I let my hand drop from his chest. “I’ve run from it ever since I escaped. It’s been chasing me and I was scared of it catching me.” Crisis moved even closer to me, his hands on my hips. He understood. “But now I don’t have to run. I’m not scared of the wind or trying to fight against it. I let it in.”
“But this chick—”
I interrupted him. “Yeah. It’s bad timing. But I’ve lived with fear then numbness all my life. Now, I don’t have to. Ream,”—the hardness in his face eased as I said his name—“I swore to never waste a second of my freedom. To live. To find some sort of normal.”
“A stalker after your boyfriend isn’t normal.” Ream’s eyes shot to Crisis.
“And neither is having a brother in a famous band. This is the normal we get and it could happen to you just as easily. From what I read, before Kat, you had your share of women, too.”
Five seconds it took before it was like an overfilled balloon deflating as all the tension left him and he lowered his head, briefly closing his eyes. “I saw it,” he said. “I was trying to ignore it.” He looked at Crisis. “You’re my brother and I love you. I also know the shit you’ve done.” His arms dropped to his sides and he inhaled. “And that you like her—a lot.”
“Love,” Crisis corrected.
Ream stiffened. “Yeah. Maybe I saw that, too.” He looked back at me. “And you?”
I leaned back into Crisis and his one arm curled around my waist. I loved that he was giving me this. He didn’t fight with Ream or get angry; he stayed quiet and relaxed and let me have this. “I broke and he slid inside and found me. But he didn’t take me. He waited until I took him.” Crisis leaned over and kissed the top of my head. “So yeah, I love him.”
Silence.
I knew the moment Ream let it go when his hands at his sides uncurled, and when he looked at Crisis there was acceptance. “You better fuckin’ marry her.”
“Ream,” I scolded.
There was a look between the two men I loved as my eyes darted from my brother to Crisis. It was an understanding as both of them nodded.
“Okay, now that it’s settled and no one is killing one another, let’s get some work done.” Logan slapped Crisis on the back.
We settled in. Well, the boys did as they went on the other side of the glass, and the guy Dan came out of what looked like an office and started sliding colorful levers up and down. Crisis sat me at a small table along the far wall, kissed me then said, “Study, babe. You need anything, tell Dan and he’ll get me.”
But I didn’t study. I couldn’t, not when they were playing the most heart-wrenching song I’d ever heard. It was almost haunting as Logan sang in his deep graveled voice, holding the microphone in his hand, eyes closed and the words filled with so much emotion.
On the chorus, they all sang, except Kite, and their voices came together in a perfect string of melody. It had been a long time since I heard my brother sing, but I easily picked his out amongst the others.
And Crisis . . . there was no question he was hot playing the guitar and singing. The energy in him filtered out through his fingers and vocal chords.
“Hold up, guys,” Dan said.
The music dwindled to a stop. Crisis winked at me through the glass and I smiled back.
“It’s too harsh,” Kite said, turning to Logan. “It needs a softer sound for that part.”
Logan nodded. I didn’t hear anything more as the sound from the room cut off.
Crisis turned his back to the window and strode over to the drums. I saw Kite’s eyes dart to me then he pursed his lips together as if contemplating. Then all the guys were gathered around the drums talking.
Ream turned abruptly and stared at me. I had no idea what was going on until Dan turned on the sound again. “Yeah. Haunting. It’s perfect,” Crisis said. “Let me ask her.” He lifted the guitar strap over his head and passed it off to Ream then came through the door.
“What’s going on?” Dan asked.
“We’d like to change it up. Go talk to Logan for a sec.”
I knew it was a hint to get out while Crisis talked to me. He strode the few feet toward me and it was a sexy swagger. He was thrumming with excitement and there was a sparkling glitter in his bright blue eyes as they locked on me.
“What?”
He didn’t hesitate as he picked me up in his arms. I looped my arms around his neck and my ankles on the cusp of his lower back. He lowered his head and claimed my mouth, and it was claiming. Crisis was taking parts of me I didn’t know existed.
He groaned underneath the hard kiss and his hands gripped my butt. I noticed he gradually moved us over to the side of the room where the guys couldn’t see us from where they were standing. He pressed my back up against the wall as he continued to explore my lips with an intense need.
“Jesus. I’m addicted to you. Having you watch me while I play . . . it’s like being handed the best fuckin’ Christmas present ever.” He smoothed back my hair and I slowly slid down his body until I was standing. “I didn’t see any books open.”
I frowned. “You’re a distraction.”
“I love that,” he murmured as he kissed me again. “Since you’re not studying, want to join us?”
My heartbeat picked up. “Meaning?”
“You trust me?” His hand cupped the back of my neck, thumb gently stroking back and forth. I nodded. “The song needs a softer tone behind Logan’s. Not the whole song, but in parts.” He leaned into me, his hard cock pressed into my abdomen. “Your brother being around is a pain in the ass. I want to drag you upstairs and fuck you so badly right now.”