No, Steve�s still talking to someone.
�Goddamn it Nick! Put on some goddamn pants and come up here!�
I looked down at my towel-covered waist.
How�d he know?
*
Marcus squeezed my arm and smiled at me. Genuinely, not smarmy like he�d been giving me earlier.
�Have fun. Don�t get him too overemotional please� and if you want to join us, just tell Steve and he�ll start towards Houston. I bet you�ll be very welcomed.�
Noooo� don�t offer that. Please don�t offer that.
Climbing down the stairs, he turned to Steve.
�I�ll be riding with A.J. and Luke if he becomes too much.�
Steve laughed and shut the door behind me glancing my way again.
�Go ahead� go back there.�
Here goes nothing.
*
Pants� should probably put on some pants even if it is just Marcus, Steve, and me.
But no hurry.
I felt the engine turn over as I found a pair of khakis lying over a chair. Don�t really care if they�re clean. I�m just going to pull them off and climb into bed after I see what the hell is so damn important.
Pulling on the pants, I walked to the front of the bus, ready to complain to Marcus for not leaving me alone. Once I reached the separate three rows of seats up front, I got really confused.
There�s nothing here.
�Steve� where�s Marcus?�
Staring ahead at one of the other guys� bus in front of us, I caught a hint of a smile on his face.
�On a different bus.�
What?!
*
He just walked right by me. In khaki pants.
Just khaki pants. That hung low on his hips.
He didn�t see me at all.
I heard him talking to Steve about� something.
*
�Ohh� kay. Where is that stuff he was yelling about?�
�Well, your present is back there somewhere. Thought you might have found it on your own.�
What the hell?
I turned to head back towards my bed, not wanting to deal with whatever game the two of them were playing against me.
�Hey Nick��
I glanced over my shoulder.
�Cheer up.�
*
Oh god.
His footsteps kept getting closer, then stopped.
Don�t drag this out any longer than it has to be.
I need you now.
*
Uh� okay. No. Don�t think I�ll be cheering up anytime soon. Just sleeping.
Rubbing at my temples to hopefully alleviate the headache that had plagued me since the show, I paused in the kitchen lounge area - what the hell do you call this place? - thinking I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.
But Marcus supposedly is on another bus.
If someone got me another dog�
*
Nick, what in hell are you doing? Stop staring at the floor.
Slowly he lifted his head�
*
Oh my god.
Good present. Very good present. Damn good present.
I�m gonna keep this one.
*
My heart pounded as he stared at me, his eyes slowly getting larger.
�Ka� what are you doing here Kara?�
I�m going to hate myself for this later, but�
*
Sitting in one of the booths at the table, Kara�s leather-clad legs - leather?! - were slung on top of the table, her arms resting on her knees. She�d been staring out the window until I walked into the room. When she had turned her head, that had been the movement I�d seen.
I watched her slowly unfold herself from the table, standing up.
Leather pants. Oh god� those are leather pants. Low-riders. Hips showing. Shirt stopping above and pants not beginning until two or three inches below her belly button.
Way too much skin showing for my own health.
And that star navel ring.
�Well� I sorta forgot to do something this afternoon.�
Regain speaking abilities Carter.
�Wh� wha� what�s that?�
*
The boy is stuttering! Jeez� I must have really caught him off guard.
I walked the few steps that had separated us, standing as close as I dared in front of his half-clothed body. For a moment, I gazed at the visible art on his naked skin.
Would it be weird if I just licked one of those right now?
No� that�s not what I forgot to do this afternoon.
�This.�
I slipped my hand behind his neck, pulling his head down towards me while I stood on my toes. Until our lips met.
�
I felt my toes curl as the initial shock of how electrical it was to kiss him set in.
Holy shit woman. What in hell kept you from doing this all fucking afternoon?!
Six
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