Surrounded By Knight

by A. N. Hennessy

  I was quickly snagged by the arm, preventing me from getting away. The warmth of his touch nearly scorched my skin.

  “Wait,” Trevelin said. I turned to him and his smirk was replaced with an apologetic gleam that shone in his mystical bluish green eyes. I’d never seen a color like it. “I didn’t mean it like that. Izzy is cute, but you are beyond cute with your southern accent and your flowing dress with those sexy as hell boots. You’re pure country.”

  I scrunched my nose at his description. “Good try with the comeback, Hollywood, but I’m unfazed.”

  His crazy colored eyes shot wide, either to my indifference or the name I threw at him. “I’m not from Hollywood, babe,” he stated plainly with an arrogant smile.

  “Might as well be. I’m going to take my grossness inside and let my parents know we have jerks for company. And if you call me that one more time, I swear, I’m going to punch you!”

  With a heady stare he let go of my arm. “Violent are we?” His smile grew larger. “You’re too cute...Country.”

  An angered growl rumbled in my throat as my hands balled into fists by my sides. I wanted to hit him more than I wanted my next breath. Instead I bit the inside of my cheek while holding back what I really felt like doing. Sighing harshly, I pivoted swiftly and calmly walked away.

  “Called your bluff, babe,” he laughed, sounding more than pleased with himself. His laugh was as spin tingling as his voice, and just thinking that had me wanting to punch myself as I disappeared inside. I felt his eyes watching until the door closed behind me.

  Inside I bolted toward the kitchen to make sure my parents knew firsthand I had nothing to do with what Addie was dragging into their home. I passed the stairwell in the foyer and flew down the wide entranceway that led to the kitchen. My mom was busying herself about the kitchen like every night for dinner, and my dad was unfortunately seated at the large island on his laptop, engrossed in a full conversation with my mom.

  I said unfortunately because I knew he was about to freak.

  I had been in such rush to reach them that I tripped over my own feet, stumbling into the kitchen like a wobbling newborn calf.

  “Sheesh, Isabel, you running a marathon or something?” Dad acknowledged my clumsy presence, getting up to help steady me.

  He pulled me up from the floor and I just came out with it. I felt like a tattletale. Maybe that’s because I was.

  “I just want y’all to know that what Addie is about to bring through those doors,” I panted, out of breath as I pointed in the direction of the foyer, “I had nothing to do with it, and I tried to stop her, but you know how she gets when she sets her mind to something. I told her y’all wouldn’t approve, and I told her she was stupid and they could be murderers or something and that she was going—”

  “Whoa, sputter bucket, slow down a notch or two,” my dad said calmly, holding up his hands. My mom was staring with amusement, wiping her hands on her apron. They knew when Addie did something I didn’t agree with I tended to rant without taking a breath. At that particular moment, I was beyond ranting.

  “Wait, murderers?” my dad questioned with his brows furrowed at the exact moment Addie bounced into the kitchen.

  I mean literally bounced.

  She had her arms behind her back and the biggest shit-eating grin on her face. I think I even saw a turd lodged between her front teeth.

  “Hey, Daddy,” she chirped all too girlishly. That would be the tone she used when she wanted something or had done something she didn’t want them to get upset about. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to work for her this time. Bless her heart.

  “What did you do, Addison?” Mom looked at her with a knowing expression.

  “Well, it’s Thanksgiving and a time to be thankful and giving to others, right?”

  “Yeeaahhh,” both our parents’ dragged out at the same time.

  “Okay. So, Izzy and I—”

  I stopped her right there. “NOPE! No Izzy and I. This was all you, Addison Rene.”

  “Fine,” she sneered. Looking back at our parents, she continued. “I saw a big bus broken down and no one was stopping to help, and this guy was pacing helplessly up and down the road, so I stopped.”

  She left out the fine ass part and you can’t rape the willing, because she was so willing with the handsome stranger pacing on the side of the road.

  “Turns out it was a tour bus to a famous band called Knight Raiders, and they couldn’t get their phones to work to get a hold of anyone to fix the bus.” She flashed them her cheesy smile. A gleam shined bright in Mom’s eye when Addie said Knight Raiders. Oh boy. “Sooo, I brought them here until they can get their bus repaired!”

  “You did what?” Mom and Dad said in unison again. Exactly what I’d said!

  “Only for a few days. They’re really nice. They’ll stay at the farm house with us so you won’t even know they’re here.”

  The hell she say?

  “No fu—u—reakin’ way, Addie,” I interjected, changing my choice of word since our parents were present. I might’ve just turned twenty-one, but I still found it uncomfortable and disrespectful to curse in front of them. “I do not want them staying in our house.”

  Addie glared at me, eyes wide and lips set firm. That was her silent way of telling me I better shut the hell up if I knew what was best for me.

  Dad ran both hands down his smooth face that held little knowledge of his age, clearly exhausted from Addie’s surprise Thanksgiving gift. I laughed on the inside, because that’s how I felt, and he hadn’t even met them yet. I didn’t know who he was going to like more – crude Reed or the ass, Trevelin.

  “I thought Marvin could fix their bus for them, and don’t listen to what Izzy said. She’s just crushing on the lead singer.” Addie buzzed in the last part with her dark brown eyes narrowed at me.

  “I am not,” I countered.

  I wasn’t.

  Sure he was extremely hot. Beyond hot was better fitting. With all those tattoos, that constricting shirt, his messy dirty blond hair, those earrings along with his seeping pride, and then those translucent topaz jewels he has for eyes...

  Okay, fine, he did something to me. I cannot deny that to myself, but I’d be darned if I told my parents that. If Addie was lucky I might share my lusting thoughts with her later. Though just because I found the rude, arrogant prick to be insanely attractive didn’t mean that I liked him and wanted him or his band staying at our home.

  “Well, Darren, it is a time of giving, and if they need a place to stay...” Mom started, looking at our dad while he was still massaging the back of his neck.

  He always said Addie and I were going to cause him to stroke out one of these days, and by the look on his pale face, I believed we may have finally done it. He blew out a loud heavy sigh and turned toward both of us.

  His eyes jumped back and forth from mine to hers. “They have ‘til Monday, Addison Rene, and if their ride isn’t fixed by then...tough shit, they’re out,” he stated simply with a jerk of his thumb.

  What?

  Where’s all the huffing and yelling at how stupid she was? Where’s the hell no I knew I was going to hear? Where’s the what in the world were you thinking?

  Heck, I got screamed at over and over when they found out I tried marijuana my junior year. And I say tried because one puff and I thought I was going to suffocate to death. I just knew I was going to die. Maybe I had exaggerated because you can’t suffocate on one puff, but it sure felt like it. It would have been a terrible way to go.

  “Oh, thank you, Daddy, thank you!” She jumped around excitedly, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him exuberantly on the cheek. You would have thought he just bought her a brand new Mercedes.

  “Yeah, just bring ‘em in here so I can meet ‘em.”

  ♪♫♪♫♪♫

  The Knight Raiders and their plus one all sat around the kitchen talking with my parents and Addie while I sat at the breakfast nook in the corner and watched inte
ntly with astonishment as they all interacted with one another. I probably looked creepy sitting by myself being nonsocial.

  I didn’t care though. I didn’t like the thought of them being here. On the plus side, Marvin had been contacted and said he would be more than happy to see to their bus.

  I was still in utter shock that our parents actually agreed to let them stay here. It made me wonder if Addie had slipped something into their drinks while they weren’t looking. If she hadn’t drugged them then the only reason why Momma agreed was because she’s a sucker for anything animal or musical, in which they seemed to qualify in both of those categories.

  I also believe I had heard her sing that stupid song of theirs in the kitchen a time or two when she was cooking. As a matter of fact, I was positive I had, because my face and neck still burned from the embarrassment of hearing her sing the words. They weren’t that explicit, but they did suggest some pretty dirty things.

  Right now she’s got a helper. Jace had been laughing it up with her as he helped with the making of the pecan and chess pies for tomorrow’s dinner while Trevelin, Reed, Bryson and Jim talked football with my dad.

  Addie continued to hover over each one like a buzzard, waiting for the right opportunity to swoop in on her dead prey that could disappear at any moment. The smile that has been plastered to her face since we got back has only intensified. She looked like a moron.

  I finally got a closer inspection of Bryson. He wasn’t as built as the others, but was attractive in his own hard-rock kind of way. He had tattoos going up and down both arms with gauges in his ears and black hair styled into a fauxhawk that had bright red tips.

  When I think famous rock star, Bryson’s image was what usually popped into my mind.

  I had also caught the stare of a certain rude jerk a number of times, and each moment our eyes met I made sure to quickly avert mine elsewhere. The jerk and Reed had my dad laughing for what seemed like hours, and I found that strangely odd, considering my dad was usually more reserved when Addie brought a guy to the house.

  Need I remind you that this time she brought five?

  Not to mention the crudeness I sat through on the ride home. I would not feel comfortable knowing they were discussing female anatomy with my dad, even if he was a plastic surgeon and increased the size of breasts all day. Dad was a fun man and very cordial, so it was no shocker that all the guys seemed to make good conversation with him. I was more stunned that he seemed to be enjoying their company.

  Throughout the rest of the day I positioned myself as far away from the Knight Raiders as possible. I did however talk to Bryson and Jace a few times during dinner.

  I liked them.

  They appeared to be nice, pleasant men to talk to. Jace reminded me of his brother a number of times with that mouth of his, but other than that he was okay. His loose mouth was to be expected, I guess. I mean, he and Reed did share the same DNA.

  I also learned that Bryson was engaged to his high school sweetheart, Jade, and that helped me like him even more. With his sweet, calm demeanor, it was no wonder he was off the market. The other three members of the band had dominating qualities that suggested they were too big of influential man-whores to settle down. But hey, they were rock stars, and had women probably falling at their feet, so I reckon they were grossly living it up. Then again, it’s said you should never believe the tabloids.

  Yes, I made sure to Google them while I was stationed in my little corner.

  I also found out that the four of them were originally from Chicago and had been friends since before starting the band. I’d briefly scanned through a few pictures, not wanting to feel like too much of a weirdo. All in all, I didn’t spend too much time with my search, I just wanted to make sure that they were who they said they were and not mastermind killers.

  I learned after my browsing from Bryson, that Jim, the driver, was his uncle who was eager to get home to spend Thanksgiving with his two daughters. He and my dad seemed to hit it off quite well, and after hearing about his daughters, my dad’s soft heart offered him a ride to the airport so he could jump the next plane to get home and spend this time with his family.

  Jim was reluctant at first, not wanting to leave the guys behind, but when Jace and Trevelin insisted that he and Bryson go so they could be with their families; they both caved and accepted my dad’s offer. Trevelin, Reed and Jace were going to stay here with the bus while Jim and Bryson went home and were due to return on Sunday.

  Addie gave the guys a small tour of the ranch after dinner before taking them to our house, where she showed them their sleeping arrangements until they could leave. Addie kindheartedly gave up her bedroom and would be sleeping with me.

  Yay, I hated sleeping with her.

  So she would have a Knight Raider in her bed, which she was thrilled about, one in the spare room, and one on the couch. Needless to say, I was going to be surrounded by them over the next few days. To keep my distance I busied myself the rest of the evening around the ranch, doing my duties by feeding the animals, but after that ended I had to go home.

  Thankfully the living room was empty when I walked in. I took a grateful breath and nestled into the couch, turning the TV on to watch one of my favorite shows, Ghost Adventures.

  Zak Bagans was so hot.

  “Hey, mind if I join ya?” The shiver commanding voice of Trevelin sounded from behind me. A wave of chills slid down the back of my neck at hearing his voice.

  “Can’t stop you. It is a free country,” I told him with little emotion.

  His thick brows shot to the heavens as he sat beside me with a big smile. Damn, he has amazing eyebrows.

  “Is that so?” he said slowly, arching his grin to the side while slinging his arm across the back of the couch. “I’ll keep that in mind when you tell me no then.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You just said you were free, so when I ask you out I expect you to be just that – free.” Leaning against the couch cushion, he looked relaxed, at home and cocky with that grin still imprinted on his face.

  I hated it.

  “I thought rock stars didn’t date?” I asked, looking back at the TV. I couldn’t look at him any longer.

  Lord, help me if I did. Those eyebrows framing his aqua colored eyes were hypnotic. I tried to keep my focus on the sexy guy on the television and not the one seated closely beside me, and thus far it wasn’t easy.

  “You might be surprised to know that all rock stars are different.”

  The feeling of his intense eyes on me grew heavy and the urge to look at him became too overpowering. I turned to him, looking as unaffected as my unwilling body would allow. “Good to know,” I murmured. “Not interested.”

  If I thought his brows were arched before, I was wrong. This time they skyrocketed. “Not interested?” he questioned with a small laugh, shifting his position on the couch. “Everyone’s interested, babe. Should I convince you?” A mischievous grin formed on his lips.

  “No need. It wouldn’t work,” I implied as flatly as possible. He was hopelessly attractive and desperately trying to work his man-slut magic on me. I needed breathing room. Like bad. I scooted away from him for distance, and I tried not to laugh when I saw a ridiculous look on his face. “Quit looking at me like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like I’m an idiot.”

  Holding up both hands in mock defense, he shook his head as he chuckled. “I never implied that, but you most certainly aren’t normal.”

  “Oh really? And why is that, Mr. Sex-Song?”

  With a look of flattery, he answered, motioning to himself, “You turned this down. I can’t say that I get that very often.”

  “Awe, I broke the Don Juan’s heart, did I?” I asked pensively. He just proved that he was indeed just like all other rock stars –conceited with a huge ego.

  Trevelin scoffed and scooted closer. The hair on my arms prickled as my heart rate began to suddenly increase.

&n
bsp; Leaning in to the point where he was mere inches from my face, a fresh, manly aroma lashed at my nose, instantly causing me to believe I may faint from the amazing scent rolling off his body. “Is that the pain I’m feeling right here?” His words were slow as he picked up my hand and placed it over his thudding heart.

  Quickly, I jerked it away when awareness struck. “No, that’s called indigestion,” I mocked, then playfully smacked him across the chest. My hand hit something hard underneath his shirt.

  Oh sweet heavens, he has his nipples pierced.

  My insides turned to goo at the insanely hot picture that formed in my mind of him bare-chested with shiny metal bars speared through each nipple.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right.” He leaned back into the couch, leaving my nose deprived of his smell. “By the way, Don Juan doesn’t have shit on me.” Another small smile curled at the corner of his lips as he spread his arms out across the back of the couch and propped his feet on the coffee table, making himself comfortable and right at home.

  I frowned at the rudeness. “I figured that,” I said while leaning forward, lifting his feet and placing a coaster under each heavy boot.

  He burst out laughing, but let me continue my ministrations. “You a neat freak, Country?”

  “Nope, just don’t want your slutty funk crawling all over my table.”

  “Is that right? Well, in that case...”

  My hand was snatched and yanked toward him, causing my body to fall helplessly against him. Inked arms came around me, wrapping around me tightly as he unmercifully rubbed his body forcefully against mine. His laughing was infectious, and as bad as I wanted to elbow him in the gut, I couldn’t. Instead I laughed with him, trying my best to pull myself free from his amazingly warm body.

  I had developed a love hate relationship with that darn shirt he was wearing.

  I loved it because of how it showed off his form that I could almost see due to its thinness, and I hated it for that same exact reason. My brain was starting to think thoughts that freely spilled from Addie’s mouth.