Ripples. A Bam Brown story. (Complete)

Chapter 6

The trip had been quiet and peaceful after the initial drama and excitement. Mark had settled down into a deep conversation with the tour manager and Bam had stuck close by your side. Which you didn't mind at all. Having his eyes on you was almost as sexy as having his hands on you. Almost.

When the brightly colored tour bus finally pulled into the small town, you were deeply engrossed in a noisy card game with Birdy and Rainy. There was a lot of squealing and pounding on the table as each hand was played.

"You guys act like you're playing for cash." Bam grumbled and stretched his arms sleepily over his head.
"Not cash, but something even more important." Birdy pointed a wobbly string of half-eaten Twizzler candy at him. "We're playing for bragging rights!" She laughed.

Rainy rolled her eyes and tossed her cards on the small round table. "It's a good thing we aren't playing for money or else I would be broke!" She groaned dramatically.

Bam sat a little ways back from you and you knew he was watching you. He would occasionally lean forward and stroke your hair or your shoulder, then lean back again. His touch and his smile were gentle as he enjoyed watching the three of you play your game and get to know each other. At one point he slumped down in the soft chair and closed his eyes for a little bit, but didn't really go to sleep.

When Rainy threw down one of her only good hands of the card game, she screamed with laughter and shook her small fists in the air in victory. Bam never opened his eyes, but you saw his smile and the little shake of his head. Even with his eyes closed, he was aware of everything.

"We're here." Mark's gruff voice stated the obvious as he walked up to your table.
"Thanks." You smiled up at him and began to gather up the playing cards and candy wrappers.

Mark didn't walk away right away. He stared coldly at Bam who opened his eyes and stared back, his blue eyes hard and bold. You kept up a steady stream of conversation with the girls and hoped they wouldn't notice the tension between the two men. There was no way you would ever let them know how upset Mark was at them being on the tour with you. It had only been a few hours but you already loved them like they were your own sisters. Being with an all-male crew in a predominantly male profession, you had forgotten what it was like to be around young girls. They laughed and giggled at everything and they even enjoyed all your old tour stories because they had never heard them before.

Tromping down the metal steps of the bus, your tour manager of four years beckoned your little group over to him.

"We're all going to check in to our rooms and then head over to the Crab Pot restaurant for dinner. Do you want to join us?"

Your tour manager Seth was a tall man in his forties who in his free time talked constantly about his wife of two years and newborn baby. This was the first tour he would be managing after his son was born, and you knew he missed them terribly. The two of you had hoped he would use this trip to train Mark to take over his job as manager. But with all the negative attitude Mark had been showing toward Bam, you knew that wasn't going to work at all. You would have to have a talk with Seth about what had been going on with Mark, but you wanted to get settled in and have a good night's sleep before having hat talk.

"Sounds great." You told Seth happily after gathering nods of approval from everyone. "We'll meet you at the restaurant."

By the time the front desk had sorted out the rooms and the key cards and given out the all-important Wi-Fi password, everyone was restless and hungry. At the end of the short hallway, you pushed open the door to the room Bam and his sisters would be sharing. Bam had insisted on staying in the same room with them.

"This room is awesome!" Birdy breathed as she took in the large suite with a separate sitting area and kitchenette. You had arranged for a larger room since they would all be sharing. Bam had insisted on paying his own way and you hoped he wouldn't ask you about the extra cost for the huge suite.

"This is really nice, Sweetheart." Bam smiled and kissed your temple.
"I hope you think so after living in here for the next two weeks." You said and tugged on his sleeve. "Wanna go check out my room?" Your smile was teasing.

"Do you even have to ask?" Bam grinned as he dropped his bag on the closest bed and headed for the door.

"Don't spend too much time smooching over there. We're hungry." Birdy threw over her shoulder as you and Bam slipped out the door.

You saw Bam's mouth open getting ready to say something really biting and sarcastic. Pushing him out the door, you yelled back to the girls. "Knock on my door in five minutes. We'll be ready."

"Ugh. Five minutes? Is that all I get?" Bam grumbled when you were safely out in the hallway.
"For now? Yes. But later? We'll see." You flicked your card key with your thumb and waggled your eyebrows at him.

Your small room was a stark contrast to Bam's large suite and he slid his eyes over to you, his disapproval clear.

"Are you kidding me?" He frowned and looked you in the eye.
"Bam, it's all I need. I could get two medium sized rooms or I could get one big one and one small for the same price."

You had taken a gamble with your choice but you wanted Bam and his sisters to have the best you could give them. You knew it wasn't about the money because Bam could afford to pay.  It was about you wanting to show him how much he meant to you. His blue eyes flicked back and forth as he watched your face.

You could see he was thinking of what to say. The muscle in his jaw clenched and you felt a momentary ripple of concern. Did he think you were trying to show off? He was a TV personality so surely he couldn't be that impressed by a big hotel room. Had you made a huge mistake? Then you saw his jaw relax and his cheeks lifted in a smile. He moved his face close to yours and brushed your nose with his. You sighed once with relief and then again with delight at his touch.

"This is your world and your rules." He whispered. "But when you come back with me to my world, then you play by my rules."
His hands slid up to caress your breasts and your breathing quickened. The idea of following Bam back to his world and trying to become a part of it was both thrilling and frightening.

"Are you a kind and benevolent ruler?" You closed your eyes as he rubbed his thumbs over your nipples, making them stand up hard and erect.
"Sometimes." He chuckled and you had to laugh with him.

Bam kept one hand on your breast and began looking around the room, his frown growing.

"What? Seriously, Bam. It's big enough for one. Or for two." You smiled and grabbed for his hips.
"No, I was going to be all sexy and I was looking for a wall to push you up against." He started laughing. "And there isn't a free wall anywhere! Tables and chairs and lamps everywhere! What's with this fricking hotel?"

You laughed out loud as Bam drug you around the room looking for a wall to lean against.

"Damn!" He yelled as his elbow smacked against the low table near the bed. Your hands covered your mouth as you roared with laughter. "Come here, girl." He finally snagged you around the waist and tossed you gently on the bed. "This stupid room made me use up half of my five minutes."

He laid himself down beside you and pulled you over on top of him. His hands twined in your hair and you let your mouth fall onto his. His tongue slipped easily through your parted lips. He tasted of sweet peppermint and you wanted to swallow him whole. The heat coming from him made you want to melt into him, melding with his body and never pulling away.

"Time's up!" The female voice and accompanying giggle from outside your door caused your mouths to snap apart.

Bam slid his hands down and cupped your butt, squeezing it gently.
"More later." He gave your butt a little smack and rolled you off of him.

You might have been angry or frustrated, but this time you weren't. You knew there would be time later for more. And the promise of time spent with Bam in his world, effectively shut down your growing ripples of concern.

Everything was going to work out just fine.