The windows on the bus are tinted really dark and I can look out the window I sit next to and look out at the people we pass on the highway. A lot of the drivers are alone in their cars. There’s a few mothers with children in the car with them. I search and search for a whole family in one and realize there just aren’t that many.
Perhaps once school’s out there will be more families on the road. I shake my head and realize I have to do a show in a bit and my head is nowhere near where it needs to be. I’m all thinking with the wrong side of my brain.
I find some head banging music and lean back and let the rock seep in and take over. Family life is very far in the future for me. I’m a rock star right now and nothing more.
My shoulder is shaken and as I open my eyes I see our manager, Silas, looking at me. I pull off the headphones so I can hear what he’s trying to tell me. “Say it again, Silas.”
“I said you need to go ahead and get your hair and make-up done. We’re only a couple of hours away and you need to completely change. You look like the kid next door, what happened to you?” he asks as he touches my collared pull over Max gave me since I was out of clean clothes that looked normal.
“Nothin’ man, I’ll get changed into my normal leather duds. Never fear, I’m here,” I jump up and make my way back to the part of the bus where all the make-up and hair things are.
I sit in front of the mirror and put the make-up on and watch my real self disappear and I’m a little sad it all has to go, but it saves me the stampede of fans I’d have bothering me if I didn’t take this step. I wonder if there’s a place on this planet where a celebrity can just be themselves and no one gets all star struck and acts foolish.
After over an hour in the make-up chair, I’m transformed into the rock star I am. Tight, black leather covers my legs and a sheer T-shirt shows off my ripped abs and muscular pecs. The finishing touch is the small diamond I put in my eyebrow and now I’m him again and the real me is gone.
Along with the change in appearance a change happens in the way I act. I fell more rowdy and wild. Perhaps that’s what has kept me from finding someone, I feel like I can’t be tamed. Odd I never realized that before.
The brakes squeal as we pull into the parking lot and we all look out the windows at the droves of college students walking here and there as they do what they want on the last day of school for the semester. Their minds must be brimming with anticipation of what life has in store for them, now their done with their studies and ready to face the world.
My reality is back in my head and the fantasy of living a normal life is fading quickly. Normal just isn’t in the cards for me, I’m afraid. The dream of finding a woman that could handle all this is far-fetched, and the reality is occasional hook-ups are all I have in my foreseeable future.
“There sure are a lot of girls out there,” Bobby says with a smile.
“Pick one out, I’m sure any one of them would love to join you later on the bus.” I slap him on the back.
“What about you, stud?” he asks. “You see one you might want to introduce little Kipper to?”
“It’s Big Kipper and who knows. It probably would help me to wrap my head around who I really am.”
As we get off the bus I leave the last of my fantasy of a normal life with a normal woman behind me for good.
The End
THE STAR
SERIES
Complete Box Set
1-12
An Alpha Billionaire Romance
By Michelle Love
Table of Contents
Star Struck (The Star Series Book 1)
Falling Star (The Star Series Book 2)
Guarded Star (The Star Series Book 3)
Star Gazers (The Star Series Book 4)
Lone Star (The Star Series Book 5)
Shooting Star (The Star Series Book 6)
Star Bursts (The Star Series Book 7)
Hidden Star (The Star Series Book 8)
Star Light (The Star Series Book 9)
Dim Star (The Star Series Book 10)
Fading Star (The Star Series Book 11)
Star Bright (The Star Series Book 12)
Star Struck
An Alpha Billionaire Romance
Book 1
Description: Aussie rocker and billionaire, Kip Dixon, has been wrestling with the idea of being a rock star while finding a woman to settle down with. The match is won as he decides there is no room for a relationship for him anytime soon. The future is about work and some play as he can find company for his bed with the snap of his fingers after all. That is until a pretty, little, country girl catches his eye and she can’t seem to stand him. From the get go Peyton Reed is anything but impressed with the rock star. During his performance he sings a song to her, making her think a little differently about him, but as he takes her backstage she sees what he’s really after, proving to herself she was right about him. Peyton leaves the billionaire with an invitation she’s sure he won’t take her up on.
Peyton
The shade of a large oak tree does little to cool us off as we practice Yoga beneath its massive branches on the last day in May. San Marcos, Texas gets hot in the summer months. This will be my last time to practice Yoga on the college campus of Texas State, I’m graduating tonight and so ready to get my future started as a writer.
I’m in the downward dog position as the instructor tells us to go into a high lunge. I rise and move into the position as a young man with spiky, black hair, eyeliner, and lipstick walks in front of me.
He looks like that guy who’s going to play at the charity event this evening. That Australian rocker.
An entourage of similar characters follow him. His band no doubt. His bright, blue eyes look right into mine as a smile spreads over his face. “Hey there, beautiful,” he says with a thick Australian accent.
I’m sure he’s used to girls falling all over themselves for his attention!
I give him a slight nod. He pauses in front of me and stares at me. “Can I help you?” I ask.
This guy is something else, jeeze!
His pierced eyebrow raises, and he asks, “Really?”
The instructor wraps up the practice as the other girls in the group flock around the young man. “OMG! It’s Kip Dixon!” one girl shouts.
I pick up my yoga mat and say, “Looks like you’re about to get mobbed, Mr. Dixon.”
I’m sure he’s used to it and loves all the attention the girls who seem to go brainless with his presence give him.
One of the bigger breasted women moves in between Kip and me, screaming, “Please sign my boob, Kip!” She holds out a Sharpie and pulls her shirt down, exposing the top of her plump breast.
I roll my eyes and try to walk away but find I’m caught up in the crowd of girls who cluster together around the pop rocker. I try to push my way out of them but find it useless.
A hand grabs my shoulder, and I turn back to find the painted boy pulling me along with him. “Come on,” he says. “I’ll get you out of here.” His hand slides along my arm and he entwines his fingers with mine.
What the hell?
For some reason warmth creeps through me, right down to my core and I find it unsettling. I’ve held hands with guys before and this never happened.
Damn! I hope I’m not coming down with something like the idiot fever I just witnessed happening to my Yoga class over this dude.
Two burley men move in between us and the crowd of screaming girls. “Back up now, girls,” one of the men says. “Kip will sign autographs in an hour, before he does the show.”
I flow along with the spiky haired guy and his band of merry misfits as they move along to the auditorium. One of the other guys laughs and looks at Kip. “Guess your little idea of mingling with the masses went awry,” he says.
Kip looks at me and winks. “Not entirely,” he says as he gives my hand a squeeze. “Looks like I found me a girl.”
What? He hasn’t found anything!
My
head snaps his way, and I say, “Afraid you got the wrong girl, Mr. Pop Rock.” I pull at my hand but he holds it tight in his.
He snickers. “Mr. Pop Rock?” he asks as he gives me a million dollar smile. “Been called lots of things, not that though. I take it you don’t care for my music?”
I shake my head. “It’s loud and I find the lyrics obnoxious,” I say as I tug once more for my hand to be released but he still holds it tight in his. “Tell me, do you think as highly of yourself as your songs claim?”
His songs are filled with lyrics about how big his dick and balls are. I’m sure his ego is even bigger and I doubt his dick is anything so great to write songs about either.
Like most men who have small wankers they tend to make more out of their appendage than men with normal size penises do. The way this guy sings about how huge he is and how great a fucker he is and how many lucky, lucky females have got to taste his magic juice, well, let’s just say I bet that bulge beneath his tight leather pants is a roll of socks.
“Well, it depends on which of the songs your speaking of, Miss, uh, I don’t believe I caught your name,” he says.
“I could throw it at you, not that you’d ever remember it,” I say as I tug hard at my hand.
He lets it go and looks at the guy with purple spikes in his hair who walks beside him. “You ever seen anyone like her, Bobby?”
Bobby shakes his head. “No boss, never.”
Kip looks back at me and says, “Toss it to me anyway, gorgeous.”
I glance at him. “It’s Peyton Reed,” I say then look away. “I’ll let you get to your business of entertaining the throngs of screaming nymphos.” Taking the chance to get away from the group, I slip past one of them and walk away.
“See ya around then, Peyton,” Kip shouts.
I lift my arm and give him a peace sign as I walk away.
Silly boy thinking he can treat me like he treats all the groupies! I’m not one to get star struck!
Kip
Tripping over a crack in the sidewalk as I watch Peyton Reed walk away, ignites laughter from the guys in my group. “Shit, Kip!” Bobby says with a fake southern drawl. “I think that little filly done stole your heart.”
I punch him in the back. “Shut it, Bobby!”
My heart can’t be stolen, it beats for me and me alone!
As we get to the door of the auditorium I look back to see the girl. Her shoulder length, blonde curls bob as she walks away. My eyes travel all the way down her curvy body and I take in a deep breath. “Such the girl next door.”
Bobby grabs my arm and pulls me inside the building. “But those pretty light brown eyes were something huh?” he asks.
I sigh. “Yeah, they have little green flecks in them and those long, lush lashes, not a bit of make-up on and she glowed, mate.”
“Bet she’s a country girl, don’t you?” Bobby asks.
I nod. “Probably going to be a veterinarian or something noble like that. No wonder she looked at me as if I was a drug dealer or something,” I say with a laugh. “I’m sure she’s a Sunday school teacher or some shit.”
Bobby pokes me in the ribs and says, “You’d most likely hate her if you got to know her. Which you won’t, not on our crazy tour, and she doesn’t seem the type to hang out in L.A.”
I shake my head. “Nah, L.A. and her most likely wouldn’t get along.”
But I don’t live exactly in Los Angeles, my mansion is a bit outside of town and there’s even empty stables at the back of the property, so she might like it.
The band’s manager, Silas, pops out of a side door and motions for us to come to him. “Wonder what Silas has up his sleeve for us tonight,” one of the other band members named, Troy, says.
Silas claps his hands as we make our way to him. “You ready to hear tons of this sound in a little while guys?” he asks.
Simultaneous and lackluster yes’s we all give and Silas frowns. I pat Silas on the back and say, “We’ll get hyped, dude, no worries.”
“Follow me,” Silas says as he turns to go back in the door he came out of. “Let’s get you guys something to eat. They put out quite the spread for you, a lot of shrimp as usual as I assume people from Texas think Australians love the stuff, cause there is a boat load of it.”
Five cities in Texas so far and every single one of them fed us shrimp!
We all plop down on chairs around a table and wait for Silas to tell us about the show he expects us to put on. I speak up, “Get on with what you want us to do, Silas.”
Silas smiles and sits down. “I want you to pick a girl from the audience, bring her on stage, and do that slow song, Ask Me to Kiss You.”
I squint and lay my forehead in my hand, then say, “Man, I hate to do that. It’s so damn awkward.”
The last girl cried the entire time and then I had to kiss her and it was all gross!
“The audience loves it,” Silas says. “You haven’t done it in over a year, and this is for charity, remember. We can get the school to announce it and put out some flyers, it should get more people in here to listen to you guys and make more money for whatever the hell it is they’re donating the proceeds to.”
I sigh. “I get to pick her, Silas.”
“Agreed,” he says. “Now the next order of business. Dallas got pushed back so we have a three day weekend after this gig. So feel free to get out to some of the clubs in Austin or whatever you want to do, cause the night and next three days are yours. Be sure stay in the area, please.”
“Isn’t tonight graduation for this place?” Bobby asks.
Silas nods and Bobby slams fists with me, and says, “College graduation parties will be everywhere. Get ready to party, dude!”
I laugh. “Once we wash this crap off our faces we’ll be able to roam amongst them all, and no one will be the wiser. Freedom at last.”
Well, I did just have a few days of freedom, but that was different. Now I can party like the rock star I am!
Silas taps his fingers on the table and asks, “Is it really so bad, Kip?”
“The money’s fantastic. The lack of privacy and getting mobbed everywhere we go when we’re in full attire is tiresome.”
Silas stands and walks over to pat me on the back. “Let’s go eat. Tonight is yours after this little concert and you have a few days to be yourselves.”
To be myself again, but I just got back to being a rock star!
Peyton
Curling my hair a little and putting on a bit of make-up I get as glamorized as I ever get to go to the benefit concert. I’m a part of the committee who put it all together, so I need to be there for a while anyway.
I wonder what Kip Dixon really looks like. I mean he wears more make-up than any woman I know. And that hair, it could put an eye out. I wonder how many girls he’s stabbed with it over the years.
I bet he’s a real freak in the sheets!
Probably a different girl every night. None of the tabloids have ever said a thing about him having even one serious relationship and I think he’s like twenty-five or so. He’s about three years older than I am.
His eyes are a really pretty blue!
Probably contacts though. He’s uber fake, that’s for sure. I bet he’s unrecognizable without that make-up on. Who wants to live life like that?
He’s most likely really crazy and a huge druggie. I’ve never heard about him being like that, but I bet he is. All those singers and actors are into something bad, I bet.
I slip my feet into a pair of nude heels I picked out to wear with the red dress my mother bought me to wear to graduation. It’s right after the concert so I have to be ready to go straight over there.
It’s tighter than I like and a little more revealing in the bosom, showing some cleavage which I rarely do. The door to my dorm room that I’ve shared with Kyla these last four years opens and in my roomie walks. Her eyes run up and down my body and she shakes her head. “Not those shoes.”
I laugh and knew if she caught me b
efore I left she’d try to make me over. “They’re fine,” I say.
She takes a red pair from her closet. “Put these on and don’t argue with me, you know you’ll lose.”
She’s been known to wrestle me to the ground to get me to wear something she thinks I need to. As I don’t feel like getting into a match right now, I’ll do as she’s bossed. “Thank you for saving me from such an embarrassing thing as having on shoes that are so uncool.”
“Yeah, well, you’re welcome. And what is this I hear about Kip Dixon dragging you away from Yoga this morning?” she asks with a grin.
“Just that,” I say and shrug my shoulders. “The arrogant bastard couldn’t seem to believe I wasn’t completely freaking out when he talked to me.”
“Maddy was there, and she said he looked at you like you were something else and that you were a little rude. That’s not like you, Peyton.” Kyla takes me by the shoulders and has me sit back down in front of the mirror where she adds a few more curls to my hair.
“I wouldn’t exactly say I was rude. I did shoot him the peace sign as I walked away that’s not rude now is it?”
“John said he heard Kip shout out to you and when you were walking away the guy tripped and all his band mates laughed. I wonder if he’s smitten with you, little country mouse.” She sprays her hairspray over my hair and it makes it shine a little more.
“Smitten? Maybe with himself. The guy is just looking for a local piece of ass for the night. You know that.” I smile at my reflection and look down at the red heels that match my dress perfectly. “And you also know I’m not into giving that up to some fly-by-night pop star.”
Kyla rolls her eyes and digs in her jewelry box, pulling out a set of diamond earrings her parents gave her last year. Kyla comes from money and has always been very generous with sharing her things with me. She’s a sweetheart and I’m going to miss her. “Kip Dixon is anything but a fly-by-night pop star.” She places one of the earrings in my ear and smiles at how it sparkles.
The Shameless Billionaire Series: Billionaire Romance Box Set (An Alpha-Male, Billionaire, Bad Boy, Bad Girl, Romance) Page 27