Page 46 of Love Thief

And Kellen has finally had enough. “Stop calling her that.” He hisses viciously at Kasey, although I detect the laugh underneath it.

“Why? You call her that, as well as Xander. I think it’s a nice name for her.”

“It is, but not to you.”

Kasey just smirks. “Now, now Russell, I’ve been a perfect house guest, haven’t I, kitten?”

Jonno bursts out laughing. “Let’s go before there’s a fight. I’ll go home tonight if Kell’s here. Are you off again tomorrow?”

“Yes, but later in the afternoon,” Kell confirms sullenly.

“Why do they all call you Kellen? Your name’s Marcus. But I heard them calling you that the other night. Xander, too. But I’ve never heard anyone else do it. I’m sure in LA Xan always referred to you as Marcus.”

“They do, no one else does. A bit like calling her Kitten. Xan, Bug, and I do. No one else,” he deadpans at Kasey.

Unfortunately Kasey doesn’t care. “So cool, I’m glad to be included. I’ll have to think of a name for myself that only you call me, Kitten. I’ll work on it.” He sits back and waits for Kell to explode.

“You fucker, leave my wife alone.”

“Haven’t touched her. As I said, perfect house guest. I’ve even been invited to Devon, by the boys. Can’t wait to meet Marshall and the famous Pinky.” Kasey is really going for it now.

“Pinky’s also mine. She won’t want anything to do with you.” Kellen is practically beaming now. “She’s a Greystone female, me only.”

I shake my head at him. “Well, that’s not strictly true. Mr. Tubbs is before you,” I get in.

“Oh well, yes, I suppose,” Kell muses.

“And maybe Crockett,” Jonno reminds him.

“Well, I’m first human then.” He grins at me and pulls me in for a kiss. “You better not like Mr. Tubbs more.”

“No absolutely not, you’re definitely first human for me.”

Kellen stays in my bed at the apartment at my docklands buildings for two nights, and he can't seem to leave.

“If you don’t go back, Xan will come here and then I’ll have the band on my arse. I’ve not gone on tour yet. I need to get on with people.” He’s stroking my skin and moving his hand down my body.

“Fuck them, I need you. Come to Devon.”

“No, I’ve got calls today and tomorrow. Then I’ll be ready to come so we can get ready for the Isle of Wight. Let me do this, Kellen.”

He looks at me from under his long lashes. “Will you come to Xander’s dad’s for Xan’s birthday? He wants to fly straight up from the Isle of Wight then back down for Glastonbury. He wants you to come.”

“I can. Is it the place in London?”

“No, The Highlands. His dad doesn’t come to London much these days.”

“I’ve been thinking of a gift for him,” I tell Kellen. “I bought some stuff the other day from a lovely shop I passed. What are you getting him?”

He pauses slightly then shrugs. “Same thing I get him every year, whatever he asks for.”

I screw my face up at that. “What, he has to ask you for his gift?”

“Yep. It’s something we started years ago. He asks for something and I give it to him, whatever it is. He always got gifts he never wanted. His mother did it on purpose, she was a horror. So I promised him then, I would only ever give him things he wanted, but on the proviso he told me what it was so he was never disappointed.”

He smiles widely at that and I struggle to breathe, he takes my breath away. His love for Xander shines through his smile. The fact that he made that promise to his childhood friend, knowing the pain he may have been going through, every year. And to keep it going to obliterate the bad memories and only create lovely new ones going forward. I’m overcome with emotion.

I eventually get out, “Ingenious and cunning.”

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