“Of course.” Art nodded. His blond hair fell forward, skimming his aquamarine eyes. “If Gale agrees.”
“Whatever you need, Jag.” Gale lowered his hands from my face, reaching for my hand and threading our fingers together. “All of us are behind you. We may not be brothers and sisters by blood, but we are by the music that runs in our veins, yeah?”
As everyone murmured their agreement, I noticed some significant eye contact between my guitarist and Anthem’s that was very interesting.
“That your kickass Ibanez in Jag’s room?” Art asked, staring at Lark.
“Yeah.” She blushed as if he’d complimented her tits.
“Modified the whammy bar?” Art’s lifted brows were a couple of shades darker than his sandy hair.
“Customized it,” Lark said.
“Who did the work?” he asked her.
“Me.” She moved closer to him and they drifted away from the group, continuing their conversation with their heads bowed together.
“We’re going inside.” Lin’s gaze swept around the loose circle, and then she and Jag turned toward the house.
“Us too,” Ivan said, he and Marsha following Jag and Lin.
“We’re gonna grab something to eat.” Dolly took Ty’s hand and then glanced at me. “You guys coming?”
“Yeah, in a minute,” I said. “But you go ahead.”
“Okay.” Nodding once, she walked toward the house with Ty.
“Alone again.” I turned to Gale, having in mind something I wanted to do, but needing privacy to do it. “Are you sure you don’t want to rethink hooking your tame self to my wild group?” My tone light, I gave him a soft smile.
“No rethinking, babe.” His tone was serious, and so was his expression. “Done deal.”
“Glad to hear that.” My expression turned serious too. “I’m glad in so many ways I never thought I would be again because of you.”
I dropped my chin, releasing his hand and rubbing the silver cross at the end of the bolero between my thumb and finger.
“You’ve given me so much. I want to give you something too.” Fumbling, I found the link chain underneath the leather cord and lifted it over my head.
Gale’s eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
“I don’t have much of value to give you but my heart, which you already have, and this.” My eyes burned as I smoothed the chain and lifted the locket dangling from it that held my brother’s picture. “Until you, wearing this used to feel more like a reminder of my failure than a remembrance of my brother’s life.”
Raising my gaze, I saw the wetness in Gale’s eyes and knew he got what I was doing without any explanation being necessary.
“It seems fitting for you to wear it,” I said softly. “A blessing to share and remember his life with you. As I walk forward with you, as we walk forward together into our future, and I work on forgiving myself and being more completely the woman your love makes me, would you wear it for me?”
“I would be honored to.” Gale lowered his head.
Staring at him, I was rocked with gratitude. The air grew heavy with the weight of all he meant to me. My throat too thick with emotion to speak, I carefully widened the chain and looped it over his head. He straightened with tears in his eyes as the locket slid into place, fittingly at the center of his chest near his incredible heart.
Tears filled my eyes too. We were in sync in this, as we were in so many things.
“Thank you.” I looked up at the darkening sky, finding and focusing on a lone star that seemed to blaze brighter than the ones around it. I didn’t know how fate worked, but it felt like something larger than us had played a part in bringing Gale and me together.
“My sweet Jo,” he whispered, drawing me into him. Then he kissed me hard, and he kissed me breathless.
“I love you,” I said, a moment or a lifetime later, my eyes full of wonder as I gazed at him and held him every bit as tightly as he held me. Time had no measurement or meaning apart from him.
“I love you, Jo.” The bright metal of his gaze bonded his heart to mine. “Kneeling with you in the desert. Sitting with you in the sun. Standing here with you under the stars. Walking, talking, reading books, making love, creating music, and riding together . . . anywhere. Forever.”
Take me to the exclusive extended bonus scene.
I hope you enjoyed reading the Girls Ranking the Rock Stars Series and were able to read the romantic sexy extended bonus scene on bookfunnel.
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Additionally, I have a survey up in my reader group about what to write next.
Would you like me to write a spin-off story from the Rock F*ck Club about Dolly and Tyler, Lark and Art, or Rocky and Sky?
Or would you like a brand new rocker surf series set in Ocean Beach, California?
Or maybe a new book in the Once Upon a Rock Star series?
Michelle Mankin is the New York Times bestselling author of the Black Cat Records series of novels.
Fall in love with a rock star.
Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and Love Resolution are a BRUTAL STRENGTH centered trilogy, combining the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock ‘n roll industry.
Things take a bit of an edgier, once upon a time turn with the TEMPEST series. These pierced, tatted, and troubled Seattle rockers are young and on the cusp of making it big, but with serious obstacles to overcome that may prevent them from ever getting there.
Rock stars, myths, and legends collide with paranormal romance in a totally mesmerizing way in the MAGIC series.
Get swept away by temptation in the ROCK STARS, SURF AND SECOND CHANCES series.
Romance and self-discovery, the FINDING ME series is a Tempest spin off with a more experienced but familiar cast of characters.
ROCK F*CK CLUB series is a girl-power fueled reality show with the girls ranking the rock stars.
ONCE UPON A ROCK STAR series. Sexy modern fairytale retellings.
When Michelle is not prowling the streets of her Texas town listening to her rock or NOLA funk music much too loud, she is putting her daydreams down on paper or traveling the world with her family and friends, sometimes for real, and sometimes just for pretend.
BRUTAL STRENGTH series:
Love Evolution
Love Revolution
Love Resolution
Love Rock’ollection
TEMPEST series (also available in audio):
Irresistible Refrain
Enticing Interlude
Captivating Bridge
Relentless Rhythm
Tempest Raging
Tempting Tempo
Scandalous Beat
The Complete Tempest Rock Star Series, books 1-6
The MAGIC series (also available in audio):
Strange Magic
Dream Magic
Twisted Magic
ROCK STARS, SURF AND SECOND CHANCES series (also available in audio):
Outside
Riptide
Oceanside
High Tide
Island Side
The Complete Rock Stars, Surf and Second Chances Series, Books 1-5
FINDING ME series (also available in audio):
Find Me
Remember Me
Keep Me
ROCK F*CK CLUB Girls Ranking the Rock Stars series (also available in audio):
ROCK F*CK CLUB (Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book #1)
ROCK F*CK CLUB (Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book #2)
ROCK F*CK CLUB (Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book #3)
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br /> ROCK F*CK CLUB (Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book #4)
ROCK F*CK CLUB (Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book #5)
ROCK F*CK CLUB (Girls Ranking the Rock Stars, Book #6)
ROCK F*CK CLUB, Books 1-5 Box Set
Once Upon A Rock Star:
The Right Man
The Right Wish
The Right Wrong
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ROCK F*CK CLUB (Girls Ranking the Rock Stars Book 6) Page 20