Kitt’s eyes blister, and it’s giving me heart palpitations. He slowly walks over to the table, getting closer to me. Working entirely on their own, my legs stand me up. It’s like I’ve been taken over by a lust-filled hussy. I want him now—even on the table, for all I care—knowing anyone could walk in at any minute. I simply do not give a damn.
He stops when he’s an inch away from me. His chest quickly rises and falls, and his mouth is ever so slightly open. Reaching out, he brushes my hair behind my shoulder, dragging his fingertips over my neck as he goes. It makes my insides turn all squishy.
I love it when he does that.
“Unless of course, what, Kitt?” I repeat even though I have a pretty good idea what what is.
He possessively kisses me, claiming me for his own, and I push him back and wrap myself around him.
Damn towel. I love and hate it, but right now, it’s in my way.
Kitt catches my hand as my fingers curl over the edge of the towel. “Tex, I’m all up for spontaneous sex—in the inside of the bus this time—but…”
I gasp, and my face heats. Dad could come back and catch us.
“Upstairs, sweetheart. I want you laid out on my bed and ready.”
My dad is suddenly forgotten. Kitt’s words have me throbbing with need.
“Ready for, what?” I whisper breathlessly.
The corner of his lips kicks up, and his eyes smile. “Before I sink into you, I’m going to make you come on my mouth.”
He doesn’t need to ask me twice. I bound upstairs.
Looks like our no-bus sex pact is over.
Whatever. It was a stupid pact anyway.
THURSDAY, JUNE 4
FORNEBU, NORWAY
There are four people on the bus who aren’t hungover—the drivers, Ted, and Hank. Milo is worse off than anyone. He drank the entire bar before rambling about something that had Kitt pulling him to the side. Then, he left with three women. Three! We’re heading out of Norway towards Sweden.
“Look at this!” Will says with a chuckle.
My eyes widen. On the front page is a picture of me and Kitt outside the stadium as Filthy Sound made their way back to the bus. His arm is around my waist, holding me close.
Then, I see why Milo is laughing.
Kitt groans and shoves it away. “Really?”
“Kexas! Are they serious?” I say in disgusted shock. That sucks. They’ll mash anything together. “And, oh my God, why didn’t they go with it the other way around?”
Kitt laughs. “Titt? Great. Think we can put out a request to change it?”
“Oh, I’m going to.”
“Read the shocking article,” Coop says.
I flip the page, and my jaw drops. We’ve not been out in public yet. No one knows we’re together, and I’m already fucking engaged to him.
“Quick work, Daniels,” I say as I roll my eyes.
Dad looks over the article with a chilling silence.
What’s going on inside his head?
“What are you going to do? I thought the plan was to keep it under wraps for as long as possible?” Milo asks.
“Ignore it,” Dad says.
Everyone’s eyes flick to him.
“Stories are in the paper every day. Ignore it until you’re ready, and it’ll die down.”
He is determined to keep my life normal for as long as possible, and I’m all for it. Kitt and I will announce we’re together soon, of course, but it makes sense to do it during a break in the tour. Hopefully, after that, things will die down, and we can get on with the second half of the tour.
I know what it’s like to be mobbed on tour because something in your life has changed, and everyone has the right to know about it because you live in the spotlight.
Five years ago, Jimmy and Saskia suffered a tragic miscarriage, and the paparazzi were everywhere. It was the same when a girl claimed Will had forced himself on her. It was quickly proven that he hadn’t. And again when Dad let it slip that he loved Jennifer. He’d meant as the mother of his child, but it was taken the wrong way.
Rubbish written by the pap is the reason my relationship with Xander was kept under wraps. It’s the reason I want more time with Kitt without the media circus that is waiting in the wings.
“Tex?” Kitt says. “Is that what you want to do?”
I nod. “I think so. There’s not long left until we get home, and—”
He leans over and plants a hard kiss on my mouth. “You don’t have to explain. If that’s how you want to handle this…” He folds the paper over, showing me that it’s done and we’re not going to give it another second of our time.
Dad smiles. “You’ve made the right decision. When we’re home, I’ll up security.”
Can’t wait.
“You ready for even more people in your house, Kitt?”
I have two reasons for asking this. Kitt needs to be prepared for the entourage my dad is going to have following me around. Kitt is used to Ted, but that’s going to be upped. And my dad needs to know that I’ll be over at Kitt’s a lot.
He shrugs. “Doesn’t bother me.”
“It’d better not,” Dad says. “Remember, I’m watching.”
Cooper laughs. “One wrong move, and you’re toast. And I can take centre stage.”
I tilt my head. “You don’t have the voice, Coop.”