Surrounded By Knight

by A. N. Hennessy

  I told Addie about it on our walk back to the arena, and of course she told me I should’ve fucked him braindead. Only if I had her carefree mind. I laughed at her, but on the inside my out of control hormones were mercifully agreeing with her. I liked Trevelin. There was no doubt in any part of me about that, but I knew there would never be anything there more than an immense attraction. He would get what he wanted and that would be the end. And I couldn’t handle that. I couldn’t give him a piece of my heart with nothing in return. I couldn’t be a onetime, meaningless fling with no emotion. I wanted to be more than that to someone.

  Trevelin had been MIA since our hot episode in the bus, and I was somewhat grateful for that. I had no idea what I would say to him or how awkward I would feel. Exactly what I was trying to avoid. If there was a way I could forget about the whole incident, I definitely would. Just so things wouldn’t be weird between us. I saw his penis for crying out loud, and he now knew I was a virgin, which was something I couldn’t believe I told him. The things you confess in the heat of the moment.

  Right now Addie and I were backstage, the stage crew running around like chickens with their heads chopped off while Myst of Misery finished up their set. They were doing awesome. Ryker’s rustic voice had an enthralling rasp, and I was trying to lose myself in his voice but it wasn’t the sexy hum of a certain someone I was trying not to think about.

  “He is so hot,” Addie exclaimed, adjusting her shirt so it would show the right amount of cleavage. “But I think Gage looks like a walking sex machine. With that hair you can pull like reins, steering him in any direction you want. What do you think?” She turned her head to look at me for my answer. Before I could tell her how crazy I thought she was, Ryker’s voice was replaced with loud screaming. So loud my brain felt like it might liquefy.

  “WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING WISCONSION?”

  Looking out on the stage, I could see Trevelin at the mic. More screaming entailed from his question.

  As I watched him, so blithe and in his element standing on stage, a hand touched my shoulder causing me to turn to Ryker standing beside me. He was dripping with sweat, his face flushed from the exuberant performance he’d just given. He looked amazing in ripped up light wash jeans and a white vest that hung open, exposing his fabulous body. “Knock ‘em dead, you two. See ya after the show, Umizzy.”

  A shy smile lazily spread on my lips at the thought of how stupid I’d acted when I met him earlier and now at him teasing me for how I stuttered my name.

  “Thanks,” I told him, devoting my attention back to Trevelin who was hyping up the audience. All the nerves in my body buzzed out of control as I watched him effortlessly commence with the screaming fans.

  “Okay, okay. Calm the fuck down.” He held up his hands, laughing at the same time to the crowd’s reaction. “We got a little something different for you guys tonight,” he continued after the roar slowly settled while he graciously paced the length of the stage. “I’ve got to spend some personal time with this next act, and let me just say, they have grown on me and are fuckin’ hot as hell, with voices that will make you instantly pop a major boner.”

  My face instantly burned from his wild description, wondering if he was joking with the crowd or if my voice actually turned him on. His voice worked up a thrill inside me every single time I heard it.

  “All the men in the crowd are going to enjoy the view while all the ladies will turn into some jealous ass bitches. So please give it up for my girls, COUNTRY BLISS!”

  As he shouted our name that he’d given us—which Addie and I loved—my nerves began to go crazy. The buildup of butterflies overwhelmed my stomach to the point of choking on them—or throwing them up. Either way, I felt like one was bound to happen. Beads of sweat started to breakout across my forehead as Addie latched on to my hand. We walked hand in hand on stage to the crazed shouting of Knight Raider and Myst of Misery fans.

  Before Trevelin exited the stage he came up to me and laid a soft kiss on my mouth. I heard the screaming grow louder as a chant broke into a massive roar in the distance that I couldn’t make out. I was so thrown off by his lips touching mine again that I could have been falling into the depths of the Grand Canyon and all would still be right in the world, as long as I remembered this feeling of soft skin and intense warmth.

  Trevelin moved his lips from mine over to my ear and what was probably him yelling sounded more like a tender whisper. “Show them what you’re made of, Country.” He winked, then left the stage.

  As my eyes followed his retreating body my ears heard Addie speak into the microphone, “HELLO WISCONSION! I’m Addie and this here is my sister Izzy, and we are...COUNTRY BLISS!” she yelled our name. “We will be singing our song Relentless, and we hope you all like it.” The sold out arena blared like wild animals as we took our guitars and started the song.

  My nervous jitters turned into glorified adrenaline that soon puddled into every pore while Addie and I did what came so natural to us. I felt at peace as we harmonized together, strumming the notes to the song, and before I knew it, it came to an end. I couldn’t wipe the huge smile off my face as we thanked the screaming crowd and exited the stage.

  Inside my chest, my heart skipped a beat when I saw Trevelin and Ryker standing next to each other. They both looked absolutely to die for. Ryker was still in the clothes he’d performed in earlier, with a baby blue shirt now underneath the white vest. But Trevelin – oh wow! – he had changed.

  Now dressed in a killer pair of black holey jeans that hung sinfully low on his hips, chains draping from the front pocket to the back, a black shirt that looked to be some kind of faux leather with a neckline that swooped low enough you could see the dip between his chest muscles. Both stars on each of his shoulders were on full display, twinkling at me to touch them. His wrists were decorated in metal bracelets, leather cuffs, and he had a few necklaces hanging from around his neck with his black diamond studs glistening in his ears.

  There really wasn’t a correct word to describe how incredible he looked right now. I believe my heart had stopped functioning.

  No sooner had my feet stepped off the stage was I was caught in Trevelin’s arms and hoisted off the floor. He squeezed tightly and planted several kisses to my forehead. “You girls were fan-fucking-tastic.” He set me down with a huge, full-toothed smile. “You and I are up, babe. You ready for this?”

  My head nodded an answer, since my mouth had seemed to have stopped functioning. My toes curled at the splendid delight on his face. As well as him staring at me while rubbing my arm endlessly in the most affectionate way. It enticed chills to invade my skin. I relished in the tranquility of the sensation and who’d caused them.

  “You killed ‘em, Izzy,” Ryker said, stepping closer to my side. Trevelin seemed to tense and moved even closer to me. “I’ll wait here for you, and after your duet we’ll head out.”

  “What?” Trevelin looked afflicted, his jaw muscles clenched. “Head out? You’re not watching the show?” His voice broke, sounding worried yet hurt.

  I shook my head. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Hollywood.” His smile leisurely returned, and I offered a small one to Ryker. “I can meet you there. This is the first show of the Knight Raiders I’m getting to see and I don’t want to miss it.”

  “No biggie, I’ll just watch it with you then.”

  I heard Trevelin take a deep breath as Addie appeared with a bottle of water. “Here, drink this before you wow them with this Knightly stud.” She bumped shoulders with Trevelin. I gratefully took the water and downed it, savoring the coolness it brought back to my simmered body. I had no idea you could get so hot on stage. All the beaming lights and extra body heat radiating from the riled up audience didn’t help, not to mention the two smoking hot men I was standing between. Addie tugged me in for a hug. “Go do your thang, girl. I’ll keep stud number two company, or I might go find Gage and see if that walking sex machine feels as good as he looks.”

  My eye
s automatically rolled and a snicker escaped me. She was hopeless. “Have fun with that.”

  “You know I will.”

  Trevelin gently took my hand and led me to where I was barely hidden from the crowd, the place where we’d practiced for entering earlier. The lights were out and no one could see what was taking place. The rest of the Raiders had taken their spots behind their instruments on stage.

  “You ready for this?” he asked, repeating his words from minutes ago. I could only nod my answer, and I was pretty sure it went unseen since it was so dark. “See ya on stage, babe.”

  I suddenly felt cold as he headed to the opposite side of the stage where he too was also hidden and where he would enter on cue. The music crooned to life, and after a few beats I heard my break. I started to sing the words before gallantly walking out on stage.

  It was still dark when I hit my designated mark, then a beam of light illuminated around me. Screams erupted, and I became extremely thankful for the buds in my ears that drowned out the enormity of the sound.

  Trevelin’s part started, and his voice washed another wave of chills over my entire body. I couldn’t hide my smile as he made his way across the stage to me. Another beam of light made him appear to glow like an apparition in front of me. We sang through our parts together, lyric by lyric, singing in harmony, and standing there staring into each other’s eyes.

  Everyone in the arena evaporated into thin air. It was just me and him singing about a kiss good night. The memory of our kiss from earlier flooded every morsel of my being while my lips started to burn with want. I guess they had become addicted to the way his full, soft lips felt pressed against them, and as if he could sense their hunger, Trevelin caught me around the waist and brought his mouth, above mine as he sang the last words, looking me straight in the eye. A look that had a silent plea for me not to react like I did last time. Without his face smeared in a slut stain it was hard to say no. Impossible even.

  Our lips meet after the words ‘a kiss good night’, and the arena went mad. Our tongues slowly entwined, mine playing with the metal tongue ring in his mouth. Piercing screams almost burst my eardrums when my mind finally found its way back to earth.

  He pulled back and winked with a smile. “GIVE IT UP FOR ISABEL MORGAN EVERYBODY! AKA...COUNTRY!” His lips slid to the side and my heart picked up its pace, racing more rapidly in my chest than ever before.

  Oh my hell. I just kissed Trevelin Knight. In front of thousands of people. What the heck was I thinking?

  I wasn’t.

  I wasn’t thinking at all.

  My logic flew out the gosh dang window no sooner than when he touched me. I’d gotten to where I couldn’t think correctly when looking into those aquamarines that made me forget all rational thoughts. Screwed. I was definitely screwed.

  ♪♫♪♫♪♫

  Listening to the Knight Raiders on my iPod didn’t even compare to how awesome they were in the flesh. On stage, live and in person, they brought it. And boy, they brought it hard. Reed could play the hell out of the drums, while Jace had a voice almost as deadly as Trevelin’s, not to mention both were kick ass with their guitars.

  Bryson, however, he could pretty much do it all, but his rapping was what I found to be so entrancing. When I’d first heard him break out into a steady yet rockerish flow on my iPod, it caused my ears to go crazy, and he certainly didn’t disappoint tonight.

  I loved how Trevelin flipped off the crowd before their set and had their fans scream along with him, “FUCK ‘EM ALL,” which was the name of their most popular song and the one this tour was named after. The packed arena loved it as well, and you could feel the energy and love the fans had for the band.

  I also enjoyed the way Trevelin looked and interacted on some level with everyone in the arena. Scanning it with sparkling eyes as multi colored lights flashed back and forth across him, smoke spewing from the back of the stage and engulfing his feet, giving the set an eerie appeal while the enormous screen behind them played various scenes, one being of dragons.

  But my favorite part of all was after the last song ended when he blew a kiss to the ecstatic crowd, his way of letting them all know his appreciation and the love he had for them. Ryker had told me that was his concert ritual and that he did it after every show, which to me seemed to fit perfectly with Trevelin’s flirty, bumptious attitude. I would bet that every woman in the arena felt like that flying kiss was meant specifically for them.

  I was asked about the kiss we shared on stage, and my honest answer to Ryker was it was for the show. He only smiled, seeming to accept my answer.

  I stood and watched Knight Raiders interacting with their fans. Reed was standing at the edge of the stage, throwing signed drumsticks into the crowd while Bryson and Jace threw guitar picks.

  “Shows over,” Ryker said as he grabbed my hand and proceeded to walk me to the back exit.

  “Ryker, wait.” I yanked my hand loose, motioning toward the stage. “I want to tell the boys how great they did.” If I wasn’t mistaken, I witnessed him frown.

  “Okay, but I can’t walk out of here without you. The mob waiting outside will maul you to death.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  I ran back just as Trevelin and the guys were coming off the stage. Trevelin’s head frantically whipped in every direction, but as soon as his eyes landed on me, he stopped. “Hey, you,” I said, nervously smiling at him.

  “So, how’d we do, Kitten?” Reed bounced off the steps, throwing his big, sweaty arm around my shoulders. The smell that spewed from under his arm made me want to hurl.

  “Oh my, gross!” Of course he would find it funny, laughing at the nauseated look on my face. I shoved his arm away, throwing my hand across my nose until his arm closed, sealing the stinky pit.

  “Who knew you could actually do something right?” I teased him with my hand still over my nose.

  “Oh, I can do a lot of things right, Kitten. As a matter of fact, I could make you—” He stopped midsentence and cursed something under his breath, then continued, “I could make you...one helluva breakfast.” He ended it with a snarling smile, like the nice words he’d shared were going to kill him.

  “I have a feeling that’s not what you were going to say.”

  “And I have a feeling you’re fucking right.” He scowled oddly. “I’m going to change. I smell myself.” Lifting his shirt, he took a whiff, then grimaced in disgust.

  “We all do,” Jace agreed.

  “So...did ya enjoy it?” Trevelin’s voice rang through my ears, bringing my attention away from the Cox brothers.

  “Eh.” I shrugged, wobbling my hand back and forth in a so-so gesture.

  His dark brows scrunched together, creating a ripple of lines along his forehead. “You didn’t like it?” He recoiled, sounding astonished in a hurtful tone.

  Shaking my head, I said, “No—I loved it. Y’all were freaking amazing! Best concert I have ever been to.”

  He laughed. “Well, I’m glad I’m your favorite.”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “Yeah, ya did.”

  I shut up and let him think what he wanted. Being truthful, they were my favorite. But I wouldn’t tell him that and give him the honor of acquiring a bigger head than he already had.

  After telling the rest of them how great they were, I then told Trevelin me and Addie wouldn’t be coming back to the bus for a while. That we were going out with Myst of Misery to a local club called Jolt. I couldn’t understand why, but he seemed bothered by the idea.

  “Fine,” was his last word that left me affronted while he stalked away angrily toward the back to his dressing room. I brushed it off to one of his weird moods and went to find Ryker.

  He was correct about the frenzy waiting out back. He held me close until we made it to an awaiting limo. It was hard to see where I was going from all the flashing lights, and when we reached Jolt he did the same as he escorted me to the after party in the V.I.P section. He’d been ver
y sweet and attentive considering all the women that had been trying to steal his attention. But it had been firmly focused on me.

  Addie of course had been hanging off Gage since the time we arrived, and I had been enjoying my time dancing with Ryker. He was so down to earth and an all-around nice guy, buying all my drinks from the moment we’d arrived.

  I’d indulged, danced and let loose; having a good time like Addie made me promise with a death threat on the way there in the limo. Hours of dancing had my body tired and sweaty. It felt amazing letting loose, romping and laughing with Ryker. After more drinks than I needed, he suggested I switch to water or I would hate him in the morning.

  He was right. I was stumbling more than most, probably looking like a fool, so I drank the water he offered without hesitation. I was definitely feeling the effect of the many cranberry and vodkas and even though parts of me felt numb, I didn’t miss the hardness as he pressed his large body against my back, swaying our hips sensually in tune with the beat of the music blaring from the speakers.

  The hazy scent of the alcohol had my mind fuzzy and spinning. Ryker’s large hand pressed firmly against my stomach and soon started moving to my hip. With one swift move I was spun around, my front slamming against his hard chest—sweat covered cleavage and all.

  I closed my eyes and moved fervently against his solid body to the drowning intensity of the music, getting lost in the heat pouring off everyone around us and how I felt like I was floating on a cloud, gyrating against a body that had mine losing control.

  Images of Trevelin and how devastatingly sexy he was tonight, staring at me diligently before he kissed me in front of all his fans, enticed my heart to pound heavily with pure sexual desire, heating my bloodstream.

  “Country...” the name he called me was like music to my ears as his hand cupped my cheek. Our lips connected. His tongue dipped inside my awaiting mouth, lashing lustfully with mine, his hands fisting rabidly into my hair. In an instant, my eyes popped open. That is so not Trevelin’s tongue.