The Roadie: Radical Rock Stars Book 7

by Jenna Galicki

  “I’ll see you in half an hour.”

  “Great!”

  “And, babe?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Wear those boots again.”

  “The same boots two days in a row? What a fashion faux pas.” She smiled into the phone. “I’ll make an exception, though. For you.”

  After a quick shower, Kira took the elevator to the rooftop and settled into a private table near a trellis covered in wisteria. The silly smile on her lips gave away her lighthearted impatience. The last-minute date for breakfast with a hot roadie was the perfect way to end her little trip to Chicago.

  The waiter dropped off a mimosa, and as she brought it to her lips, she saw Brett walking toward her. His tank top exposed scrolled writing across his collarbone and displayed his powerful, sculpted arms. Bulletproof’s logo strained across the taut material covering his chest. Everyone was looking at him, but he was looking at her. Not just looking at her, his eyes beamed at her from across the room. They zeroed in on her, as if no one else existed.

  When he reached the table, he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her. “I think you were just playing with me last night. Making me wait.” He kissed her hard on the lips, claiming her in front of the other hotel guests.

  Normally, she would have resisted, pushed back to exert her independence, but this man made her submit. She didn’t know what skill or magic he possessed, but she was powerless when he touched her.

  “Did you eat anything yet?” he asked. “I saw an omelet station on my way in.”

  “I never even had dinner last night. I’m starving.”

  His eyes took on a look of genuine concern. “Let’s get you something to eat, then.”

  He took her hand and led her through the restaurant. Several people were watching them, and Kira felt flattered, as if they were worthy of other’s attention. They made a nice-looking couple, she decided.

  After they filled their plates, they sat back at the table and ate quietly for a few minutes.

  “I Googled you last night after I left the studio,” Brett said, pushing around his roasted potatoes.

  “You did?” She raised her brow, intrigued. “What did you find out?”

  “That your sister is married to Immortal Angel’s drummer, and the two of you are always together. You were both voted Top 25 Under 25 To Watch by Fortune 500, four years ago. That you’re really close with your father. And that you spend a lot of time with Immortal Angel.”

  “That sums up my life. Audra and I are inseparable. I worship my father. And I work my butt off.” She rested her chin in her hand. “Now, let’s talk about you. What’s your last name?”

  “Navarro.”

  She picked up her phone and tapped his name into the browser. “I can play your game too, Brett Navarro.” Nothing came up relevant to him, and she dropped the phone onto the table, disappointed.

  “I could have saved you the trouble. No one knows who I am.”

  “I guess I’ll have to give you the third degree myself. How did you get involved with Bulletproof?”

  “I’ve known those dudes since the ninth grade.”

  She glanced down at his arms. “Did you always have such big muscles?” Oh God. What’s wrong with me? “I’m sorry.”

  He laughed. “Don’t be. And yes. I was on the wrestling team in high school.”

  “I take it WWE didn’t work out?”

  He chuckled. “You’re really cute. I caught Bulletproof playing a gig one night when we were in high school and helped them pack up their shit. Been with ‘em ever since. Not every tour. Because they’re on the road so much and for such a long time. But I work with them when I can. I’m independent. I don’t work for the label. I pick up work with other bands too, who have shorter tours when I can’t make one of Bulletproof’s year-long stints.”

  “Smart move. Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

  “One brother. He’s younger. I kinda take care of him, even though he’s 19. He’s doing all right, but he hangs out with the wrong crowd. I’m not home a lot of the time, so I worry about him.” Brett was quiet for a moment. “Our parents were killed in a car accident a few years ago, so it’s just me and him.”

  Her heart shattered at the loss and she put down her fork. “I’m so sorry.” She squeezed his hand and held it. “My mother passed when I was seven.” They stared at one another, sharing the pain of their mutual loss but not wanting to talk about it. “Do you have other family?”

  “I have an aunt and uncle in San Francisco. They tried to take Grant—that’s my brother—when my parents died, but I fought them. He’s my brother. My family. I won legal guardianship.”

  She had so much respect for this valiant man, who fought to take responsibility for a teenager. “You have tremendous values.”

  He shrugged, modestly. “It was the right thing to do.” He exhaled and shook the sadness from his face and forced a small smile. “Let’s talk about happier things. Tell me what an A&R executive does.”

  “Everything, it seems. I scout talent and negotiate record contracts. I work one on one with recording artists. I oversee the recording process, like yesterday. I work closely with the music producer and give input on what works and what doesn’t. I even get to pick which tracks get released as singles.”

  Brett’s eyebrows were raised high on his forehead. “I’m impressed. It sounds like you have a lot of responsibility.”

  “I do.” Sometimes too much responsibility. She worked hard and never had time for fun anymore. She was overworked, overtired and spread thin, but she loved her job. Both she and Audra were an integral part of Falcon Records and, one day, they’d be running the company.

  Realizing that the morning was slipping away, she picked up her phone and checked the time. “I have to be at the airport in an hour and a half.” She didn’t try to hide her disappointment, and let the smile disappear without disguising her remorse.

  “Change it. Take a later flight.”

  “I can’t do that. It’s irresponsible.”

  He took her hand and rubbed it between his palms. “I’m not ready to leave you yet. I don’t want to say goodbye. My bus doesn’t head out until five. We could spend the rest of the day together. Will it really make a difference if you leave this afternoon instead of this morning?”

  It was crazy and impulsive and totally unlike her to be so frivolous and spontaneous, but this daring man brought out her wild side. She pulled her iPad from her handbag and quickly changed her departure. “I’m on a four o’clock flight.” She let out a happy laugh and threw her arms around his neck.

  “You’re a rebel. And I like it. What do you want to do first? Have you been to the Skydeck at the Willis Tower?”

  She’d been to Chicago dozens of times but always for business. She never had the luxury of sightseeing.

  He winked and brought his lips to her ear. “Or we can go back to your room.”

  Her body vibrated. But they had the rest of the day together. Did they need to jump into bed right away?

  “Let’s go to the Skydeck,” he said, when she hesitated. “I don’t want you to think I came here just for sex.” His gaze bore into her for a moment before he rested his forehead against hers. “I really connected with you. And I don’t just mean sexually. I never met someone like you. You’re fun. You love music. You live and breathe the life. Just like me. You’re smart and sexy. You’re tough and powerful. Independent. I’m here because I want to spend time with you.”

  It was a reply she never expected. She had been OK with the idea that they were getting together for sex. They had some kind of strange magnetic pull between them. An unstoppable sexual attraction. This tender side of him took her by surprise. “You’re amazing.” She sighed. “Let’s go to the Skydeck. Then we can go back to my room.”

  “Oooh shiiit!” Brett squeezed her hand tighter as they stepped onto the invisible floor of the Skydeck. He pretended to have a panic attack and clung to her. “Watch your heels.
Don’t crack that glass.”

  Kira laughed and swatted his arm. “Stop being silly.”

  He looked down at the floor, nervously. “I’m not. I’m afraid of heights.”

  She stopped and turned toward him, noting the way his eyes were darting around the platform. “Then why’d you want to walk across a glass deck outside the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere? We’re a thousand feet in the air.”

  He tensed. “Thanks for reminding me.”

  “I’m serious.”

  “Because. I thought you’d like it. It’s romantic.”

  Disbelief that this rugged and tattooed man could be so dreamy made her heart melt. “It is. Very romantic. Look at the buildings. They’re beautiful.” He probably thought she was ridiculous, finding beauty in the hard, cold concrete skyscrapers, but they symbolized business and opportunity – the American dream.

  As they gazed at the impressive view of modern architecture, Brett wrapped his arms around her. Her pulse fired rapidly through her veins. She swallowed, her throat now dry and scratchy. His lips graced hers with a light kiss, flesh against flesh, in a slow burn of heat. His breath warmed her cheek with sexual pheromones that she inhaled deeply. She leaned back so she could look clearly into his eyes, and they still had the same magical effect on her that made her strength disappear.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “Especially up here in the clouds.” He shifted his eyes to the horizon, then quickly returned them to her face and let out a small embarrassed chuckle. “Sorry. I just reminded myself that we’re a hundred stories up.” He held onto her tightly, obviously still uneasy about the height, and turned to face the view again. “Look at the lake and how the water shimmers under the sunlight. From this vantage point, it looks endless. It’s so blue. You can’t even tell where the lake ends and the sky begins. Everyone is staring at it.” He turned her chin toward him. “But I’m staring at you.”

  She felt her cheeks blush, and she smiled. “That’s just because you’re afraid to look down.”

  “Let’s get outta here. You know what we should do next?”

  “Skydive?”

  A laugh fell from his mouth. “Only if you’re trying to give me a heart attack.”

  She expected him to say he wanted to go back to her room, and she was about to suggest it, but he surprised her by saying, “We should ride bicycles by the lake.”

  “I haven’t ridden a bicycle since I was 12.”

  “Then we have to do it.” His eyes dropped to her stiletto boots. “I think we need to visit one of the gift shops in order to buy you a pair of sneakers.”

  The selection was limited, and she ended up purchasing a pair of canvas slip-on boat shoes that had the words “Chi Town” written on them in bubble lettering and bore graffiti art of the city skyline. They were tacky and ridiculous, but Brett insisted on purchasing them for her.

  An hour later, they were on bicycles ready to ride along the path bordering Lake Michigan, and Kira suddenly felt unsure. She bit her lower lip as she sat on the bike, one foot planted firmly on the ground to steady herself, but she still teetered back and forth.

  “What’s wrong?” Brett asked.

  “I’m afraid I’m going to fall.”

  He quirked an eyebrow and gave her a quizzical smile. “You know how to ride a bicycle, right?”

  “Yes,” she quipped. “It’s been a long time, though.”

  “Take a practice run. Ride to that lamppost and back,” he instructed. “See how you do.”

  She felt slightly embarrassed, but she did it anyway. She took off, wobbly at first, while she acclimated to distributing her weight evenly, but then it all came back to her, reinforcing the age-old cliché, and she picked up speed. When the front tire ran over a large rock and the wheel veered sharply to the right, her confidence took a nosedive, and her heart lurched in her chest. She overcorrected the bike and it teetered unsteadily. Just when she realized that she was about to tip over, Brett was suddenly beside her. With one hand on the back of her seat, brushing her butt cheek slightly, he took hold of the handlebars with his other hand and straightened the bike.

  His presence surprised her, and she squeezed the brakes to stop the bike. “Were you running beside me?”

  “Yeah. You looked a little unsteady at first. I didn’t want you to fall and get hurt.”

  Three times they’d been together, and three times he’d rescued her. First, sticking up for her with the guy who spilled coffee on her. Next, when she twisted her ankle at the recording studio. And, now, when she almost fell off the bicycle. “You’re my hero, Brett Navarro. This little trip to Chicago would have done me in if it weren’t for you.”

  “It’s a good thing I’m here then. You sure you got this?” He motioned to the bike with his chin.

  “Watch me.” She took off again, laughing and peddling as if her life depended on it.

  “Wait for me!” he called after her.

  A few seconds later, he rode past her sticking his tongue out.

  She peddled faster and overtook him, laughing harder than she had in a long time, carefree and without restraint. The air filled her lungs, the wind blew her hair in all directions, the muscles in her legs burned from peddling so fast, and her cheeks hurt from smiling so wide.

  After they made two complete revolutions around the bike path, they stopped at a Starbucks located near the edge of the lake and had a Frappuccino. As she sipped her cold coffee beverage, she realized they had come full circle, drinking coffee together like when they had first met. She knew the clock wasn’t on her side. She needed to leave for the airport in just under two hours, and it robbed her of her good spirits. “Let’s go back to my hotel. Before this day gets away from us.”

  Brett’s smile faded and his eyes filled with sadness. “I can’t believe you’re leaving so soon. You lit up my world today. I meet a lot of people on the road. Not one of them compares to you. I’m really gonna miss you.” His voice grew sad and cracked at the end.

  Shocked by the emotion he exhibited, Kira lost her voice for a second. “I feel the same way.” She didn’t want to say anything else, for fear she would start crying.

  Brett pulled her to his chest and kissed her slowly. Without letting her out of his embrace, he booked an Uber, and they stayed in each other’s arms while they waited for the car to bring them to the hotel.

  Kira placed her boots next to the door and took her sneakers off the moment she got back to the room. She felt nervous and anxious about being alone with Brett, which was crazy considering she had no inhibitions when they had first met. But this was different. Special. It was the last time they’d be together. She sat on the edge of the bed, curled her toes into the carpet, and smiled up at him. He sat next to her and surprised her by taking her feet into his lap and rubbing them, massaging the arch and stretching out her toes. It immediately relaxed her muscles, and she wanted to melt into the covers. “Oh my God. That feels so good.”

  “Lie back.”

  She put her head on the pillow while he continued to massage her feet. He lifted one foot to his lips and placed a light kiss on her instep. Sensuality replaced the tickle factor, and a low moan replaced what normally would have been laughter.

  Impatient to feel this man’s hands on her body, she opened her jeans and started to wiggle out of them, but he did it for her. She was suddenly burning up and ripped off her top and bra as if they were on fire. She lie naked and exposed, while he remained fully clothed and eye-fucked her.

  He kissed the soft flesh below her navel and slowly moved his lips lower. His beard left a scratchy sensation over her skin as he kissed his way down her body, until his mouth touched the wet folds between her thighs with a growly moan. His tongue moved in ferocious circles, making her head spin and her chest quiver as her breaths moved erratically in and out of her lungs. Suction created a wet pull on the most sensitive part of her body, and her shoulders bucked off the bed as she let out a loud gasp of pleasure. At the same time, his
beard scraped her inner thighs leaving a raw burn. They were two totally contrasting sensations that drove her crazy. Her body hummed and tingled, as if tiny electrical impulses were lighting up her flesh. Brett increased his momentum and the intensity of his touch. Panting heavily, she arched her back in order to assure his mouth and tongue touched the exact spot that offered the most stimulation. She shuddered violently as the climax quickly overtook her, causing her eyes to roll back in her head and her open mouth to jut toward the ceiling.

  She wanted him inside her, but more than that, she wanted to touch him and please him the way he pleased her. She leaned forward and tugged at the shoulders of his T-shirt. “Undress.”

  He hastily discarded his clothing and knelt on the bed facing her. He had a condom in his hand, and she took it from him and tossed it onto the bed. “Not yet.” Running her hands up and down his length, a long sigh escaped him. Sliding her tongue along the underside of his shaft, purposely tickling the v-shaped ridge, she enjoyed tormenting him. After teasing him with her tongue for a few more seconds, she slid him deep into her mouth and was rewarded with another sexy moan. Sealing her lips and bobbing her head, she used her tongue and hands to cover every inch of him.

  His hands came down on her shoulders with enormous strength. “Stop,” he said, with a raspy grit. “I need to take you. Now.”

  The commanding tone made her submit, and she wanted to give herself to him. “I’m yours. Take me any way you want.”

  His eyes turned a shade darker, and he positioned her so that she was on her knees facing the opposite direction. Fear drove a cool chill down her spine. What did she just agree to? She didn’t want anal, but his probing tongue between her butt cheeks drove unbelievable sensations through her bottom. She’d never experimented back there. It was her first rim job, and it made her wonder why she’d never done this before. “Yes,” she sighed.

  He slid two fingers inside her, pushing and pulling them in and out while his tongue continued its onslaught on her back end. The combination sent rolling waves of sensations ricocheting throughout her lower region. His mouth and fingers changed places. His tongue tickled her nub, while his wet fingers toyed with the perimeter of her bottom. Nerve endings came alive in an area that had never been touched before, and she allowed herself the pleasure of this new experience.