Thoughtless (37 page)

“Sorry, she won’t leave with me.” He shrugged, like he wasn’t too surprised by that.

“She what?” I took a couple of calming breaths, and hoped that Denny hadn’t noticed what had held my attention for so long.

“She wants to listen to the rest of the set.” He shrugged again. “Do you want me to stay? Give you guys a ride home?” He tucked a lock of hair that had fallen from my ponytail behind my ear.

I sighed, irritated and relieved. “Yeah…thank you.” At least she wouldn’t be riding home with Kellan.

Of course, I had forgotten how tenacious my sister could be when she wanted something…and apparently, she wanted Kellan. No big surprise there. I had been pretty sure that she would want him once she got around him. He was kind of hard to resist. I sighed as I watched her slide casually into his car at the end of the night. Denny chuckled lightly as he watched her as well. I had been too busy finishing up work to stop her from leaving the bar with Kellan. They were just getting into his car when I finally walked out the door with Denny. What had they been doing for so long out here? Irritation flared in me again, as their car pulled out of the lot. Kellan better drive her straight home.

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Fortunately for him…he did. His Chevelle was in the driveway when we pulled up beside it. I quickly walked through the front door, finding them sitting on the couch together, bent over in conversation. What were they always talking about? They both looked over at me as I walked into the living room. Irritation flashed through me, yet again, at the sight of Anna’s hand all the way up his thigh. Really, why couldn’t she keep her hands to herself?

Denny walked in a moment later and slipped his arms around me.

“So…” Anna smiled alluringly at Kellan, “where am I sleeping tonight?”

Kellan half-smiled at her and started to reply, when I butted in.

“You’re sleeping with me, Anna.” I looked over at Denny, while Anna frowned and Kellan stifled a laugh. “Do you mind sleeping on the couch?”

Denny twisted his lips unhappily. “The couch?” He looked at the ragged, lumpy couch even more unhappily. “Really?” My eyes surely as cool as my voice, I said, “Well, if you prefer, you can sleep with Kellan.” My tone indicated that that was his only other option. Anna was sleeping with me, where I could make sure she stayed there, all night long.

Denny raised an eyebrow at me, while Kellan laughed and said, “I’m just warning you now – I kick.”

“Couch it is,” Denny grumbled and went upstairs to get a blanket.

Anna brightened. “You know, I could sleep with-” I grabbed her hand and pulled her off the couch. “Come on.” I pulled her up the stairs with me, leaving an entirely too amused Kellan, watching me herd her away from him.

I didn’t sleep a wink. My sister had gotten ready for bed after me, and as I couldn’t exactly justify standing in the hallway, watching over her
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like some overprotective father keeping an eye on his daughter’s virtue, I had to lie in bed and grit my teeth while I listened as carefully as I could.

I swear at some point I had heard Kellan’s laughter, and it took everything I had to not rush out there and drag her to bed, kicking and screaming.

Eventually, she entered the dark room and snuggled down on Denny’s side, cheerily saying goodnight to me. I ignored it, feigning sleep. I’m not sure why. Needless to say, sleep was impossible. I was hyper aware of every movement she made. Was she twisting in her sleep, or was she shifting to get up and have a secret rendezvous with Kellan in his room while everyone slept? It drove me crazy all night long and I didn’t know how I was going to get through another night of this. Maybe I’d make Kellan go to Matt’s after all.

But morning finally did come, and hearing Kellan’s door open, since I was wide awake, I followed shortly after and joined him downstairs for coffee. I paused at the bottom step to glance at Denny lying on the couch.

He was sound asleep, but he really didn’t look very comfortable. I felt a twinge of guilt that I’d made him sleep there. Oh well, I could make it up to him later.

Kellan didn’t seem surprised to see me, as I rounded the corner into the kitchen. He gave me a knowing smile as he looked over at me, pouring some fresh water into the coffee pot as he did. “Mornin’, sleep okay?” The amusement in his question was all too clear to me.

“I slept fine.” Yeah, right. “You?”

Starting the machine, he turned to lean back on the counter. “Like a baby.”

I grit my teeth and forced a smiled as I sat at the table and waited for the coffee to brew.

“Your sister is…interesting,” he said after a minute.

I frowned up at him but said nothing, wondering if he was going to elaborate on that. He didn’t. I flushed deeply and he watched my reaction curiously. “Yes…she is.” I didn’t elaborate either.

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The coffee finished brewing and he prepared our two cups. We sat and drank them in silence…and not a completely comfortable silence either.

Well, he looked completely comfortable, and disastrously perfect, but I was agitated…and agitated at being agitated. I really needed to calm down.

After finishing my coffee, I was leaning against the archway, staring at Denny’s sleeping form on the couch in a near trance. I came out of it when my sister came into the kitchen, wearing a Douchebags t-shirt…and nothing else. I mentally thanked fate that Kellan had disappeared back up to his room, shortly after finishing his coffee. She was entirely too attractive for just having woken up.

“Where did you get that?” I said, astonished. It had taken weeks for Kellan to…well, literally give me the one off of his back. Did she just bat her stupidly-long eyelashes at him, and he stripped for her too? I felt oddly betrayed by that.

“Griffin…after the show. He’s got a box full of them in his van. Do you want one?” She smiled sweetly at me and I instantly felt guilty for thinking badly of her.

“No…I have one.” One that still smelled amazingly like Kellan, so I never actually wore it – not that I was ever going to mention that to her.

“You should put some more clothes on though. Denny will be awake soon.” It really wasn’t Denny that I was worried about staring at her in that all too alluring outfit.

“Oh, sorry, sure thing. So…is Kellan awake?” she asked, almost demurely.

I sighed. “Yes, I think he went back to his room.”

“Oh.” She smiled and looked up at the ceiling, to where his room was.

“Did he mention me at all?”

I hated that I suddenly felt like I was playing matchmaker, but I told her the truth anyway. “Yeah, he said you were interesting.”
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She frowned slightly. “Hmmm…That’s not exactly what I’m used to hearing. I suppose it could be worse though.” She smiled and turned to head back upstairs. “I’ll just have to step up my game plan.” She winked and left the room.

I sat heavily at the table and sighed again. Was it Sunday yet?

Anna wanted to do a little shopping in the area while she was in town, so we borrowed Denny’s car and she drove us to Bellevue Square (she was a much better stick shift driver than I was). We were walking through Macy’s when she found this tiny black dress and decided to try it on for tonight. Of course, it looked amazing on her. It was a simple tank top dress, but it hugged every inch of her perfectly…and it was really, really short. I could never pull off an outfit like that. I’d feel too self conscious about the world seeing my underwear, to even try to pull off an outfit like that. My sister looked completely comfortable as she spun around in the dressing room though. She could have been wearing her favorite comfy sweats with how breezy she looked.

On our way to check out, we wandered through the cologne section. I stopped when I found the scent Denny liked to wear. Grabbing a tester, I inhaled it deeply - it immediately brought him to mind. My sister rolled her eyes, but smiled at me as she started grabbing a few and sniffing them.

“What cologne does Kellan wear?” she asked, as she sniffed bottle after bottle, a slight frown on her face.

I froze at the mention of his name. Why would she think I knew that?

“I don’t know…why?” I had actually wondered that myself.

She smiled widely as she looked over at me. “He smells amazing.

Haven’t you ever noticed that?”

I had. “No.”

She snorted, which on her was oddly endearing. “Kiera, I know your gloriously content with Denny…” she gave me a dry look, “but for the sake of all womankind…when life throws yumminess in your lap,” she smiled widely again and grabbed a bottle, inhaling it, “take a whiff.”
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Putting the bottle back, she laughed and grinned devilishly, in a way that reminded me painfully of Kellan. “And if necessary…a lick or two.” I grimaced. If she only knew how much I had already done…of both.

We finished up our shopping trip with my sister finding the perfect pair of flirty high heels, and a delicate looking silver necklace. I sighed mentally. She was going to look amazing…she already did, just wearing jeans and a tight blouse. I didn’t have the money to splurge on clothes right now, so I was going to dig through my closet for something decent to wear. It really didn’t matter. I wouldn’t be able to hold a candle next to her anyway. And I didn’t have to, I reminded myself. Denny loved
me
and that was what mattered. Denny, not…

I didn’t even let myself finish that thought.

We ate a light dinner and she gabbed about the various men she had been “seeing” since dumping Phil, quite harshly from the way she told the story. I felt momentarily bad for Phil. She had probably torn apart his heart and not even realized it. I felt oddly, and sympathetically, connected to him.

After our meal, we shopped a few more stores, my sister picking up a few more items, and then we made our way home to get ready for our…evening.

Anna quickly and easily slipped into her new outfit, hustling downstairs while I still rummaged around for something to wear. Denny offered suggestions, until I glared viciously at him. He stopped after that, shaking his head as he buttoned up his shirt. I watched him for a moment, a little annoyed at how easy it was to dress when you’re a guy.

His white shirt fit his body perfectly and he wore it un-tucked over his favorite faded blue jeans. He looked great. If I had been in a different mood, I would have stopped him from buttoning his shirt up and slipped it back off of him.

But I wasn’t…I was irritated. Finally, I found something and half-heartedly slipped it on.

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I came downstairs moments later, and stopped dead in my tracks on the bottom step. My sister and Kellan were sitting on the couch. Kellan was sitting on the very edge of the cushion, elbows on his knees, and my sister was straddled behind him, kneeling on the cushions, with her body pressed firmly against him. Her skimpy, black, tank top dress was so short, that her entire thigh was exposed, and she seemed to not care at all. Kellan either for that matter. She was playing with his hair while he idly watched TV. Irritation made me frown.

She looked over at me and smiled. “Hey…you look great!” I felt anything but great staring at her beauty, passable more likely. Kellan looked over as well and gave me a small, approving smile.

“You’re beautiful,” Denny purred into my ear, coming down the stairs behind me. He kissed my neck and I relaxed a bit. I
was
glad he liked the outfit that I’d had such a hard time picking. I knew I couldn’t compete with my sister, so eventually, I had just decided to dress for comfort. I had picked out my chunky, black shoes, black low-rise jeans and a red, low-cut, slinky tank top number; clubs got hot pretty quickly. My hair was already pulled up in a low ponytail. I was ready for the heat I knew was coming.

“She’s not going to do that to me, is she?” Denny asked, coming over to stand beside me, and staring at Anna and Kellan on the couch with a small frown on his face. I finally got past my irritation at how they were sitting and looked more closely at what they were doing. Anna wasn’t just playing with his hair, she was styling it.

Denny and I walked into the living room. Denny took a seat in the chair and patting his lap, encouraged me to sit on top of him. After a quick glance at Kellan, I did. “What are you doing, Anna?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

She smiled brightly at me. “Doesn’t he have the best fuck-me hair!

Don’t you just want to… ” She grabbed a section on either side of his head and lightly tugged, making Kellan flinch, and then grin. “Uh!” she growled suggestively.

I blushed deeply, knowing exactly what she meant, and said absolutely nothing.

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Anna went back to styling his hair, while Kellan smiled softly and looked down. “He’s letting me clubify it. He’s going to be the hottest thing in there.” She looked over at Denny. “No offense or anything.” Denny laughed at her. “None taken, Anna.”

“Oh,” I said quietly, thinking his hair was fabulous before Anna got to it. But watching her work…he was oddly hotter. She was taking some of the longer pieces and shaping them with pomade, to define his shaggy mess into random, chunky, spike-like pieces around his head.

The effect was incredibly sexy and as he watched me, watch him, I started blushing and had to look away. A flash of jealousy went through me that she was doing something so intimate for him, followed quickly by a flash of longing that I forcefully pushed aside.

“What do you think?” Kellan asked.

“Uhhh…looks great, man,” Denny said, laughing a little.

“Oh, you just don’t understand girls, Denny. They’ll go nuts for this.

Right, Kiera?” Anna said spunkily.

Kellan chuckled softly and I blushed even deeper. “Yeah, sure, Anna.

He’ll be-”

“Man-candy?” Kellan finished, highly amused, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Oohhh…I like that!” Anna exclaimed, slipping her arms around his neck, apparently finished. I bristled at her closeness to him.

“Are we ready to go?” I spit out, a little too intently.

Kellan nodded and stood up, and I finally noticed what he was wearing. He was in head-to-toe black - black boots, black jeans and a fitted, black, short-sleeved, button-up shirt. Combined with his now impossibly sexy, spiky hair, I had to close my eyes and take a minute at his attractiveness.