“Thank me for what, sweetheart.” I flexed my arm against her hand, and her eyes widened. She didn’t mind being called sweetheart. Maybe I should focus on her for the night. She was sure to be a good time.

“For being so . . . helpful with everything.”

I lifted my eyebrow. “Is that so?”

She nodded, biting her full lip. She was sexy, that was for sure. I wasn’t dead. Bending over, I put my lips near her ear. “I like being thanked. What did you have in mind?”

A crash came from across the room, making both of us jump. Natalie’s head swung to the noise. Bex was standing, her hands clenched next to her and the chair upturned behind her.

“Natalie,” she spat. “A word.”

Natalie looked confused but went immediately to Bex, who led her out of the living space and to the bedroom. The guys looked at me, shrugging their shoulders at what had just happened. I guessed that was my cue to go. Cal would kill me if I went with Natalie to her room. I had a lot of work to do before I could go home for the night.

“Nice meeting you guys. See you tomorrow,” I announced. They all waved, their mouths full of food. Natalie and Bex were still in the room, so I let myself out. She knew where to find me if she wanted to thank me.

I had just reached the elevator when I heard a door open down the hall. I looked to see who it was. It was Bex, making a beeline directly for me. Did she see me? I stepped back so she would have to go around me to get wherever she was going.

Right before she ran into me, she saw me. Fire shot through her hazel eyes. She was pissed. I forced my face to be passive. “Going somewhere?”

“Get out of my way,” she demanded, her jaw set. “I don’t have time for your bullshit.”

“Whoa.” I held out my arm and stopped her.

“Johnny.” Her voice was stirring thoughts and images in my head. “Let me pass. I’m going to my room.”

“Let me come with you.”

She laughed. “You’re something else. Weren’t you just propositioning my manager? And now you think I’m going to invite you into my room?”

“To be fair, she propositioned me.”

She waved her hand. “Whatever. I’m going to my room, and you’re going . . . wherever. Leave me alone.”

I stepped forward so she had no choice but to step back against the wall. “That was the fucking hottest performance I’ve ever seen. You’re a natural and deserve all the success you’ve had so far. I know you’re going to skyrocket from here.”

She eyed me but didn’t say a word. The air changed between us, and I suddenly felt light headed. She smelled like something exotic, and her eyes surrounded by the dark makeup were too hot for me not to be affected. Her eyes flitted to my lips and then back, and I knew she was full of shit. She wanted me.

“Bex,” I said, loving the way her name rolled off my tongue. I could imagine grunting it as I filled her tight pussy. Caging my arms against the wall, I leaned down. She looked up at me, the anger from her eyes gone.

Before I could think any further, I crashed my lips to hers. Groaning into her mouth, I feasted on her tongue, entwining it with mine in the hottest kiss I’d ever had. She responded, nibbling at my tongue and lips. I pressed my body against hers, instantly hard. Sorry Cal, I thought. I’m totally going to fuck this rock star.

Just when I was about to touch the skin I’d wanted to feel since I first saw her online, she stepped back and broke our kiss. Her face contorted and she smacked me across the face so hard I saw stars.

“Stay. The. Fuck. Away. From. Me.” With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared into one of the rooms down the hall.

Bex

I slammed the door behind me and leaned against it, my chest heaving. What in the hell had just happened? I hated that fucker and the fact that he thought the instant he saw me I was going to drop my panties for him.

I lifted my fingers and put them on my lips, still tingling from that orgasmic kiss in the hallway. He was hot. Beyond my wildest imagination. But I despised him. Yeah, I didn’t know him, but I knew his kind. He wasn’t a groupie. He was much worse. Johnny was the type of guy that had women falling at his feet: tall, built, tatted up, and cocky as hell. My worst nightmare. He’d thought I was going to be a notch on his bedpost the second he laid eyes on me.

Shoving myself away from the door, I threw my room key across the room, not satisfied when all it did was bounce off the air conditioner and fall onto the floor. I wanted to punch something, but a pillow wasn’t good enough. My lady bits were crying out in protest from our little encounter, and I loathed them for being a traitorous bitch. I pulled my heels off and flung them, each one hitting a different piece of furniture in the room before resting on the ground.

Yeah, that felt better. I stripped my leggings off and then my dress. I stood, staring at myself in the mirror in just my black thong and bra. I put my fingers on my tattoo and closed my eyes. This is why you don’t get involved, I chanted in my head. I could no longer feel the scar, but I knew it was there. That’s what ten years did for you. Time passed, and the scar faded, but the damage was done.

Tonight had been epic. It had been the best local show we’d ever played. Yes, it was partially because we were gaining popularity, but something about being at this venue had made us all feel more alive. When we first started out, it had always been our goal to play at The Outrigger. It was like the place to come when you had made it as an indie.

I removed the last articles of clothing I was wearing. I knew I was good looking. In my profession, being a lead singer of a rock band, looks definitely helped. But being a woman had always been a curse to me. I hated the curves I had and the muscle definition that caused men to do a double take when they saw me. Add in a few tattoos and piercings and I was like a wet dream. I didn’t do any of that for attention. I worked out because it helped the voices in my head shut up and give me a break, and the tattoos were reminders of who I’d been and never would be again. The piercings, well, they were just a sign to me to never allow someone else to decide who I was.

Lifting my breasts, I groaned as Johnny’s image popped into my head again. I’d felt his hard dick against me in the hallway. He hadn’t been shy about showing me as he ground me into the wall. I’d been nothing but a bitch to him, yet he still wanted to fuck me. What did that say about him? Or me? Was I just a fantasy of his, to bed a singer of a rock band? I wasn’t going to find out.

I reached a hand down and sighed when I made contact with my sensitive skin. It had been so long. I wasn’t a prude. I liked sex just as much as the next person. The problem was, I had three protective brother types, and I only wanted one-night stands. They usually refused to let me do anything that could harm my reputation, and I appreciated that. Well, most of me appreciated that.

I watched in the mirror as I continued pleasing myself, hating every second that I imagined it was Johnny’s fingers inside me. I didn’t want him for anything other than just to get off, but damn, the man was hot. But he’d pissed me off, and I knew I wasn’t going to do anything with him. I knew his kind. He’d brag to everyone that he fucked me, and I’d be branded a whore.

My band, my boys, were the only family in my life with the exception of Natalie. She was the only female friend I’d ever had, and she was Beau’s sister. We’d met long ago in my own personal hell, and we’d escaped together. Beau had just as many issues as me, if not more. That’s why we understood each other. Tanner was our resident playboy, gathering up the groupies in droves. I was afraid to know how many of them he got friendly with at one time, but we all loved him anyway. We’d met him a few years after we started Jaded Regret. We all called him Suburbia because he grew up in the fucking picture perfect life. You know, the two parents and 2.3 kids with a white picket fence bullshit.