Effortless (Thoughtless #2)(15)
Author: S.C. Stephens

I flushed red all over, remembering the part that he was reading. It was a pretty hot scene, and usually did turn me on a bit. And the way he read it was so sensual… Embarrassed that he was sort of right, I snatched the book away from him, tucking it into a dresser drawer. I was pretty certain the next time I read it I would hear Kellan’s sultry voice in my head. It made me ache just thinking about it.

Kellan gave me a sly smile. "See…porn." He leaned forward. "And hot p*rn too." He pointed to where I’d tucked the book away. "I wouldn’t mind trying that thing on page-"

I cut him off, my cheeks hot to the touch as I yanked on his arm, pulling him to his feet. "Get your shoes on, it’s time to go."

He laughed at me as he steadied himself. "Yeah, all right…maybe next time then."

Walking into Pete’s with Kellan a little while later, I was greeted by a bubbly Kate. Since Jenny had the night off, she was my partner in crime for the evening. "Hi guys!"

"Hi, Kate." I smiled at the bouncy woman and attempted to extradite myself from my boyfriend so I could go put my purse away. Just as our fingertips separated, Kellan grabbed my waist, pulling me back into his hips.

"I’ll have my usual," he growled in my ear.

I bit my lip as his voice sent shivers down my spine. Twisting to give him a dirty look, I shook my head. "I know what you like, Kellan."

He grinned devilishly, his hand slipping around to slink inside the back pocket of my jeans. "Yes…you certainly do."

Realizing how suggestive what I’d said was, I pushed him away from me. He had such a dirty mind sometimes. Well, most of the time actually. He laughed at the color in my face, then kissed my cheek. "You’re so adorable." Leaning in he whispered, "Have I mentioned how much that turns me on?"

Laughing as I untangled myself from him, I murmured, "What doesn’t, Kellan?"

Smiling, he shrugged one shoulder and walked back to his table. I sighed, watching his back pockets walk away from me. Kate beside me sighed too. I turned to look at her as she dreamily said, "God he’s got great hair. He always looks like he just got out of bed." Meeting my eye, she frowned. "How does he do that?"

Biting my lip, hoping my face wasn’t beet red, I shrugged. I couldn’t exactly tell her that he was currently rocking an amazing head of sex-hair because he’d just had sex. That was a little too much information to give my co-worker. Shrugging, she shook her head and handed me a fistful of lollipops from the pocket of her apron. "Here, Pete had these made to give out to the customers."

Unwrapping a red label with "Pete’s Bar" clearly written across it, she popped one in her mouth. "I keep forgetting to give them out though." She smiled around the stick in her mouth. "They’re apple flavored."

I smiled and thanked her, then went to put my stuff away. Once I was back on the floor, I unwrapped one too and stuck it in my mouth. God, I love apple flavor. It’s so much better than actual apples.

Rita had Kellan’s beer ready before I even got to the bar to pick it up. Staring across the room at Kellan, she sullenly handed it to me. "Here…this is for sweet cheeks."

Snatching it from her, I murmured, "Thanks," and rolled my eyes as I walked away. It was so irritating to have my guy mentally undressed over and over again. And people think men are the hornier bunch. I was beginning to doubt that.

Pulling the sucker out as I approached where Kellan was alone at his table, I handed him his drink. "Here you go…your usual."

He smiled at me as he took the beer from my hand. Then his other reached up and grabbed the hand holding my sucker. Closing his fingers over mine, he brought the treat to his lips and closed his mouth around it. Not breaking eye contact, he sucked on my lollipop for a moment, then let it go. It was horribly erotic and I heard a few groans from a nearby table of girls watching him. Wanting to lean down and taste the apple on his tongue, I instead decided to stick up for my rights.

Shoving his shoulder back, I frowned. "Eww, Kellan. That’s mine."

Nothing about his mouth on or near anything of mine actually grossed me out, but it was the principle of the thing. You don’t suck another person’s sucker uninvited. Smiling, like he knew I’d let his lips go anywhere, he tilted his head at me. "What? I can put my mouth on your-"

I covered up that mouth, taking a quick peek at the girls at the table next to him, subtly leaning over in their seats to hear him speak. "Kellan!" I hissed under my breath.

Removing my hand from his lips, he continued undaunted. "…but I can’t enjoy your sucker?"

Shaking my head at him, I felt a smile creep into my mouth. He was giving me a slight frown and puppy dog eyes. And damn if it wasn’t hopelessly attractive. Giving up, I shoved the sucker in his mouth. Those eyes had earned it. He smiled around the stick and I sighed in annoyance. "You could at least ask first."

Removing it, his lips curving over the edge of the ball seductively, he raised an eyebrow. "I didn’t think I had to ask to suck on your…candy."

I frowned genuinely. "Don’t say candy." After the afternoon I’d had, I really didn’t want to ever hear that word again.

The smirk fell off his face as he understood my expression. "Sorry," he whispered.

Shaking my head, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his; the apple was as marvelous as I’d thought it would be. "It’s alright." Ignoring the disgruntled noises from the table of women to my left, I softly kissed him again. "Just ask next time, sucker thief."

He was grinning and thoroughly enjoying his sweet treat as I walked away.

Not too much later, as I was relaying my day at school to Kate, minus the Candy-fiasco of course, the doors burst open. Startled, I looked over to see Matt stepping through them. His face was beaming as he immediately looked back to the guys’ table. Seeing Kellan, his smile got even bigger and he practically bounded to the table.

Not used to seeing the shy man so exuberant, I looked back at Kate. She shrugged. We both twisted back to the front doors when we heard it open again. Griffin stepped through this time, with Evan right behind him. Both men were glowing as brightly as Matt had been.

They both darted to follow Matt, who was approaching Kellan, telling him something with an excited expression. Kellan frowned and looked over at the rest of the guys coming towards him. Scrunching my brows, I tried to figure out what was going on.

"What’s up, Kiera?" Kate asked me, pointing to where Matt, Griffin and Evan were seated around Kellan, leaning into him as they all talked to him at once. Kellan’s expression was one of shock as he looked between all of them. He occasionally asked questions when one of them paused long enough for him to do so.

"I have no idea," I murmured, stepping away from her to find out.

Kellan’s eyes snapped up to me when I was almost within ear shot. I paused when he leaned back and ran a hand over his mouth. His eyes looked worried, really worried. It made my feet feel like lead, made me afraid to go any closer to him. I’d thought it was good news by the look on the guys’ faces, but Kellan didn’t seem like he’d just heard good news. He seemed like they’d just told him life as he knew it was ending.

Excited, they all patted his shoulder. They were trying to get him to smile, but Kellan shook his head and murmured something to them, his gaze still locked on mine. Eventually they all turned to look at me. I actually took a step back as each of their eyes met mine. Evan’s was sympathetic; that scared me. Matt’s was appraising; that concerned me. Griffin’s was irritated; that…was really nothing new.

Kellan leaning forward brought all of their attentions back to him. He started talking, low and intensely, and I couldn’t make it out. The guys were instantly shaking their heads and throwing their hands about, irritated. I’d never seen the group fight before and I had the horrid feeling they were somehow fighting about me.

Someone nearby called out to me, asking for something, but I couldn’t move to respond to them. Something big was happening. Something that Kellan wasn’t excited about but the rest of the group was. Something that seemed to involve me. Ice poured through my body as I tried in vain to snap the puzzle pieces together.

Griffin suddenly shouting, "Oh, come on, Kellan! Fuck!" made me flinch. Kellan raised a calming hand to Griffin and quietly said something, shaking his head. Griffin shook his, crossing his arms over his chest. Griffin scowled back at Kellan while Matt hung his head, disappointed. Evan clapped Kellan on the shoulder and leaned in to tell him something. Evan’s hand swung back to me and Kellan’s eyes followed the movement.

Feeling my heart increase about ten times faster, I watched Kellan sigh and scrub his face with his hands. Slumping back in his chair, he finally shook his head and looked at his friends. Nodding, he said something, then slowly stood up.

His eyes met mine and he sighed again. I felt like my heart was going to explode as I watched him excuse himself and start to walk towards me. I nearly wanted to run away as I felt that tension from his table follow him up the aisle way to me. Maybe it was all in my head, but the bar seemed deathly quiet. Kellan and I had a history of making scenes in this bar. I wasn’t sure if that was what was going to happen, but the rest of the patrons seemed to think so as they eagerly waited for us to meet up.

His head down, Kellan stepped in front of me. I held my breath. "Can I…talk to you," he looked up, his expression tight, "outside."

I nodded woodenly, wanting to do anything but go outside with him. I couldn’t move my feet, but he grabbed my hand and started dragging me away. The action prompted the muscles in my body to involuntarily respond, and I followed him out of the double doors.

A flurry of whispers started right before the doors shut. Then all of the sound from the bar was cut off. Kellan dropped my hand and ran his back through his hair. Looking around the lot, he seemed to be focusing on anything that wasn’t me. I felt tears in my eyes as fear roiled in my stomach.

"Kellan?" I whispered, my voice shaky.

He finally looked at me when he heard my tone. Sighing, he cupped my cheek. "I need to tell you something, and I don’t know where to start." He bit his lip as my heart thudded against my chest.

"Just tell me, because you’re really starting to scare me."

He swallowed and looked down, his hand dropping to my arm. "Matt has been doing a lot over the summer for the band." He looked up at me and shrugged. "Lining up more gigs, scoring that equipment so we can work on soundproofing Evan’s place, getting us that spot at Bumbershoot…"

I nodded. None of this was news to me. My heart on hold, I waited for the part that was. Stepping up close, Kellan began stroking my arm. "A band that he’s been trying to get in with saw us at Bumbershoot. They were…impressed and…" He sighed, his other hand coming up to wrap around my fingers. "They want us to join them on their tour," he whispered.

I blinked and pulled away from him, his face torn in the moonlight. "You got invited to join a tour? An actual band tour?"

Nodding, he shrugged. "It’s a pretty decently sized one, about six other bands are already on it, from what Matt says. We’d be a…last minute addition, bottom of the lineup, but on it, at least."

Amazed and overwhelmed with pride, I threw my arms around him. "Oh my God, Kellan! That’s amazing!"