Troubled Times Read online

  “Promise?” Tyler asked, as if he could hear my very thoughts. His hands moved over my lower back, his fingers tracing a familiar pattern. I smiled and nuzzled his neck, shivers quivering up my spine.

  “What are you writing?” I laughed. “It tickles.”

  “My Katie,” he confessed, tracing it repeatedly, rubbing it in with his palm. “Since the day I met you, I wanted you to be my Katie.”

  My Katie. Now that he said it, I recognized the letters he’d been tracing on my skin since we first met. That was what he’d been writing all along.

  “I am yours,” I told him.

  “Then prove it.”

  “Ty...” I gave him a look and he grinned.

  “I have to catch a flight in about six hours.” His eyes grew dark as his gaze swept over me, his hands moving over my skin again. “Let’s see how sore I can make you.”

  “What about Sarah?” I glanced toward the house.

  She was peeking out of the blinds, watching. That made me smile.

  “She’s not invited.”

  I giggled when he challenged me to a race into the house, but I was off to a head start before he’d even said “go!”

  Sarah asked what in the world we were up to as we tore past her, down the hall, both of us out of breath when we locked Sabrina’s bedroom door behind us, laughing as we kissed each other down onto the bed.

  I tried to be quiet, knowing Sarah was out there—she knocked on the door a few times, but we were both too busy to answer and she finally gave up—but in the end, I succumbed and lived up to my reputation as Katie the Screamer. And Sarah was so happy I wasn’t running away to go on tour with Trouble, she didn’t even mention all the noise she must have heard coming from Sabrina’s bedroom when we finally came out hours later, dehydrated, sore, and hungry.

  She just took off her earbuds, put down her book, and said goodbye to Tyler when it was time for him to go. She gave him a big, long hug, telling him to stay sane and sober. Sound advice. I wanted to go to the airport with him, but I knew I could only be so strong. He held me close, he kissed me, we made promises to talk, text, call, email, everything we could do long distance that was humanly possible to stay connected. And to his credit, he didn’t ask me to go with him again.

  Because if he had, I might have broken down.

  It was Sarah who was there when he had gone, when I finally collapsed, sobbing on the sofa. It was Sarah who stroked my hair and held my hand and told me I’d done the right thing, for both of us, for all of us. I knew it, and I hated it at the same time. This whole being a grown-up thing was, I decided when I crawled into bed, still smelling him on the covers, way overrated.

  Then Tyler called me from the plane before it took off.

  “I miss you already,” I told him. “It hurts.”

  “I know.” He sighed. “I’m kissing you right now. Making it all better.”

  “Kissing the ouchies away?” I sniffed, smiling.

  “I’d make it all better if I could,” he whispered. “I’d take away all your pain.”

  We’d both been running, looking for a way to escape the pain, and that instinct remained strong, ingrained. But pain was meant to be felt, I realized, just as much as joy or love. My pain wouldn’t ever disappear entirely, but knowing Tyler loved me enough to want it to—that made it bearable.

  “You do make it better,” I told him honestly. He couldn’t take my pain away and I couldn’t take his either. But just hearing him say he wanted to, feeling the love behind his words, made it okay. He didn’t make it go away—he made me feel brave enough, safe enough, loved enough, to face it, to feel it.

  That was a far greater gift to me than being painless.

  And it was a much better high than heroin had ever been.

  By the time Tyler’s flight took off and we had to say goodbye again, I was already flying. Higher than a kite. We both were. Loving each other was like breathing now, natural and easy and constant. It buoyed me up, like the air in my lungs, keeping me afloat in a sea of crazy. We said it before we hung up, but we didn’t need to, because we both knew.

  We both felt it in every part of our being.

  Together, loving each other, we could reach heights addicts could only ever dream about.

  * * *

  The End

  Get Six Free Reads!: Selena loves hearing from readers!

  ~| Books | Newsletter | Facebook | Twitter | Blog |~

  Get ALL SIX of Selena Kitt’s FREE READS

  + a BONUS READ unavailable anywhere else

  by joining her mailing list!

  About Selena Kitt

  Selena Kitt is a NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and award-winning author of erotic and romance fiction. She is one of the highest selling erotic writers in the business with over two million sexy books sold!

  Her writing embodies everything from the spicy to the scandalous but watch out-this kitty also has sharp claws and her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

  When she’s not pawing away at her keyboard, Selena runs an innovative publishing company (excessica.com) and bookstore (excitica.com), as well as two erotica and erotic romance promotion companies (excitesteam.com and excitespice.com) and she also now runs the Erotica Readers and Writers Association (erotica-readers.com).

  Her books EcoErotica (2009), The Real Mother Goose (2010) and Heidi and the Kaiser (2011) were all Epic Award Finalists. Her only gay male romance, Second Chance, won the Epic Award in Erotica in 2011. Her story, Connections, was one of the runners-up for the 2006 Rauxa Prize, given annually to an erotic short story of “exceptional literary quality.”

  Her books, Babysitting the Baumgartners, Adventures with the Baumgartners, Heidi and the Kaiser and Unfolding are now adult films by Adam & Eve, directed by Kay Brandt.

  She can be reached on her website at www.selenakitt.com

  Selena Kitt’s Other Works

  MOVIES

  Adventures with the Baumgartners

  Babysitting the Baumgartners

  Heidi and the Kaiser

  Unfolding

  * * *

  NOVELS

  BAUMGARTNER SERIES NOVELS

  A Baumgartner Reunion

  Adventures with the Baumgartners

  Babysitting the Baumgartners

  Baumgartner Generations: Henry

  Baumgartner Generations: Janie

  Baumgartners Empty Nest

  Crazy About the Baumgartners

  Letters to the Baumgartners

  The Baumgartners Plus One

  * * *

  DIVINE VAMPIRES SERIES

  The Blood of Angels

  The Kiss of Angels

  * * *

  HIGHLAND WOLF PACT TRILOGY

  Highland Wolf Pact

  Highland Wolf Pact: Compromising Positions

  Highland Wolf Pact: Blood Reign

  * * *

  PARANORMAL/FANTASY NOVELS

  Bear Necessities

  Blind Date

  Hooked (Blood Courtesans)

  The Real Mother Goose

  The Song of Orpheus

  The Surrender of Persephone

  * * *

  TABOO/FORBIDDEN NOVELS

  Heidi and the Kaiser

  Hussy

  Forbidden Fruit

  Naughty Bits (Revised)

  Step Beast

  Yank

  * * *

  THREESOME/MENAGE NOVELS

  Bluebeard’s Wife

  Taken

  The Sybian Club

  Under Mr. Nolan’s Bed

  Unfolding

  * * *

  UNDER MR. NOLAN’S BED TRILOGY

  Temptation

  Confession

  Grace

  * * *

  SELENA KITT BOX SETS

  The Baumgartner Box Set 1

  The Baumgartner Box Set 2

  Girls Only Complete Boxed Set

  Highland Wolf Pact Boxed Set

&
nbsp; Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Complete #1

  Myths Behaving Badly Box Set

  Nolan Trilogy Boxed Set

  Power Play: The Complete Collection

  Tempting His Best Friend—Forbidden Love A-Z—BABY SERIES—Volume 1

  Tempting His Best Friend—Forbidden Love A-Z—THE GIRLS—Volume 1

  Tempting His Best Friend—Forbidden Love A-Z—THE GIRLS—Volume 2

  Tempting His Best Friend—Forbidden Love A-Z—THE GIRLS—Volume 3

  Tempting His Best Friend—Forbidden Love A-Z—THE GIRLS—Volume 4

  Tempting His Best Friend—Forbidden Love A-Z—THE GIRLS—Volume 5

  Tempting His Best Friend—Forbidden Love A-Z—THE GUYS—Volume 1

  Tempting His Best Friend—Forbidden Love A-Z—THE GUYS—Volume 2

  Tempting His Best Friend—Forbidden Love A-Z—THE GUYS—Volume 3

  Tempting His Best Friend—Forbidden Love A-Z—THE GUYS—Volume 4

  Tempting His Best Friend—Forbidden Love A-Z—THE GUYS—Volume 5

  * * *

  ANTHOLOGIES

  Back to the Garden (Revised)

  Baumgartner Hot Shorts

  Confessions

  EcoErotica

  Quickies

  Tickled Pink

  * * *

  STORIES

  * * *

  BAUMGARTNER SERIES STORIES

  A Baumgartner Anniversary

  A Baumgartner Christmas

  A Baumgartner Valentine

  Baumgartners Dirty Show

  Meet the Baumgartners

  * * *

  EROTICA

  A Different Angle

  A Twisted Bard’s Tale

  Connections

  Hannah’s Choice

  I’ll Be Your Superman

  On Cherry Hill

  Sacred Spots

  Second Chance

  Shorn

  Starving Artist

  The Flintstone Experiment

  * * *

  ROMANCE

  Christmas Stalking

  Unbreakable Bonds

  * * *

  GIRLS ONLY

  Girls Only: College Days

  Girls Only: First Time

  Girls Only: Girl Scout Trip

  Girls Only: Moms’ Night Out

  Girls Only: New Year’s Resolution

  Girls Only: Pajama Party

  Girls Only: Pool Party

  Girls Only: Stay

  Girls Only: Sybian Sorority

  Girls Only: The Hairdresser

  * * *

  MODERN WICKED FAIRY TALES

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Alice

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Beauty

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Bluebeard

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Briar Rose

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Frog Prince

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Goldilocks

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Gretel

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Peter and the Wolf

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Pinocchio

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Rapunzel

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Red

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: The Frog Prince

  A Modern Wicked Fairy Tale: Wendy

  * * *

  POWER PLAY

  Power Play: Bailey and the Professor

  Power Play: Donnie and the Maid

  Power Play: Emily and the Priest

  Power Play: Ivy and the Cop

  Power Play: Jodie and the Billionaire

  Power Play: Katie and the Dom

  Power Play: Kelsey and the Executive

  * * *

  TEMPTING HIS BEST FRIEND

  Aaron

  Brian

  Cameron

  Daren

  Dustin

  Evan

  Finn

  Gavin

  Hayden

  Ian

  Jason

  Kevin

  Logan

  Mason

  Nathan

  Owen

  Preston

  Quinn

  Ryan

  Sean

  Tristan

  Upton

  Vaughn

  Warren

  Xavian

  Yaron

  Zayn

  Anna

  Becca

  Christa

  Clara

  Darla

  Eva

  Fiona

  Georgia

  Hanna

  India

  Jenna

  Kayla

  Leila

  Maya

  Nina

  Olivia

  Paula

  Qesa

  Raina

  Sara

  Tina

  Ursula

  Viola

  Willa

  Xema

  Yasmina

  Zinnia

  Baby Kisses

  Baby Love

  Baby’s Big Night

  This Time, Baby

  Welcome Home, Baby

  * * *

  AUDIO

  Audio Series – The Baumgartners

  A Baumgartner Reunion

  Adventures with the Baumgartners

  Babysitting the Baumgartners

  Baumgartner Generations: Henry

  Baumgartner Generations: Janie

  Baumgartner Shorts

  Crazy About the Baumgartners

  The Baumgartners Plus One

  Baumgartners Empty Nest

  Letters to the Baumgartners

  * * *

  Audio - Paranormal

  Bear Necessities

  Blind Date

  The Song of Orpheus

  The Surrender of Persephone

  * * *

  Audio Series – Divine Vampires

  The Blood of Angels

  The Kiss of Angels

  * * *

  Audio Series – Highland Wolf Pact

  Highland Wolf Pact

  Compromising Positions

  Blood Reign

  * * *

  Audio – New Adult Romance

  Forbidden Fruit

  Hussy

  Yank

  * * *

  Audio – Menage

  Bluebeard’s Wife

  Taken

  The Sybian Club

  Unfolding

  * * *

  Audio – BDSM

  Heidi and the Kaiser

  The Real Mother Goose

  The Surrender of Persephone

  Unfolding

  * * *

  Audio – Taboo

  Back to the Garden (Revised)

  Naughty Bits (Revised)

  Step Beast

  Under Mr. Nolan’s Bed (Revised)

  * * *

  Audio Series – Girls Only

  Girls Only: College Days

  Girls Only: First Time

  Girls Only: Girl Scout Trip

  Girls Only: Moms’ Night Out

  Girls Only: New Year’s Resolution

  Girls Only: Pajama Party

  Girls Only: Pool Party

  Girls Only: Stay

  Girls Only: Sybian Sorority

  Girls Only: The Hairdresser

  * * *

  Audio – Stories

  A Different Angle

  Garden of Eden

  Hunting Season (with Blake Crouch)

  Lost Souls

  Second Chance

  Starving Artist

  The Flintstone Experiment

  * * *

  Audio Series – Little Brats

  Little Brats: Anna

  Little Brats: Becca

  Little Brats: Christa

  Little Brats: Clara

  Little Brats: Darla

  Little Brats: Eva

  Little Brats: Fiona

  Little Brats: Georgia

  Little Brats: Hanna

  Little Brats: India

  Little Brats: Jenna

  Little Brats: Kayla

&nb
sp; Little Brats: Leila

  Little Brats: Maya

  Little Brats: Nina

  Little Brats: Olivia

  Little Brats: Paula

  Little Brats: Qesa

  Little Brats: Raina

  Little Brats: Sara

  Little Brats: Tina

  Little Brats: Ursula

  Little Brats: Viola

  Little Brats: Willa

  Little Brats: Xema

  Little Brats: Yasmina

  Little Brats: Zinnia

  * * *

  Audio Series – Modern Wicked Fairy Tales

  Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Alice

  Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Beauty

  Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Bluebeard

  Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Briar Rose

  Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Gretel

  Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Goldilocks

  Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Pinocchio

  Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Rapunzel

  Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Red

  Modern Wicked Fairy Tales: Wendy

  * * *