He pulled his head back and looked into her eyes, noticing that she looked as dazed as he felt. “You lied,” Blake said, as he tried to regain his composure, hoping that their kiss had gone unnoticed by their fellow diners.
“What?” Katie looked so bewildered that Blake almost regretted his joke.
“You lied about being a bad kisser, honey. That was one of the best kisses of my life,” Blake explained.
“Oh, me too, Blake. That was amazing.” Blake thought she looked relieved.
“Is everything okay, darlin’?” Blake’s eyes searched Katie’s face.
“Of — of course Blake. What do you mean?”
“Well, for starters, we just shared an amazing kiss and while I feel like I found my bliss, you look like you’re about to jump out of your skin. What gives?” Blake teased gently, real concern in his eyes.
“It’s nothing. I’m fine. Really.”
Blake took Katie’s hand and focused his eyes on hers. “Katie McCoy. If you say it’s nothing then I will believe you, but if it’s something, I hope you know that you can tell me anything.”
Katie took a deep breath, and admitted, “I guess it’s not exactly nothing.”
“I know that we just met, but I want you to feel like you can talk to me. If you have a problem, I would like to help you. I think you can trust me.”
Katie took a deep breath and stared at her hands, clenched into fists in her lap. She let the breath out and began, “I just can’t help but to think about what’s going to happen when we’re done with your tour. On one hand, I really like you and I don’t want to miss a single moment. On the other hand, I feel like I should be careful so I don’t have my heart broken when I have to go home.”
Blake gave her a gentle smile. “I know, darlin’. Relationships have never been my strong point. I don’t know what will happen between us, what can happen, in three weeks, but I just figured we’d ride it out and see. We don’t have to decide now, and we definitely don’t need to worry about anything just yet. Let’s just have some fun together and see what happens.”
• • •
Katie felt foolish for admitting her fears, for opening up so soon, for assuming so much. She had such a poor track record when it came to relationships. No boyfriend had made it past a month or two with her, so she was beginning to wonder if she was the problem. She’d find a nice guy, get to know him, and then before she knew it they were breaking up. The common denominator in these discussions was the band, how much time it took, how often she went away for gigs, what she was doing when she was on the road. Guys couldn’t manage to be supportive without being jealous and she always had to cut them loose.
Now here she was sitting across from a gorgeous man, having just shared an amazing kiss, and she’s already worried about how they’re going to end things? What was she doing? Blake Jackson was the country’s biggest star. She should consider herself lucky to be on this date, should just enjoy it while she could. He probably thought she was a basket case.
Chapter Five
Katie woke up the next morning feeling more tired than when she had fallen into bed the night before. Replaying her date with Blake in her mind over and over again as she lie in bed kept her up, unable to fall asleep. The kiss had been magic, pure magic. She couldn’t remember ever having felt so close to someone that she had just met, and not knowing if Blake felt the same was killing her. Was she a distraction for him? A fling to keep his mind (and lips) occupied while he was on the road? Or did he feel the pull, the draw, towards her like she did to him? Would he take the time to get to know her or be like every other guy she met and want to take things straight to the bedroom?
Katie had met her share of guys interested in only one thing, and it wasn’t her budding music career. Why couldn’t she find someone who supported her dreams and didn’t make her feel guilty for pursuing her goals? She had never wanted anything more than to make a career with her music, and this tour was the best way to move that forward. Distracting herself with Blake wasn’t going to get her anywhere. The guys on the bus were beginning to stir, so she pulled herself together and pasted a smile on her face. It was time to focus on the men in her life who wanted the same things she did.
• • •
Katie jumped at the knock on her dressing room door. “Yes?” Her sleepless night had caught up with her and she was dozing on her little couch, trying to rest up for that night’s show.
“It’s me, Katie.” Blake’s muffled voice answered.
“Come on in.” She sat up on the couch and ran her fingers through her hair.
Blake closed the door quietly behind him and crossed the room to join Katie on her couch, his eyes dancing and his expression warm. He sat next to her and chuckled. “Looks like I woke somebody up.”
She yawned and stretched. “I must have drifted off. I was just resting up a little before it was time to get ready for tonight.”
“Sweetheart, I didn’t think it was possible, but you look even cuter when you’re sleepy.” Blake held a strand of Katie’s hair between his fingers before tucking it behind her ear.
“You are too sweet, Mr. Jackson.” Katie cast her eyes down demurely at the compliment. Already, being on tour with Blake had pushed them into situations where they normally wouldn’t have seen each other for weeks or months into the relationship. Charles was right, being on tour was like being in a pressure cooker. Everything was moving faster than in what Katie considered the real world. Her worries last night of what he would think of her without professional hair and makeup seemed silly now that he was seeing her just moments after waking up. Her sleep-mussed hair and bare face must present quite the picture.
“So, I keep thinking about you, about our kiss last night. I have a couple of interviews and a meet and greet thing with some radio station contest winners, but I couldn’t resist stopping in to see you first. I was hoping that we could take a few minutes to hang out, but I gotta tell you, I don’t think I can keep my hands off of you.” Blake pulled Katie into his arms and ran his fingers through her hair. He inhaled deeply, his nose at the top of her head, and she could feel the warmth coming off his skin as her lips grazed his neck. Katie allowed herself to relax in the warmth of Blake’s comforting embrace. If only she could stay here in his arms forever and just forget about everything else. It would be so easy to ignore the deadline looming ahead, to pretend that they had all the time in the world to be together.
She wished she could take her time with Blake, to get to know him and let him discover her secrets, before they had to decide whether to go their separate ways or find a way to be together. The problem was that he already felt so much like he could belong to her. Being in his arms was exciting, thrilling, but it also felt like it was where she had always belonged. It was like coming home, and the thought of leaving him at the end of the tour terrified her.
He held her close in his strong, solid embrace and she breathed in his clean, masculine scent. She looked up into his face and saw tenderness mingled with desire in his eyes. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her again. Blake drew back and Katie saw a fiery passion that matched her own burning in his eyes. He kissed her forehead, each cheek in turn, and returned to her mouth to plant a firm, insistent kiss on her lips. He deepened the kiss as she arched her body to meet his. Katie’s senses were reeling. Her body was tingling, her blood zinging with electricity as Blake’s kiss worked its magic. She was hypnotized, intoxicated by his passion, and the world fell away around her as her body responded to his.
Blake drew back, his hands still cupping her face, and searched her eyes. “Katie,” he breathed.
Katie felt drugged from the kiss, as if she were floating. “Blake,” she responded.
“You don’t know what you do to me.” He looked as affected by the kiss as she was. When their eyes met, understanding flowed between them, and she knew she could never let him go.
• • •
The hair an
d makeup team arrived, ready to transform Katie for the show. She tried to focus on getting ready and let them do their jobs while they shared gossip and swooned over a cute new security team member they had passed on their way through the venue to Katie’s dressing room. Their girlish giggles brought a reluctant smile to Katie’s face as they rhapsodized over his gorgeous muscular body, his sexy deep voice, and his beautiful blue eyes.
She was clearly being too serious about Blake and their imminent separation. It had been too long since she had been excited by a new guy, and her fretting was threatening to ruin the whole thing. Here she was, actually living her dream of being on a major country artist’s tour, and she was spending all her time worrying about how she was going to feel in a few weeks when she had to go home. She should try to relax a little, might as well enjoy the tour while it lasted.
Chapter Six
The tour schedule heated up as the buses rolled through the Alabama tour stops and into Tennessee. Sterling had been together for six years, since Katie was a newly-minted eighteen year-old high school graduate, but they had never before spent so much time together without a break from one another.
The guys in the band had noticed how much attention Katie was getting from Blake Jackson, but if it bothered them, nobody said anything. She wasn’t sure if she was just being touchy, but it seemed like they might come to resent her for the special treatment. As it was, everybody on board their bus was snappish with each other, and nobody was getting along. It was disappointing, really, to not be able to enjoy the tour when it would be over so soon.
The tension on the Sterling tour bus was thick when Blake called. Katie accepted his invitation for dinner in Knoxville as soon as the question left his lips.
“Yes, I’d love to. I gotta get out of here!” she said breathlessly.
“Well, darlin’, I think I’m just going to let myself believe that you’re excited to see me. I’d hate to think that I’m just an easy means of escape,” Blake laughed good-naturedly.
“Of course I’m looking forward to seeing you. I’m just also looking forward to getting a break from the guys. They’re not exactly my biggest fans these days. I think we’ll all benefit from a little break from one another. Where are we going?”
“That, my dear, is a surprise. Just relax and don’t worry your pretty little head about it, sweetheart. You’ll find out when I pick you up at six.” With that, Blake ended the call, leaving Katie smiling and giddy with anticipation. She and Blake hadn’t been on a proper date since the dinner in Tuscaloosa. They had been forced to settle for stolen moments in dressing rooms, nights out with the bands, and phone calls. She couldn’t complain, though; it was an unconventional courtship, but every moment with Blake had been a dream come true.
During those stolen encounters, Katie had pieced together an understanding of Blake. It wasn’t the ideal way to get to know someone, but it worked. She found that she had to force herself to focus on the tour, to be present when she was with her band. Every moment they were apart, Katie felt the pull towards Blake, found her mind wandering, wondering what he was doing and reliving a kiss or an embrace. They had certainly made the most of their moments together, sharing kisses and secrets, getting to know one another. Going out on a real date would be a special treat tonight, and six o’clock couldn’t come soon enough.
Katie rifled through her luggage to find something to wear on her mystery date, hoping that if she needed to dress a certain way that Blake would have told her. She settled on a cute casual outfit and concentrated her efforts on her hair and makeup.
• • •
Katie forgot her worries of being underdressed in her skirt and simple top when they pulled into the parking lot of Betty’s, a rustic-looking restaurant advertising Knoxville’s best home cooking. A wraparound porch housed large rocking chairs and whiskey barrel flower planters. An elderly man wearing denim overalls and a red baseball cap rocked slowly back and forth in one of the chairs and offered a friendly wave and toothy grin to Blake and Katie as they climbed the steps toward the door.
The pair entered the bustling restaurant and Blake received shouted greetings, hearty handshakes, and playful pats on the back. As Katie’s eyes adjusted to the restaurant’s dim interior, she noticed peanut shells covering the smooth cement floor, a knotty pine bar lined with rugged-looking men in work shirts and trucker hats, neon beer signs, and a large table in the corner where a family sat, looking at them excitedly. Katie hid her bewilderment behind a smile as Blake took her hand and led her purposefully towards the smiling family.
Her confusion grew as a woman and two men who looked somehow familiar stood and hurried towards Blake, where they wrapped him in a fierce group hug. The woman was kissing Blake’s cheek while the older man held onto Blake’s hand, the younger man having stepped back. Blake moved back towards Katie and put an arm around her waist. “Mom, Dad, this is Katie McCoy. Katie, meet Betty and Roy Jackson.”
“Wow, hi, what a surprise! It’s so nice to meet you,” said Katie as she moved forward to shake hands with Betty Jackson and was enveloped in a soft, cinnamon-scented hug instead.
The younger man stepped forward and put his hand out to Katie. “I’m Luke, Blake’s older and much wiser brother. He must have forgotten his manners.” Luke smiled at Katie with a twinkle in his blue eyes as his warm hand held hers.
“It’s so nice to meet you,” said Katie, trying to recover from her shock.
“Honey, Blake told us you were pretty. He didn’t tell us you were gorgeous! Y’all sit down and we’ll get some supper,” insisted Betty as she led the group back to the family’s table.
Katie struggled to regain her composure as she sat at the table with Blake’s family. Meeting the parents was such a big step, something she didn’t realize that they were ready for. Now that it was happening, it felt right. Katie and Blake had known each other such a short time, but they didn’t have a lot of time to waste when it came down to it. In a couple of weeks they would go their separate ways, Katie back home to Orange Blossom, Blake on to the rest of the tour. It seemed a little soon to meet the family, but why not? With such a short time left together, why not indulge the fantasy? Why not suspend reality a bit and forget about the deadline looming ahead?
Blake rubbed Katie’s thigh under the table and leaned close to whisper to her, “Sorry about the ambush, sweetheart. I think they really like you though.” Any irritation she might have felt about the surprise melted away at his touch.
Katie gazed into Blake’s eyes. “This is quite a surprise, but it’s nice.”
“You two must be starving. What do they feed you on this tour? Let’s get some supper.” Betty motioned for a waitress. Katie was charmed by Betty’s motherly concern with the care and feeding of one of the country’s biggest stars.
“Katie, you gotta try the pot roast. They use Betty’s mama’s recipe, and it is delicious. You’re not a vegetarian or anything, are you? Blake told me you were from Texas.” Roy leaned over and smiled at Katie as he spoke, blue eyes dancing. Those Jackson boys and their blue eyes, thought Katie.
“No, sir, I’m not a vegetarian. I’d love to try the pot roast, but how do they have Betty’s mom’s recipe?” Katie asked.
Luke laughed. “They’ve got all of her best recipes, and most of Mom’s, too. This is my parents’ restaurant,” he explained as he gestured to Betty and Roy. “Yes, it’s sad but true. Blake Jackson’s parents still have to work.” A joking smile played on his lips.
“Katie, don’t listen to him. I always wanted to run a restaurant, but of course in the early days we could never afford to open our own place. Blake was kind enough to put up the money for this joint a couple of years ago and we’ve been happily running it ever since.” Betty gave Blake a fond look.
“Oh, you own this place? How cool is that?” Katie loved that Blake had bought his parents a restaurant. They didn’t seem old enough to retire, didn’t really seem the type to want to live off of their famous son, and they were certai
nly at home in this restaurant of their own.
“It’s pretty cool, Katie. Any time I can get away for lunch, I can come in and get a free meal,” Luke chimed in.
Blake took Katie’s hand and explained, “My folks wanted Luke to wait tables or tend bar here, but he was too busy going to medical school. Now he’s a big-time doctor here in town, and too busy running a charitable foundation and his own practice. They make sure kids in the more rural areas of Tennessee have access to vaccinations and routine health screenings. They go out, set up clinics, and make sure parents know what’s available. Sometimes he gets so busy that he forgets to eat lunch. Mom only feeds him here so he won’t waste away.”
Luke laughed and turned to Katie, “It’s true, I’m a big-time doctor. I’m also very single, in case you have any pretty friends.” He waggled his eyebrows as Katie giggled. Single and handsome, she thought, almost as good-looking as Blake.
“I’ll keep that in mind Luke,” Katie responded with an indulgent smile. “You know, my dad is an optometrist. He’s the only one in Orange Blossom. What kind of medicine do you practice?”
“I’m a general practitioner. I have a family practice in Knoxville with a partner. He runs the foundation with me as well.”
“That’s very cool. Now I know who to call if I get sick in Tennessee.” Katie gave Luke a warm smile and thought how proud Roy and Betty must be of their boys. She wondered if her parents wished she had gone to medical school or something more prestigious than joining a band right out of high school. They had never said anything about her skipping college, working at bars to pay her bills, or even having to pick up shifts at her father’s practice when money was tight. They had been so supportive of her efforts with Sterling that without their help, she would’ve had to drop out of the band long before the six years it had taken them to get their big break.
Kiss Me, Katie (Crimson Romance) Page 5
