Fic: Caught in the Crossfire | 2 of 3
Title: Caught in the Crossfire
Rated: NC-17
The call came in right before dinner. Bobby rushed into the living room, Matt right behind him, both men frantic.
“What?” Kris demanded, sitting up from where he was lying down.
“It’s Carla,” Bobby breathed out heavily. “She’s…she’s been...”
Matt stood over Kris and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking lightly, “Carla’s been in an accident. Car, brakes…She’s hurt…St. John’s. We should get going…”
“Holy shit…what happened? Is she okay? Her parents…” Kris jumped up from the couch and grabbed his jacket. “Let’s get going. Tell me on the way.”
Kris sighed and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders tighter. He stared through the windows, but didn’t pay attention to the people milling about inside trying to get the house in order. His life had been turned upside-down in just a matter of weeks. He could handle this nonsense if it just affected him, but as of a couple weeks ago, that illusion shattered.
It didn’t seem like it would be such a big deal when he made the decision all those years ago. He felt a freedom like he had never experienced before. His management, the label, and most especially, his family, were supportive like he couldn’t believe. Yes, it was a shocking revelation, but it was something he needed to do and get the restraints off himself. However, now he was thinking back on the decision and how he had been living his life…because now his actions had inadvertently hurt his family…physically. It had become real.
“…that this is only temporary,” Kim Allen was saying. She put her head on Kris’s shoulder and put an arm around his waist.
“Thanks for coming out to help out, mama,” Kris said softly.
“Oh, honey, of course.” She paused. “How’s Carla doing?”
“Apparently being a brat,” Kris chuckled. “She’s being released in a couple of days, then I’m sending her home for a couple of weeks with her parents to rest up.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t appreciate the forced vacation,” Kim laughed lightly.
Kris smiled, “Yeah, she’s made some crazy threats…” Kris’s voice dropped off. “Fuck.” He peered over at his mama’s face, “Uh, sorry.”
Kim squeezed his waist, “It’s okay, baby. With everything you’re going through.” She lightly pinched him, “Though, once it’s resolved, you’ll be getting a slap upside the head for that kind of language.”
Laughing, Kris turned his body to fall into his mama’s arms, “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
They fell into a peaceful silence. Kris closed his eyes and let his mama’s warmth surround him. He took a deep breath, trying to relax.
“It’s a nice place,” Kim commented, resting her chin on Kris’s head. “If I didn’t know about all the security measures that have been built in, it would just be a beautiful home.”
“Temporary, thank god,” Kris mumbled. “I liked my old place.”
“Who found it?”
“Adam.”
“Ah.”
Kris lifted his head, “What?”
“Nothing.”
Kris pulled out of her arms, “I know that ‘ah’ sound, mama.”
“The house is just really nice, that’s all. Roomy and open, giant windows that overlook this gorgeous backyard.” She shrugged, then patted him from shoulder to elbow and smiled, “I like it more than your old place, and Adam seems like he’s taking your safety seriously, so it makes me feel better.”
“It’s his job,” Kris mumbled.
“Uh-huh.”
Kris blew out a breath, “Okay, now what’s that supposed to mean?”
Kim stood up and adjusted the blanket around herself, “I should get inside to make sure the movers are putting things where they’re supposed to.”
“Mama…” It came out as a low growl.
**
“Adam,” Matt started. “Kris needs to get out of the house.”
Adam looked up from his laptop and leaned back in his chair. “And why is that?”
“He’s been moping since he’s moved here. He’s not writing, hasn’t stepped foot into a studio, the guys are bitching because he’s been blowing off rehearsal for the benefit next month, Ronnie and her team are freaking out because he hasn’t been seen out and about town, and since the accident, people are starting to wonder…”
“Is this coming from you or from Jacob and the label?” Adam asked resting his hands on his stomach. “Because, from what I understand, Kris’s management wanted him safe, and he’s safe right now. The threats have gone away, though according to Brian, we’re close to finding the person or persons involved.”
“It’s been, what? Months! You’re no closer than you were before,” Matt retorted. “At least let him out of the house.”
Adam stood up and crossed his arms, “No one is stopping him. He just needs to take precautions when he goes out. We’ve established all this a few weeks ago before he moved here.”
Matt started to pace the length of the living room of the guest house. He threw his hands up then ran his fingers through his hair, “He needs to know he can be normal and do regular things.”
Adam snorted, “Starting a fight because he changed his mind about a blow job at Sodom & Gomorrah is doing ‘regular’ things?” using his fingers for air quotes. Blowing out an exasperated breath, Adam raised his voice and continued, “We’re not keeping him a prisoner in his own home. He can go out and party and do whatever it is he wants to do. He just needs to make sure to follow protocol.”
“But that’s the point!” Matt shouted. “He won’t go out, just sits in the music room writing emo crap, walking around the fucking house like a zombie or something.”
“Then take him out to eat, go to the movies or something, maybe a lounge for a couple of cocktails,” Adam said reasonably. “Let Cale, Anoop or me know, and one of us or one of our guys will be with you.”
Matt threw himself onto the couch, “Club. Dancing. Tomorrow night.”
Adam shook his head, “Tomorrow night is fine, but no club. Too hard to secure down and watch over him.”
“He needs to have fun!”
“Dinner and drinks can be fun, we just need to make it fun and casual,” Adam said. He leaned against the door jamb to the French doors that led to the backyard. “We’ll make it a boys’ night kind of thing, let his PR people know so they can get the paps out to hang around the restaurant…”
“Club or you’ll have to deal with zombie Kris,” Matt interrupted. “I’ll suddenly have to take my long-needed, long-time coming vacation if we don’t do this, then you and your team can take care of making sure he showers, wears clean clothes and goes to his meetings.”
“You’re reverting to threats now, Giraurd?”
Matt stretched his arms behind his head and spread his body along the couch, “Yup.”
Adam scowled.
“Like I said, Kris needs to get out and get his mojo or whatever going again. I’ve known him for nearly a decade and have never seen him like this. I know what he needs, and I intend to give it to him.”
Adam snorted again and raised an eyebrow.
Matt rolled his eyes, “Perv.”
“Let me see what I can do,” Adam sighed. He pushed himself away from the door and picked up his cell. Seeing Matt still sprawled on the couch, he huffed, “You can get out now.”
Laughing, Matt jumped up from the couch, “Tomorrow night. I’ll tell our boy!”
**
Cale lounged on the couch in the living room, feet on the coffee table. The French doors were open, letting in the soft scents of the aromatic jasmine bushes that dotted the backyard. He watched the scene around him with amusement, biting back his laughter.
“I know you want to laugh, so just get it out of your system, asshole,” Adam yelled out as he streaked through the living room from a back room to the bathroom.
Finally letting out a bellowing laugh, Cale asked, “Why are you making such a big thing out of this?” He paused, “Uh, where are we going anyway?” Looking down at himself, he made a face, “Am I dressed right?”
Adam stuck his head out from the bathroom and eyed Cale carefully. “Yeah, you’re fine.”
“Then why are you running around like you’re getting ready for a first date?”
“I’m doing no such thing!” Adam yelled out from the bathroom. “Got a late start in getting ready, and Bobby will have the car pulled around in a few minutes.”
“Uh-huh.”
Adam stared at his reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath. It wasn’t a date. He just needed to make sure he dressed appropriately and looked good tonight. When didn’t he? He prided himself on his appearance, plus he pulled some major strings to make sure tonight went well.
“Any day now, Adam!” Cale shouted.
Tugging on the collar of his shirt and lifting his ring finger to his eye for a last second smudge of eyeliner, he exhaled and turned off the light.
Cale and Bobby leaned on the doors of the SUV and chatted while Adam paced the length of it, checking his watch again. At the sound of footsteps, Adam looked up, expecting to see Matt and Kris, instead, Matt was alone.
“Where’s Kris?” Adam asked as Matt approached.
“He’s, uh, he’s still getting ready,” Matt replied sheepishly. He pulled at the lapels of his jacket. “He should be out in a bit...ten, uh, maybe 15 minutes.”
Adam stalked up the driveway towards the house.
“Where are you going?” Matt shouted out to his back.
“Motherfucking, prima-donna, selfish bastardizing asswipe,” Adam muttered as he threw the front door open and took the stairs, two at a time, up to the main bedroom.
The door to the master bedroom was open, just a sliver, but Adam knocked on it, reigning back his temper. Tapping his foot waiting for some kind of acknowledgement, he stood just outside not barging in.
“Matt, I told you to give me 15,” Kris’s voice traveled through the door.
Adam pushed the door open and stepped inside. “And I thought you were specifically told to be ready…” his voice trailed off.
Kris turned around at his voice as he saw Adam loom in the doorway. Standing by the unmade bed, Kris had a large white towel wrapped dangerously low around his hips; stray bits of water slowing weaving their way down the corded muscles on his arms and chest. Hands that were towel-drying his hair froze. “Uh, hey.”
Adam knew he should look away, but his eyes were drawn to the sprinkle of freckles on Kris’s shoulders.
How much time had passed, seconds…hours? He moved his eyes away from Kris’s bare chest, just in time to see the slight smirk on his face. Cocky fucker. Adam clenched his hand and cleared his throat, “Car’s been ready for the last ten minutes. It would look bad if we’re late.”
“Yeah, sorry,” Kris murmured as he began toweling his hair again. “Can you, uh, help?”
“Help?” Adam squeaked. His mind raced with a million scenarios in which he could help Kris Allen out right now and through the night.
“Don’t know where we’re going tonight,” Kris answered throwing the towel in his hand onto the bed. “Matt said you planned the whole thing, so I figure you should be able to tell me which of those shirts,” Kris pointed to three shirts laid out on the bed, “would be the most appropriate.”
“I’m here for your protection, not to help you with wardrobe.”
Kris gripped the corner of the larger towel wrapped around his hip and loosened it slightly. Tilting his head as he walked closer to Adam, he smiled, “Aw, come on now. Wouldn’t want to embarrass you with the wrong outfit or anything. Just pick one.”
Adam remained where he was…he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. He glanced over to the shirts so that he wouldn’t have an eyeful of Kris’s chest. “Any of them are fine,” he ground out. His hands balled into fists so he wouldn’t be tempted to yank the towel off. “Be downstairs in five minutes,” he growled and left the room.
**
The four of them sat in the vehicle, an uncomfortable silence filling the extended cab of the SUV. Adam and Cale sat in the back, Matt and Kris in the middle rows. Traffic was snarled, heavy for a Thursday night, but not unusual. Kris fiddled with his iPhone texting back and forth with Tommy, who was apparently sick of waiting for them to swing by and pick him up.
“Tommy’s getting bitchy. How much longer, Bobby?” Kris asked leaning over the front seat.
“ETA is five minutes, boss,” Bobby answered. “Then another 15 minutes until we get to the club.”
“Where are we going anyway,” Kris asked, turning his body around to face Cale and Adam.
Cale shrugged, “Don’t look at me.” He pointed to Adam, who was on the phone, “It’s all him.”
“…thanks, Doug, appreciate it.” He put the phone down and stretched an arm on the back of the seat. “Sorry,” he said, voice clearly not apologetic. “Had to smooth down some feathers because we’re running so late, and tell them to hold the table for us.”
Kris scowled, “Where’re we going?” He wouldn’t apologize again. Yes, it was his fault that they were late, but he was writing and in a groove. He already apologized to everyone when he finally got out of the house.
“Shouldn’t you move over so Tommy has a place to sit?” Adam asked archly as the SUV stopped.
“Yo! About fucking time asswipes,” Tommy said as he jumped in next to Kris. “I was ready to play old fart, watch ‘Murder, She Wrote’ and eat Cheetos or something.” He twisted in his seat, “Hey Cale, Adam. What’s up?”
“Same old, same old,” Cale replied.
“Having a grand old time,” Adam replied. “And, how about you?”
“Well, if we could get this one…” Tommy elbowed Kris, “to schedule rehearsal, I’d be better. But not too bad, overall.”
Tommy and Adam continued to chat as the SUV headed downtown, Matt turning to pipe in. Kris glowered as he half-listened to their banter, all animated and filled with laughs and harmless insults. He tried not to grimace and huff every time Tommy or Matt bumped into him as both gestured while talking to Adam. Why was it that Adam was relaxed and conducting light-hearted conversations with Tommy, but not him? It couldn’t be because Adam was attracted to Tommy, was it? Kris frowned at the thought.
It took everything he had not to shove Tommy out of the door as soon as the SUV stopped and Bobby opened the door.
“Okay, so are you going to tell us where we’re going? Now that we’re here?” Kris sneered. “We are here, right?”
Adam gave him an odd look, a flash of surprise and possibly hurt crossing his face, but it was gone so fast, Kris thought he might have imagined it.
“We’re at Fascia.”
“Holy shit,” Tommy exclaimed, then whistled, “Damn…you got some pull we don’t know about?” He grabbed Kris’s shoulders and shook him. “Do you know people would lie, steal and kill to get in?”
Cale came around from the other side of the car, “Yeah, well, Adam’s kind of a big deal. Just don’t expect him to do this shit for you all the time.”
“This is Fascia?” Kris queried. He looked around the dimly lit, industrial area, just under the shadows of the high-rises of downtown LA. The building that housed Fascia was all worn-down brick and metal. No signs labeled the club, just a rusted jumble of numbers that let you know you might be in the right place, but only if you were completely, absolutely sure. Fascia was the club that anyone who was anyone in LA or NY wanted to get into, but couldn’t. Having money, power and fame did nothing. Not without credentials that only the owners knew about. And, to influence the owners, one had to know who they were, which many people didn’t.
Matt finished his phone call, then sauntered over to them and plopped his arms around Kris and Tommy, “Sorry, just letting know Laura know where we are and to be jealous. Tonight, we are kings, my friends.” He grinned over at Adam. “Thanks to Adam.”
Adam waved a hand, as if to say “whatever” and headed to the oversized door. He hit a panel that Kris would be hard pressed to find even in bright daylight, and watched fascinated as metal grated as the door slid away and a giant of a man stepped out. Upon seeing Adam, the man broke out into a crooked smile and enveloped him with his beefy arms, nearly making Adam disappear.
After what seemed like a few words, some not so pleasant, Kris spied Adam slip the man something into his hand, then pat the guard on his shoulder.
Walking back to the SUV, Adam handed Bobby a small sticker. “Put this on the upper left corner,” he instructed, “and pull into the lot behind the building…” he pointed to the left. “Down the alleyway. You’ll have a place to shoot the shit with the other guys while you wait.”
Bobby nodded as he placed the sticker on the window and got into the vehicle. Adam waved them along, “Come on, let’s go. We’re already late.”
They shuffled towards the giant, who grandiosely waved them through the metal door.
**
As they entered the main foyer of the club, the door slid shut with a creak and thud, silence and darkness descending on them like a heavy blanket. Blue neon lights flickered on, washing them in an eerie glow.
“Mr. Lambert,” a pleasant voice greeted them in the dark.
“Hi Sienna,” Adam replied. “My apologies for our tardiness, traffic was a bit of a bitch tonight.”
“Not a problem, we understand,” Sienna replied as she appeared from a darkened corner. A statuesque blond with her hair slicked back into a ponytail and wearing a black dress that looked like it was made of ace-bandages approached them. “Your table is ready. I’ve let Ashley know to restock the ice bucket and freshen up your table.”
Adam pushed to the front of the group and he kissed Sienna on the cheek, “Thank you, sweetie.”
She smiled, “Please, come with me.” As she opened the second door, music that was blocked by the barrier pounded into them. She deftly bypassed waiters and dancers along the floor and led them to the reserved VIP tables in the back on an upper level, uncaring that her guests were slow in following because of the gawking and staring. Situated centrally to the dance floor, bar and in the middle of the lavish speaker system, Sienna waited patiently for them by the table until they skittered over and settled into the booth and free-standing chairs. After introducing them to their hostess Ashley and section security guard Vince, Sienna turn and walked away with a sway in her hips.
“Damn, the women here are hot,” Matt admired.
“Down boy,” Cale laughed. “Like you’d even have a chance.”
“Nothing says I can’t look and appreciate,” Matt retorted. “Plus, I have Laura. It’s all good.”
After noting that Ashley was serving drinks to everyone, Adam eyed Kris nervously. Kris was gaping at everything around them, mouth open slightly taking in the sights.
“Gonna make my rounds,” he said, leaning over to speak into Cale’s ear.
Cale nodded, “Sure thing. I’ll take care of things here.” He grabbed Adam’s elbow and whispered under the music, “Then you’re going to tell me how the fuck you managed to get us in here on such short notice, yeah?”
Adam grinned, “Not tonight, though.”
Glancing around, he scurried out of their section into the bowels of the club, nodding to other people he knew, waving and smiling at them as he made his way over.
“Where’d Adam go?” Kris asked as he stood up from his seat.
“He’s checking things out,” Cale replied, leaning down to pick up a bottle of water.
“I’m sure he is,” Matt cracked as he bobbed his head to the music.
Kris scowled, “I thought the point of having protective services was for you guys to hang around your client, you know, me.”
Cale lifted a brow, “He’s checking out the security in here. Fastest way in and out, alternative routes and all that; it’s standard operating procedure.”
“Oh.”
Cale sidled up next to Kris in a deceptively slow gait and growled low, “Don’t ever question that we’re here to do our jobs. We might chat and be nice and have you guys think of us as friends, but we take this shit seriously. And, I don’t know what your deal is with Adam, but he’s good at what he does. If you don’t like it, fire us.”
Kris stuck his chin out, “Maybe I will.”
“Just say the word, Allen. Just say the word,” Cale replied and stepped back.
**
Adam sat at the bar, back to the wall, eyes roving around the club while taking a sip of orange juice. He had full view of the VIP seating area, but had no intention of sitting there. Besides, Cale was there.
What he needed to do was find a way to get over his attraction to one Kris Allen. He would be free of him for at least two weeks as Anoop and Devon took over babysitting duties at the house. Then, he’d have time to hit a club on his own, drink his bizarre crush away with tons of alcohol and a willing, hot-as-hell guy. All these months of being on duty and being near Kris was making him ridiculously horny. He needed to get it out of his system.
This entire assignment was fucking with his brain.
He watched Kris stand up and take a shot, Matt cheering him on. Tommy was flirting with a couple of women in the booth next to theirs. Adam tried to see who Matt was pointing out to Kris, but couldn’t see through the throng of people dancing. Kris smiled and shook his head, instead pointing to someone else. Adam frowned at the look that crossed Matt’s face, then got distracted as Kris took another shot and left the table.
Listening to the strange feeling that twisted through his brain and gut, Adam finished his drink and headed to the dance floor. As he wound himself through the mass of bodies writhing to the music, he stretched up to find Kris.
A sharp stab of jealousy hit him as he saw Kris lean up and into a dark-haired man in the corner. Their lips touched, the man’s hand moving up and down Kris’s arm. Adam struggled to get closer as he saw the man put a white tab on his tongue and licked into Kris’s open mouth. He shoved people out of his way and grabbed Kris’s arm.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Adam shouted at Kris. “Spit that out.”
“Hey, man, mind your own fucking business,” the man yelled, holding onto Kris’s other arm. “We were just having some fun.”
“Get the fuck out here before I have them toss your ass out,” Adam growled.
Adam yanked Kris away, but not before Kris blatantly swallowed the pill.
“We’re here to have a night out,” Kris said as he followed Adam back to the table. “What’s the big deal.”
“Why didn’t you spit that out?” Adam asked as he pushed Kris onto the cushioned chair at their table. Tommy and Cale rolled out of the way. Adam continued, “What the fuck are you thinking? Taking drugs from strangers? Brains…do you have any?”
“Adam, dude…” Cale stood up and put a hand on Adam’s shoulder.
Adam twisted to face Cale. “He can’t even…” He pointed to Kris, who was sitting with his legs sprawled and a bottle of Jack between them, rubbing his hand up and down the neck of the bottle and smirking at Adam.
“We’re leaving. Call Bobby and have him out front in five,” Adam demanded. He got Ashley’s attention to close their tab.
After dropping off Tommy, Bobby and Cale moved Kris’s languid body from the SUV into the house. Adam stormed to the guest house and grabbed vodka from the freezer.
“You okay?” Cale asked.
Adam looked up to see Cale leaning against the wall of the kitchen’s entrance. “Yeah, just need to…” Adam sighed as he poured the vodka into some club soda. “I think I need a break.”
“Two more nights, then two weeks off. If you want, I’ll take your shift after Devon. You can cover things in the office.”
“Thanks.”
“What’s going on?” Cale inquired. He held up a hand, stopping Adam’s rant that was ready to come out. “Other than the obvious. Yeah, he’s a pain in the ass, but we’ve had worse. You need to get over your crush.”
“I don’t have…”
“Stop it, Adam,” Cale crossed his arms. “We’ve known each other for far too long. Don’t lie to me, and most of all, don’t lie to yourself.” He pushed himself from the wall. “Find a way to get over it. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
After Cale took off, Adam took a few more sips of his drink and wandered around the backyard. He double-checked the perimeter of the property, inspecting the cameras, locks on the gates and doors. As he was heading back to the guest house, Adam stared up at the room he knew was Kris’s bedroom. Through the glowing windows, he watched Kris’s shadow crossing the room. Taking a deep breath, he made his way into the house. He’d apologize for his behavior tonight, if for nothing else, to make sure Kris treated the other guys better while he was gone.
Knocking on the door, Adam waited, but didn’t get a reply. “Kris?” he called out through the door. “I know it’s late. Your light is still on…” A loud thump came from the room. “Kris!” Adam pushed open the door, looking around.
Kris was on the floor, body twitching, bubbles of saliva leaking from the corner of his mouth.
“Shit…goddammit!” Adam ran and hauled him up. He dragged Kris into the bathroom. “Fuck…I told you to spit that shit out!”
With one arm, he turned the shower handle, cold water spraying out. Taking Kris’s prone body, he stepped into the stall, shoving Kris in front of the nozzle where the cold water streamed over him.
Kris sputtered, body lurching forward, but Adam held on tight, arm around his waist. Adam’s free hand unconsciously rubbed Kris’s arm, palm covering the goose bumps cascading down from the chill of the water.
As Kris shivered and straightened up, plastering his back to Adam’s front, Adam knew he was becoming aware of his surroundings, consciousness slowly filtering in; hands grabbed Adam’s arm that was wound around him. Adam stopped rubbing Kris’s arm and reached around him to turn the hot water on, making the spraying water more comfortable for both of them.
“You’re okay now.” Adam whispered. “You’re okay.”
**
Kris trembled at the harsh jet of cold water that surged over his body, t-shirt and jeans molding to his skin. The patches of warmth on one of his arms and his back caused him to tumble back, knocking the two of them into the cold tiles of the shower stall.
The sudden spray of warm water triggered another shiver to travel through his body. Awareness struck him just as suddenly as he felt Adam’s breath in his ear.
“You’re okay now.” Adam whispered. “You’re okay.”
Kris tilted his head back, resting it on Adam’s shoulder and clasped the arm that was around his waist. Adam’s other hand reached up and across his chest, wrapping them tightly together, and Kris sighed, the heat from Adam’s body comforting him. He turned his head, lips brushing along Adam’s jaw.
“Adam…”
“Kris…don’t,” Adam breathed out. “Don’t…please.”
Whether it was an appeal to stop or an entreaty to continue, Kris didn’t care. He pulled at Adam’s arms, making room to twist his body around until they were chest-to-chest, his own arms wrapping around Adam’s back and hooking over his shoulders, face burrowing into Adam’s neck. He pressed himself closer, relaxing his body as his felt Adam’s hands move up and down his back, lifting the wet fabric of his shirt until hands hit skin. Kris felt scorched at the touch.
Kris’s skin felt sensitized beyond belief, something inside wanting to push out, like an inner self needed to escape and touch Adam back. It was unfurling in his stomach, moving up and through his body, threatening to overwhelm him. His hands curled into Adam’s hair, fingers running over his scalp, a shiver escaping from Adam’s body. Kris felt the small groan escape through the rumble of Adam’s throat.
He pulled back and their eyes locked on each other. The fire and heat burning in Adam’s icy blue eyes glittered down on him. Clumps of Adam’s wet hair created rivulets that streamed down the sides of his face, and Kris couldn’t help but follow the path of one with his finger, sliding down Adam’s cheek, along his jaw. He put the finger in his mouth, watching Adam watch him.
They stared at each other, their breathing and the steady stream of water pelting the porcelain tiles the only sounds. Steam enveloped them, whether from the spray or heat radiating off their bodies, it coiled over and around their bodies, as if to make sure they couldn’t be separated.
Adam turned their bodies until Kris’s back smashed into the wall of tiles, moved them until the pulsating jets of water were hitting only their legs. Gaze unmoving from Kris’s eyes, Adam grabbed his wrists and pinned them to the wall, next to his head.
Kris lowered his eyes, focusing on Adam’s mouth, then traveled down his throat and chest. He looked back up and moved his head to capture Adam’s lips. His arms were strained in Adam’s grip, but he had enough momentum to brush his lips, making Adam move back in shock. Knocking his head back against the tiles, Kris shivered as Adam’s hold loosened and stroked his hands upward until their fingers tangled.
He couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped as he finally felt Adam’s lips slide along his jaw, teeth nipping at his earlobe. Turning his head so their lips could touch, Kris let out a growl of frustration as he only felt the tip of Adam’s lips skimming his, the teasing of soft brushes as he panted. Adam body pressed against his, and Kris could feel their erections brushing against each other, wet denim equally stroking and chafing them.
Kris shifted his hips, pushing into Adam, wanting…needing the pressure against his cock. His brain got online enough to yank his hand from Adam’s grip and move it between their bodies. He palmed Adam through his jeans, squeezing and using his fingers to caress his cock. With a deep moan, Adam lost control and took his mouth hungrily, sweeping in with his tongue, tasting and biting and sucking Kris’s mouth, taking over completely.
Adam’s free hand cupped Kris’s cheek as he softened the kiss, while his other hand tightened with each press of Kris’s fingers on the front of his jeans. Kris felt possessed as Adam’s hand traveled from cheek to his neck, grasping the side of his head, sealing their mouths together again while their tongues battled. Kris moved his hand to grip Adam’s ass and pushed Adam’s hip forward as he bucked his own to rub them together.
“Adam…” Kris panted, moving his mouth away to breathe, to plead, to cry out that he needed to come. “Adam, please.” He wanted release.
As soon as Adam stepped back, Kris nearly cried at the loss of his weight and heat; then he whimpered as he felt Adam’s hands undoing his jeans, pulling and shoving both jeans and boxers down to his knees. Kris’s brain scrambled to keep up, reaching out to unbutton Adam’s. Kris moaned as they touched each other at the same time, hands gripping hard, twisting and tugging at each other.
Kris pulled Adam’s head down to kiss him again, thrusting his tongue into Adam’s mouth, other hand twitching as he continued to clench Adam’s cock. They were frantic…touching, clutching, rubbing and kissing each other with a frenzy, skin against skin, heavy breathing echoing off the walls. With a small twist and a tight squeeze that made Kris stand up on his toes, he wrapped his arm around Adam’s shoulder as he came in violent spurts.
When the stars finally receded from behind his eyes, Kris leaned his head on Adam’s chest and increased the pressure of his hand on Adam’s cock. He pulled and constricted his hand, fingers strumming along Adam’s length. Then, in a quick motion, he fell to his knees and took Adam into his mouth, hands crawling up and under his shirt.
“Oh god,” Adam ground out. “Fuuuuck…Kris.”
Up and down, in and out, Kris sucked Adam’s cock slowly and with purpose. He felt Adam’s hand wrap around his head, trying to get him to move; Kris only opened his mouth wider and took Adam in deeper. He pulled back when he felt Adam fall against the tiles, hands loose in his hair. Taking one hand and grabbing Adam’s cock at the base, Kris licked at the tip as he twisted his hand. He looked up and had to choke back a gasp at the intensity of Adam’s gaze. He lowered his mouth around Adam again and drew him in hard, tongue pressing up, teeth grazing lightly. He felt Adam’s body grow taut and try to pull away, but he gripped Adam’s hips to keep him in place as Adam came in his mouth.
**
Adam sat in the darkened conference room, body tense, both hands gripping the coffee cup like a lifeline. He cringed as Cale walked in and opened the blinds on the floor-to-ceiling windows facing outside with relish.
Anoop had his phone between his ear and shoulder, finishing a conversation as he shut the door and slid the sheer panels across the windows facing into the office, closing them in. Adam ignored them, focusing on his coffee and the bent cup sleeve; he picked at it, his full attention on splitting the pebbled cardboard.
“You both can stop staring at me. I know I fucked up.”
Cale leaned against the window and laughed, “That’s not why we’re staring.”
Anoop shuffled his legs to roll himself over to where Adam sat. The arms of the chairs bumped into each other. “We’re not staring because we’re judging you, but rather, um, curiosity.”
Adam still didn’t look up and snorted, “Curiosity. Uh-huh.”
Cale stood between them, placing his hands on the backs of each chair. Leaning over, his kissed the top of Adam’s head, “Seriously, Adam. You know we support each other no matter what, right or wrong, dumb or smart. And, for the record, you didn’t fuck up.” He grabbed the seat on the other side of Adam and grabbed his coffee.
They sat in silence, Anoop studying the files in front of him, legs crossed; Cale propped his feet onto the table and sipped at the stolen coffee.
Adam thought back to three weeks ago, the shower, the way he held onto Kris while they sat under the spray until the water ran cold, cooling their bodies down. They had grabbed towels to dry off, Kris taking off his wet clothes and dropping them onto the floor in a soggy heap. After he wrapped a towel around his waist, he stepped in front of Adam and tried to pull at Adam’s drenched shirt and jeans. Adam grabbed his hands, holding them between their bodies.
He tried to walk away right then, but couldn’t control his hand from reaching up to cup Kris’s face, pulling it to him for another kiss. As Kris tried to walk them towards the bed, Adam resisted. He drew away, wrenching himself from Kris’s embrace.
“I…” Adam stuttered. “I have to go.” He ran out of the house, leaving Kris standing there.
Slamming the door to the guesthouse, he haphazardly packed his bags while calling Anoop to relieve him. He didn’t care that he had two more days, he needed to get out. He needed to leave the property before he found himself rushing back into the house, into Kris’s warm arms.
“He’s being a pain in the ass, you know,” Cale drawled out, pulling Adam back from his thoughts.
Adam looked over and saw Cale picking through the candy bowl from the table.
“He’s always been a pain in the ass,” Adam replied. He raked his fingers through his hair and leaned back in his seat. “What’s so different this time?”
“He’s demanding you come back for personal protective detail,” Anoop answered, clearly trying not to laugh.
“No.”
This time Anoop did laugh. “You want to explain why to Jacob and the label?” Anoop scooted his chair back so he could see Adam and Cale. “He’s threatening not to leave the house unless you’re there. He hates, hates Devon, and the benefit concert is coming up.”
“Well, you or Cale…”
“No can do, buddy,” Cale interrupted. “I’ve got a vacation that’s been on the books for months, and Christi would kill me twice if I cancelled it.” He pointed to Anoop, “‘Noop’s got a two-day detail with that congressman dude. And,” Cale put his hand over Adam’s mouth, “the other guys are all assigned out.”
Adam twisted his head away from Cale’s hand. “You’ve had three weeks to figure all this out. Don’t tell me schedules couldn’t get moved around.”
“You know the schedules as well as we do, and we’ve all done everything we could to help each other and be accommodating to everyone’s time, but we’re tapped out,” Anoop said quietly.
Rubbing his hand over his face, mindless of streaking his eyeliner, Adam sighed. “I know, I know.”
“It’s three days, two nights. I think you can manage that,” Cale chimed in. “Plus, I think he misses you. Keeps asking about you, making inquiries as to when you’re coming back.”
Adam pounded his forehead onto the table. “I can’t believe I fucked things up this bad.”
Anoop pulled Adam’s chair back, rolling it away from the table so he would stop banging his head. “It’s three days, two nights. You can do it.”
**
The crowd was raucous, rowdy and just shy of disorderly. Considering Kris hadn’t performed in an actual concert setting for almost a year, he was pleasantly surprised at the turnout for some reason. Yes, Jacob and Ronnie had told him the benefit concert was sold out, but it didn’t really click for him until now.
Taking a deep breath, he stood between a few cargo cages and relaxed his mind. Using the empty speaker cases to stretch, Kris raised his arms up above his head.
“Oh, sorry,” Adam said, coming into view. “Didn’t know you had a pre-show ritual. I’ll come back.” Adam’s hand gripped an outer cage, preventing him from running into Kris’s semi-hidden spot.
Kris watched with amusement as Adam tried to tear his eyes away from Kris’s abs. Instead of lowering his arms, Kris left them gripping the cases, ensuring his shirt stayed up and the strip of skin continued to show.
“Not a problem, just stretching out a bit,” Kris answered and twisted a little more making sure his shirt moved around. “What’s up?”
Adam twitched a bit, hand tightening on the edge of the cage in his grip, his normally stoic deportment cracking as Kris flexed his arms behind his head. “Uh, I…” Adam stuttered. “This is, well, I…” He finally looked up and inhaled. “This is going to probably sound weird, but I have a weird feeling about tonight, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do…anything to…you know, instigate something crazy or set off the crowd?”
Kris stepped from between the crates and stopped inches from Adam’s taut body.
“Would that make you feel better?” Kris asked, voice low.
“Yeah,” Adam whispered out. He cleared his throat, “Yes, it would.”
Kris reached up and nearly laughed as Adam flinched, “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Hey Kris!” Matt interrupted. He backed away when he saw them together. “Whoa, sorry, man.”
“No problem,” Kris said, looking over Adam’s shoulder. “What’s up?”
Matt had his arm hooked around his girlfriend Laura’s shoulder, a confused look on his face. Laura’s eyes studied Adam and Kris carefully, her smile slipping as she grabbed Matt’s hand.
“Just letting you know you’re up. Got two minutes.”
Kris nodded, “Yeah, was on my way over.” He started to walk away, but shouted out, “No promises.”
“What was that about?” Matt asked Adam.
On stage, Kris was feeling ridiculously amazing, the energy from the crowd feeding him. Despite the lack of rehearsal, the band was in fine form. Isaac was going insane on the drums like “Animal” from the Muppets, Andrew’s fingers brushed smoothly across the strings of his guitar and Tommy alternated between the piano and bass, fingers flying across each instrument like a madman. There was one more song before the ten-minute break and they headed back out for a two-song encore.
“We’re going to try this cover tonight. Sing along if you know it!” Kris shouted out to the audience.
“This bed is on fire
With passionate love
The neighbors complain about the noises above
But he only comes when he's on top…”
Kris smirked as he looked over to where he knew Adam stood in the shadows. Winking blatantly into the dark space, he turned back to face the screaming crowd.
“My therapist said not to see you no more
She said you're like a disease without any cure
She said I'm so obsessed that I'm becoming a bore, oh no
Ah, you think you're so pretty…”
He moved from the middle of the platform to meet Tommy, and they leaned their backs against each other, playing their guitars suggestively as Tommy flicked his tongue out to a group of women on his side of the stage.
“Caught your hand inside the till
Slammed your fingers in the door
Fought with kitchen knives and skewers…
Tommy shoved his shoulder back, boosting Kris up so he could run in front of Isaac and the drum kit. He threw the bright pink feather boa around his shoulders and swiftly wrapped it around his neck, and continued to sing…
“Dressed me up in women’s clothes
Messed around with gender roles
Dye my eyes and call me pretty…”
Kris flipped his guitar to his back, grabbed the microphone and sauntered the edge of the stage…
“Moved out of the house, so you moved next door
I locked you out, you cut a hole in the wall
I found you sleeping next to me,
I thought I was alone
You're driving me crazy, when are you coming home…”
With another quick look to the shadowed right side of the stage, Kris reached out to touch fans’ hands as he sang, barely pulling back in time from the frenzied yanks on the end of the boa. He straightened up and wrapped it around himself tighter so the ends weren’t hanging over. Getting to the left side of the stage, he leaned over as he finished the extended high notes when he was knocked off the stage by the blast.
**
Adam’s body was throbbing after his run-in with Kris backstage, but he went through the checks and balances with his colleagues and the venue’s security team. As the show got underway, he stood in shock as he heard the opening refrain of the song. Kris wasn’t really…holy shit, he was. Kris started singing, and a stunned Adam stood frozen a second time as Kris looked his way and winked into the dark. How Kris knew he was standing on the right side of the stage…
He shook off the surprise and left the stage area to make his way around to the other side, to ready himself for the break before the encore. Out of the corner of his eye, Adam caught the bright pink boa around Kris’s neck and slammed his eyes shut to get the image out of his head.
Checking in with the security teams, Adam stood at the bottom of the stage, holding his earpiece in to listen in on the conversations of everyone reporting in from the exits. He had to hold himself back as Kris leaned over to touch the outstretched hands of his fans in the audience. Even though a few fans pulled at the boa, Kris quickly pulled back and wrapped the ends into tighter loops around his neck, making Adam smile.
The explosion threw Adam into the metal rails that held the general audience ticket holders back. He landed hard on his left side as he watched with horror as Kris flew off the stage and sparks from the discharge flashed bright from underneath the raised platform. Adam covered his eyes as another bright blast went off, but he quickly scrambled across the concrete floor to get to Kris.
Adam yanked out the earpiece as hysterical screams and frenetic shouts filled his hearing. Hauling Kris’s prone body to him, he dragged Kris away from the stage that was crackling and sparking with flames. He grabbed the walkie-talkie from his belt to let everyone know he had Kris and they were getting out of the venue.
Heaving Kris into a fireman’s carry, Adam took the secondary emergency route out the back, weaving through the mad mass of people trying to find exits while emergency personnel went towards the fire. Spotting Bobby and the waiting SUV, he yanked open the door and threw Kris’s unconscious body inside and hopped in after him.
“Go!” Adam screamed.
**
Anoop and Jacob met Adam at Kris’s house after he’d made frantic calls to everyone. Jacob agreed with Adam’s decision not to wait for emergency crews or head to the hospital, and had the foresight to bring along a doctor to check on his and Kris’ injuries. Veronica’s team issued a quick statement and was pacifying the press, while Cale and Devon went directly to the venue to gather information and question everyone.
After the doctor’s reassurance that Kris would be fine, Adam, Anoop and Jacob agreed that Kris needed to leave LA for a while. Jacob promised to cancel or postpone the rest of Kris’s engagements for the next few weeks, and he’d work with Veronica to make it seem like the injuries were more substantial than they were so that the culprits would think they had succeeded.
That’s when Adam and Anoop planned out their next steps. They got Bobby out of the house by making him go back to the venue to check on Matt and the band.
Quickly packing a couple duffel bags with Kris’s clothes and toiletries, Adam and Anoop carried Kris into Adam’s car.
“I’ll take care of shit here,” Anoop said patting Adam’s back. “Make sure you grab a burner phone on your way to wherever you’re going. Text me the number, and I’ll text back with the information from our disposable ones.”
“Maybe you or Cale…”
Anoop shook his head, “No, I think it’d be better if you were with him.” Anoop stepped back, “I know, I know, but I think after this shit tonight, he’ll be better with you.”
“Fine,” Adam breathed out heavily. “I need to stop by my place and pick up some shit, but I’ll let you know when we get there.”
“Sounds good.”
The freeway was empty, only a few other cars on the road with them, making the drive less stressful. Then again, it was three in the morning. He looked over to make sure Kris was still sleeping as Adam drove. Noticing the shift in Kris’s breathing pattern, Adam braced himself for the questions as Kris awakened.
A deep sigh escaped Kris’s body, as he moved around his seat, head moving around, gradually taking in his surroundings.
“Where are we? Where are we going?” Kris croaked out. He cleared his throat, “What’s going on?”
“There’s a bottle of water next to you, and you need to take a couple of aspirin,” Adam said quietly. He picked up the caplets that were resting on the console and held out his hand. “Here, the doc said you’d probably have a ginormous headache.”
“Thanks.”
Adam waited for Kris to finish drinking before addressing his other questions. “We’re headed out of town.” He continued, “It’s a last-minute plan, not fully thought out, but Jacob’s on board with this. He’ll be working with Anoop, Cale and the others while you’re out of pocket. From what Cale’s told me, the work was sloppy, so we’re close. It should only be for a couple of weeks.”
“Okay.”
Adam glanced over quickly to try to read Kris’s face in the darkened space, “Okay?” He turned back to the road, “No questions, no tantrums, no pushing back or arguments?”
Kris shrugged, “I’m too tired to argue.”
“Yeah, sorry,” Adam said contritely. “You should try to sleep again. The seat adjustment controls are along the bottom of the seat. It should lean far enough back so you’re more comfortable.”
“Where’re we going?”
“Oh, uh, we’re about an hour out of LA right now. It’ll be another half hour, but it’s a safe house of sorts.”
“Of sorts? What does that even mean?”
Adam bit his lip, not sure how Kris would take this. “It’s…it’s my family’s retreat house,” he admitted. “Everyone’s got a key, so we use it when we need to get away from life or if there’s a special occasion. It’s on a lake, so it’ll be cool despite the heat.”
He saw Kris’s lips curl into a small smile, but ignored it as he focused on his driving.
“You’re okay if I try to sleep again?” Kris asked.
Adam nodded, “Yeah. You need your rest. I’ll wake you when we get there.”
**
Kris grabbed the sunscreen and a towel on his way out to the deck. He glanced at the closed door down the hall and sighed.
After arriving at the house as the sun was rising, Adam took away Kris’s phone and told him to not communicate with anyone about their location, which wasn’t a problem since Kris had no idea where they were. All contact would go through Adam and his team. Adam got Kris settled into his room, and once they got up, there was a cursory tour of the house. Other than that, in the three days since, Adam had kept his distance.
Adam disappeared into his room and only came out for brief meal breaks. Though he made sure Kris was okay, he was constantly on the phone or hunched behind a laptop.
To keep himself occupied, Kris roamed the house, going through every room and studying the Lambert’s home, trying to find something that would give him more information and insight about the Lambert he wanted to know better. It was a nice home, a five bedroom, four and a half bath Cape Cod style house; comfortable yet stylish. He could tell effort was put in so that visitors would be immediately at ease.
The furniture in the living room was draped in sheets, vacuum marks still on the carpet, which made Kris laugh; but it was the large family room that opened into the kitchen and sundeck that overlooked the lake where Kris spent the bulk of his days. In the back, there was a path made of stones and planks of wood that led down to the water’s edge where it calmly lapped the rocky shore.
As he laid on the recliner, the sun’s balmy rays on his skin like a giant warm hand, Kris’s brain veered from blue skies to blue eyes. It supplied him with the memory of Adam’s kisses, his scent, the way his skin tasted on his tongue.
“Kris? You out here?” Adam called out.
Kris quickly adjusted the towel to cover his lap and scrambled to get his sunglasses on, not trusting the glassiness of his eyes.
“Hey, there you are.”
“Uh, yeah, sorry,” Kris said adjusting the height of the chair. “Must have dozed off or something.”
“Oh, shit, didn’t mean to wake you,” Adam apologized.
“I wasn’t really…uh. So, did you need something?”
Adam sat on the edge of the chair next to him, “It might be nothing, but it’s bugging us, so I said I’d check with you.”
“Sure, sure.” Kris sat up and turned to Adam. He crossed his legs, Indian style, shoving the towel into the space between his legs and stomach. “What is it?”
“What do you know about Matt’s girlfriend, Laura Celeron?”
Kris scrunched his face, “Uh, he met her two years ago, I guess? He said they met at one of my meet and greets. She was waiting for her friends, he thought she was cute, they started talking…” He looked over to study Adam. “Why?”
He saw how Adam was trying to formulate his reply, but got quickly distracted with the way Adam was biting his lip.
“You talk to her regularly? Hang out?” Adam asked.
Kris shook his head, “Not really. She’s at some of the events with Matt, but I don’t know her that well.”
Adam slapped his thigh and stood up, “Okay, thanks.” He turned to head back, “Oh, I’m putting in an order with the market, so let me know if you want to add anything to the list…food, toiletries, other supplies you think you might need.”
“Sure.” Kris paused. “Uh, maybe I can grill some steaks tonight?”
“Oh, yeah, that’d be nice,” Adam answered. “But, the grill hasn’t been used in a while…”
Kris waved his hand, “It’ll give me a project for later, I’ll take care of it. The list is…”
“On the kitchen counter, so just write in what you want.” Adam patted the top of the chair and walked away. “I’ll call it in after lunch, so we should get the delivery by four.”
“Okay.”
Kris watched Adam as his bare feet padded on the wooden deck into the house, appreciating the way his jeans hung loosely from his hips, how the faded, well-worn t-shirt stretched across his back. Dinner tonight…Kris had some planning to do.
**
“What have you found out about her?” Adam asked as he paced his room. He stopped to peer out the window to stare at Kris sprawled out on the lounge chair, flipping through a magazine. Kris tossed the magazine down and stretched out his arm over his head, making his abs extend up and out, the fine trail of hair standing out in stark contrast against his skin. Adam closed his eyes and gripped the phone until his knuckles hurt.
“…a low-key lackey at a tech company, which would explain how Brian is having a hell of a time tracking things. We’ve tracked her movements over the last year and half, which, no surprise, matches up to the various incidents.” Anoop stopped talking at the silence on Adam’s end. “Stop staring at your boy and pay attention, dude.”
“I’m…not…I’m not staring at him, dammit! And, he’s not my boy,” Adam sputtered indignantly as he stepped away from the window. He scowled at Anoop’s burst of laughter. “Shut up.”
“You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
“I do not!” Adam whispered angrily.
“You’re cute when you’re flustered and in denial,” Cale chimed in.
The three-way call wasn’t going the way Adam had planned. They were supposed to be discussing Laura Celeron, not picking on him. If he was in the office with them, he would have smacked them upside the head. Instead he stumbled to his unmade bed and flopped on it, facing the ceiling.
“We’re not talking about this,” Adam grumbled. “Back to the topic at hand. Is Matt a part…”
Cale laughed, “Fine, you’re off the hook this time, but don’t think...
“Cale, I swear to…”
“Yeah, yeah. And, no. Matt’s a bit of idiot, but he’s loyal to Kris. He just wants to be liked and adored, and it looks like he’s been manipulated this whole time and didn’t even know it.”
“He’s been inadvertently telling his girlfriend about Kris’s projects, events and all that,” Anoop added.
“What’s the connection?” Adam asked.
“Now, that is the question of the hour, isn’t it,” Anoop replied. “But, from what Brian’s been gathering, Laura and her other fan army aren’t too happy with Kris’s, uh, lifestyle.”
“Him being gay?”
“Pretty much,” Cale answered. “Maybe she had a crush on him? Wanted to think she had a chance? Who the fuck knows with these lunatics. We’re on it, so hold tight.”
“Don’t have much of a choice,” Adam mumbled.
Anoop chuckled, “Have fun!”
“I’m so going to kick both your asses when I actually see you,” Adam threatened.
“Promises, promises,” Cale snickered. “You gonna jab me with your eyeliner or something?”
“No!” Anoop interjected. “He’ll tie us up and dye your hair blue and purple and I’ll be a bad bleached blond!”
“I hate you both,” Adam growled.
“We love you, too,” Cale said soothingly. “Now, make sure your boy is safe.”
“Fuck…” Adam started, then heard the disconnect tone before he could continue. “Ugh,” he groaned, tossing the phone across the bed.
Blowing out a breath, he eased up from the bed and headed downstairs. Might as well place the supply order; it sounded like he was stuck with Kris a little longer.
(Part 3!)
Rated: NC-17
The call came in right before dinner. Bobby rushed into the living room, Matt right behind him, both men frantic.
“What?” Kris demanded, sitting up from where he was lying down.
“It’s Carla,” Bobby breathed out heavily. “She’s…she’s been...”
Matt stood over Kris and grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking lightly, “Carla’s been in an accident. Car, brakes…She’s hurt…St. John’s. We should get going…”
“Holy shit…what happened? Is she okay? Her parents…” Kris jumped up from the couch and grabbed his jacket. “Let’s get going. Tell me on the way.”
Kris sighed and wrapped the blanket around his shoulders tighter. He stared through the windows, but didn’t pay attention to the people milling about inside trying to get the house in order. His life had been turned upside-down in just a matter of weeks. He could handle this nonsense if it just affected him, but as of a couple weeks ago, that illusion shattered.
It didn’t seem like it would be such a big deal when he made the decision all those years ago. He felt a freedom like he had never experienced before. His management, the label, and most especially, his family, were supportive like he couldn’t believe. Yes, it was a shocking revelation, but it was something he needed to do and get the restraints off himself. However, now he was thinking back on the decision and how he had been living his life…because now his actions had inadvertently hurt his family…physically. It had become real.
“…that this is only temporary,” Kim Allen was saying. She put her head on Kris’s shoulder and put an arm around his waist.
“Thanks for coming out to help out, mama,” Kris said softly.
“Oh, honey, of course.” She paused. “How’s Carla doing?”
“Apparently being a brat,” Kris chuckled. “She’s being released in a couple of days, then I’m sending her home for a couple of weeks with her parents to rest up.”
“I’m sure she doesn’t appreciate the forced vacation,” Kim laughed lightly.
Kris smiled, “Yeah, she’s made some crazy threats…” Kris’s voice dropped off. “Fuck.” He peered over at his mama’s face, “Uh, sorry.”
Kim squeezed his waist, “It’s okay, baby. With everything you’re going through.” She lightly pinched him, “Though, once it’s resolved, you’ll be getting a slap upside the head for that kind of language.”
Laughing, Kris turned his body to fall into his mama’s arms, “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
They fell into a peaceful silence. Kris closed his eyes and let his mama’s warmth surround him. He took a deep breath, trying to relax.
“It’s a nice place,” Kim commented, resting her chin on Kris’s head. “If I didn’t know about all the security measures that have been built in, it would just be a beautiful home.”
“Temporary, thank god,” Kris mumbled. “I liked my old place.”
“Who found it?”
“Adam.”
“Ah.”
Kris lifted his head, “What?”
“Nothing.”
Kris pulled out of her arms, “I know that ‘ah’ sound, mama.”
“The house is just really nice, that’s all. Roomy and open, giant windows that overlook this gorgeous backyard.” She shrugged, then patted him from shoulder to elbow and smiled, “I like it more than your old place, and Adam seems like he’s taking your safety seriously, so it makes me feel better.”
“It’s his job,” Kris mumbled.
“Uh-huh.”
Kris blew out a breath, “Okay, now what’s that supposed to mean?”
Kim stood up and adjusted the blanket around herself, “I should get inside to make sure the movers are putting things where they’re supposed to.”
“Mama…” It came out as a low growl.
**
“Adam,” Matt started. “Kris needs to get out of the house.”
Adam looked up from his laptop and leaned back in his chair. “And why is that?”
“He’s been moping since he’s moved here. He’s not writing, hasn’t stepped foot into a studio, the guys are bitching because he’s been blowing off rehearsal for the benefit next month, Ronnie and her team are freaking out because he hasn’t been seen out and about town, and since the accident, people are starting to wonder…”
“Is this coming from you or from Jacob and the label?” Adam asked resting his hands on his stomach. “Because, from what I understand, Kris’s management wanted him safe, and he’s safe right now. The threats have gone away, though according to Brian, we’re close to finding the person or persons involved.”
“It’s been, what? Months! You’re no closer than you were before,” Matt retorted. “At least let him out of the house.”
Adam stood up and crossed his arms, “No one is stopping him. He just needs to take precautions when he goes out. We’ve established all this a few weeks ago before he moved here.”
Matt started to pace the length of the living room of the guest house. He threw his hands up then ran his fingers through his hair, “He needs to know he can be normal and do regular things.”
Adam snorted, “Starting a fight because he changed his mind about a blow job at Sodom & Gomorrah is doing ‘regular’ things?” using his fingers for air quotes. Blowing out an exasperated breath, Adam raised his voice and continued, “We’re not keeping him a prisoner in his own home. He can go out and party and do whatever it is he wants to do. He just needs to make sure to follow protocol.”
“But that’s the point!” Matt shouted. “He won’t go out, just sits in the music room writing emo crap, walking around the fucking house like a zombie or something.”
“Then take him out to eat, go to the movies or something, maybe a lounge for a couple of cocktails,” Adam said reasonably. “Let Cale, Anoop or me know, and one of us or one of our guys will be with you.”
Matt threw himself onto the couch, “Club. Dancing. Tomorrow night.”
Adam shook his head, “Tomorrow night is fine, but no club. Too hard to secure down and watch over him.”
“He needs to have fun!”
“Dinner and drinks can be fun, we just need to make it fun and casual,” Adam said. He leaned against the door jamb to the French doors that led to the backyard. “We’ll make it a boys’ night kind of thing, let his PR people know so they can get the paps out to hang around the restaurant…”
“Club or you’ll have to deal with zombie Kris,” Matt interrupted. “I’ll suddenly have to take my long-needed, long-time coming vacation if we don’t do this, then you and your team can take care of making sure he showers, wears clean clothes and goes to his meetings.”
“You’re reverting to threats now, Giraurd?”
Matt stretched his arms behind his head and spread his body along the couch, “Yup.”
Adam scowled.
“Like I said, Kris needs to get out and get his mojo or whatever going again. I’ve known him for nearly a decade and have never seen him like this. I know what he needs, and I intend to give it to him.”
Adam snorted again and raised an eyebrow.
Matt rolled his eyes, “Perv.”
“Let me see what I can do,” Adam sighed. He pushed himself away from the door and picked up his cell. Seeing Matt still sprawled on the couch, he huffed, “You can get out now.”
Laughing, Matt jumped up from the couch, “Tomorrow night. I’ll tell our boy!”
**
Cale lounged on the couch in the living room, feet on the coffee table. The French doors were open, letting in the soft scents of the aromatic jasmine bushes that dotted the backyard. He watched the scene around him with amusement, biting back his laughter.
“I know you want to laugh, so just get it out of your system, asshole,” Adam yelled out as he streaked through the living room from a back room to the bathroom.
Finally letting out a bellowing laugh, Cale asked, “Why are you making such a big thing out of this?” He paused, “Uh, where are we going anyway?” Looking down at himself, he made a face, “Am I dressed right?”
Adam stuck his head out from the bathroom and eyed Cale carefully. “Yeah, you’re fine.”
“Then why are you running around like you’re getting ready for a first date?”
“I’m doing no such thing!” Adam yelled out from the bathroom. “Got a late start in getting ready, and Bobby will have the car pulled around in a few minutes.”
“Uh-huh.”
Adam stared at his reflection in the mirror and took a deep breath. It wasn’t a date. He just needed to make sure he dressed appropriately and looked good tonight. When didn’t he? He prided himself on his appearance, plus he pulled some major strings to make sure tonight went well.
“Any day now, Adam!” Cale shouted.
Tugging on the collar of his shirt and lifting his ring finger to his eye for a last second smudge of eyeliner, he exhaled and turned off the light.
Cale and Bobby leaned on the doors of the SUV and chatted while Adam paced the length of it, checking his watch again. At the sound of footsteps, Adam looked up, expecting to see Matt and Kris, instead, Matt was alone.
“Where’s Kris?” Adam asked as Matt approached.
“He’s, uh, he’s still getting ready,” Matt replied sheepishly. He pulled at the lapels of his jacket. “He should be out in a bit...ten, uh, maybe 15 minutes.”
Adam stalked up the driveway towards the house.
“Where are you going?” Matt shouted out to his back.
“Motherfucking, prima-donna, selfish bastardizing asswipe,” Adam muttered as he threw the front door open and took the stairs, two at a time, up to the main bedroom.
The door to the master bedroom was open, just a sliver, but Adam knocked on it, reigning back his temper. Tapping his foot waiting for some kind of acknowledgement, he stood just outside not barging in.
“Matt, I told you to give me 15,” Kris’s voice traveled through the door.
Adam pushed the door open and stepped inside. “And I thought you were specifically told to be ready…” his voice trailed off.
Kris turned around at his voice as he saw Adam loom in the doorway. Standing by the unmade bed, Kris had a large white towel wrapped dangerously low around his hips; stray bits of water slowing weaving their way down the corded muscles on his arms and chest. Hands that were towel-drying his hair froze. “Uh, hey.”
Adam knew he should look away, but his eyes were drawn to the sprinkle of freckles on Kris’s shoulders.
How much time had passed, seconds…hours? He moved his eyes away from Kris’s bare chest, just in time to see the slight smirk on his face. Cocky fucker. Adam clenched his hand and cleared his throat, “Car’s been ready for the last ten minutes. It would look bad if we’re late.”
“Yeah, sorry,” Kris murmured as he began toweling his hair again. “Can you, uh, help?”
“Help?” Adam squeaked. His mind raced with a million scenarios in which he could help Kris Allen out right now and through the night.
“Don’t know where we’re going tonight,” Kris answered throwing the towel in his hand onto the bed. “Matt said you planned the whole thing, so I figure you should be able to tell me which of those shirts,” Kris pointed to three shirts laid out on the bed, “would be the most appropriate.”
“I’m here for your protection, not to help you with wardrobe.”
Kris gripped the corner of the larger towel wrapped around his hip and loosened it slightly. Tilting his head as he walked closer to Adam, he smiled, “Aw, come on now. Wouldn’t want to embarrass you with the wrong outfit or anything. Just pick one.”
Adam remained where he was…he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. He glanced over to the shirts so that he wouldn’t have an eyeful of Kris’s chest. “Any of them are fine,” he ground out. His hands balled into fists so he wouldn’t be tempted to yank the towel off. “Be downstairs in five minutes,” he growled and left the room.
**
The four of them sat in the vehicle, an uncomfortable silence filling the extended cab of the SUV. Adam and Cale sat in the back, Matt and Kris in the middle rows. Traffic was snarled, heavy for a Thursday night, but not unusual. Kris fiddled with his iPhone texting back and forth with Tommy, who was apparently sick of waiting for them to swing by and pick him up.
“Tommy’s getting bitchy. How much longer, Bobby?” Kris asked leaning over the front seat.
“ETA is five minutes, boss,” Bobby answered. “Then another 15 minutes until we get to the club.”
“Where are we going anyway,” Kris asked, turning his body around to face Cale and Adam.
Cale shrugged, “Don’t look at me.” He pointed to Adam, who was on the phone, “It’s all him.”
“…thanks, Doug, appreciate it.” He put the phone down and stretched an arm on the back of the seat. “Sorry,” he said, voice clearly not apologetic. “Had to smooth down some feathers because we’re running so late, and tell them to hold the table for us.”
Kris scowled, “Where’re we going?” He wouldn’t apologize again. Yes, it was his fault that they were late, but he was writing and in a groove. He already apologized to everyone when he finally got out of the house.
“Shouldn’t you move over so Tommy has a place to sit?” Adam asked archly as the SUV stopped.
“Yo! About fucking time asswipes,” Tommy said as he jumped in next to Kris. “I was ready to play old fart, watch ‘Murder, She Wrote’ and eat Cheetos or something.” He twisted in his seat, “Hey Cale, Adam. What’s up?”
“Same old, same old,” Cale replied.
“Having a grand old time,” Adam replied. “And, how about you?”
“Well, if we could get this one…” Tommy elbowed Kris, “to schedule rehearsal, I’d be better. But not too bad, overall.”
Tommy and Adam continued to chat as the SUV headed downtown, Matt turning to pipe in. Kris glowered as he half-listened to their banter, all animated and filled with laughs and harmless insults. He tried not to grimace and huff every time Tommy or Matt bumped into him as both gestured while talking to Adam. Why was it that Adam was relaxed and conducting light-hearted conversations with Tommy, but not him? It couldn’t be because Adam was attracted to Tommy, was it? Kris frowned at the thought.
It took everything he had not to shove Tommy out of the door as soon as the SUV stopped and Bobby opened the door.
“Okay, so are you going to tell us where we’re going? Now that we’re here?” Kris sneered. “We are here, right?”
Adam gave him an odd look, a flash of surprise and possibly hurt crossing his face, but it was gone so fast, Kris thought he might have imagined it.
“We’re at Fascia.”
“Holy shit,” Tommy exclaimed, then whistled, “Damn…you got some pull we don’t know about?” He grabbed Kris’s shoulders and shook him. “Do you know people would lie, steal and kill to get in?”
Cale came around from the other side of the car, “Yeah, well, Adam’s kind of a big deal. Just don’t expect him to do this shit for you all the time.”
“This is Fascia?” Kris queried. He looked around the dimly lit, industrial area, just under the shadows of the high-rises of downtown LA. The building that housed Fascia was all worn-down brick and metal. No signs labeled the club, just a rusted jumble of numbers that let you know you might be in the right place, but only if you were completely, absolutely sure. Fascia was the club that anyone who was anyone in LA or NY wanted to get into, but couldn’t. Having money, power and fame did nothing. Not without credentials that only the owners knew about. And, to influence the owners, one had to know who they were, which many people didn’t.
Matt finished his phone call, then sauntered over to them and plopped his arms around Kris and Tommy, “Sorry, just letting know Laura know where we are and to be jealous. Tonight, we are kings, my friends.” He grinned over at Adam. “Thanks to Adam.”
Adam waved a hand, as if to say “whatever” and headed to the oversized door. He hit a panel that Kris would be hard pressed to find even in bright daylight, and watched fascinated as metal grated as the door slid away and a giant of a man stepped out. Upon seeing Adam, the man broke out into a crooked smile and enveloped him with his beefy arms, nearly making Adam disappear.
After what seemed like a few words, some not so pleasant, Kris spied Adam slip the man something into his hand, then pat the guard on his shoulder.
Walking back to the SUV, Adam handed Bobby a small sticker. “Put this on the upper left corner,” he instructed, “and pull into the lot behind the building…” he pointed to the left. “Down the alleyway. You’ll have a place to shoot the shit with the other guys while you wait.”
Bobby nodded as he placed the sticker on the window and got into the vehicle. Adam waved them along, “Come on, let’s go. We’re already late.”
They shuffled towards the giant, who grandiosely waved them through the metal door.
**
As they entered the main foyer of the club, the door slid shut with a creak and thud, silence and darkness descending on them like a heavy blanket. Blue neon lights flickered on, washing them in an eerie glow.
“Mr. Lambert,” a pleasant voice greeted them in the dark.
“Hi Sienna,” Adam replied. “My apologies for our tardiness, traffic was a bit of a bitch tonight.”
“Not a problem, we understand,” Sienna replied as she appeared from a darkened corner. A statuesque blond with her hair slicked back into a ponytail and wearing a black dress that looked like it was made of ace-bandages approached them. “Your table is ready. I’ve let Ashley know to restock the ice bucket and freshen up your table.”
Adam pushed to the front of the group and he kissed Sienna on the cheek, “Thank you, sweetie.”
She smiled, “Please, come with me.” As she opened the second door, music that was blocked by the barrier pounded into them. She deftly bypassed waiters and dancers along the floor and led them to the reserved VIP tables in the back on an upper level, uncaring that her guests were slow in following because of the gawking and staring. Situated centrally to the dance floor, bar and in the middle of the lavish speaker system, Sienna waited patiently for them by the table until they skittered over and settled into the booth and free-standing chairs. After introducing them to their hostess Ashley and section security guard Vince, Sienna turn and walked away with a sway in her hips.
“Damn, the women here are hot,” Matt admired.
“Down boy,” Cale laughed. “Like you’d even have a chance.”
“Nothing says I can’t look and appreciate,” Matt retorted. “Plus, I have Laura. It’s all good.”
After noting that Ashley was serving drinks to everyone, Adam eyed Kris nervously. Kris was gaping at everything around them, mouth open slightly taking in the sights.
“Gonna make my rounds,” he said, leaning over to speak into Cale’s ear.
Cale nodded, “Sure thing. I’ll take care of things here.” He grabbed Adam’s elbow and whispered under the music, “Then you’re going to tell me how the fuck you managed to get us in here on such short notice, yeah?”
Adam grinned, “Not tonight, though.”
Glancing around, he scurried out of their section into the bowels of the club, nodding to other people he knew, waving and smiling at them as he made his way over.
“Where’d Adam go?” Kris asked as he stood up from his seat.
“He’s checking things out,” Cale replied, leaning down to pick up a bottle of water.
“I’m sure he is,” Matt cracked as he bobbed his head to the music.
Kris scowled, “I thought the point of having protective services was for you guys to hang around your client, you know, me.”
Cale lifted a brow, “He’s checking out the security in here. Fastest way in and out, alternative routes and all that; it’s standard operating procedure.”
“Oh.”
Cale sidled up next to Kris in a deceptively slow gait and growled low, “Don’t ever question that we’re here to do our jobs. We might chat and be nice and have you guys think of us as friends, but we take this shit seriously. And, I don’t know what your deal is with Adam, but he’s good at what he does. If you don’t like it, fire us.”
Kris stuck his chin out, “Maybe I will.”
“Just say the word, Allen. Just say the word,” Cale replied and stepped back.
**
Adam sat at the bar, back to the wall, eyes roving around the club while taking a sip of orange juice. He had full view of the VIP seating area, but had no intention of sitting there. Besides, Cale was there.
What he needed to do was find a way to get over his attraction to one Kris Allen. He would be free of him for at least two weeks as Anoop and Devon took over babysitting duties at the house. Then, he’d have time to hit a club on his own, drink his bizarre crush away with tons of alcohol and a willing, hot-as-hell guy. All these months of being on duty and being near Kris was making him ridiculously horny. He needed to get it out of his system.
This entire assignment was fucking with his brain.
He watched Kris stand up and take a shot, Matt cheering him on. Tommy was flirting with a couple of women in the booth next to theirs. Adam tried to see who Matt was pointing out to Kris, but couldn’t see through the throng of people dancing. Kris smiled and shook his head, instead pointing to someone else. Adam frowned at the look that crossed Matt’s face, then got distracted as Kris took another shot and left the table.
Listening to the strange feeling that twisted through his brain and gut, Adam finished his drink and headed to the dance floor. As he wound himself through the mass of bodies writhing to the music, he stretched up to find Kris.
A sharp stab of jealousy hit him as he saw Kris lean up and into a dark-haired man in the corner. Their lips touched, the man’s hand moving up and down Kris’s arm. Adam struggled to get closer as he saw the man put a white tab on his tongue and licked into Kris’s open mouth. He shoved people out of his way and grabbed Kris’s arm.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Adam shouted at Kris. “Spit that out.”
“Hey, man, mind your own fucking business,” the man yelled, holding onto Kris’s other arm. “We were just having some fun.”
“Get the fuck out here before I have them toss your ass out,” Adam growled.
Adam yanked Kris away, but not before Kris blatantly swallowed the pill.
“We’re here to have a night out,” Kris said as he followed Adam back to the table. “What’s the big deal.”
“Why didn’t you spit that out?” Adam asked as he pushed Kris onto the cushioned chair at their table. Tommy and Cale rolled out of the way. Adam continued, “What the fuck are you thinking? Taking drugs from strangers? Brains…do you have any?”
“Adam, dude…” Cale stood up and put a hand on Adam’s shoulder.
Adam twisted to face Cale. “He can’t even…” He pointed to Kris, who was sitting with his legs sprawled and a bottle of Jack between them, rubbing his hand up and down the neck of the bottle and smirking at Adam.
“We’re leaving. Call Bobby and have him out front in five,” Adam demanded. He got Ashley’s attention to close their tab.
After dropping off Tommy, Bobby and Cale moved Kris’s languid body from the SUV into the house. Adam stormed to the guest house and grabbed vodka from the freezer.
“You okay?” Cale asked.
Adam looked up to see Cale leaning against the wall of the kitchen’s entrance. “Yeah, just need to…” Adam sighed as he poured the vodka into some club soda. “I think I need a break.”
“Two more nights, then two weeks off. If you want, I’ll take your shift after Devon. You can cover things in the office.”
“Thanks.”
“What’s going on?” Cale inquired. He held up a hand, stopping Adam’s rant that was ready to come out. “Other than the obvious. Yeah, he’s a pain in the ass, but we’ve had worse. You need to get over your crush.”
“I don’t have…”
“Stop it, Adam,” Cale crossed his arms. “We’ve known each other for far too long. Don’t lie to me, and most of all, don’t lie to yourself.” He pushed himself from the wall. “Find a way to get over it. I’ll see you in a couple of days.”
After Cale took off, Adam took a few more sips of his drink and wandered around the backyard. He double-checked the perimeter of the property, inspecting the cameras, locks on the gates and doors. As he was heading back to the guest house, Adam stared up at the room he knew was Kris’s bedroom. Through the glowing windows, he watched Kris’s shadow crossing the room. Taking a deep breath, he made his way into the house. He’d apologize for his behavior tonight, if for nothing else, to make sure Kris treated the other guys better while he was gone.
Knocking on the door, Adam waited, but didn’t get a reply. “Kris?” he called out through the door. “I know it’s late. Your light is still on…” A loud thump came from the room. “Kris!” Adam pushed open the door, looking around.
Kris was on the floor, body twitching, bubbles of saliva leaking from the corner of his mouth.
“Shit…goddammit!” Adam ran and hauled him up. He dragged Kris into the bathroom. “Fuck…I told you to spit that shit out!”
With one arm, he turned the shower handle, cold water spraying out. Taking Kris’s prone body, he stepped into the stall, shoving Kris in front of the nozzle where the cold water streamed over him.
Kris sputtered, body lurching forward, but Adam held on tight, arm around his waist. Adam’s free hand unconsciously rubbed Kris’s arm, palm covering the goose bumps cascading down from the chill of the water.
As Kris shivered and straightened up, plastering his back to Adam’s front, Adam knew he was becoming aware of his surroundings, consciousness slowly filtering in; hands grabbed Adam’s arm that was wound around him. Adam stopped rubbing Kris’s arm and reached around him to turn the hot water on, making the spraying water more comfortable for both of them.
“You’re okay now.” Adam whispered. “You’re okay.”
**
Kris trembled at the harsh jet of cold water that surged over his body, t-shirt and jeans molding to his skin. The patches of warmth on one of his arms and his back caused him to tumble back, knocking the two of them into the cold tiles of the shower stall.
The sudden spray of warm water triggered another shiver to travel through his body. Awareness struck him just as suddenly as he felt Adam’s breath in his ear.
“You’re okay now.” Adam whispered. “You’re okay.”
Kris tilted his head back, resting it on Adam’s shoulder and clasped the arm that was around his waist. Adam’s other hand reached up and across his chest, wrapping them tightly together, and Kris sighed, the heat from Adam’s body comforting him. He turned his head, lips brushing along Adam’s jaw.
“Adam…”
“Kris…don’t,” Adam breathed out. “Don’t…please.”
Whether it was an appeal to stop or an entreaty to continue, Kris didn’t care. He pulled at Adam’s arms, making room to twist his body around until they were chest-to-chest, his own arms wrapping around Adam’s back and hooking over his shoulders, face burrowing into Adam’s neck. He pressed himself closer, relaxing his body as his felt Adam’s hands move up and down his back, lifting the wet fabric of his shirt until hands hit skin. Kris felt scorched at the touch.
Kris’s skin felt sensitized beyond belief, something inside wanting to push out, like an inner self needed to escape and touch Adam back. It was unfurling in his stomach, moving up and through his body, threatening to overwhelm him. His hands curled into Adam’s hair, fingers running over his scalp, a shiver escaping from Adam’s body. Kris felt the small groan escape through the rumble of Adam’s throat.
He pulled back and their eyes locked on each other. The fire and heat burning in Adam’s icy blue eyes glittered down on him. Clumps of Adam’s wet hair created rivulets that streamed down the sides of his face, and Kris couldn’t help but follow the path of one with his finger, sliding down Adam’s cheek, along his jaw. He put the finger in his mouth, watching Adam watch him.
They stared at each other, their breathing and the steady stream of water pelting the porcelain tiles the only sounds. Steam enveloped them, whether from the spray or heat radiating off their bodies, it coiled over and around their bodies, as if to make sure they couldn’t be separated.
Adam turned their bodies until Kris’s back smashed into the wall of tiles, moved them until the pulsating jets of water were hitting only their legs. Gaze unmoving from Kris’s eyes, Adam grabbed his wrists and pinned them to the wall, next to his head.
Kris lowered his eyes, focusing on Adam’s mouth, then traveled down his throat and chest. He looked back up and moved his head to capture Adam’s lips. His arms were strained in Adam’s grip, but he had enough momentum to brush his lips, making Adam move back in shock. Knocking his head back against the tiles, Kris shivered as Adam’s hold loosened and stroked his hands upward until their fingers tangled.
He couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped as he finally felt Adam’s lips slide along his jaw, teeth nipping at his earlobe. Turning his head so their lips could touch, Kris let out a growl of frustration as he only felt the tip of Adam’s lips skimming his, the teasing of soft brushes as he panted. Adam body pressed against his, and Kris could feel their erections brushing against each other, wet denim equally stroking and chafing them.
Kris shifted his hips, pushing into Adam, wanting…needing the pressure against his cock. His brain got online enough to yank his hand from Adam’s grip and move it between their bodies. He palmed Adam through his jeans, squeezing and using his fingers to caress his cock. With a deep moan, Adam lost control and took his mouth hungrily, sweeping in with his tongue, tasting and biting and sucking Kris’s mouth, taking over completely.
Adam’s free hand cupped Kris’s cheek as he softened the kiss, while his other hand tightened with each press of Kris’s fingers on the front of his jeans. Kris felt possessed as Adam’s hand traveled from cheek to his neck, grasping the side of his head, sealing their mouths together again while their tongues battled. Kris moved his hand to grip Adam’s ass and pushed Adam’s hip forward as he bucked his own to rub them together.
“Adam…” Kris panted, moving his mouth away to breathe, to plead, to cry out that he needed to come. “Adam, please.” He wanted release.
As soon as Adam stepped back, Kris nearly cried at the loss of his weight and heat; then he whimpered as he felt Adam’s hands undoing his jeans, pulling and shoving both jeans and boxers down to his knees. Kris’s brain scrambled to keep up, reaching out to unbutton Adam’s. Kris moaned as they touched each other at the same time, hands gripping hard, twisting and tugging at each other.
Kris pulled Adam’s head down to kiss him again, thrusting his tongue into Adam’s mouth, other hand twitching as he continued to clench Adam’s cock. They were frantic…touching, clutching, rubbing and kissing each other with a frenzy, skin against skin, heavy breathing echoing off the walls. With a small twist and a tight squeeze that made Kris stand up on his toes, he wrapped his arm around Adam’s shoulder as he came in violent spurts.
When the stars finally receded from behind his eyes, Kris leaned his head on Adam’s chest and increased the pressure of his hand on Adam’s cock. He pulled and constricted his hand, fingers strumming along Adam’s length. Then, in a quick motion, he fell to his knees and took Adam into his mouth, hands crawling up and under his shirt.
“Oh god,” Adam ground out. “Fuuuuck…Kris.”
Up and down, in and out, Kris sucked Adam’s cock slowly and with purpose. He felt Adam’s hand wrap around his head, trying to get him to move; Kris only opened his mouth wider and took Adam in deeper. He pulled back when he felt Adam fall against the tiles, hands loose in his hair. Taking one hand and grabbing Adam’s cock at the base, Kris licked at the tip as he twisted his hand. He looked up and had to choke back a gasp at the intensity of Adam’s gaze. He lowered his mouth around Adam again and drew him in hard, tongue pressing up, teeth grazing lightly. He felt Adam’s body grow taut and try to pull away, but he gripped Adam’s hips to keep him in place as Adam came in his mouth.
**
Adam sat in the darkened conference room, body tense, both hands gripping the coffee cup like a lifeline. He cringed as Cale walked in and opened the blinds on the floor-to-ceiling windows facing outside with relish.
Anoop had his phone between his ear and shoulder, finishing a conversation as he shut the door and slid the sheer panels across the windows facing into the office, closing them in. Adam ignored them, focusing on his coffee and the bent cup sleeve; he picked at it, his full attention on splitting the pebbled cardboard.
“You both can stop staring at me. I know I fucked up.”
Cale leaned against the window and laughed, “That’s not why we’re staring.”
Anoop shuffled his legs to roll himself over to where Adam sat. The arms of the chairs bumped into each other. “We’re not staring because we’re judging you, but rather, um, curiosity.”
Adam still didn’t look up and snorted, “Curiosity. Uh-huh.”
Cale stood between them, placing his hands on the backs of each chair. Leaning over, his kissed the top of Adam’s head, “Seriously, Adam. You know we support each other no matter what, right or wrong, dumb or smart. And, for the record, you didn’t fuck up.” He grabbed the seat on the other side of Adam and grabbed his coffee.
They sat in silence, Anoop studying the files in front of him, legs crossed; Cale propped his feet onto the table and sipped at the stolen coffee.
Adam thought back to three weeks ago, the shower, the way he held onto Kris while they sat under the spray until the water ran cold, cooling their bodies down. They had grabbed towels to dry off, Kris taking off his wet clothes and dropping them onto the floor in a soggy heap. After he wrapped a towel around his waist, he stepped in front of Adam and tried to pull at Adam’s drenched shirt and jeans. Adam grabbed his hands, holding them between their bodies.
He tried to walk away right then, but couldn’t control his hand from reaching up to cup Kris’s face, pulling it to him for another kiss. As Kris tried to walk them towards the bed, Adam resisted. He drew away, wrenching himself from Kris’s embrace.
“I…” Adam stuttered. “I have to go.” He ran out of the house, leaving Kris standing there.
Slamming the door to the guesthouse, he haphazardly packed his bags while calling Anoop to relieve him. He didn’t care that he had two more days, he needed to get out. He needed to leave the property before he found himself rushing back into the house, into Kris’s warm arms.
“He’s being a pain in the ass, you know,” Cale drawled out, pulling Adam back from his thoughts.
Adam looked over and saw Cale picking through the candy bowl from the table.
“He’s always been a pain in the ass,” Adam replied. He raked his fingers through his hair and leaned back in his seat. “What’s so different this time?”
“He’s demanding you come back for personal protective detail,” Anoop answered, clearly trying not to laugh.
“No.”
This time Anoop did laugh. “You want to explain why to Jacob and the label?” Anoop scooted his chair back so he could see Adam and Cale. “He’s threatening not to leave the house unless you’re there. He hates, hates Devon, and the benefit concert is coming up.”
“Well, you or Cale…”
“No can do, buddy,” Cale interrupted. “I’ve got a vacation that’s been on the books for months, and Christi would kill me twice if I cancelled it.” He pointed to Anoop, “‘Noop’s got a two-day detail with that congressman dude. And,” Cale put his hand over Adam’s mouth, “the other guys are all assigned out.”
Adam twisted his head away from Cale’s hand. “You’ve had three weeks to figure all this out. Don’t tell me schedules couldn’t get moved around.”
“You know the schedules as well as we do, and we’ve all done everything we could to help each other and be accommodating to everyone’s time, but we’re tapped out,” Anoop said quietly.
Rubbing his hand over his face, mindless of streaking his eyeliner, Adam sighed. “I know, I know.”
“It’s three days, two nights. I think you can manage that,” Cale chimed in. “Plus, I think he misses you. Keeps asking about you, making inquiries as to when you’re coming back.”
Adam pounded his forehead onto the table. “I can’t believe I fucked things up this bad.”
Anoop pulled Adam’s chair back, rolling it away from the table so he would stop banging his head. “It’s three days, two nights. You can do it.”
**
The crowd was raucous, rowdy and just shy of disorderly. Considering Kris hadn’t performed in an actual concert setting for almost a year, he was pleasantly surprised at the turnout for some reason. Yes, Jacob and Ronnie had told him the benefit concert was sold out, but it didn’t really click for him until now.
Taking a deep breath, he stood between a few cargo cages and relaxed his mind. Using the empty speaker cases to stretch, Kris raised his arms up above his head.
“Oh, sorry,” Adam said, coming into view. “Didn’t know you had a pre-show ritual. I’ll come back.” Adam’s hand gripped an outer cage, preventing him from running into Kris’s semi-hidden spot.
Kris watched with amusement as Adam tried to tear his eyes away from Kris’s abs. Instead of lowering his arms, Kris left them gripping the cases, ensuring his shirt stayed up and the strip of skin continued to show.
“Not a problem, just stretching out a bit,” Kris answered and twisted a little more making sure his shirt moved around. “What’s up?”
Adam twitched a bit, hand tightening on the edge of the cage in his grip, his normally stoic deportment cracking as Kris flexed his arms behind his head. “Uh, I…” Adam stuttered. “This is, well, I…” He finally looked up and inhaled. “This is going to probably sound weird, but I have a weird feeling about tonight, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do…anything to…you know, instigate something crazy or set off the crowd?”
Kris stepped from between the crates and stopped inches from Adam’s taut body.
“Would that make you feel better?” Kris asked, voice low.
“Yeah,” Adam whispered out. He cleared his throat, “Yes, it would.”
Kris reached up and nearly laughed as Adam flinched, “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Hey Kris!” Matt interrupted. He backed away when he saw them together. “Whoa, sorry, man.”
“No problem,” Kris said, looking over Adam’s shoulder. “What’s up?”
Matt had his arm hooked around his girlfriend Laura’s shoulder, a confused look on his face. Laura’s eyes studied Adam and Kris carefully, her smile slipping as she grabbed Matt’s hand.
“Just letting you know you’re up. Got two minutes.”
Kris nodded, “Yeah, was on my way over.” He started to walk away, but shouted out, “No promises.”
“What was that about?” Matt asked Adam.
On stage, Kris was feeling ridiculously amazing, the energy from the crowd feeding him. Despite the lack of rehearsal, the band was in fine form. Isaac was going insane on the drums like “Animal” from the Muppets, Andrew’s fingers brushed smoothly across the strings of his guitar and Tommy alternated between the piano and bass, fingers flying across each instrument like a madman. There was one more song before the ten-minute break and they headed back out for a two-song encore.
“We’re going to try this cover tonight. Sing along if you know it!” Kris shouted out to the audience.
“This bed is on fire
With passionate love
The neighbors complain about the noises above
But he only comes when he's on top…”
Kris smirked as he looked over to where he knew Adam stood in the shadows. Winking blatantly into the dark space, he turned back to face the screaming crowd.
“My therapist said not to see you no more
She said you're like a disease without any cure
She said I'm so obsessed that I'm becoming a bore, oh no
Ah, you think you're so pretty…”
He moved from the middle of the platform to meet Tommy, and they leaned their backs against each other, playing their guitars suggestively as Tommy flicked his tongue out to a group of women on his side of the stage.
“Caught your hand inside the till
Slammed your fingers in the door
Fought with kitchen knives and skewers…
Tommy shoved his shoulder back, boosting Kris up so he could run in front of Isaac and the drum kit. He threw the bright pink feather boa around his shoulders and swiftly wrapped it around his neck, and continued to sing…
“Dressed me up in women’s clothes
Messed around with gender roles
Dye my eyes and call me pretty…”
Kris flipped his guitar to his back, grabbed the microphone and sauntered the edge of the stage…
“Moved out of the house, so you moved next door
I locked you out, you cut a hole in the wall
I found you sleeping next to me,
I thought I was alone
You're driving me crazy, when are you coming home…”
With another quick look to the shadowed right side of the stage, Kris reached out to touch fans’ hands as he sang, barely pulling back in time from the frenzied yanks on the end of the boa. He straightened up and wrapped it around himself tighter so the ends weren’t hanging over. Getting to the left side of the stage, he leaned over as he finished the extended high notes when he was knocked off the stage by the blast.
**
Adam’s body was throbbing after his run-in with Kris backstage, but he went through the checks and balances with his colleagues and the venue’s security team. As the show got underway, he stood in shock as he heard the opening refrain of the song. Kris wasn’t really…holy shit, he was. Kris started singing, and a stunned Adam stood frozen a second time as Kris looked his way and winked into the dark. How Kris knew he was standing on the right side of the stage…
He shook off the surprise and left the stage area to make his way around to the other side, to ready himself for the break before the encore. Out of the corner of his eye, Adam caught the bright pink boa around Kris’s neck and slammed his eyes shut to get the image out of his head.
Checking in with the security teams, Adam stood at the bottom of the stage, holding his earpiece in to listen in on the conversations of everyone reporting in from the exits. He had to hold himself back as Kris leaned over to touch the outstretched hands of his fans in the audience. Even though a few fans pulled at the boa, Kris quickly pulled back and wrapped the ends into tighter loops around his neck, making Adam smile.
The explosion threw Adam into the metal rails that held the general audience ticket holders back. He landed hard on his left side as he watched with horror as Kris flew off the stage and sparks from the discharge flashed bright from underneath the raised platform. Adam covered his eyes as another bright blast went off, but he quickly scrambled across the concrete floor to get to Kris.
Adam yanked out the earpiece as hysterical screams and frenetic shouts filled his hearing. Hauling Kris’s prone body to him, he dragged Kris away from the stage that was crackling and sparking with flames. He grabbed the walkie-talkie from his belt to let everyone know he had Kris and they were getting out of the venue.
Heaving Kris into a fireman’s carry, Adam took the secondary emergency route out the back, weaving through the mad mass of people trying to find exits while emergency personnel went towards the fire. Spotting Bobby and the waiting SUV, he yanked open the door and threw Kris’s unconscious body inside and hopped in after him.
“Go!” Adam screamed.
**
Anoop and Jacob met Adam at Kris’s house after he’d made frantic calls to everyone. Jacob agreed with Adam’s decision not to wait for emergency crews or head to the hospital, and had the foresight to bring along a doctor to check on his and Kris’ injuries. Veronica’s team issued a quick statement and was pacifying the press, while Cale and Devon went directly to the venue to gather information and question everyone.
After the doctor’s reassurance that Kris would be fine, Adam, Anoop and Jacob agreed that Kris needed to leave LA for a while. Jacob promised to cancel or postpone the rest of Kris’s engagements for the next few weeks, and he’d work with Veronica to make it seem like the injuries were more substantial than they were so that the culprits would think they had succeeded.
That’s when Adam and Anoop planned out their next steps. They got Bobby out of the house by making him go back to the venue to check on Matt and the band.
Quickly packing a couple duffel bags with Kris’s clothes and toiletries, Adam and Anoop carried Kris into Adam’s car.
“I’ll take care of shit here,” Anoop said patting Adam’s back. “Make sure you grab a burner phone on your way to wherever you’re going. Text me the number, and I’ll text back with the information from our disposable ones.”
“Maybe you or Cale…”
Anoop shook his head, “No, I think it’d be better if you were with him.” Anoop stepped back, “I know, I know, but I think after this shit tonight, he’ll be better with you.”
“Fine,” Adam breathed out heavily. “I need to stop by my place and pick up some shit, but I’ll let you know when we get there.”
“Sounds good.”
The freeway was empty, only a few other cars on the road with them, making the drive less stressful. Then again, it was three in the morning. He looked over to make sure Kris was still sleeping as Adam drove. Noticing the shift in Kris’s breathing pattern, Adam braced himself for the questions as Kris awakened.
A deep sigh escaped Kris’s body, as he moved around his seat, head moving around, gradually taking in his surroundings.
“Where are we? Where are we going?” Kris croaked out. He cleared his throat, “What’s going on?”
“There’s a bottle of water next to you, and you need to take a couple of aspirin,” Adam said quietly. He picked up the caplets that were resting on the console and held out his hand. “Here, the doc said you’d probably have a ginormous headache.”
“Thanks.”
Adam waited for Kris to finish drinking before addressing his other questions. “We’re headed out of town.” He continued, “It’s a last-minute plan, not fully thought out, but Jacob’s on board with this. He’ll be working with Anoop, Cale and the others while you’re out of pocket. From what Cale’s told me, the work was sloppy, so we’re close. It should only be for a couple of weeks.”
“Okay.”
Adam glanced over quickly to try to read Kris’s face in the darkened space, “Okay?” He turned back to the road, “No questions, no tantrums, no pushing back or arguments?”
Kris shrugged, “I’m too tired to argue.”
“Yeah, sorry,” Adam said contritely. “You should try to sleep again. The seat adjustment controls are along the bottom of the seat. It should lean far enough back so you’re more comfortable.”
“Where’re we going?”
“Oh, uh, we’re about an hour out of LA right now. It’ll be another half hour, but it’s a safe house of sorts.”
“Of sorts? What does that even mean?”
Adam bit his lip, not sure how Kris would take this. “It’s…it’s my family’s retreat house,” he admitted. “Everyone’s got a key, so we use it when we need to get away from life or if there’s a special occasion. It’s on a lake, so it’ll be cool despite the heat.”
He saw Kris’s lips curl into a small smile, but ignored it as he focused on his driving.
“You’re okay if I try to sleep again?” Kris asked.
Adam nodded, “Yeah. You need your rest. I’ll wake you when we get there.”
**
Kris grabbed the sunscreen and a towel on his way out to the deck. He glanced at the closed door down the hall and sighed.
After arriving at the house as the sun was rising, Adam took away Kris’s phone and told him to not communicate with anyone about their location, which wasn’t a problem since Kris had no idea where they were. All contact would go through Adam and his team. Adam got Kris settled into his room, and once they got up, there was a cursory tour of the house. Other than that, in the three days since, Adam had kept his distance.
Adam disappeared into his room and only came out for brief meal breaks. Though he made sure Kris was okay, he was constantly on the phone or hunched behind a laptop.
To keep himself occupied, Kris roamed the house, going through every room and studying the Lambert’s home, trying to find something that would give him more information and insight about the Lambert he wanted to know better. It was a nice home, a five bedroom, four and a half bath Cape Cod style house; comfortable yet stylish. He could tell effort was put in so that visitors would be immediately at ease.
The furniture in the living room was draped in sheets, vacuum marks still on the carpet, which made Kris laugh; but it was the large family room that opened into the kitchen and sundeck that overlooked the lake where Kris spent the bulk of his days. In the back, there was a path made of stones and planks of wood that led down to the water’s edge where it calmly lapped the rocky shore.
As he laid on the recliner, the sun’s balmy rays on his skin like a giant warm hand, Kris’s brain veered from blue skies to blue eyes. It supplied him with the memory of Adam’s kisses, his scent, the way his skin tasted on his tongue.
“Kris? You out here?” Adam called out.
Kris quickly adjusted the towel to cover his lap and scrambled to get his sunglasses on, not trusting the glassiness of his eyes.
“Hey, there you are.”
“Uh, yeah, sorry,” Kris said adjusting the height of the chair. “Must have dozed off or something.”
“Oh, shit, didn’t mean to wake you,” Adam apologized.
“I wasn’t really…uh. So, did you need something?”
Adam sat on the edge of the chair next to him, “It might be nothing, but it’s bugging us, so I said I’d check with you.”
“Sure, sure.” Kris sat up and turned to Adam. He crossed his legs, Indian style, shoving the towel into the space between his legs and stomach. “What is it?”
“What do you know about Matt’s girlfriend, Laura Celeron?”
Kris scrunched his face, “Uh, he met her two years ago, I guess? He said they met at one of my meet and greets. She was waiting for her friends, he thought she was cute, they started talking…” He looked over to study Adam. “Why?”
He saw how Adam was trying to formulate his reply, but got quickly distracted with the way Adam was biting his lip.
“You talk to her regularly? Hang out?” Adam asked.
Kris shook his head, “Not really. She’s at some of the events with Matt, but I don’t know her that well.”
Adam slapped his thigh and stood up, “Okay, thanks.” He turned to head back, “Oh, I’m putting in an order with the market, so let me know if you want to add anything to the list…food, toiletries, other supplies you think you might need.”
“Sure.” Kris paused. “Uh, maybe I can grill some steaks tonight?”
“Oh, yeah, that’d be nice,” Adam answered. “But, the grill hasn’t been used in a while…”
Kris waved his hand, “It’ll give me a project for later, I’ll take care of it. The list is…”
“On the kitchen counter, so just write in what you want.” Adam patted the top of the chair and walked away. “I’ll call it in after lunch, so we should get the delivery by four.”
“Okay.”
Kris watched Adam as his bare feet padded on the wooden deck into the house, appreciating the way his jeans hung loosely from his hips, how the faded, well-worn t-shirt stretched across his back. Dinner tonight…Kris had some planning to do.
**
“What have you found out about her?” Adam asked as he paced his room. He stopped to peer out the window to stare at Kris sprawled out on the lounge chair, flipping through a magazine. Kris tossed the magazine down and stretched out his arm over his head, making his abs extend up and out, the fine trail of hair standing out in stark contrast against his skin. Adam closed his eyes and gripped the phone until his knuckles hurt.
“…a low-key lackey at a tech company, which would explain how Brian is having a hell of a time tracking things. We’ve tracked her movements over the last year and half, which, no surprise, matches up to the various incidents.” Anoop stopped talking at the silence on Adam’s end. “Stop staring at your boy and pay attention, dude.”
“I’m…not…I’m not staring at him, dammit! And, he’s not my boy,” Adam sputtered indignantly as he stepped away from the window. He scowled at Anoop’s burst of laughter. “Shut up.”
“You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
“I do not!” Adam whispered angrily.
“You’re cute when you’re flustered and in denial,” Cale chimed in.
The three-way call wasn’t going the way Adam had planned. They were supposed to be discussing Laura Celeron, not picking on him. If he was in the office with them, he would have smacked them upside the head. Instead he stumbled to his unmade bed and flopped on it, facing the ceiling.
“We’re not talking about this,” Adam grumbled. “Back to the topic at hand. Is Matt a part…”
Cale laughed, “Fine, you’re off the hook this time, but don’t think...
“Cale, I swear to…”
“Yeah, yeah. And, no. Matt’s a bit of idiot, but he’s loyal to Kris. He just wants to be liked and adored, and it looks like he’s been manipulated this whole time and didn’t even know it.”
“He’s been inadvertently telling his girlfriend about Kris’s projects, events and all that,” Anoop added.
“What’s the connection?” Adam asked.
“Now, that is the question of the hour, isn’t it,” Anoop replied. “But, from what Brian’s been gathering, Laura and her other fan army aren’t too happy with Kris’s, uh, lifestyle.”
“Him being gay?”
“Pretty much,” Cale answered. “Maybe she had a crush on him? Wanted to think she had a chance? Who the fuck knows with these lunatics. We’re on it, so hold tight.”
“Don’t have much of a choice,” Adam mumbled.
Anoop chuckled, “Have fun!”
“I’m so going to kick both your asses when I actually see you,” Adam threatened.
“Promises, promises,” Cale snickered. “You gonna jab me with your eyeliner or something?”
“No!” Anoop interjected. “He’ll tie us up and dye your hair blue and purple and I’ll be a bad bleached blond!”
“I hate you both,” Adam growled.
“We love you, too,” Cale said soothingly. “Now, make sure your boy is safe.”
“Fuck…” Adam started, then heard the disconnect tone before he could continue. “Ugh,” he groaned, tossing the phone across the bed.
Blowing out a breath, he eased up from the bed and headed downstairs. Might as well place the supply order; it sounded like he was stuck with Kris a little longer.
(Part 3!)