I push myself upright and take his hand, pressing his palm to my cheek and holding it there. “I know you miss Kiera. It’s okay to feel that, Kaden. I miss her too. But I’m glad you’re here. Next month we’ll be back in Ligonier, with Kiera, with Gran, and it’ll be Christmas.” I smile softly. “And I, for one, cannot wait.”
He nods, leaning in to brush his lips over mine before pulling back. “It’ll be a great Christmas. But right now, we should probably get back before people start asking questions.”
I adjust my dress quickly while Mercs tucks himself away and buttons his jeans. He grabs my discarded G-string from the counter and hands it to me, smirking. “I’m pretty damn sure people already know what we’ve been up to.”
I shrug as I slip it on. “We’re a couple, we’re in love, we’re allowed to fuck if we want to.”
He snorts. “Yeah, we are.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Now I need a beer.”
“Then let’s get you a beer. But first, I need the ladies’ room.”
He laces his fingers through mine before we step back into the hallway. Mercs waits outside while I freshen up, and when I re-emerge, we head back into the club.
I feel lighter.
More grounded.
There’s something about the way he is with me, rough and dominant, that makes me feel completely in tune with him. Itmight sound strange, but I love the way we move together. It’s intense, it’s messy, it’s fast and hard and unapologetic.
But it’s us.
And right now, my life feels exactly where it’s meant to be.
The tour’s back on track.
The band’s thriving.
Mercs is here.
Kiera’s recovering.
Everything feels… aligned.
We slip back into the VIP room, and nothing’s changed. The party is still in full swing. No one even seems to notice we were gone. I shoot Mercs a look, and he tries and fails to hide his grin as he guides me to the bar where Andi and Tank are still deep into their drinks.
After a workout like that, I’ll take something strong.
“Hey, guys,” Andi trills, pointing accusingly at Tank. “Can you tell this idiot I need lemon and salt with my tequila?”
I blink. “Um… yeah? How else do you drink it?”
“Straight, bitches!” Tank shouts, knocking back his shot and immediately pulling a dramatic face. “Oh, yeah!”
We burst out laughing. Andi looks at him with thinly veiled adoration, her hand dropping to his knee in a soft, absentminded caress. They’re dancing around something bigger, and I wish they’d deal with it already.
Kristy suddenly appears, breathless and grinning. “What’d I miss?”
I raise a brow. “Where have you been?”
“Nowhere specific… you know, social media, always working.” Her smile is a little too bright, but I let it slide.
“Why are you puffing?” Mercs asks, amused.
“Oh, Casey nearly ran me down on those skates, so I dodged her, then figured I’d keep running. Gotta stay fit.” She immediately starts doing jumping jacks beside us.
I stare incredulously before she moves to the bar and starts doing incline pushups against it.
Yep, she’s officially losing it.
