by M. E. Gordon
I grinned back. “Ditto.”
She gave a relieved sigh. “Good. I didn’t want to have to beat you up on our first day back together.”
“All right, so I guess you’re my number-one groupie now. I think you should start and head up my official fan club--Ouch! What the hell? What happened to not beating me up on our first day back together?” I said, rubbing my sore arm.
“Kane Lawson, I am not one of your groupies. I’m your girlfriend and you better never fucking forget that,” she seethed, hitting my arm again for added effect.
I cringed, holding my arms up to block her next attack. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, put the claws away. I get it--girlfriend, not groupie.”
“Good! We can go in now,” she said cheerily.
Hand in hand, we walked in that room, knowing that it was going to be hard and wonderful all rolled up into one. With her hand in mine, we entered the room and all eyes fell on us. John, the manager of the tour, stopped us a few steps past the door. “Kane, who’s this?” he asked rather rudely, which instantly put me on the defensive.
“What’s it matter to you?” I said back.
I caught Chloe shaking her head, and a few of the other guys adverting their eyes from the scene. What the hell is going on to make everyone on edge?
“Did you even read the contract?” John asked.
What the fuck was he talking about? Of course, I read the contract, kind of. I mean, I skimmed it. It was a lot of lawyer garbage. Who the fuck could even read that shit, anyway? I read a few things about them putting us up in a house while we recorded, something about the label having a say in advertising. I didn’t fucking know what he was talking about. All I focused on was the number 3 with a bunch of zeros behind it.
He shook his head, “You didn’t read it, did you?” He pointed to Kitty. “She can’t be here.”
It took a few seconds for that to sink in, and when it did, I found it rather hard to contain myself. “The fuck she can’t,” I yelled for all the room to hear.
“Okay, I get it, you’re upset. You want your lady friend to be here, but you signed a contract stating that any public signing or appearances, you would be alone. No flavors of the week, women of the night, no ‘friends.’ Is any of this ringing a bell?” he asked.
“Yeah you’re ringing a bell, John. First off, Kitty isn’t any of those things. Second off, I don’t remember reading anything about that. And third, she’s the fucking love of my life, and I hate to break it to you, but she’s not leaving my side. So now what? Am I in breach of contract? You need to call the big wigs? Because she’s not leaving, and if you make her leave, then I’m leaving too,” I said as serious as I’ve ever been.
“Kane, its fine. I can go wait by the busses,” Kitty said, wrapping her hand around my arm and bringing my skyrocketing temper down slightly.
She knew how long I’d dreamed of being a rock star, but fuck if she was going to sit in the back row while it happened. I wanted her right by my side for the whole ride.
“You should listen to her. You’ll be done in half hour and we can forget this ever happened,” John said charmingly.
“No, we won’t forget this ever happened, because she’s going to be with me for every one of these. Don’t girlfriends get privileges?” I asked, not dropping or giving in at all.
“No, they don’t, Kane. We can’t be liable for her or anyone unless it’s legal,” he said, standing his ground.
“Legal?” I questioned
“Yeah, legal, like legally married,” he said, like I should have known all along.
Well, maybe I would have if I had actually read the contract. I knew that a few of the guys from 4 Alliance always had the same girl with them. I assumed it was a girlfriend, but I was wrong. When I turned toward where they sat, two of them held up their hands displaying silver bands around their fourth finger.
“Married, huh?” I asked, looking back at John, who nodded in agreement. “Fine.” I turned to Kitty, took both her hands in mine, and held them in front of us.
Reece yelled from across the room, “No fucking way!”
We all turned in his direction. He stood there gawking at Kitty and me.
“Oh, come on, someone back me up here,” he said, looking to either side of him where his fellow bandmates gave him dirty looks. “Fine, continue,” he said dramatically, sitting back down.
I don’t think it hit her, until I knelt down.
“Kane, what are you doing?” she asked frantically as she tried to pull me back up.
I stared up into her blue eyes and asked, “Do you love me?”
“Kane, I can wait at the bus, really, it’s okay.”
“Answer the question. Do you love me?”
She stood there staring at me in disbelief.
“Kitty, this is when you say yes,” Trent piped up from beside us.
She turned to him, obviously shocked. Aiden was nodding along with Trent as he spoke.
“Come on, Cuz, you can do it,” JJ added.
“For the record, I say no. I still have faith she loves me,” Reece added nonchalantly.
“Well?” I asked, gaining her attention back.
A few times she looked like she was going to speak but the words weren’t coming out. For a split second I thought that I’d fucked up again, that she was going to run, that is until--
“Yes, I love you, but--”
“Then marry me,” I said, grinning up at her.
“Marry you? Just so I can be in this room with you?” she asked, shaking her head at the insanity of it all.
“No, so you can be with me forever.”
She smiled down at me. “Kane, are you serious? We just got back together like ten minutes ago. Don’t you think this is a little fast?”
“Considering I said I was going to marry you the first day I saw you, I’d say no. So, what do you think?”
“I think you’re crazy!” she said, throwing her head back and laughing. “And--I--this is--” She laughed again but the smile on her face grew. “Oh, fuck it! I want to marry you.”
I’ve never seen her face light up as much as it did when she said those five words. The only time it ever came close was when she had Reece in a head lock and a pair of scissors in her hand.
I stood up as fast as I could, taking her in my arms. I held her tightly, lifting her off the floor with ease. I spun us around then placed her back on the ground. I took her face between my hands and kissed her. I kissed her lips, her cheeks, her nose, everywhere.
It was the happiest that I’d ever been, and having her by my side, I’d never have to be anything but.
“Jesus, Kitty, you’re killing me,” Reece called out as I kissed my fiancée. “Oh, come on, guys, you don’t have to fucking rub it in,” he said again. I made sure to rub, squeeze, and slap her ass just so Reece had to watch. He slammed his head on the table. “All right, all right, we fucking get it.”
I felt a smile spread across Kitty’s face. I felt her heart beat against my chest. All the shit we put ourselves through, even though it fucking sucked, I don’t think I’d change it for anything. “Well, John, looks like my fiancée is here to stay,” I said, draping an arm around Kitty.
“Whatever, I don’t have time to deal with your love life. Get it down on paper, get it legal,” John said.
“Are we really getting married?” Kitty asked from under my arm.
“Fucking right, we’re getting married. Not every day you get to marry your number-one groupie,” I said, smirking down at her. Then I immediately grabbed the side she’d just punched. “Damn, baby! That’s spousal abuse!”
“Hit him once for me. That fucker deserves everything he gets for taking you off the market,” Reece said, sulking in his chair.
“Looks like you’re going to have to deal with only getting to second base,” Kitty said, winking over at him.
“Yeah, that’s never happening again, for any of you. I got my eye on you Trent,” I said, making sure that everyone in the room hear
d me.
Kitty hit my chest. “Stop being so mean.”
“What? No one, not even your little chair over there is getting away with that shit anymore.”
“I resent that, but I’m happy for you guys,” Trent said with a smile.
“Congrats, bro,” Aiden said from his chair.
“On behalf of Kitty’s family, I approve of this, and I’m so fucking stoked to actually call you family!” JJ added.
“Okay, are we done with all this sappy love shit?” a female voice piped up over all the male voices. Chloe stood from her chair, her arms crossed and a pissed off look on her face.
“Chloe, come on--”
Rolling her eyes, Chloe let everyone know exactly how she felt. “Save it, Kane, you’re a traitor. Can we just get this signing over with so I can get the hell out of here?”
“Yeah, all right,” I said, giving in.
I knew she was pissed at me. She might try to hide the fact, say that I meant nothing to her, but it was written all over her pissed-off face that I did. What can I say? I’m a heart breaker, but as long as I don’t break Kitty’s heart, I think I can live with myself.
I took Kitty’s hand in mine and walked to my seat. She sat in a seat behind me, but I never let go of her hand.
Chapter 45
Us
I’m Kane “Whipped as a Motherfucker” Lawson. I’m in love with my wife. I trust her with my heart, I trust her not to break it, again. I never thought that I’d be a one-woman kind of man, but fuck, if a petite, foul-mouthed, punching machine, wild-haired, blue-eyed beauty didn’t put me right in my place. I’m so fucking happy that she ran after this asshole, because he is the luckiest bastard in the world. I am the luckiest bastard in the world.
***
I’m Caroline “Kitty” Lawson, I’m in love with my husband. I’m not afraid of anything anymore. I’m not afraid to see my future when I kiss him. I’m not afraid of the day-in-day-out because with us, it’s never boring. I’m not afraid of becoming my mother, because I know my husband will fight for me. I know he has faith in me, and I know he’ll Make Me Stay.
CHAPTER 46
JJ
Okay, enough is enough. It’s been two, fucking weeks! I pulled the pillow over my head, praying that it would at least muffle the noises coming from the room above me. Hearing my cousin and best friend screaming each other’s names in ecstasy, isn’t how I wanted to start or finish my day, but here we are--day fourteen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
M.E. Gordon, was born and raised in Maryland, where she still resides with her husband. She is a stay at home mom to four children, three boys and one very, spoiled, little girl, all under the age of five. Growing up Gordon was an avid journal writer. She wrote her first romance novel at the age of fourteen, and it was pretty bad, but over the years and through all the kids, she honed her craft. When Gordon doesn’t have her Mom hat on, you can find her reading, working on her next story, or watching guilty-pleasure television.
GENRE: STEAMY ROMANCE/CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE/CHICK LIT
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, businesses, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, and registered service marks are the property of their respective owners and are used herein for identification purposes only. The publisher does not have any control over or assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their contents.
MAKE ME STAY
Copyright © 2016 by M. E. GORDON
Cover Design by NAME
All cover art copyright © 2016
All Rights Reserved
EBOOK ISBN: 978-1-626944-81-7
FIRST PUBLICATION: JULY 2016
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