I tried to gauge her expression, but there was none to code. I found that disturbed me most, along with how she said I sleep with a lot of women. I didn’t want to be that man anymore. I couldn’t be that man anymore. The only one I was craving was her.
“I asked for it I suppose,” she continued. “I was on stage with the number one rock group in the country, and secrets don’t stay secret in a nosy town. Everyone found out y’all were staying at our house, and it was like breaking news. The media is just doing their job and making their claims. I should have known that something like this would happen. I just didn’t think that it would be a rumor that...we...you know. In a public place. I was wearing pink lipstick for Pete’s sake. Not red,” she snickered.
I watched as she looked up at me, her eyes scanned my face and my ears rang, loving her teeny laugh. It might be fucking freezing and snowing a small blizzard, but getting to sit there next to her and have her open up while I looked at her had me more than warm on the inside.
My heart drummed wildly inside my chest with the way she glanced at my lips, and how her eyes kept diverting to the tattoo on my neck. I bet I know where else they would be if I were shirtless.
I held back the urge to cradle her face and capture her lips with mine, deciding to speak instead. “I’m sorry, Country. I didn’t know they would speculate that it was you. I know you aren’t some random chick trying to get with me so you can say you fucked a Knight Raider, and I think that’s why I like you so much.” I nudged her shoulder, causing her to bless my ears with that giggle again. “I will talk to Tucker and have him make a statement that this was all a misunderstanding. Don’t stress about it anymore, ‘kay? I’ll fix everything.”
She studied my face as a small break of silence stretched between us. I damn near lost my breath when after a few creeping minutes she brought her tiny hand up to my face and brushed my hair off my forehead.
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it, Hollywood. Let them think what they want. We know the truth. It’s something I need to get use to if I’m going to be hanging with you for three months, huh?” She nudged me back playfully with her shoulder and smiled. “I just wish you...well, I think you deserve better than sleeping around with every vagina that passes in front of you. You’re a good guy, you know.”
The light from the sun shimmered in her eyes, making them glow the lightest shade of blue, and the snow that had collected in her dark hair was fucking stunning. She looked so precious, as delicate as the flakes glistening in her hair, so innocent that I felt undeserving of her touch. Dammit, she is beautiful.
Her words began uncontrollably playing in my head like the loud beat of a bass. She didn’t want me to set things right with the rumors? She thinks I deserved better? Fuck, she’s killing me.
“I’ll do whatever you want me to.” My voice was low, and I prayed that it didn’t give away the plea in my tone for her to seal her lips to mine.
“I want you to take me back to the bus. I’m freezing, and your lips are turning blue.” She frowned, staring at my quivering lips that were on the verge of going numb.
“You can warm ‘em up for me if you want,” I joked, nudging her again like she’d just done to me.
She met my eyes and then looked down to my chattering lips. The next second was so unexpected that I think I dreamt it. She leaned into me and pressed her lips, which were just as cold as mine, to my freezing mouth. It was a simple, quick kiss, but it passed enough desire to send a hot vibe straight to Mr. Happy. It left my lips begging for her to stay. To never leave.
She pulled back, smiled shyly, and said, “That’s for being so generous earlier when I was about to die from starvation.”
If that’s the case, I’ll feed you a salad every fucking day. Hell, I’ll grow you a goddamn garden!
“Then consider me a very generous man. If my generosity gets me rewarded like that then I’ll make sure to do it more often.”
She playfully hit my chest, and her finger met with one of the metal balls. Her eyes seemed to flicker wildly before she quickly pulled back her hand. I love how every time she accidently touched them I could see how it unmistakably affected her.
“I hate those darn things,” she confessed, somewhat frustrated, and standing up to head for the parked SUV.
I didn’t buy it.
“You totally love ‘em, Country,” I argued, laughing as I grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder.
She giggled and yelled her protest while I simply continued to carry my piece of country that was slowly freezing into Antarctica to thaw in the heat of the Navigator, and all while wrapped in my leather jacket.
♪♫♪♫♪♫
The incident at the diner between Reed and I had been forgotten. It wasn’t uncommon for us guys to get pissy at one another. We were in the same tight corridor of the damn bus for months on end, so it was pretty much expected for one of us to step on the other mood wise from time to time. It never lasted long though. One minute we were about to throw-down and the next we were laughing and cutting-up. We loved each other and found it pointless to be dicks all the time. Unless you drank all of Reed’s Red Bulls, then watch out, because he turned into a madman.
We had the girls backstage at the arena, showing them around and how the show worked. They seemed fascinated by all the inner workings that go on behind the scenes of our sold out tour. They both looked like kids exploring the inside of Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory.
The girls sang us their song that they would be singing tomorrow, and I’d say we were all entranced. From what I gathered from the lyrics, the song was about some guy that didn’t know when to stop and kept trying to take something that wasn’t meant for him. She called him...Relentless. There were some powerful words in the song, and Country seemed to sing it straight from the heart. There was no doubt in my mind that it was based on actual events, which made the song even better, but at the same time it pissed me off knowing some douche did her wrong.
She was perfect, in every sense of the word. I couldn’t quite imagine why someone would screw up a chance to hold on to her forever. Normally I wasn’t the kind of guy to think of such, but this was Country I was thinking about, and the girl had worked her way under my skin like no one else. Sinking deeper and deeper.
The guys offered to compose some music to go along with the song, but the girls insisted they preferred to sing it acoustically, which sounded damn good in my opinion.
Country was now seated extremely close, holding my arm while seemingly captivated by the artwork covering it. I bit on my tongue ring, admiring the deep look of concentration on her face. Her forehead creased with small lines while tugging on her bottom lip with her teeth as she scanned her baby blues across my skin. There wasn’t an image that went unnoticed by her in the collage of black and gray ink. She then leaned into my side, studying each one in fine detail as the scent of fruity flowers flooded the air around me. She smelled so fucking good.
“Is there a meaning to the one on your side?” She let go of my arm, bringing her gaze up to mine.
“I have a thing for snakes,” I shrugged, “and my heart was crushed a long time ago. Just something I’ve had to deal with. The tattoo just seemed to symbolize the state of my mind.” I inclined forward, resting my elbows on my knees and clasped my hands together. Turning my head, I looked over at her, noticing the teeny tiny creases running across her forehead had deepened while she still chewed the inside of her bottom lip. Her eyes diverted to my neck, and I knew the next question, so I saved her the breath of asking. “I grew up in some messed up shit,” I said. “The slummy streets of Chicago were what I had to call home...” I massaged my hands together restlessly, hating to relive any thoughts of how I had to grow up, but knew she was someone I could trust.
I didn’t want her pity, but with a heart like hers it would be inhuman for her not to feel empathy. I remembered sharing a little of my story with her a few nights ago, and even though I couldn’t see her face, I could sense the pain s
he felt for me.
I couldn’t lie. I had high hopes that if I opened up to her enough, so she could understand me better, that it would help increase my chances of possibly making her mine.
“Bouncing from foster to foster sucked like hell, and in that time of living small, having literally nothing but your dreams and a guitar on your back, somehow got me through. I also knew there was a chance I would never escape that hellhole, so I stayed strong, kept pushing for what I wanted, but in the end I knew I couldn’t be afraid to fall. If life knocks you down you get back up, sock it in the balls and keep on trucking. Right?” I shot her a grin, hoping like hell it didn’t look as desolate as it felt. “And that’s what the boys and I did. Every time we were knocked on our asses, we got right back up and moved on. Then we met Randy and he changed our lives. So, ‘Dream big, live small, and don’t be afraid to fall’.”
I looked back down at my hands. Her eyes watched intently and actually made me nervous, and if I wasn’t mistaken they seemed a little watery.
Suddenly, I was clutched around the arm. With a caring squeeze, she pulled me up in my seat so I had to look at her. “You’ve accomplished your dreams, and it seems like you have even surpassed them. I hate that you grew up with no parents, but to be honest, I think that the way you had to fight for yourself and what you dreamed of is what made you the strong, confident, and let’s not forget egotistical, person you are today.” She giggled when she said egotistical, but there was no amusement in her laugh or her expression. Just true sincerity.
I had never believed in fate, but I firmly believed in it now. I believed fate had brought me this beautiful brown haired, blue-eyed country angel to help save me from myself. And it was working. The only thing was...I wasn’t going to be able to let her go willingly. Not without a fucking fight. Fighting for my dreams was what I’d always done, and she was no different. She was a dream—a dream that I wanted so badly to be become a reality.
“And you’re the angel helping me see that.” I smiled earnestly.
A blush swept across her cheeks, and I lightly reached out to touch it as her mouth opened to say something, but closed when we were interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Well howdy, boys! Enjoying your southern comforts?” I swiveled in my seat to see Randy making his grand entrance while smiling at his own joke and fake southern drawl.
“What’s hanging, man? Wow, you look...bronzed.” Reed busted out laughing.
“Yeah, the missus sprayed this crap all over me that promised a sexy golden tan.”
“Sexy isn’t the word I’d use,” Bryson chuckled. “You look like that chick from Jersey Shore.” That comment got a scowl from Randy, but the rest of us hooted in laughter.
Randy was a well-defined business man and a kick-ass manager. He was in his late forties and always dressed to impress in one of his fine business suits or a pair of black slacks and a fancy button-up shirt. Like right now for instance, he was in an expensive looking pair of black slacks and a lavender silk button-up, minus his usual tie. Something I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing, but he pulled it off I guess. He was a slender man with wavy brown hair and glasses that framed his oval face.
We would’ve sunk if not for him. When Knight Raiders first started, we didn’t have a pot to piss in or a bucket to throw it out of, or a clue as to what we were doing besides playing our music. All the contracts and legal shit that went into this industry was lost on us, and we would have been torn to shreds if Randy hadn’t been there to see us through.
“So let me get a look at this ‘Country Bliss’ Trev had described to me.”
Country and I stood while Addie approached us. “Randy, this is Addie and Country.” I introduced. He looked at me funny, and I realized what I’d said. That was a habit.
“Actually it’s Isabel, but everyone calls me Izzy...except him,” she told Randy then looked back at me. “Apparently he finds it gross.” Will I ever live that down?
He gave a mild laugh then shook both girls’ hands. “So, read any gossip columns lately?” His dark glare captured mine, and I saw a teasing smile peaking on his lips.
“Yep.”
“Care to elaborate?” he asked causally, taking a seat in the circle of chairs we had pulled together.
“It’s not what you think.”
“I know there is always more to the story than what meets the eye, Trev, and I for one know to never believe what I read, however convincing it may be. And they have definitely made it very convincing. Don’t you think? With your mouth being covered in what looked like was another one of Trevelin Knights wild rides and all. Oh, and that sexy tease number at the end. I have watched that video a thousand and one times.”
I peered over at Country, who was painted a million shades of red.
“I wanted to give something a little extra to the bar’s devoted customers, not to mention this jerk kinda had me a little upset at the time,” Country offered for explanation.
“No need to explain, sweetness. I know him well enough to know when he has enraged a pretty girl. But enough about Trev and his ungentlemanly conduct. Let’s discuss this duo of greatness standing before me. And before anyone says anything, I would like you to know I have done my research. YouTube is a great tool. I have watched countless performances of you two along with Izzy’s duet with Trevelin, and I must say, you are some very talented young ladies with voices that could start a dead man’s heart.”
Randy talked with us for hours, discussing the plans of tomorrow night’s show along with the possibilities of the girls getting signed. He said he knew without a doubt they would because he had sent the label some of their YouTube videos and they were very impressed. The surprise performance we wanted to give wasn’t a surprise anymore, considering Randy suggested the girls sing a little something tomorrow night for the sold out crowd. He wanted to see how they’d handle the pressure of giving a performance to an arena of thousands.
He told us that he would be taking the girls with him in the next week or so to L.A. to R&R Records, and if it became a for sure thing he wanted the girls to finish this tour with us before starting on their own record.
I smiled at Country with a wink as I announced, “Boys, I think we are looking at the new chart popping sensation...Country Bliss.
Chapter Eleven
Izzy
The memories of yesterday had been stuck on rewind in my head and kept replaying over and over – from that morning, having Trevelin fix my coffee perfectly to that night with us talking to Randy. It was all so unreal. It was starting to seem like a dream that I was bound to wake up from at any minute.
Even the small kiss I’d shared with Trevelin had been rehashed multiple times in my brain. Probably didn’t help that I could still feel the warmth from his lips. It went against the laws of nature, considering we were outside in the snow, shivering and freezing to death, but there was so much heat that passed between us that I thought I was going to turn into liquid like the snowflakes that collected in his dirty blond hair.
It took all the strength I had not to deepen the kiss. To pull him into me and run my fingers through his unruly hair, completely squashing my pride by making me beg for more.
After all, we were just friends, and it would have only made things awkward and uncomfortable between the both of us. The undying emotional and lustful pull I had toward him was becoming tiresome, and it was something I needed to control and end since we would be together¸ touring the country for the next few months.
Although I might be able to suppress my thoughts and lusting while awake, it was completely out of my hands while asleep. Uncharted pale blue-green eyes, blond messy hair, tattoos and pierced nipples haunted my every dream. They turned into a hot and wild X-rated movie.
I never in my life had so many wet dreams, and never had they consumed me in such a way after I woke up. But they did now, and it was all because they centered on Trevelin Knight, the one that I called Hollywood, who I loved to hate yet loved to like. It was all s
o confusing. If he could do such fantastic things in my head while I was asleep, I couldn’t begin to fathom what he could do to me while I was conscious.
I’d never find out though.
I wasn’t one of his vaginas on stilts, and I wasn’t giving my v-voucher up for a one night stand with the infamous Knight Raider. No matter the conflicting, betraying feelings my body was slaughtering me with, I had to keep my head straight, although Trevelin was a beautiful man with a heart and soul to match. I only hoped that one day he’d realize that as well and take what he really wanted. That new dream he said he had. Whatever it was, I felt with all my heart that he deserved it.
I’d been leaning against a wall backstage watching the guys rehearse for the show tonight with my mind running wild. Addie and I had already gone over ours several times and had everything down pat. Trevelin and I sang our duet once, and it just came so naturally that there wasn’t really any need for us to practice more than once.
I laughed when Jace said something to Reed, causing his brother to give him a dirty look before chucking one of his drumsticks at him. A few curses exchanged between them about staying on key, and that only made me laugh harder. Those two cracked me up.
I didn’t have a clue as to what happened yesterday when I walked out of the diner after what Reed had said about Trevelin’s hookup in the back room of Buck’s, but the volatile man had been extremely kind ever since and even apologized for his disgusting behavior toward me. I was certain it wasn’t anything that would be long lasting, even though it was nice to see that there was a hidden gentleman somewhere in that handsome exterior.
Addie left me standing there, watching the rehearsal while she’d went to get us something to drink. We both asked numerous times who the opening band was, but the guys would only shrug and say, “Who cares. You’re with the stars of the show.” I hadn’t thought much more about it until now.
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