ENDLESS
A LESS THAN ZERO ROCK STAR ROMANCE
TY & ZOEY BOOK 1
by
Kaylene Winter
Copyright © 2020 by Kaylene Winter
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Certain real people, businesses, locations, and organizations that are referenced are used in a way that is purely fictional.
Endless: A Less Than Zero Rock Star Romance
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews.
About the Author
Amazon Author Page
When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends, and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rock star life as a band manager, music promoter, and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television, and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties, and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.
The Less Than Zero Seattle Rocks Series is her debut in the world of rocker romances. Kaylene hopes you’ll love the gorgeous, sexy, flawed rockers and the strong, beautiful women who capture their hearts.
Connect with Kaylene:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.rockerromance.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylenewinterauthor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kaylene.winter.5
Reader Groups: https://www.facebook.com/groups/rockromance/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/2883976651
Acknowledgements
This book was an absolute labor of love, and I couldn’t have done it without the help and support of the following awesome rock stars:
Cover/Graphic Designer/Finder of hotties: Regina Wamba https://www.reginawamba.com/
Editor: Grace Bradley—it was a humbling experience to be edited by such a master—I’ve learned things about writing that are mind-blowing. Thank you! https://gracebradleyediting.com/
Proofreading/Formatting: Jennifer Schwartz & Ebook Launch Squad https://ebooklaunch.com/
Marketing/Publicity: Penny, Paige, and Amy at AME https://www.amarketingexpert.com/
My VIPs/Readers/Alpha and Beta Readers Sheila, Kris, Laura, Amy, Tracy
Special thanks to one of my oldest and dearest friends, Julia Barnes, MD who helped me with the medical stuff.
OMG! To the ARC readers, bloggers, bookstagrammers & my Street Team – I can’t do this without you.
Cover Model: Brandon Katz https://www.instagram.com/brandon_katz/
To all of my new author friends who have shown me love and support, thank you for welcoming me into the rock star romance fold. I am so blessed to be part of the community.
And last, but not least, thank you thank you thank you for helping spread the word—it’s a new journey for me, and I’m overwhelmed by your love, support, kindness, etc. Thank you for making my dream come true!
Please leave a review!
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About this Book
Get ready for the gorgeous rockers of Less than Zero and the strong, feisty women who bring them to their knees.
ENDLESS
She ripped out my heart and threw it away.
Tyson Rainier had only one way out.
Leading his band Less than Zero to the top.
Stardom, success, touring the world—all his dreams were about to come true
Until Zoey Pearson gave him a new dream.
And passion beyond anything he thought possible.
Nothing prepared him for it to end. Abruptly. Definitively.
His songs of heartbreak made LTZ the biggest band in the universe.
And now Ty will do anything to put Zoey behind him.
I ghosted the only man I’ll ever love.
Beautiful bookworm Zoey Pearson’s love for music led her to Ty.
The gorgeous, sweet rocker was made for her.
When the man he trusted most told her to break it off.
She did. The only way she could.
Now he’s the hottest rock star in the world
Because of the songs that eviscerated her.
Her sweet rocker is fully immersed in a life of excess and debauchery.
Zoey doesn’t recognize the man she once loved.
When fate throws them together eight years later, their fireworks are explosive.
But their hearts are still fragile.
Will Ty forgive Zoey for nearly destroying him?
Or will his past come back to destroy her?
Upcoming Titles by Kaylene Winter
LIMITLESS – LESS THAN ZERO Book 2 (Jace & Alex)
FEARLESS – LESS THAN ZERO Book 3 (Connor & Ronni)
TIMELESS – LESS THAN ZERO Book 4 (Zane and Fiona)
Table of Contents
About the Author
Acknowledgements
About this Book
Upcoming Titles by Kaylene Winter
Dedication
Prologue: ZOEY
Chapter 1: ZOEY
Chapter 2: TYSON
Chapter 3: ZOEY
Chapter 4: TYSON
Chapter 5: ZOEY
Chapter 6: TYSON
Chapter 7: ZOEY
Chapter 8: TYSON
Chapter 9: ZOEY
Chapter 10: TYSON
Chapter 11: ZOEY
Chapter 12: TYSON
Chapter 13: ZOEY
Chapter 14: TYSON
Chapter 15: ZOEY
Chapter 16: TYSON
Chapter 17: ZOEY
Chapter 18: TYSON
Chapter 19: ZOEY
Chapter 20: TYSON
Chapter 21: ZOEY
Chapter 22: TYSON
Chapter 23: ZOEY
Chapter 24: TYSON
Chapter 25: ZOEY
Chapter 26: TYSON
Chapter 27: ZOEY
Chapter 28: TYSON
Chapter 29: ZOEY
Chapter 30: TYSON
Chapter 31: ZOEY
Chapter 32: TYSON
Chapter 33: ZOEY
Chapter 34: TYSON
Chapter 35: ZOEY
Chapter 36: TYSON
Chapter 37: ZOEY
Epilogue: TYSON
Letter from Kaylene
Dedication
G—you are my biggest supporter and push me to be better in everything that I do. Thank you for encouraging me to follow my dream and publish my first book.
To Sheila and Kris, the inspirations for Alex and Ronni—before digital, before Kindle, back when we still typed on real typewriters—who knew that the book I wrote about all of our rock star “boyfriends” would lead us here.
Prologue
ZOEY
I burrowed into my delicious rocker’s side, breathing in his manly scent, a mix of leather and grapefruit body wash. I reached up to carefully brush a long, chocolate-brown wave from Tyson’s full lips while he slept deeply. His long, silky hair cascaded over the pillow; his square jaw was covered with the beginnings of a beard because he hadn’t shaved in a few days. It made my sweet rocker look slightly dangerous. Gazing at the three small scars nea
rly hidden in his thick, dark eyebrows, I still couldn’t fathom how tough his childhood was and how anyone could hurt such a beautiful soul.
My breath hitched. I tried to memorize everything about him, to soak in every detail of my gorgeous man. I knew I was about to hurt him, and it destroyed me. When I traced my finger over a smattering of his rough stubble, he sighed in his sleep and pulled me in even closer. I held him tightly too, resting my head on his lithe but defined chest and gripped his hip, careful not to rouse him. I wished I could gaze into the pools of his deep-blue eyes one more time.
If only I didn’t have to leave him.
I was moving to Bellingham to embark upon my new normal, living with a roommate in a dorm and working toward my college degree in social services. Ty’s band departed for their first tour in a few hours, traveling cross-country in a small van for six months. Letting him sleep was important. It would be grueling enough spending long hours in such cramped quarters without the added weight of heartbreak. The least I could do was let him get some rest now.
So I laid for as long as I could against my love and listened to his heartbeat. My mind was a hamster wheel. Second-guessing. Third-guessing. Then—resolved. I had been asked by possibly the most influential person in his life to do something for Ty. For his future. As much as I didn’t want to, leaving him now was the right thing for me to do. But it didn’t make it any less devastating.
When my tears wet his chest, I knew it was time to go or I’d wake him. My heart seized in agony at the thought of never seeing him again. I wasn’t sure how I’d survive. Yet, I knew that I had to set him completely free, without any ties to me, so he could embrace his shot at fame.
Maybe someday Ty would understand why I left him.
Maybe someday he’d forgive me.
Chapter 1
ZOEY
Five Months Previous
“C’mon!” Alex pleaded with me. “We’re going to be late!”
“I can’t help it if I need extra time, you look amazing in a paper sack,” I whined to my best friend since diaper-hood.
Even though my family had moved from Ballard to a big, renovated craftsman in the Wallingford neighborhood when I was eight, Alex and I spent time together most weekends and nearly every day during the summer. Our neighborhoods were close enough that we retained our sisterly bond, which was so tight we could finish each other’s sentences. Now, with only a few weeks to go until graduation from our respective high schools, all we did was obsess over music and boys, sometimes not in that order.
Which meant on a Saturday night, as per our usual routine, we got ready at my house to go out for the evening.
“You look gorgeous, you always do.” Alex surveyed my outfit, her hands on her hips. Tall and thin with supermodel beauty, my BFF looked fantastic in her simple getup of a black, V-neck fitted T-shirt, baggy boyfriend jeans with a beat-up brown belt holding them up, hoop earrings, a distressed, black motorcycle jacket, and black motorcycle boots. Her blonde hair styled with fringy bangs was effortlessly tussled as though she’d spent hours on it, when really all she did was run her fingers through it a few times.
I sighed, studying my image in the full-length mirror. As a short and slightly voluptuous girl, I tried to accentuate my curvy assets. Tonight, I wore a casual outfit of skinny black jeans with shredded knees, my favorite black, flat, suede knee-high boots, and a vintage Van Halen T-shirt with the sides and back cut out in a crisscross pattern, which gave a glimpse, but not full view, of my D-cup boobs.
“Well, this is as good as it’s going to get.” I shook out my long, thick blonde hair streaked in beachy waves, and turned to check out how my butt looked. I loved my curves, and thanks to the Kardashians normalizing a bit of tits and ass, I could hold my own even if I couldn’t be bothered to paint on a perfect Instagram contour.
“Thank God, the Uber is here.” Alex swooshed out of the room and bounded down the stairs, with me following close behind.
We had been waiting all week for tonight’s show at The Mission, an iconic Seattle all-ages venue, which launched the grunge era over two decades ago. My parents had met there at a Limelight show, so they were surprisingly cool about my acute love of live music. The club, which lacked in charm, still featured an awesome lineup of up-and-coming bands and we loved nothing more than to experience live music up close and personal.
Even better, we were finally going to see Less Than Zero, a throw-back rock band that made actual real music and didn’t rely on auto-tune or fancy production. We’d been obsessed with their YouTube channel and Instagram account because of all their hot pictures and crazy video snippets. Their music was amazing, driven by screaming guitar riffs, anthemic lyrics, and groovy beats. It also didn’t hurt that all the guys in the band were tasty, tasty snacks.
“Are you staying over tonight, Alex?” my dad called out as we bounded past him in the living room.
“No, Mr. Pearson.” Alex stopped to address him. “Mom and I have plans early tomorrow morning.”
Alex’s mom and dad were divorced, and she lived with her hilarious mother who had a successful mail-order pie business. If her sense of humor wasn’t reason enough to hang out at her house, we were guinea pigs for her kitchen experiments, which turned out some delicious food. Her dad, a developer who had remarried, lived on Bainbridge Island, a suburb across Puget Sound.
“Alex, how many times do I need to tell you to call me Mike,” Dad chastised good-naturedly. “Are you off to The Mission, then?”
“Yep!” I bopped over to give him a kiss on the forehead. “I’ll be home by midnight.”
“How are you getting home?”
“Jeez, Dad. Stop interrogating me like a lawyer. You know I’ll take an Uber.” I rolled my eyes. For God’s sake, I was a dedicated 4.3 GPA student, it was annoying that he didn’t think I could figure out a ride home.
“Zoey, I’m glad you’re finally getting out of the house, you’ve earned some free time to go out and be more social.” Dad hugged me. “I’m just happy you’re not buried in books for a change.”
“Is Mom home tonight?” I ignored his annoying comment. My mom, Olivia, traveled a lot for her job as a pharmaceutical sales manager. She was flying in that night from a conference in Miami.
“Yes, I’m going to pick her up in an hour.” Dad smiled cheekily. They were still so in love, I hoped to find that for myself someday. Maybe when I was thirty.
When we finally made it through the long line into the divey, dark club, Less Than Zero’s melodic, guitar-driven, ass-kicking rock was already in full force. As was our usual M.O., we pushed our way to the front of the stage so we could see the band in action and, of course, dance. Our bodies couldn’t resist moving to the music. LTZ was on point. By the time they launched into their third song, I felt electrified. The energy in the crowd was intense, as if we all knew we were witnessing something special.
All the guys in the band looked hot in the videos and pictures we had been poring over on YouTube and social. LTZ in person? Other-worldly.
Drummer, Jace Deveraux, played shirtless, lean with taut muscles, intense, piercing green bedroom eyes, and sexy dirty-blond hair that brushed just past his shoulders. He thrashed hard yet kept the most complicated groovy rhythm, his mouth moved in time to the beats he played.
Zane Rocks, a pretty boy with an infectious grin, dark-brown eyes, and a mop of jet-black, unruly hair that didn’t quite reach his collar, played lead guitar. He bounced all over the stage but managed to make eye contact with everyone in the crowd, drawing them in. Effortlessly channeling classic Slash and Eddie Van Halen, his natural skill translated into his own unique sound.
Bassist Conner McLoughlin was the hottest ginger I’d ever seen, his thick, reddish-brown hair hung well past his jaw. He stared into the crowd with light, golden-brown eyes that were brooding and almost dangerous. Ropy, thick muscles bulged underneath his vintage Alice in Chains T-shirt. He was cool AF, popping and thumping in perfect rhythm with Jace’s percussion.
As hot as the rest of the LTZ guys were, lead singer Tyson Rainier was the most magnificent-looking guy I’d ever seen in real life. His chiseled, square-jawed face with just a hint of stubble made him look like a young, rogue biker. His gorgeous long, brown hair hung in loose waves. He swung it wildly, scanning the crowd through sapphire-blue eyes rimmed with dark, long lashes. His lithe yet muscular body rocked tight skinny jeans and a frayed, fitted white V-neck. He stomped around the stage like a throw-back grunge rocker in duct-taped, forest-green Doc Martins. Ty’s voice was mesmerizing—a mix of soaring range, complicated and unique lyrical phrasing, wolf-like growls, and passionate, emotional delivery.
He figuratively and literally mastered the stage and the audience, and I was hypnotized by him. There was no way not to stare. To me, he was passion personified. My body was consumed with what felt like an intense, gravitational pull.
While I was gaping at him, the beat changed to a slow, sultry low groove. At that moment, he looked down from the stage directly into my eyes. Like a lightning bolt, his look caused a zap straight to my core. My heart thumped so fast. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it exploded. I glanced around and saw beautiful women everywhere having the same reaction to this magnificent rock god. Immediately, I felt foolish. He hadn’t singled me out, specifically. I was nothing special. He just had that effect, which is why LTZ was destined for something bigger than a local club.
Throughout the rest of the show, I purposefully avoided looking at the sexy singer. Making eye contact was like looking directly into the sun. Smiling to myself at the ludicrous thought that I would ever have a chance in hell with Tyson Rainier, I immersed myself in the music. Alex and I swayed, danced, and cheered at LTZ’s awesomeness. Hands down, they were the coolest band I’d ever seen.
After their encore, Alex and I were still a bit sweaty by the time we pushed through the crowd to find our friends, who were live-streaming their commentary about the show. Alex added to her Instagram story, and I flashed her some rock horns when she turned the camera phone on me. We couldn’t stop squeeing about the band and how incredible they were. Despite my earlier insecurities, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something about the lead singer had struck a chord deep inside me.
Endless Page 1