Temptation

by Robin Covington

  “I love you, too.” I snuggled into his embrace, rubbing my face against his neck and inhaling the unique scent of Max, sweat, and our lovemaking that lingered on his skin. In spite of this perfect moment, doubts were crowding into my mind and I clung to him, wishing we could stay in this moment forever. How would we really make this work?

  Max sensed my struggle and pulled back to look into my face. “What’s going on?”

  “Are you sure?” I traced his jaw line, loving the scratchy feel of his beard against my fingertips. I shivered as I remembered how it had felt against the skin of my thighs and breasts. “Our life will never be normal. Even if I cut back, this will never be a regular kind of life together.”

  Max shifted and leaned up on one elbow. “I know that. But, I can’t live without you. I tried and it didn’t work.” He kissed the tip of my nose and smiled. “Besides, I’m beginning to think that normal is overrated. We’ll figure it out. We’ll make our own normal.”

  “That sounds so good. I want that.” Brushing aside my doubts, I snuggled into his embrace as he shifted back on the couch. I was happy. Max loved me and it would be different this time.

  Like he said, we would find our own normal—together.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Max

  I woke slowly from the most amazing dream.

  It was always the same; Kit in my bed, dark curls spilling over my sheets, as I worshipped every inch of her deliciously fuckable body.

  This morning was even better, because the pictures in my head were in Technicolor and my sheets even smelled like her. Groaning, I rolled over, pulling my pillow against my face, inhaling the delicious scent of Kit—a combination of summer, honeysuckle, and pure sex.

  Lying there, the smell of fresh coffee and the sound of her sweet singing wafted over me and made me smile.

  It wasn’t a dream.

  I shifted under the sheets as memories of last night drifted across my mind. I was hard, aching as I stroked up and down slowly, drawing out the pleasure. When I woke up with Kit on the couch I’d picked her up and carried her up the stairs to my bedroom, placing her gently on my bed.

  In the twilight, Kit had climbed on top of me—driving me crazy with her soft hands. Her mouth had been hungry, sweet, and I’d let her lead the way. All of her doubts from earlier seemed to disappear as she took control of my body. Drawn in by the spell she cast over me, I made no effort to hide just how desperately I wanted her. She teased me with her lips and hands, and it had taken all my strength to resist taking over as she grasped my cock in her small hand and led me into her body.

  That time was slow and sweet. No words were spoken. She’d fallen apart in my arms and I’d held her close as my climax surged through my body, leaving me sated and spent. Unwilling to break our connection, I’d stayed inside her as we drifted back to sleep.

  We needed to talk. To figure out how this was going to work between us. She had doubts and so did I but I wanted to figure them out together. For the first time in forever, the thought of committing to someone didn't scare me. I wanted it and I was going to have it.

  I got up, determined to go down to the kitchen and drag Kit back to bed. Breakfast could wait. I dragged on a pair of jeans, and left them unbuttoned, padded barefoot down the stairs, skidding to a stop when I got a good look at the scene in my kitchen.

  I leaned against the doorway and watched her make my house into a home.

  Kit was standing at the stovetop, my shirt reaching to the middle of her thighs and her hair tousled from the night in my bed. She sang softly to herself as she bustled around, preparing pancakes and eggs.

  “You look good in my shirt.”

  Kit looked over her shoulder, eyes wide with surprise but warm with love. I pushed away from the wall and walked over to her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pressing my front against her back. She melted against me and sighed as I pressed a soft kiss to her neck.

  “Good morning.”

  She sighed again as my mouth traveled up to the sensitive spot behind her ear. Her voice was breathless and I smiled at her reaction to me. “Good morning to you.” Kit gestured at the stove. “I was making you breakfast.”

  I nibbled back down her neck as I snaked a hand under the edge of my shirt to caress her silky thigh. “I was hoping to have breakfast in bed.”

  She moaned as my fingers brushed against her wet folds and higher to caress the smooth skin of her belly. She wriggled against me, rubbing her ass against my erection. Holy shit that felt good.

  “I made you pancakes… Oh!”

  I was done playing unless I was doing it in my bed. I lifted her over my shoulder, snagged the bottle of syrup off the counter and turned to head back to the bedroom. Kit squirmed in my hold and squealed as I smacked her ass. “Hold still. You’re gonna love it, baby. I’m gonna lick every inch of¬¬—”

  The sight of someone standing in my foyer brought me to an abrupt halt.

  “Mom!”

  Holy shit. My dad was also standing at the front door, a grin twitching at the edges of his mouth.

  Kit was absolutely still, but I could feel her groan of embarrassment buried against my shoulder. I slowly lowered her to the ground, and once her feet hit the wood floor, she turned and faced my parents, fussing with her hair and tugging the oversized shirt further down her legs.

  It was kind of cute. We’d laugh about this someday but from the feel of her elbow jamming into my side, I didn’t think it would be anytime soon.

  My dad cleared his throat, breaking the embarrassed silence as he strode towards the kitchen. “Coffee smells good. Think I’ll get a cup.”

  “How did they get in?” Kit whispered.

  “They have a key.”

  Kit took off up the stairs with a mumbled “going to put some clothes on” and followed my dad into the kitchen. The passing of cups, milk, and sugar busied our hands as we studiously avoided the fact my parents had clearly interrupted an intimate moment.

  Taking a sip of the hot brew, I asked, “What are you guys doing here so early?”

  Kit made her reappearance, wearing a pair of my sweatpants, and I handed her a cup, pulling her close beside me.

  “We tried to call but no one answered.” My mother reached out and grasped Kit’s hand in compassion. “We saw what happened to you, dear. It was terrible.” She turned to me, her eyes filled with pride. “And we saw what you did to protect her.”

  “Proud of you, son.” My dad patted my shoulder and then shifted to lean against the counter. “When we couldn’t get you on the phone, we figured you two were squirreled away here. There’s a bunch of reporters camped out at the top of the lane. Robert blocked the road, so they can’t get down here unless they crawl through the woods.” He flashed an apologetic glance towards Kit. “We probably gave away your location, though. I think the ones who were camped out at our house followed us here. I’m sorry.”

  Kit smiled back. “Don’t apologize, Mr. Butler. Welcome to my world.” she sighed, and put her coffee down on the counter. “I should apologize for disrupting your life.”

  “It’s John. And you didn’t do anything you need to apologize for. This will all blow over and we’ll be back to normal before you know it.”

  “Damn! That coffee smells good! Is there more?”

  I turned to see Dean, followed closely by Bridget, saunter into my kitchen and head straight for the coffeepot.

  “The door was open so we just came on in.” Smiling at the Butlers, he introduced Bridget before he continued, “The station, Kit’s loft, are all a mob scene. Bridget called me once my shift was over and she followed me in your truck.”

  “The label needs you back pronto. The buzz has all been in your favor, but with the tour kicking off in three days, they are howling to get you back in town for promo work. Paul’s working out the details but we need you. Sorry,” Bridget said.

  I watched Kit closely; her expression was tense. I gathered her close to my side and pressed a kiss to her hair
as she asked, “What about Ron?”

  Weird looks passed between the four visitors and my stomach clenched in response. “What’s going on guys?”

  Dean was the one to answer. “Ron’s still in custody. Both you and Kit need to go and give statements so they can press charges. That’s the good part.” He rubbed the back of his neck and hesitated. “The bad part is that he’s saying you assaulted, threatened, and harassed him, Max. He’s hired a lawyer who keeps talking to the press and stirring it all up.”

  I shrugged. “So what? He can’t prove it.”

  Dean continued. “The department has placed you on administrative suspension without pay until this gets cleared up. The director’s pissed and wants to talk to you today. You know how he hates bad press.”

  “I protected her. What the fuck did they expect me to do? Let that asshole hurt her?”

  “It’s not just the fight.” Dean held a hand up to stop me from interrupting. “You left the shift to go to Kit. I tried to cover, but they know. You were AWOL.”

  Shocked, I released Kit and walked over the large fireplace that dominated the family room. Leaning on the mantle, I breathed in deeply, controlling my temper and collecting my thoughts. This was manageable. I would talk to the chief and the police and get back to work.

  “What? Kit asked from behind me. “You left work to come to me?”

  I turned and faced the bank of upset and concerned faces in front of me. “Of course I did. You needed me. I’d do it again if I had to.”

  “Could you lose your job?” Her expression told me that she already knew the answer and it was not going to go over well.

  “Yes.”

  “And you would do it again?”

  Yes.”

  “What about your promotion?”

  I scoffed. “Not going to happen now.”

  Kit stared at me, her expression unreadable. I didn’t know her well enough to understand every nuance and right now I cursed that fact. She closed her eyes briefly, cutting herself off from me completely. I made a move towards her and her eyes flew open and she bolted, heading out of the kitchen. She was clearly upset.

  Following her, I caught up with her in my room just in time to see her pulling on her clothes. “Kit, baby? What are you doing?”

  “I’m going. I’ve got to fix this mess.”

  “Okay. Just hang on a second and I’ll get dressed and go with you.”

  She stopped, her eyes only briefly meeting his before darting away. She clutched her shoes to her chest and scurried past me and into the hallway. “No. I’m going alone.”

  I grabbed her arm and spun her around to face me just before she reached the stairs. “Kit. I’m going with you. Remember last night? We do this together from now on.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes as she shook her head, her voice a broken whisper. “No. This won’t work.”

  Shock rolled through me and loosened my grip on her, allowing her to slip down the stairs. I barely registered the others as they piled out of the kitchen just in time to witness my life falling apart.

  My voice was loud and harsh as I shouted at her retreating back. “What do you mean, this won’t work? We’ve barely gotten started and you’re giving up?” I raced down the stairs two at a time and caught her at the bottom. “What about the fact that we love each other?”

  “Max, we both know that isn’t enough. Our lives are too different and mine has already ruined yours. Your parents have reporters camped on their lawn and you’re practically a prisoner in your own house. Not to mention the fact that you might lose your job!” She wiped at her wet cheeks with back of her hand. “My life is in chaos and I go on tour in a few days and I’ll be gone for months. Trust me. We’ve been living in a bubble—a wonderful bubble where the press left us alone and we didn’t have to deal with reality. But trust me, those days are over and the reality of my life will tear us apart.” Her breath hiccupped in her chest. “I don’t want you to end up hating me because I can’t be what you need.”

  “What are you talking about?” I saw the fear, heard it in her voice. I was scared, too, but I was more afraid of losing her and never taking the chance. I reached out, pulling her close to me. “Kit, don’t do this. My job will be fine. Your job will be fine. We’ll work out the rest. Together.” I leaned in close to press my forehead against hers as I pleaded, “I love you so much. Just hang on to me baby. We’ll be all right, I promise.”

  She rested against me and a little of the tension loosened in my chest. Her hand wove through my hair as she pulled me into a kiss that was full of tenderness and something else I couldn’t name. With a whimper, Kit released my mouth and stepped far enough away that I could see the expression on her face. Suddenly, I knew what else had been in that kiss.

  It was goodbye.

  I was pissed. Anger shot through me. “So, you’re gonna do this? You’re afraid and you’re going to run? What is this? Fucking payback for what I did?” I gestured wildly at the front door. “All this craziness? That’s nothing. But you’re too afraid to take the chance and even though I suck at any kind of relationship, I know I can’t do it by myself.” Running my hands through my hair, my voice caught as pain squeezed my heart. Jesus, this was worse than Sarah. Knowing Kit was out there and I couldn’t have her might kill me. “You and me, together? It would be hard, but I know we’d be worth it. It could shatter into a million fucking pieces and it would still be worth it.”

  I stared at her, daring her to take the leap with me. If this had any chance of working, we both had to be committed one hundred percent.

  “Max.” her voice was barely above a whisper but it was like she was shouting at me. That one word told me everything I needed to know. She was already gone.

  I turned away from her, heading up the stairs to wash her smell off my body and burn the sheets.

  CHAPTER THIRTY–ONE

  Max

  My eyes were gritty from too little sleep.

  Three weeks had passed since Kit walked out of my house and my life. The last time I’d seen her was the day after she’d shot us all to hell. I’d arrived at the police station to give my statement just as she was leaving and our eyes had met for the briefest moment before I turned away. I couldn’t stand the sight of her when I couldn’t have her. She looked beautiful as always, but in that second, I saw the pain and hurt that shadowed her eyes but, for once, my hero complex didn’t take over. She’d made her decision and she could live with it.

  Just like I would.

  My suspension from work only lasted two days. In the end, Kit had called the director—explaining how I had protected her from Ron—and I’d been reinstated immediately. I was grateful. The job was the only thing that kept me from losing my mind. At work, I could pretend to ignore the pitying looks from my family and friends.

  Just like the one Dean was giving me right now.

  I shifted on my seat inside the fire truck as it raced down the street to the third call of the night.

  “Dean, cut it out.”

  Dean didn’t even pretend to misunderstand. “You look like shit. When’s the last time you slept?”

  I adjusted my helmet to block my face. “Last night.”

  “Uh huh.” Dean continued to examine me. “I didn’t ask ‘when was the last time you tossed and turned and paced the night away’.”

  I stared down at my boots, saying nothing. I wasn’t going to spill my guts and dwell on something I couldn’t change.

  “Max.”

  “Don’t.” I met his eyes across the truck and gritted my teeth. “She’s gone. Let’s just do the job.”

  The back doors opened and I jumped down to the ground, surveying the scene. I got my orders and made my way into the three–story apartment building, checking rooms, carrying victims out to safety—focusing on the job. Time passed quickly, and soon I was on the second floor, conducting one last sweep before calling the “all clear.”

  Inside, the fire was dying down but it was still loud. I heard an omi
nous crack but couldn’t tell where it was coming from. A tingling awareness spread across the back of my neck. It was time to get out.

  Instinct propelled me towards the exit just as the ceiling heaved above me. Two steps from my goal, debris rained down on my head and shoulders. I reached for my communication device but it was too late.

  A large object landed across my back and I slammed to the floor under its weight. I couldn’t breathe. I scrabbled to move away the heavy debris. I tried not to panic but it was hard, with what felt like an elephant sitting on my back. It was getting hotter, the noise louder, as the fire sparked back to life overhead.

  I clawed at the rubble and dislodged my helmet and it rolled to the side. Succumbing to the pain, I saw the picture of Kit tucked into the inside band just before everything went black.

  CHAPTER THIRTY–TWO

  Kit

  The applause was deafening.

  I waved to the audience and left the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, headed towards my dressing room to prepare for the interview segment and then my final performance of the night. I was bone–tired. Getting here had required a red–eye flight from Florida, so I pushed open the door and headed straight for the fridge and my new best friend—Mr. Red Bull. Bridget was on the telephone, so I kicked off my shoes and plopped down on the couch.

  The first set was behind me and I breathed a sigh of relief. I longed to get out of Nashville, back on the road, and away from all the memories of Max. On the road, I still hurt, but it was easier to focus on the music and the fans without seeing him on every corner. I welcomed the grind of the road. Most nights I fell into my bunk in a dreamless stupor but I still dreaded the morning when my brain clicked into gear and the pain came rushing back.

  I’d blown it this time. My fear had forced me to make a rash, stupid decision that hurt Max deeply. The crazy part was that I didn’t even know why I’d done it anymore. My doctor said it was a panic attack brought on by all the crap that had happened and that my sense of desolation and fear was a normal part of it.