Please tell me she didn�t hear any of that. Please, please, please.
But how would she have known that Marc kid still had his mike turned on if she hadn�t heard anything?
Oh jeez, please don�t look at me like that. I�m going to melt into a puddle of goo at your feet and tell you how much I like you if you keep looking at me like that.
�I�m sorry I left you with those guys. They�re a little��
�Nosey?�
She smiled and looked at her feet.
�Yea.�
I stood up and walked slowly towards her. I can�t be near her and not touch her. It�s just like� a new rule I�ve made up. A rule I really, really like.
�It�s okay. I think. Well, it depends. How much of it did you hear?�
I watched as she folded her arms across her chest, trying to look� stern?
You are way too cute when you do that.
�What if I heard all of it?�
Yep, I have to touch her now. Got to follow the rules�
I slipped my arms around her waist and pulled her closer to me. She looked up at me innocently.
She didn�t hear a damn thing.
�I�ll have to buy you lunch to make up for it.�
Still looking me in the eyes - I love that she looks me straight in the eyes when she talks to me - she unfolded her arms and ran her hands up my chest until wrapping her arms around my neck.
Breathe Carter.
Kiss her Carter. Right now.
�What if I didn�t hear anything?�
�Then I�ll have to spend all afternoon with you so you�re preoccupied and not wondering what they were asking me.�
She bit her lip.
I�ll bit your lip.
Aaahh! This is what happens when you don�t get enough female lovin�. You go through withdrawal and now, when deep inside I just want to spend all today talking to her and listening to her and learning things about her, I can�t get the idea of us� doing things that wouldn�t involve much talking or listening or learning. Well, okay, I�d learn what she�d look like without all these stupid clothes on�
Stop!
�So, I can have lunch with you or spend all day with you��
�Yeah.�
Kara scrunched up her nose in thought. I�d forgotten how much I loved that.
�Well, I� I noticed there was still a mike on, but when I pointed it out, Xander was the one listening in. He tried to get me to, but I was much more concern with getting whatever was going on stopped.�
�So you came running in here to stop it��
Averting her eyes, she took in a deep breath.
�Yeah, I don�t have a clue what has gone on in this room for the past ten or so minutes.�
When she looked back, a strand of her fiery red hair fell into her eyes. Carefully I removed one arm from her waist and brushed it away, making sure to gently touch any bit of skin I could without it looking too obvious that I just wanted to caress her face.
�What�s with the red hair?�
She shrugged.
�Just felt like a change. Is it too much?�
I ran my hand through it, enjoying how soft it was much more than I probably should. I bet it would tickle if it brushed up against my bare chest.
I should be shot.
�No, I like it. Makes you easy to find in a crowd� But anyway, guess you�re stuck spending all afternoon with me.�
�I could think of worse ways to spend my time.�
�There you are!�
Oops� I forgot about you Marcus.
�Marcus! Hi! How are you?�
Obviously Kara hasn�t.
Marcus looked uncomfortable at the recognition. That was my deal. No one was supposed to know who he was.
�I�m fine, especially now that I don�t have to listen to him complain for at least a little while.�
She looked up at me curious, then back at Marcus.
�Complain about what?�
No, Marcus, no. Don�t tell her that in one day I�d fallen madly in love with her and have been missing her insanely since she walked out of my world. That I�ve been moping around the entire time of this tour, ignoring the groupies that I used to enjoy, swearing off sex, dating, kissing, anything until I found her again. That she�d spoiled me for anyone else. That I didn�t want anyone else.
�Miss Kara, I don�t think you realize the effect you have on guys like Nick.�
She looked up at me confused.
�No, I guess not. I�ve never known a guy like Nick before.�
I like how she smiles up at me, how she still has her arms wrapped around my neck even though she�s having a conversation with a completely different person, how incredibly sweet she is.
Be my girlfriend. Let me follow you around for the rest of my life. I�ll quit music and just� be yours for the rest of time.
And at this moment of pure sweetness, reality set in as my stomach growled from the lack of attention I�d paid it today.
Giggling, she looked at my tummy then back up at my face.
�Hungry?�
Marcus began to laugh.
�Nick, I think you�ve broken your record. You�ve been awake six hours without putting anything in that black hole of yours.�
Pulling away, Kara grabbed my hand and began to pull me from the room.
�I know where we can go. You want to come Marcus?�
Standing behind, lacing my fingers through her much smaller ones, I stared over her head and shook my head adamantly at Marcus.
Noooo, you aren�t coming with us. She kept me safe last time; I�ll be safe with her today.
�Actually, if you wouldn�t mind letting me talk to Nick alone for a minute, I�d really appreciate it.�
Uh oh.
�Alright, I�ll be outside� helping the guys pack up Ry�s stuff or beating them up. Either or.�
I laughed as she shrugged. I can actually see her kicking their asses.
Squeezing my hand, she walked around Marcus and left. I felt my heart skip a beat as I sighed.
I am such a girl.
Marcus laughed at me.
�You are so far gone Nick� And against my better judgment - and at the risk of getting my ass kicked by Kevin - I�m going to let you go off with her. One condition.�
The excitement bubbled in my stomach listening to him. This is good. This is very good.
�What? Anything!�
He rolled his eyes at me. I do sound pretty pathetic.
�Be back to the hotel by five. It�s one thirty now, so� that gives her plenty of time to get sick of you. If you want her to come to the concert, bring her back with you and I�ll keep an eye on her. But you have to be back by five.�
But� but that�s only three and a half hours!!
�Got me?�
Could I get away with not showing up to the show tonight? Maybe I could take Kara and run away, stay missing for a couple of months until we know absolutely everything about each other and finally decide to climb out of bed.
Okay, maybe we�ll be missing for a couple of years.
�And don�t even think about running off! You�re almost twenty-three years old� you�re way too old to even be considering that.�
Sighing, I nodded. You�re on a roll for being right today, Marcus.
�Alright, I�ll be back at the hotel by five to meet up with everyone for sound check. Promise.�
He nodded, walking me out of the dressing room, patting my shoulder with his massive hand.
�Cool. Keep your phone on, and��
He glanced to where Kara was talking to Ryan and� Trevor, I think.
��be good to the girl. I�ll make you cry if you make her cry.�
I�ll make myself cry if I make her cry.
Marcus walked towards Kara, smiling and sharing a few words before waving at me and leaving.
Wait a second.
Marcus just� LEFT?
And Kara is here. With me.
Hell yeah.
Sneaking up behind her, I pounced, wrapping my arms around her waist and nuzzling her neck. I felt her jump in my arms before melting into me, draping an arm around my neck.
�I missed you.�
As soon as the words crossed my lips, I noticed the laughter surrounding us. Looking up, I saw Ryan red-faced and gasping
�You�re so stupid woman.�
Before I was able to defend my lady�s honor, I looked up from her neck to her face flaming red.
�Shut up Ryan.�
�I�m just saying� I was right. You were over-analyzing things again.�
She stuck her tongue out at him.
God, she�s cute.
God, the things I could think of for her to do with that tongue.
Groaning inwardly I pulled her closer to me, wanting her as close to me as possible while still fighting the stupid confines of our clothing.
�It doesn�t matter anyway.�
What are they talking about?
And I keep pulling her closer, despite the condition of my increasingly tight pants. Has she noticed?
Kara stuck her tongue out at Ryan again while Trevor laughed at them. Suddenly, without giving me proper time to prepare myself, she spun around in my arms, placing her hands on either side of my head and pulling me down until our foreheads leaned against each other.
It would be so easy to kiss her right now.
�Still hungry?�
While asking, she stood on her tiptoes, rotating her hips against mine.
It would be so easy to rip off her clothes and make love to her. Right here. About now is when I stop caring if people will be able to watch.
Hold up. Did I just think I was going to �make love� to Kara?
I have sex with girls. I fuck girls. I have never �made love� to anybody. I�ve never even thought about it.
Holy shit Carter. You�re in waaaaay too deep.
�What�s wrong?�
And I probably just had the weirdest look on my face.
Kara�s hands dropped as she returned to her feet, looking up with the glimmer of concern in her eyes that always surprised me.
�Nothing. Let�s go get some food.�
The look on her face proved that she didn�t believe me, but would drop the subject anyway. She slipped from my arms, grabbing my hand on the way.
�Bye guys. I�ll talk to you later.�
�Yeah you will.�
Xander and Toby.
Obviously she wasn�t with Toby if she was leaving with me. Or if she was, he was a very� lenient boyfriend.
No, she�s not with him.
She�s mine.
Two
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