Fractured Hearts: A Fractured Rock Star Romance

by L. M. Dalgleish

  Lexie’s heart skipped a beat at his smile. He stood close to her in the dark corner, and she could smell the faint crisp scent of whatever he was wearing. It made her recall how he’d smelled that morning when he’d pressed up behind her, the fresh, clean scent of him when he’d just rolled out of bed. Those were not good thoughts to be having now. Or ever. Playful Connor was just as sexy as brooding Connor.

  To break that train of thought, Lexie pulled herself up to her full five-foot-four height, stared him straight in the eye, and said with feigned indignation, “So you’re saying you don’t think I could be professionally objective?” She tried very hard to suppress her smile.

  Connor’s eyes flicked backward and forward between hers, checking to see if she was serious or not. His smile didn’t budge an inch, letting her know she hadn’t fooled him for a second. He leaned down, put his lips close to her ear, and said, “Maybe I’m hoping you won’t be quite as professional as you should be.”

  Heat flashed through Lexie’s entire body, her recently resurrected libido rising up and hammering at her. This was not good. Of all the men in the world, why did it have to be him that finally got a reaction from her? A man that no doubt lived by the motto “bang a groupie a day to keep the doctor away.” She didn’t want him to be the one that pushed Damien out of her thoughts, but the heat still ricocheting through her told her that her body had other plans.

  She took a deep breath and slowly stepped back from him. “Um, well, you’re the boss.” It was an inane comment, but she needed the reminder that he was her employer.

  “Actually,” he said, his Irish lilt strengthening, “the record label is your employer. I just have creative control.” He paused. “Which means you’re not my employee, but you do have to do anything I want.” His deepening smile, and the flash of his dimples, made his innuendo clear.

  Oh no, this was not happening again. He thought he could get his flirt on with her because he wasn’t her actual employer. She guessed he was bored and had decided to have some fun at her expense. He was probably enjoying watching her squirm.

  She had two choices. She could go full-on ice queen and put him in his place or show him he wouldn’t get the reaction he expected out of her. The first choice was the right way to go.

  Which was why she surprised herself by stepping forward, rising up on her tiptoes, and bracing herself with one hand against his firm chest. She put her lips to his ear and said, in as sultry a tone as she could manage, “You may have creative control, Connor, but that doesn’t mean you can control me. You can ask me to do anything you want…” She tilted her head back to look him right in the eye. “And maybe I’ll do it for you.” She dropped back down on her heels and stepped back from him, then turned to leave, throwing over her shoulder as she walked away, “Probably not though. If you have a problem with that, I guess you can take it up with my employer.”

  He stood there watching her walk away, his eyes dark and a faint smile on his lips. Now he knew she was onto his little game, he’d turn his attention elsewhere, and she could go back to trying very, very hard not to think about him naked.

  She was strolling toward the steps leading down from the stage feeling pleased with herself when he strode up beside her. In a casual tone of voice, as if nothing had happened, he asked, “Are you hungry? We’re going to head out soon and grab some lunch. We’ve got a hotel suite we can all hang in for a few hours and get some room service before we have to come back for soundcheck. Want to come along?”

  Lexie considered. While she would have liked to have walked off and enjoyed her win, she was actually starving since she’d jumped right into her work without having any breakfast. She had plenty of shots already, and she was happy she knew the basic photos she’d aim to get over the next few weeks. And it was her job to spend her time with them and get photos of everything, so it wasn’t like she could avoid it.

  Okay, well, she could be as casual as he was. She smiled up at him. “Thanks, that’d be great.”

  He nodded to where the three others stood waiting for them. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 10

  Several hours later, Lexie was in the green room with the band as they prepared for the show. She could hear the screams of the crowd and feel the vibration from the opening act’s bass notes, even from here. The muffled roar had her adrenaline spiking, but none of the guys were nervous at all. They were sitting around playing cards, drinking beer, and generally goofing around. Contrary to her expectations, there hadn’t been any crazy pre-show rituals either.

  They did look exactly how she expected a rock band to look though—tight black jeans, tight t-shirts, leather cuffs, and chunky silver rings. Not to mention all the sculpted muscles and various tattoos on display. Very sexy. In fact, she could kind of get used to it, she thought as she snapped another photo of the four of them, mid-laugh at an off-color joke from Noah.

  A knock sounded, and Drew poked his head around the door. “Connor, your guests are here.”

  Connor looked up from his cards. “Thanks, Drew, we’ll be there in a minute.”

  Drew nodded and disappeared, closing the door behind him. Lexie wondered what was going on, as Connor stood, grabbed his guitar, and wandered over in her direction.

  “Hey, Lexie, we’ve got some visitors we’re going to hang out with for half an hour or so. While you’re welcome to join us, I’d prefer you don’t take any photos.”

  Lexie’s eyebrows rose in surprise, but she nodded, and without thinking said, “Of course, you’re the boss.”

  He gave her a pointed look. “I thought we’d already had that conversation.”

  A blush heated her cheeks, but before she could reply she noticed the others had already left the room. She jumped up from the stool she was sitting on, not wanting Connor to be late for his visitors.

  He led the way out of the green room and down a small side hallway. Lexie was curious about who the band was meeting with. Since Connor had asked her not to take photos, she couldn’t help but be suspicious about what was going on. Maybe this was where she’d be confronted with the crazy rock and roll lifestyle she’d heard so much about.

  Lexie saw the others waiting with Drew outside a door at the end of the hallway. As soon as Connor and Lexie joined them, Drew opened the door and went in. The band followed and Lexie slipped in behind them, nervous about what she was going to see.

  Looking around the room, there was a group of around a dozen kids, ranging in age from about ten to sixteen years old. There were a few adults as well, but they were sitting in chairs set up along the back of the room. All the kids, and most of the adults, had huge grins on their faces, and their eyes were bright with excitement.

  Drew appeared at her side. “Hey, Lexie, come and sit next to me.” He led her off to the side of the room where more chairs were set up.

  After sitting down, Lexie turned to Drew and asked quietly, “What’s going on?”

  “You might not be aware, but the band supports several charities that focus on providing music therapy for disadvantaged youths and kids that have suffered emotional, physical, or mental trauma.”

  Lexie blinked in surprise. “I didn’t know. But that’s really great.”

  Drew nodded. “Connor tells me that music has significant benefits for promoting mental health and helping kids to release repressed emotion. It’s a cause that’s always been close to his heart, and the other guys have gotten involved too. So now whenever they’re on tour, Connor lets the local charities know when they’re going to be in town and offers up free tickets to the show and the chance to attend a small private concert beforehand. Most of the kids are massive fans, so getting to meet the band is kind of a payoff for the work they put into trying to meet their therapy goals.”

  Lexie had never even considered the guys would take time out of their pre-show schedule to do something so… sweet. She watched them with a new appreciation as they talked to the kids, shaking hands or giving hugs. The kids couldn’t hide their excit
ement, and hero worship radiated from their faces.

  After spending about five minutes chatting, the guys pulled up some chairs and asked the audience to call out some of their favorite songs. A few different titles were thrown out before the guys nodded, murmured to each other, and then began to play an acoustic version of one of their slower songs.

  It was beautiful. Just the harmony of their voices, the guitars, and the small hand drum that Noah had brought with him. Emotion unexpectedly flooded through Lexie, especially when she saw the joy radiating from the faces of the kids watching. Several of them were crying as they watched the band singing and playing just for them.

  Several times Lexie caught herself raising her camera to take a photo, before remembering she wasn’t supposed to. The photographer in her desperately wanted to capture this moment, but she understood why Connor didn’t want her to. This wasn’t for publicity. It was about giving these kids an experience that would shine a light during what was a dark and difficult time in their lives. A memory that would hopefully provide inspiration and hope for a happier future.

  After several more songs, the guys had to wrap it up because they needed to get ready to take the stage. Lexie brushed away a few tears of her own that leaked out when some of the younger kids cried as they got to give their idols a final hug.

  “Come on, almost time for the show,” Drew said.

  Lexie got up and followed him out. As he led her back down the hallway, she glanced over her shoulder to see the band filing out of the room, broad smiles on their faces. These men just kept on surprising her.

  Fifteen minutes later, Lexie stood at the side of the stage. The opening act had exited a few minutes ago, and the crowd was going wild in anticipation of Fractured’s appearance. The same anticipation coursed through her as the thump of the intro music and the flashing lights hyped everyone up even further. Soon the crowd was chanting the band’s name, before erupting into an ear-splitting roar as the whole stadium went dark.

  The video screens at the back of the stage lit up with red and orange ribbons of light, silhouetting the band who’d taken their places while the lights were off. The screams reached a crescendo as a figure detached itself from the shadows and stalked forward. Connor reached the edge of the stage and raised one arm high in the air.

  Lights flashed on as the deep driving beat started. Connor lowered his arm, wrapped his fingers around the microphone on the stand in front of him, and began to sing.

  His voice washed over her, low and sensuous, with just enough grit to send goosebumps rippling over her skin. It was a completely different experience from the soundcheck that afternoon or even the acoustic set they’d just done. Nothing could compare to the full impact of the lights, the music, the screams of the amped-up crowd, and the sheer sex appeal of the man on stage.

  She was supposed to be analyzing the concert and figuring out how best to photograph the band and the crowd, but she was finding it hard to pull her gaze away from the mesmerizing sight of Connor. He reminded her of some large, dangerous jungle cat—all lean muscles and fluid grace.

  The other band members were killing it too. Tex’s fingers moved smoothly over the fretboard of his guitar, weaving the melody through Connor’s singing, Noah had a huge smile on his face while he beat out the rhythm on his drums, and Zac played the bass with his eyes closed, the deep resonant notes somehow linking the rhythm and the melody together. The sound was incredible, the bass notes reverberating through Lexie and filling her with a tension and energy that seemed to demand some kind of outlet.

  Forcing herself away from the stage she moved around the stadium, through the mass of singing, screaming fans, taking establishing shots and making notes on her tablet. All the while, Connor’s voice wove its way through her senses. When she’d done what she needed to do, she gave in to temptation again and made her way back to the side of the stage to watch the performance.

  The music was fantastic, and the energy of all four of them playing together was explosive. But she couldn’t take her eyes off Connor. At one point he made his way to the side of the stage close to where she was watching, and one of the crew tossed him a water bottle. He took a few gulps, then upended the rest over his head. Lexie could understand why the crowd went wild; with his slicked-back hair and black V-neck t-shirt now molded to his abs, he looked practically sinful.

  Almost as if he sensed her gaze on him, he glanced her way and Lexie felt an almost physical shock as their eyes met. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, and she was so close she could see the lights reflecting off the water beads clinging to his dark lashes. He threw her a quick smile, and when he turned away to finish the song, she let out a long, shuddering breath.

  As she attempted to pull herself together, Drew stepped up to stand alongside her. “Impressive, aren’t they?” he said, loud enough she could hear him over the pounding beat of the music. Embarrassed that he might have caught her ogling the talent while she should’ve been working, she made a small sound of agreement and started to edge away.

  Before she could, Drew turned to her. “Lexie, just a word of warning. You’re going to be in close quarters with these guys for several months. They’re good men—the best—but when it comes down to it, they’re rock stars, and they’re used to getting what they want. You’re a very attractive woman, and I wouldn’t put it past any of them to make a move on you. While they don’t mean any harm, well, hearts have been known to get broken. I want to make sure you’re conscious of that.”

  Lexie stared at him aghast, then drew herself up, feeling defensive. “I appreciate the warning, Drew, but I’m not fifteen, so I think I’m more than capable of not fangirling all over them.”

  Drew sighed. “Look, I didn’t mean to offend you. But charisma like these guys have is a potent force, especially if one of them sets his sights on you. I’m sure you will keep it professional; the problem is I can’t guarantee the guys will. They know how to use their looks and charm to get what they want. I don’t want you brokenhearted, and since I can’t rely on the guys to show restraint, then I’m relying on you. I’m sorry again if I’ve offended you.” He gave her a tight smile and walked off.

  A wave of exhaustion flooded over Lexie. All the noise, the chaos, the unfamiliarity of the situation was too much. She wanted to go home and curl up in her bed. But as Drew had reminded her, she was a professional. She was here to do a job, and she was going to get it done.

  Throwing one last look over her shoulder as she turned to leave, her gaze once again met Connor’s. His eyes were narrowed, brows drawn together. Mortified that he might have seen her being told to keep her hands to herself, she turned away and headed backstage.

  Chapter 11

  Connor tracked Drew down at the end of the show and grabbed his arm. “I saw you talking to Lexie. She seemed upset—what did you say to her?” he asked, with more anger than intended.

  Drew glanced down at where Connor’s hand gripped his arm and then back up at his face, his eyes round. Connor knew it was because he was usually the cool, calm, and collected one of the group. Drew wasn’t used to having Connor’s anger directed at him.

  “Calm down. I just wanted to reinforce the fact that since you’re all traveling together, things need to stay professional. It’s hard to say something like that without it sounding offensive, but honestly, it needed to be said. To her and to you guys. Don’t think I don’t know why the band asks for the ‘no fraternization’ clause to be left out of your contracts.”

  He tried to shake off Connor’s tight grip, and Connor let him go, raking his fingers through his hair. Drew’s brows pinched together. “Are you okay, mate? It’s not like you to get worked up like this. Tex mentioned you had a go at them yesterday over this girl. Tell me she’s not going to be a problem.”

  Connor couldn’t blame him for being concerned. It was Drew’s job to keep the band operating smoothly. Anything that might cause tension between the band members was his priority. Connor knew he’d been acting erratical
ly, even before Lexie’s arrival. It was obvious that Drew and his friends sensed something was bothering him, because everyone in their own way had tried to get him to talk about what the problem was. But Connor didn’t want to talk about it. Not until he could figure out what, if anything, he wanted to change. So, it was no wonder Drew was trying to do something about an issue he could actually address.

  “Well, you don’t have to worry, I think everyone’s got the message now. No funny business with the photographer. I just hope she isn’t too pissed off. I’d hate to see the compromising photos she could take if she is.” He tried to laugh off his unusual behavior and hoped Drew would buy it.

  Drew chuckled, looking relieved. “Yeah, good luck with that,” he threw over his shoulder as he strolled away.

  Connor smiled back but didn’t feel any happier. His reaction to Lexie was disconcerting, and he hoped hiring her wouldn’t end up being a big mistake.

  Heading to the green room, Connor found Lexie already taking shots of the band members as they wound down from the show. He was late, so everyone else had already had showers and were hungrily devouring the catered food that had been brought in for them. Although he was starving after performing his ass off for the last two hours, he desperately wanted a shower to wash off the sweat, and to bring his heart rate down.

  Lexie noticed his arrival as he made his way through to the dressing room. She lowered her camera and smiled at him, and damn, once again he was struck by how gorgeous she was. Unable to fight the urge to talk to her, he detoured in her direction. As he approached, he saw her gaze almost involuntarily sweep down his body. The way her eyes widened slightly, and a flush warmed her cheeks made a smile tug at his mouth.

  “So, what did you think of the show?” he asked as he stopped in front of her, realizing that he honestly cared about her opinion. He’d performed in front of millions of fans throughout the band’s career, but for some reason, he wanted to know that she had enjoyed it.