Never Kiss a Rockstar (Never Trust Book 2)

by Sarah Darlington

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah.” I sat on the couch at his feet. He was settled in and buried under a couple of blankets. He moved his feet up so I could fit. “So this is a dumb question, but it’s bugging me so I’m going ask it.”

  He inched up higher on his pillows. “Go ahead.”

  “Why are there little stars on your ceiling?” I felt stupid for asking. “Sorry, that’s really prying. I was lying in there, trying to sleep, and the question was burning in my brain.”

  He smiled, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “No. It’s a legit question. They were on my ceiling growing up. When I left home for good, they were one of the only things I brought with me. They weren’t sticky anymore when I moved in here, and I had to super-glue them up there. So they’re pretty much stuck for good. Are they bothering you?”

  “Nope. Just wondering.”

  “Are you having trouble sleeping?”

  “A little.”

  “Yeah, me too.”

  Oh? Was it the couch or me causing that? “Where’s home?” I asked him, still caught up on his story. “I mean, originally where are you from?” It wasn’t here. I could tell that much.

  “New York City. Have you been before?”

  “Yes. Several times.”

  He frowned. “You travel a lot?”

  “All I do is travel. You really don’t know who I am? Who my cousins are?”

  “Should I?”

  I knew that he knew I was famous. So why hadn’t he asked me about it? Wasn’t he a little curious? Or was I just his fuck buddy, so the details of my personal life didn’t matter?

  Being the drummer of Sunset Revival—that was my entire identity. My nine-to-five. My sweat and blood. My life.

  “You don’t care,” I realized.

  He sat up, leaning closer to me. “I don’t care that you’re famous. No.” He said it like being famous was a bad thing.

  “You don’t care who I am, then.”

  “Now that’s just bullshit.” He peeled the covers off his legs. “Come here. Come lay with me.”

  “That’s breaking all our rules.”

  “Fuck the rules for a minute. Lay with me.” It stung knowing I’d just been in his room, too distracted by little plastic stars to sleep. Little plastic stars—they were small compared to how important being a drummer was to me. I found myself wanting to know the tiny details about him. When it turned out, he didn’t care to know my big details.

  But despite my thudding heart, and the fair amount of anger building inside, I moved in his direction. He was quick to tug me in close, with my back against his chest. He drew the covers over us. This spot between his legs was cozy and all—but I was too pissed to enjoy it.

  “I can feel your heart pounding, Dani. Calm down. Listen. I don’t care if you’re some famous actress or whatever. It has no impact on the way I feel toward you. That’s all I’m trying to say. I care about you. I don’t care about that.”

  He wasn’t making this better. “What if I said—I don’t care that you’re covered in tattoos. Your tattoos have no impact on the way I feel toward you. I like you in spite of them.” I breathed in deeply through my nose.

  “You don’t like my tattoos?” he muttered.

  “I’m saying the opposite. I fucking love them. They’re this huge part of you. Published on you—in plain sight for the world to see. My tattoos, my thing, it’s branded on me the way your ink is branded on you.”

  “What’s your thing, Dani?” He squeezed me a little tighter. “What’s your tattoo?”

  Nervousness shot through me. How did he have this power over me? To turn me to jelly with a simple question. I was damn proud of Sunset Revival. Why did I care what he thought of me? Because I did. I cared so much that I was nervous to say the words out loud.

  “I’m a drummer in a band,” I said after a moment of hesitation. “In my cousins’ band.”

  “Wow. And you guys are good enough that you, as the drummer, get recognized?”

  “Yes,” I breathed. He really had no idea.

  “I want to see you play. I’m impressed. I’m never going to be into the famous part, though. I’m small town, and I like being small town. I go to work, and I go home. That’s my life.”

  “It’s a good thing we are only temporary then.” And as I said those words out loud, I almost regretted saying them.

  “Yeah,” he whispered. “Maybe we should take more advantage of the time we do have while we still have it. Sleep here with me. Don’t go back to the room.”

  This was a bad idea. But I stayed. I stayed in his arms, snuggling a little closer, letting him wrap his long limbs around me.

  This was warm. This was safe. This had my heart beating up in my throat. Because some piece of me wanted to fall in love with him. Another piece was scared shitless. And that piece, the smart piece, was wise enough to not let emotions dictate this.

  Tomorrow I’d get a hotel.

  Hell, maybe I’d even book a flight home.

  ~ CHAPTER 14 ~

  DANI

  “Well, this is interesting,” said a voice.

  I cracked open my eyes.

  John and I had spent last night sleeping on the couch. At the start of the night I was on his chest, but now I was nestled, locked in against his side.

  The bright morning sun illuminated his living room and his pretty, preppy, blonde sister standing a little too close. She wasn’t alone. With her was the muscular bartender from Chancy’s Claw. On our very first day in town, my cousins and I had eaten lunch there. Caleb had been pursuing Emma, who also worked there. I’d hit on this guy. Shamelessly, too. He’d denied me, and I remember Emma telling me he had a girlfriend. I now realized his girlfriend was John’s sister.

  “John,” I whispered. He had me locked under his leg. “John.”

  “I don’t want to move,” he mumbled into my hair. “Unless you want me to make you come. I’ll only move for that.”

  “Your sister is here,” I stated.

  That woke him up. He sat up. I shifted to sit up too. I had on a t-shirt-and-shorts pajama set, but I clutched one of the blankets against my chest like I was naked.

  “Jesus, Sydney, what the fuck?” John snapped, not bothering being polite with her.

  “I guess I could say the same to you,” she shot back at him.

  “This is Dani. Dani, this is my little sister, Sydney. And the other person in the room is Rhett.”

  “I know who they are,” I said. “Hi Sydney. Hi Rhett.”

  “Hi,” they both returned. It was awkward.

  John glanced at me for a second. I think it surprised him that I’d already met them both. Then he turned his attention back to his sister. “What do you want, Sydney? Is there a reason you’re hovering?”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to hover. But it’s nine. You have an appointment downstairs. And the new receptionist didn’t show up again. You promised me you’d hire a receptionist.”

  He leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees, rubbing his hands over his face. “I did. Where the fuck is she?”

  “I don’t know. But I hate playing your receptionist. I want my own station. I want to be tattooing people full-time when I’m home from school. Finn is downstairs working on some guy, and that should be me. I’m better than Finn.”

  So this pristine girl, without any ink on her skin, wanted to be a tattoo artist like her brother? Or it sounded like she kind of already was.

  “I know you’re better than Finn. You’re better than me,” John told her, a little more gentle with her now. “But I want you to finish school. And you’re home more and more.”

  “Next week is fall break and then the semester is basically over. Just finals left. Then one more semester.”

  “My point exactly. One more semester. Why aren’t you back at school right now if fall break is next week?”

  “I have one more hour before I need to get on the road for my first class today. Rhett’s going with me for my three days.
I scheduled all my classes for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this semester, so I can have five-day weekends.” She said that last part to me, as if I were included in this discussion. Like I needed to know the extra details for some reason. I didn’t.

  “Then I guess I’m playing receptionist myself today, either way,” John said, standing up from the couch. “If my appointment downstairs wants, you can start, and I’ll finish. And I’ll work on hiring a new receptionist so next week you can work full time instead of helping up front.”

  “Thank you. That’s all I wanted.” She gave John a big hug, squeezing him tight. He hugged her back. Their dynamic seemed kind of father-daughter, making me wonder how much older John was than Sydney. I’d never stopped to think about John’s age. Maybe early thirties? Maybe about five years older than me?

  Did John and Sydney not have parents?

  “Thanks Dani,” she said to me now, with a big smile on her pretty face. “That was about eighty times easier than normal to get my way. He’s in a good mood today because of you.”

  “Yes,” Rhett agreed with her. “I didn’t even have to intervene.”

  “Okay, leave Dani alone. Bye.” He shooed them away, as if they were bothering me. I didn’t care that they were here. I didn’t care that I’d had to listen to their conversation. I would have rather not done it in my pajamas, but it gave me some valuable insight into who John really was. Turns out he was a caring older brother, who had a lot of influence over Sydney’s decisions. She wanted to be a tattoo artist just like him. It was cute.

  Now that they were gone. I stretched out on his couch. I’d slept well with John last night. A little too well. It had me feeling like staying instead of running away today.

  John turned back around. “Sorry about that. They...” He stood over me, his icy blue eyes on me. It seemed like he was about to say something else and instead I’d distracted him. “Damn, you look good in the morning.” He peeled the blanket off me. “I like these pajamas. Fuck, it was probably a good thing I couldn’t see much of you in the dark last night.” His eyes raked over my body. They were filled with lust. I felt my pulse quicken, and I squirmed under his intense gaze. I knew that look on him. He wanted me. And I was not opposed to letting him have me.

  He ran his tattooed fingers over the sliver of my visible waist, and he tugged my shirt up so that my breasts were exposed. My nipples hardened against the cooler air and the trace of his fingers.

  My heart now speeding, I rested my arms above my head.

  His touch continued. I didn’t want him to stop. I could spend the rest of the day letting him explore. Especially when he touched me between my legs where I ached for him most. Everything seemed so simple when he touched me.

  “You’re so wet for me, Danielle,” he whispered. He’d called me by full name once before. And just like the first time, I was too distracted by his touch to correct him. Until he stopped abruptly.

  “John!” I cried out in protest.

  “My room. Now.”

  Oh, hell yes. He didn’t have to tell me twice. Without any objection, I was off the couch, heading in the direction of his room, peeling my shirt off over my head as I went.

  He was close behind, his hands on me, helping me undress. “We have to be quick or they’ll miss me downstairs.”

  He had me pressed down against his mattress, my shorts down, and the head of his cock right there—I could feel it—against me.

  “Wait,” he breathed.

  What the fuck?

  “I can’t keep your rules straight. Are we allowed to have sex or is that off limits now too?”

  My breaths came out in pants. The world was clouded in my hazy lust. I was laying on his bed with my pants down. And he was going to stop and ask questions now?

  “No more rules,” I muttered.

  I expected him to thrust deep inside me. He didn’t. He turned me around to face him, his hand on my neck.

  Oh God—the way my heart slammed in my chest, I thought for sure I was seconds away from having a heart attack.

  “Are all the rules out?” he uttered.

  He meant the ‘no kissing’ rule. His eyes were on my lips, and I couldn’t breathe. I’d never been so terrified in my life. Sex with him... no big thing. But the idea of kissing him... and the world stood still.

  I swallowed hard, staring up at his eyes.

  He moved closer, both hands on my neck. “Are all the rules out?” he asked again, with a hell of a lot of conviction.

  I was trembling at the anticipation of it, and I hadn’t even decided. “Yes,” I whispered. Because even if I was petrified to my core, I’d never wanted a kiss more than I wanted his kiss.

  He shifted, his hold on my neck loosening. His head dipped close to mine, and we were breathing the same air. Then, as gentle as ever, he pressed his lips to mine.

  They were soft. His lip ring in the corner—a hard contrast. His lips were slow and controlled. He gave this to me for a few glorious seconds before he pulled away.

  And that was it. That was all he gave. I didn’t even get to taste him.

  It didn’t matter. I felt more from that one kiss then I’d felt from any guy who’d ever fucked me. It had me quivering.

  He continued where he’d left off, turning me, pushing me down against the sheets, thrusting deep inside me from behind.

  The world seemed somehow different now. I was different. His kiss had opened something inside me that I’d shut off long ago.

  It didn’t take me long to orgasm. The sensation rocketing through me, only adding to all the vulnerability I already felt. Shivers ran me over, from my toes to the roots of my hair. I cried out and was happy when he finished a moment after me.

  We dressed after. Neither of us saying a word to one another. Maybe I shouldn’t have let him kiss me. I guess I knew from the start it would have serious repercussions.

  ~ CHAPTER 15 ~

  JOHN

  That kiss... fuck me. I couldn’t come back down to Earth. I was soaring. And shaking. And having trouble focusing. I’d left Dani upstairs in my room, and I was now sitting in my shop, at the front desk, waiting for the phone to potentially ring or a client to walk through the doors.

  Neither had happened. Not in the ten minutes I’d been sitting here. I stared at the appointment book, lost in my own head, still stuck upstairs with Dani.

  I kissed her. Did that mean she’d leave now?

  Sydney approached. “So I finished his outline.” She meant the man she was tattooing. “But it’s almost time for me to get on the road back to school. Can you come look at what I’ve started so you can take over?”

  I wasn’t in the head space to finish a tattoo. That required concentration, and I had none. “How important is your first class?”

  “What?”

  “Never mind.” I couldn’t ask Sydney to stay. I ran my shaky fingers over my head, breathing in some needed air, listening to the soothing sound of Finn’s tattoo gun running from his station.

  “Wow,” Rhett commented.

  I looked up in his direction.

  “You’re into this Mills girl.” He sat on the couch in our small waiting area with a magazine in his hands. It was impossible for Rhett to mind his own damn business. Physically impossible. He knew everyone and everything that went on in this town. And prior to the beginning of his relationship with my sister, he’d also fucked just about every available woman within a twenty-mile radius.

  “That girl is trouble,” he added.

  Fuck, he pissed me off. Aside from corrupting my sweet, innocent, little sister when she was only eighteen, he’d also fucked my ex, Shelley. This happened long before Sydney met him. Shelley and I dated for three years when I first moved here. I hadn’t seen or spoken to her since the day I found out she’d been with the man who I now—lucky me—got to spend every Thanksgiving and Christmas with. Sydney loved Rhett with every ounce of her being. That meant I tried to get along with him for her sake. And over the years, Rhett had proved him
self to be loyal, but he still got under my skin.

  “Don’t fucking go there, Rhett,” I warned. Most days, we tolerated each other politely. “It’s taken me four years to not hate your ever-loving guts. Why do you have to push it?”

  “I’m just saying.” He shrugged, setting his magazine aside and standing. “I have a bad feeling about her.”

  “Rhett. Please.” Sydney urged. “Stop. She seems nice.”

  “Both of you—keep your fucking feelings to yourself. We aren’t discussing her. End of discussion.” I slammed the appointment book shut.

  “Okay,” Rhett decided. “Just be careful, man. It’s all I’m saying. I’ve never seen you with anyone. So maybe I’m wrong about her. Maybe you see a different side. Let’s get on the road, Syd, before it gets any later. John can finish your work.”

  Sydney gave me a pained look. Great, now she was worried about me. It wasn’t supposed to work that way. I worried about her. Not the other way around.

  She gave me a hug goodbye. And they left the shop.

  I realized, despite being as annoying as hell, Rhett was only worried too. I probably needed to be worried myself. Dani was trouble. It was plain as day.

  “Fuck. I forgot the client,” I remembered, cursing aloud. I was supposed to be tattooing. I left the front, moving down the hall, walking for wherever Sydney had set up today. I passed Finn who had a woman I’d never seen in his chair. And I found a large man back in Amanda’s chair.

  “Hey, Mike,” I said to the man I knew. I’d done most of the mural on his chest. Seemed we were adding to it today. “I’ll be with you in a minute.”

  “Sure thing. Your sister head back to school?”

  “Yeah.”

  I stopped talking because Dani approached. She must have come down the stairs and in through the back entrance. She had on fresh clothes. Leather pants—fucking leather pants on a Tuesday. And a pink top that said “not today” in block letters across her tits.

  My heart sped at the sight of her. “You leaving?”

  “No,” she muttered, brushing her damp hair from her face. She must have used my shower. Good. I liked the idea of her wet and naked in my space, using my shit. “Do you want me to leave?”