Sweet Temptation: A Players Rockstar Romance (Players, Book 3)

by Jaine Diamond

“A while ago,” he muttered, throwing me a look. Clearly, that was all he was about to admit.

  I beamed at him. “You look adorable in that sweater. So you can try to stop being delicious, but it’s not working.”

  “Don’t try to butter me up. I told you, I already got your gift.”

  “What? Can’t a girl pay you a compliment?” I was only speaking truth. It was a nice, thick sweater from a local designer, a simple gray wool that clung nicely to his muscles.

  Though it did have a sprig of bright red-and-green mistletoe knit into it over the left breast.

  I’d begged him to wear it while we went Christmas shopping, and he’d given in. And I loved how it made the salespeople smile at him. No matter how he tried, he just couldn’t pull off grinchy in that thing.

  “If we’re gonna do this living together thing,” he said, watching as I started poking through the bags, “maybe you can give me an idea of the budget beforehand. So the vein in my head doesn’t throb the entire time you shop.”

  “I know. This was all very spendy of me. But look.” I started pulling things out of the bags. “I’m a great gift giver. I got the perfect gifts for everyone on my Christmas list.” I held up a six-pack of craft beer and a men’s black T-shirt that said, Don’t bother, Santa already knows you’re an asshole. “Ashley,” I said triumphantly. When Ronan looked only mildly impressed, I held up a bottle of Canadian whiskey and a giant mug that said, Bossy Bosspants. “Brody?” When he just shook his head, I held up the bottle of premium tequila and the men’s underwear from the sex shop I’d dragged him into; they were skimpy boxer briefs, bright red with cutouts at the sides that would show off his ass muscles. “And these are for you.”

  He took the gifts from my hands, hesitantly, when I shoved them at him. “So, basically, you give gifts that make people you care about uncomfortable?”

  My jaw dropped. “Excuse me? These are gifts to make people I care about smile.”

  He held the underwear up next to his face. “Is this making me smile?”

  He definitely wasn’t smiling.

  “Well, not right now, sweetie. But later when you strip down and slide them on, and I get insta-wet… trust me, you’re gonna be happy.”

  His eyebrow spiked at that. Then he stuffed the underwear in the back pocket of his jeans. “I’ll just save these for later, then.”

  “Oh! And check this out.” I pulled another gift from the bag. “His and hers mugs!” I thrust them toward him as he leaned in to read them.

  The first one said I like her and had a picture of a cat on it. The other one said I like his and had a picture of a rooster on it.

  “Get it??” I prodded.

  “Please tell me those aren’t for us.”

  “They’re for Flynn and Angeline. It’s the perfect couple gift.”

  Yes, Flynn and Angie were officially a couple now. I was thrilled that the two of them had hooked up after Elle invited them both over to her place and left them alone—with a bottle of wine. I’d definitely take credit for that, thank you very much.

  The two of them were living proof that sometimes opposites really do attract. They were freaking adorable together.

  “‘Perfect’ might be a stretch,” Ronan said.

  “Just admit that I’m a fabulous matchmaker.”

  “Kinda helps if you already know one of them is in love with the other. You’re fifty-percent there already.”

  “Don’t even try to downplay my success on this.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

  I hopped up to give him a kiss. “Now open that bottle of tequila and make us some margaritas.”

  “Just one.” He kissed me, lingeringly. “I have to drive us to the party.”

  “Oh, no you don’t. You’re off-duty tonight, which means you’re drinking so that I’m sure you’re not gonna try to play bodyguard. I’m getting you drunk and then I’m getting you into those slutty undies.”

  “Alright,” he groaned, as I kissed his neck. “You win.”

  “Oh, God… it turns me on when you say that.”

  He chuckled and squeezed my ass. “I’ll be right back, and I’ll make us that drink.” Then he disappeared mysteriously upstairs, leaving me to my shopping bags.

  I had oodles of wrapping paper, bows, tags, everything I needed to do this, spread out across the living room already. So I put on some Christmas music and while Eartha Kitt sang “Santa Baby,” I got busy unpacking gifts and laying them out on the couch.

  They weren’t all humorous gifts. I’d chosen a gorgeous blouse for Danica, designer jewelry for Elle and my moms, a dress for Mia, and various cashmere and marino wool sweaters for my dad, my brother and some of my closest male friends. Since tonight would be the last time I’d see my friends before Christmas, I’d wrap the gifts and bring them with us to the party—where I’d play Santa’s sexy elf and pass them out to everyone to take home and put under their trees.

  Tonight, we were celebrating Christmas with my band. And Elle’s band. Dirty was home from the road—including Ashley, who’d already been touring with them for a week before they came home for the holidays, because Jesse had come off the tour when Katie gave birth. Brody was throwing a big party at his house, and they were all coming—new baby included.

  Andre was also coming, as were Ronan’s business partners, Naveen and Sebastian, and their dates. Jude would be there, as would Dirty’s entire security team.

  The place would be thick with hard bodies. So I’d meant it when I said my man was getting drunk.

  I adored drunk Ronan.

  We were booking a cab tonight, and we were letting loose in a completely safe environment, among friends.

  I knew Ronan was still worried about my safety. At all times. That it was hard for him to relax and completely leave my security up to someone else.

  Almost two months ago, when Jude promoted him to head of security for my band, I was beyond thrilled. And when Ronan asked me how I’d feel about Andre being my new bodyguard, I’d told him that I’d give anyone a chance—if he and Jude and Brody thought he was the right man for the job.

  I liked Andre, and besides, it seemed handy enough. Andre could guard my body, so to speak, and Ronan could be free to just enjoy my body.

  While he bossed everyone else around.

  Just the way he and I both liked it.

  Since then, it had been pretty much fun and games, from my point of view.

  But it wasn’t always that way for Ronan.

  A few days after Halloween, he’d sat me down and told me what happened. Though I still wasn’t totally convinced that he’d told me everything.

  What he did say was that Blair Sanchuk had showed up at the Halloween party. He said that’s why he took off that night and had Andre bring me home, and why he came home with his hands bruised and bloody.

  He told me that he and Maddox had followed Blair to a motel. That they took care of things. With a little help from Piper Grayson and the West Coast Kings.

  That part, I’d had to pry out of him with a persistent crowbar.

  He also told me, a little more freely, that he’d managed to get some information about Blair. That he was a member of a notorious motorcycle club from down south called the Bloody Bastards; that Piper thought he’d been recruited to the club in their efforts to make inroads into Canada and try to take over the Kings’ territory.

  Of course, I’d asked him what the hell any of that had to do with me.

  Nothing, as it turns out.

  That’s what Ronan had said to me.

  He’d explained that Sanchuk had been arrested. That he was being charged with a whole lot of serious shit related to his involvement in organized crime. That he was very likely going to prison for a very long time. He told me that he’d thought maybe Blair was after me because of club business, that he seemed to be trying to make contacts in the local party scene. My scene. But that he’d been wrong about that.

  As it turned out, Blair had been stalking me for
“personal reasons.”

  I wasn’t sure which would be worse, but I definitely didn’t love hearing those words.

  Ronan had asked me if he should’ve spared me knowing any of this. If he should’ve just not told me.

  But I’d told him, Please don’t keep things from me. I’m a big girl. I can handle it… And I need to learn this lesson.

  I felt like I’d welcomed that man into my life, to some extent, in the beginning. That some of this was on me.

  Ronan had told me, just like he had so many times, None of this was your fault, Summer.

  But it still felt shitty as hell.

  He’d insisted that if it wasn’t me Blair had chosen to fixate on, he would’ve fixated on someone else. That I was just unlucky as hell, in this instance. And that there may have been other women he was stalking, too.

  That the guy was not right in the head.

  Since then, I’d actually read about Blair’s case in the news. He’d be facing trial, and because of his involvement with a known criminal organization trying to make inroads into Canada, it seemed that officials were eager to press the case. Ronan’s partner, Naveen, said they wanted to make an example out of Blair. And that we were damn lucky they had enough evidence to do it.

  That in a way, I’d had a part in that all coming about.

  And now we could just watch the whole thing play out in the media—from a safe distance.

  That was fine with me.

  But fuck, I just wanted the whole thing to be over.

  Ronan had assured me, many times, that it was over. That even if Blair was ever released, the Kings wouldn’t forget what he did. That he’d earned himself a life sentence on the streets, where trespasses weren’t forgiven.

  Where there was no such thing as a fair trial.

  He also told me something that I knew had to have been hard for him to bring up: that he couldn’t help thinking that Blair might never have noticed me at all if my brother hadn’t come under the radar of his motorcycle club.

  Ronan told me how Justice had introduced him to a guy at his party who had a Bloody Bastards tattoo. He also told me that Blair grew up in Hope. He said he’d had his team run a check on Justice, and that there was no reason to worry about him. At least, not yet.

  But he did advise me to mention to my brother that he should be a little more selective with his friends. That he didn’t want to affiliate himself with the Bastards, and he better stop whatever he was doing before the Kings up near Hope got him on their radar. If he was getting coke from this biker, socializing with him… whatever it was… he needed to stop.

  I heard him on that. Loud and clear.

  My brother liked his cocaine, unfortunately, and so far, it liked him. But he wasn’t stupid and he wasn’t all that reckless. He just had some growing up to do. So I spoke to him and I told him everything. I spoke to Mia, too.

  And of course, they were both pretty upset.

  But I’d chosen not to let myself spiral into worrying about it.

  Instead, I’d decided to stay unworried unless there was a further reason to worry. And in the meantime, I’d asked Ronan if he might look in on Justice, so to speak, now and then. To make sure he was okay. For me.

  I told him I’d cover whatever it cost.

  He told me it was no problem, and there was no cost.

  Of course there is, I’d said.

  Not for you.

  I get the preferred client discount?

  You get the preferred everything discount, he told me.

  And that was that.

  Since then, we’d been blissfully playing house together, and there’d been not a moment of drama… from my brother, from the Kings, from Blair Sanchuk… or anyone else.

  Which meant that as time wore on, I hoped, Ronan would be able to relax when he was with me, more and more…

  Like tonight, at the Christmas party.

  I was almost done wrapping gifts, and they looked fabulous. I bent over the couch, reaching for the tape that had rolled away from me… and a hand landed on my butt.

  I squealed.

  Ronan hooked an arm around my waist and tugged me against him as he sat down. Actually, he tugged me right onto his lap.

  “I got you something,” he murmured into my ear, his teeth grazing my lobe.

  I wriggled in his lap, and I felt the rigid hard-on beneath me. How long had he been standing there, staring at my ass? “Oh, yeah?” I purred. “Can I unwrap it now…?”

  He held something up in front of me. It was a gift. A small box wrapped in gold paper.

  “What!” I bounced a little, and he groaned as I gave him an unintentional lap dance. I snatched the gift out of his hand. “Oh, baby,” I gushed, “you shouldn’t have.”

  Of course, he should have.

  I smiled at him over my shoulder… and I saw his face. He looked horny, like he was enjoying my ass in his lap… but something was off.

  He seemed… nervous?

  I got up and strut over to the tree, and put the gift underneath with the others, so he could breathe easy. Then my phone started buzzing on the bar—and playing “Smooth Criminal.”

  “Don’t answer that,” Ronan growled, sitting forward as I strode over to the bar.

  I answered it. “It’s Ash, though,” I stage-whispered, as I lifted it to my ear.

  Ronan sighed.

  “Summer’s dildo factory! We have them in all shapes and sizes!”

  “Shapes?” Ash said. “Do I wanna hear this?”

  “Absolutely. We’ve got eggplant shaped, mini cucumber, stuffed sausage…”

  “Would you shut up?” Ash chuckled. “I called to tell you something important.”

  “Ohhh. What is it?” I leaned forward on the bar and thrust my ass in the air as Ronan stalked over. He slid his hands over my hips and gave me a squeeze.

  “I married Danica,” Ash said.

  “What?” I froze as Ronan’s hands strayed up my back beneath my shirt.

  “I married Danica,” Ash repeated.

  And he was totally, stone-cold-sober, absolutely fucking serious.

  “You absolute asshole.” I straightened up and swatted Ronan’s hands away. “When did this happen?” I demanded.

  “Yesterday.”

  “What?” I literally did shit-all yesterday. “And you didn’t invite me…?” The words were out of my mouth before it dawned on me. That maybe Danica didn’t want me there? Ashley’s ex-girlfriend… at their special day? My head was reeling as I struggled to comprehend. “Talk to me. I need details.”

  “We did a private thing, just her and me,” he said cooly. “So you didn’t miss out.”

  “You mean everyone missed out.”

  “Sure. Look, the only reason I’m telling you now is because tonight will be the first time you’re seeing us since the wedding, and she’ll be wearing her ring, and so will I, and everyone’s gonna know. And Xander just invited himself over here for pre-party drinks, which means him and Courteney are gonna know in about half an hour, and Matt’s coming, too. So just be honored I called to tell you first.”

  “No, you are lucky you told me first, because I would kick your ass if I had to find out at the back of the line behind everyone else.”

  “Okay, how are you making this about you?”

  I groaned. I locked eyes with Ronan, who was breathing down my neck trying to listen in on this. “Ashley, I’m sorry. I am so incredibly happy for you. I am really, really trying to get past the fact that you just dropped this on me over the phone, and I didn’t get to wear a fabulous dress and toast you guys.”

  “Okay…”

  “But don’t worry, I’ll do that tonight.”

  “I know. And babe, if anyone was coming to the wedding, I would’ve invited you.”

  I smiled. “Tell Danica I’m so happy for you guys, and I can’t wait to give you both squishy hugs.”

  “Okay. We’ll see you tonight. I gotta go.”

  I heard Danica calling to him in the backgr
ound, and my eyes suddenly welled up. “Shit, I love you guys.” It was all hitting me—right in the heart.

  Ash and Danica. Married.

  Ash had married his girl.

  I knew he loved her. Was crazy about her.

  But I didn’t see this coming.

  Of course, I’d been pretty wrapped up in my own romance lately…

  I looked at Ronan as Ash said, “We love you too, Summer.” I could practically hear his eyes roll.

  “See you.” I hung up before I started legit crying or something.

  Ronan traced his fingertips down the side of my face. “What happened?” he asked, though I was pretty sure he must’ve heard at least some of that. He was standing so close.

  “Ashley and Danica got married.”

  He studied my face. “Is that not a good thing?”

  “Yeah, it’s good. Oh my God.” I was still trying to absorb this… “Is Ash finally getting his happy ending?”

  “I don’t follow.”

  I sighed and put the phone down. “Remind me one day to tell you the long and sordid story of Ashley Player and all his broken hearts.”

  “Okay…”

  “It starts waaay back, with his mom.”

  Sympathy softened Ronan’s features. “Ah.”

  I blinked a little, my eyes stinging. “He deserves this, Ronan. If anyone deserves this, it’s him.”

  He slipped his hands around my waist and tugged me against him gently.

  “You’re a good friend, Summer Sorensen.”

  “I told you, long ago. I want everyone to be happy.”

  “I know you do.” He kissed me softly. Then he murmured against my lips, “Aren’t you gonna open your present?”

  “It’s not Christmas yet.” I smiled, and since he looked like he really wanted me to open it, I turned my back to him and wrote Xander’s name on the last gift tag. Ronan’s grip on me loosened but didn’t let go. “We’ll take them with us to Victoria and open them Christmas morning,” I added breezily.

  “Christmas is only four days away. You can open it early.”

  I glanced at him over my shoulder. He was still standing right behind me, his body pressed to mine. Why was he so damn eager to play Santa Claus all of a sudden?

  What happened to the Grinch act?

  “You already gave me this Christmas sweater,” he went on, as I turned to face him. “And the underwear and tequila…”