His Distraction (Assured Distraction Book 2) (15 page)

Chandler grabbed KeeMac’s arm and started tugging him away subtly, giving them some privacy, when she realized there was more going on between them than they seemed ready to share.

“What the fuck, Chan? That shit was just starting to get good.” KeeMac was still looking over his shoulder.

“If they wanted to share that conversation with us, one of them would have acknowledged that we were standing there. And since it was clear to me that they had no intentions of doing that, I thought we should leave them alone to talk.”

“Yeah, but damn, that was a seriously hot kiss he laid on her. What the hell was that all about?”

“Leave it alone, Keeton. It’s none of our business.” Chandler continued to pull him away.

He pulled Chandler back into him and wrapped his arms around her from behind. “I know something we can make our business that doesn’t need sharing unless you want to try it with an audience?”

“That would be a big NO, Keeton. Now stop, we are in a room full of fans. Go spread some of that personality around.”

“That’s what you want me to do, Chan? Spread it around? I know something that would be a lot more fun to spread...” He waggled his eyebrows at her making her laugh out loud.

“Stop perving and mingle with the fans.”

He gave her a pouty face and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the bar. “If you insist, I’ll hang out with my friend Jameson and introduce him to my adoring fans.”

Loudly, he added, “Anyone want to get to know my friend, Jameson, with me?” Chandler shook her head knowing it was going to be a long night and followed in behind him. Maybe she could keep some of the groupies away. She tried not to be the jealous girlfriend when it came to the fangirls but some of them would try anything anywhere, and this was the perfect location for them to get out of line. After witnessing all of the indecent behavior on their first tour, she felt like she needed to bleach her eyes following the after parties. After living on the bus with them, she felt like she had seen it all. These women seemed to have very few morals, or maybe it was a lack of self-respect, but then they complained about the men being womanizers every time they were not the ones chosen by the guys.

“I was hoping you would stay for the show, Peri,” Ryan repeated, his tone a little lower, the meaning behind his statement carrying something more charged. “I like knowing you’re there watching while we’re on stage.”

Peri was standing directly in front of him in the loud, crowded room. “I had a few advancing date things I needed to take care of, but I caught the first five songs. You guys sounded great.” She was looking directly into the sapphire eyes, struggling not to get swallowed up in their depths at the moment.

Putting his hand on her arm as if he was afraid she would run, he said, “You know, Peri, there are all sorts of strangers running around backstage and some of them might not even work with us. Never know who is going to slip past security. It’s not all that safe for you to be running around here alone.” The grip on her arm grew tighter as he spoke. Was his concern protective, or did he sound possessive? She couldn’t quite read his intensity.

“What? I’ve been doing this all along, Ryan.” She wasn’t sure how to feel about all the sudden direct attention from him, so used to being left to do what needed doing. All his abrupt wanting to take control tonight seemed like it was protective Ryan. “I’m a big girl, Ryan. I can take care of myself.”

“Yeah, I know that Peri, but damn it. We’re in a foreign country surrounded by people we don’t know, and you need to be careful running around while we are all on stage with no one keeping an eye out for you.” He wanted to add that she looked so beautiful and was bound to draw attention to herself, and he didn’t like it, but he thought better of it.

“Uh… Okay, Ryan. I’ll keep that in mind.” Her tone was part-placating, part-disbelief at his sudden surge of alpha-maleness. She didn’t understand where this conversation was coming from, but what she did want to know was what brought on that abrupt kiss before the show?

“So, did you make plans for the rest of the evening?”

Now he’s asking me out for the evening? What is up with him today?
“Yes, we
all
have plans tonight, Ryan, remember? We are going to the club for the after-party since we are hitting the road again in the morning.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right. I completely forgot about that damn party. I was hoping the two of us could spend some quiet time together without all of the noise and people.”

“Is that right? Well, it will be quieter in the VIP part of the club. We can talk about anything you want to then.” She crossed her arms across her midsection.

“Hell, Peri, I am not doing a good job of saying what I mean to say.” He looked around the room watching the groupies and other people talking, drinking, and, in Gunner and Carter’s case, what amounted to foreplay. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out the door to the hallway.

“Ryan, what the hell are you doing?” She was surprised, but went along as he continued pulling her, stumbling as she teetered her in high-heeled peep toes to keep up with his long strides.

He stopped and wrapped his arms around her middle pulling her up against him. “I want to talk to you, and I can’t concentrate with all of those people around. You look beautiful standing there, and it’s making my brain fuzzy.”

“Again, Ryan, what the hell are you doing? Are we going to have a replay of before the show when you set me on fire and left me stranded after that insane kiss? Some warning next time would be helpful so I can be prepared or so I can make sure someone’s there to help me out, by the way.”

“Help you out?” he asked a lot louder than he intended.

“Yes, damn it! You go all caveman on me out of nowhere with a kiss that leaves me weak-kneed and hot, and then just walk out on stage like it happens all the time. I didn’t know what to think or do. I needed someone to pick me up after I melted. You can’t just pull that shit and leave me standing there.”

He didn’t know what to say to her. He didn’t know where it all came from either. All he knew was that he felt like he had been drowning for months and finally found the surface of the water. The last few days with Peri felt like a sweet breath, bursts of fresh air to once-dying lungs. And he did need control. It was a side of himself that he had to subdue with Krissy, her personality so capricious that any time his dominance rose to the surface, she was quick to stamp it back down. But Peri was a different kind of woman, and he could no longer stifle the drive to lead and protect a woman. His desire for her was different than he’d ever felt with any other woman he’d knew. His need was more than desire; he needed to know she was safe and cared for. He realized that he wanted to be needed, too.

“First off, let me say this. You won’t need anyone else to ‘help you out’ of anything because when we start something, I will be the one taking care of your needs, baby. And second, after tasting those beautiful lips of yours tonight, I know where I would like to see this go. I just need to know we are on the same page.”

“I don’t know what to think about anything, Ryan.”

“Then don’t think, Peri. Just let this happen,” he whispered, slowly pulling her into him. He sprinkled warm kisses her below her ear, then trailed kisses down to her collar bone before making his way back up with his tongue and teeth. His destination was her earlobe, sucking it briefly into his mouth before licking and nipping at the outer shell until he reached the top, then over to her temple. He lightly skimmed his lips over her cheek, down to her jaw line licking softly, nipping a line to her heart-shaped lips. He tugged at the corners of both sides of that beautiful red before landing perfectly in the center of them.

He nibbled at the bottom lip lightly sucking it into his mouth. His tongue slid down the inside of her bottom lip and slide across the soft skin just inside before making his way to tangle with her tongue. He deepened the kiss pulling her into him until her breasts were pressed hard against his chest and her soft stomach meshed against his solid abs. He could feel her nipples pebble, it somehow felt different, the sensation new to him. Something he knew he wanted to explore.

When he finally broke their connection, he rested his forehead against hers, both trying to calm their labored breathing for several minutes. Before the rush they were both feeling could subside, he turned them around the corner away from the doorway where they were still standing. He didn’t want to share these first, private moments with anyone else.

The kiss was more than the one he gave her before the show. This kiss was the beginning of something new. Something he wanted to take his time with, get lost in. Their attraction to each other was obvious to him now. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he did. He could feel it and prayed she did, too.

Pushing her up against the wall in the darkened nook, he latched onto her hips pulling her forward, knowing she was going to feel how hard he was but he didn’t care. He wanted her to know what she did to him. He slid his large hands over her perfect ass and grabbed the backside of her thighs. He easily picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist so he could get closer to where he wanted to be. It all happened so fast. She didn’t have time to protest before he took her mouth in another kiss that scorched her lips and sent flames down through her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on for her life.

Pulling back, he looked at her glazed-over eyes. “God, Peri, you have to know I want to continue this but not here. As much as I want to, I would never treat you that way in public. I know the last thing you want is for the paparazzi to get a shot of anyone in the band like this. I bet the headlines are already running through that always thinking ahead brain of yours. I would never want to cause you to be displayed in an embarrassing situation, and I am not into sharing my private life.” He felt like she understood as she nodded her head.

He slowly let her slide down his body before he took her hand. Ryan snuck a glance to see what was taking place at the door to the meet-and-greet room and finding it still closed, he quickly pulled her down the hallway to the dressing rooms praying they were not all occupied. When he threw the door open to AD’s, he was not in luck. He found a naked Carter sandwiched between two mostly naked women in the bright room. “Fuck, Carter! Lock the damn door!” Ryan yelled at him as he slammed it closed.

In the next room where Chandler dressed, he peaked inside not wanting to witness more of the same as the last one. The lights were off, and it was apparently unoccupied since no sounds came out of the dark. “Thank fuck!” Pulling Peri in, he shut and locked the door behind them. “We don’t want anyone pulling that shit on us.”

With her back to the door, he picked her up again so they could resume where they left off in the hallway. His kiss pushed her head up against the door while he plundered her mouth. When she sucked his warm tongue in and slid hers along the underside, it was like a dueling war of lust was battled. Before he could do anymore, she was pulling at the back of his t-shirt trying to get it over his head, and finally broke the kiss long enough to help her.

Peri allowed herself a brief moment to consider what was happening between the two. She hadn’t been with a man for months now, and she craved his touch to her skin. An overwhelming desire of need raced through her with each caress, each kiss he lavished on her. The few touches they had shared before played through her mind. The hand holding, the stolen kisses, even the accidental night of waking to find him caressing her breast with a warm hand crossed her mind. She was ready for this and wanted him now with more passion than she had wanted anyone in what seemed like forever.