The Stage

by Jenna Galicki

  Cam clicked on the TV and called the dog up on the bed. She walked in a circle a few times, and then fell to the mattress in a crescent-shaped pile of black fur. Free time was rare, so this stop in Vegas was a nice change, even though it was just a week-long party. This was a moment of calm in Brandon’s chaotic life. It was peaceful bliss with the man he loved and his dog.

  Bulletproof was taking the stage in a matter of minutes and Brandon could hear Felix calling him. He ignored his manager and remained focused on himself in the mirror. He checked his eyeliner, pulled on the cuffs of his fingerless gloves and shook out his long hair so it was wild and unkept. One more sip of his Throat Coat tea and he was ready.

  There was a knock, and Cam’s voice filtered through the bathroom door. “You alright in there?”

  “Just making sure I look OK.”

  Cam leered at him with a provocative smile when he opened the door. “There’s my rock star.”

  Felix’s voice bellowed from the front of the tour bus. “Let’s go, Brandon! You’re on in ten!” He motioned to the rest of the guys, who were still sitting on the couch. “Everybody up!”

  “Leave the guy alone,” Derek said in Brandon’s defense. “Maybe he was taking a shit. He’s gotta get that outta the way before he lets out one of his animal cries on stage. Or there could be an accident.”

  Alan and Jeremy snickered and Cam chuckled, but Brandon kept a straight face. “Thank you, Derek. When nature calls, I have to answer.”

  “Ha-ha. Very funny.” Felix rolled his eyes and waved everyone out of the bus.

  As they walked toward the stage, shouts from the audience grew louder. Brandon’s chest inflated with each step, and his smile grew wider as he neared.

  Felix was giving his usual pre-show pep talk, filled with advice about having fun on stage and not holding anything back, along with the repetitious warning not to stage dive, which Brandon already knew he was going to disregard.

  Brandon waited for the curtain to drop with his heart pounding. These last few seconds before the band took the stage made him feel like he was about to jump out of his skin. He clapped his hand on the back of Cam’s neck and delivered a rough kiss that was hot enough to last him the next 90 minutes.

  “Knock ‘em dead, rock star.”

  The lights went down, the curtain fell, and the crowd roared. Bulletproof took the stage, opening with the title track to their latest album, Full Metal Jacket. Brandon screamed the hardcore lyrics into the mic as mortars exploded around him. Fire pulsed on both ends of the stage, illuminating the faces in the crowd. It was already pandemonium. A conveyor belt of hands carried crowd surfers to the front of the arena, and cups of beer flew through the air.

  Brandon glanced at Cam, standing at the side of the stage, bobbing his head and singing along to the music. Alan’s double bass boomed in Brandon’s chest. Derek and Jeremy were back to back, rocking guitar and bass.

  Brandon lifted his chin to the ceiling and let out his signature war cry. This is where it all happened. This is where memories were made and moments were shared between friends and strangers. This is where careers began and ended and where collaborations between musicians were spawned. It’s where inhibitions were set free and rules were broken. It transformed an ordinary person into a rock star. It was the stage, and there was nothing else like it in the world.

  The End . . . for now . . .

  because it’s never really the end.

  Other Books by the Author

  If you’d like to read more about Angel, Tommy, and Jessi, and the gang from Immortal Angel, please pick up the Radical Rock Stars Series on Amazon, available on Kindle Unlimited:

  The Prince of Punk Rock (Book 1 – a 2015 Bisexual Book Awards Finalist) http://amzn.to/MG7R3u

  Between A Rock and A Hard Place (Book 2)

  http://bit.ly/amazonBRHP

  Punk Rock Resurrection (Book 3)

  http://bit.ly/PunkRockResurection

  Rock Star Redemption (Book 4):

  http://bit.ly/rockstarredemption

  Punk Rock-A-Bye Baby (Book 5):

  http://bit.ly/punkrockabyebaby

  Also available as a box set on all ebook platforms.

  Look for Lucas, Tessa, and Mason’s story in 2019 – Radical Rock Stars Next Generation.

  If you’d like to read more about Brandon and Cam (and Brandy the black lab) and the guys from Bulletproof, please pick up the Bulletproof Series on Amazon, available on Kindle Unlimited:

  The Undercover Rock Star (Book 1 – a novella, see how Brandon & Cam met!) Also on audio:

  http://amzn.to/1LlcCN8

  Branded (Book 2) http://bit.ly/Bulletproof2

  Bassist with Benefits (Book 3) http://bit.ly/BWBam

  BULLETPROOF (Book 4) http://bit.ly/BproofAM

  Sample – The Prince of Punk Rock (Radical Rock Stars Book 1)

  “Let’s just get one thing straight, if it gets weird for either of us, we stop. We throw this guy out of our bed. No questions asked. No explanations. Agreed?”

  Jessi nodded, eagerly. “Agreed.”

  That’s how it all started, two hours ago.

  Tommy Blade hadn’t been with a man in a long time – too long – not since he met Jessi, over a year ago. He never thought he would confess his secret desires to anyone, but Jessi wasn’t just anyone. It didn’t matter that the hard muscles of a man’s body made his mouth water, or that the scent of a slightly sweaty man made him dizzy with excitement, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Jessi.

  He still struggled with the truth. He still couldn’t find the courage to say the words out loud, but Jessi knew. She always knew what was going on in his head. They often shared silent gazes that transcended the spoken word. It was a connection that few people shared.

  Tommy was forced to trust Jessi or else he risked losing her. He was determined to make her his wife, even if it meant letting her see a side of him that he swore he would never let anyone see. It was a side he kept tucked away, hidden from the world, brought to life only during the brief encounters with the men he surrendered to in the bedroom.

  When Tommy met Jessi, he tried to forget about his obsession, but the broad chest of a handsome man always turned his head and made his insides yearn for physical contact. The soft stubble against his cheek, the force behind a man’s kiss and the strength of a man’s hand on his body, were all things that sent his heart racing. Exercising restraint was tough, but Tommy never acted on his desires. Not since he met Jessi. Not until tonight.

  The threesome was Jessi’s idea. She simply presented it as a viable solution for the both of them to find sexual fulfillment, and let the scenario fester in his head. At first, he opposed the idea, but the scenario quickly ballooned into a full-length erotic fantasy that he couldn’t suppress.

  He went to a gay bar, two towns away. It was the same pick up joint he frequented before he met Jessi. Its discreet location provided camouflage and anonymity. From the outside it looked like an unoccupied building. The windows were blackened out. There was no name displayed on the establishment to introduce itself to the world. If the place had a name, it was never spoken. It was an underground club and invitation was strictly by word of mouth.

  The faces changed since the last time he was there, but the intention was still the same. It wasn’t a place to socialize or partake in camaraderie or drop in for a drink on your way home. It was a meeting place for men interested in casual sex. The backroom served as a shanty for a quick encounter. You could stop in, get your rocks off and be on your way in half an hour. It was a smorgasbord of testosterone, a buffet of muscle and beefcake.

  Tommy got hard the minute he laid eyes on the place. He knew the secrets that transpired behind the façade of the ordinary-looking building. Men flocked around him as soon as he walked through the door. They always did. A guy once told him that it was the mixture of his rugged jaw and strong upper body, offset by the innocence of his big blue eyes that made him so attractive. The ladies always said it was hi
s long blond hair and the guitar.

  It didn’t take Tommy long to pick someone he wanted to bring home. Less than an hour later, the three of them were in his bedroom. He still couldn’t believe they really went through with it.

  Tommy never expected Jessi to get off watching him with another man . . . watching him get rammed in the ass by a total stranger . . . rammed so perfectly in the ass . . . rammed so deep that it felt like a cock was about to touch the back of his throat from the opposite end. But she did.

  Now that it was over, and they were alone, there was silence. He waited for Jessi to say something. Anything. Each muted second that passed made his cheeks flush hotter. When Jessi finally turned to look at him, she had a mischievous spark in her eye. She leaned closer to him, looked straight at him and said, “That was the hottest fuckin’ thing I ever did.”

  Available on Kindle Unlimited: http://amzn.to/MG7R3u

  Sample – The Undercover Rock Star (Bulletproof Book 1)

  Cam’s jaw fell open when he realized that Brandon was leading him to the doorstep of one of the grand villas. “This is where you’re staying?”

  “I prefer to maintain a low profile when we travel. I would have been happy with a suite on one of the top floors, but my friends are a little extravagant.” Brandon swiped his card in the slot, and they stepped inside.

  Cam inspected the open floor plan in awe. His eyes darted from the fireplace to the pool table, then drifted into the dining room and through the alcove that led to the kitchen. His gaze settled on the stairs that led to the second level before he turned to Brandon. “How the hell can you afford to stay in a place like this? Who the fuck are you?”

  “I’m just a guy who wants to get to know you better. Does it really matter why I can afford to stay in a villa with my friends?” Eventually he would tell Cam that he was a famous musician, but he wanted to live the fantasy of being just a regular guy a little longer. It had been years since he slept with someone who only thought of him as “Brandon Bullet, human being” and not “Brandon Bullet, rock star.”

  Brandon took two bottles of water from the mini fridge under the bar. “I have a feeling we’re going to be pretty thirsty in about an hour.”

  “An hour? That’s it?” Cam teased. “I would have thought Mr. Rich-and-Famous would give me a full night of never-ending passion.” He motioned to the expansive villa. “I thought you’d live up to your reputation.”

  Brandon’s smile waned, and his heart was suddenly heavy. He was hoping to hide from the pressure of notoriety, but even with his identity concealed, the shadow of wealth and fame held him in its realm. It was a bar that he was constantly trying to hurdle. While he contemplated his dual personalities with frustration, he found himself in Cam’s warm embrace.

  “I was kidding.” Cam’s voice was soothing and sincere. “I don’t care that you’re rich or who your friends are. I’m here because I want to be with you – Brandon Whatever-Your-Last-Name-Is.” Cam’s soft lips landed on Brandon’s mouth. “I love the mystery behind your identity, but promise me that before you leave this resort, you’ll tell me everything. I’d hate to spend the rest of my life wondering about you.”

  “I will. Just not right now. Right now, I want to do this.” Brandon kissed Cam with all the pent-up passion in his heart. One hand traveled over Cam’s strong shoulder and caressed the curve of Cam’s bicep, while the other hand slid around Cam’s taut waist, and his hand cupped one cheek of the finest ass in South America.

  Available on Kindle Unlimited: http://amzn.to/1LlcCN8

  Also Available on Audio! http://bit.ly/TURSaudio

  About the author:

  Jenna Galicki writes in multiple genres including mmf, mf, and mm. She loves music, Rottweilers, and meeting new people. A native New Yorker, she now calls Southern California home. When she’s not hunched over a computer, you can find her front row at a rock concert.

  Jenna loves to interact with readers and other authors and would love to hear from you!

  www.jennagalicki.com

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  www.facebook.com/jennagalicki.author1

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  http://bit.ly/AmazonJennaGalicki

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  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jenna-galicki

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