sex-filled remarks right back at me. God, that would turn me on. Which might be one of the reasons why she didn’t do it. I was already in a perpetual state of semi-arousal around her. If she started talking like me, well, we’d be just as bad as Anna and Griffin. But was that really a bad thing?
While the coffee brewed, Kiera told me about the art class she was taking with Jenny and Kate. “They’re both really good. Me? Well, I’m…learning.” She frowned after she said it, like she didn’t believe she could be taught.
I smiled, both at her expression and her newfound hobby. “Well, I think it’s great, and I’m proud of you for trying something a little out of your comfort zone. Although…it kind of sucks that it takes you away from me twice a week.” Her class had her bailing from bed Monday and Wednesday mornings.
“I know,” she said. “But it’s important for us to have interests outside of…each other.” I raised an eyebrow at that, and she rolled her eyes. “You know I mean that in the best possible way.”
“Mmmm-hmm.”
She pursed her lips at me, and I pinched her ass until she giggled. Aside from the noise she made when she hit her climax, that was my most favorite sound. Well, after her saying my name. I guess I had multiple favorite sounds.
Once coffee was done and Kiera and I were dressed for the day—without warming up my bed, unfortunately—we headed out to find her a comfortable place to rest. The minute we entered the mattress store and I saw all those beds waiting…invitingly…I started having multiple inappropriate visions, all of them including Kiera spread out on those perfect, white, pillow-topped—
“Oh my God, Kellan Kyle…walking into my store after all this time…”
Snapping out of my fantasy, I looked over to the salesperson who’d said my name. Our eyes met, and a low swear escaped my lips. I knew her. Well, I knew of her, in an intimate way, but I didn’t actually know her. I understood the difference now. But even worse than the fact that I’d slept with her before, this girl was one of the nameless faces I’d used to ease the pain when Kiera and I had decided to put an end to the not-so-innocent flirting. That made her a relatively recent fling…an in-between in the grand scheme of Kiera and me. That shouldn’t make a difference, but somehow…it did. I felt ill.
Not wanting Kiera to instantly know about my connection with this girl—although she’d probably already figured it out—I slapped on a casual smile and clasped Kiera’s hand tighter. “Hey…how’s it going?”
The girl eyed Kiera, me, and our interlaced fingers. Please be cool, I silently begged. I was nothing to you, otherwise I would have heard from you again. Don’t act all possessive now…now that it could actually do some damage.
Thankfully, the woman’s face shifted into a professional smile. She understood. Hopefully. “Things are good, I can’t complain. I’m getting married next spring.” She lifted her hand and I saw a sizeable rock on her finger. “And I’m assuming you two are looking for a new bed?”
Oh, thank God…she’s engaged. “Yes, thank you…Paige.” And thank God for nametags.
Paige’s smile brightened. “Well, come on in, I’ll show you the very best we have.”
I relaxed my hold on Kiera as we started following Paige, but Kiera didn’t relax her hold on me. Knowing I owed her…something…I glanced down at her inquisitive eyes. I opened my mouth, but no good explanation came to mind. Lying was something I was very comfortable with, but Kiera and I were trying to be honest with each other. Smoothing this over with a half-truth wouldn’t help anything. And besides, Kiera knew all my lines, when it came to this particular matter, at least. I couldn’t say she was a friend, couldn’t say we used to hang out, couldn’t say anything except the truth. Being a former manwhore had consequences.
With a sigh, I gave up trying to think of something nonconfrontational to say. “We can go somewhere else,” I told her instead.
Kiera’s lips pressed together as I confirmed what she’d probably suspected. I couldn’t tell what she was thinking, and that made me a little nervous. She glanced at me, back to the girl, then at me again. Finally, when the curiosity was almost too much for me to bear, she shook her head. “Here is fine. And honestly, she’ll probably give us an outstanding deal because you…know her.”
Her voice was sullen, unhappy that we were running into yet another one of my dalliances. Hoping she wasn’t too upset, I made myself smile. This couldn’t be easy for her. I only had to deal with one man in her past, although sometimes, just that one was way too many.
Trying to lighten the mood, I asked her, “How do you know she’ll give us a deal? She could charge us more.”
Kiera rolled her eyes and shook her head again. “I’ve slept with you, Kellan. We’re getting a deal.”
It shouldn’t have amused me, but yeah, her comment made me grin. Because of the tender age I’d started, and my proclivity for finding companionship, I had a lot of…experience. Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, I knew exactly what I was doing when it came to the female form, and everyone left my bed satisfied.
Kiera laughed when she noticed my expression, and I took that as a good sign that she was letting this go. It probably helped that Paige was clearly invested in someone else, and that she wasn’t eye-fucking me at every opportunity. I think those were the girls who really bothered Kiera—the ones who made it obvious that they wanted another taste and would do just about anything to get it. But truly, those girls were few and far between. Most women used me up and moved on, never to think about me again. I just don’t think Kiera realized that.
* * *
The new bed arrived late Sunday afternoon, on Kiera’s night off. It was large, comfortable, springy, and Kiera had been right—Paige gave us a spectacular deal on it. I couldn’t wait to test it out. But unfortunately, I had a gig in Pioneer Square, so breaking it in was going to have to wait until much later. A fact that made me sad, until I remembered that I had a key to Kiera’s apartment now. Usually when I wanted to pop in on her after a show, I had to tell her beforehand that I was going to drop by, so she could leave the door unlocked for me. It took a lot of the spontaneity out of it, not to mention, it really wasn’t a good idea for her to leave her apartment door unsecured, even if it was just for a couple of hours. I usually ended up asking Anna to stay up and let me in, since I really enjoyed crawling into bed with Kiera when she was already asleep. Anna was cool with that…she was a night owl anyway. But now…now I could just come over without all the prep work. I could slip into Kiera’s bed without her ever knowing I was planning on being there. I had a feeling she’d like that kind of surprise…I knew I was excited.
“Dude, why are you bouncing off the walls? You’re practically vibrating…it’s giving me a headache.”
I looked over at Griffin, sullenly sitting on a piece of equipment, equipment he should be helping us move. He did look a little ill, like he was hungover or something. At night? “Just in a good mood. What’s wrong with you? Past your bedtime?”
He gave me a smug look, then flipped me off. “Matt and I stopped by a sorority this afternoon. They were drinking mimosas…so I had some.”
Matt laughed as he set down a piece of Evan’s drums. “Some? You polished off their gallon jug, then started drinking the champagne straight from the bottle. I think it might be time for you to self-evaluate. You might need help.”
Evan laughed while Griffin shot Matt a nasty glare. Lifting his middle finger to him, he said, “Self-evaluate that, fucker. I was just trying to be polite, maybe get a little action.”
Shaking his head, Matt said, “We weren’t there for action. We were there booking a show.” He turned to Evan and me. “They want a band to play at their annual party in the spring. No, let me rephrase that…they want us to play at their annual party in the spring.”
His grin was a mile wide, until Griffin threw a piece of trash at him. Frowning, Griffin said, “You were there to book a show, Mr. Responsibility. I was there to convince the girls that hiring us would be an automatic good time. That’s called networking, fuckhead.”
Matt’s smile faded as he shifted his gaze back to Griffin. “You almost threw up on yourself, and you pushed about three girls out of your way to get to the bathroom. That’s not networking. That’s…Griffin-ing.”
Griffin smiled and raised his hand in a fist bump. No one connected with him. Lowering his hand, he cringed in pain. “I fucking hate champagne. Does anybody have Tylenol? Or a sledgehammer?”
He laid down after that, closing his eyes. Frowning, I turned to Matt. “Is he even going to be able to play?”
Matt scowled as he examined his comatose cousin. “He has to, we don’t have anybody else.” Walking over to him, he kicked his feet. “Come on, get up, Griffin.”
Griffin groaned and looked up at him. “Why?”
Matt tossed his hands at the equipment we were still trying to unload. “We’ve gotta get our shit in there.” Reaching down, he made him stand. Voice softer, he said, “Come on, moving around will help. I promise.”
Griffin grimaced, looking for all the world like every movement he made was killing him. Frowning at Matt, he told him, “Why’d you let me drink so much, dude? I thought you had my back?”
With a sigh, Matt shook his head. “Like I keep telling you, I’m not your keeper. And I did try to stop you. You gave me the bird and told me to fuck off. Repeatedly.”
A strange look crossed Griffin’s face, like he was trying to remember that. “Oh, well…you shouldn’t have listened to me.”
Passing by the pair on his way to the van, Evan clapped Griffin’s shoulder. “We never do, Griff. We never do.”
I laughed with Evan as I helped him carry stuff into the bar. Looking my way, Evan said, “He’s right, you know. You are practically vibrating. Something going on?” He raised an eyebrow and studied my face.
Grinning, I shook my head. “No, nothing major. Things are just going really well with Kiera. I’m just…happy.” For once in my life, every aspect of my life was great. I was exactly where I wanted to be.
We got to the back of the stage and set down our stuff. Smiling, Evan clapped me on the shoulder. “I’m glad to hear it, man. And just so you know, yes…I will totally be your best man.”
I felt heat in my cheeks. Fuck, was I blushing? I didn’t blush. Well…rarely. It took a lot to embarrass me. And what I felt wasn’t really embarrassment, it was more like…longing. Kiera as my wife… God, I almost couldn’t even picture it.
“We’re so not there yet, but thanks…it’s nice to know you’ve got my back. And I won’t be stuck with Griffin.” As we headed to the van for more stuff, I asked Evan, “What about you and Jenny? Have you guys talked about…future stuff?”
Evan’s answering smile was enormous. “Oh yeah, we’re totally getting hitched one day. Then we’ll get a place, start spitting out kids. It’s gonna be awesome.”
The way he said it was so casual, like he’d just told me he was getting groceries after the show or something. A part of me was envious over their laidback relationship. Kiera and I, well, we weren’t volatile, but we certainly had our moments. “Any idea when?” I asked.
Evan shrugged. “Whenever.” I laughed at his answer. Typical go-with-the-flow response.
Twenty minutes later, all our stuff—and Griffin—was in place on stage, and we were ready to go. The bar we were in was just about the same size as Pete’s. Truly, it was more of a nightclub, and the crowd in front of us danced their hearts out to every song. Because we played this place often, and we knew what to expect, we only played our fast, upbeat songs, since that was what the crowd here preferred. It was fun, but it didn’t allow for any breaks, and we were all exhausted by the end of the night. Griffin especially. He didn’t even try to help put stuff away, just shuffled to the van and fell asleep in the passenger’s seat. I almost felt bad for him…but then I remembered walking in on him and Anna. With you in a minute. Asshole.
Matt drove Griffin’s van back to Evan’s place, then the three of us unloaded the equipment while Griffin snored. Once we were done, I said goodnight to Matt and Evan and climbed back into my Chevelle. To crawl into bed with my girl. It made me insanely happy to know that I wasn’t going to be crawling into a cold, empty bed tonight. Even if Kiera remained unconscious, she’d be with me, and that was all that mattered.
Once I parked my car, I practically bounded to Kiera’s door. My smile was huge when I slipped my key in the lock and turned it—I didn’t think I’d ever get used to this feeling of belonging. I closed the door behind me, careful to be as quiet as possible so I didn’t wake anyone, then I tiptoed down the hall to Kiera’s room. The first thing I noticed was her brand-new bed. It was gigantic, almost too big for the room, but man, it looked comfortable. Kiera was sprawled out on top of it, sound asleep. Considering how uncomfortable her futon had been, I had to imagine this was the best sleep she’d had in a while…when she wasn’t at my place, of course.
I quietly closed her bedroom door, then undressed. When I was down to my boxers, I pulled back the covers and slipped inside. I instantly sought Kiera’s warm, soft body, and like her skin was magic, every worry evaporated from my mind. Wrapping my arms and legs around her, I pulled her in tight. “God, you feel good,” I murmured, kissing her neck.
She hummed a pleased noise and angled her face away to give me better access. “Kellan…?” she said, her voice thick with sleep. “I didn’t know you were coming over tonight.”
“Where else would I go?” I grinned, so happy I could finally truly surprise her with my late-night visits.
A small laugh escaped her. It ignited me. “Your house?”
My tongue reached out to taste her skin, and I heard her gasp. “Like I’ve told you before, I prefer hot beds that have been warmed up by your naked body.”
“But I’m not naked…” she muttered.
“Yes…that is a problem,” I told her, sliding my lips up her neck to her ear. Her breath picked up in the quiet room, and her hand clenched and unclenched mine. “I don’t know why you insist on wearing pajamas to bed. I know I’ve told you before…they’re just going to get ripped off of you. Why bother?” I whispered, nibbling on her lobe.
“But I didn’t know you were coming over,” she panted, turning her head my way.
Staring at her, loving the way the darkness amplified her beauty, I smiled and said, “Best to always be prepared then.”
Releasing my hand, she reached up for my face and brought my mouth down to hers. I ran my free hand up her chest, around the curve of her breast, teasing without touching. Kiera made an erotic noise in my mouth, then her fingers threaded into my hair. God, I loved that. I swirled my thumb over her nipple, and she moaned. That was the beginning of the end for me.
My lips left her mouth, traveling across her jaw, down her throat; her salty skin was heaven. Her chest was noticeably rising faster when I reached it, and her fingers clenched in my hair. Pushing up her shirt, I found her breast, then lightly ran my tongue over the sensitive peak. A louder moan left her lips, and she pulled down on my head wanting more. My breath picked up as desire pounded through me. This woman before me was a goddess, and I wanted to explore all of her.
