"You know this was only supposed to be one night, Cade," she murmured. "Tonight only."

"I lied," he told her, and nipped at the tip of her breast. "I don't want just one night with you, Kylie Daniels. I'm pretty sure I want all of them."

She sucked in a breath. Because, really, what could she say to that? She wanted him, too. But she wasn't free until Daphne's concert tour was over. She didn't get her next payment until it was done, and she needed that money. "Well, you don't get the next two weeks," she said, forcing herself to be light and teasing.

"I suppose I should get two weeks of kissing in tonight, then," he murmured, and gave her breast another obscene, dragging lick.

"Guess so," she told him, and pulled him up for the first of many kisses.

- Kylie's fingers were linked with Cade's as they rode in the limo the next morning back to her hotel. She stifled a yawn with her free hand, and blushed when he chuckled.

They had been up all night making love. Sometimes sweet and tender, sometimes fierce and almost brutal. Every time, though, Kylie came hard, and every time, it was utterly glorious. Between rounds of sex, they napped and talked, and sometimes they cuddled.

She was falling hard for Cade Archer, and that was going to make things difficult. But she could deal with difficult, she decided. If she just kept her mouth shut and if Cade kept away on business for a lot of the next two months, they could probably make this work out. She could sneak away to see him between shows, and Daphne and the rest of the tour crew would never be the wiser.

After the tour was over, she'd pay Nana's nursing home fees for the rest of the year and then she'd see about getting some sort of long-term work in New York City, where she could be with Cade. Maybe something on Broadway. That might be fun.

They could make this work . . . couldn't they?

The limo arrived at the hotel far too fast. When the driver opened Kylie's door, she got out reluctantly, slinging her purse over her shoulder. Cade got out, too, and she turned to look at him, giving him a bright smile despite her gloomy mood. He stood in front of her, hands stuffed in his pockets like a little boy, and waited for her to make the first move.

Well, she would, then. Her own hands went to the front of his shirt, just so she could touch him, could feel his warmth one more time. She already missed him. "Two weeks is a long time. You're not going to forget me, are you?" Damn it, she'd tried to keep her voice light and teasing, but it'd come out shaky instead.

"Not at all," Cade told her, and kissed the tip of her nose. "I will text you so often that you'll feel like you have a stalker."

She grinned up at him. "And you'll send back my panties?"

The look he gave her was downright naughty. "You know what you have to do to get those panties back."

Kylie bit her lip. "You're incorrigible."

"Just determined to see you in a few pictures, that's all." His blue eyes gleamed wickedly.

"I'll see what I can do," she murmured, and tilted her face back for a kiss. Truth be told, she was already planning the series of pictures she'd send him. He was fascinated with watching her put on makeup, so she'd definitely have to have a naked shot of her putting on lipstick, or maybe just one of her breasts . . . the possibilities were endless.

He kissed her back, lightly sucking on her lower lip as she tried to pull away, making the kiss last even longer. When they finally pulled apart, he murmured, "I miss you already."

It scared her that she felt the same way.

- When she boarded the tour bus, Kylie handed her suitcase off and held her purse close as she went to her regular seat toward the front. She had her potted violet in hand and set it carefully on the empty seat next to her. The smokers-aka the dancers-liked to hang out in the back, swapping cigarettes or weed while they wasted the hours between tour stops. Today, the bus smelled like weed, which was irritating. She stood up and pushed her window down to let in fresh air, then shot a glare at the smoky back of the bus. Kylie was in a sour mood. The thought of not seeing Cade for two weeks was already bugging the hell out of her, and it had only been an hour or so since she'd left him. How was she possibly going to get through two weeks?

As if he could hear her thoughts, her phone buzzed with an incoming text, and a smiley face popped up on her screen, which made her grin.

Two weeks might not be so bad if they involved constant texts. And if he was getting pictures of her? She wanted pictures of him, too. They didn't have to be nude pics; she'd settle for one of those early morning tousled hair glimpses that made her knees weak.

She was just about to text him that when someone picked up her flowerpot and sat down in the empty seat next to her.

"Hey," Daphne said, still wearing her wig from last night's show. And her makeup, too, if Kylie recognized that shade of eyeshadow. Which she did, seeing as how she was the one who applied it. Had Daphne not gone to bed?

Kylie slid her phone into her purse. "Hi, Daph."

"I'm glad you're here, Fat Marilyn. I need to ask you a question." She lit up a joint while sitting next to Kylie, took a puff, and then flicked the ashes in the aisle of the bus.

"Uh, what's that?" She waved a hand at the smell, trying to dissipate it.

Daphne shot her an annoyed look. "You know the blond guy in the suits that comes to the backstage area at some of my shows? Cade?"

Kylie stiffened, alarm flaring through her. "Yeah?"

Daphne crossed her legs and then recrossed them, flexing her foot back and forth in a rapid motion. Her pupils were dilated, Kylie realized, and she was on something. This early? Or was this an aftereffect of last night? Her mouth looked swollen, too, and she kept taking drags off of the hand-rolled weed cigarette. "You see him leave last night?"

She forced her attention back on Daphne's face. "Hmm?"

Irritated, the singer snapped her fingers in front of Kylie's face. "Pay attention, Fat Marilyn. Did you see Cade leave with anyone?"

Her mouth went dry. Was Daphne trying to suss her out? Get her to confess? Yes, actually, I was in his limo and we went back to the hotel and had dirty sex for hours on end. I can still taste his cock if I lick the roof of my mouth.

"Um, I don't recall," Kylie hedged. "I think I might have left before he did?"

Daphne's foot swung more rapidly in agitation. She flicked the ashes of her smoke again and then shot Kylie another irritated look. "I think the fucker's seeing someone behind my back."

"Th-that so?" Her stomach roiled nervously.

Daphne gave a sharp nod. "He's not answering my texts."

"Maybe he's just busy?"

"I don't give a shit if he's busy," Daphne said, her nostrils flaring with rage. She leaned forward and stubbed her "cigarette" out on the leather seat in front of her, careless of the damage she caused. "I'm doing my best to stay clean and he doesn't even have the decency to tell me if he's got a fuckpiece on the side?"

Kylie stared wordlessly at the blunt Daphne dropped to the ground and then back at Daphne.

"Oh, grow up," Daphne said with a sneer. "When I say clean, I mean the really hard shit. Weed is just weed. That's like saying you're an alcoholic if all you drink is beer."

Kylie didn't correct her.

Daphne gave a huge sigh. "I'm sorry to drag you in on my troubles, Fat Marilyn. I'm sure you've got issues of your own."

"No, it's okay," Kylie said, hugging her purse in her lap even as it buzzed with another text from Cade. "I understand if you're . . . upset."

"I shouldn't be, should I?" Daphne mused, brightening. "He'll probably dump whoever he's fucking as soon as I let him know I'm interested."

"Probably," Kylie whispered, her stomach clenching again. But then she remembered the ring on her finger, and Cade's sweetness and ignored Daphne's hurtful words.

"Well, I'm not doing my next show until Cade shows up and apologizes to me," Daphne said. "My fans can just fuck off until my personal life is all straightened out." She picked up her phone and began to angrily punch a text in, her twitchy foot motoring a mile a minute.

Kylie stared at her in horror. "You shouldn't do that. Daphne, think of your fans. The money it'd cost if you canceled-"

Daphne pressed her hands to her forehead. "I can't go on if I'm upset, though. I need my headache meds." She got up from the seat, kicking aside Kylie's potted violet as she did. "Snoopy! Where's my pills?"

"You just had some an hour ago," came Snoopy's quiet voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I ask you to argue with me?" Daphne asked, her voice growing louder. "Or did I say hand me my goddamn pills?" She stormed to the back of the long bus.

Kylie leaned over her seat and scooped the dirt back into the tiny plastic flowerpot. This poor violet was never going to survive two months on tour. Good thing it wasn't a kitten.

"You need to shape the fuck up," a voice hissed at Kylie. She looked up at Ginger across the aisle. The older woman had her mending out and was shaking her head at Kylie as she fixed a button on a glittering costume. "I like you, Kylie, but that woman is becoming unbearable, and I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to hold your secret."

"Ginger, please," Kylie said. "Daphne's just being a spoiled brat."

"Yes, but that spoiled brat is also my boss," Ginger said. "And if she finds out you've been fucking her man on the sly, she's going to be worse than ever to work with. And here's the thing. If it comes down to you or me, I'm going to pick me." Ginger shot her a narrow-eyed look. "So don't make me choose, got it?"

Kylie nodded, clutching her plant. "I broke it off with him, you know," she lied. "Last night. After the show."

Ginger gave her a quick thumbs-up. "Atta girl. Once she starts hearing from him again, she'll calm back down."

"Yeah," Kylie said. She wanted to text Cade, let him know what was going on, but Ginger was watching her. It seemed she was always watching. Kylie glanced around and then got up to head for the tour bus bathroom, purse in hand.

The bathroom itself was a tiny cubby smaller than most airport bathrooms, and it currently stank of weed thanks to its close proximity to the back of the bus. It was also the only place she could have a moment's privacy. She sat down on the travel toilet and pulled out her cell phone and texted Cade.

Daphne's in a rage. She thinks you're dating someone and doesn't want to do her next show until she hears from you. Please please calm her down and let her know you're out of town? Maybe that'll soothe her. I have to go for now. People are watching.

She stared at her text, and wondered what he'd think of it. Would he think she was brushing him off again? Impulsively, she added: Will send hot pictures later tho. XOXO Then, she stuffed her phone back into her bag, turned the ringer off, and doused her hands liberally with hand sanitizer before leaving the bathroom.

FIFTEEN.

Cade: Hey, man. I can't be at the Brotherhood meeting tonight. I'm in the U.K. at the moment on business.

Reese: Jolly good!

Cade: I'm picturing you saying that in a horrible accent.

Reese: You should see the look my wife gave me, too.

Cade: How's the pregnancy going?

Reese: Her ankles are almost as big as her belly. And if she finds out I told you that, she'll kill me.

Reese: But she's gorgeous. I mentioned that, right? I mean, she likes pickles on everything at the moment. Like, if I want to get action, I need to douse my dick in pickle juice. But she's stunning. Radiant. We're trying to decide on names at the moment.

Cade: Good for you two.

Reese: So I guess that means you don't want to hear our choices? By the way, you're not going to miss much at the meeting. My sister-in-law's going to be there and Griffin's bringing his woman. Someone mentioned the dreaded words "bridesmaid colors."

Cade: When did our band of men turn into a hen party?

Reese: The moment everyone started getting their dick wet on a regular basis. Happens to all guys.

Cade: Guess so.

Reese: So . . . how's that Daphne thing going?

Cade: She's a hot mess. Still using.

Reese: You ever nail the other girl?

Cade: Better. I married her.

Reese: Bro . . . we got to talk about this playboy thing. You are doing it all wrong.

Cade: I will cheerfully give up all my playboy days if I can keep this one.

Reese: I'd say you're an idiot, but Audrey is here at my side and making little cooing noises about you getting married, so I get it. I really get it.

Cade: Tell Audrey it's a secret! We're not telling Daph. For reasons.

Reese: Shit. I'll make something up. Got it, bro.

Cade: Later, man. Have fun tonight picking out colors.

Reese: Fuck you.

- Cade: Hey Daph, you there?

Cade: Daph? Answer me.

Cade: Come on. I know you're there. Don't be like this.

Daphne: Maybe.

Cade: I'm just checking in to see how you're feeling. How's the tour going?

Daphne: It's fine.

Cade: I'm sorry I won't be able to make it for a few weeks. I have business overseas. I'm typing this in London as we speak.

Daphne: Cade: I promise I'll come visit when I get back, though?

Daphne: I miss u Cade: I miss you, too, Daph. You're a great friend. Have some kickass shows, okay?

Daphne: Will do.