It was her heart.
Her talent.
Then their voices lifted each other and it was—pure ecstasy. In all the times I’d heard them practice the last few weeks, they hadn’t performed it like this. They’d worked on shifting the bridges and building in the chorus where they would blend their voices. I thought they were singing it in three parts, separately, but their harmonizing took it to a whole new level.
The power in the ballad held their audience riveted. It gripped me. There was one thing to write the music, to hear it in my head, and it was entirely different to hear it coming from them. KC was so damn magical. I never wanted to just listen to her on a recording again.
The real thing? So much better.
By the time the last note drifted away, the silence held the crowd hostage for a few seconds. They had to be as equally stunned as I was, but not for long. The cheering rose like a tidal wave, the sound echoing all the way back to here.
They didn’t linger on the stage this time, blowing a few kisses before they jogged off stage, even as a new act strode out there to pick up the proverbial baton. Sweat gleamed on her arms and her legs. The light danced over the glitter and rhinestones decorating KC’s face as she made a beeline right for us.
My heart fisted at the directness in her approach. I had no words. None. She was the one who wrote the lyrics, but the song in my soul was one thousand percent for her. When I held out a hand, she glided her palm over mine and then I was hugging her.
“Thank you,” I whispered against her ear. The soft brush of her lips to my throat sent a shiver over my spine and when she pulled back a little, I dipped my head to hers. I wasn’t big on the public displays. Kissing KC wasn’t about notoriety, hell, far from it.
She tasted like sweet lemons and a hint of sweat. There was a muskiness underscoring her scent that I wanted to bathe in. I wanted to drink in her nearness as her lips parted under mine. I tested the welcome with one swipe of my tongue and she fisted my hair as she sucked my tongue deeper.
I wanted to drag her somewhere quiet, steal away with her, and kiss her until the hint of tears in her eyes and the ragged notes in her breathing were gone. But even as the thought took purchase in my brain, I had to let her go as she leaned her head back and then her smile at me was everything.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hi.” Yeah. I was good with “hi.” Still a little dazed, I needed to take a step back to remember where we were. As it was, Aubrey was grinning at me. So was Yvette. KC wrapped her arm around mine and I’d rather break my arm off than pull away.
Lachlan wore a brooding look that Ramsey mirrored. They didn’t look pissed, just worried. Dix, however, looked furious. I wanted to smirk, but I didn’t. ‘Cause kissing KC was about KC and about me. No one else.
“You need to swing by the press room,” I said quietly before the dick brought it up. “Your manager told us that they were going to need five or ten to talk to you three about tonight.”
“Promotion,” Yvette said with a sigh as she accepted the water bottle Ramsey handed her. KC took one as well but she didn’t drink it yet, instead she glanced at me then nodded to the hall.
Yep, time to go.
“How much do you want to bet they’re going to ask about who we’re dating?” Aubrey said.
KC groaned. “No takers. Though I bet my dad is at the top of the list they want to talk to me about.”
“Or your three boyfriends,” Yvette teased, but she lowered her voice so it didn’t carry, Dix had begun striding ahead of us as if to clear the way.
“Who I’m dating isn’t for public consumption,” KC said, then she stole a look up at me, then over at Lachlan and Ramsey.
“Not planning on giving an interview, Ace. But can we get out of here after you talk to them?”
He was still antsy and hadn’t stopped moving. Not that I blamed him. It was irking me too. There were so many people back here. I recognized a lot of the acts, but they were all moving, either heading for the stage or heading into dressing rooms.
Gibs was coming out of the press room as we got there.
“For real?” Aubrey muttered and I was right there with her. KC’s hand tightened on my arm and I shifted to put myself slightly ahead of her. Not that I needed to bother, Lachlan moved right in front of both of us and Dix even dropped back.
“Fuck,” Ramsey muttered and it didn’t take me long to realize why. Gibs wasn’t alone. Mom was right there with him.
Her expression went from smiling to thunderous as she locked eyes on Lachlan. Nope, not just Lachlan. She glared past him to me and then to Ramsey before she stared at KC.
Gibs pivoted, cut off her laser glare, and he studied all of us before he looked at KC. Teddy was there too, wading into the fray. Great, the only one missing was her mother and I really hoped she wasn’t here. She’d ranted all the way out to Jackie’s car and even then she hadn’t wanted to get in.
It was a stand-off with Mom and Gibs standing between us and the press room. “C’mon, sweetheart,” Mom said as she rubbed her hand down Gibs’s arm. “We should go. I think you’ve donated more than enough of your time.” Her tone clearly said he shouldn’t have.
Fine, whatever, as long as they left KC alone.
“Actually,” KC said, letting go of my arm as she stepped forward. Lachlan stilled as she put a hand on his back before stepping out from behind him. “Dad—do you have a minute to talk?”
“This is probably not—” Mom began.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” KC said, never once taking her gaze off Gibs. “Dad?”
Gibs glanced at Mom then KC. “I always have time for you, Kaity. Do you need to talk to the press first? I’ll wait.”
“It could be a bit if I go in there…”
“I won’t leave,” Gibs promised.
“Gibs—”
“No, Linzi. If you’re tired, you can go. I’ll catch up with you later. I want to talk to Kaity.” Gibs pulled away from Mom and oh boy, her expression…
“Mom,” I said, throwing myself on that fire. “I can walk you out if you need it.” Not that I wanted to leave KC, but maybe getting Mom far away from her was a good idea.
“No, I don’t need it. My place is with Gibs. So if he’s waiting, I’m waiting… for Kaity.”
“My name is Kaitlin,” KC told her, in a cool voice, “Only Dad calls me Kaity. And you’re…”
“She’s my wife,” Gibs said gently.
“Yeah, that doesn’t mean that much to me, Dad. She can’t stand me and the feeling is probably going to be mutual. Although I do want to talk to you.”
“Then go talk to the press, Sweet Kaity, and I’ll be here when you come out.”
KC hesitated, I mean, who could blame her. I’d hesitate too.
“He’ll be here,” Ramsey said.
“Yep,” Lachlan backed him up. “We’ll be right here too.”
Translation, we would keep an eye on them. Yeah, I could do that. “You guys got this?”
I checked with KC as well as Aubrey and Yvette.
“We have her,” Yvette said. “Dix can come in and keep an eye on things in there.”
Good. The press wasn’t going to do anything, right?