Fractured Hearts: A Fractured Rock Star Romance

by L. M. Dalgleish

  Lexie fluttered her tongue against him, then pulled back so that her mouth was just wrapped around the tip. Sliding back down, she sucked hard, and this time he couldn’t quite stop himself holding her head and thrusting.

  Looking down and seeing her with her lips around him, her bare breasts jutting out of her dress, had him right on the edge. If he didn’t want to blow his load, he needed to stop her right now, but he fully intended to enjoy her mouth on him again before the night was over.

  Connor used his hands in Lexie’s hair to tug her back, and she glanced up at him with questioning eyes. “That’s too good, baby, but the first time I come tonight won’t be in your mouth, so you need to stop there.”

  Lexie nodded, her eyes looking slightly dazed and unfocused as she gave him one last, long lick, which was so hot it almost had him pushing back between her lips. Instead, he reached out and slipped first one strap and then the other off her shoulders, so that the already half-undone dress dropped to her waist.

  “Lean back, baby,” he told her, and when she did, he had to stop and stare again because it was so fucking sexy. She was leaning back on her hands with her breasts pushed up by her bra, her dress pooled over her hips, and since he’d already stripped her panties off, he knew she was bare underneath the thin strip of fabric. His heart was pounding, and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to wait much longer.

  “Lift your hips,” he growled. She complied immediately, and he dragged her dress off, discarding it to the side. “Now your bra.” He waited with bated breath as she sat up straight and undid the clasp at the front, letting the straps slip off her shoulders. He had to clench his hands to stop himself pushing her back on the bed and taking her right then.

  Connor suddenly realized Lexie hadn’t said a word since she’d told him she wanted to taste him. Concerned he might be pushing her, he dropped to his knees in front of her again so he could see her eye to eye. He reached out and cupped her chin. “Are you still with me, baby?”

  She blinked at him and then nodded jerkily. “God yes. I’m sorry, I’m just so turned on I don’t think my brain is working properly.”

  Heat surged through him at Lexie’s confession. “Well, in that case, move up the bed and lie down. Let me take care of you.” The look she gave him as she did was pure lust.

  Reaching down to his jeans, he fished out a handful of condoms and threw them onto the side table, then climbed onto the bed. Without him telling her to, she opened her legs, and he crawled in between them, sliding his erection across her damp folds as he slid himself up her body and claimed her mouth. Having her soft curves under him again felt like heaven.

  Breathing heavily, he broke the kiss, and she panted, “Connor, I need you inside me right now.”

  “Not yet, baby. I don’t want to rush this; I’ve been waiting too long.”

  Then he dropped his head to her chest and sucked a nipple into his mouth, causing her to clutch at his hair and writhe against him. He nipped her in warning, and she stilled under him, the only sound in the room their heavy breaths. As Connor turned his attention to her other breast, he slid one hand down the soft skin of her stomach and over her hip, until he reached the wetness between her legs. He used his thumb to lightly circle her clit, and she gasped, her hips jolting against him in response. He looked up at her, pure male satisfaction flooding through him when he saw her expression: eyes wide and glassy, cheeks flushed, and lips parted as she took rapid, panting breaths. “Ready to come for me again, baby?” he asked.

  “Y-yes.” She pushed her hips up, trying to get more pressure, more friction, so he gave it to her until she was writhing under him.

  “Connor, I need more,” she whimpered, and he slid one, then two fingers into her slick heat. He groaned; she was so goddamn tight.

  Fuck it. He was done waiting.

  He rolled over onto his back, pulling her with him until she was straddling his hips. “I want you to ride me.”

  Lexie looked down at the hard length of him jutting up in front of her. “I want that too,” she said, reaching out and stroking him until his hips were thrusting up helplessly.

  Fuuucckk, she was going to kill him.

  Gritting his teeth, he reached down and put one of his hands over hers to stop her, while the other reached for a condom. After he sheathed himself, she lifted up, so she was poised above him. His breathing was strained as she gripped his cock, slid the tip through her wetness a couple of times, and then eased down. They both moaned in unison as she took him in a couple of inches, before rising back up and sinking down again.

  Connor couldn’t drag his eyes away from the sight of Lexie taking him into her body one inch at a time. When she was finally pressed flush against him, he was so close to coming he had to grip her hips to stop her from moving until he had himself under control.

  He stared up at her, her long dark hair hanging down in waves over her shoulders, her cheeks flushed, eyes wide, and lips pink and swollen from his kisses. He felt something shift in his chest at the sight of her, but he pushed it out of his mind, instead, using his hands on her hips to encourage her to move.

  Lexie lifted herself again, pausing for an excruciating second before driving down on him, causing all his muscles to tighten in an effort not to piston up into her. She rolled her hips against his over and over again, gradually increasing her pace and pausing now and then to grind herself against him.

  When she threw her head back, he used the opportunity to reach up and palm her breasts, playing with both of her nipples, rolling them between his fingers, then pinching and tugging on them. She whimpered, and he could feel her tightening around him, close to coming. As incredible as it felt having her ride him, for some reason he suddenly wanted to be pounding into her when she came, taking her, making sure she came harder than she ever had before.

  Sitting up, he put his arms around her, then rolled them both so he was resting between her thighs. Lexie gasped in surprise but then wrapped her legs around his waist and arched into him. “Connor, I need to come.”

  His mouth crushed against hers as he started pumping into her. He knew he wouldn’t last—he’d been waiting for this too long, but he’d make it up to her next time. Now he just wanted to feel her come around him and then lose himself inside her.

  Pushing up on one arm, he reached down and stroked his thumb over her clit. Once, twice, and just like that she came, throwing her head back, crying out as she clenched around him so tightly, he could barely move inside her. Not that it mattered; he was right there with her.

  With one last, almost violent thrust, he held himself still as his release blasted through him, the pleasure so intense, he could do nothing but close his eyes and ride it out. When it finally began to ebb, he pressed his lips against hers over and over, wanting to prolong the moment before he had to pull out.

  Connor could still feel residual shivers running through Lexie’s body. When she finally opened her eyes, they were wide and liquid as she gazed up at him, and he felt that shift in his chest again; the one he didn’t want to think too hard about. Ignoring it, he brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. “Worth waiting for?” He smiled down at her.

  “Absolutely,” she laughed.

  That laugh, while he was still inside her, did all kinds of interesting things to him. Already semi-hard again, he gave a few lazy pumps, which made her gasp and rock against him. He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “We’re just getting started.” Then he had to pull out to take care of the condom, tying it off and throwing it in the wastebasket in the bathroom.

  When he came back, Lexie had rolled over onto her stomach and was looking at him coyly over her shoulder. He ran his eyes down her perfect curves and felt himself harden fully. It was going to be a long night—and he was going to enjoy every fucking minute of it.

  Chapter 32

  As the door closed behind Connor, Lexie sighed, then pressed her flushed face into the cool pillow. Last night had been amazing. Beyond amazing. She’d l
ost track of the number of times and ways he’d made her come. And in between, they’d talked. Not about anything serious, just getting to know each other better. Finding out things like favorite countries they’d visited, favorite foods, favorite songs. They’d fallen asleep after Connor set his alarm so he could leave before anyone was wandering the halls.

  She’d been the first to raise whether to say anything to the other band members or Drew. They’d agreed to keep their fling quiet. Neither of them wanted to answer the myriad of questions that were bound to be asked or risk Lexie’s professional reputation. She knew they would face some difficulty trying to ensure no one found out, but since they were both in uncharted territory, it made sense to keep it quiet.

  Rolling over, she stared up at the ceiling. Like probing a sore tooth, she thought of Damien, testing her feelings about what she was doing. While the ever-present sadness was there, the guilt she’d felt last time didn’t overwhelm her. She hadn’t had the dream either, which made her think maybe she had passed a turning point in her grief. Part of it was what Connor had said last time. Damien wouldn’t want her to be alone forever. Just like if she’d been the one to die, she would have wanted him to move on and find happiness with someone else. She would always love Damien; nothing would ever change that. But without him here, that love couldn’t sustain her for the rest of her life. She wanted to give her heart to someone and have someone give their heart to her. She wanted to meet someone she could fall for as hard as she’d fallen for Damien.

  What if you’ve already met him?

  Lexie pushed the thought away. The physical connection she had with Connor was undeniable. He’d brought her body back to life, blown her mind with the intensity of feeling he could draw from her, and shown her she could move past her grief. But there was no future for them after the end of the tour. He was a rock god, with thousands of willing women at his beck and call. It would be hard enough while they were sleeping together to watch all those women throw themselves at him. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if they were in a relationship.

  The temporary desire he felt for her was just that—temporary. So instead of wishing things were different—that he wasn’t what he was—she would grab the next few weeks with both hands and then deal with the inevitable pain when it ended. Sighing, she got out of bed and headed to the shower.

  She ended up being the first one down to breakfast. Putting some fruit and toast on her plate, she settled into a booth by the window, losing herself in thoughts of the night before until someone slid in next to her. Turning her head, she saw Noah’s blue eyes sparkling at her and couldn’t stop the small spike of disappointment that it wasn’t Connor. Hoping it hadn’t shown on her face, she gave him a warm smile.

  “You looked deep in thought?” He raised his eyebrows at her in question.

  “Oh, you know, just thinking about the book.” She hoped her flushed cheeks didn’t give away the lie.

  “How’s that all going, anyway?”

  Before she had a chance to answer, the others arrived in a group. She caught Connor’s eye and flashed him a slight smile. When Drew tried to slide into the seat opposite her, Connor casually grabbed his shoulder and said something to him Lexie couldn’t hear. Drew nodded and then strode off, while Connor slid into the spot across from her. Lexie couldn’t help the warmth that flooded through her at the evidence that he wanted to be near her, even outside the bedroom.

  Smiling at him, she asked, “Where’s Drew going?”

  He cleared his throat and looked slightly embarrassed. “I told him my throat was sore and asked him to get me some orange juice.”

  Noah raised his eyebrows. “You couldn’t get it yourself? You know he’s our manager, right, not part of the crew? Don’t tell me the fame’s finally gone to your head and now you expect to be waited on hand and foot.”

  Connor scowled at his friend. “You didn’t see him complaining, did you? I think the money we make him will compensate for any inconvenience.”

  “Wow, someone got out on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Didn’t you sleep well or something?”

  The slow burn of a blush spread over Lexie’s cheeks, and she lowered her eyes so she wasn’t looking at Connor as he replied.

  “Actually, I had an amazing night… of sleep. I wish I could have stayed in bed longer.”

  Glancing up finally, she met Connor’s dark gaze and couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth tugging up at the sight of his smirk.

  “Well, glad you enjoyed it because we’re back on the bus tonight,” Noah grumbled.

  Connor frowned. She wondered if he was as disappointed as she was that there wouldn’t be a repeat of last night. Not until they reached the next hotel stop, which wasn’t for another couple of days.

  Drew returned with a pitcher of ice-cold orange juice for the table, and conversation halted as everyone dug into their food. After a few minutes, Noah sat back and then turned to her. “You never answered my question about how everything was going with the book.”

  “Oh, right. I think it’s going well. Probably too well. Since I’ve got so many good photos, it’s going to take some tough decisions to narrow it down for the final draft. I’ve started some mock-ups just to get my thoughts down. I’ve still got to do Zac’s portrait though, when we get a chance.” She looked down at the end of the table where Zac was sitting.

  He stopped eating and glanced over at the mention of his name, his hazel eyes questioning.

  She raised her voice slightly. “I was saying I still have to get your portrait. Everyone else’s is done.”

  He nodded. “Sure, just let me know when you need me.”

  Lexie smiled at the serious bassist in acknowledgment. She probably knew the least about him out of all the guys, which was making it hard to figure out his portrait. There were a couple of vague ideas bouncing around in her head, but nothing definite. She made a mental note to spend some time chatting to him over the next few days to see if she could come up with a firm idea.

  Noah put his arm around her and pulled her against him, something he’d done regularly since she’d been with them. This time she noticed something flash in Connor’s eyes, and he turned a narrowed gaze on his friend.

  “You know, not everyone is as touchy-feely as you are, Noah. Did you ever stop to ask Lexie if she likes being manhandled all the time?”

  She gaped at him. Where the hell had that come from? Apparently, she wasn’t the only one surprised at his words.

  “Lexie’s never had a problem with me being affectionate.” Noah turned to her. “Have you?”

  Her eyes darted toward Connor, who was now looking down at his plate, jaw tense. Uncertain what to say, she looked up at Noah. “Um, I don’t have a problem. We’re friends. I know you don’t mean anything by it.”

  Noah grinned and winked at her. Then she turned her eyes to Connor, who was staring at her, brows drawn together. She wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but if he wasn’t careful, everyone would catch on to what they were doing together. He’d never struck her as the possessive type before, and it wasn’t like they were in a relationship, so she couldn’t understand why he was reacting that way.

  She frowned at him and tried to tell him with her eyes that they would talk later, but he turned and stared resolutely out the window. She didn’t know what to do about his reaction, and as much as she hated to admit it, a far too big a part of her was thrilled that he might be feeling possessive.

  That part of her would end up getting her heart broken.

  After a few minutes, she felt a pressure against her leg under the table, and she looked at him from under her lashes. He seemed to have shaken off whatever had been bothering him, and now his green eyes were warm as he pressed his leg against hers. His expression made her heart flutter.

  She was in so much trouble.

  Chapter 33

  Just over a week later, the convoy was rolling into New Orleans. Lexie had spent the last few days hanging out with Zac, t
rying to find out more about him. It hadn’t been easy drawing the enigmatic bassist out, but they’d fallen into a rhythm of asking and answering questions. He’d turned out to have an amateur interest in photography, so they’d had some enjoyable conversations where he’d picked her brain about that, and she’d given him some pointers.

  This morning he was trying to explain to her what the difference was between a bass and a six-string guitar, which was something she’d never thought about before.

  “The simplest difference is the pitch range. Bass guitar plays notes an octave lower than a six-string guitar. But the fundamental difference is the role of the bass. Along with the drums, it provides the foundation of a song, so that the other instruments and vocals have a solid base to work from.”

  “So, pretty important, then?” She smiled over at him, enjoying the way his eyes lit up as he talked about the instrument.

  “Yep. There aren’t many bands that don’t have a bass player, though there are quite a few without guitarists. But you also have to make sure not to upstage anyone else, because the bass can end up being too loud and overwhelming. The role of the bass is about improving the whole tune and blending in so that the music itself stands out.”

  “So, you don’t get to do many solos?”

  “Not really. I mean, you can solo on the bass, it’s just not what it’s meant for. But if you listen to a song and lock in on the bass, you can hear the rhythm driving the song and feel the music as much as hear it. Here, let me show you.”

  He grabbed his phone and set it on a speaker dock, then touched the screen a few times, until Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust” started playing.

  “The first notes you hear are the bass, and the song is instantly recognizable just from those few notes on their own.”