Tainted Kiss (Tainted Knights Book 1)

by Terri Anne Browning

  He was pathetic. Disgusting. A user and abuser.

  Sage loved him, anyway.

  Seeing what I was wearing, Sage whistled appreciatively. “Holy hotness.” She wiggled her brows at me. “I see you have another date with the drummer.”

  I grinned down at her as I sat down on the arm of the couch beside her. “He’s taking me to First Bass tonight. We’re hanging out with his friends for a little while.”

  “I feel like I should be lecturing you on using protection and all that shit.” She tilted her head back, scrutinizing me closely. “No glove, no love.”

  I laughed, leaning down to kiss her cheek. “No worries, babe. I’ll make him wrap it up … if it comes to that.”

  I really, really wanted it to come to that. As slow as Kale was taking things, I didn’t know if that was going to happen tonight or not.

  Sage patted my knee. “Good girl.”

  “What drummer?” Wade asked as he slurped noodles into his mouth, forcing my gaze to go to him.

  I let my eyes take him in for a second. He was tall and semi-fit, but he had a slight paunch that had slowly settled there over the time he had been with Sage. His hair was on the shaggy side, but he normally kept it trimmed since his job wouldn’t put up with him looking unkempt. His face was handsome, I guess, but I knew what he was really like inside for me to consider him to be good-looking.

  “He’s the drummer for Tainted Knights. They just scored a record deal with Petrova Inc.”

  At that, Wade’s eyes got a spark of interest in them.

  Petrova was the top record label in the country. They only signed on the best of the best. The label had more Grammy winners than any other every single year, so he knew they had gotten a good deal when they’d gotten signed.

  “How did you hook up with a badass like that?” Wade asked with a grunt, slurping more noodles, not even trying to keep the sneer out of his tone.

  I didn’t hide my disgust at how gross I thought he was when he ate. Seriously, the guy was a gross-ass pig, shoving food into his mouth without stopping to really taste it before gulping it down.

  “I did their photo shoot Monday.”

  “I repeat: how did you hook up with a badass like that?” The sneer accompanied a contemptible once-over.

  I felt dirty as Wade’s eyes traveled over my body. His words said he was just as disgusted with me as I was with him, but he couldn’t completely hide the interest that filled his eyes. I wanted to scream at Sage, See! Open your eyes and see what he does right in front of you. But she never did, and probably never would. I couldn’t prove it, but I was sure he had cheated on her. His eyes were too wandering for him to stay faithful to her.

  “Oh, it was pretty easy really. He’s a nice guy. Panty melting hot, too. Ten times better-looking than anything that I’ve ever seen lying around this place.” I smirked at him when anger filled his eyes. “He’s got some yummy-looking friends, too. As soon as I convince Sage she can do so much better than your pathetic ass, I’m going to set her up with one of them so she can finally find out what a real orgasm feels like.”

  “Santana!” Sage exclaimed as she glared up at me.

  My eyes remained on Wade.

  He had turned blood red with rage, and it was starting to change to an ugly purple color. There was pure hatred in his brown eyes, but I preferred that to the lust I had seen there just a moment before. At least now I didn’t risk vomiting in my mouth.

  “You little bitch. How would you know what a real orgasm is? I bet that pussy of yours is so dry it’s shriveled up and unusable.”

  “My pussy is none of your business, creep. But trust me; it gets a hell of a lot drier when you’re in the same room.” I was just starting to get worked up.

  I could feel Sage’s anger blasting at me from where she sat, but I didn’t care. I wanted to shake her until she opened her eyes and saw what her boyfriend was really like. It was so blaringly obvious to everyone else.

  Wade jumped to his feet, practically shaking as he glowered down at me. His anger only doubled when I didn’t so much as flinch. I wasn’t afraid of him. If he even tried to touch me, I knew I could take him on. He wasn’t all that much taller than me, and even with the pooch on his belly, he wasn’t all that heavy.

  I just sat there, meeting his glare head-on with one of my own, anger and disgust sharp on my tongue and making my stomach turn as I anticipated what would happen next.

  I knew he wouldn’t hit me. At least, I was pretty sure he wouldn’t. He had gotten in my face a few times in the past, but he’d always walked away before it had come to that. What I couldn’t help wondering was: what would Sage do if he ever did?

  Part of me wanted to believe she would finally kick him to the curb. The more realistic part knew she probably wouldn’t, not even then, which was why I had been thinking about moving out lately.

  He opened his mouth, but he was so pissed nothing came out.

  “Brain not working quite so fast?” I derided. “Poor thing. I think you used up the last of your good brain cells with that last comeback.”

  “You fucking little bitch—”

  The doorbell rang, cutting him off as he took another menacing step toward me.

  “Aw, too bad.” I smirked up at him and stood. “Later, Sage,” I called over my shoulder, putting them both out of my head.

  A thrill rushed through me, and suddenly, I couldn’t wait to see Kale.

  Opening the door, I was helpless to hold in my appreciative sigh when I saw him standing in the hall. He had on a pair of dark jeans that I knew wasn’t designer. They hugged his hips like they were made for him. The sleeves of his blue dress shirt were rolled up his forearms, and it was buttoned only halfway up, showing off the tattoos across his chest. His hair was styled in a careless kind of spike, and he had changed his lip ring from a silver one to a black one.

  “Hi,” he greeted in a voice that was slightly strangled as his gaze traveled over my body, taking in my black dress and heels. His eyes seemed to worship my body as they lingered on my breasts that were pushed up and showing just a hint of cleavage, thanks to the kickass bra I had spent a small fortune on.

  “Hi,” I murmured and stepped through the doorway, closing the door behind me. There was no way in hell I was introducing him to Wade. “You look really good.”

  His eyes had dropped to my hips now, and his breath seemed to have frozen in his chest. It took him a few seconds to focus on my words and lift his eyes to meet mine.

  “I think that’s my line, doll. Fuck, maybe hanging out at the club isn’t a good idea after all. How the hell am I supposed to keep my hands to myself when you look like that?” He shook his head. “Go change. Put on some sweats or something, and I’ll take you to dinner.”

  I laughed. This felt good. So damn good.

  “I grabbed something to eat on my way home this evening. Besides, it took me over an hour to get ready. I don’t do that for just anyone, Kale. Don’t make it be in vain.”

  He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fucking hell. I’m gonna get in a fight tonight; I just know I am.” Shaking his head again, he sighed and took my hand, pulling me close to his side as he guided me toward the elevators. “You look amazing, by the way.”

  Pleasure shot through me. “Thank you.”

  ***

  There was a line waiting outside First Bass when we pulled up in front of the club. A valet was already waiting to open my door.

  I stepped out, and Kale came around to take my hand, shooting the guy who barely looked eighteen a glare when his gaze lingered on my ass a second too long.

  Entwining our fingers, he led me toward the entrance, not even glancing at the line that was growing more and more with each passing minute.

  The bouncer gave him a head nod and let us pass without a word being exchanged. I had only ever seen that kind of thing happen in the movies, so it was kind of a kick to witness firsthand.

  Inside, the music was so loud I was surprised the walls weren’
t shaking. It was great music, too, the kind that made your hips ache not move, and I loved to dance.

  Kale released my hand, but quickly put it at the small of my back as he guided me forward.

  Barely a few steps inside, a huge, dark-skinned, beast of a man stepped forward out of a dark alcove. This guy was so huge he scared me for a minute. He was closer to seven feet tall than six, and there were muscles on top of more muscles that rippled under his suit. There was a plastic communication device attached to his ear, and I figured he was the security expert or something. Few people would be willing to cross any lines with the threat of this guy being around.

  “Hey, Tiny,” Kale greeted with a grin, holding out his hand toward the big man.

  “Kale,” the delicious giant greeted, shaking his hand. Then his eyes went to me. “Ma’am.”

  Kale’s hand skimmed down my hip, pulling me into his side. “This is Santana. She’s my girl. Treat her right if she comes in without me.”

  Tiny nodded. “You got it. Boss is upstairs with the others. Enjoy your night.” He stepped aside, and it was only then that I saw he was guarding a set of stairs that must lead up to the VIP floor.

  With only a little pressure on my hip, Kale urged me forward.

  By the time I got to the top of the stairs, I was regretting my shoe choice and already dreading the trip back down.

  All thoughts of breaking my neck in my heels left my head as soon as we reached the top, however, and I saw the crowd of VIPs. It was only Wednesday, yet the place was packed with actors, athletes—celebrities of every shape and size. First Bass was the place to see and be seen. As I glanced around, I was sure I even saw a politician or two.

  The layout was simple yet classy with the bar to my left that took up almost the entire back wall and was overflowing with people ordering drinks. Leather couches, chairs, and ottomans were spread out, all occupied, while waitresses in white dress shirts and black skirts or dress pants walked around with drinks on their trays. There was a balcony that overlooked the first floor where lights flashed to the beat of the music and people were dancing, but up here, the lighting was more intimate, calmer.

  “What do you think?” Kale asked close to my ear, making me shiver at the feel of his breath on my neck.

  I glanced up at him. “I like it. It would take some getting used to for me, though. I don’t hang out in places like this much.”

  “I’m glad. Especially if you go out like that.” His eyes roved over me, those green orbs on fire. For me. “My sanity is already starting to crack, doll. These vultures are staring at my girl, and I’m about to lose my shit.”

  My girl? Damn, I really liked the sound of that.

  I leaned into him and stepped onto my tiptoes to brush my lips over his cheek. “I think it’s super cute that you’re all possessive, but you should know that I wouldn’t ever look twice at this crowd. I like you, Kale. A lot.”

  Even over the pounding music, I heard his sharp inhale. “Doll …”

  “Kale!”

  I jerked back at the sound of a female voice calling his name.

  Turning my head, I saw a group of girls standing by the bar. Two blondes, two brunettes, and a redhead who stood several inches above the others were heading straight for us. I recognized the redhead and one of the blondes—Kin and Kassa were hard to forget—but the others were strangers to me. And they were all so beautiful I suddenly felt pathetically plain.

  It was the smaller of the two brunettes that reached us first, and for a moment, I thought she looked familiar. She had long, curly hair and a complexion that was a mixture of both olive and cream. Her eyes were a darker brown than my own, and her face was so beautiful I doubted anyone could look at her once and get their fill. I was having trouble looking away myself. She had a bright smile on her face, and when she raised her hands to hug Kale, I saw a huge rock on her left hand.

  “Hey, stranger,” she greeted, hugging the drummer tight for a second.

  He hugged her back with one arm, but it didn’t last long, and then she was turning that smile on me.

  “Hi, I’m Lucy. You must be Santana. My aunt talks about you all the time.”

  It took less than two seconds to put together who this girl was.

  “You’re Emmie’s niece?” I didn’t know much about Emmie’s family, other than what I saw in the tabloids on a regular basis, but I did know a little about this particular member because Emmie had told me about her a few times.

  She was the adopted daughter of Jesse and Layla Thornton, and she was going to UCLA and majoring in English. She was also engaged to Harris Cutter, who owned the club I was standing in.

  Lucy nodded. “One of many,” she said with a wink. “Aunt Em talks about you every time you do a shoot for her. I’ve seen some of your work. You have some sick talent.”

  “Thank you,” I murmured, a little embarrassed, yet touched that Emmie raved about my work to her family.

  Emmie Armstrong didn’t hand out compliments often, so when she did, people took notice. They also took her word as gospel and jumped when she referred someone to them, which was how I had gotten such an extensive cliental list at such a young age.

  She glanced at the other girls in her group. “I think you know Kin and Kassa.” She motioned to the other two girls. “This is Angie. She’s Kin’s stepsister.” The small little blonde waved. “And this is Jenna.” The taller brunette lifted her chin, giving me a half-smile.

  “Hi,” I murmured, a little intimidated by them.

  I felt frumpy and dull around this group of hot chicks. I probably would have felt the same way no matter what I had worn or how long it had taken me to get ready.

  When Kale’s hand returned to the small of my back, I instantly felt more at ease.

  “Where are we sitting?” he asked.

  “Harris and the guys are in the back corner.” Lucy pointed to our right. “Come on; we won’t bite.”

  “Lies,” Kin teased, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl and winking at me. “She will eat you alive.”

  “Sh … Don’t scare her off,” Lucy chided with a laugh.

  I was starting to relax, and I had to admit that I liked what I was seeing of their personalities. Lucy seemed sweet, but I could easily see her tearing into someone if they pissed her off.

  “It takes more than that to scare me off,” I assured them.

  Lucy’s dark eyes brightened. “Good. You’ll fit right in with us, then.” She hooked her arm through mine, pulling me away from Kale and walking me toward the group of guys who were waiting in the back corner.

  Kale had only said Jace was going to be joining us, but Gray was also there, as well as a huge blond guy who looked like he dead-lifted small SUVs for fun.

  I recognized Harris Cutter easily. As the owner of First Bass, as well as being the son of legendary drummer Devlin Cutter, he was in the tabloids often. Even more so since he had gotten engaged to Lucy Thornton.

  All four men were sexy as sin, but not one of them could hold my attention for more than a second before I was glancing back at Kale. My body melted just looking at the delicious drummer.

  All those lingering doubts and fears about him were absent tonight. They seemed to have vanished with the kiss we’d had that morning. I was just happy to be with him and couldn’t bring myself to care about what might happen in the future.

  As soon as we reached the guys, Lucy dropped my arm and curled up on her fiancé’s lap. He gave her a long, lingering kiss that had us all looking away. Holy shit, those two could have set off the sprinkler system with how hot they burned with that small kiss.

  Jace stood, kissed Kin on the lips, then smiled at me. “It’s nice to see you again, Santana. I’m glad you could come tonight.”

  I returned his smile. “Thanks. It’s good to see you, too.”

  He turned to the guys still sitting behind him. “You remember Gray, and this is Kin’s stepbrother, Caleb.” The muscle monster gave me a smile that looked deceptively gentle
. “He’s harmless, but good to have around in case you need to break down a few walls.”

  “Ha-fucking-ha,” Caleb grumbled, flipping Jace off.

  I knew they were only joking around, but I didn’t doubt that, if Caleb got mad enough, he could Hulk out and tear the entire place down.

  The other girls were already taking seats. Angie and Jenna took one of the empty couches across from Lucy, sitting close and having a whispered conversation, while Kin took a seat on Jace’s lap. Kassa sat on the arm of Gray’s couch. I didn’t miss the long look he gave her before he pinched her hip. With a small squeal, she smacked him on the back of the head, but they were both grinning.

  That didn’t leave many options for Kale and me to sit. There was enough room between Gray and Caleb for one of us to sit and a spot beside Angie on that couch.

  I was about to take the spot beside the little blonde, when Kale took my hand and pulled me toward the couch with the guys. Sitting in the middle, he pulled me onto his lap like it was the most natural thing to do.

  Pink filled my cheeks for a moment. This was so intimate, and the other two girls were sitting on their guys’ laps like it was something they did all the time. They probably did. I, however, had never sat on a guy’s lap in my entire life, so this was all new to me.

  Kale didn’t make me feel awkward, though. He wrapped one arm around my waist, cupping my hip with his hand and giving it a firm squeeze before his fingers relaxed. His other hand was on my knee, his fingers tapping along to the rhythm of the song that seemed quieter back in this corner.

  He shifted after a minute, and I understood why when I felt his dick pressing into my hip. More pink filled my cheeks, but the heat in my face was no match for the inferno that was settling between my legs. He gave me a sexy wink, but otherwise acted like it was nothing at all as he turned his head to say something to Gray who had asked him a question.

  After a few minutes of talking to the others, I got comfortable and even kicked off my heels.

  “Hey, Santana.”

  I lifted my head when Kin called my name. I had been engrossed in the conversation between Gray and Kale and had almost forgotten about the others around us.