Page 214 of Just Wait

Kincaid gets me into it, and his bright teal eyes sparkle as he tugs on the end with the lock. The necklace tightens around my throat, the extra chain becoming a bit like a leash. The pressure around my neck is light, not bothering me in the least.

He gets close to my ear, asking, “So, can I put you in this at our first show back on the tour?”

“Is it a collar?”

“Nah, not really.” He smirks. “We haven’t had enough conversations for a collar, but I wouldn’t be opposed to that in the future. This is more a warning to anyone you come across that you’re off-limits.”

“I’m pretty sure the change to my scent and claiming bites give a solid warning.” My lips tip up, and I wrap my hand around his muscular back. “But I like it when you get growly and possessive. I’ll be happy to wear it. Kiss me.”

K bends down, crashing his lips to mine. I love the way his desire spills through the bond as he kisses me senseless.

A gentle knock on the bathroom door makes me jump, and Kincaid growls, swirling his tongue over Malcolm’s claiming bite before he pulls back.

“We’re back with your stuff,” Riser says.

Oh, thank God.

Chapter Fifty-Two

Lumen

We spend the day in the suite and head back to the cabin the next morning. It’s nice to be back with everyone, and it’s especially wonderful to have Wren around. I missed having female companionship, and selfishly, I hope she doesn’t leave anytime soon.

The guys get to practicing so they won’t be rusty when the second leg of the tour rolls around. They eventually run through Malcolm’s song for his dad, and afterward, I trick them into working on the two new compositions I’ve been playing around with.

They’re all talented musicians, and I’m blown away by how they pick up the beat from a few awkward mouth sounds or a rhythmic patting of the table or my thigh.

It’s kind of amazing how excited they get about creating something new, and they’re all smiles as they finish playing through the one I came up with after watching K and Mal banter on stage. It doesn’t have a name yet, but I’m hoping they’ll help me pick something.

Tennyson pulls off his bass and comes over, dropping down next to me on the couch. “Did you know, I’ve been doing fill-in work for the label for three years?”

“I didn’t.” It takes speaking to realize that was likely a rhetorical question.

I mean, he mentioned that he’s been in the industry for a while, and I knew that he’s new to Liminal, but I assumed he must have been a part of a band that fell apart or retired.

“I’ve always loved the challenge of bouncing around, figuring out how to fit in with a new band every couple months while learning to play someone else’s songs.” He crosses his arms over his chest and shrugs. “But it’s kinda nice being able to put my own spin on a brand-new creation. Knowing that every time it’s played from here on out, it’ll be played the way I set it up. I haven’t had that since I was fucking around with my friends back in high school.”

“That’s crazy. I wouldn’t have thought about it that way, but then again, I never play anything.” I smile.

He and Parish weren’t too shocked when they found out the guys and I bonded. They just laughed when the guys carried me out of the cabin to head to our suite at the main lodge or whatever it’s called.

I’m going to be around the two of them a lot, and while they’ve been welcoming, I’d like to be friends. That can’t happen if every conversation stays surface level.

“That is true.” He chuckles. “I just meant that it’ll be nice to play something we had a hand in building. You know what I mean? Andrew was a hell of a bass player, but I’m playing songs he wrote in his style. It’ll be fun to rock out on some music made for the band as it stands now.”

I nod. “I totally get that. Hopefully that means you’re settling in for the long haul.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Ten says.

A weird pang hits my chest as Riser’s scent filters through my mind.

My eyes cut to him. He’s standing with Mal, Kincaid, and Parish, but something tells me hearing Andrew’s name was hard.

I never put much thought into how difficult it would be for him to move on to songs that Andrew had no part in creating.

Riser and Drew were friends for a few years before making it big, and he still struggles with how everything went down with Drew.

“Would you maybe be willing to put something together for me?” Tennyson asks, drawing my attention back to him. “Like how you helped Mal with his song? Would you be open to collaborating with me on one?”