“Anything for you,” he whispered.
Chapter 36
“Did you see this?” I asked Chad 10 days later when I saw him on campus in the middle of the afternoon.
He leaned over and looked at the iPhone I had gotten for Christmas. “They arrested him?”
“Yep. This is terrible.” I sat on a bench, sulking.
The previous Friday night, Dean Johnson of Gasoline had been at a local bar, high and drunk. A fight broke out when he grabbed someone’s girlfriend’s ass. It ended with Dean breaking the guy’s jaw. Since it wasn’t his first bar fight or his first arrest, they planned to throw the book at him. He was arrested at his home that morning. Rumors said he would most likely get a year for it.
“I read that Gasoline is breaking up,” I told him.
He sat and threw an arm around my shoulders. “I doubt that’ll happen. Maybe he’ll go into rehab and finally get clean.”
“I hope so.”
Chad squeezed my arm. “Even if they do, I bet Tommy Fischer will be in another band. That way, you can still drool over him. I’m sure he knows from your zillion fan letters that you’d die without him.” He laughed. “I bet if you ever met him, you’d pass out.”
“Yeah.” I didn’t dispute that. “Next time they go on tour, maybe we can get VIP passes.”
He nodded. “Maybe.” He checked his watch. “Gotta go.” He stood and took my hand. “Come on.” We both had classes in the music department next. He walked with me until we reached my room. Then he leaned down and kissed my lips. “I’ll see you later. We got practice tonight.”
Since it was the first day of classes, I had no idea who else would also be taking Music Appreciation. I peeked inside and scanned the room. No one I recognized. I shrugged and walked down the wide set of stairs in the middle. The female professor was digging in her bag, not yet ready to start.
My eyes fell on a young man in the fourth row, at the end. He had long, dark brown hair down past his shoulders and huge biceps were flashed every time he moved his arms. As soon as I got close, I froze, biting my lip. What held my attention about him, I had no clue.
He turned and smiled. My hands trembled. He was hot as hell. Then my notebook slipped.
“Here you go, beautiful,” he said as he picked it up.
I reached out to take it, but I couldn’t say a word. Instead, I nodded and hurried off to a seat not too close, but with a view of him. He looked slightly familiar. If he had been in any of my other classes, I was sure I would have remembered it.
When the professor started talking, I couldn’t pay attention. My focus was riveted to the hottie. It made no sense at all. No man had ever gotten my full attention before. OK, well—maybe Paulie—but I had already gotten to know him first. This was at first sight. I had no clue what his name was, where he came from or if he had a girlfriend. None of it mattered. I wanted to get to know him.
Bradley came to mind. After Atlantic City, I had only seen him twice. He was becoming impatient, since I avoided sex with him. I knew I needed to tell him I was having second thoughts about our relationship, whatever it was. Seeing Paulie again had changed everything for me. I no longer wanted someone just to keep me from being lonely. I wanted something special. Bradley wasn’t that. He was just a rebound. There was no future with him.
I smiled when the cute guy glanced at me. Why can’t I even talk to him? I wasn’t shy. He seemed to take away my ability to do anything. I leaned my chin on my hand and stared at the wall. Maybe I can accidentally bump into him, and it’ll start a conversation?
Daydreaming was not my usual, but he inspired a doozy. He and I were alone in the classroom. I watched him cross the room to me. He held out his hand, and I took it. Then he led me to the front. His hands framed my face, and his lips brushed over mine. I was in heaven.
His hands slid down to my ass, and he whispered, “I want you.”
I smiled. “I want you, too.”
He winked, and then turned me around and bent me over the professor’s desk. “Good thing.” Then he pulled my panties down and rammed his cock into me.
“Did you hear what she said?” someone next to me asked, breaking me off from the fantasy.
I shook my head. “No. Sorry.” Then I realized I was missing the class syllabus.
The rest of the class, I tried to pay attention. When it was over, I rushed out, embarrassed that I had imagined having sex with someone I didn’t even know. It was my last class of the day, so I quickly searched for Chad outside.
“Hey there,” I said when I found him. “Can we go?” I didn’t want to see the hottie until I composed myself.
Chad cocked an eyebrow. “What’s the rush?”
I froze when bicep guy passed behind Chad. He glanced at me and smiled but nothing more. I practically swooned. “Uh… don’t we… have to hurry up?” I stared as he walked away, shocked that I was already obsessed with him.
“I guess.” Chad put an arm around my shoulders, startling me. “Something wrong?”
To hide my weird feelings, I bit my lip. “Uh, no.”
He led me to his van. “Spikes’ been annoying. Somethin’ goin’ on?”
“Kinda.” I grunted as I hopped into the passenger seat. Without heels, it was quite high up for me. “I’m thinking of ending it.”
He didn’t reply until he had started the van. “This about Paulie?”
I turned and found him looking at me. “Well, seeing him again brought back a lot and made me think.”
“Did you guys get to talk it out?” He clasped his hand in mine. “Say goodbye the right way?” His eyes showed concern. “I know you both disappeared after the show, so I was hoping you found each other.”
“We did,” I replied softly. “It wasn’t easy, but we let go.” The stupid tears were forming again. “I cried, and he held me. We said goodbye.”
He reached over and hugged me. “I knew something happened, but you didn’t wanna talk about it. So I didn’t ask.”
“Yeah.” I took a deep breath and pushed him back. “I gotta let it go.”
He kissed my forehead and sat back. “You do, but it does take time.” He put his seatbelt on and set the van in gear. “Seatbelt.”
I put mine on and faced forward. “Time is something I have plenty of.”
We arrived at the rented studio a bit late. There was shouting coming from the room. When Chad opened the door, loud male voices assaulted us. I stepped inside to see Bradley and Logan in a heated argument. It was hard to understand what they were saying. However, it sounded like it was over a woman.
Chad slammed the door closed, making them both turn. “There a problem?”
“No.” Logan glared at Bradley and walked our way. “Just stupid shit.”
I noticed Skylar was hiding in a corner. She couldn’t even look at me. Even when she sat behind her kit. I knew something fishy had gone on. Logan couldn’t face me either.
“Bradley, what’s going on?” I put my hands on my hips.
He turned to me. Guilt was written all over his face. “Uh, nothing. Just stupid shit, like Logan said.”
I looked from one of them to the other. It wasn’t nothing. Then I saw a hickey on Bradley’s throat. Images from Atlantic City came back to me. Paulie made love to me while Bradley was a few rooms away. I cheated, too. If it was so easy for us to stray, what was the point? Neither of us was committed to the other. I glanced at Bradley again. He looked nervous as hell. He didn’t want me to know. Was it because he didn’t want to hurt me, or he was worried he’d lose his regular pussy fix?
“You and Skylar?”
I put my hands on my waist, not sure how to feel about him breaking a promise. Then I realized he told me only Chad couldn’t have his pussy. He never told me I had to be exclusive. Did that mean I didn’t cheat, but he did? Our relationship was strange. It was also going nowhere. It wasn’t worth saving.
“You want that skanky pussy?” I cocked an eyebrow at Bradley, whose eyes opened wide. “You
can have it. We’re done.”
Skylar stood up, but Logan put up a hand. “I got this.” He stared at me. “Don’t you call her a skank. They fucked. Big deal. Thought you guys weren’t serious.”
“Well, he made a promise and broke it.” That fact hurt a bit. I glared at Bradley. “You can fuck Neil, but not women, remember?”
“Neil?” Chad’s mouth dropped. “He’s fucking a guy, too?”
Bradley growled, obviously upset I outed him to Chad. “Kick her out! She’s gotta go. Logan, you play bass. We don’t need her.”
Logan sighed. “Crystal, can you chill out? Or should we ask you to leave?”
“Leave?” I laughed. “I quit.”
Chad shouted, “Fuck this! You guys take his side? Then I take her side. See ya.” He opened the door for me, and we walked out together.
Once settled in the van again, I asked, “Am I just a tragic soul destined to be alone?” I felt so down again.
“No.” He sighed and grabbed my hand. “But I think that’s a cool band name.”
My eyes lit up. “It is?” I smiled at him.
“Yeah.” He smiled and pulled my face towards him. Our lips met in a gentle kiss. “How about we build another band? This time we choose the drummer and singer.”
I liked that idea. It wasn’t easy coming into something already established. “What about rhythm guitar?”
“That’s the last thing we need.” He rolled his eyes. “You always fall for them.”
I leaned over, resting my head on his arm. “I hate being alone.”
“You’ll always have me, baby.”
About the Author
Bella Jeanisse hails from New York City. At 10 years old, Bella picked up her first guitar. She was instantly hooked. Because of her deep passion for tall men, rock music, tattoos and motorcycles, she has gotten to know many musicians and roadies over the years—in every possible way.
Although she has been writing risqué stories about musicians for many years, she has just recently taken these tales to the next level revealing, through her protagonists, the hold some of these men still have on her. They have inspired more than they ever imagined.
Now living in Florida with her three sons, she juggles domestic responsibilities, a social life, her career as an IT professional and her writing as carefully as possible. They do cross paths as you have seen in her first collection of short stories. Her life is busy and full, yet very fulfilling.
The few limits Bella puts on her love-life may be found as but a shadow in her writing. She draws from life, fantasy and inspiration to create each tale.
Bella has broadened her horizons to include short stories, Insatiable Appetites, with many more to come, some just a sentence at this point. The subjects range from military men to biker chicks to naughty doctors and much, much more. You can find a taste of the newest shorts on Wattpad.
The Triple Threat universe is growing. Gasoline 2: Evolving Urges is coming. Triple Threat 3: Dual Desires is finished. Soon enough, you’ll get to know Silverblade, Main Street, Winter Winds, Brass Monkey, Mark of the Devil and Wounded Hearts, too… So many hot rock stars, so little time to bring them to life.
Interact with Bella on Twitter @BellaJeanisse or Facebook. She would love to hear from you!
As a courtesy, we ask that our readers, please, leave honest reviews of this book wherever they bought it. Constructive, considerate reviews help our authors grow as writers and satisfy our avid readers.
Be sure to click the register button and sign up as a Xynobooks member for new title releases, catalog specials, contests and giveaway information!
If there were any quality issues with this book (i.e. misspellings, typos, misalignments) or other concerns, please, contact us!
Follow Xynobooks on our social sites!
Xynobooks, LLC – Publishing New Authors for the Next Century!
All Rights Reserved.
Thanks for reading Tragic Soul. We appreciate your interest in our books. As a courtesy, we’ve included the following Sneak Peek chapters from books we think you might also enjoy. Happy reading!
Sneak Peek: Evolving Urges
by Bella Jeanisse
Chapter One
Noelle Young, vocalist of Winter Winds, woke up and rolled over. The space next to her was empty. “Dominic?” she called out. There was no answer, but she heard faint music. She had fallen asleep in the arms of Dominic Spinelli, her boyfriend and Gasoline’s lead guitarist. “Dom, you still here?”
After using the bathroom and putting on one of his shirts, she crept down the hallway. She had agreed to stay at his place for 10 days when they were in Virginia. It was their first night back from that trip, and they were both content. Committing to someone again was a change for them both.
The music room door was closed. She smiled as she listened. The piano piece was something she recognized, but didn’t know the name. When she opened the door a crack, she was surprised to see Dominic playing it himself. She had thought it was a recording.
Opening the door wider, she noticed he was completely engrossed in it. His eyes were closed, and his head was swaying a bit. He didn’t miss a note. Pride swelled inside her. She had known he was talented, but what she was hearing was beyond that.
“Hey,” Dominic said when he had hit the last note. “Did I wake you?”
She smiled. “No. I just missed you.” After hesitating, she walked to him. “Couldn’t sleep?”
“Kinda.” He glanced at the keys under his fingers then at his lap. “I started having nightmares again. But they’re different this time.”
Unsure if he wanted to talk, she watched for signs of him withdrawing like he used to. Instead, he looked up at her, so she asked, “What’re they about?”
“You in the car.” He couldn’t say more.
She took a deep breath, and then stood behind him and wrapped her arms around him. “Anything I can do?”
Dominic leaned back on her and reached up, holding her face. “Just this. Being here for me helps the most.”
He wished he knew how to stop the dreams. Noelle replacing Claire in the fatal accident was impossible and irrational, but he dreamed of it anyway. When he woke up drenched in sweat, he didn’t want her to worry. After a cool shower, he was drawn to the piano. It was what he did years ago when life became too much: play classical pieces.
“You play beautifully,” she whispered. “I never knew you were that good.”
Grinning, he tilted his head up. “Thanks. I been playing since I was six. My mom called me a prodigy.” Back then, he practiced several hours a day. “I used to play any time something bothered me.”
“Like this morning?” Her eyes closed. “It’s a better outlet than some.”
He nodded. “Yeah. I tried all the others over the years. The pain comes back.” His voice was soft, his sadness evident.
Without asking, she knew what he meant. He had tried anything he could to numb the guilt. She was glad the walls had finally broken down that emotional night. His tale was heart-wrenching, but also gave him relief. If not for that night, they wouldn’t be together.
“Do you feel better now?” She ran her hands down his chest. “Did the music soothe you?”
He sighed. “Yeah. You still wanna look at houses today?”
“Of course.” She hugged his neck gently. “Our vacation spot, right?”
“Right.” He pulled her arms open and stood. Then he turned, smiling. “We both have to like it, so be honest. Kristen said she has eight properties for us to look at.”
The two of them had spent most of the day before searching online in Dominic’s bedroom. Then they decided to use Kristen, Tommy’s realty contact, after all. Tommy was his band’s bassist.
Dominic was impressed—Kristen knew her stuff. He worried Tommy was kidding that she was good at her job. Normally, Tommy only thought of sex. Kristen was a looker, but she said she wasn’t into Tommy in a non-professional way. Their video chat with Kristen had included mor
e than just real estate talk.
Dominic was happy Noelle was staying for nine more days. Letting her go when it was time to leave for Seattle was going to hurt. The night before, they stayed in, watched movies, and then snuggled in bed. He couldn’t imagine wanting to sleep alone again.
“Do you have to check on your parents before we leave?” She knew very little about them, but she knew they were getting on in years.
After thinking it over, he replied, “I should. I haven’t stopped by in more than a week. My mom’s probably worried.” He had been preoccupied with Noelle, and a few things had been forgotten. Dean, Gasoline’s singer, was another issue he needed to deal with.
“Did your mother call?”
He met her worried gaze. “No. Sometimes she forgets where she puts her address book. She won’t let me buy her a cell phone.”
Noelle laughed. “I couldn’t live without mine.” She put her hands on his waist. “Do you want me to try and convince her?”
His eyes opened wide. He didn’t want Noelle meeting his parents. It would most definitely end in disaster. “You can stay here. I’ll go.”
“What the hell?” She could tell he was shutting her out. “I thought we had no more secrets. Why don’t you want me to meet your family?”
He backed away from her and steeled himself against the inevitable. “It’s not that.” He walked out and headed to his bedroom. Then he turned back and went the other way.
“Then what is it?” she asked, following him. “Dominic, we’re not doing this again. Talk to me.”
He stopped in the kitchen, in front of the cabinet that held his liquor. Resisting the urge to open it, his hands balled into fists. “It’s complicated.”
“I’m used to complicated.” She folded her arms over her chest and waited.
Glancing at her, he knew she wasn’t going to budge. “They’re not doing well.”
Tragic Soul Page 26
