Chapter 15 Rebel
Rebel
This woman... she is fucking beautiful. From the first time I saw her she took my breath away, but lately she’s taking my sanity too.
Her curves I love have become rounder and softer, her belly rounding as our babies grow inside. Even with all the morning sickness, she seems to glow as much as my chest does when I look at her.
“Hi.” Summer steps into my arms, hitting me with a cloud of delicate perfume.
“Hey, kitten,” I say low in her ear. It’s all I can do to keep my hands in chaste places when I’d much rather let them wander over her tits and between her legs.
I fight the urge to drag her away to somewhere private where I can follow through on stripping her out of this pretty green sun dress and the black lace bra that peeks up at me from inside the neckline.
Bare her sexy body so I can appreciate it with my hands and my mouth.
Bury my cock deep inside her until she screams my name while I make her come.
My cock twitches. I slam the door on those thoughts.
I had to race out of the barn last night because she accidentally rubbed against my cock and there was no number of unpleasant thoughts that could make the insta-erection go down.
If I hadn’t walked out, I would have dragged those sexy denim shorts down her legs and fucked her right there on the hay bales. Brothers be damned.
But she doesn’t need my horny ass adding to her load. I’m certain of this after the comment she made about never wanting it again, the last time we tried. I can wait until she’s ready for physical intimacy again. Give her the space that she needs until she tells me she wants more.
“How have you been, little momma?” Riot steals Summer away for a hug, a broad, mischievous grin lighting up his face while we all stand around in a circle.
Her eyes brighten. “Not as sick, so that’s a plus. How is the tour? Did I see pics of you with Sonatina Savant? She’s a huge pop star! Are you two working together or... is it more? Tell me everything.”
He glances at Kelsey over Summer’s head. An uneasy exchange passes between them. “It’s nothing, Sum.”
“There are pictures all over the socials this morning.” My love steps back, the indent between her eyes deepening.
“You two looked intimate after the gig last night. I thought with the way she captioned the photos you might be considering making an announcement. She all but said you were her boyfriend.”
Kelsey pulls out her phone. Her lips pinch and she flashes him the screen. “You’re trending. She calls you her beau. References your hot new relationship.”
“We met last night.” He focuses on answering Summer’s question, and it doesn’t go unnoticed by Kelsey that he ignores her. “The announcement she’s talking about is a duet the record label wants us to do a together once the tour is done. That’s all. She’s preparing her fans.”
“Of course.” Summer frowns as she tries to work out what she’s missing.
“How about you show me where I can dump these bags and then we’ll join everyone for breakfast,” Riot says.
“We’ll go mingle with our guests,” Rogue says, his arm around Ivy. He bows his head near to hers. “I love this costume, baby.”
“You should see the one I have for Saturday.” I catch the sparkle in her eyes before he leads her away.
“They’re perfect together,” Summer says wistfully.
“The way he looks at her,” Kelsey adds as they thread arms and walk toward the house.
“He’s making you look bad.” Riot grabs both suitcases. “You need to propose already.”
“He’s making me look bad?” I scoff. “Do you know what you’re doing with that woman?”
“Nothing. I told you it’s label shit.” He walks ahead of me into the house.
“Not the woman I was talking about,” I mutter under my breath. I told Rogue I wouldn’t play the dad card when it came to Riot’s relationship with Kelsey, and I intend to keep my word.
I follow him inside.
My kitten and her arsenal of brothers grew up inside these ranch house walls, but over the years most of the brothers have moved into cabins they built on the land, leaving her eldest brother Owen and her nephew Ernie in the main house.
For this week, my family have taken over the space too. Our friends and wedding guests will be in the accommodations they use for tourists.
“You’re in here.” Summer shows Kelsey one of the bedrooms. They disappear inside. One of the men with them files in and scans the room.
Riot starts to follow, and I put a hand on his shoulder. I suspect the sleeping arrangements have changed, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have some fun at his expense. “You’re down here.”
“Sorry, bro. That’s not going to work.” He drops both suitcases inside the door as the bodyguard walks through the bathroom and into the other room. “Since we need a room for my detail, Kelsey and I have agreed to share.”
Right. That’s why he wants to share.
His eyes flick from her to the double bed with its patchwork quilt. “It’s for a few days, right? Nothing we haven’t done before.”
“As long as you sleep on the floor.” Her voice is flinty.
“I’ll stick to my side,” he says.
“We might need another blanket,” Kelsey tells Summer.
For whatever reason they continue to play it as though nothing has changed between them. Fair enough. “You’re used to living on a bus. This won’t be much different.”
“Exactly,” they say at the same time.
The other half of their detail enters the far room via the adjoining door. He carries two duffle bags.
“So this extra security...” I say to Riot. “What’s the real story?”
“It’s nothing.” He joins me in the hallway. “The record company is being hypervigilant. We had some vandalism.”
“Vandalism?” It doesn’t sound serious enough for a security detail away from the tour. “What are we talk—”
“Ready for breakfast?” Summer asks as she and Kelsey step out of the room. “I want to enjoy food without feeling like I’m going to immediately vomit.”
“How long did that last?” Kelsey asks.
“Too long.” Summer rubs her belly. “But we’re doing better now.”
Fuck, I love her so much. My chest might explode, its capacity not enough for the way I love her.
“Can I have a word?” Riot asks Kelsey.
“Can it wait?” Her expression is pinched. She’s likely still unimpressed with the pictures of Riot and Sonatina. “I’m so hungry my stomach is trying to eat itself.”
“Yeah.” Riot ushers her toward the front door. “You barely ate yesterday with how busy we were. Let’s get you some food.”
“Is everything all right between those two?” Summer murmurs as I place my hand on her lower back, and we follow them out onto the wrap around porch. “Kelsey seems a little off, but I can’t put my finger on how, exactly.”
“Whatever it is... if they want us to know they’ll tell us.”
She stops as they descend the stairs. Gripping my jaw, she leans up on tiptoe and kisses me. “You’re going to be such a good dad.”
Her mouth is soft. Sweet. I want to pick her up and carry her back inside.
Lock the door and pretend everyone else doesn’t exist while I ravage her.
I want to take that box I packed, even though I told myself I was not ruining my brother’s weekend or making Summer’s day a part of their celebration, and put the ring inside it on her finger.
But the timing isn’t right.
“I better get down there and take care of my best man responsibilities.” Woodenly, I hold onto her until she takes a step back.
Her green eyes crinkle in the corners. A flash of hurt fills them.
What the hell?