Chapter 2
Chapter Two
Luc
Rockstar
Nickelback
“I’m out.” I toss my cards on the table and shove my chair back as I stand up. It’s only a little after two in the morning, but I’m shattered and ready for bed.
“Oh, come on you fucking pussy, play a few more hands.”
My brother, always a goddamn delight to deal with after he’s had half a bottle of tequila. “Piss off, Mikey. I said I’m out.”
“Why you always gotta be such a little bitch? Do a few more lines if you’re tired.” He continues to pester me as I stride toward the doorway.
“There’s a whole casino downstairs. Why don’t you just go down there if you still want to play?”
“And have every single woman crawling all over me the minute they realize who I am?” He sneers back at me. “Not fucking interested.”
“Perils of being a Rockstar, I guess,” shrugging. “Night, asshole.” I toss over my shoulder as I stay my course, heading for the stairs, taking them two at a time when I reach them. We’ve been on tour for three months, with another one to go, and I’m so over this shit.
A different city every three nights, which means a party for every one of those. My liver is fucking shot. I don’t even want to think about what the drugs are doing to my brain. We’ve got our last show in this city tomorrow, and I just want, no, need, a good night’s rest.
Chad Kroeger knew what the hell he was talking about when he said life hadn’t turned out quite the way he wanted it to.
Sure, I love being up on stage. Love performing and the rush I get.
The perks of being famous are out of this world.
But they come at a price. Peace seemingly one of them.
I haven’t felt it in a really long time.
I blow out a heavy sigh as I reach my room, grateful I have somewhere quiet to escape to. I turn the knob and push the door open, halting when I realize someone’s lying on top of the bed.
I glance down the hall and count doors, confirming I am in fact in the correct room. Fuck me. The last thing I want to deal with right now is a crazy fan.
I take a few more steps into the room, ready to toss whomever this is out on their ass, but stop in my tracks again. A strip of moonlight illuminates her face, and I realize it’s the chick that was hanging out with Dean earlier.
The one with the face of an angel, and whose small waist I had my hands around. What in the hell is she doing in here? In my room? She certainly didn’t seem too interested in anything I had to offer earlier. Although, I was being a bit of an asshole.
I step closer and kneel down beside the bed to get a closer look. Her hands are in a prayer pose, tucked under her cheek. Cheeks that have a natural spattering of freckles, not the fake, press-on ones all the chicks have been wearing lately.
Her lips, the bottom one puffier than the top, are parted slightly - warm, steady breaths whispering through them at regular intervals. Her long, blonde hair flows out behind her in waves on the pillow.
She’s a petite thing. I angle my head as I take in the rest of her, scanning her from head to toe.
She’s wearing a short white tank top that exposes most of her toned midriff.
A little red skirt sits low on her hips, barely covering her ass.
What I think are white panties are peeking out from the bottom of said skirt, and it fucking takes everything in me not to lift the hem to verify.
I chuff out a quiet snort when I reach her feet. They’re clad in white bobby socks, with curly lace edging and all, under a pair of red chucks. Fucking adorable.
She looks so serene. I hate to wake her, but I want to go to sleep, and I want it to be in my own damn bed. I grip her shoulder to give it a gentle shake. She doesn’t respond, so I try again, this time shaking a bit harder.
Her eyes flutter open, widening when they come into focus, a frown pulling down her mouth. “What are you doing here?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing, Kitten.” I arch a brow as I rise to my full height and peer down at her.
She shifts to a sitting position, her fingers clutching at the hem of her skirt as she tries to shove it lower. All she succeeds in doing is exposing more skin below her belly button, and I’m not complaining about that one bit.
“I- I’m waiting.” She manages to stutter as she presses herself back against the padded headboard, I think in an attempt to put more distance between us.
“Decided you wanted to play after all?” I smirk as I lean over her, placing a hand on either side of her head, bringing my face level with hers. I am tired, but I’m willing to put off a few hours of sleep if it means seeing her naked.
“What?” Her brow scrunches as she shakes her head almost violently. “No!” Her head jerks back until it slams into the padding. “I’m not waiting for you. I’m waiting for my friend.”
“As you lay in my bed?” I trace my tongue over my lips as I stare at hers.
“Stop looking at me like that!” She demands as a scowl decorates her face, her cheeks flushing under my gaze.
“You’re the one that seems to be everywhere I am tonight.” I remind her as I incline a fraction closer, her scent invading my senses. Light and floral, with an undertone of fear peppered in. My favorite.
“Can you please stop?” Her plea barely above a whisper as her eyes dart back and forth from my eyes to my lips. “You’re scaring me.”
I lock my gaze with hers, absorbing how icy blue her irises are, momentarily losing myself in them until a second plea brings me back to my senses.
“Please.” Her dainty hand presses flat against my chest in an attempt to push some space between us.
I huff, then straighten my frame, releasing the headboard as I do, my voice hardening. “So, not waiting for me?”
“I don’t even know who you are.” She tosses out, wounding my ego a tad.
“Well, you are in my room, in my bed. Don’t you think you should learn who someone is before you lay in wait for them?”
“Cocky much?” She retorts, sitting up straighter before she continues. “This room was empty. I thought it would be okay to wait here for my friend. I didn’t know it was yours.”
“Uh-huh.” I nod. “If I had a nickel for every time I heard that one.”
Her scowl deepens as she shifts onto her knees. “Listen, I don’t know why you think I’d be up here waiting for you. I don’t even know your name. My friend is hanging out with Dean. I’m waiting for her. That’s it. Nothing else.”
“So, the fact that I’m the lead singer of one of the biggest rock bands in the world has nothing to do with you being in my bed?”
Her eyes practically roll into the back of her head as she snickers. “You really are full of yourself, aren’t you?”
“It’s a fact.” I shrug, widening my stance. “And you shouldn’t play with fire if you don’t want to get burned.”
She huffs out a breath as she crosses her arms, not realizing what it does to her tits. That’s how little she heeds my warning.
“Here’s a fact for you, I don’t even know who your band was before tonight. I am not a fan.” She uses her fingers to create air quotes as she exaggerates the word fan. “I only went to the concert because my best friend begged me. And you don’t let your best friend down in their time of need.”
“And what she needed was to get laid by Dean?”
“I guess.” She squeaks out meekly.
“And what you needed was a place to hide out while she did?” I state her now obvious situation.
“I guess.” She repeats, then reiterates in a soft voice. “I really didn’t know this was anyone’s room.”
“I believe you.” I concede, shoving my hand into my back pocket to grab my phone. “Let me text Dean and see what’s what.”
“Thank you.” Her body relaxes as she leans her backside against her heels. “I appreciate it. Bri isn’t answering any of mine.”
I type out a quick message to Dean asking him if Bri is still with him and send it. “Well, let’s see if Dean answers mine.” I hold the phone up so she can see the message I sent.
“Okay.” She replies timidly. “Thanks.”
“So let me get this straight,” I sit on the edge of the bed. “You don’t like rock music, or you don’t like our music?”
“You mean your band’s?” She clarifies, her legs curling under her as she adjusts her position. “Devil’s Halo, right?”
I throw my head back and bark out a hard laugh. “Yeah. That would be my band.”
“Honestly, I’d never listened to you before your concert tonight.” She fiddles with a loose string on the bedding as she continues. “I mean, I guess it was okay.” Her eyes dart up to meet mine. “It’s just not my type of music.”
“And what, pray tell, is? For the love of all things sacred, please don’t say EDM.”
“Club music?” Her nose scrunches. “Ew. No.”
“Tell me.” I press her for an answer.
“You’re just going to make fun of me, so I really don’t know what the point is.” She volleys back.
“I want to know. I’m genuinely curious.” I tilt my head in apprehension.
Her cheeks flush a light pink, her eyes shifting behind me in an attempt to avoid contact. “Country. I’m a country music fan to the core.”
I stare at her, assessing her in a new light. She’s totally not the groupie I thought she was, that’s for sure. I shrug. “Country isn’t so bad. Better than fucking techno.”
My phone buzzes on the bed next to me and I read the incoming text out loud, regretting it immediately. “Need at least another hour with this delicious pussy.” I cringe. “Sorry, should have read that to myself before I shared.”
“It’s fine.” She slaps a hand over her face. “I-” She pauses then gives a small shake of her head. “It’s what I signed up for with Bri.”
“Guess that leaves us with a slight problem.” I muse out loud as I push myself up off the bed to stand.
“Oh! This is your room. I should leave.” She puts two and two together, scooting off the bed to stand on the opposite side of me.
“Unless you want to stay?” I grin wickedly taking one more shot at getting her clothes off.
“You don’t give up, do you?” Sarcastic laughter following.
“Can’t blame a guy for trying.” I cock my head towards her. “You’re pretty fucking gorgeous.”
“And if I had a nickel every time you’ve probably used that line on a girl.” She scoffs, rebuffing my compliment.
I’m not going to bother trying to convince her. I get it. Why would she believe me? I’m a fucking rock star who can have my pick of any women I want on any given night. And this isn’t me being a smug, cocky bastard – it’s just a fact.
She knows this and trying to change her opinion of me would be wasted breath. Instead, I shrug. “It’s true. Believe me, or don’t.”
She shifts from one foot to another, her gaze darting around before finding mine. “So, um, is there somewhere that I can wait? Where I won’t be in the way?”
She looks so damn innocent, and nice, and so unlike all the other girls who’ve found their way into my room.
I realize I don’t want her to leave. Even if it’s not to share the bed with me.
She’s piqued my curiosity. Not only that, if she goes downstairs and Mikey finds her, he’s definitely going to try and sink his claws into her.