by Faith Starr
Male voices arguing woke me.
What the fuck?
I dragged my tired ass out of bed and shifted my balls under my boxers before heading into the main area to check out what the ruckus was all about. I squinted, my eyes adjusting to the bright light.
Logan and Joey were going at it, standing face-to-face, gesturing animatedly. Teva sat quietly on the couch. She had her jaw set tight, and her brows drawn together. I understood the feeling. I myself was perturbed these two dickwads had woken me from a deep sleep.
I scoped the scene, Dani not part of it. At least I could take one positive from the situation sprawled out in front of me. I had a feeling things were going to be somewhat awkward between the two of us, even though in all actuality, I had nothing to feel guilty about. So why, then, did I feel so full of the emotion?
“What the hell is going on out here?”
Joey and Logan obviously hadn’t noticed my entrance. They continued to scream at each other without listening to what the other person had to say.
Joey glared at me, pointing his finger at Logan. “This jackass brought two skanks onto the bus and fucked them on my and Teva’s bed!”
My lips formed an O. Guess he had fucked the twosome after all.
Logan had dug himself into a deep hole, one I couldn’t picture him crawling out of anytime soon, if at all.
Teva scrunched her face in response to Joey’s comment, disgust written all over it. I didn’t blame her. It was a good thing she didn’t know she currently sat on the same couch I had fucked my own skank on several hours prior. But that would remain my and Dani’s little secret. I had no doubt Dani would keep her mouth shut about our unexpected run-in earlier on the bus. Call it intuition.
“You’re lucky Trevor and I agreed to let you sleep in the bedroom.” Logan now pointed his finger at Joey.
I got in between them to prevent a possible fistfight.
“What’s the difference if you and Teva fuck on the bed or I fuck someone on it? It’s a bed, that’s what they’re made for!”
Wow. Logan was trying to use whatever ammunition he could to strengthen his position. I wanted to tell the guy it was a losing battle. I refrained.
With my hand, I warned Joey to take a deep breath and cool himself down. He knew as well as I did Logan talked shit sometimes.
“Don’t you ever compare Teva to one of your fucking whores again! Are we clear about that?” Joey’s nostrils flared.
Now I made contact, my hand tensing against his chest, his pecs bulging. I literally used all my body weight to hold him back.
“If I ever find out you did something like this again, you won’t have hands to play your fucking guitar with.” Joey stormed over to the couch. He motioned for Teva to join him. Poor girl had mortification written all over her. “Come on, baby. Let’s go change the sheets, so we can go to bed.”
She didn’t say a word. She followed his lead to the back of the bus.
I waited until they were out of earshot. “What the fuck were you thinking, man?”
“What was there to think about? I had two hot little numbers who wanted to have some fun. My small bunk didn’t have enough room for the three of us. The room in back did.”
Using my hand, I gestured for him to quiet down but I made my disappointment known in my expression.
“Who the fuck are you to judge me? You don’t think I saw you hit the road with their friend?”
So he had noticed my swift vanishing act after all.
“Point well made.”
A proud smile spread across his face. “They were game for any and everything too.”
Again, I made my displeasure evident. Logan jumped at every opportunity to use his celebrity status to his advantage. But he spoke the truth. I had no right to judge, since I used the same tricks of the trade he did.
“Everything was going fine and dandy until Teva walked in on us.”
My jaw fell open. “You’re shitting me. Teva’s the one who found you in there?” What a painful image.
His discontent now matched mine.
“Yeah. She bolted as soon as she saw us. Once she left the bus, I got the girls off as fast as I could—and not in the preferred method I had wanted to, if you get my drift.”
I mentally tried to piece together the time frame of all this. It had to have occurred prior to me bringing my own groupie to the bus. Unless I had slept through all the action. I had no idea, but it didn’t matter. The less I knew about this situation, the better.
“At least Teva waited until we were back on the bus to let Joey know about it. She saved us from having a scene at the after party.”
“Even still, dude, that’s pretty slimy.”
“And you fucking their friend wasn’t?”
Fuck him. At least I didn’t screw my girl in someone else’s bed. Either way, it didn’t matter because I had no intention of getting into this with him. I had my own shit to deal with, mainly my remorse about Dani catching me with another woman.
“Good night, Logan.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He brushed me off and went to the minibar to fix himself a drink.
So much fucking drama.
I split for the bunks and my bed, my heart pounding harder because I couldn’t stop thinking about my earlier run-in with Dani. It kept replaying on a continuous loop in my mind.
Whatever.
I didn’t have to explain myself to anyone. That was the beautiful part about being single.
Then why do I feel so shitty inside?
I strolled past my bunk, my bladder sending me an urgent memo.
Shit! The frickin’ knob on the bathroom door was locked. I really had to take a leak too.
Impatiently, I tapped my foot in the hall.
The lock released, which tempted me to bust through the door so I could get to the toilet. Who else but Dani opened the door and stepped out.
Fuck!
Other Titles by Faith Starr
Faith Starr’s books are all standalones but are
best read in sequence
The HILLTOPS Series
Destiny
Purity
Diversity
The MUSIC FOR THE HEART Series
Steam
Hold Me
Promise to Fulfill
Risk Worth Taking
On The Fence
Remember Me
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Thanks so much!
Faith
About Faith Starr
When I’m not managing my husband’s medical practice or handling things for one of my three kids—both of which take up an enormous amount of my time—I escape to the confines of my home office to write romance fiction, my passion.
For me, there is absolutely nothing like creating fictional characters, getting into their minds, and giving them a life of their own with all the emotions that go along with it. I am swept away, head over heels in love, with each and every alpha male I create and the confident women who steal their hearts. These characters have become a part of me that will live on forever.
Being a romantic at heart, with a bit of a dirty mind, I relish in creating believable stories that touch upon readers’ heartstrings, provoke thought, and hopefully provide a bit of insight into some heavy topics.
Being married
for over twenty-two years—holy cow, how time flies—I am a firm believer in the concept of “Once Upon a Time” and “Happily Ever After” because I have found mine. Aww, I know, so mushy. But that’s me in a nutshell, a softie with a big heart, just like my characters! A bit of a nut too.
Acknowledgment
Joey and Teva were beyond a joy to create. I adore rock romances! With that being said, I wouldn’t have been able to get their story from idea, to script, to publication without the support of some special and important people who assisted me during the process.
Ann Curtis who gave me the chance of a lifetime. Please know you are appreciated every day. I am eternally grateful. Second chances can make huge differences in people’s lives. Know that you made a humongous one in mine. Your edits, as crazy as they made me, helped the script become more cohesive. Thank you for your honest feedback and especially, your patience.
Rebecca Fairfax. What can I say to someone I both love and hate at the same time? I say that with love in my heart. Thank you for pushing me to my limits with all your nit-picking. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with you.
Kelly Ann Martin for creating covers that rock, no pun intended. You are truly talented in your craft. Thank you for bringing Joey to life with your beautiful cover art and for being so enthusiastic during the entire process.
Glow for your enthusiasm to continue reading my initial drafts, your encouragement, your friendship, and most of all, your trust. I appreciate all the time and effort you put into reading my scripts. You’re amazing. And yes, I’ll keep printing out the drafts for you to critique!
The wonderful bloggers who give me their time and read my stories. I am truly grateful.
Twenty One Pilots for inspiring me to go behind the scenes of a rock band and create love stories between the band mates and the heroines who steal their hearts. I will always be a fan. Your lyrics have pulled me through many ups and downs. “Kitchen Sink” and “Before You Start Your Day”—thanks to my teenage daughter who played them incessantly—will forever remain in my heart and inspire me.
My mom for always believing in me and encouraging me to trudge along even when I complain how exhausted and burned-out I am. And for promoting my books to everyone you meet even though I won’t let you read them. You have been, are, and always will be my biggest fan. I love you.
My dad, who may no longer be with me physically but who I know is watching over me, for encouraging me to continue following my dream.
My three beautiful children for being patient, encouraging me to never give up and chase the dream, supportive, understanding of my endless hours sitting in front of my computer, and accepting (hopefully) my particular genre of writing. I love you all. You inspire me in ways you’ll never know.
My loving husband for being patient, considerate, and understanding of all the tireless hours spent in front of my computer. Thank you for giving me the space I need to let my creativity shine, for being a constant sounding board, and for providing wonderful ideas, insight, and feedback before, during, and after the writing process. Your input is fantastic and greatly appreciated. But most of all, thank you for affirming my belief that true love exists. You reinforce that belief every day (almost every day). I love you with all my heart.
My higher power for giving me the inner strength to persevere even when I want to throw in the towel and give up; you are my eternal guiding light. I am forever grateful for your wisdom and guidance.
Hold Me Playlist
Scorpions Gold Ballads
Scorpions Greatest Hits
Roxette The Ballads Hits 2002
Roxette Greatest Hits
The Police Greatest Hits
Sting Greatest Hits
The Cars Cars/Candy-O
Air Supply Greatest Hits
Phil Collins Greatest Hits
Tears For Fears The Hurting
Twenty One Pilots Vessel, Twenty One Pilots
Help Information
Sexual and Physical Abuse is a serious crime and not to be taken lightly. If you or someone you know is suffering from some form of abuse, there is help.
Please visit the RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) website. RAINN is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. It carries out programs to prevent sexual violence, helps survivors, and ensures that perpetrators are brought to justice.
800.656.HOPE
www.rainn.org
Or call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). They have advocates available 24/7 in more than 200 languages. All calls are free and confidential.
Suicide Prevention
The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, to provide free and confidential support to those in suicidal crisis/emotional distress in the U.S. Please call 1-800-273-8255 if you or someone you know is in need of assistance. Help is available.
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.com