Chapter Ten
Kit
“He did what?” I gasped. My uncle had called, telling me that Aiden had transferred a shit ton of money into an account for Kylie. Like a LOT of money.
“Kit, calm down,” Uncle Roger urged. “That man wants you to concentrate on the tour and not be worried about us.”
“I don’t like this,” I admitted, staring out the bus window. Aiden was outside, talking to Steven and Jude. They’d stopped him when I’d boarded the bus, wiping tears away from my eyes.
“You deserve this, Kit,” he said. “I want you to follow your dreams. You are too young to take on a six year old by yourself.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head as I turned away from the window. “I need to work for this. The last thing I need is to be his whore.”
There wasn’t anything I couldn’t tell my uncle. If I had a father, he would be it. My mother’s brother was the only one in my dysfunctional family that had a brain in his head. The man worked hard for what little he had.
“You are not a whore,” Aiden barked, causing me to yelp from being startled.
“Fuck you, Aiden,” I replied, narrowing my eyes. Aiden sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He refused to leave, taking a hard stance in front of me. He crossed his tattooed arms across his chest and waited.
“Get off the phone and talk to Aiden,” my uncle ordered. “Don’t do anything stupid, Kit.”
“We’ll see about that,” I mumbled, hanging up before Roger could talk me out of taking Aiden down a notch.
“Kit,” he pled, but paused when my eyes narrowed.
“Would you like to explain to me why you sent ten grand to my uncle and put it in an account for my sister?” I demanded, placing my hands on my hips.
Jude and Kade walked onto the bus about the time those words left my mouth. Both men froze and looked at Aiden like he’d grown two heads. Aiden snarled and fisted his hands at his sides. “I did it for you. I take care of what’s mine, Kit.”
“What’s going on?” Kade asked, walking around Aiden to step up to my side. The protective stance he took wasn’t mistaken by either of us.
“I sent them money so you wouldn’t have to worry about your sister,” Aiden explained, ignoring our bandmates. “Now, why did you tell your uncle that you were my whore?”
“What?” Jude growled, placing a hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “What the fuck did you do?”
“Nothing,” Aiden answered, shrugging off our guitarist’s touch. “I did nothing.”
“Nothing?” I exploded, throwing my hands in the air. “Nothing? Aiden, just because you fucked me doesn’t mean you own me.”
“Oh,” Jude gasped. Kade gave him a nod, understanding that they’d just walked in on something more serious than anyone could imagine. “We will give you two some time to talk.”
I was fucking pissed.
Aiden waited until everyone was off the bus before walking toward me. I held out my hand to stop him and noticed that they were trembling. He didn’t take the hint, taking my hands into his larger ones. He bent my arms so he could secure my hands at my back. I was helpless when he bumped his chest against mine. I wanted to kick my own ass for the sigh that left my lips. This man had my mind running in circles.
“You. Are. Not. A. Whore.” His voice was calm, even if his eyes told me something different.
“What am I then? A conquest?” I barked. What surprised me was the moment Aiden released one of my hands and grasped my arm tightly, but not enough to hurt.
“You are mine, Kit Ellis. No matter how hard you try to fight it, this thing between us is more than a simple fuck.” He growled and pulled me against his chest. Being that close to him physically hurt. I was falling for him, but I needed to have my space. I needed to be somewhere that I could think without him in my face.
“Aiden,” I warned, trying to pull away, but his hold was just too strong.
“You need to understand that I take care of my own.” He paused, releasing his hold.
“I was doing fine by myself,” I replied, raising my chin. “I don’t need help.”
“What about the afterschool care for Kylie, huh?” he questioned, but kept speaking so I couldn’t interrupt him. “What about the extra mouth your uncle has to feed? What about her clothes? What about the rundown apartment you share with your mom? Explain to me how in the hell you are going to afford that?”
“I’m sending them everything I make,” I replied, my voice cracking from the emotions he was pulling out of me. “He says it’s enough.”
“Well, it’s not, Kit,” Aiden said.
“What the fuck do you mean?” I yelled, taking two steps away from him. The last thing I wanted was to be this close to him, because his touch scrambled my mind. I wanted to keep my wits about me for this argument that I knew was going to end badly.
“Roger told me that he’d taken an extra job to supplement the cost of having custody of Kylie.” Aiden moved to the couch and sat down. We were still close in the confines of the bus, but at least now he was giving me some space. “Your mother was no help, because she spent all of the money she had on drugs. Your uncle wants you to succeed, so he has been working at the hardware store by his house.”
“What?” I whispered, my voice suddenly gone.
“Kit,” Aiden sighed, reaching out and taking my hand. “I sent the money not only for your sister, but so your uncle could quit his second job.”
“I feel like you are paying me for sex,” I admitted.
Aiden shot up from his seat and moved toward me again. I stepped back. My ass met the dinette table, and he leaned forward to put his hands beside my hips, blocking me from moving. His scent was driving me crazy. Whatever cologne he used mingled with his natural scent, and that alone was something I’d come to enjoy. In fact, it caused a low ache in my sex.
“If I ever hear you say that again, Kit, I will blister your ass,” he warned, pressing his forehead to mine as he lowered his voice. “Don’t question me on this. I wanted to help.”
“Help?” I snorted.
“Yes, help,” he replied, stepping back. I was thankful for the reprieve, but it didn’t last long. Aiden ushered me to the back of the bus where there was a little more privacy. The back room was used mainly for a quiet space for us to relax. There was a long, black leather couch against the back wall that the guys used when they wanted to watch television or play video games.
“I don’t need your help,” I complained.
“Well, you got it,” he said, and his words were final. “And stop being so stubborn about this.”
“I’ve never had someone to fall back on, Aiden,” I explained, hanging my head in my hands. “This is so hard.”
A commotion paused our argument when the rest of the band and crew boarded the bus. I decided to give up…for now. Aiden wasn’t going to budge, and in all reality, he was right. My uncle needed help. I had no idea he’d taken a second job to take care of Kylie.
I pushed past him and didn’t speak to anyone as I left the bus. Thankfully, no one followed me as I found my way back out to the drink tent, flashing my badge and ordering a drink to calm my nerves. As soon as I was finished, I made my way to the side of the stage and watched Wicked End perform a few songs. I grabbed another drink and walked around the backstage area, talking to a few of the band members who were also milling about, but my mind was on what I’d done with Aiden and how I was going to handle it in the weeks to come.
By the time Aiden found me standing at the bar, I was more than slightly buzzed. The bartender handed over another drink, and I took a huge gulp, knowing he was standing behind me. I needed just a little more liquid courage to get through the rest of the night. I planned on calling my uncle the next morning, but tonight, I just wanted to not think about everything at home and how I should just pack my bags so I could go back there.
Aiden walked up behind me, his calloused finger traced the top of my shoulder. I squeezed my eyes closed, not because the feeling was foreign or unwanted; right then, it was the opposite. I wanted him. It took every ounce of power I had in my body not to turn around and fall into his arms.
The problem I had was that I could easily see myself falling in love with him. Aiden was everything I ever wanted in a companion. He got me. He understood my life on the road. There wasn’t anything that would cause a concern between us when I traveled, because he would be there with me.
“Kit,” he whispered. I shook my head and didn’t turn around. I needed time to sort out these feelings I had for him.
Aiden eventually gave up and left when Jude pushed him toward the exit. I noticed them speaking in hushed tones for a moment before Aiden disappeared from my sight. Jude took a seat to my right and ordered a drink. He didn’t speak to me; just sat there in silence.
I looked at my phone and cursed when I noticed we had twenty minutes left before it was time to roll out of Las Vegas. I flagged down the bartender, asking for a double shot. I stayed at the drink tent until the last possible minute, letting the alcohol warm my blood and relax my muscles. When I stood from my stool with shaky legs, Jude was there with a steady arm. “I’ve got you.”
“Thank you,” I slurred. We walked in silence until we were out of the tent and moving toward the bus.
“He worries about you,” Jude offered once we were out of earshot from anyone.
“I know,” I sighed. Even through my drunken fog, I realized that Aiden was a good guy. Even with his badass appearance and tough as nails stage presence, the vocalist for Something Wicked truly wanted to help me and my family. I was stupid to even consider leaving. “God, I’ve been such an ass to him.”
“One of these days,” Jude chuckled, “you two are going to realize that you’re perfect for each other.”
I wanted to let go and be his…but could I balance work and love?
Chapter Eleven
Aiden
Kit was drunk as she made her way onto the bus with only minutes to spare before we were scheduled to leave. Jude helped her into her bunk and climbed into his own, mumbling something about checking on her at first light.
My bunk was across from hers, and I found myself laying there with my curtain pulled back so I could keep an eye on her. The lights were dimmed, but the small track lighting in the floor illuminated the area just enough that I could see her glassy stare as she laid on her side.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Don’t be sorry,” I replied, keeping my voice low.
“I almost left,” she said, causing my heart to stop beating for a second.
“I know, baby,” I replied.
She shuffled around, tucking her hand under her cheek. I watched as her eyes fluttered closed on a soft sigh. I thought she was asleep, but after a moment, her eyes opened. This time, there were tears pooling in the corners. She blinked once…twice, and they spilled over, making a crystal trail over her nose and cheek.
“Scoot,” I ordered, dropping out of my bunk and lifting myself so I could slide in with her. She backed all the way to the wall, allowing me to slide beneath her soft blanket. Kit was small enough that I could pull her to my chest and still fit comfortably in the bunk.
“I don’t know what to do,” she admitted.
“Let go, Kit,” I urged, stroking her jawline with the back of my finger.
“I’m scared.”
“I’m not,” I replied, kissing her softly on the lips. She didn’t resist, but she didn’t respond, either. Her body relaxed into mine, and I knew right then her hard exterior was crumbling. “Go to sleep, Kit.”
I must’ve taken my own advice, because the next thing I remembered was waking up with Kit still nestled against my chest. I stroked her hair and sighed quietly. She felt right against me…like she was designed to fit perfectly.
I was falling for her, and falling fast.
At that moment, I realized she was everything I wanted and needed. No other woman appealed to me like Kit Ellis did.
“Go back to sleep,” I mumbled when she started to stir. “We don’t have to be up yet.”
“I need to get up,” she groaned, covering her eyes from the small amount of light that filtered in through the slightly parted curtain.
She crawled over me and dropped to the ground before her soft footfalls drifted away. I rolled on my side and brought her pillow closer, inhaling her sweet scent. This could be mine…forever if I claimed her for good.
Kade and Jude exited their bunks, mumbling greetings to Kit as she returned to the bunk, climbing back inside the comfort of my arms. “Jude’s making coffee.”
We laid there for several minutes. I traced the owl’s wings where they peeked out of the flimsy tank top she wore. Her hand slid across my stomach and stopped at my hip. She rubbed her thumb on the exposed skin above the waistband of my shorts. The softness caused my cock to respond the same way it did anytime she touched me. Jude hollered that the coffee was ready, but we didn’t move for a few minutes. I sighed and reluctantly removed my hands from her skin.
“Okay,” I said, pushing my hair back from my face, “I’ll be back.”
I found my way to the bathroom, brushing my teeth and hair before I opened the small closet holding my clothes. I shook out an old band shirt and pulled it over my head. The bus hummed as it continued down the road. I found my phone and groaned when I saw it wasn’t even noon. So much for sleeping most of the way to Seattle.
A solid idea formed in my head. I pulled up a reservation site on the internet and found what I was needing. After tucking my phone away, I made my way toward the front of the bus. Kit was sitting at the small dinette, sipping coffee and thumbing through her phone. I whispered something to Joe, giving him the information for my plan. He smiled widely and gave me an approving nod.
When I returned, no one asked me what I was doing. I made a cup of coffee and turned around to see Kit was still lost in whatever she was looking at on her phone. She frowned at something, then slapped her phone face down on the table.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, immediately taking a seat to her left.
“My mom is out of jail and moved everything out of our apartment.” She cursed and covered her face with one hand. She took a deep breath and then sat up straighter, swiping her hand through the air. “No, I’m not going to worry about that until I get home.”
“You can stay with me,” I blurted, realizing I had just offered her a place in my home.
“I can’t,” she replied.
“Why?”
“I don’t want to impose,” she said, looking at me from the corner of her eye.
My knuckle bumped her chin, causing Kit to turn her head in my direction. I leaned in and took her lips with mine, tasting the sweetness from the creamer she used in her coffee. I didn’t release her lips until the tension fled her body.
“When are you going to accept the fact that you are mine?”
“Is that what this is?” she whispered. Her eyes darkened as her tongue snaked out and ran along her bottom lip.
“Yes,” I breathed out, capturing her lips for another taste.
Chapter Twelve
Kit
Call me when you get this. Maggie is out of jail and moved everything out of the apartment.
I stared at the message from my uncle after Aiden had finally released me from the kiss that calmed me more than it should’ve with the news I’d just been given. The conviction in my mind to leave my mother to her vices was solid. She’d made her bed, and I refused to let her take me down with her. She was on her own.
“Excuse me,” I mumbled, standing up from the dinette. Aiden started to follow me toward the back of the bus, but I waved him off, leaving him staring after me as I pushed past the bunk area of the bus. Once I entered the back lounge room, I slid the pocket door closed and hit the number for my uncle.
“Hey, Kit,” Roger greeted sadly. He sounded tired.
“How bad is she?” I asked, pinching the bridge of my nose. Did I even want to know what happened?
“She’s gone,” he answered. “She didn’t even leave a note this time.” Jesus!
“How’s Kylie?” I had to know my baby sister was okay. She was so innocent in all of this. How could a mother run off on her own child?
“Kylie is going to be fine,” he promised, his deep baritone voice strong and steady. “She’s so much stronger than you realize, Kit. She reminds me of her big sister.” We had to be strong in the environment we lived in with her. There’d been several times I’d had to kick out her drug buddies so they wouldn’t expose Kylie to that lifestyle. It was a miracle I didn’t fall into the same pit as my mother. I guess when you’ve grown up in that toxicity, you learn what not to do in life.
“I hope you’re right.” I smiled, knowing he was trying to cheer me up. There was a long pause over the line. I knew Roger was working himself up to ask something, but I could’ve never guessed at what he asked next.
“Do you love him, Kit?” Aiden…he wanted to know if I loved Aiden.
“I don’t know,” I offered, knowing I was lying to not only myself, but the only family I had other than my sister.
“I think you do,” he chuckled. “That man obviously loves you.”
“How can you know that?” I chuffed. If I could roll my eyes any harder, they’d have been stuck in the back of my head.
“No man would send ten grand to the family of a woman he is just friends with.” He paused, then said, “I want you to be happy.”
“You and me both,” I replied, leaning my head back against the couch. “Do you need me to come home?”
I had no idea where we were, or how close we were to Seattle. Our next festival was that night, and as bad as I wanted to, I couldn’t leave the band to run home.
“No,” he answered. “I have everything covered here.” Roger was taking good care of Kylie with my mom out of the picture. The legal documents were solid. That really didn’t matter, because we both knew she didn’t want the responsibility of raising her own blood. She’d made her decision.
Now, it was time to make my own path in life.
“You there?” Roger asked after my long silence.
“Yeah,” I answered. “Just thinking.”
“About?” he pushed. Roger had always been the one with a level head. He could explain the meaning of life in a way that made sense and you’d believe his every word.
“What I want.” I chuckled, pushing a strand of blonde hair out of my eyes.
“Did you figure that out?” he laughed.
“I think I did.” I hung up and stared at the closed door. I knew what I wanted. I knew what I needed…and he’d been in front of me the entire time. I was just too worried about what I could lose, instead of what I could gain, to see it clearly.
Chapter Thirteen
Aiden
Kit returned to the front of the bus, a soft smile on her lips. My heart dropped into my stomach as I realized she was coming toward me…willingly. The moment I opened my arms, she fell into my embrace. I tilted her head back and took her lips, not caring to hear anything she had to say. I wanted the connection with her to be physical. The rest could wait for later. I heard a throat clear and pulled away from her, looking toward the front of the bus. Our driver smiled broadly as he stopped at a red light. “Five minutes, Aiden.”
“Thanks,” I replied.
“Five minutes?” Kit asked, her cute brow pushing forward. I reached up and smoothed the skin there and smiled. “It’s a surprise.”
“Aiden,” she said cautiously, but I shut her up with another heated kiss right there in the middle of the living area of the bus…with my entire band and crew watching.
No one spoke as the bus came to a stop. Kit started to protest when I pulled her toward the front of the bus, but my hard stare brought her up short. She pressed her lips together and looked out the front window of the bus. I didn’t even respond to her gasp when she saw that we’d pulled up to a hotel.
“You have four hours to get to the venue,” Steven warned as Joe opened the door. “Don’t be late.”
The weather was overcast. A dreary day was upon us, but I wasn’t going to let it put a damper on my feelings toward Kit. Whatever had been said on that phone call caused her mood to lighten enough to forget the absence of the sun.
We entered the lobby hand in hand, neither one of us wanting to let go of the connection. I made my way over to the check-in counter, accepting the key to the room I’d already reserved online. Within a few minutes, we were taking an elevator up to the seventh floor.
“Aiden?” Kit questioned when I pushed the door to the room open wide. “What’s going on?”
“We need privacy,” I replied, tossing the key card on the small desk by the door.
“For?” she asked, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. She wasn’t afraid of me, and I was thankful for that, because in that moment…I needed her.
It was time.
Dropping to my knees at her feet, I took her hands into mine and looked up into her beautiful blue eyes. “Kit, I need you. I don’t know what the hell is going on with us, but I feel something when you are near me. I fucking crave you.”
“Aiden,” she gasped, squeezing my hand. “I’ve been a complete jerk to you.”
“Because you thought being mine was forbidden, right?” I asked, already knowing I was right. She played by the rules; so much more than I ever did.
“Yeah,” she said, her voice cracking at the end.
“It’s not forbidden, Kit,” I promised. “I’ve fought my attraction to you for far too long.”
“So have I,” she added, then smiled.
“Tell me you’ll be mine,” I begged as I lifted myself from the floor. I’d never been one to beg at anyone’s feet, but I’d do it every single day for the rest of my life if it meant Kit would be mine, and mine alone.
“I want to be yours,” she said.
She moaned when I lunged for her, pushing her back on the bed and taking her lips in a tangle of tongues and growls of need. Her nails scored my back as she dragged my shirt over my head. My hands fumbled with her pants and, before I knew it, she was completely bare beneath me.
“God, you’re so beautiful,” I moaned as I pressed against her pussy, feeling how wet she was for me. I didn’t even wait for her to adjust, pulling her legs up and over my hips only a split second before I thrust deep inside her.
“Fuck, Aiden,” she moaned, lifting her hips to help me sink lower into her warmth.
“I don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” I began as I slowed my movements, “but what I do know is that I want you by my side in everything…music and life.”
Her body trembled beneath me. The soft moans that fell from her lips were made just for me, and I growled as I felt her tighten around my cock. “Don’t you dare come!”
“I…please…need,” she stuttered, rolling her head from side to side. Those sharp nails dug into my forearms and the burn registered as pleasure instead of pain. Fuck, she was perfect for me.
“No,” I smirked. “I’m not done with you. We have hours.”
“Fuck me,” she snarled, bucking against me. My little hellcat raised up and rolled her shoulder against mine, throwing me off to the side. She didn’t waste time climbing on top of me and grasping my cock with her hand. “My turn.”
Air hissed through my teeth when she took me back inside, placing her hands on my stomach and rolling her hips. The sensation caused my balls to tighten almost to the point of pain, and I had to grit my teeth to keep from spilling inside her.
“Fuck,” I growled, grabbing Kit’s hips to stop her movements. “We forgot condoms.”
“I’m on the pill,” she purred, a naughty smirk tilting at the corner of her lip. “Now, shut up and fuck me, Aiden Hawke.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I replied, chuckling as I pulled her forward so my cock slid completely free from her sex. She started to curse at me again, but when I tucked my arms under her legs and pulled her pussy to my face, my little sassy bassist shut the hell up.
However, she did scream my name each time I made her come for the next few hours.
“I’m going to make you come over and over…until you finally admit that you are mine.”
“I’m yours, Aiden,” she panted, falling to my side. I pulled her over so her head was resting against my heart. “I think I was yours the first time you touched me.”
“I knew you were mine from the moment you walked into the audition,” I admitted, kissing her softly on the forehead. “I want you to move in with me.”
“I think I want that too,” she whispered, tilting her head back so she could look into my eyes. “I was so stupid to push you away.”
“Are you going to let me help your uncle with the things he needs for your sister?” I asked, hoping she wouldn’t refuse me. “If you are truly mine, Kit Ellis, you will learn that I will provide for you in every way. That means helping out with your family, too.”
“I was a fool to think he could do it on his own,” she said, tears pooling in her eyes. I reached up and wiped away the first one that fell over and trailed down her cheek.
“Raising a kid is hard,” I offered. “My mother worked two jobs to support me.”
“What about your dad?” she asked.
“Never met the guy.” I shrugged and touched the side of her face. “I had my mom and that’s all I ever needed…until now.”
“Aiden Hawke,” she smirked. “You sure know how to tell a girl you love her.”
“But I haven’t said it yet,” I teased. She had to know that I loved her. “I do love you, Kit Ellis.”
“I know,” she murmured, touching the side of my face.
Glancing at the clock, I smiled when I realized we had another forty-five minutes before we had to catch a cab to the venue. Kit ran her hands through my hair and captured my lips before I could do the same. Her tongue traced one of my two piercings, and I growled out my pleasure as I sunk back into her awaiting heat.
It was done.
Kit was mine.