Tainted Kiss (Tainted Knights 1)

“This happens again, and that won’t be the only bodily fluid he spills.”

The hostess came into view, looking frazzled. She gave me a glare, then Gray a pout. “I’m going to have to ask you both to leave. If you cause trouble like that again, you will be banned from the premises.”

Gray gave her a smile that had her pout evaporating. “Sorry for the scene, love. We won’t bother you again unless your bartender steps out of line.”

“Wade?” She glanced over his shoulder, her eyes narrowing. “Has he done something to offend someone again?”

“Something like that. I think my friend here straightened him out, though.” He took her hand and lifted it to his lips.

The chick practically purred.

“Gray,” I muttered. I wasn’t in the mood to stand around while he seduced this chick. “Kassa is waiting for you.”

That name was the magic word. He quickly made up an excuse and sent the hostess back to work as we walked out.

After I got my car from the valet, I dropped Gray back at his place then headed to the gym. I needed to burn off the rage that was still simmering deep in my gut.

Two hours later, I was soaked in sweat, but at least the urge to kill Wade had finally faded for the moment.

I took a shower in the locker room then headed over to pick up my girl, who was already waiting for me outside her studio when I pulled up. She jumped in my car, and her arms instantly wrapped around my neck as she gave me a hungry kiss.

“I missed you.”

I leaned my forehead against hers for a few seconds, savoring everything about this moment. “I missed you too, doll.”

I had no idea how I was going to handle nine whole weeks without her.

FOURTEEN

Santana

After spending most of the evening in bed with Kale, we decided to go out. The band was again meeting up at First Bass since Harris Cutter was giving them a farewell party or something.

Kale had told me that they had played at the club every Thursday for a full year, but now there was another band playing there. I was curious to hear this all-girl rock band that had taken their place. Mostly, I just wanted to hang out with Kale and his friends. After being on my own most of my childhood, I liked being around other people. It was just something I needed, and probably one of the major reasons I was hesitant to move out of the apartment I shared with Sage.

I didn’t want to be on my own again. It was lonely and reminded me too much of how it was when my dad had been on deployment.

My phone started blowing up on the drive to the club. Seeing that it was Sage, I tried to ignore it. She had texted me while I was working, basically rehashing all the shit she had texted me the night before about how pissed she was at me.

Maybe I had started the argument with Wade …

Okay, so there was no maybe about it. He had insulted me first. Was I supposed to just sit there and take it? Fuck that shit. I didn’t let anyone walk all over me.

I ignored her just to keep the peace, when what I really wanted to do was grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her.

Her boyfriend had been eye-fucking me right in front of her. He’d talked about parts of my body right in fucking front of her! He had no business even thinking about me that way, let alone talking about it. Then, he had taken things to the next level by getting in my face.

And she had just sat there, glaring at me like I was the bad guy.

Honestly, I was done with it all. I loved her, and I knew I would worry about her, but I was ready to move out. Let her and Wade have the damn apartment. I couldn’t stand watching them together any more. I couldn’t deal with the way he talked down to her. And I sure as hell couldn’t handle a repeat of the night before.

Unless it was a repeat of what had happened with Kale. Because I was all kinds of ready for more of that.

After spending the first part of the evening in bed with him, I was slightly sore and tender, but I didn’t care. It felt like I couldn’t get enough, and the only fear I had of what I was feeling for him now was that this might stop just as quickly as it had begun.

We didn’t go up to the VIP floor this time. Instead, Kale led me to the ground floor where the place was packed to capacity already. He kept his arm tightly around me as he pushed through the crowd until we found his friends close to the stage that had been set up for the Blonde Bombshells.

The DJ was still playing music for the crowd, but it was getting close to time for the band to come out, so no one was dancing.