[Bad Blooded Rebel Series 06] - Deeper
Page 4
“Listen, I’m sorry I haven’t been around. Is there any chance we can talk later?”
I released him from the hug and shrugged.
“Yeah, I guess.”
I wanted so much to stay angry at him but I was finding that harder and harder to do the closer I was to him.
“So,” Jude asked, throwing his arm around me, “are you ready to have some fun today?”
“As long as I’m with you guys, then the rest of the day will be amazing,” I answered honestly.
“Well, we decided to kick the happiness up a notch and we all got you this,” Ryder said, handing the gift bag to me.
Smiling, I said, “You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“Oh shut up and open your gift,” Beau said, grinning at me.
I looked into the bag and pulled out a new pair of faded jeans, black Converse shoes, a hot pink tee shirt with a skull on it that spelled “Rocker Chick” in black glitter, and a few rectangular pieces of paper. I picked them up and when I saw what they were my eyes went wide and I thought I was going to faint.
“Oh my God! Demon’s Wings tickets? Seriously?”
“Hell yeah, baby!” Jude answered. “The show’s in Dayton and it’s already after five so get your cute little ass in the truck because we’ve got to go.”
I screamed and jumped to hug Ryder. I had to be smiling from ear to ear. Even though I loved my boys and their band so much, I had always been a sucker for Demon’s Wings, especially their drummer, Jesse Thornton. Next to Kris he was my favorite drummer in any band out there.
Nik Armstrong, their lead singer, was one of the most talented singers in the music industry and his voice could make you feel any emotion from sadness to excitement to straight up horny.
Drake and Shane Stevenson were two of the hottest brothers in the rock world; maybe even on the planet. With Drake on lead guitar and Shane on bass, and it was like watching magic happen when they all played together.
Demon’s Wings were from Ohio too and this was their big homecoming show so it was nearly impossible to get tickets. I didn’t think I could remember a time in my life when I was this excited.
“So, what are the clothes for?” I asked.
“Well we figured you didn’t want to go home so we bought you a change of clothes so you don’t have to deal with your egg donor today,” Ryder replied.
I jumped up and wrapped my arms around him again, pulling him into another hug.
“You guys are so awesome! This is already the best birthday ever.”
“We need to get on the road if we want to make it to the show on time,” Beau said.
I walked to the passenger side door and before I could grab the handle, Kris opened it for me.
“Ladies first,” he said.
“Thanks,” I mumbled and I climbed into the back seat.
Ryder and Jude got in behind me and Beau got into the front seat. As soon as Kris was behind the wheel, he adjusted his rear view mirror and our eyes caught in the reflection. They were hard to read and he looked like he had a million things to say but couldn’t. Before my mind could wander, I felt Jude’s strong arm wrap around my shoulders and pull me into a hug.
“You ready to be rocked so hard that your face melts off, birthday girl?”
Despite my gray mood earlier and bumming about Kris, I had never been more excited to see a live show in my life. I had always wanted to go to a Demon’s Wings concert but never thought I’d ever get the chance. The seats were floor level so guys must have spent a fortune on these tickets…it must have taken all of the money from their shows and day jobs combined. I fought back tears of love as I looked at each of them. I loved my boys so much.
“Hell yes I am! Let’s do this!” I shouted.
Jude ruffled my hair as Beau put Demon’s Wings latest album into the CD player and cranked it up.
To say our view of the band was amazing was the biggest understatement ever. We weren’t front row but were still on the floor and the view of the band was incredible. Even though coming to this concert was a birthday gift for me, it was so great for the guys too because it seemed to really inspire them. Not only was Demon’s Wings an incredibly talented band but the energy coming from them was electric. I could practically see the wheels turning in Ryder, Beau, Kris, and Jude’s heads as they took it all in. I loved that my guys weren’t jealous and trashed other bands they thought sucked but tried to learn something from everyone. There was a hell of a lot they could learn from Demon’s Wings and I couldn’t wait to see how they improved.
The concert was memorable not only for the music but for how close I was to Kris through the whole show. His seat was next to mine and it seemed like he’d found ways to touch me all night long. A simple stoke of the cheek, tucking my hair behind my ear, brushing his fingers up and down my arm…I didn’t know if he was trying to make up for avoiding me last week but whatever he was doing was working like a charm because my anger at him was melting away touch by touch.
All too soon, the concert was over and we were heading home to Cincinnati. I was starting to get tired on the way back and ended up falling asleep for a little bit on Ryder’s shoulder. Before I knew it, I felt a tapping on my arm and I was jolted awake. When we passed the grocery store Kris worked at I knew we were back in Cincinnati and I was close to home. This had turned out to be such a good day and I was really sorry to see it end, especially knowing that I had to go home to Crystal.
“Hey sleepy head, this is my stop,” Ryder said.
“Oh, sorry,” I mumbled, groggy from my little nap.
I sat up and hugged him before he got out of the car.
“Thank you so much for today. This was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
“No problem, Jess. Happy birthday,” Ryder replied, and he waved to the guys and got out of the truck.
We all waited until he was inside his house before Kris put the truck in reverse. Alan, Ryder’s dad, stuck his head out the front door and waved to us as we drove home toward our shitty apartment building.
Way too soon we were pulling into Kris’ parking spot at the apartment complex. He shut off the engine and I got out behind Beau and Jude. I hugged each of them goodbye before they walked inside the building. I turned back to the truck, expecting to see Kris behind me, but he was still behind the wheel. He was staring at me and he looked really nervous. Puzzled, I opened the passenger side door and climbed back inside.
“What’s up? Aren’t you going in?”
He shook his head and gripped the wheel.
“You remember how I asked if we could talk tonight?”
“Yes,” I replied. “We didn’t really have time to do that much, did we?”
“No, not really,” he chuckled softly. “Do you have time now?”
“Of course,” I answered nervously. “Do you want to come up to my room? Maybe you can distract Crystal so we can sneak in.”
“Actually, do you want to go somewhere with me instead? I had a place in mind.”
I cocked my head to the side.
“Where?”
“The last part of your birthday present,” he answered. He handed me a little card and said, “I paid for a night for you at the Fairfield Inn.”
“A h-hotel? You got me a hotel room for my birthday?”
Taking in my expression, he laughed and said, “I thought you might want to get away for the night. I know today probably started out shitty and I know it was because of me.”
“Kris, I…”
“Don’t act like you weren’t hurt that I haven’t called,” he said, addressing the elephant in the room (or truck cab). “We need to talk about it but I don’t want to do it in your bedroom or my bedroom or my truck. Will you go there with me and we can talk this out?”
My stomach lurched. I was going to be alone in a hotel room with Kris. I had never been this nervous in my life.
“O-o-kay. Sure.”
“Thanks, Jess. I promise it won’t take long and then I’ll
come home and you can have your room all to yourself.”
I was kind of excited to be away from home and wanted to stay there for the night but I also didn’t want to be there alone.
“Um, Kris? Will you stay with me? I don’t want to be there by myself.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, swallowing loudly.
“I’m sure,” I answered.
“Then I’ll stay.”
He started the engine and neither of us spoke as we drove to the hotel.
Once we got there, he quickly checked into the room and the woman behind the desk gave us a knowing look. I felt my cheeks get red as she looked at me disapprovingly.
I knew how this looked…a ridiculously hot tattooed man was bringing a girl to a hotel room and neither of them had luggage except for a brown take out bag Kris was carrying. She looked at us like we were just here for a quick fuck…the thought angered me. To think this woman looked at Kris and thought he would bring a girl here just to fuck her and dump her made me want to jump the counter and slap the bitch.
As soon as we were checked in, we went into our room and Kris turned on the light. I smiled as I looked around the room. There was a queen sized bed, a flat screen TV, and a connecting bathroom. I know it sounded lame, but in that moment I felt like a princess. It was the nicest room I’d ever been in.
“Wow, Kris…”
“You like it?” he asked me, placing the brown sack on the little table in the corner of the room.
I turned to face him and suddenly I couldn’t contain myself and ran to him and throwing my arms around his neck.
“It’s perfect. This room is so nice,” I replied. “I’ve never been in a hotel this fancy before in my life.”
“Relax, Jess, it’s not the Hilton, it’s just a Fairfield Inn,” Kris laughed, releasing me.
“Well it’s the nicest room I’ve ever been in. I can’t believe you did this.”
I walked over to the bed and sat down. I had to stifle a moan because it was so soft…nothing at all like the worn down rock hard twin mattress I’d slept on for my entire life.
“It’s no big deal. I just felt like you deserved to not have to sleep with one eye open for once in your life,” he said over his shoulder.
“That means a lot, Kris. Thank you for staying with me too. I just don’t want to end the night alone.”
“It’s no problem, Jess. I wanted this day to be perfect for you and if you want to end it hanging out in a hotel with my dumb ass then that’s what you will get.”
I watched him pull out a white box from the bag he brought into the room.
“What’s that?” I asked him.
Kris turned around and walked over to the table with the box in his hand. Smiling, he sat at the table and motioned for me to sit next to him.
“For you.”
“Another gift? You and the guys have already done enough today with the Demon’s Wings concert, the clothes, and the night away from Crystal. This is already the best birthday of my life. What more could there possibly be?” I asked, smiling.
“Just open the damn thing,” he said, laughing as he took a seat across from me.
I did as he asked and flipped the top off the box. When I saw what was inside I gasped and grinned wider.
It was a big cupcake with delicate pink frosting on it. There was a flower resting on top that must have been made painstakingly from scratch, and sitting in the middle was one single white candle. I looked at him and he was smiling as he took it out of the box and placed it on the table between us.
“Kris, this is beautiful! It’s like the fanciest cupcake I’ve ever seen. I almost don’t want to eat it.”
“But you will though, especially when I tell you its red velvet.”
I gasped and smiled.
“Really? That’s my-”
“Favorite. I know,” he said, winking at me.
My stomach did a flip and I felt my cheeks start to turn red. Taking out a lighter, he lit the candle on the top and said, “Okay, birthday girl. Make a wish.”
I smiled at him and pulled my long hair around my shoulder so it would be safe from the flame. I looked at Kris and his green eyes were glowing in the firelight. Making a wish would be easy…the only thing I’ve ever wished for in my life was him.
I took a deep breath and blew out the candle on the cake. I was about to open my eyes and take a bite of my mouthwatering cupcake when I got the surprise of my life.
I knew his face was close to mine before I realized what was happening because I could smell his cologne. I thought maybe he would kiss my cheek but when his lips pressed against mine my heart almost stopped. This couldn’t be real. I had to be dreaming this. Never in my life had I ever gotten something I was foolish enough to want so I had to be imagining that Kris was actually kissing me.
When I felt his long fingers graze my neck and pull me closer to him, I knew I hadn’t dreamed this…for the first time in my life my birthday wish had come true.
He kissed me softly for just a few seconds before he pulled away, leaving me struggling to breathe. My eyes fluttered open and once my vision focused on his beautiful face my heart almost leapt out of my chest. He didn’t look apologetic or regretful. He looked just as vulnerable and scared as I was.
His fingers were playing with my hair at the nape of my neck and he whispered, “I’m sorry for surprising you like that, Jess, but I won’t apologize for kissing you. I don’t know what’s changed between us this past week but all I know is that I am feeling something for you that goes way beyond friendship. This is why I’ve stayed away the past week. I don’t know how it happened but its hit me like a ton of bricks and I can’t stop thinking about you. It scared me that I felt that way for you because you’ve been my best friend for thirteen years but I can’t keep it in anymore.”
I could barely breathe. I felt tingles all through my body at his words.
“Kris,” I choked out.
“I don’t know if you feel the same way and I’ll understand if you don’t, but I just had to kiss you at least once.”
We sat there together staring into each other’s eyes for what felt like an eternity. I couldn’t speak…I had literally been shocked into silence. This was everything I’d ever wanted and it was right in front of me…what was I waiting for?
Kris cleared his throat nervously and finally broke the silence.
“Well, hey, listen, forget about it. No big deal, okay? Let’s just have some cake,” he said, picking up a fork.
“Kris,” I repeated, but he smiled at me and gently stabbed the fork into the cupcake.
Why the hell couldn’t I say anything?
“It’s okay, Jess, really. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot or anything. We can talk about it later because if I know you as well as I do you are dying to try this cupcake right now,” he said, putting the fork to my lips.
Honestly, eating cake was the farthest thing from my mind at that moment. I wanted to tell him so much that I loved him and always had but I was terrified. I knew he had feelings for me. He’d just admitted it. I had everything I ever wanted right in front of me ready to grab…and I was afraid to take it.
I reluctantly opened my mouth and took the bite of red velvet cupcake he’d offered me. It was delicious and I sat and ate the whole thing with him but it was difficult. I couldn’t figure out why I could hardly speak but I had to say something…I just couldn’t do it.
“Hey, Jess, you there?” I heard Kris say, and I looked up and saw him waving his hand in front of my face.
I jumped back and faked a laugh.
“Yeah, sorry, I guess I’m just tired. It’s been a long day,” I said.
“Yeah,” he said, and I noticed the disappointment on his face.
Damn it, Jessie, why can’t you just tell him you love him?
“Listen, why don’t we get some sleep?” he asked quietly.
I nodded dumbly and said, “Okay.”
When I stood up I realized something; there was
only one bed in the room. I wasn’t about to make Kris sleep on the floor and there was no way he would let me so that meant we’d be sleeping in the same bed together. As if I wasn’t nervous enough, I’d realized that I didn’t have any pajamas so I’d have to sleep in my bra and panties right next to him. I bit my lip and was trying to decide what to do when I looked over at him. He had taken off his shirt and walked to me.
“Here, you can sleep in my shirt tonight,” he said, standing so close to me that I could feel the heat of his skin. I took it with shaking hands before he moved to the other side of the bed and unbuckled his pants.
My mouth went dry as I watched him slide out of his jeans until he was wearing nothing but a snug pair of boxer briefs. Oh God he was beautiful. He pulled back the blankets and climbed into the bed.
Leaning back on his pillow he asked, “Jess, are you getting in?”
“Uh yeah, let me just go get changed,” I answered and I ran off toward the bathroom before he could say anything else.
As soon as I was inside, I shut the door and leaned against it. I held up his shirt to my face and inhaled deeply. It smelled like his cologne mixed with a little bit of sweat from jumping around at the concert…it was intoxicating. As I breathed him in, I decided that I wasn’t going to be afraid. Kris had kissed me and told me he had feelings for me. I had everything I wanted in the palm of my hand; all I had to do was take it.
A surge of adrenaline rushed through me and I quickly changed out of my clothes and into his shirt. I decided then and there that I was going to go after what I wanted and not be afraid. Whatever happened after I left this bathroom I would welcome it.
Chapter 3
Kris
I rested my head against the headboard and mentally wanted to kick myself. This night hadn’t gone at all how I’d planned. After what happened in Jessie’s room last week I’d been constantly thinking about her to the point of distraction. Just the mere mention of her name had me feeling aroused and I’d found myself shifting around to hide my almost instantaneous erection. I was freaked out by all these new feelings that I didn’t know how I was going to handle being around her without making an ass of myself, so I’d purposely stayed away from her while I tried to work it all out.