Tainted Kiss (Tainted Knights 1)

Turning to face her, I saw the indecision in her eyes. It took every ounce of will power I still possessed not to kiss her then and there. Instead, I lifted one of her hands and brushed a kiss over her fingertips.

“Good night, Santana.”

***

“So, any questions?”

I shifted on the couch, my attention more on my phone than anything Travis had just spent the last thirty minutes telling us. He had gone over our schedule for the following week, telling us where our first stop on the tour was and how many tickets had already been sold. Then he had gone on and on about the dos and don’ts of the meet and greets, and what Emmie was expecting of us all.

I was starting to think he liked the sound of his own voice, but really, I knew he was just doing his job. Emmie wouldn’t consider him her number one road manager if he was all talk. The guy must have been dependable for her to be so willing to rely on him as much as she did. And I was also sure that Emmie wouldn’t keep him around if he wasn’t. She didn’t take shit from her clients, so there was no way she would put up with it from one of her employees.

“So, the bus,” Kassa spoke up for the first time.

I lifted my gaze from my phone to glance over at her. She was sitting on the arm of the chair beside her brother, a small notebook in her hand that she had been taking notes in.

“How is the whole sleeping area set up?”

“It’s probably easier if I draw you a layout of the bus,” Travis told her, sounding as professional as he had all day, but there was a glint in his eyes. I saw it plain as day.

Cash, who was sitting on the couch beside me, nudged my arm. Turning my head to see what he wanted, he silently lifted his chin in the direction where Sin and Gray had sat down when the band meeting had started. Gray’s jaw was so tight I could see a nerve jumping in his cheek. He had his hands fisted at his sides as he watched Kassa with Travis. I could actually hear him gritting his teeth.

“The driver sits here, but it’s kind of cut off from the rest of the bus. There’s a kind of living area here. A couch, a few chairs, and a television on the wall,” Travis was telling her. “The kitchenette is also here. We’ll have a fridge, microwave, and a small pantry that Emmie will have stocked full of non-perishables. Past that is the bathroom. It’s small, but there is a shower. I recommended only a few minutes in there, because the hot water goes quickly.” He was sketching away as we all noticed him moving closer to Kassa.

Jace snickered as he watched his baby sister and the road manager, shooting Gray and evil grin. It was no secret that the two only tolerated each other for the sake of the band and Kassa. And it was more of the latter than the former. Jace couldn’t stand Gray, and even though I had been Gray and Sin’s friend first, I could understand why the two butted heads so much.

“The roosts will be here, at the back of the bus. There are eight bunks, so you won’t have to share.” He lifted his head and winked down at her. “But I’m up for company any time you get lonely.”

Kassa blushed so pink she could have lit up the room.

Gray jerked to his feet, muttering under his breath as he stomped out of the living room toward the kitchen.

If Travis noticed the guitarist’s black mood, he didn’t show it. His attention was solely on Kassa.

“Dude’s got balls,” Cash muttered low enough that only I could hear him. “Big brass ones.”

“Oh …” Kassa pressed her lips together, then gave Travis a small smile.

We had all noticed she’d been flirting with the guy for days now, but we also knew it was harmless on her part. She was sweet and loveable, and she was also as innocent as the day she was born. Gray had made sure of that … with a little help from Jace.

“Um, thanks, Trav. I …” She glanced down at her brother who only lifted an amused brow at her. “Actually, I’ll probably be bunking with Gray, if there’s extra room or not.”

That had Travis stepping back from her and some of the interest leaving his eyes. “I didn’t realize you were with him.”

“I’m not,” she assured him. “I just … I sleep better when I’m in a strange place when I have Gray to cuddle up to.” She patted Travis’s arm. “Thanks for the floorplan of the bus. It will really come in handy.” She gave him a tight, bright smile and stood.

“No problem,” he muttered.

As Kassa excused herself, following after Gray as she always seemed to do when he was pissed, Travis turned to the rest of us. “Well, if you guys don’t have any other questions, I’m going to head out. We will meet up Sunday afternoon. You’ll meet the roadies while we’re loading up, and then we’ll hit the road around three.”

Jace stood and, after shaking Travis’s hand, walked him out.

I had already turned my attention back to my phone, waiting for Santana to text me again. She had sent the address of where she was going to be that morning, and then another one right before I had gotten to the meeting, letting me know she was going to be running late with her last shoot. She had said she would text me when she was done, and I’d been waiting for the text to come in. It wouldn’t have mattered if the meeting was over or not, I had been ready to go as soon as I knew she was done.

I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her since I’d left her the night before. On the drive back to my apartment, I’d had to fight with myself not to turn around and go back for her. I wanted to take her home with me and keep her there until we both figured out what was going on with us. I already knew what I wanted with her, but she wasn’t there yet. She was scared, so I knew I couldn’t rush this thing with us.

Even if I ached to release the E-brake and jump headfirst into the deep end with her.

“You’ve been watching your phone like it’s a detonator or some shit,” Sin commented from across the room. “Who you waiting on to call, man?”