Destination Weddings: Books 1-3 Read online

  “I know.” He chuckled. “Joey kept trying to convince me I belonged with you, not her, but I was committed to making things work as they were. She did me an immense favor by leaving.”

  “I’m so glad you’ve gotten through it. I was worried about you being hurt.”

  He grimaced. “Oh, it hurt. But mostly because I was an idiot for not breaking up with her a long time ago. I had my doubts toward the end, but seriously thought if we worked at the relationship, we could make it last.”

  She couldn’t stand that close to him and not kiss him. It wasn’t humanly possible. Without a phone between them, and not thousands of miles and a few times zones, she needed to remember how he tasted. She rose on her toes, her fingers shaking as they flattened on his pecs.

  His chest rose, filling her hands, and his voice grew gravelly. “Kenzi.” He cupped the back of her head and pulled her into his kiss, nibbling, then sucking her lower lip.

  A moan escaped her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she ran her fingertips over the coarseness of his hair. His hands slid down to leave burning trails on her back as he explored. Stroked. When his thumbs caressed her ribs, her breasts swelled in anticipation of his touch.

  “You taste so sweet.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. Nipped her earlobe, his breath tickling her.

  Currents of passion shot straight to her core, making her gasp. Her body was on high alert. Every spot he touched shattered at the sensation. She needed to slow down. She’d climax right there in her entryway if they didn’t stop.

  She couldn’t stop.

  Focus. Focus on the salty taste of his skin, how smooth his neck felt beneath her tongue.

  When her teeth brushed against his pulsing vein, he growled. “That’s so good.”

  His voice made her tingle, no need for him to touch her. You’ve got it bad, girl.

  Chaz slipped his tongue into her mouth, and palmed her breasts through the thin rayon fabric. Her nipples pebbled.

  Kenzi grew lightheaded, lost in the sensations he brought out of her. This wasn’t a fantasy, not a memory. She knew when they picked up their old friendship that it would one day lead to this. Or had hoped it. Prayed for it. Chaz was her first, and definitely her best lover.

  She would enjoy every moment they had together.

  Chapter Five

  Chaz led her into the living room and drew her close again, pushing her spaghetti straps off her shoulders. The dress shifted downward with his gentle tugs and she reached back to lower the zipper. Stepping away for a moment, she let the dress drop, sucking in her belly as it brushed past. Silly as it was, she was self-conscious standing before him in only her tiny silk panties, so she quickly closed the space between them.

  “No, wait. I want to see you.” He took her hand and led her to the couch, next to the lamp. “I’d forgotten how beautiful you are.”

  His gaze burned her skin, and much, much, deeper. She couldn’t wait any longer for his touch. She grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged him down for a kiss. Her lips were on fire. Her tongue slipped into his mouth to dance with his.

  “So sweet,” he murmured.

  Chaz’s hand stroked down her side, smoothing over her panties. She ground her hips against his hard ridge. Needing to touch, she slipped her hand between them and rubbed the length of his erection through his jeans.

  Hunger flashed through her. Her nipples hardened. Her panties grew damp. She moaned against his mouth and thrust her tongue deeper.

  He answered with a groan and cupped her breast, his thumb flicking her taut nipple. Ducking his head, he sucked the bud between his lips, sending electric currents through her.

  She arched her back, wishing somehow he could suck both breasts at the same time. As if he heard her thoughts, he pinched the other nipple and tugged lightly.

  “Yes,” she gasped. Her hands rested on his waist, maintaining her balance against the weakening of her knees. Her bones were melting.

  Chaz licked his way through her cleavage on his way to her other breast. He nipped at the fullness, sucking just hard enough she was sure he left a mark.

  Her breasts tightened, and she needed more. “Chaz, please,” she begged.

  She reached for his head, stroked her palms over his coarse hair. Tension tightened in her belly. She wanted to rush ahead and get to the good part, the incredible feeling of him thrusting inside her, but she wanted to savor the sensations he created and make them last all night.

  She needed to see his skin, too. “You’re wearing too many clothes.”

  He yanked the shirt over the back of his head and tossed it aside.

  Running her hands down his neck and over his shoulders, she felt the strength in his muscles. She let her hands trail down his sides to the waist of his shorts. With just a fingertip, she circled around his hips and under the band. He thrust against her in response.

  Sliding her hand under the fabric, she cupped the curve of his firm ass cheek. Damn, he was sculpted like marble. She pulled him hard against her and squeezed his ass.

  Chaz answered by tugging down her panties and slipping his hand between her legs. He kissed her again, almost desperately.

  As a knot built inside her, she leaned into his hand. She could only force a hoarse whisper. “I want you.”

  “You’ve got me, babe, you’ve got me.” His hand continued to work its magic.

  When he touched her sensitive spot, she jumped. “God!”

  His warm chuckle sent shivers over her skin. “No, I’m a mere mortal.” As if to prove it, he drove his finger deeper in her heated depths. His groan matched hers as she rode his hand.

  “Ah, that’s so good.” She tugged at his shorts. “I need you.”

  Shucking them off in one swift move, he stood proud before her. When she ran her fingertips over him, his hips jerked.

  “Now you see how I felt,” she teased. She tugged his hand, moving toward her bedroom door. “Come with me.”

  Kenzi took a condom out of the nightstand and tossed it on the bed, then sat near it, holding an arm out to Chaz, very close to begging him to join her there.

  “Now, where were we?” He ran his finger along her jaw, then lifted her chin and caught her lips. All gentle persuasion was gone, replaced by heated passion. His tongue thrust in and found hers, tangling with it.

  He rolled to his side, leaning on one elbow as his other hand explored her curves. Sliding over her ribs, and stroking the fleshy pooch of her belly. Down the inside of one thigh.

  Her legs opened to him, her hips rolled, reaching. It seemed he’d never get there, and then his finger thrust inside. She bit back a gasp.

  “Yeah, that’s my girl,” he whispered. “Spread your legs wider, let me see.”

  She remembered how much he loved watching her climax. The thought of him watching her, seeing her tremble as the need built, was almost as good as having him inside her.

  She arched against him, riding his hand. “That’s it.”

  He shifted on the mattress and she heard the sound of foil tearing as he took out a condom. After a pause, he stretched above her, probed between her legs and thrust deep.

  She cried out before she could catch herself, holding her breath as she stretched to fit him. He filled her completely, perfectly. It had been way too long since she’d been loved like this.

  He pushed deeper, and she savored the feeling as he slowly drew back. Short panting breaths followed each pulsing drive. The knot of pleasure tightened in her.

  “Let it go, baby,” he urged. “Let me feel it.”

  The pleasure in his voice sent her over the edge. His lips found hers and he kissed her as he continued to thrust. He groaned and froze deep inside her. The air around them seemed strangely quiet, although it had only been filled with their breathing and whispered words.

  Kenzi’s heart pounded in her ears. She pulled on Chaz’s shoulders, encouraging him to lie on her. He shifted, taking his weight on one hip beside her and stretched his length to fit hers.

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sp; He kissed her again, this time a gentle caress. “That was so good, babe.”

  She sighed. “Yeah.”

  With one hand she urged him to rest his head on her breast as she lay there letting the throbbing pulse points throughout her body calm down. Their lovemaking had always taken her far beyond any place she could have imagined. She’d been afraid the memory of it was greater than the reality, but nothing could beat this moment.

  Chaz’s thumb brushed casually across her nipple, the sensation as comforting as it was arousing. “I don’t think I ever stopped loving you,” he said.

  Her eyes met his. “I know. I realized how much I still love you, too. I didn’t realize love could sustain itself without being fed occasionally.”

  “That’s not love. That’s ego.”

  Such a wise man. “I still can’t get over the unlikelihood of us crossing paths again, unless it was at one of your concerts. But I wouldn’t have tried to go backstage, so unless you saw me in the crowd, we would have remained on our separate paths.”

  “Things happen for a reason. I needed you to be there when the shit went down.”

  “You know…”She traced the outline of a muscle in his abs. “I always wondered how you knew where to find me at that bar, that night. When you invited us to go snorkeling. Was that intentional, or coincidence?”

  “Huh.” He grinned, turning away. “Yeah. A little of both. I left the villa because I needed to burn off some nerves. Walking in the darkness kept me away from cameras and squealing fans. But I guessed you guys were probably at one of the clubs, so I thought I’d see if I could find you. So, some lucky planning, I guess.”

  “I’m glad you found us.” She snuggled into the curve of his shoulder.

  “It’s going to be hell to go back on the road.”

  Her breath caught. She wasn’t ready to talk about his leaving. “Let’s worry about that on Sunday.”

  “Great idea.” He rolled on top of her and nipped at her earlobe.

  Kenzi sighed and surrendered herself to him.

  ~*~

  Three months later, the band was playing in Oakland. Chaz gave Kenzi passes for Bree, her fiancé Ash, and Jasmine. He’d invited Jasmine to bring a friend, too, but she’d passed on the offer.

  “I think she’s still crushing on Travis,” Kenzi said when they were alone.

  Chaz chuckled. “The poor guy. He doesn’t stand a chance against her.”

  They sat together backstage with a couple of the crew, but not their fan club. He knew Kenzi was aware of the girls, but he didn’t want her questioning his…activities with them. He’d never actually dated one of the band-aides. They seemed content just traveling to shows and getting the occasional sweaty shirt or guitar pick.

  His nerves were a bit on edge. He had something special planned for Kenzi. She’d love it, he was sure, but he was afraid he’d screw it up somehow.

  How crazy it was that when they’d first been together, there were no worries about how she felt about him-if he was good enough. If she wanted something different. This time, though, he was a wreck. She enjoyed her job, even with the lack of time off. He didn’t want to go on seeing her every few months. He needed more.

  He just needed to figure out how they’d work it out.

  Their new manager opened the door. “It’s time, guys.”

  Their opening act had finished a short time ago, and Marino’s crew would be setting up their gear now. Chaz stood and kissed Kenzi. “See you after.”

  “Love you,” she said softly.

  “Love you, too.”

  They opened with a fan favorite from early on and played their way through some of the bigger hits. He was saving their latest release until last, since that was the one the crowd would be screaming for.

  He’d added a couple of new songs from their next album in between standards, and finally came the moment he’d been waiting for. He glanced in the corner of the front section where Kenzi sat. Her hair glowed in the lights from the stage. Taking Nate’s place at the keyboard, he spoke to the crowd. “This next one is one of the first songs I ever wrote. It wasn’t finished. I couldn’t decide how to finish it. But recently I knew where it had to go. You guys are the first to hear it.”

  The crowd screamed, and went quiet when he hit the first chords.

  “I saw you sitting there and had to say hi,

  Never dreaming you soon would be mine.

  Your smile, your kiss, the way you look at me

  Are the blood in my veins, the air that I breathe.”

  Lady K, my lady love,

  You fill my world with your light,

  Brighten the darkness in my soul

  And teach me what I’m capable of.

  Lazy mornings beside you,

  Late nights inside you,

  Stay with me baby, I need you with me.”

  Chaz looked for recognition on Kenzi’s face. Her eyes glittered from the lights behind him. Were those tears, or just his wishful thinking?

  “Other guys try to catch your eye and take you from me,

  I just laugh, cuz I know you never will leave.

  I’m your world, and you’re mine,

  You’re all I need when I come home at night.

  Lady K, my lady love

  You fill my world with your light

  Brighten the darkness in my soul

  And teach me what I’m capable of.

  Lazy mornings beside you,

  Late nights inside you,

  Stay with me baby, I need you with me.”

  He’d been shocked how much he missed her when he first moved to L.A. She’d been part of him, the biggest part of him. Their parting had been drama-free, and he’d been so excited to be moving forward with his career.

  “I should’ve seen what a gift I had before me,

  Should’ve found a way to give us everything,

  It came so easy I took us for granted,

  And then I woke and we were gone.

  Lady K, my lady love,

  You fill my world with your light,

  Brighten the darkness in my soul,

  And teach me what I’m capable of.

  Lazy mornings beside you,

  Late nights inside you,

  Stay with me baby, I need you with me.”

  He saw that Kenzi’s cheeks were damp now. She knew the song was hers. The Lady K part made it obvious, but she’d heard the tune often enough when he’d been jamming in the apartment he and Joey had shared back in the day. He’d poured his heart into it at the time and the words still rang true. With the ending finally becoming clear to him, it was easy to finally finish the lyrics.

  “That night I left you, I left a piece of myself,

  A part of me I can’t live without,

  No matter where I am, I am yours,

  You are all that’s on my mind.

  Lady K, my lady love,

  You fill my world with your light,

  Brighten the darkness in my soul,

  And teach me what I capable of.

  Lazy mornings beside you,

  Late nights inside you,

  Stay with me baby, I need you with me.”

  When he hit the final repeat of the chorus, nothing else existed but the words. Saying “I love you” never fully expressed how he felt. He hoped Kenzi could see it now.

  The guys stopped playing so the focus was on Chaz’s guitar, where he fingered the last chords.

  “Lazy mornings beside you

  Late nights beside you…”

  He paused, then spoke the finish. “Lady K, be mine again.”

  He was drained. The energy it took to get the emotion right, to not just stop singing and talk to Kenzi instead, left him wiped out. After playing two encores, Chaz and the guys went backstage. He kept looking at the door for Kenzi. He was actually worried about what she thought about him baring his soul before the world. She was always so private. Had expressed several times she didn’t want to be in the limelight. Had he gone too far?
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  She and her friends were laughing together when they entered. That was a good sign. Her eyes swept the room, landing on him. When her smile grew even bigger, the tension drained from Chaz.

  He pushed through the sea of people crowded into the small space, stopping briefly to speak to those begging for his attention. Kenzi walked toward him, and they finally met in the middle of the room.

  She reached up and pulled his head down to kiss him. “Beautiful. Thanks.” Her voice wavered like she was close to tears.

  He brushed her hair back from her face, losing himself in those blue eyes. “Very beautiful.”

  “Thank you.”

  There were too many people around to say what he wanted to, so he simply wrapped her in a tight hug.

  Gary, their new manager, tapped Chaz on the shoulder. “There are some people you need to meet.”

  Biting back an I’m busy here, Chaz took Kenzi’s hand and made her follow him. She was always better with new people than he was. Having her beside him gave him strength to deal with the part of the business he liked the least.

  “Chaz, this is Kevin Baines and Sue Newman from KYO Marketing Group. They have some fantastic ideas for taking the next step.”

  “Kevin. Susan. Good to meet you both.” He shook their hands. The next step? They had albums, videos, an app, and were on their second world tour. How many steps were left?

  “We have had great success lately with an online resource,” Susan said.

  “Sounds interesting.” This was not the place to talk business, and after they’d played Chaz’s brain was too fried to think straight. “Set up a time with Gary so we can go over your ideas.”

  As quickly as he could, Chaz moved on, keeping Kenzi at his side. An eternity later, people finally began to leave, a few at a time, until only the real friends remained. The people he’d be likely to invite to a party at his house. This he could handle.