Rock Star Romance Ultimate: Volume 1

by Olivia Cunning, Jayne Frost, RB Hilliard, Crystal Kaswell, Michelle Mankin, Emily Snow, Athena Wright

  He rocked back, chuckling. But his eyes flashed with irritation. “He wants to do more than that.”

  Suddenly, I recalled Cameron and Greg at the table in the cafe this morning. And my stomach dropped to my toes. “Did he say something to you? About m-me?”

  He cocked his head. “He didn’t have to, Lily. You’re beautiful.” His gaze drifted to my lips. “And smart. And funny.”

  Drawn by some unseen force, I inched forward. He smelled like…freedom. Something wild. And unfamiliar. I wanted to taste him.

  As if he could read my mind, he took a step back. Just a foot, but it might as well have been the Grand Canyon.

  Looking uncomfortable, Cameron raked a hand through his hair. “I better get going. I’ve got an early wake-up call.”

  Seconds passed while I tried to force the words from that place they always got stuck. But I didn’t trust myself to speak, so I just nodded.

  Following Cameron out of the small alcove, I spotted Greg and, squaring my shoulders, I prepared to make the long trek across the lounge. Flinching when a warm hand closed around mine, I jerked my gaze to Cameron, who looked as surprised as I felt by the contact. “What are you doing?” I asked.

  His eyes darted to Greg, but instead of answering, he pulled me toward the exit. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  I glanced over my shoulder at my boss as Cameron hustled me out the door. Any other time and I might have been trying to force a protest past my lips. But not now. It wasn’t until we were under the bright lights in the lobby that the spell was broken.

  Skidding to a stop, I blurted, “I’m n-not going to your r-room with you, Cameron.”

  A smile curved his lips. Not the seductive kind. Amused. I froze when he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I don’t remember asking you, darlin’.” He winked. “I’m just going to walk you to your car, if that’s okay.”

  The knot in my stomach uncoiled, but then I thought of Greg. “I really s-should go back.”

  Cameron laced our fingers. “Nah. He’ll get the hint. Jerk shouldn’t have been putting his hands on you to begin with.”

  Good point.

  Cameron didn’t wait for my reply before maneuvering us out of the revolving door. A rush of cold air hit my face and I took in a big breath, relaxing for the first time all night. Stealing a glance at Cameron as we walked, I found him staring straight ahead, his brows turned inward.

  “I can take it f-from here,” I said.

  But when I tried to pull my hand away he tightened his grip as if that were his answer. Luckily, I’d parked close to the entrance.

  “This is me,” I said when we reached the bumper of my old Honda.

  Shock flashed across his features as he glanced over the peeling paint and dented body. My back stiffened in defense. Until he smiled. “Nice car.” To his credit, he managed to keep a straight face when he said it.

  “Thanks.”

  I meant it sincerely. The bucket of bolts was the first thing I’d ever purchased on my own. With money that didn’t come from my parents. I’d even given her a name—Bianca.

  Cameron hovered behind me while I shoved the key into the lock. The button on my fob was just for decoration, since the automatic locks had never worked.

  He held the door as I slipped behind the wheel. “Are you sure this thing is safe?”

  Laughing, I turned the key and the car spluttered to life. “I’m sure.”

  Looking totally unconvinced, he rocked back on his heels. I gave him a little wave as I pulled out of my spot.

  Chancing a peek in the rearview mirror before I turned onto the tree line road, I was surprised to find Cameron rooted to his spot beside the empty parking space. And even from a half a football field away, I could tell he was smiling.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  * * *

  Cameron

  I fell asleep thinking about Lily, which led to vivid dreams about soft lips and cornflower blue eyes, and a raging hard-on when I woke. An ice cold shower didn’t help. Two hours in the gym, running until I was ready to puke, barely took the edge off.

  Now I was fatigued and horny. And late.

  Standing at the front desk, I raked a hand through my hair.

  “So you’re telling me there isn’t a limo available—” I said in a carefully measured tone, my gaze drifting to the clerk’s gold name tag, “—Brandy?”

  “I’m so sorry, Mr. Knight,” she squeaked, “I don’t know what happened. Chloe booked our last limo for Mr. Cage.”

  “Do you have any idea when they’ll be back?”

  Brandy’s hand shook slightly as she punched in the number on the house phone. “Let me check.”

  Shit. I wasn’t my father. Acting like an entitled asshole wasn’t going to get me to the radio station any faster.

  “No worries, darlin’.” I gave her an easy smile. “Can you call me a cab? I’ve got an appointment at a radio station in Addison.”

  Nodding, she held up a finger and turned her back to whisper into the phone.

  Fuck. If I didn’t get out of here soon, I’d have to reschedule the interview with Wendy.

  Pulling out my cell, I hit Logan’s number.

  Music blared in the background when he picked up. “Yeah?”

  “Where are you?” I snapped. “You took the last limo, and I’ve got that fucking interview with Wendy.”

  He laughed. “On my way to the Omni to pick up my shit, and then Chloe is going to show me what passes for live music here in Big D.”

  I rolled my eyes. Maybe we weren’t familiar with the city, but the music scene was a different story. Deep Ellum was home to at least a dozen live music hot spots, and Caged had played most of them over the years.

  “Really, dude? Doesn’t that chick know who you are?”

  Logan kept up the farce. “Deep Ellum is supposed to be kickin’. You should head out there later.”

  “Maybe I would, if I had a ride.” Giving up, I shook my head. “Just stay out of The Prophet, okay? Tracy’s bouncer boyfriend is still looking to separate your head from your shoulders.”

  It had been almost a year since we’d played that gig, but the 250-pound gorilla bouncer wasn’t likely to forget walking in on Logan and his bartender girlfriend half-naked in the dressing room.

  “Loosen up, bro.”

  “I’m fine,” I said with a scowl. “Ain’t no bounty on my head. Hey, pick up my stuff when you’re at the Omni. I’m probably going to get a cab to the interview.”

  My mouth went dry when Lily rounded the corner, wearing a pair of ripped jeans and a sweater that barely covered her midriff. Her pink Converse sneakers squeaked on the stone floor as she walked toward me.

  “I’ve gotta go.”

  Ending the call, I slid the phone into my pocket and looked her up and down. A hint of color stained her lips. And wisps of hair fell out of her loose bun, begging me to pull the whole mess down and run my hands through it.

  “Where are you headed?” Lily asked as she slid her sunglasses onto the bridge of her nose.

  “A radio interview in Addison. I’m waiting on a cab.”

  “No n-need. I’ll drive you.” Biting her lip, she glanced at her watch. “We b-better get out of here before traffic gets t-too heavy.”

  “Are you volunteering to be my chauffeur?”

  “Actually, I am.” Turning on her heel, she glanced over her shoulder. “Are you c-coming?”

  Peeling my boots from the floor, I followed her out of the lobby.

  “Lily, stop.” I grabbed her arm as she trotted toward the parking lot. “That’s really not necessary.”

  I was already having serious doubts about the package I’d booked. My instinct was to offer it as a promotional giveaway at one of my interviews. The thought of wasting $10K made me want to hurl. But the vision of walking around a museum with my dick hard enough to cut diamonds was worse.

  Lily sighed in frustration. “B-Brandy called me. It’s my f-fault. It’s the middle of the week, and I didn’t
have a car service on s-standby. T-Two limos are usually sufficient, but Chloe b-booked one, and a group of businessmen took the other for a g-golf outing. I-I’m s-sorry…” Cringing, she fumbled for the words, the crease on her brow getting deeper by the second.

  “Don’t worry about it.” I reached for a strand of hair that had tangled in her lip gloss. “I’m fine taking a cab.”

  “N-no.”

  The effort it took for her to get that one word out left her so damned flustered, I had the urge to sweep her into my arms and give her a hug. A genuine hug—not the kind that led to ripping her clothes off.

  “P-Please.” She looked up at me. “L-Let me do t-this. I’m really s-sorry about the mix-up.”

  The more wound up she got, the more her speech fragmented. The tug in my chest only added to the urge to comfort her. It was…unexpected. Blowing out a breath, I slipped on my sunglasses to hide my eyes.

  “Sure thing. Lead the way.”

  She brightened immediately, breathing an audible sigh. “You’ve seen my car, right?” Looking at me out of the corner of her eye, she gauged my reaction. “So you know it’s a little r-rough.”

  “I can handle it.”

  “G-good.” Moving ahead of me, she hustled to the driver’s side of the Honda. It looked much worse in the light of day. “Let me unlock the door.” Grinning, she jangled her keys. “No automatic l-locks.”

  Sliding behind the wheel, she reached over and yanked the knob on the passenger door. Between the hinges creaking when I pulled it open and popping as it shut, I was actively worried. The beater didn’t look like it would make it out of the parking lot, let alone across town.

  “Not w-what you’re used to, huh?” Lily raised her voice over the roar of the engine.

  It was more than a roar. It was a cry for help. As in, please put me the fuck out of my misery.

  “Not lately.”

  “No disparaging remarks about Bianca.” She patted the dashboard. “She’s older than dirt, but she’s paid for, and she’s reliable as hell.”

  I quirked a brow at her. “I don’t suppose Bianca has a GPS.”

  “They d-didn’t even have GPS when Bianca came off the line.” Suppressing a laugh, she pulled her phone from her pocket and tossed it to me. “Press the map on the home screen; I’ve already p-programmed the address.”

  Lily bobbed her head to the radio playing quietly in the background as we pulled onto the freeway. When she started to sing, my attraction turned to near frenzy. The girl was going to be the death of me, and we’d had all of five conversations. Six if you counted her hanging up on me. Desperate, I looked around for a distraction.

  “What are those?” I pointed to the two large portfolios and several sketchpads in the backseat.

  “N-nothing. Just some drawings.”

  Grabbing a sketchpad, I opened it to the first page. A charcoal of a city street with dilapidated storefronts, slick with rain, was so lifelike it felt like I’d stepped into the picture.

  Lily nearly swerved into the median as she reached over to grab the sketchpad. “C-Cameron!”

  “Watch the road, darlin’.” Turning sideways to avoid her reach, I flipped from page to page, each drawing better than the last.

  “Fuck, Lily. These are amazing.”

  Spotting the “L” in the corner with the little flower, I realized that the drawings in her office were hers. She glanced at the sketch with a shy smile, full of pride. “Thank you.”

  “Is this your medium of choice?”

  She seemed surprised by the question. “No, actually, I like oil. B-But I think my charcoals might show more promise, according to my t-teachers, at least.” Staring straight ahead, her mouth dipped at the corners. “I always dreamed of being an artist.”

  Thumbing through the pages again, I studied the details. “You are an artist.”

  It was the truth. Each and every one of her drawings was gallery worthy. Closing the sketchpad, I returned it to the stack.

  “Did you always know?” she asked.

  “Know?”

  “About the music. That you wanted to be a musician?”

  It was the most common question I got asked in interviews. Maybe not those exact words, but the sentiment was the same. The explanation was slightly more complicated, and something I never answered—at least not honestly. Very few people knew the truth. But something about Lily loosened my tongue. Looking out the side window, I studied the glass buildings jutting into the sky. “Have you ever heard of the Noble Ones?”

  “They were a band in the ‘80’s, right? I think I’ve heard their songs.”

  I laughed dryly. “Song. As in, one song.” The car inched forward in the afternoon traffic, the truck fumes turning my stomach almost as much as the memories. “That was my father’s band. Music was his dream. His whole life.” My lip curled inadvertently. “And booze. Sometimes women, as long as they weren’t my mother.”

  When my gaze shifted Lily’s way, I found her frowning. “You can’t choose your parents,” she said quietly. “I should know.”

  The GPS dinged, shattering the silence. Lily yelped and whipped her head around to check the traffic behind us, then hit the gas and jerked the car across two lanes of traffic. The air punched from my lungs when she nearly clipped an SUV as she merged into the exit lane.

  “Damn, girl,” I croaked, turning my head to make sure no one had a gun on us. “You know we’re in Texas, right? You’re going to get us killed.”

  Her throaty laugh filled all the empty spaces, in the car, and in my head. It was melodic. Like a song I wanted to hear every day. My thoughts drifted into dangerous territory. Unknown terrain. My lifestyle didn’t allow for anything more than casual, so I’d never even tried.

  If there was one thing I’d learned from Tyler Noble, it was never make a promise you couldn’t keep. The man was full of empty promises. Those promises led to two children and the awkward moment when he left without a word. My mama used to say we were just like him, Chase and me. She didn’t say it out of spite. She said it out of reverence. Mama never got over the bastard. Or their sorry excuse for a relationship.

  The car coasted to a stop in front of the radio station, rousing me from my thoughts.

  “We’re here.” Lily turned to me, a brilliant smile breaking like dawn.

  My heart tugged at the sight of it. Because we were here, in a place I’d never been. Or wanted to be. But I could see myself with Lily. For a week. Or a month. Maybe longer. And that scared the fuck out of me.

  Without thinking, I brushed a lock of hair off her face. “That we are, darlin’.”

  ***

  The red light flickered, signaling a commercial break. Sliding the headphones off my ears, I breathed a sigh of relief as I reached for my bottle of water. The hard part was over. Christian’s accident kept most of the questions centered on his recovery so there was no talk about our upcoming album. Which was a good thing since we’d yet to sign a contract with our label. Wendy was seasoned enough to dig for the truth, and maybe if we hadn’t shared a past, she would’ve.

  My gaze shifted to Lily perched on a canvas chair outside the booth, and I shot her a smile.

  “What’ve you been up to, Cam?” Wendy asked, dragging my thoughts from the girl on the other side of the glass. “Are you staying out of trouble?”

  Leaning back in my chair, I ignored the tugging in my chest, working its way up to my neck like a noose. “So far.”

  Lies. All lies. Lily was trouble with a capital ’T.’

  “That’s a shame,” Wendy cooed. “There’s no fun in that.”

  My lips bent out of habit, and I tossed her a wink. “I’ve still got a few days. You know I’m all about the trouble.”

  Wendy hummed, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “I remember.”

  “Sixty seconds,” came a voice through the speaker.

  Affixing my earphones, I glanced at Lily. The smile slid right off my face when she cocked her head, like she was seeing me
for the first time, and she didn’t appreciate the view.

  “We’re back with Cameron Knight, guitarist for the band Caged,” Wendy announced. “So, Cam, our listeners are dying to know. Are you seeing anyone special?”

  Wendy had to throw that one in. It was obligatory. Like asking my musical influences or my favorite color.

  My lips parted, a canned response on the tip of my tongue. But then I felt Lily’s pull. “I’m very single. For the moment, at least.”

  Surprise flashed across Wendy’s features. “For the moment? Does that mean that the notoriously single Cameron Knight might be on the lookout for something a little more permanent?”

  My laugh was a little too quick. “Don’t go putting words in my mouth, darlin’.”

  Wendy smirked, and for a second I thought she might continue the interrogation, but she let me off the hook.

  “Thanks for dropping by, Cameron. Give Christian our best. Stay tuned for more of Wicked Wendy on 107.1…The Eddddggge!”

  Once the headphones were off and I was on my feet, Wendy glanced me over with a bemused smile. Then her gaze slid to Lily. “I guess drinks are out of the question, huh?”

  For a moment, I thought about taking her up on her offer. Showing Lily what I was really all about.

  Instead, I tipped forward and pressed a kiss to Wendy’s forehead. “No drinks. But I hope you’ll make it out to the show.”

  She smiled up at me. “Wouldn’t miss it, baby.”

  I made my way out of the booth, a little unsteady on my feet.

  “You ready?” I asked Lily, shoving my hands in my pockets.

  She nodded, looking anywhere but at me when she slid off her stool.

  I took a deep breath, and despite my better judgement, I followed her out the door.

  ***

  It took a full fifteen minutes, crawling along in the afternoon gridlock, before Lily said a word.

  “So that’s pretty much what you do all day?” she finally asked, cutting her gaze my way. “Give interviews and flirt with disc jockeys?”

  I ran a hand through my hair, chuckling. “I manage to fit in some music every once in a while. And trust me when I tell you: that wasn’t flirting. You’ll know when I’m flirting.”