Tyler: Saints and Sinners, #5

By Kaithlin Shepherd

As a photojournalist, Grace Williams has spent the last decade travelling around the world capturing images that give a voice to some of the most marginalized communities. When her editor forces her to take a break, Grace finds herself back in Nashville; the city that gave her a night she hasn't stopped thinking about. 

 

For one night, Tyler Black felt what it was like to have the woman you've waited for your whole life within reach. Then, she vanished into thin air. For months, she's all he's thought about, and when a twist of faith brings them back together, Tyler is determined to do everything he can to make sure she doesn't run off this time. 

 

She travels the world; he's the rockstar every woman wants-- are their differences too much or will they find a way to come together?

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kaithlin Shepherd
• Release date: Nov 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781386296577

Kaithlin Shepherd

Kaithlin Shepherd was born and raised in Canada where she learned to figure skate and crafted a love affair with coffee. Growing up in a household filled by strong-headed women, she learned early on that life is what you make it. You've probably never met a bigger country music fan and in the words of Brooks and Dunn, she's a die-hard 'George Strait junkie.' Constructing a world away from her real life, Kaithlin loves the feeling of creating a universe where her fans can forget about everything in their life. She loves writing about hot alphas and doesn't shy away from turning up the heat with scorching hot sex scenes.

Book preview

Tyler

Saints and Sinners Book 5

Kaithlin Shepherd

Pretty Lovely Publishing

Copyright © 2021 by Kaithlin Shepherd

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Chapter One

I thought this was supposed to be a small get-together—it doesn't look small to me, I take a sip of my beer as I look around the crowded room.

Parties like this are the norm for us, or at least they used to be. And, at one point in time, they held appeal. But, they haven't in a long time. This business is all about putting on a show. No one wants to see the hottest band in country music chilling at home enjoying a bonfire; no, what people want to see is us partying until the wee hours of the night. They're always watching, waiting for one of us to do something that lands our faces on the front page of every tabloid in the country.

But that’s not us. It’s never been.

At first, it was harder for us to make people understand we didn’t want to live our lives like rockstars. All we’ve ever wanted to do was make music that people loved and give our fans an escape from the daily grind when they come to see one of our shows.

When we first blew up, we all had our share of falling into some of the traps of the rich and famous like groupies, but that got old fast. Does the media like to portray me as the guy who still does that? Sure, they do. Is it worth my time and energy to fight them on it? Absolutely not.

If that’s what people want to believe, then that’s on them.

I didn’t think this many people would show up. There’s still a lineup of people waiting to get in outside, Jarrod says over the loud music.

Tonight is the opening night of our new restaurant and bar, and I couldn’t be happier with what we’ve created here, but it’s still surreal that these many people feel so invested in us. That’s the one thing that will never stop amazing me: the way our fans support us.

Without them, we would still be playing dive bars. We would have nothing.

This is crazy, Trish says in awe.

Aside from our fans, we owe a lot of our success to her. She believed in us when not many people did, and she took a big chance on us. Thankfully it paid off for everyone professionally and personally, and she deserves to enjoy this as much as we do. I wrap my arm around her shoulder, You guys have a child-free night; go enjoy yourself. You don’t have to babysit me. I’ll be fine on my own.

She looks at me hesitantly, and that’s what I get for being the last single guy, Alright, but we’ll be around if you need us.

I laugh because I’m a grown man, and she still sees me as that young kid who didn’t know how to handle the fame. I'll be fine," I tell her.

Come on, baby. Let's leave the grown man do his thing, Jarrod says, pulling his wife away from me, and that's when I see her.

There's no way in hell I could miss the gorgeous woman sitting by herself in one of the corner booths. She's stunning with her long brown hair flowing down her shoulders, and judging by the attention she's getting from the men near her, I'm not the only one who's noticed. But it's more than her beauty; there's something about this woman that pulls me to her. Her head is bent down as she looks at her phone, and I watch as she lifts her eyes. I follow her line of sight to a guy who is flirting with a blonde. Is she here with someone who is flirting with another woman? What kind of an asshole would do that?

Not giving a fuck that she's here with someone else or that I might catch the attention of any of the reporters who are here tonight, I make a beeline for her.

Don't get me wrong, I have slept with many women, and I've dated a few of them, but I have never felt this kind of connection to a woman before. He really shouldn't leave you alone like that, I say to her. I'm not known for my smooth pick-up lines, God knows I don't normally need them, but I want to impress this woman.

That's not something that I have ever experienced before.

She looks up at me, and there's an air of awareness surrounding us. She knows who I am, that I know for sure. What I don't know is who she is, and I have to change that.

I wasn't sure where our relationship was going, but after tonight, I think it's safe to say that it won't be going anywhere, she says to me.

I sit down beside her, He’s a fucking idiot for not seeing what he has.

What the hell is coming out of my mouth right now? This is not who I am, and if the guys could hear me right now, they would never let me forget it.

Most men are idiots, she says with a smile on her lips.

I laugh, I guess you’re not wrong there. I’m Tyler, I extend my hair to her, and my surprise, she squeezes her fingers around mine.

The second we touch; I feel it deep down in my bones; this woman is it for me.

I know who you are. I think it’s safe to say that everyone at this party knows who you are. I’m Grace, she says.

Grace—her name feels like it was meant to roll off my lips. It’s nice to meet you, Grace, I say. I don’t miss the way her body shivers when I say her name, and I am fucking here for it. I’ve never been one to pursue a woman who might not be interested, but Grace is feeling what I’m feeling.

This is a spectacular bar. You should be proud, she says.

I’ve never sought the approval of others, which is a weird characteristic for a musician. Most of us thrive on other people liking our work, no matter what it is, but it’s never mattered to me. But her words hit differently, and suddenly, I care about what this stranger thinks.

I look around, my eyes landing on one of my art pieces displayed on the opposite wall. No one knows it’s one of mine except the guys, and I like it that way. My art has always been private, and I intend for it to stay that way, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy seeing it displayed.

I am. I didn’t expect this many people to show up, I tell her honestly.

Her laugh catches my attention, and I bring my eyes back to her face, You’re one of the biggest country music artists on the planet, and you’re surprised this many people showed up?

I shrug, I guess sometimes it’s easy to forget who everyone sees you at, you know. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t take any of our success for granted, but you never get used to this. I don’t care what anybody says because this level of fame is not something you ever grow used to.

She nods, Well, I can’t say that I understand the fame all that well, but I do understand what it’s like sometimes to forget who you are to the rest of the world.

There’s a sadness in her voice that I want to ask about, but before I can, the asshole she came here with overshadows us, Grace, what the fuck do you think you’re doing? You’re here with me, not with this guy. Let’s go.

I feel her stiffen beside me, but not in fear. No, this woman is not afraid; she’s pissed off and maybe a little embarrassed, I’m here with you? Did you forget who you came here with? she throws back.

He looks over his shoulder at the blonde he no doubts made plans to fuck later and then back at the beauty, he doesn’t deserve, We were just talking. Come on, Grace; you’ve been gone for three months. Give me a fucking break here.

Three months? I wonder what she does for a living that takes her away for that amount of time, but what gets me is that this guy thinks it’s okay to fuck around with other women when she’s away.

Are you kidding me right now? God, I should have listened to my instincts about you. We’re done, Jack. Feel free to go back to the blonde before she moves on to someone else. Grace tells the guy who looks like he’s about to have a heart attack.

He bends down and grabs her arm, and that’s when I see red. I grab his wrist and squeeze hard enough for him to let go of her arm, Don’t fucking grab her like that. I believe she said you were done. I would walk away before you can’t.

I’m not a violent guy by nature, but I feel the need to punch this guy’s teeth out right now. He steps closer to me, and that’s all it takes for my security to surround him. I’ve never liked having them around, but it’s something I’ve grown to accept when we do public events like this. Who the hell do you think you are? Jack says, an inch away from my face.

Jack, come on, don’t be that guy, Grace tries to reason with him, but I know it’s pointless. This guy’s ego is bruised, and he wants to shout it from the rooftop. There’s no talking him down right now.

I stand up, and at six feet two inches, I tower over the guy. I also have thirty pounds of muscles on him, if not more. I don’t intend to fight the guy, but I’m also not going to sit back and do nothing. You have two options here, Jack. You either walk away on your own and go back to the blonde you were talking to, or I’ll have security escort you out. It’s your choice, I tell him.

I see it coming right as one of the security guards grabs his arm before it connects with my face, I guess you’re choosing security. I say to him as the guys grab him to walk him out.

She’s not worth this bullshit anyways, he spits out before disappearing. I turn my attention back to Grace, who looks embarrassed by what just happened.

I am so sorry about that. I knew he could be an asshole, but I just got back, and I didn’t get a chance to break up with him before this happened, she says, apologizing.

I sit down beside her and grab her face, You don’t have to apologize for him. His behavior is not your responsibility. Do you want to get out of here? Just go for a walk, maybe grab a drink? I ask.

She bites her lower lip, and it takes every ounce of willpower I have not to kiss her. I don’t know what this woman is doing to me, but I never want it to stop.

Sure, but just a drink.

I hold my hands in front of me, Just a drink. I promise.

***

So, he says nervously, No matter where we go, I’m probably going to draw a crowd.

If someone had told me my night would end like this, I would have never believed them. Coming to Nashville was a last-minute decision because I thought Jack would be happy to see me. It turns out the man has been happy seeing every woman in Nashville since I left for my last assignment. As a war photographer, I’m gone a lot, and I know that being in a relationship with me isn’t easy, but he could have had the guts to break up with me.

Now, I’m walking down Broadway with the hottest man in Nashville, and I have no idea how we got here. I have to admit that I am surprised by his laid-back attitude. I always assumed that guys like him were full of themselves and only cared about fame and money. But, for some reason, every part of me thinks he’s not like that. A guy interested in showing me how famous he is wouldn’t care about being recognized.

This is my first time in Nashville, so I don’t know any of the spots. If you have a place in mind, I’m okay with going anywhere. I can handle you being recognized. It’s your job, I tell him.

I don’t know what it is about this man, but I would follow him anywhere he asked me, which is just crazy considering I know nothing about him except what I’ve read in the tabloids, which admittedly isn’t a lot since I don’t spend a lot of time stateside.

This is your first time in Nashville? he asks.

I nod, Yeah. I just got back from a long trip, and Jack’s been here for work. I thought I would surprise him; guess, I should have thought twice about that one. I hate that he had to witness the whole thing, and the embarrassment coating my cheek isn’t going anywhere any time soon, but I have to admit that maybe coming to Nashville wasn’t a bad idea after all.

Well, I, for one, am happy that you decided to come here. Now, let’s see what we can do about showing you all that Broadway has to offer. Are you sure you’re okay if we draw a crowd? he asks.

I stop walking and don’t know where this bravery comes from, but I link my fingers with his, I’m sure. Now, show me a honky-tonk, I almost throw in a fake southern accent but stop myself. I think I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one night.

He laughs, and I swear it’s the sexiest sound I have ever heard in my life. I don’t know if we can call these real honky-tonks, but let’s do our best.

He wasn’t lying when he said he might get recognized. It took ten minutes at our first stop before he was surrounded by my fans wanting a picture. I’ve always heard that Nashville fans weren’t as crazy as Hollywood fans, but if I’m honest, it’s hard to tell the difference right now. After he manages to get away, we find a table in the back of the bar, away from the crowd, Does that happen everywhere? I ask him, pointing back to the fans who are still taking pictures.

The bar owner was pretty quick at moving us along, but it’s still pretty crazy to me that this is something he has to live with every time he goes somewhere.

Not everywhere, but in places like this where there’s a lot of tourists, it can get pretty crazy. Usually, I try to avoid crowded places or anywhere on Broadway, really, he tells me.

I shake my head, I can’t even imagine what it’s like.

The waiter drops two beers on the table with a nod to Tyler, At first, it was overwhelming, but the fans are the reason why we’re able to do what we do. It might be an inconvenience for me at times, but I’ll never say no to someone who wants a photo or an autograph.

Cheers to that, I say, holding my beer up to his. Our lines of work might be completely different, but I can appreciate his commitment. It’s something that many people don’t have, and when you’ve seen the horrors that I have, commitment matters.

So, since this is your first time to Nashville, I’m guessing, this is not where you call home, he says, and if I’m not mistaken, there’s a hint of disappointment in his voice.

It’s funny that he’s asked me that because lately, I haven’t felt like I have a place to call home. I’ve been a war photographer for a decade, and in those ten years, I haven’t been stateside for more than three months a year. My whole life has been about shining the light on other people’s lives, but now that I’m older, it’s starting to weigh on me that I don’t have anywhere to come home to.

I don’t have a place I call home. I travel a lot for work, and I guess I’ve never fallen in love with a place enough to call home, I confess.

He nods, I can understand that. When we used to tour a lot, it was hard to come back here. It took years before a place felt like home.

In this moment, I realize that no matter how much I like this man, I can’t go there with him. The man is a sex symbol for women all over North America, and I travel to places that the State Department doesn’t even acknowledge anymore. Our lives are so different that I don’t even know how we would begin to make it work. But, just for tonight, I can let myself believe that if I had a place to call home, where he would be it.

You said you travel a lot for work; what do you do? he asks me over the music.

I take a sip of my beer and let my body sway to the music, I’m a war photographer, I tell him. A typical reaction after I tell someone my profession is a period of questions, and it’s the reaction I’ve grown to expect, which is probably why Tyler’s reaction surprises me.

Wow, I did not expect that. That’s incredible, he simply says, and then he takes my hand in his, Come on, let’s dance.

There’s something erotic about dancing with a man and let me tell you that Tyler Black knows how to dance. The dance floor is crowded, pushing our bodies flush together. When his hand touches my lower back, our eyes lock, and I don’t know why I thought this night would end with just a drink. The chemistry between us is enough to set this whole bar on fire. I don’t know what’s happening, I whisper against his neck.

His hand drops lower on my ass, and he squeezes hard enough to make me gasp, I don’t know either, but I’m not ready to walk away from this.

We let our bodies follow the music, and when the band is finished with their set, I’m like a bomb ready to explode. I have never been this turned on by a man before, and if I can’t have him after tonight, I’m going to enjoy feeling like this. Can we go?