Untamed

Gibson tilted her head like she was considering my statement, then she closed her eyes and started falling asleep. Patting her back, I laughed. Then I turned to look at the five thousand steps in my way and groaned. “Goddammit,” I muttered, then began the hours-long trek.

I was hot and sweaty by the time I reached the top. Then there were five more damn steps to get up the front porch. I was freaking done with stairs by the time I got to the brick-red door. I knocked on it with my boot, then yanked it open with my free hand before anyone could respond.

Kellan and Matt were in the entryway, along with Matt’s girlfriend, Rachel. Rachel was glued to Matt’s side, like she’d float into space if she wasn’t holding on to him. Kellan and my cousin were discussing something about the band’s schedule. Looking at Matt was like peering into a hazed, cracked mirror. Sure, we looked alike, but my hotness was crisp and clear while his was muted, a sepia-toned replica that didn’t hold a candle to my brilliance. Kellan was…well, a lot of girls seemed to think he was the be-all and end-all of male perfection. No, sorry, girls. He’s not. That strong jaw, deep blue eyes, and just-fucked hair was nothing special. And sure he was ripped, but…his body was just so-so next to mine. My body art made my skin much more interesting than his boring, chiseled lines. Whatever. His abs were airbrushed on anyway. I’d read that somewhere, and I totally believed it. Kell didn’t work out enough to have definition like that.

Matt was in the middle of a sentence, but I interrupted him as soon as I stepped into the room. “What the hell is up with all those steps, Kell?” Readjusting Gibson, I snarked, “You know, maybe you should have put the driveway on top of the hill with the house, instead of at the bottom of the hill. Then you wouldn’t have to climb freaking Mount Everest every time you got out of the car.”

Kellan frowned. “I didn’t design the house, Griff.”

I shrugged off Gibson’s bag and it hit the ground with a thud. “Yeah, but you can redesign it, can’t you? It’s not like you’re the lead singer of the most successful band in the world, with more cash coming out your ass each morning than most people make in their entire lifetime.” I paused a minute, then finished with “Oh wait, yeah you are. Fix this shit.”

The click of A

She lifted a brow at him and Kellan flashed her his trademark million-dollar grin. “I’m glad you didn’t. How are you feeling, A

I knew Kellan was all gung ho about his wife, but sometimes his niceness toward mine irked me. Maybe it was because of how we’d hooked up. Me and A

A

Kellan’s eyes got that sympathetic softness that I had seen girls swoon over time and time again. Whatever. I could make that silly-ass I-care-about-you face too. “You sure you want to go on this tour, A

A

She was right about that. Gibson was perfect. We’d been somewhere back East, on tour with the hotness that was Sie

With another yawn, A

Kellan pointed upstairs. “She’s putting Ryder down.”

A

Seeing an opportunity to make out with a hot girl, I cupped her cheek and drew her lips to mine. Our mouths moved together, and I pushed my tongue inside her. She let out a low noise that instantly ignited me, and I grabbed her face with my other hand. Yeah, game on…

We were just getting hot and heavy when someone cleared their throat. I looked up to see Matt grimacing at us. “Dude, get a room.”

Pulling away from A

A

“Relax, sunshine. I won’t damage your family jewels. A

Kellan took another step back. “I can hit the ones I need to hit just fine, thanks.”

I cracked my knuckles. “Okay, but the offer stands if you ever change your mind.”

“Noted,” he muttered with a laugh.

“Evan here?” I asked. His truck was here, but he could have gone for a walk or something. Although I had no idea why he’d want to. He’d probably get run down by wolves or chased by Sasquatch. God, I missed civilization.

Kellan pointed out back, where the soundproof room we used for practice was. “He’s working on something with Je

Instantly, the picture of Evan bending his fiancée over his drum set entered my head. I mimicked with my hips what Evan was most likely doing. “Yeah, I bet he’s working on something.”

Rachel made a noise and I shifted my attention her way. She shut her mouth and her cheeks flushed bright red. Rachel was shyer than Kiera, which was saying a lot. The girl so rarely talked that I often forgot she was there. And when she did speak, her voice was usually soft and polite. Just once I wanted to see her lose her ever-loving mind. There was a freak buried under the calm, I just knew it.

Rachel’s eyes searched the floor for a moment before lifting to Matt’s. “I’m going to grab Je

Matt nodded, then cringed. “I still think she should reconsider the name of her gallery.”

Rachel shrugged. “She has her heart set on it.”

Confusion washed over me like dirty seawater. What the hell are they talking about? “What’s she naming what? What gallery? Like an art thingamabobber?” An idea struck me and I immediately offered it up, because I was thoughtful like that. “Does she need a subject to paint?” Sticking my tongue out, I cupped myself. “’Cause I’ve been told my subject is a work of art.”