Assured (Soul Serenade #2) (10 page)

“We do.” He nods. “Women throw themselves at you for doing what you love. We’re all three single and unattached, so we take advantage of what’s offered. None of us give them false hope that it will ever be more. We never do repeats and yes, before you ask, we have run off an assistant or two.”

“I appreciate your honesty. I’m a little surprised, actually.”

“Don’t be. With me, what you see is what you get. I have nothing to hide. I’m not ashamed of how I’ve lived my life to this point. I’m living every man’s fantasy.”

“You’re really okay with that? A different girl in each city, never having an emotional connection?”

“Oh, sweetheart, it’s emotional. Trust me.”

“You know what I mean.” I want to tell him that I’ve thought in extreme detail more than once how “emotional” things could be between us.

“I don’t think I do,” he admits.

“Someone to wake up to every day. Someone to lie next to at night. That one person who knows you inside and out, your crutch through life.”

“I have the guys, and I have my family.”

“Yeah, but the intimacy isn’t there.” My cheeks heat as I think of how to get my point across in a way that he might understand. “I want to know that when I fall apart at a man’s touch, that he’s also going to be the one there to catch me when I fall in life, not just in the bedroom. I want a lover and a best friend.”

I watch as he thinks about what I’ve just said. “It’s not something I’ve ever wanted or thought about, really. When I was younger, it wasn’t on my radar because, like most teenage boys, I thought with my cock. Once we signed with the label and released the first album, we kind of blew up overnight. Women were all over us, and I never looked back.”

“That must be lonely.”

“Nah, the variety keeps it interesting.” He wags his eyebrows at me, and I can’t stop the laughter from falling from my lips.

“Okay, funny man, you know that’s not happening. Tell me more about being on the road.” We spend the next two hours sitting in the back booth of Subway, talking about life on tour. Cole is open and honest, just as he said he would be. To my surprise, life on the road is not just one big party.

“Umm, Mr. Hampton—I mean Cole. We’re closing now,” Tommy says from beside us.

This causes me to look at my watch. “It’s late. Sorry for overstaying our welcome.” I smile at Tommy.

He blushes. “No, you didn’t, it’s just time to close.”

“Thanks, man. See you next time.” Cole stands, reaching out for me. This is starting to become a habit, one that I refuse to admit I enjoy. He walks me to my car. “Thanks for eating with me. I hope you take the job.” He tucks a loose piece of hair behind my ear. “It will be good for Logan to have you around.”

He says it will be good for Logan, but the heat in his eyes tells me that he’s not over the idea of the two of us taking a roll in his satin sheets. “I’ll think about it. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.”

“Drive safe, sweets.” He opens my door and waits for me to settle in before closing it and tapping twice on the hood.

Slowly, I back out of the lot. In the rearview mirror, I see that he watches me drive away.

I’m sitting on       Kacen’s front steps, waiting for Kyle to drop Mia off, when Stacy pulls up. I’ve left her alone these last few days. I know she was trying to make her decision, and me and my cock needed to stay out of that equation. She needed to make the best choice for her, and then I would pick up my game. Logan informed us that she called and asked if she could come over to give us her decision. Now, here she is.

“Do you ever go home?” she asks as she climbs the steps.

I pat the concrete beside me, inviting her to sit. To my surprise, she does. “I go home, but Kacen has a studio here, and we’re rehearsing for the tour,” I remind her.

“Right. So, what are you doing sitting out her all by yourself?”

“Waiting on my niece. My brother-in-law surprised my sister with a weekend away, and I get to watch the munchkin.”

Her mouth falls open as she stares at me.

“What?”

“You babysit? How old is she?”

“Yes, I babysit. I’m a kick-ass uncle, thank you very much. Mia’s four.”

“You continue to surprise me, Cole Hampton.”

I can tell she’s having a hard time seeing me as a caretaker for a four-year-old little girl. “I’m more than a pretty face with hands that were made to caress the strings of a guitar.” I wink then stand when I see Kyle’s truck pass the gates. Stacy sits quietly on the steps, taking it all in.

“Unca Cowe!” Mia’s little feet fly across the driveway. I bend down just in time to catch her. “My daddy says I get to stay wif you. Hims is takin Mommy on a date.” She grins.

I kiss the top of her head—she’s too fucking cute. “I know, and that means you and I get to have a sleepover all weekend.”

“Yay! Are the boys here?” she asks. I chuckle at her calling my bandmates “boys.”

“Yeah, they’re here. We’re going to hang out for a little bit and then we can go to my place.”

“Here’s her bag. Thanks, man,” Kyle says, setting the pink princess bag at my feet.

“No problem, my man. Enjoy your weekend.”

“Oh, I plan to. Mia needs a baby brother.” He smirks.

“Yes!” Mia exclaims. Suddenly, she notices Stacy sitting on the step. “Who are you?” she asks.

Stacy stands. “I’m a friend of the boys and Logan.”

“Logan! Is she here, Unca Cowe? She always pways wif me.”

“Logan lives here now, so yes, she’s here.”

“Yay! Bye, Daddy.” She leans over and kisses her dad on the cheek.

Kyle just chuckles at his daughter. “Be good, princess. I love you.”

“Bye, Daddy.” Mia smiles and waves.

“All right, little miss, let’s get you inside. Have you had dinner?” I ask her.

“Nope, but Daddy let me have some cookies.” She didn’t need to tell me, as she’s still wearing the evidence.

“Let me guess.” I tap my finger against my chin. “Chocolate chip?”

Mia gasps. “How did you know?” Her eyes are wide with wonder.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mia. I’m Stacy.” She holds her hand out. Mia mimics her and they shake hands.

“Can we be fwiends?”

Stacy beams at her, and I have to think about anything but her. It’s awkward for your cock to get hard when you’re holding your four-year-old niece.

“I would love that, Princess Mia.”

Stacy reaches down and grabs her bag; I nod my thanks and pull open the door. I motion with my head for Stacy to go in. “Ladies first,” I tell her.

“‘Cause wadies are pwincesses,” Mia adds. I love this little girl.

I catch the grin Stacy is wearing as she slides in front of me and into the house. As soon as I cross the threshold, Mia is squirming to get down. Once her feet hit the floor, she’s making a mad dash for the living room.

“She’s something else,” Stacy says.

“That she is.” I grab her hand and pull her with me into the living room. We get there just in time to watch Kacen intercept Mia before she launches herself at Logan.

“Kacen!” Mia giggles as he tickles her.

Once she settles down, Kacen carries her to the couch and sits next to Logan. “I have a secret,” he says in a quiet voice.

Mia blinks and nods, hanging on his every word.

“Logan and I got married. Did you know that?”

Mia nods that yes, she did know.

“Well, now that we’re married, we get to have a baby.” He points to Logan’s belly.

Mia’s eyes, still wide, stare at Logan’s belly for the longest time. Then she raises her head, her gaze locked on Logan’s. “You have a baby in there?” she whispers.

“I do.” Logan is so fucking happy it radiates from her and Kacen both.

“Wow. I need to tell my mommy and daddy. Daddy said I need a wittle bwother.”

Kacen turns his head, burying his face in his shoulder to keep from laughing.

Mia turns to me. “Unca Cowe, you need to get mawied.”

I grin. “I do?”

She nods. “Uh-huh.

“Why’s that?”

“‘Cause we need more babies.” Her expression tells me that, to her, this is not a joking matter.

I walk to the couch and bend my knees so she and I are eye to eye. “Mia, you only get married if you love the person so very much that you can’t breathe without them. I haven’t found her yet, but when I do, I’ll let you know.” Who am I to crush her dreams that good old Unca Cowe doesn’t have any plans for weddings and babies in his future? My sister would have my balls if I ruined her fantasies about happily ever after.

“Mia, do you think you could help me and Stacy make some dinner? I was thinking spaghetti,” Logan asks her.

“My favowite!” And just like that, she’s jumping off Kacen’s lap and reaching for Stacy’s hand, which surprises all of us. “Do you have a baby in your belly too?” she asks.

“No, sweetie. I’m not married,” Stacy explains gently.

Mia looks up at me, her smile a mile wide. “Unca Cowe, you can marry her.” She stands tall and proud as if she just solved world peace—not that she knows what that is.

I want to tell her that I don’t want to marry the lovely Stacy, but I do ache to burry my cock deep inside her. Instead, I go with, “I’m starving.”

“Skettie!” she cheers and pulls Stacy to the kitchen, Logan trailing behind them.

I’m thankful that her four-year-old brain can switch topics so easily.

“You ready for that, man?” I ask Kacen.

“Hell yes.” No hesitation what so ever.

“Where are Gavin and Tristan?”

“In the studio. Tristan was working on his solo beat. Gav was just hanging out on his phone.”

“Let’s go see what Tristan and his sticks have come up with. Fucking drumming genius.”

“Wait.” He reaches out and grabs my arm. “With the distraction of Mia, I didn’t get to ask Stacy what her answer is. I can’t wait any longer to see if she’s taking the job. I really want it to be her with Logan.” He turns toward the kitchen and I follow behind him.

I’m torn. I want her to take the job—it’s a great opportunity to travel, and she’ll get to do it with her best friend—but I still want to fuck her. Her taking the job is going to make that even more difficult.

“Stacy, you said you made a decision?” Kacen asks.

Lifting her head from the salad she and Mia are making, she smiles softly. “Yeah, I did. I’d like to accept the position. I’m nervous I’ll mess something up, but I’m excited. Thank you for the opportunity, Kacen . . . Cole.” Her eyes lock on mine.

Fuck me, she said yes.

“Unca Cowe, you wanna help?” Mia asks.

I’m just about to tell her that I can’t when Kacen chimes in. “What about me? I’m an excellent cook.” He leans on the counter in front of where Mia is standing on a chair.

“Kace, you funny.” Mia giggles. It’s not until I see Kacen’s face that I understand her laughter. He has a mouth full of cooked spaghetti noodles hanging out of his mouth.

“I thought you were cooking for me?” I ask Mia.

“I not you wife.” She puts her little hand on her hip, and I can see my sister’s attitude shining through.

“But you’re my favorite girl,” I tell her.

Mia gives off a heavy sigh. “Fine, you can haf some.”

I grin and reach for the bowl of noodles only to have my hand smacked away. Logan smirks at me.

It’s not until I see Mia dig her little hands in and flip the noodles around that I understand. Logan is pouring more noodles into a boiling pot; this is Mia’s bowl to “cook” with.

“Wook, Stacy.” Mia holds up two hands full of noodles. “I make skettie.”

“Look at you. You’re doing a great job, Mia.”

“Mia, did I tell you that I bought some new puzzles? I was hoping you would stop by so we could put them together,” Logan tells her.

“Yay!” Mia throws her hand up and slings noodles on Kacen and me.

“Oh, no, now you’re going to get it,” I tell her, raising my hands. “You know what this means, right, Mia?” She’s already giggling so hard she can’t speak and I haven’t even touched her yet.

“The t-tickle mo-monster,” she sputters out.

I quickly stand and gather her under my arm, pretending to fly her around the kitchen. “Attention, passengers, please prepare for a crash tickle landing,” I say in a cheesy announcer voice.