Ruthless Rockstar

by Ava Grace

  Tyler turned back to me before we’d cleared the walkway. “I’ll give you a call in a few days’ time,” he said, his arm wrapped protectively around Daisy’s shoulder. “We can grab that coffee you’ve been promising me.”

  “Sounds great.”

  He nodded then he and Daisy said their goodbyes and headed out towards the main street, stopping to say hello to Joe Baker who was heading my way.

  “Colton,” Joe said when he reached me. “Great show. Thanks so much for performing today. It means a lot.”

  “You’re welcome.” I clasped his hand and gave him a shoulder bump.

  “Colton! Colton! Colton!” the crowd cheered.

  Joe chuckled. “I’d better let you get back to your adoring fans.”

  I nodded, grinning from ear to ear. “See you around, Joe.”

  Just as he turned to leave, the crowd that had gathered near the thigh-high metal barriers surged forward. I jumped back when the nearest barrier crashed to the ground at my feet.

  One of my bodyguards quickly pulled me out of the way and, as half a dozen hands reached for me, the other bodyguard got in front of me trying to block their path.

  Nearby, a woman screamed.

  The chilling sound made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

  “Everybody get back!” Joe roared.

  When faced with Joe’s wrath and the bodyguards’ strong arms, most people started to calm down. There were a few people who still looked over-excited, but reason bled back into the faces of others. My bodyguards started to lead me towards the road when a panicked voice called out.

  “Jen! Oh my God! Help! Somebody help me!”

  Joe headed into the thinning crowd. I’d begun to follow my bodyguards to the waiting car, but instinct made me trail after Joe instead. We’d only walked a few steps into the crowd when the reason for the panicked shout became apparent. A heavily pregnant woman lay on the ground and her friend, the beautiful blonde woman who had caught my eye when I’d been performing was trying, unsuccessfully, to pick her up.

  Joe sprinted to their side with me hot on his heels. As he reached down, I got to her other side and helped lift her to her feet.

  “Are you okay?” Joe asked. “What happened?”

  She nodded. “I’m fine. I think.”

  Her friend glared at me. “Everybody rushed to get to you and some inconsiderate asshole banged into her from behind and pushed her to the ground.”

  I winced. “Jesus, I’m sorry.” I turned to the pregnant woman, concern for her welfare making my gut clench. “Are you alright?”

  She blinked up at me, seemingly in a daze then nodded.

  I frowned. “Did you hit your head?” I looked down to where her hand rested on her stomach and my breath left me in a whoosh. “The baby. Did you hurt…?”

  “No.” She shook her head as a blush spread across her cheeks. “No, only my pride is hurt.”

  I finally let out the breath I’d been holding. “Thank God.”

  One of the bodyguards leaned in to my ear. “Colton, we should get out of here.”

  When I chanced a glance around, I realized a large crowd had formed around our small party. I nodded my acquiescence then turned back to the two women.

  “Can I offer you a ride home?”

  The beautiful blonde woman’s eyes widened comically then shook her head decidedly. “No thanks. Jen’s husband is coming to pick us up.”

  I looked across at the pregnant woman who had turned to glare at her friend, and I couldn’t stop my lips from stretching into a grin.

  “I haven’t called him yet,” she said. “So actually, yeah, we’d love a ride home. It will save him a journey into town, if you don’t mind.”

  When I took in the horrified expression on the blonde woman’s face, my grin widened further. “Great. Follow me, ladies. Joe, I’ll catch you soon.”

  Sheriff Baker clapped me on the shoulder. “Sure thing. And tell that brother of yours to not be a stranger. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him since he started dating Daisy.”

  I huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, tell me about it. Those two are sickening.”

  “Ladies,” Joe said.

  They bid Joe goodbye then the pregnant woman thrust out her hand. “I’m Jen, and this is Olivia, but you can call her Liv, or Olivia, um, whatever you want.”

  I stifled a chuckle. “Colton Young. Pleased to meet you both. The car’s this way.”

  The beautiful blonde woman looked as if my offer to drive them home was an imposition and I’ve got to admit that put a big smile on my lips. She clearly wasn’t the type to throw herself at me like a lot of women did. That was refreshing. I decided then and there that I was wanted to take her out on a date. My new mission in life was getting her to look at me with something other than distaste.

  Chapter Three

  Olivia

  My heart was somewhere in the vicinity of my throat.

  I’d never been so damned scared in all my life. When I saw that idiot slam into Jen in his rush to get to the barrier where Colton was posing for selfies, it was as if everything started moving in slow motion. Jen’s feet were knocked out from under her and she fell to the side, away from me, only just managing to throw her arms out to bracket her fall. She’d narrowly escaped taking the full brunt of the fall on her stomach. Bile rose in my throat at the thought of what could have happened, and I barely managed to keep it down.

  As if the situation wasn’t bad enough, Colton Young had seen the commotion and charged over to assist the sheriff like some knight in shining armor. But instead of being grateful to him for the assistance, I’d been rude.

  I hated that I’d snapped at him when he’d only been trying to help, but I’d been so overwhelmed by what had happened and so worried for Jen’s wellbeing that I’d taken it out on him. I knew rationally he wasn’t to blame, of course, even though Jen had been knocked over in the stampede to get to him, but I’d take out my fear on him regardless. My face heated with shame as we followed him to his waiting limo.

  When we got to the car, one of his bodyguards went around to the driver’s side door and he instructed the other to sit in the front seat beside him. Then he opened the back door for Jen and me to get it. I mumbled my thanks as I climbed in after her. I caught a whiff of his aftershave as I brushed by him and barely suppressed a groan.

  He smelled good.

  Really good.

  When we were shut in the back of the car together, Jen gave her address to the driver then we pulled out onto the road and were on our way.

  “Liv?” Colton asked, startling me out of my somber thoughts. “Where do you live?”

  I blinked across at him, surprised to hear him say my name. “Oh, it’s fine, you can just drop me at Jen’s house. I left my car there this morning and her husband drove us into town.”

  He nodded. “No problem.”

  I turned to Jen and assessed her expression. She looked alright, but that didn’t mean anything. “Are you okay?”

  She reached across and squeezed my hand. “I’m good. Honest.”

  I nodded then heaved a sigh, more relieved than I could put into words at that moment in time. I turned to the devastatingly handsome man seated opposite.

  Time to pay the piper.

  “Um, Colton? Look, I’m sorry for snapping at you back there. I was scared and worried about Jen, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

  He waved off my apology with a flick of his wrist. “Jesus, it’s fine. You don’t need to apologize. I understand.”

  I nodded then muttered my thanks.

  His mouthed stretched into a grin that was so sexy it made my breath catch in my throat. “Although,” he said, stretching out the word. “If you feel the need to make it up to me you can let me take you out to dinner tomorrow night.”

  My mouth fell open in surprise. “Oh, I don’t, I mean I um…”

  “She’d love to!” Jen said, answering for me.

  My gaze snapped to her. “H
ey!”

  She blinked back at me innocently as she reached into her bag and pulled out a pen and a little notebook. She tore off a page then proceeded to write something on it. After a moment, she handed the page to Colton.

  “That’s Liv’s home number, her cell phone number, and her home address. You can pick her up at seven.”

  He took the paper with a grin, glanced at it then folded it in half before sliding it into the inside pocket of his leather jacket.

  “Great. Seven it is,” he said, lifting his gaze to mine. “I’ll look forward to it.”

  My gaze flicked back and forth between the two of them, unable to believe what had just happened. It was just like Jen to conspire against me to get me to go out on a date, but Colton? How could he be so presumptuous?

  I hadn’t even said yes!

  Okay, so I might have been flattered that he wanted to go out on a date with me, but surely, he’d only want to go out with someone who actually wanted to be there, or was he so sure of himself that he didn’t believe any woman would turn him down?

  Whatever. I’d go on a damn date with him, but only one.

  Besides, something told me that if we went out on more than one date, I’d could potentially be in danger of ending up with a broken heart.

  Again.

  I wasn’t about to let that happen. I couldn’t go through all that heartache again and I wasn’t strong enough to deal with it so soon after the last time. I’d let him take me to dinner then I’d lay my cards on the table and tell him I couldn’t see him anymore. Then my life could resume its regular mundane program instead of this surreal, alternate reality in which gorgeous, famous rock stars asked me out on dates.

  Chapter Four

  Colton

  I grabbed the bunch of flowers from the passenger seat then got out of my truck and headed up the little path through the front yard before knocking on the door. I waited for a few moments and when no one answered, I was about to turn around and head back to the car when on a whim, I knocked again, louder than before.

  “Alright, alright, hold your horses! I’m coming!” a woman shouted from somewhere inside the house.

  My mouth stretched into a grin when the front door opened, and Jen peered out at me. Her eyes widened and she reached out to grab the door as if she needed the support to keep her on her feet.

  “Holy crap!” she exclaimed.

  I let out a throaty chuckle. “Hey. I wasn’t sure if you’d be in. I thought I’d come by to see how you’re doing today. Here, these are for you.”

  I held out the flowers and she took them from me, her eyes wide. “I’d swoon but I’m afraid I might fall over again.”

  I cringed. “Jesus, don’t do that. I might not be able to catch you.”

  “But it would be fun to see you try.”

  She waggled her eyebrows at me, and a deep, booming laugh ripped from my throat.

  “Babe? Who’s at the door?” A male voice shouted.

  “Come and see for yourself!” she shouted back.

  My shoulders shook with silent laughter.

  A moment later, a tall muscular man peered out at me. “Well, what do you know?”

  I glanced back at the man for a long moment. He seemed oddly familiar. “Hey, do I know you?”

  He grinned. “You used to.”

  I looked harder, trying to put a name to the face. “Jesus Christ. Cody? Cody Lannister?”

  He nodded. “One and the same.”

  “Well, hell, how have you been keeping?”

  Cody and my brother had been friends through high school and college. There was ten years between my brother and me, so I’d only been a kid back then, but Cody hadn’t changed all that much.

  Jen glared at the man I presumed to be her husband. “You didn’t tell me you know Colton Young!”

  Cody shrugged. “You didn’t ask. Come on in,” he said to me.

  I chuckled as I stepped into the house then pushed the door closed behind me. “I just called by to see how Jen was doing after her fall yester…”

  Before I’d finished the sentence, I noticed Jen’s wide eyes and the not so discreet slashing motion she made along her throat.

  Cody rounded on her. “You did what?”

  Her eyes widened. “Um, did I forget to mention that?”

  “Jesus Christ, Jen,” he said, glancing down at her stomach with a look of concern. “Why didn’t you say anything? I’m calling the doctor.”

  “Now you wait a damn minute,” she fumed. “Why do you think I didn’t say anything? Because I knew you’d overreact. I’m fine. Honestly. I’d say if I wasn’t. I don’t need to see a doctor because I wasn’t hurt. If that asshole hadn’t ploughed me down…”

  “What?” Cody thundered.

  When she told him what happened, I couldn’t keep the wince off my face. He listened intently then scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. He looked like he couldn’t decide whether to throw up, shout at her or wrap her up in bubble wrap and never let her leave the house again. He settled with pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead.

  “If something like that happens in future, any damn thing, I want you to tell me about it, are we clear?”

  She nodded against his chest. “Okay,” she said in small voice that seemed oddly out of place for her.

  “Good.” Cody squeezed her shoulders then turned to me. A smile formed on his lips. “How have you been keeping? Is being famous all it’s cracked up to be?”

  I huffed a laugh. “I’d be a liar if I said it didn’t have its perks, but there’s a lot of down sides too. Yesterday evening being a prime example. Crowds…” I shook my head. “Crowds can cause problems sometimes. And, when you’re famous, you tend to attract a lot of crazy.”

  Jen’s eyes widened. “I read about the stalker case. Wasn’t she your girlfriend?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, guess I know how to pick ‘em, huh?”

  She shrugged. “You’re allowed one mistake. At least you’ve learned by it.”

  “I have?”

  “You asked Liv on a date, didn’t you? That shows you’ve got some pretty good taste.”

  Cody pointed at me. “She’s one of the good ones. Treat her right or else I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  He nodded at Jen and I huffed out a laugh. “I don’t know, she didn’t seem all that keen on going on a date with me. Matter of fact, if I remember correctly, you accepted on her behalf.”

  Cody barked out a laugh that turned into a spluttering cough.

  Jen simply shrugged. “Well, sure. I’m her best friend. I know what’s good for her even when she doesn’t know it herself. She wants to go out with you,” she informed me. “She just doesn’t know it yet.”

  I rolled my eyes. “And I guess it’s up to me to convince her?”

  Jen nodded. “Exactly.”

  “Any advice?”

  “Yeah,” she replied quickly. “Don’t be an asshole.”

  I was still laughing when my cellphone bleeped informing me I had a text message. I pulled the phone out of my pocket and read it, my eyebrows raised.

  “Talk of the devil.”

  “She’d better not be cancelling,” Jen said, her brow furrowed.

  “Babe,” Cody chastised. “Butt out.”

  “No, not canceling, she’s asked me to meet her at a gallery in town instead of her house.”

  “Oh, she’s just bought the place,” Jen informed me.

  When I raised an eyebrow in query, she explained, “She’s an artist and photographer. She’s been renovating the building to show her work.”

  “Yeah?”

  She nodded. “It opens next week.”

  “Wow. Beautiful and talented,” I mused.

  Jen’s lips stretched into a smile so wide, her cheeks had to have hurt, and I couldn’t help but mirror the expression.

  “Oh, I like this,” she said to her husband. “I really like this.”

  He shook his head, a small smile on his lips, in the indulgen
t way that most long-suffering husbands did before giving her another kiss on the forehead.

  “Babe,” he said when he leaned back. “Leave it alone. Please.”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” she said airily. “I’m not doing anything.”

  I’m not sure whose snort was the loudest, mine, or Cody’s.

  “I ran into your brother last week in town,” Cody said. “He was with his new girlfriend. She seemed nice.”

  “She is,” I agreed. “I was skeptical at first, you know, on account of her age, but they seem happy.”

  Cody shrugged. “I’m not one to pass judgement. “There’s sixteen years between me and Jen, but when it’s right, it’s right.”

  She beamed up at him, her expression filled with love and affection and it caused a pang in my chest. It made me realize how much I longed to have someone look at me as if I was their whole world—someone who was perfect for me.

  I didn’t dare to hope that I’d already met her because I didn’t want to be disappointed, but I couldn’t deny that Liv was a better match for me than anyone I’d met in the last ten years. She was independent, beautiful, successful and about as far from a fame hungry, celebrity chasing woman as I was likely to meet.

  I might not have dared to hope, but hope rose in my chest regardless.

  Chapter Five

  Olivia

  Head tilted, I lifted the large canvas to the wall then eyed it critically. I had most things where I wanted them now, but there were still a couple of pieces that I wasn’t sure where to hang, and one photography piece that hadn’t been completed yet. I had a busy week ahead of me. At least the decorators had finally finished painting the walls. I’d been worried that they wouldn’t be done in time for my grand opening the following week, but they’d pulled it together at the last minute. Thankfully. I could have done without any undue stress—starting a new business was stressful enough already.

  My stomach jolted at the light wrap on the glass door. I’d locked it while I was busy working to ensure I wouldn’t be disturbed. I glanced at my watch. Was it really seven already? I’d been so caught up in my work that the time had gotten away from me. Stomach clenched, I crossed the room to the door. Colton peered in at me through the glass pane. I drew in a calming breath as I unlocked the door then opened it to allow him entry.