Then I noticed what had his and Griffin’s rapt attention.
As Anna sidestepped us around some girls that she couldn’t plow through, I got a full shot of what Kellan and Griffin were watching and laughing about. Draped over the makeshift bar that someone had set up back here, a blonde, buxom bimbo was spread out. Wearing impractically tiny shorts and only a bra for a top, she was having shots of liquor poured over her while other, equally skanky women, sucked the liquid off. One girl even poured some in the blonde’s mouth, then immediately dived in to retrieve it.
I watched them for a second, disgusted by the obvious ploy to get the rock star’s attentions, then I twisted my head over to stare at Kellan. He was still watching them, chewing on his bottom lip as he twisted a bottle of beer in his hands. Narrowing my eyes, I stared at his jeans. I knew it was wrong, a guy couldn’t help being aroused by beautiful girls acting overtly sexual, but I had to know if he was getting turned on by this. I didn’t see any telltale signs…yet.
I was still staring at his jeans when Anna finally pulled us close enough that Kellan and Griffin noticed. When the view of his hips went from a side angle to a front angle, my heart started beating ten times faster and I looked up to his face. Embarrassed that he’d caught me staring at his privates, I blushed.
He didn’t look embarrassed, though, not that he would ever be embarrassed about me staring at his body. No, instead, he looked completely floored. Mouth wide open, he stared at me like he’d just wished me into existence. Griffin beside him looked equally shocked as he stared at Anna.
Griffin surprisingly snapped out of it first. “Hell yeah!” he exclaimed, pushing past Kellan to scoop up a giggling Anna. His tongue was deep 325
down her throat in seconds. A moment after that, her legs were around his waist and he was walking out of the room with her, bullying aside anyone who wasn’t quick enough to move.
I blinked at how quickly they got down to business, then twisted back to Kellan. Recovering slowly, he shook his head, a smile replacing his shocked expression. “You’re here?” he said, stepping towards me.
I nodded, a smile on my own lips. I accidently flicked a glance at the making-out coeds and Kellan followed my eye sight. Bunching his brows, he looked back at me and shrugged. Looking a little sheepish, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into him. “Sorry about that.” Running his other hand back through my hair, his eyes lovingly washed over my face. “Some girls will do anything to get noticed,” he whispered.
Feeling the heat in my belly fading as those indigo eyes absorbed me, I nodded. I didn’t point out that they’d succeed in getting his attention.
He’d definitely been invested until I’d walked up. But men were men…you couldn’t expect them to not look at something like that. Even Denny would have watched.
Smiling warmly at me, he cupped my cheek, the heat of it traveled all the way down my body. “I can’t believe you’re here.” He glanced around at where he was. “How did you get back here?” I sighed morosely. “You would not believe what I had to do.” I raised an eyebrow. “Make sure you say bye to Anna…because I’m killing her when we get home.”
He chuckled at me, his smile glorious. “Ah, I can’t wait to hear this story.”
Biting my lip, I stepped closer to his body. “Could it maybe wait just a little bit?” I whispered, my eyes locking onto his mouth.
Understanding what I needed, his lips were instantly on mine. I wanted to groan and clutch him to me. It was the first part of March. It had been over two months since our last kiss, back in December…and I had missed this so much. His arms wrapped around me, his hand cupping my cheek moving back to cradle my neck. My arms slipped up his 326
chest, one continuing on to tangle in his hair. His tongue slid against mine, tasting me, teasing me. The chaos of the world slipped away as we melded together, and for a few long seconds, it was just the two of us in this packed room.
But then Kellan’s shoulder was tapped on and he grudgingly pulled away from me. Hiding a scowl, I looked over at who couldn’t wait a few moments to have his attention. Thinking that maybe the buxom blonde on the counter was going to try something a little more aggressive, I fully expected to see her there. But when Halle 2’s eyes met mine, I wished to God that it had been the blonde.
The actress’s lookalike glanced at me, then focused on Kellan. “Kellan, I’m ready for you.”
My mouth dropped open as wide as Kellan’s had when he’d first noticed me here. Had she seriously just propositioned him right in front of me? Who the hell was this chick?
Expecting Kellan to stutter and stammer and flail about for a lie that made sense, I was a little surprised when he only nodded at her and said, “Okay, I’ll need a minute, though.”
The statuesque woman looked me up and down, shook her head a little, then smiled back at him. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she leaned in so he could hear her over the music and laughter in the room.
“The conference room upstairs…when you’re ready.” Kellan nodded, still smiling warmly at her. I wanted to punch the jackass in the face. She smirked at me, then turned and walked away. I just stood there, my arms falling off of Kellan to hang loosely at my sides.
That didn’t really just happen, did it? I dug my nails into my palms, trying to wake myself up. I had to be dreaming. This was just another nightmare about her…that’s all.
But I didn’t wake up and Kellan twisted back around to face me. He didn’t seem chagrined at all about being caught. Of course, he didn’t know that I knew she was his stalker. He didn’t know that I’d watched the videos, that I’d seen her hanging around, that I knew he knew her.
327
As he watched my blank expression, he bit his lip, finally seeming nervous.
“I need to tell you something…can we talk?” I briefly closed my eyes at those hated words, then nodded and twisted away from him. I aimlessly walked towards the hallway that Anna and Griffin had disappeared in, not really knowing where I was going, just hoping that there was enough privacy back here so that I could murder him without attracting too much attention.
When we got to a spot where the crowd had thinned out, Kellan grabbed my elbow, making me stop. I wanted to pull away. I wanted to keep walking. If I kept walking, then I wouldn’t have to hear him say that he’d fallen for someone else…and he was about to go have sex with her in a conference room. God, how tacky.
Bunching his brows as I stiffened in his arms, he asked, “Hey, are you…mad at me?”
Bristling, I stuck my chin out and threw my bag on the ground. “No, why would I be mad?” He shook his head and was about to answer, but I stupidly answered for him. “You’re only about to dump me for the hot celebrity lookalike that’s been stalking you for weeks. You’re only about to go have sex with her on an office table. You’re only about to crush me into a thousand pieces, and right after I exposed my chest to some jackass just to see you, too!”
He blinked and gaped at me as I started breathing heavy. I really hadn’t meant to say any of that. I had been planning on letting him hang himself. “Wait, you think…?” He stopped and tilted his head. “You did what to come see me?”
Irritated,
I
shoved
his
chest
away
and
started
storming
off…somewhere. Sighing, he grabbed my shoulders and twisted me around. Backing me into a wall, he stared me down. “I am not dumping you. I am not about to have sex with her. And I am not going to crush you.”
328
He gave me a minute to calm down. When I was breathing regularly, I searched his face. “Then what…is going on?” Releasing my shoulders, he shook his head. “Well, what I had been going to tell you, before you leapt to that wild conclusion, is…” he bit his lip, his face beaming underneath it, “…we got signed.” He nodded his head upstairs. “That’s Lana. She’s a rep from the record company. She’s been following the tour, examining the bands…and she wants to sign us to her label.” He laughed a little, shaking his head. “We’re going to have a record, Kiera, an actual, professional record…can you believe it?” My mouth dropped open again as my eyes watered. My mind hadn’t gone down that path at all. I’d automatically assumed the worst. I shoved his shoulders away from me. “Why didn’t you tell me you were being scouted, jackass!”
He cringed away from me, frowning as I started smacking his chest.
“Because I really didn’t expect much. I didn’t think she’d pick us…and…” His voice trailed off and I stopped hitting him. Sighing, he grabbed my hands and peeked up at me from under his lashes. “I didn’t want to disappoint you…if she wasn’t interested in us. I know you think I’m going to go all the way… I didn’t want to let you down…” He looked down and I instantly felt like an idiot. Slinging my arms around him, I hugged him tight. “God, Kellan, I’d never be disappointed in you…ever.” Pulling back, I cupped his cheeks, my eyes hazy with tears. “I’m so proud of you, of everything you do, and even if it ended right here, I’d be anything but disappointed in you.” He exhaled, seemingly relieved. Sniffling, he looked around the hall.
“Well, I haven’t even told the guys yet…I didn’t want to jinx it, so we need to find them and get them upstairs to sign the legal stuff.” He looked back at me, raising an eyebrow. “That’s what’s going down on the conference room table…not sex.” He grabbed my hips, pulling me in-to him. “But if you wanted to, once everyone was gone…I’d never tell you no.”
He chuckled and I grabbed his face, kissing him hard. I might take him up on that offer. I was just so relieved that he didn’t seem to be sleeping with her. And so very proud of him for what he was doing.
329
Pulling apart from me, he reached down and picked up my forgotten bag. “Come on, we’ve got to take care of this before it’s our turn on stage.” Holding his hand out for me, he smiled like a little boy. “They bumped us up the lineup; we play right under Justin’s band now. Pretty cool, huh?”
Leaning into his side, I giggled and nodded. “That’s amazing, Kellan.” Feeling better about a lot of things as we walked around the halls, looking for D-Bags, I considered all the videos I’d seen her in. That’s why she’d been around, she’d been scoping out the band. And that’s why they’d seemed friendly. She was wooing him…in a way. Lana? Seemed like a respectable enough name, not that names really meant anything, but still…
As I processed this new information, Kellan smiled down at me. “Hey, what did you mean when you said she’d been stalking me for weeks?
How did you know about that?”
Biting my lip, I took tiny peeks at his face. “Uh, Rachel put up this website, and fans have posted videos of your shows. I’ve been watching you…” My voice trailed off and I had the weird sensation that I had been the stalker, not the other way around.
“She finally got that up and running, huh? Well, that should make Matt happy.” Releasing my hand, Kellan slung his arm around my shoulder. “So, you’ve been checking up on me?” I stared up at his face, his eyes amused as he searched for his friends.
“No…” His dark blue eyes swung down to mine, even more amused. I sighed. “Maybe…a little.”
Tilting his head, he squeezed me tighter. “And was I being good?” Not sure how to answer that, since I’d sort of been thinking he’d been diddling the record rep, I floundered for words for a second. Luckily, Griffin and Anna appeared from around a corner. I smiled at seeing them, which was a strange reaction to have at seeing Griffin. Anna had a 330