Page 55 of Spark

Shit. Is that what I just admitted? “No. That’s not what I meant.”

Titus grins. “It’s okay, Kendrick. Like I said, I just didn’t want you two getting together for the first time drunk. Other than that, you can do your thing, if that’s what you wantto do.” His next words, he murmurs under his breath. “And it seems to me you do . . .”

My eyebrows ride up. My brain feels like it’s scrambling. I think that means Titus is giving me his blessing to date his sister? It’s a moot point, anyway, since Ruby’s not interested in me like that. But still, I can’t deny it’s pretty cool to find out Titus would be cool with it. Especially because, during our emergency band meeting the other day, he didn’t have quite the same reaction to Kai making a move on his sister.

“That’s . . . Wow,” I stammer. I pause, gathering my courage, and finally ask the thing I’m dying to know. “Has Ruby ever expressed interest in me to you? As more than a friend? Or was your comment about me making a move only . . . hypothetical?”

Titus grins. “It was hypothetical. Sorry to disappoint you, man.” Well, that’s pretty damned clear: Titus knows I’m into his sister.And not only as friends. How long has he known that?

My head is spinning. In a short space of time, I’ve let the cat out of the bag with Savage and Laila, and now it kind of feels like I’ve done the same thing with Titus. And you know what? The sky isn’t falling. The band isn’t crumbling. In fact, it feels like all three are totally rooting us on.

My heart thumping, I peek toward Savage and Laila at the back of the plane and discover my best friend is now sitting alone, and Ruby and Laila are nowhere to be seen. Probably chatting with our tour manager, Caden, in the next compartment.

It’s the perfect opportunity for me to pick Savage’s brain in private, so I beeline over to him.When Ruby stays at my place this coming week, it’ll be the perfect opportunity to make her see me in a new light—as more than a friend. Buthow? Normally, I’m pretty good with women. No, I’m awesome, actually. But when it comes to Ruby, I don’t trust myself to getit right without some help. I’m too close to the situation. Too invested.

But Savage? He’s not only far more detached and clear-headed than me, he also happens to be one of the world’s foremost former fuckboys. True, he hasn’t plied his trade in several years now, ever since meeting Laila, but I have to assume seduction is like riding a bike. So, hell yeah, I’m going to use this opportunity to come clean and seek his expert counsel.

“Hey, Savage, can I get some advice from you?”

Savage looks up from the movie he’s watching on his iPad. “What’s up?”

I slide into the empty seat recently vacated by Laila.

“What I’m about to tell you is highly confidential. You can’t even tell Laila.”

Savage’s dark eyebrows cinch together. “Okay.”

“Promise me, Savage. I mean it this time. If you’re going to tell her, I can’t tell you this.”

He twists his mouth. “I mean, realistically, I’ll probably tell Laila, without meaning to do it. But I swear to God, nobody else. And I’ll make sure Laila doesn’t tell anyone. She’s super trustworthy, KC, unlike me.”

I can’t help laughing.

“I don’t want to keep secrets from her,” Savage adds earnestly. “She’s mywife.”

I pat his shoulder. “Okay. That’s good enough for me. But you have to make sure she understands she can’t tell anyone, especially not Ruby. This is life or death for me, Savage. Promise me that, on your life.”

“I promise on my life. What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”

I take a deep breath. “I’m totally obsessed with Ruby, man. Sexually, I mean. Romantically. In every conceivable way, actually. And if I don’t take things to the next level with her soon, I’m pretty sure I’m going to physically die.”

Savage looks deeply amused. “So, Laila was right. That kiss was for real?”

I run a tortured hand over my face. “No. Well, yes, for me. But not for Ruby, unfortunately. She thinks I was brilliantly playing along to help her mess with Cooper.”

“Shit.”

“What did Laila say?”

“That you two left the party after that kiss to fuck for the first time.”

I shudder. “God, I wish. Sadly, no.”

“How long have you been feeling this way?”

I pretend to think about it, but I’m only doing a bit. “I think, uh, hmm, since . . . the instant I met her.”

“What?”

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