Chapter 25

Kin

Gray and Kassa left for their honeymoon, deciding to spend the next few weeks before the winter tour in Hawaii and then going on to Paris for a little while. Alicia seemed relieved they were gone, because she didn’t have to hide how sick she was with them out of the house.

Over those five weeks, I took care of finding Alicia a live-in nurse. Carter even flew back a few days early from his business trip to help us vet the nurses the home health service sent. He was still there when Jace and I finally went back to California, saying he wanted to keep Alicia company when she went for her next chemo treatment.

My album was still in the production phase, and I had things that needed my attention. Jace came with me, and he seemed mostly content to leave Alicia in the nurse’s capable hands, as well as my stepfather’s.

“Come home with me,” Jace pleaded as we stepped out of the airport, waiting in line for a cab.

I was tired and, more than anything, I just wanted to sleep in the same bed with him. His place would be completely empty, whereas mine would be filled with Riley and Nate, maybe even Amara and Cash if they weren’t at Cash’s place.

Leaning into him, I nodded. “Okay.”

His eyes flashed with triumph, and I sighed, knowing what was going to come next. But just as I wasn’t ready to say yes to marrying him, I was no more ready to move in with him. It was something I’d wanted before our breakup, but now, it didn’t feel right. Not yet.

I needed time to learn to trust him again, I guess.

Still, I wanted him all to myself, along a few hours of sleep, so I didn’t say anything as we rode back to his apartment.

Sleep, however, was the last thing on his mind, and as soon as we walked through the door, he was lifting me into his arms and carrying me into his room. Bypassing the bed, he carried me straight to the shower, and the moment my feet were on the floor, he was stripping me.

“Fuck, I can’t get enough of you, baby. I’m starving for you, and we just made love before we left this morning.” His lips were on my neck even as his hands were unfastening my jeans and pushing them roughly off my ass. “I can’t wait to get inside you,” he groaned, cupping my pussy. “So wet for me.”

I whimpered as he thrust two fingers deep into me, my back arching as my hips rocked against his hand. With his other hand, he turned on the shower, barely paying attention to the temperature of the water as he focused on driving my body higher.

“Jace. Forget the shower,” I whined, cupping his face and pulling him in for a kiss. “I need you. Now.”

“Soon, babe.” He stepped back enough to pull off his shirt and push his jeans and boxers down his legs, showing me just how badly he wanted me. Kicking off the clothes, he took hold of my hips and walked me backward into the shower.

The spray of the hot jets on my back felt amazing, but not nearly as good as when he dropped to his knees and started tonguing my clit. Lifting one of my legs over his shoulder, he licked down to my opening and dived into my center. “Ah,” I cried, fisting my fingers in his hair. “Shit, that feels so damn good.”

He pushed me higher until I was panting, begging him to finish me off. Then he was on his feet, lifting me higher by the hips so I could slide down onto his rock-hard cock. He thrust deep into me, stretching my inner walls to mold around his thickness. I wrapped my legs around his waist, trapping him in place so I could savor the fullness as he buried his face between my tits.

“I love you so much, Kin,” he groaned, pumping his hips into me. “I want to spend the rest of my life right here, deep inside your tight body.”

“Then do it,” I pleaded, lost in how much I wanted him. “Don’t stop fucking me. Just stay right here, pounding me until we both die from the pleasure.”

His thumb found my clit, and I saw stars. “Come for me,” he commanded, his voice raspy in my ear. “Let me feel it, baby.”

I didn’t want it to end, but I couldn’t hold back. My thighs began to tremble from the force of the orgasm that hit me so hard, I screamed.

The water was still running over us when we both caught our breath sometime later. My legs shook slightly as he helped me stand, then washed me from head to toe. I leaned weakly against him as he washed himself then helped me out of the shower.

I had zero energy, and he had to dry me before carrying me to bed. I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

--

When I opened my eyes again, Jace was snuggled up against my back and sunlight was flirting through the blinds on the window. I blinked a few times, trying to get my eyes to focus, and glanced at the clock on the bedside table.

It was nearly eight in the morning, and my bladder was screaming. Untangling Jace’s arms from around me, I ran for the bathroom. After I was finished, I washed my hands and used his toothbrush to get rid of my morning breath. My hair was a tangled mess because I hadn’t had the brain power or the energy to brush it the night before while it was still wet.

Yawning, I turned on the shower and stepped under the hot jets once it warmed up. I took my time, letting the steam ease the last of my tense muscles.

I wasn’t surprised to find all the stuff I’d left there still in its usual place. I had a hair dryer and an entire case full of makeup under his sink that I made use of. Once I was ready, I walked out into the bedroom and grabbed a change of clothes from my case. Jace was still sound asleep, and I didn’t want to wake him, but I had things to do.

Leaning over him, I kissed his cheek. “Call me later,” I murmured at his ear. “Love you.”

“Love you, baby,” he grumbled, turning onto his stomach, and I knew he hadn’t even woken up.

Laughing softly to myself, I got my things and headed home. After dropping off my case and tossing my laundry into the washer, I went to Aunt Emmie’s office. She had a list of bands I needed to listen to and would bring in the ones I liked the most to audition with me. I was nervous but also excited. If I could get over my stage fright, then maybe this whole touring thing might actually be fun.

“What’s different about you?” Aunt Emmie asked the second she saw me. “Girl…” She shook her head, her green eyes narrowing on me. “You got back with Jace, didn’t you?”

Grinning, I nodded.

“Of course you did.” She sighed heavily. “You sure about this?”

My grin dimmed slightly, and I lifted my shoulders in a slight shrug. “No, but I missed him so much, it was physically hard to breathe at times. You know?”

“Yeah,” she said, her eyes darkening with memories. “I know what you mean.”

“We’ll just have to wait and see what happens,” I told her as I sat in front of her desk. “I’m taking it day by day.”

“Makes sense,” she agreed. “And it will probably make the winter tour go smoother. I hope, at least. I’m sending out three of my best road managers to help Amara, so I’m sure everything will be okay.”

I pushed my hair back from my face and leaned forward. “You said you had some bands for me to listen to?”

“I do, but I was hoping you would just come home with me and listen to them with Nik. We can have dinner, and it gives me a reason to skip out on work for the rest of the afternoon.”

“So you’re using me,” I said with a smirk.

“Shamelessly.”

“What’s for dinner?” I asked with a lift of my brows.

“Nik is making lasagna,” she said with a moan. “I’ve been so hungry all morning thinking about it, too.”

“Damn, that’s a hard bargain to turn down.”

She rolled her eyes. “Invite Jace.”

I already had my phone out, sending him a text. “Have you forgiven him for what happened when he was arrested?”

“Please. I’ve dealt with guys like him all my life. I didn’t hold a grudge.” My brows lifted even higher. “Much,” she grumbled.

Laughing, I put my phone back in my bag. If Jace wanted to join us, he could, but I wasn’t going to wait around for him.

Aunt Emmie shut down her computer and grabbed her bag and phone. “My driver is downstairs. Ride with me?”

Seeing I had a text from Jace saying he would meet me there, I nodded and followed her out.

“Jagger is over at Axton’s for the night, and Mia has extra dance rehearsal, so it’s just going to be us,” she told me as we climbed into the back of her SVU. “She’s Clara in The Nutcracker again this year, and after last year’s performance, she could probably dance it in her sleep, but her teachers are pushing the entire dance company for perfection.”

“She did so well last year,” I praised. “Are you sure you won’t let her go to New York?”

“She doesn’t want New York,” Aunt Emmie said with a grimace. “She doesn’t want to focus on just ballet but every dance anyone is willing to teach her. Dancing is her life, but she doesn’t want to settle for one school and focus on one style. This past summer, Nik took her to India, and last year, we all went to Ireland for the summer. She loves the new experiences, and then she comes back and dives straight into ballet again.”

“Is she going to turn it into a career?” There was no doubt Mia had the talent. She’d had offers to study at some of the most prestigious dance academies in the country with a full scholarship. Yet, she’d turned them all down. I’d always wondered if Emmie had talked her out of it. But I knew Mia almost as well as I knew her mother, and something told me there wasn’t anything anyone could do if the girl set her mind on something.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.” But there was pure pride for her daughter glowing out of Aunt Emmie’s eyes.

“Are any of the Demons’ kids going to follow in their fathers’ footsteps?” I mused aloud.

“Maybe,” she said with a secretive smile. “Jagger is definitely interested, but Jesse’s boys are too into sports to care about music. Violet has no musical inclination, but there’s always Mason. And Drake has five that could always go down that road. Well, four,” she quickly amended. “We all know Nevaeh is way too smart for this shit.”

“You don’t seem too disappointed,” I observed.

“I’m not. Whatever any of them decides to do with their lives, I’ll support a hundred percent.”

My phone buzzed with a text. Glancing down, I saw that it was from Derrick, asking if we could have drinks. I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth. Lucy and Angie both knew Jace and I were back together, but I hadn’t mentioned it to Derrick.

I shot him back a quick reply, telling him I’d see him later in the week then put my phone away.

“Something wrong?” Aunt Emmie asked, and I lifted my gaze to find her watching me closely.

“Just a friend wanting to have drinks,” I evaded.

“A male friend?”

“Scott’s soon-to-be brother-in-law,” I gave in and told her.

“Derrick Stewart?” I shrugged. “He’s an up-and-coming real estate genius. Shannon is pretty cool, too. Hell of a lot better than Jillian.”

“I don’t disagree,” I muttered. I’d only met Shannon the one time, but she showed me more warmth and compassion in those few minutes than Jillian had the entire time I’d lived in the same house with her and my father.

“Did the divorce get finalized?”

“Wasn’t it announced in the papers?” She shook her head. “Then I guess it hasn’t happened yet. The paps know more about my father than I do.”

She patted my leg. “Fuck him. You got me, kiddo.”

My heart lifted. “I know, Auntie Em. Love you.”

Her eyes softened. “Love you too, Kin.”