Rockstar Romance Boxed Set (12 Book Bundle New Adult BBW)

by Emme Rollins

  He’d arrived after most of the others, toting a group of five or six people he introduced to me as “family-types.” But they must not have been close, because within an hour all but one had disappeared, and she was the latest girl in line to try and drag Matthew out of his shell.

  Mia sipped martinis and managed to snap a few photos while Ryan was there, but by the time he left she’d disappeared down to the dance floor, leaving her camera behind. I rolled my eyes, and tucked it away for her.

  As I nursed a glass of wine and wondered if I’d spend my entire six months with the band feeling like a babysitter, a familiar arm slid around my shoulder.

  “Hi, Dex,” I said, hoping to sound casual and hide the flash of fear and excitement that went through me at his touch.

  “Hello, love. What are you doing over here all alone?”

  “Nothing. Just watching.”

  “It’s a party, not a film, you know.”

  “I know. I’m having fun right here.”

  “Liar. Join in. Get wild. You must be off duty by now. I don’t see your little book. That’s a good sign.”

  “I am, yes. But it’s your party, not mine.”

  “Nonsense. You’re part of the family now. What’s ours is yours.”

  “That’s very kind.”

  “Not at all. I’m always willing to share a party and booze I didn’t pay for.”

  I laughed. “Good to know. So, is it nice being home?”

  He plopped down next to me on a stool. “I don’t know if this is home to me. It’s familiar and friendly, no doubt. But I think now my home is wherever the road takes us.”

  I groaned and looked at him.

  “Fuck, that was trite.”

  “Yeah, it was.”

  “Obviously I’m not drunk enough.” He took a long drink. “Or you bring out the thoughtfulness in me. What little bit there is.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “Not always. But it is right now.”

  “Then maybe you should leave me and go talk to someone more fun.” What I wanted to tell him was that I couldn’t believe he was wasting time with me, but I couldn’t admit to being that pathetic.

  “Certainly not. I’ve missed you terribly, Becca. I was miserable all day.”

  I snorted. “Yeah, right. I bet you were asleep all day.”

  “Perhaps.” He shook his head and stared at me. “You never let me get away with anything.”

  I shrugged. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I like it.”

  “Dex, don’t start.”

  “I’m not. I swear. Just being friendly. That’s allowed, right?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well then, friend.” He slung his arm over my shoulder again. “Shall we get drunk?”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “Sure.”

  “Fantastic. I hope you like liquor, I don’t believe in getting pissed on wine.”

  “I can drink pretty much anything.” And I had. Growing up around rock stars meant I learned to party hard very early. I may have left that behind, but I figured I could pick it back up again for one night. The rest of the tour would be hectic, with few breaks. I deserved a little bit of fun, even though a part of me knew it wasn’t safe to let down my guard around Dex.

  “Anything? Be still my heart.”

  We shared a laugh and made our way over to the bar, sharing stories of the most hideous alcohol-filled concoctions we’d each tried, and recounting epic nights of drunken excess. He seemed genuinely pleased to see my stories matched his in outrageousness.

  Chapter Five

  In the next few hours I felt like another person, and yet more myself than I’d been in years. It seemed ridiculous that I’d actually made a list of things to talk to each of the band members about to get friendly with them.

  For Joe, it had been tattoos. He had a few, and I’d gotten one on my shoulder on my eighteenth birthday. It was a swirly line in red circling a monogram of my parents’ names. Virtually incomprehensible to anyone who didn’t know what it meant, but I kind of liked that too.

  For Matthew, I’d memorized an article about rhythm guitarists and their fans. I hoped he might not know that Chuck Berry’s distinctive ability to pick out rhythms previously handled by pianos had revolutionized rock and roll. Or at least start some kind of conversation with him.

  For Rick, I was hoping a few well-stated insults about someone might get him going, or at least garner an expression other than contempt. If nothing else, he’d have a specific reason to dislike me instead of being rude by default.

  I’d left Dex off the list, since I had planned to avoid any deeper connection with him after our first meeting.

  But there in the bar, I realized the list was a waste of time. All I’d needed to do was get drunk with them. Walls tumbled down. Rick almost smiled at me – I think – when I managed to match him shot for shot in something sweet-smelling but sharp going down that the bartender refused to identify.

  The others softened, too. By the end of the night, Matthew and I had an actual conversation about the best morning hangover cures. It was short, but I swore to remember it always, and enjoyed actually hearing the sound of his voice.

  Joe, who’d already been sweet to me, started treating me like one of the gang. He told me about how he and Liss had met in a diner, and that he’d gotten into huge trouble when he played a song he wrote for her on a live interview before it had even been recorded.

  I laughed, remembering that Spark seemed a little rough around the edges, but I couldn’t deny the power of the emotion in the lyrics. Of course, it had ended up helping to catapult them to the new level of fame they were currently enjoying, so it all ended well.

  And Dex, gorgeous and dangerous Dex, never left my side. He teased me about my hair, and prodded me to drink faster. He poked me in the side to get my attention when someone down on the dance floor was being ridiculous, and made sure I was involved in all the conversations going on around us. Just like a good friend would.

  Or a sexy guy who’s kind of attracted to you, an evil voice in the back of my head said. That perilous line of thought was thankfully stopped for the moment when Rick stood up, pitched over, and went down on the floor. He landed like a felled giant redwood, with a thud the whole bar could hear over the music and din of voices.

  Joe cackled. “Finally. Can we get a forklift to get this surly asshole out of here?”

  I joined in the laughter, but couldn’t fight my innate need to organize the situation. “Is Red still around? I bet he could grab a couple of bouncers and get him into a cab.”

  The lead singer smiled. “Good thinking. I’m not throwing out my back to lift the big bastard. Liss and I were about to head out anyway. We’ll find Red, and sent him up.”

  They bid everyone goodbye and headed downstairs, not too steady on their feet, but supporting each other through the crowd. I saw them find Red, our security guy, and turned back to see how Rick was doing.

  The huge man was grunting quietly, and impressively able to display a lot of anger considering he was barely conscious. I shook my head, and said so to Dex.

  “Shush,” he warned. “He’ll be a hundred times worse tomorrow if he remembers this happened.”

  “What’s he going to do, punch us all in the face?”

  “Any day now,” he quipped.

  I giggled. “That’ll be a story to tell the grandkids.”

  “Indeed. ‘The day an ugly fucker hit me, and your granddad murdered him’. It’ll be an epic tale.”

  I shoved his arm. “You’re their granddad in this scenario?”

  “But of course.”

  “Friends don’t have grandchildren together, Dex.”

  “Very good friends do, Becca.”

  I laughed, but something had shifted in the evening. I found myself noticing how close we were sitting together. How his leg brushed mine occasionally, and his fingers tapped out a rhythm on the back of my hand when I rested it between us.

&
nbsp; He smiled broadly at me, and a lock of inky black hair fell into his eyes. “So, is the fall of mighty Rick the end of this party, or just the beginning?”

  “With him gone, there’s more booze for us, right?”

  Dex groaned. “Damn it.”

  “What?”

  He leaned over and spoke into my ear. “I’m trying this ‘friends’ thing, but you keep reminding me that you’re the perfect woman. How can I resist you?”

  I rolled my eyes, but pleasant warmth spread through my body. “Dial it down, Romeo. We’re here for drinking, not flirting, remember?”

  “Ma’am, yes ma’am.” He grinned.

  “Good boy.”

  Hoping I’d defused the moment, I turned my attention to the rest of the people left up in the VIP area with us. Most were randoms who’d wandered up or been brought by others who’d left already. Steve, the guitar tech, was still there, lounging and generally enjoying himself. And the girl Rick had been with when he fell stayed behind when a group of very large men helped him out a back entrance.

  It was a typical party hurtling towards a too-late finish. Only the strong-willed and strong-livered survived.

  “What are you thinking about over there?” Dex asked me.

  “Nothing, really. Just that this has been a fun night.”

  “Fun, you say? Was that on your list of goals for the day?”

  “No, but…” I started to say before his words really registered. “Hey, don’t tease me about my lists. I need them.”

  “We need them too. But not for everything.”

  “I don’t make one for everything.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. Just…most things.”

  “I knew it. I bet you’ve got lists hidden everywhere. There are probably ten on you right now.”

  “On my phone, maybe.”

  He shook his head, burying his left eye behind hair. Instinctively, I reached up and brushed it out of the way.

  Dex grabbed my hand in his. “Becca…”

  “Damn, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have touched you like that.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  “I know, but…” I couldn’t finish the sentence. Couldn’t admit that beneath the friendly companionship, there’d been a current of something else all night. Something the late hour, the excessive amounts of drinking, and that little touch had shoved closer to the surface.

  “But what?” His voice was like raw silk.

  “But I should probably be going. Big day tomorrow. First show of the tour.”

  “Yeah.” He paused for a second, as if deciding something. “Okay. Why don’t we see about that back exit, avoid the sweaty masses below?”

  “Okay. You’re not…I mean, you don’t have to leave with me.”

  Disappointment crossed his stunning features. “I won’t. I’ll just make sure you get in a car.”

  “Oh.” Now it was my turn to be disappointed. Not that I would have gone back to the hotel with him. The thought never occurred to me. I certainly didn’t wonder about the drive, the walk to the door, the elevator ride, or the possibilities of a regretful parting at the door to my room. Nope, hadn’t considered it one bit.

  “Come on,” he said, pulling me up from the seat.

  I said goodnight to everyone, and we made our way towards the back of the upstairs area. A bouncer pointed us in the right direction, and we headed down a set of concealed stairs to the semi-busy side street.

  While I tried to hail down a cab, Dex leaned against the wall. “Aren’t you supposed to help me with this part?”

  He chuckled. “Nah. Who’d want to pick me up when they can snag a gorgeous blonde?”

  I shook my head. “You’re doing it again.”

  “I’m drunk and out of control. Forgive me.”

  I walked over and punched his arm lightly. “Never.”

  “Fine. But if you’re going to be mad at me, at least let me give you a good reason.”

  “What? I…”

  But he didn’t give me a chance to ask what he meant. Dex pulled me in, wrapping his arms around my waist and pressing his lips against mine in a kiss. It was closed-mouth and soft, but firm. I could taste a hint of the alcohol on his breath; feel the hard, wide length of his body against mine. The contrast was almost as erotic and dizzying as the kiss itself.

  I let myself succumb for just a moment, parting my lips and sinking against him. But a tiny sound of pleasure broke the spell, and I wasn’t sure which one of us made it.

  Jumping away like he was a fire, I yelped, “No.”

  Dex dragged a hand through his hair. “Shit, I’m sorry. Shit, shit, shit.”

  My heart was pounding, and it took me a moment to be able to speak. “Why did you do that?”

  “I don’t know. I swear, I didn’t plan to. I just went with the moment.”

  “There was no moment. There can’t ever be a moment.”

  His wide, chiseled jaw set in a line. “I know.”

  I had to curl my hands into fists to keep from caressing his face, smoothing away the tension. Fear and arousal and something else warred within me.

  “I need to go. Right now.”

  He stared at me for a long time, chest heaving. “I know.”

  “I’ll go around the front, and get a cab.” I struggled to keep my voice from trembling, from revealing how much I wanted to be back in his arms again, forgetting everything but how it felt to be close to him “Goodnight, Dex.”

  “See you tomorrow,” he replied.

  “Yeah.” I turned and walked away. As I rounded the corner to the entrance of the bar, I saw he was still standing there watching me.

  Chapter Six

  I harbored no delusions that the lack of sleep I got that night had anything to do with nerves about the upcoming show. Just days into my new job and my new life, and I’d gone completely off course. None of the hundred things I had to do that day were able to distract me from what had happened with Dex.

  Stupid. So stupid. I’d been so flattered by the attention that I’d let it go too far. Let him see what I’d meant to hide. And now things would be awkward. And for no good reason. Even if it wouldn’t lose me the job, there was no future for us. If Dex knew the truth, he’d want nothing to do with me and my emotional baggage.

  Resolved to just avoid him as much as possible, I went back to my work, counting down the hours until I’d be at the venue and have to see him again. At least Ryan was handling transportation for the band, so I wouldn’t have to worry about seeing any of them at the hotel.

  By that evening, I had somewhat successfully pushed thoughts of Dex into the back of my mind. Clad all in black, I was getting a walkthrough of the backstage area from the venue’s manager. He showed me the dressing rooms and green room where the band could hang out after soundcheck and during the opening act. I made sure all the food and beverage items we’d requested were there, and was pleasantly pleased to see everything was in order.

  After a quick phone check-in with Ryan, I ran through my list of crew tasks to make sure everyone was on schedule, and picked my headset up from the sound guys.

  Once I was fully decked out like that, I felt different. More powerful and composed. Like all the equipment and lists could protect me from the roiling emotions inside me.

  But, of course, when the band arrived for the soundcheck and I saw Dex, all of that composure disintegrated. Just watching him chat with the local staff and crew made me ache. As he spoke, all I could think about was how his mouth had felt against mine. How he’d tasted.

  Suddenly hoping for some mishap or oversight that needed my attention, I made some excuse and fled backstage. I managed to find enough busywork to get through the quick rehearsal, and figured the guys would all be resting or starting to party in the green room.

  So I went back out front and spent some time pretending to be interested in the adjustments Steve had made to equipment and his excitement about some calibration tool.

  Eventually I manag
ed to beg off, and walked outside. A line was already forming out front, so I circled the building and spotted the small bus we were using to shuttle the band around the city. Figuring I could hide there for a little while, I headed over. If anything came up, Ryan could contact me on the headset.

  I approached the bus, mostly hidden behind stacks of boxes and a large post. The venue was hosting a meet and greet after the show, so they didn’t want any fans catching the band before it.

  Turning the volume up on my headset, I was about to slide the door open when I heard voices through a cracked-open window.

  “Babe, I can’t help myself.”

  A sexy, feminine giggle. “You don’t want to help yourself.”

  “That’s right,” came the masculine reply. “I want to help you. Help you out of those clothes.”

  I froze where I stood. It was Joe and Liss. Obviously they’d snuck away for some alone time too. Just not the sort I was looking for.

  “What is with you lately?” she asked.

  “You. I missed you so much, and I need to stock up on Liss time before the end of summer.”

  “I’m going to school, not off to war, silly.”

  “Either way, I won’t get to see you as often. Won’t get to touch you. Kiss you.”

  There was silence for a few seconds, and then a contented sigh.

  “Okay, you’ve convinced me,” Liss said, her voice now soft. “But only because it’s crazy sexy to do this here, practically in public.”

  “And because you love me, right, babe? Don’t make me think you’re using me as a sex object. Men have very fragile egos.”