Tainted Kiss (Tainted Knights Book 1)

by Terri Anne Browning

  “I haven’t binged it in a while, so I’m game.”

  SEVEN

  Kale

  I was being on my best behavior.

  And it was fucking killing me.

  My hands had stayed to myself, which had been a small feat in itself. I ached to touch her, to skim my fingers across her cheek, rub my thumb over her lips, trace the shape of her nose. Once I memorized her face, I would move lower, find the pulse at the base of her neck and see if it matched the same tempo as my own. From there, I would learn the softness of each one of her curves before tasting every inch of her skin.

  That fantasy had kept playing through my head all through six episodes of Supernatural and while I had watched her move around the kitchen, making the most delicious smelling flatbread. And as we’d eaten dinner and then savored dessert, I couldn’t make them stop. It was making my body throb. She wasn’t helping.

  The way she would sneak glances at me from under those thick, dark lashes. How she would let her hair fall into her face and peek at me through the strands. It fucked with my head and my body to the point that I knew, if I didn’t leave soon, I was going to ask if I could stay the night.

  Every fiber of my soul was screaming not to rush her. That whatever was going on between us was special and I needed to take things slow with her. But fucking hell, I was leaving in a week, and if I didn’t stake a claim soon, she might not be free to be with me when I got back.

  Santana stood, taking my dessert dish with her as she moved toward the sink. I watched her walk away, loving the way her hips swayed so femininely. She did it so naturally that I didn’t think she realized she was doing it. It was sexy as hell.

  The ringing of my cell reluctantly pulled my eyes away from her ass and the beginnings of a fantasy I knew would leave me aching for the rest of the night. Pulling the phone out of my pocket, I saw that it was Kassa and groaned.

  Santana glanced at me over her shoulder, and I grimaced as I lifted the phone to my ear.

  “What’s up?”

  “Hey,” her sweet voice greeted me. “So, Travis wanted me to remind you that he needs to see you all tomorrow.”

  I scrubbed a hand across my face. I had completely forgotten about Travis and promising to tell the others. Luckily, he had reminded Kassa, although I wasn’t so sure if that was a good thing or not. If he was hanging around Kas and kept it up, I wasn’t sure how well this tour was going to go. Gray would eventually go off the deep end and beat our new road manager’s ass. I was pretty sure Emmie wouldn’t be overly happy with any of us if that happened.

  “Where are we meeting?”

  “I told him our apartment would work. If you could be here by two tomorrow afternoon, that would work.”

  “Yeah, Kassa. I’ll see you then.”

  “Great. Drive safely, please. I know how you are with that new car. Which you still haven’t let me drive yet, by the way.” I could hear the pout in her tone.

  I laughed. “Yeah, and you won’t ever get to. I like my head where it is, and not chopped off, floating in the ocean. Gray would kill me if I let you drive my car, and Jace would help him hide the body.”

  “Aw, you’re no fun.”

  Santana was moving around the kitchen, straightening up the rest of the mess we had made, trying to pretend she wasn’t listening to me.

  “I gotta go, Kas. See you later.”

  “Bye.”

  I pocketed my phone and stood, taking the dishes from Santana’s hands and carrying them to the sink myself. Taking off my watch, I started running water to do the dishes.

  From behind me, Santana had gone completely silent, so I glanced over my shoulder to see if she was okay.

  She just stood in the middle of the kitchen, her mouth slightly agape as she watched me add dish soap to the water.

  “What?” I asked, feeling the temperature of the water to make sure it wasn’t too hot.

  “You.”

  I turned to face her while the sink filled. “Me, what?”

  Pink filled her cheeks, but there was pleasure shining at me from those incredible dark chocolate eyes. “You just surprise me at every turn. I … like it.”

  Without looking away from her, I turned the water off and crossed the few steps that separated us. Her hair had fallen over her shoulder again, and I shifted it over her back, only realizing I had done it after the silkiness had fallen through my fingers. I moved my hand from her shoulder to cup the back of her neck, my thumb seeking out the pulse at the base of her throat. Her heart didn’t match the tempo of my own.

  It was twice as fast.

  Loving that I could affect her so easily, I wrapped my free arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

  Sparks seemed to fly between our bodies, zapping us both with the energy that bounced off us. It wasn’t painful; it was exhilarating. I wanted to see just how powerful the charge would be if our lips touched.

  Don’t scare her off, dumbass.

  I knew I should listen to the damn voice in the back of my head, but the need to taste her was too much. My head started to lower, but instead of touching my lips to hers, I pressed them to her forehead.

  I felt her jerk as if a bolt of lightning had shot through her entire body, and I could understand why. Just the touch of my lips to her forehead had made everything inside of me come alive in a way that made me realize I had only been half-awake until right that moment.

  My lips moved from her forehead to her temple, then down to her cheek. I heard her soft gasp and knew she was fighting what I was making her feel.

  She tangled her fingers in my shirt as if she wanted to pull me closer. I felt the hesitation in her touch. She was scared, but I wasn’t about to give her a reason to second-guess me right then.

  Pulling my head back, I hugged her close for a long moment, enjoying the feel of her soft body pressed into my hardness.

  “Kale …” she breathed against my neck.

  “Shh,” I murmured, sliding both my hands around her waist.

  Lifting her, I carried her the few steps over to the sink and sat her on the counter. Then I pressed another kiss to her forehead before moving away.

  Santana sat there, quietly biting her lip while I did the dishes. I didn’t say a word, which wasn’t something I normally did. I almost always had something to say, but right then, I knew words would only interfere. She needed time to figure out if I was worth her time, and I was willing to stay as quiet as I needed so she could reach the only conclusion I could live with.

  When the last dish was on the draining rack, I let out the water and dried my hands on a dish towel. Grabbing my watch, I then put it in my pocket.

  Hating to leave her, but knowing it had to be done, I leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Can I see you tomorrow?”

  “To-Tomorrow?” She was surprised by my request. I wondered if she was disappointed I wasn’t asking to stay the night, or if she had thought I wouldn’t want to see her again.

  “Yeah.” I rested my hip against the counter by her leg.

  Without thinking about what I was doing, I covered her knee with my hand, tapping out a beat with my fingers that only I could hear in my head on her jeans-covered inner thigh.

  “I really enjoyed today. I was thinking we could do it all over again tomorrow.”

  Her tongue slipped out and brushed over her tortured bottom lip. I clenched my jaw to keep from groaning at the slight sheen it left, aching to do a little biting and licking of my own.

  “Oh,” she whispered, her attention on my hand and what my fingers were now doing. “I … I thought you had to see your friend tomorrow.”

  I shrugged, my tapping fingers turning into slow, little strokes up and down her inner thigh. “It’s just a band meeting. It won’t take long.”

  She captured my hand with her own, but she didn’t push it away, only halting my adventurous fingers.

  “I can’t think when you do that,” she muttered.

  I grinned, liking that I could distract her
so easily. “So …?”

  Her tongue swiped across her lips again. “I have a few shoots in the morning, but I should be done by three.”

  “Can I pick you up? You don’t have to cook if you’d rather not. Takeout is fine. Anything you want.”

  She started to toss her hair over her shoulder, but I beat her to it, taking a moment to savor the silkiness brushing through my fingers again.

  “S-sure,” she murmured.

  “Text me the address,” I told her with a smile while reluctantly taking two steps away from her. “I’ll see you tomorrow, doll.”

  She jumped down from the counter, following me to the door. When I opened it and started to step through, she caught my hand.

  “Kale,” she breathed my name.

  Turning to face her, I saw the indecision in her eyes. It took every ounce of will power I still possessed not to kiss her then and there. Instead, I lifted one of her hands and brushed a kiss over her fingertips.

  “Good night, Santana.”

  ***

  “So, any questions?”

  I shifted on the couch, my attention more on my phone than anything Travis had just spent the last thirty minutes telling us. He had gone over our schedule for the following week, telling us where our first stop on the tour was and how many tickets had already been sold. Then he had gone on and on about the dos and don’ts of the meet and greets, and what Emmie was expecting of us all.

  I was starting to think he liked the sound of his own voice, but really, I knew he was just doing his job. Emmie wouldn’t consider him her number one road manager if he was all talk. The guy must have been dependable for her to be so willing to rely on him as much as she did. And I was also sure that Emmie wouldn’t keep him around if he wasn’t. She didn’t take shit from her clients, so there was no way she would put up with it from one of her employees.

  “So, the bus,” Kassa spoke up for the first time.

  I lifted my gaze from my phone to glance over at her. She was sitting on the arm of the chair beside her brother, a small notebook in her hand that she had been taking notes in.

  “How is the whole sleeping area set up?”

  “It’s probably easier if I draw you a layout of the bus,” Travis told her, sounding as professional as he had all day, but there was a glint in his eyes. I saw it plain as day.

  Cash, who was sitting on the couch beside me, nudged my arm. Turning my head to see what he wanted, he silently lifted his chin in the direction where Sin and Gray had sat down when the band meeting had started. Gray’s jaw was so tight I could see a nerve jumping in his cheek. He had his hands fisted at his sides as he watched Kassa with Travis. I could actually hear him gritting his teeth.

  “The driver sits here, but it’s kind of cut off from the rest of the bus. There’s a kind of living area here. A couch, a few chairs, and a television on the wall,” Travis was telling her. “The kitchenette is also here. We’ll have a fridge, microwave, and a small pantry that Emmie will have stocked full of non-perishables. Past that is the bathroom. It’s small, but there is a shower. I recommended only a few minutes in there, because the hot water goes quickly.” He was sketching away as we all noticed him moving closer to Kassa.

  Jace snickered as he watched his baby sister and the road manager, shooting Gray and evil grin. It was no secret that the two only tolerated each other for the sake of the band and Kassa. And it was more of the latter than the former. Jace couldn’t stand Gray, and even though I had been Gray and Sin’s friend first, I could understand why the two butted heads so much.

  “The roosts will be here, at the back of the bus. There are eight bunks, so you won’t have to share.” He lifted his head and winked down at her. “But I’m up for company any time you get lonely.”

  Kassa blushed so pink she could have lit up the room.

  Gray jerked to his feet, muttering under his breath as he stomped out of the living room toward the kitchen.

  If Travis noticed the guitarist’s black mood, he didn’t show it. His attention was solely on Kassa.

  “Dude’s got balls,” Cash muttered low enough that only I could hear him. “Big brass ones.”

  “Oh …” Kassa pressed her lips together, then gave Travis a small smile.

  We had all noticed she’d been flirting with the guy for days now, but we also knew it was harmless on her part. She was sweet and loveable, and she was also as innocent as the day she was born. Gray had made sure of that … with a little help from Jace.

  “Um, thanks, Trav. I …” She glanced down at her brother who only lifted an amused brow at her. “Actually, I’ll probably be bunking with Gray, if there’s extra room or not.”

  That had Travis stepping back from her and some of the interest leaving his eyes. “I didn’t realize you were with him.”

  “I’m not,” she assured him. “I just … I sleep better when I’m in a strange place when I have Gray to cuddle up to.” She patted Travis’s arm. “Thanks for the floorplan of the bus. It will really come in handy.” She gave him a tight, bright smile and stood.

  “No problem,” he muttered.

  As Kassa excused herself, following after Gray as she always seemed to do when he was pissed, Travis turned to the rest of us. “Well, if you guys don’t have any other questions, I’m going to head out. We will meet up Sunday afternoon. You’ll meet the roadies while we’re loading up, and then we’ll hit the road around three.”

  Jace stood and, after shaking Travis’s hand, walked him out.

  I had already turned my attention back to my phone, waiting for Santana to text me again. She had sent the address of where she was going to be that morning, and then another one right before I had gotten to the meeting, letting me know she was going to be running late with her last shoot. She had said she would text me when she was done, and I’d been waiting for the text to come in. It wouldn’t have mattered if the meeting was over or not, I had been ready to go as soon as I knew she was done.

  I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since I’d left her the night before. On the drive back to my apartment, I’d had to fight with myself not to turn around and go back for her. I wanted to take her home with me and keep her there until we both figured out what was going on with us. I already knew what I wanted with her, but she wasn’t there yet. She was scared, so I knew I couldn’t rush this thing with us.

  Even if I ached to release the E-brake and jump headfirst into the deep end with her.

  “You’ve been watching your phone like it’s a detonator or some shit,” Sin commented from across the room. “Who you waiting on to call, man?”

  Cash sat up, watching me closely. “Dude, did you really hook up with the photographer chick?”

  I shrugged. “I’m taking it slow with her. She’s special.”

  Sin scoffed, but he didn’t comment further. He was already bored with the subject, back on his own phone, pretending like no one else existed. That was just how Sin was. His ADHD seemed to pull his attention in twenty different directions all at once, and none of them held it for more than a few minutes at a time. I was used to it, along with his moodiness and all around dickheadedness.

  Cash, on the other hand, was all ears and eyes, ready for me to spill my guts. The dude was a bigger gossip than any chick, or guy, I had ever met.

  “How did things go with her?” he asked after silently assessing me for a long moment.

  “It went good. I like her. She likes me. I’m seeing where she’ll let me take it.” That was all I was telling him about it for now. He didn’t need to know that Santana had me tied up in knots because all I could think about was how good her lips were going to taste when I finally kissed her. Or how crazy I was with wanting to feel her softness under me as I sank deep into her heat. Yeah, he really didn’t need to know that.

  I knew if I told him, he would only go to Kin and blab to her. She would then tell Jace, and he’d tell his friend Harris. It would all cycle through and end up back to Emmie, and I didn’t want to fa
ce her wrath if she didn’t approve of me hooking up with her photographer. Not that it would matter if she did or not.

  I didn’t care who disliked the idea of Santana being with me. Nothing and no one was going to stop me from being with her unless it was Santana herself.

  Jace stuck his head back into the living room. “I’m heading out. I’m taking Kin to a movie. See you guys later.”

  I lifted my hand, but my phone had gone off, so my gaze was on the screen.

  Sorry it’s taking so long. Will be done in twenty minutes if you still want to pick me up—xoxo.

  On my way, doll.

  I hit send and got to my feet.

  “See you dickheads later,” I called over my shoulder as I headed toward the door.

  Please drive safely.

  My heart squeezed at her newest text.

  Promise. See you soon.

  Jace was still waiting by the elevator when I reached them. He seemed surprised to see me.

  “I figured you would stick around and go out with Sin and Gray later.”

  I pulled my keys out of my pocket. “Nah, man. I got plans with my girl.”

  His brow puckered into a frown. “Your girl? When did this happen? How did I not know you found a girlfriend?”

  I shrugged. “It’s a recent thing. Like yesterday recent.”

  The elevator doors opened, and we both stepped inside. I nodded at the guy who was already inside, his back pressed against the wall. Jace pressed the garage level on the elevator, and the doors closed.

  “It’s Santana.”

  “The photographer?” he asked.

  I nodded.

  “She’s cool. Good luck with that, man.”

  It didn’t surprise me that Jace could be so accepting of me with her. He had no room to judge anyone with how quickly things happened, especially after how fast he had taken things with Kin the first time around, back when we had all still lived in Virginia.

  Down in the garage, Jace stopped beside his car. “You should bring her to First Bass tomorrow night. Kin and Lucy will make her feel welcome, and we can all hang out. You know Kin will keep her company while we’re gone …” He trailed off, his face tightening, but he didn’t have to explain why.