He went back to the closet and decided to stop blindly sorting and just pack what he was sure he wanted and let the movers pack the rest. He could sort it all out in Florida. That solution made him sigh with relief.
First thing he grabbed was his mother’s treasure box. She kept her good jewelry, pictures and mementos in there. Curious what was in it, he put it on the dresser. When he cleaned out her place, he couldn’t bear to peek inside. It was time. He opened the lid of the wooden box slowly. Inside he found her rings, some earrings and a bracelet. Then he sorted through pictures of him as a baby and toddler. In one, a strange man held him. He wondered if that was his father. It wasn’t like he knew what he looked like. As far as he knew, he had never met him. His mother didn’t volunteer any information about him, and he didn’t care to know either.
After checking out a few more photos, he found several crystals on the bottom. He didn’t know what they were used for. His mom could have told him. One looked just like the one she had given him. He picked it up and found it attached to a leather string, also like his. Did she wear this one? It wasn’t very protective, then. She died anyway.
He shook his head and put everything away. Letting his emotions get to him when alone was dangerous. He placed the treasure box in the first empty box at his feet.
Then he moved on to her books. Those he couldn’t trust those to a mover. They were special to her. She read a lot. He planned to read them as well, one day.
He worked for several more hours. All of his mother’s things were packed as well as the clothes he didn’t plan to wear that week. The boxes were stacked near the front door.
Looking around the living room, he chose items to bring down himself, and ones the movers could pack. His swords and music memorabilia would go in the car. Most of the rest was safe to have someone else move.
His stomach rumbled. “Oh damn. I forgot the pizza.” He wandered into the living room and found the pizza box on the counter. He had ordered it an hour ago and got distracted by their high school yearbook. “Gonna miss decent pizza.” He hadn’t had any that compared in Florida.
He polished off three slices and two cans of soda before he paused to call Mackenzie. She picked up quickly. “Hey, Tink. Sorry, it took so long. I been packing.”
“I get it.” She and Jesse were at a chain furniture store. “You have good timing. We’re looking at bedroom sets now. I was thinking four poster king.” Her tone was teasing.
Brandon groaned as his cock jumped to life. “Damn you, woman.” The left side of his mouth turned up, with a lustful grin. “If you buy that, I’m buying restraints. Tie you up the right way.” He could see it in his head. “Tease you, torture you, fuck you, cum on you.” His eyes closed.
She sighed, also seeing it her head. Turning to the bed next to her, she hoped he delivered on that promise. “I’m so getting it. And they have it in black.”
“Nice.” He sat on a stool and tried to stop thinking of sex. “Can you send me a picture?”
“One sec.” She lay on the bed with a black finish. “Jesse, take a picture of the bed.”
Jesse pullout his phone and grinned. “For Brandon?”
“Yep.” She opened her legs slightly.
Biting his lip, Jesse stared at the bare pussy peeking out from under her skirt. He had wondered why she changed into a skirt. Quickly, he checked to be sure no one was watching. “Wider,” he called to her.
Minutes later, Brandon’s phone chirped. “Hold on, Kenzie.” He saw the text and opened it. His mouth dropped. “Damn. You look so hot. I want that bed, with you in it.”
Mackenzie laughed. “I thought you’d like it.” She started to get up, and took Jesse’s hand to make it easier. “What color is your recliner again?”
“You have to ask?” He closed his eyes, trying to will his cock to soften.
She hurried to catch up to Jesse, who moved on to couches. “Black. Silly me.” She sat next to Jesse on a black leather couch. “Ooh, nice. Seems Jesse likes black, too. I’ll add some color with curtains or something.”
“If you want.” Brandon didn’t care if the entire house was in black. That was fine with him. “Let me get back to work. Send more pics if you want my opinion. But you don’t have to. I trust you.”
She smiled and pat Jesse’s thigh. “Jesse’s got good taste, too. So, nothing to worry about.” She sighed. “Miss you.”
“Miss you too, Kenzie.” Brandon took a deep breath. “I won’t be home till like Sunday or Monday. There’s a meeting in New York I have to go to with Jon Harris and Tommy Fischer.”
Her face fell. “Oh. I was hoping it was sooner.” She leaned her head on Jesse’s shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” Jesse put an arm around her shoulders.
She closed her eyes. “Love you, Brandon. See you Sunday, I hope.”
Jesse pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I’ll be here. It’ll be OK.”
Brandon’s chest tightened at her sad tone. “Love you too. I’m sorry. I need to go. It’s about the tour. If any of the guys lived on the east coast…”
“I know.” She took in a shaky breath. “It’s just… just… we haven’t seen each other since I—I…” She pulled her lips up, guilt washing over her. “I need to make it up to you.”
Understanding, Brandon shook his head. “No. You don’t. I understand. I know what you went through. Maybe I jumped the gun. I do love you, and I do want you to be my wife, but I’m willing to wait.”
She sagged against Jesse. “OK.” It was all she could manage at the moment. His need to marry her should have made her happy. She wanted it to make her happy. “Call me later.”
“I will.” Brandon put his phone down and sighed. “Maybe she’ll come around about marrying me.” When his phone went off again, he answered quickly. “Couldn’t stay away?”
Scott smirked. “Yeah, baby. I want you bad.” He cracked up laughing.
“Who’re talking to?” Austin asked as he came in the room, trying not to look jealous.
Rolling his eyes, Scott replied, “It’s Brandon. I was kidding. He thought I was Kenzie.”
“I just hung up with her.” Brandon stood and moved to the living room. “What’s up, Scott?”
Scott stretched his legs out and set his feet on the coffee table. “Just wanted to see how the packing’s going. Austin told me to leave you alone, but I was worried about you.”
“I’m OK.” Brandon reached up and took down his favorite sword off the wall. “This ain’t easy.” He was glad Scott called. Some things he didn’t want to dump on Mackenzie’s shoulders. “I packed my mom’s stuff.”
“You’re not OK,” Scott insisted. “Wanna talk about it?”
Brandon set the sword in a box. “Not sure what to say, but thanks.” He looked around, then added, “I found a picture of my father. Well, I think he could be.”
“Do you need me there?” Scott stood up and headed to his bedroom. “I’ll get the next flight out.” He couldn’t let his best friend go through that alone. “Say the word.”
Taking down another sword, Brandon replied, “Don’t. I need to deal with this alone. Thanks, though.”
“OK. But if you change your mind, let me know.”
Brandon smiled, grateful for Scott’s friendship. “Thanks. Our flight to LA is a week from Saturday. You’re still picking us up, right?”
“Yep. See you then.” Scott turned to footsteps just as he put the phone down.
Austin walked into the room. “You leaving?”
“No.” Scott sat on his bed. “He said he’s fine.”
“Told you.” Austin came to stand in front of Scott and lifted his chin. “He’s a big boy.”
Scott met Austin’s concerned gaze. “You don’t know him like I do. He wasn’t fine. He’s still hurt from what Kenzie did, and he told me something else that sounded like it bothered him. I don’t want him to drink himself into oblivion again. He was a wreck after Mackenzie turned him down.”
Austin
pulled Scott close, hugging him and holding Scott’s head to his body. “I know you care, but you can’t just run across the country at the drop of a hat.”
“If he asked, I’d go,” Scott admitted. “It’s nothing against you.” He put his arms around Austin, knowing he needed assurance that their relationship was stable. “You could’ve come, too. We could both help him pack.”
Exhaling loudly, Austin ran his hands down Scott’s back. “Sorry. I just felt slighted.”
“I know. Austin, I won’t leave you for someone else.”
Austin grinned. “Good. I love you.” He leaned down and kissed Scott’s lips.
Scott closed his eyes. “I—I…” Unable to get the words out, he glanced down and focused on Austin’s belt buckle. “I care.”
“I know.” Austin wished Scott could let his apprehension go.
Chapter 30
Brandon sat in the backseat of a taxi Sunday afternoon. The need to hold Mackenzie forced him to change his plans. He couldn’t wait until the next day to see her. He booked a flight earlier. There were no seats on any non-stop flights, but he found one with a short layover in Charlotte. It would get him there before she went to sleep.
His gaze moved to the truck in his driveway. It held most of his things, minus all those that had been taken away hours before for the charity. Leaving Baltimore was something he thought he would never do. He knew it was for the best, though. Starting over in Florida was their best chance at making it work.
That morning, he had taken the time to go see Mackenzie’s mother. He was glad he went alone. Mackenzie would have broken down. Her mom looked frail and didn’t even recognize him. It was the worst she had ever been. Mackenzie always feared that would be her fate if she fell in love. He needed to prove to her that she didn’t have to follow in her mother’s footsteps.
As soon as the moving truck pulled away, the cab driver started the car, and they got on the road. The meeting two days before played in his mind. They’d been in the conference room, for the most part. Shane Martin, lead singer of Silverblade, was there. Chris Bradley from Triple Threat showed. Then Brandon’s idol, Anthony Demarco, from Mark of the Devil, walked in the door. That made his day.
Tommy and Jon explained the schedule and what was expected of them. Brandon wasn’t used to doing things that way. However, he was also used to being on tours sponsored by drink companies most of the time. The tour they were going on was all Demonfire’s doing. He liked how Jon ran things.
Everything was going fine until Dean showed up. He was Raining Black’s representative. As soon as Dean saw Brandon, he cringed. Dean took a seat far away from him. Brandon noticed and ignored him as much as he could.
Internally, Brandon was seething. Unable to stop the images of Dean’s hands on his girl, Brandon softly growled. He stood and walked toward Dean. Jon quickly got between them. Brandon kept control, barely. He gave Dean a look that made Dean almost fall out of his chair before Brandon took his seat again.
Then the meeting got back on track. After going over basics, Jon announced the line-up order. Brandon was floored that Wicked End would play after Mark of the Devil. They were more popular, but Mark of the Devil was around longer. Anthony told Brandon that they deserved it. Brandon would never forget the compliment.
By the time Brandon got to the airport, he was more relaxed. He had several bags with him, including his favorite guitar. His most precious cargo was his mother’s treasure box. It was safely in his carry-on. The Mercedes was in the truck with most of his mom’s things in it. He was only taking with him what he truly needed and wanted. Mackenzie would be shocked he had left so much behind. However, he wanted their new house to hold their things, not his, since she had lost everything after the hurricane.
Mackenzie had called not long before. Fibbing, he told her he was leaving the next day. Surprise was his motive. He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when he showed up. The key to Jesse’s place was in his pocket. He planned to sneak in, grab her and make love to her, no matter what room she was in.
While talking to her earlier in the day, he had heard Jesse’s voice and assumed they were both still in bed. They had gotten quite close. He just hoped he wouldn’t walk in on something he didn’t want to see when he got there. If they were breaking any of his rules, he knew he would go ballistic.
Having nothing to do for an hour once in Charlotte, Brandon called Mackenzie. She picked up laughing. His eyebrows went up. “What’s so funny?”
“Jesse’s playing with the cantaloupes.” Mackenzie was still laughing.
Holding them up to his chest, Jesse said, “Imagine if you had babies like these. I’d never stop squeezing them.”
“Stop.” She didn’t care that he was saying her breasts were smaller than the fruit. Hers were perfect in her eyes. “That clerk is glaring at you.”
“Oh shit.” Jesse put the melons back and walked over to a display of cherries. “I know you like these.” He winked.
Mackenzie bit her lip. “Oh yeah, I do.”
“Uh, hello?” Brandon was shocked at her sultry tone of voice. “You two done fooling around?” He paused, realizing what he said. “I mean joking around.”
She tore her eyes away from Jesse, who was gyrating his hips. “Sorry. Jesse’s a trip. We’re at the grocery store.”
He buried the jealous feeling and forced a smile. “He’s really opened up since he fucked you, huh?” He groaned softly. That didn’t come out like he wanted it to. “Sorry. It’s been a long week.”
“I know. Wish you would’ve let me help.” She pushed the cart a few feet to the orange juice section. “Jesse, can you grab two of the ones on sale?” She turned her attention back to the phone. “Baby, I miss you. Are you almost finished with what you had to do today?”
He grinned. Her heart still belonged to him. “Yeah. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” He couldn’t wait to surprise her. “Can you do me a favor and pick up some shrimp and steak? Me and Jesse’ll figure out how to cook ’em. Worst comes to worst, I’ll call Chico.”
Mackenzie laughed. “After all these years, you still can’t cook.”
“Hey, I can warm up frozen pizza and Pop Tarts.” He couldn’t help but chuckle. “Maybe one day, you’ll have time to teach me.”
She smiled. “We’ll have plenty of time for that.” Her eyes closed as she imagined it. “In our new house.”
“Yeah. Exactly.” He hoped they had more time together than he expected to have. “Maybe Winston will let you work remotely more during the next tour. That way we can spend more time together.”
Doubtful, she frowned. “Yeah, that or start my own firm.” She wasn’t serious. It was just the first thing that came to mind.
“That’s a great idea.” Brandon sat up straighter. “You could handle all my investments. I’m sure I can convince the guys and other bands to go through you. Maybe even Jon and them too. He likes you.”
“Brandon, wait.” Mackenzie was suddenly overwhelmed. “That’s a huge undertaking. And it’s risky.”
He resisted the urge to tell her he would front her the money to do it. Instead, he said, “I believe in you. Let me know if you want to do it, and we’ll find a way.”
“OK.” She looked up at Jesse walking away. “Hang on. I have the list, and Jesse’s running away.”
Brandon smiled. “I’ll let you go. Jesse’s probably like me. He’ll put just about anything in the cart. We’ll talk tonight.”
Soon, Mackenzie and Jesse were unloading groceries in the kitchen. She picked up a can of Chef Boyardee. “I can’t believe I bought this crap.” She wriggled her nose at it.
“You said Brandon likes it.” Jesse shook his head. He still didn’t understand women.
Mackenzie sighed. “I hope he leaves early tomorrow.”
“I’m sure he will.” Jesse put away the milk, juice and beer. “You wanna go out tonight? Maybe see a movie? I’m sick of staying in the house.”
She glanced at him as she stocked
the small pantry. “You can go out with your friends. I don’t mind being alone.”
“I will once Brandon’s here.” He liked hanging out with her. “Besides, I promised Brandon I’d keep an eye on you.” He winked at her.
It wasn’t the only thing he had been doing to her. Every night since he had come home, they fucked until exhausted. He was shocked by her stamina and sexual appetite. The first time they’d had sex was soon after her near-drowning. She had since grown much stronger and could go for literally hours before having enough.
He had no idea how Brandon kept up with her. Even if he wanted to, Jesse wouldn’t have the energy to fuck anyone else with her around.
Mackenzie was glad she wasn’t alone there anymore, but she felt guilty that Jesse wasn’t going on with life as usual. She was grateful he gave her what she needed in a sexual capacity, though. He could orgasm three to four times a night. Only Brandon and Sasha had been able to satisfy her completely before that week.
It was difficult to find men who could handle her libido. Most men figured they would outlast her. She proved almost all of them wrong. Because of Jesse’s superior skill in bed, she had slept well that entire week. Looking him over, she couldn’t wait until she got him naked again.
She glanced at the clock. Six p.m. They didn’t mess around all day long like her and Brandon did. She felt uncomfortable attacking him randomly. Her body was filled with desire for Brandon. Just thinking about him coming home had her aching for his touch, his kiss, his voice.
“Did you hear me?” Jesse asked. When she still didn’t respond, he touched her shoulder. “Kenzie, you OK?”
Mackenzie jumped. “Sorry, I was thinking.”
“Of Brandon?” He knew she missed him something awful.
She sighed. “Yeah. Wish he’d have booked a flight.”
“But he wanted his car,” Jesse reminded her. “The truck’ll take a few extra days to get here.” He paused, thinking. “How many cars does he have?”
Sinful Needs (Wicked End Book 2) Page 29
