Love Rock'ollection: The Brutal Strength Rock Star Trilogy, books 1-3

by Michelle Mankin

  Too much.

  Too intimate.

  Too intense.

  Frightened, Sara ended the kiss, blinking rapidly. Surrender… to Chris Alex… Oh. Hell. No. She’d only ever called one man her lover, and she wasn’t going to risk being hurt like that ever again. The experience had taught her to bury her desires deep down beneath layer after protective layer, but Chris threatened to break through them all at this moment.

  Ripping her hands out of his pockets, she took a step back. Her knees were weak but she managed the movement without stumbling. One step. Two. She gasped for air, noticing that many of the players at the other pool tables had stopped to watch. Making a big production, she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth and stared at Chris. “Had way better,” she lied, relieved that her voice came out sounding even, “like kissing your grandpa.”

  Chris raised a brow. Without taking his eyes off of her, he pushed away from the table. “Yeah, a little disappointing for me too, Sweetheart, but it’s for charity so I won’t embarrass you and ask for a refund.”

  “You know what I think, Sara?” JR interjected into the shocked silence that followed. “I think you protest too much.”

  “Huh?” She was still reeling from the kiss and Chris’ comment. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “It’s a line from Shakespeare, and I think you know exactly what it means. You’re full of Texas bullshit. Your face is flushed and you’re out of breath.” JR shook his head. He’d found out what he’d wanted to know. Chris definitely had her number. Rubbing his bearded chin, an idea started to take form.

  “You’re imagining things,” she told him, but had to clasp her hands together to hide their trembling.

  Sam’s gaze alternated back and forth between her sister and Chris before she crossed over to Sara. “Hey,” she said softly patting her clasped hands. “We’d better get going. I have an early start in the morning.”

  “Hold up a minute.” JR grabbed Sam by the arm. “Can I speak to you for a second?”

  “Sure, just for a minute.” Sam gave her sister a worried look before following JR.

  As Sara watched JR lead her sister away, Sam glanced back, her expression asking a silent question that Sara instantly understood. She gave her a confirmatory nod. Not that her approval really mattered. Sara sighed. She’d been off her game since her first momentous run in with Chris. Holy effing hell but that guy had messed her up! She liked to be in control, but the roles were reversed with him. Where Chris Alex was concerned, she was in totally uncharted waters.

  SHORTLY AFTER THE girls left, Danny bowed out. Keith took a seat at the bar and motioned for JR and Chris to join him. He turned to JR. “So…you and Samantha, huh?”

  “Yeah, don’t start, Keith… I think she might be the one.” After Sam had relented this evening and agreed to go out with him, letting her go with only a peck on the check had been rough. When what he’d really wanted was to kiss her long and hard and for real, but he hadn’t wanted an audience for that. He’d waited all week to be alone with her. He could wait one more day.

  “Dude,” Keith drew out, shaking his head. “I never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth.”

  “Seriously, JR.” Chris leaned back in his chair. “I mean Sam’s a sweet girl and all, don’t get me wrong, but if I were you I’d keep my options open. You’re too young to settle down. I keep myself out of that kind of trouble with a list.” He counted on his fingers. “Good looks, intelligence, personality, talent, and money. If and when I find a woman who has all of that, I’ll stop looking.”

  JR stared back at Chris for a long time. The dude was clueless. Did he really not realize how much trouble he was already in with Sara? “Whatever you say,” he said, grabbing a handful of pretzels.

  Chris pushed away from the bar. “Call of nature,” he explained.

  JR waited until Chris was well out of earshot. “Keith, did you happen to notice how affected Mr. No One Woman Alex was after lip locking with the infamous Sara Daniels?”

  “Yeah, who didn’t? Actually, I wouldn’t mind having a piece of that myself,” Keith said drolly. “But I get the distinct impression Sara is the type of woman who calls all the shots.”

  “I agree. I’ve never met a more arrogant pair. They deserve one another. What do you think would happen if Chris thought Sara secretly had the hots for him or vice versa?”

  “I don’t know, sounds very high school musical-ish. What are you getting at?” Keith asked suspiciously.

  “Shh,” JR warned. “He’s coming back, just play along.” In a loud, exaggerated voice, JR said, “Hey Keith, Sam just sent me this odd text. Really makes no sense, especially after the way Sara acted after that kiss…but Sam insists Sara’s got it bad for Chris. She said Sara’s just afraid that if Chris knew, he’d turn her down flat.”

  “Too bad. Too bad,” Keith hammed. “Sara’s probably right, though. Chris isn’t the type of guy to settle down with one girl. He has that list and all. Better if she just puts it out of her mind and moves on to someone else. Me for instance.”

  “Oh, hey!” he said as Chris approached the bar. JR cleared his throat, feigning guilt, conspicuously tucking his cell in his pocket. “You ok, Chris? You look kinda funny.”

  He’d taken the bait.

  THE NEXT MORNING, the sisters’ breakfast was interrupted by the doorbell buzzing.

  “I’ll get it,” Sam said, shuffling down the hall in her fuzzy Dallas Stars slippers and robe.

  Sara heard her exclaim, “Oh my goodness!” She peeked around the corner as three bell hops filed into the apartment each with a humungous lavender rose arrangement obscuring his face.

  “Who do you think they’re from?”

  “I can’t imagine,” Sara replied drily. “Why don’t you read the card?”

  Sam plucked it out of the closest bouquet as Sara directed the guys where to place the flowers.

  After closing the door behind them, Sam floated back to the breakfast table. The dopey expression on Sam’s face and the splashes of color on her cheeks only confirmed the obvious. She snatched the note out of Sam’s hands and read it out loud. “Sam, looking forward to our date tonight. To being alone with you. Love, JR.” Sara glanced up. “He’s a romantic. I’ll give him that.”

  Just then the instantly recognizable fiddle strains of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” emanated from Sara’s cell. “Speaking of Lucifer, why is he calling me?” she muttered.

  Sam frowned at her sister’s choice of a ringtone, as well as the comparison.

  “Hey, JR…Ah, ok… That’s fine, I guess. Just one thing, though. I’m warning you. You’d better not hurt her.”

  Sam closed her eyes in embarrassment and pulled on Sara’s arm. “Please don’t.”

  Sara shrugged her away and continued with her conversation. “Yeah, uh-huh… Good… Just so we’re on the same page. She’s not like those trashy girls you usually hang out with… Ok. Will do. Bye.”

  “Why did he call you?”

  “It’s a surprise, a very cool one. You’ll definitely like it. He’s picking you up at five. He said to dress up for dinner. I have to pack you some different clothes for later.”

  “What?” Sam giggled nervously. “Don’t hold out on me, Sara Jo. Come on, tell me.”

  “No way, chica.” Sara patted her on the shoulder and poured more cereal. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  JR ARRIVED PROMPTLY at five.

  “You clean up nice,” Sara commented.

  JR had styled his long bangs to the side so they were out of his eyes, and he wore a button-down white dress shirt and thin black tie with black jeans and boots. He shifted his weight back and forth, obviously uneasy in her company.

  “She’ll be right out,” Sara informed him. On cue, the back bedroom door popped open.

  Sam emerged into the foyer, wearing a lavender silk slip-like dress with matching heels, and her curls tied back from her face with a matching ribbon.


  JR whistled. “You look beautiful.”

  “You guys behave,” Sara admonished before throwing her hand up in the air. “Oh wait just a minute.” She disappeared around the corner, returning a moment later to hand him the bag of clothes. “Treat her right, JR.”

  He took the bag. “Absolutely, Sara. I’ll have her back around midnight.”

  Inside the elevator, Sam smiled shyly. “Thanks for the roses, John. They’re my favorite color.”

  He gave her a cocky half grin. “John?”

  “It suits you. Doesn’t anyone ever call you that?”

  “No. Not since I was eight.” He shook his head, reaching over and impulsively twining one of her curls around his finger. Their eyes met, both intense with heat. They leaned toward one another just as the elevator doors opened and a crowd of people entered, ruining the moment. Sam buried her flushed face in JR’s shoulder.

  In the lobby, JR took her hand and escorted her to the front circle where his black Corvette was parked. Sam settled comfortably into the supple leather of the passenger seat, no longer intimidated by the luxurious sports car after riding back and forth with him to work all week. “Where are we going?” she asked. “And what’s the deal with the change of clothes?”

  JR chuckled. “Gotham Steakhouse for dinner. You said you haven’t had any decent beef since you left Texas. The rest will remain a surprise. You’ll like it. I promise.”

  “That’s exactly what Sara said,” she pouted.

  Leaving the keys with the valet at the restaurant, they descended a short row of stairs down into the basement of a brownstone. Dark wood floors and furnishings, antique fixtures, and a dark red color scheme dominated the five star restaurant. Sam enjoyed the art deco ambiance as the maître d escorted them to a secluded candle lit table in the back.

  They fell into easy conversation during the meal. Soon the topic turned to sports. Belying her girly demure appearance, JR had discovered earlier in the week that Sam was a rabid hockey fan.

  “The Stars are going all the way this year,” Sam boasted.

  “We’ll see. My money, what’s left of it after your sister cleaned me out last night, is on the Canucks.”

  “By the way, only for you,” she touched his arm, “would I go out tonight. The Stars are playing the Canucks in about an hour, you know.”

  JR stared down at her hand on his arm for a moment. When he raised his eyes his gaze was full of heated promise. “Yeah, about that.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out an envelope, and slid it across the table to her.

  “What’s this?” she asked, opening the envelope. She looked up, eyes wide, and squealed, “Oh my gosh! These are for tonight’s game!”

  A couple at the table next to them glanced their way.

  “Sorry, sorry,” she apologized, waving the tickets up in the air and scooting into his side of the booth. She launched herself at JR who happily caught her. “Thank you,” she whispered, kissing his whiskered cheek.

  “I thought you’d like them.” JR’s green eyes twinkled. “Black Cat has a couple of season tickets on the glass. I managed to talk Mary out of them.”

  “Wow. This is so cool.” She looked down at her dress and then back at him as understanding dawned. “The change of clothes?”

  “I left them in the car. You can swap at the stadium.”

  SAM CHANGED INTO her number twenty-nine Stars sweater and jeans in the VIP lounge. When she came out, JR was waiting, already having donned a generic Canuck’s t-shirt and jeans. Sam’s breath caught as he leaned in close, gaze locked with hers, and reached out to slowly undo the lavender ribbon that had been holding back her hair.

  “Doesn’t really go with your new ensemble.” He touched her nose and grinned. “You’re so cute. Hopefully that will be enough to keep you out of trouble. We’re sitting behind the Canuck bench after all.”

  Sam’s smile was huge as they took their seats.

  “Big Steve Ott fan?” JR asked.

  “Oh yeah, he’s my favorite player. Left wing, shoots left, six feet, one hundred ninety pounds.”

  JR laughed. “He’s an agitator. A real pest by all accounts.”

  “Reputations aren’t always what they’re made out to be though,” she remarked with a wry look and rose to her feet as the announcer started the player introductions.

  By the third period, JR began to worry they might not make it out of Roger’s Arena alive. Sam was a vocal fan, and it had been a tense game. Currently it was knotted at three apiece. The Stars were on the power play with less than a minute left in regulation. As the puck was dropped in the Canuck zone, she stood up again, yelling, “Put it in the net, Otter!”

  A big guy with blue and white face paint directly behind them hissed, “Get your girlfriend to sit down man.”

  JR stood and whispered in Sam’s ear, “The natives are getting a little restless. Probably better tone it down a bit.” Just then the stadium cam captured an image of the two of them and put it up on the screen. JR moaned, hoping their picture wasn’t going to be on the television broadcast, too.

  Samantha covered her red face in her hands and sat back down.

  “Don’t be embarrassed.” JR threaded his fingers with hers, and kissed her knuckles. “You are adorable.” Sam shivered, forgetting all about them being on camera and the game. But then the crowd jumped to their feet roaring and drew her attention back to the ice. Canucks forward had intercepted a pass and was taking the puck the entire length of the ice. She held her breath as he shot and scored the shorthanded goal. Her shoulders sank as the final buzzer rang and the Canuck fans began celebrating.

  “We’re lucky the Canucks won,” JR shouted, grabbing her hand. “We’d better get out of here while we still can in one piece.”

  “I DIDN’T PLAN this very well,” JR groaned.

  “What do you mean?” Sam asked, placing her hand on his arm as they pulled into the hotel. “I had a great time.”

  He gazed at the crowd clogging the front entrance of the hotel, and then looked back at her, tracing a finger down her cheek while he stared at her lips. “I was hoping for a little more privacy.”

  Her cheeks flushed. Me, too, she thought and was quiet for a moment. “Can you come inside for a minute?” she asked with a shy smile. “I want to show you something.”

  JR turned the keys over to the valet and followed Sam inside. He was edgy having waited all week just to kiss her. With any other girl he would already have been way beyond that, but Sam was different. He was grudgingly grateful for the overprotective sister standing in the way, forcing them to take things slowly. Being together platonically had given him a chance to get to know Sam as a person. And the more he learned about this woman, the more he liked. She was beautiful, sure, but dedicated and smart, and sexy as hell, too, especially when she teased him.

  When she led him to the indoor pool entrance and swiped her room card, he raised a questioning brow. “Are we going swimming?”

  She laughed and the infectious sound coupled with the sight of her loose curls cascading around her shoulders so captivated him that he almost forgot to breathe. He stopped and stared. She gave him a funny look and tugged insistently on his hand, leading him through the humid indoor pool area and out onto the chilly patio. The area was intimately small, probably only big enough for a small garden party of twenty or so and softly illuminated with little white Christmas lights strung up in the trees.

  “Beautiful,” he whispered.

  “Yeah, I like it out here. Especially at night.” She turned to find him standing right behind her.

  “I wasn’t talking about the patio.” He drew her slowly near.

  Sam smiled, resting her hands lightly on his biceps. She peered up at him from beneath her lashes. Emboldened by the way he was looking at her she reached up and tangled her fingers into his hair.

  He turned toward her touch and moaned. “That feels real good, love.” His gaze flicked to her lips and then back to her eyes. “Come closer, Samantha Daniels. I w
ant to show you something.”

  “What?” she managed before he leaned down and pressed his lips gently to hers. The contrast between the rough texture of his close clipped beard and the smoothness of his warm lips was deliciously exciting. When he began to move his mouth softly but insistently against hers, desire surged like a shock wave that reverberated through her entire body.

  “Wow,” JR breathed across her lips, pulling back out of the kiss and leaning his forehead against hers.

  “Show me more,” she requested breathlessly,

  “Gladly,” JR responded without hesitation, his voice deep with passion. “The first was just an appetizer. This is the main course.” His hands tightened on her shoulders, and he brought her forward, crushing her body to his. Their lips came together in a heated rush. Urgently, he moved his mouth against hers with just enough pressure to show her that he was very much in control and not to be denied. She began to tremble and her lips parted willingly. His tongue entered and slid with tantalizing softness across hers.

  JR began exploring her mouth in an addictive rhythm of gentle strokes, short, long, short, that made her weak in the knees. When he withdrew, she clung to his arms for support.

  Watching her with heavy lidded eyes, JR lips curved up seductively. He ran a finger down her smooth cheek.

  “I’ve never been kissed like that,” she sighed.

  “Drummers beat ‘em all, baby.”

  AS SAM APPLIED lipstick at the bathroom mirror the next afternoon, Sara hovered behind her wearing a worried frown.

  “Be careful,” Sara warned, placing her hands on Sam’s shoulders. “Promise me you’ll take it slow with him. Remember JR’s a guy who’s been around the block a time or two, ok?”

  Sam met her sister’s somber gaze in the reflective surface and nodded. She didn’t need to be reminded that she was the rookie and he the seasoned veteran. That was a thought that had kept her up late into the night after he dropped her off.