Table of Contents
REVEAL
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
To Be Continued
REVEAL
~~*****~~
A Billionaire Rock Star Romance Series
~~~~ Book 2 of 3 ~~~~
(Contemporary, New Adult Romance)
by
Bella Wild and Bella Love-Wins
CHAPTER ONE
ALEXANDRA was not sure if she really heard Bash.
“You’re going about this all wrong,” he whispered.
“All wrong?” she mumbled groggily.
Half-awake at the sound of Sebastian’s voice, she shifted her head in her sleep. The tangled sheets were wet with sweat, clinging to her naked body as she turned and discovered she was not the only one in the guestroom bed. His hot mouth glided over her shoulder to her collarbone, and from his lips an incoherent growl of arousal stirred the air and registered in her ear.
He flicked his hot tongue against her earlobe, and pleasure transformed her face. Alexandra squeezed her eyes shut, relaxed her jaw, and arched her neck in anticipation. She moved her hands slowly over the covers to meet the wicked throbbing between her legs, stopping in confusion about what was going on here. For Alexandra, this was out of character, particularly in front of Bash.
Wait, this cannot be happening…
None of the details around the room came into focus. To her senses, they might as well have been floating weightlessly in a black void. All she could see, hear, smell, and taste was Sebastian Sullivan. He was more than enough to make the rest of the world disappear, yet it still did not make sense. With thoughts too hazy to understand the sensual onslaught of his touch, she was past any awareness of whether she was dreaming or seriously in need of a jolt to wake up before her secret was exposed.
Slick and slippery, his body ground down on her, getting closer despite the covers that separated them. Alexandra’s head was spinning. The room was so damn hot, but his lips were even hotter.
Oh my freaking god—this can’t be real.
A frantic realization registered just then. Her skeptical brain protested, but the voice of reason was drowned out by her thundering heartbeat and the blood rush of excited awareness. She opened her startled eyes and stared into what she was sure was Bash’s face.
He left a ticklish kiss in the center of her forehead between her eyebrows, making her eyes drift shut, now blind to reality but open to the possibilities. This could be real. Sebastian swept distracting feather-light kisses down along the slant of her cheek in a silky trail to her lips. He moved her hand away from her mound and pinned her wrists over her head.
“Stop trying to do everything yourself,” he groaned into her open mouth. A heated moan burst free as he nibbled at her lips, as though the sound of her pleasure tasted good to him.
Bash hovered over her with his palms flat on the bed. His pelvis pressed rhythmically between her parted thighs, battering the shores of her body with just the sheet to break the waves. It only heightened the tease of his slow, circular movements on her hips. She could still feel the nudging probe of his steely erection pushing harder and harder by degrees against the fabric, like he might have eventually torn through. She wanted him to get past the barrier, but then he would know.
Writhing beneath him, feeling his hard shaft stroke against her swollen clit, she murmured deliriously, “God, Bash. You don’t know how badly I want this.”
That’s not what I should be saying.
She fumbled in vain for the right words to tell him she was not who he thought she was before things went any further and he found out on his own. Instead, another feverish exclamation of desire spilled free.
“No…wait. Mmmm…God, Bash…wait…I have to…I need to tell you something,” she stammered.
Bash needed to know Alex Roberts did not really exist.
I’m Lexxi Rock.
No, I’m Alexandra Storme.
Alexandra could not think straight with Bash’s hands sparking fires all down her body. The erotic play sent the sheet lower, with friction dragging it over her quivering stomach and down her slender thighs until there was nothing left to shield her.
He paused above her, waiting for whatever profound announcement she stopped him to make, but Alexandra sharply whimpered dissent at the interruption. Her hips bucked in response to the intimate skin to skin contact when the rest of the sheet slithered away, and her legs wrapped around his waist to hold him prisoner when he tried to get up.
“Don’t go,” she pleaded feverishly.
“Just tell me!” Bash commanded in a fierce whisper. He put his forehead against hers, cupped her face in his hands, and stared directly into her eyes, waiting.
Alexandra turned away from his challenge. Her fingernails dug anxiously into his muscular shoulders. She somehow knew everything would change if she confessed. He ran his fingers through her short black hair and gently tugged her head back, forcing her to look at him again. His gaze dropped to the exposed curve of her neck. Emitting a lusty growl, Bash planted his fiery mouth along the ridge and sucked at her throbbing pulse. His nibbling teeth, his heated lips, nipping and kissing their way down to her chest.
He breathed raggedly into her cleavage. “Why can’t you just be honest with me?”
Alexandra bit back a guilty sob, tossing her head from side to side in confusion at her inability to do exactly that. His hands sensually kneaded and caressed the small globes of her breasts and toyed with her hardened, sensitive nipples in a way that erupted a swarm of sensations below Alexandra’s pelvis. His straight, white teeth painlessly held hostage a nipple as he flicked his hot, wet tongue against the tip.
“Bash!” she gasped. Her back arched, allowing her breast to press more deeply into his mouth.
Bash’s free hand coasted down to her mound, dipping his fingers into her needy center and tickling the soft skin between her legs. Briefly again, realization tried to push past her blissful ignorance.
If he’s touching me like this, then he knows, right?
Her epiphany flitted away as quickly as it had arrived, and her thighs spilled open wider to revel in his penetrating touch. Whimpering with need, she clasped the back of his head while he excitably ran his expert tongue from one nipple to the next, causing her body to instinctively move up and down his thrusting fingers. The most exquisite ecstasy accompanied each stroke. The building tension expanded and filled her up to where combustible pleasure was ready to ignite. Faster and faster, he beckoned for her to come. She cried out, ready to release.
“All you have to do,” he groaned against her chest, “is let yourself be free.”
There was no holding back. It was now or never.
“Bash, I’m not who you think—”
An explosion of euphoric pleasure snatched the admission from her lips. The rest of the words never made it out. Her body erupted in vivid gold and violet flames of rapture, and the fire instantly engulfed all of her in an explosive orgasm.
Alexandra’s eyelids popped open and she jerked awake in a panic. Praying she did not actually scream out loud in the midst of the erotic dream that had the covers kicked to the floor and her body dripping with sweat, she sat up and looked around. No one came running, and that was a damned good sign in her books.
She hurriedly patted down her chest, confirming she was still wearing the dark blue pajamas she had on when she went to bed. Looking over at the full length mirror at the corner of the room, she saw her reflection. Her face was flushed with embarrassment at what just happened.
“What am I, back to living like a teenager?” she muttered.
She quietly climbed out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom. A cold shower was definitely in order.
The water hit the tiles of the shower with a soothing whisper as she undressed. After double checking to make sure the door was locked, she slipped beneath the spray.
“Ugh! When did this become my life?”
Well, that’s simple. This became my life the minute I lost track of who exactly I am.
Groaning, she yanked down a washcloth from the shelf next to the shower, and washed away her frustration.
Or am I washing away my self-satisfaction?
Whatever.
She allowed her mind to make the connections, and spoke into the spray of the shower, “It all began when I cut off my hair after deciding the best way to avoid the notoriety of being Lexxi Rock, world famous rock star, was to dress up and pretend to be someone else. What the fuck was I thinking?”
The tepid water cascaded over the crown of her head, plastering her dark raven locks of hair to her scalp. The longer tendrils dripped water into her face, and she sputtered, blinking her eyes to clear them. It was hard to believe that only a month ago, having showers was a thirty-minute ordeal that involved shampooing and detangling her purple, knee-length hair. That might have been her signature look as Lexxi Rock, but boy was it a hassle. Looking back, she was not sure it was worth the extra upkeep, just for the privilege of swirling the mass of purple waves around and around while rocking out on her guitar whenever she performed in concert.
With her career on hold, she had no regrets about cutting it all off so she could hide in plain sight and be close to her father during his initial bout of pneumonia. Now that her father was back to square one after the house fire, she had even fewer regrets about cutting off her tresses and dying her hair black to adopt the persona of Alex Roberts, nephew of Maxwell Storme. It was the only way she could think of to be close to him without bringing the media baggage of celebrity life along with her. In retrospect, her only misstep was she could have been anyone—definitely a female anyone. She wished she had not settled on the first idea that came to mind.
It was a dumb idea, thinking it would be easier to throw the paparazzi off her scent by playing the role of a guy.
Just a matter of changing my wardrobe.
Yeah right.
It was too bad she did not figure on meeting her father’s neighbor, Sebastian Sullivan, the sexy firefighter next door who, in an ironic twist, turned out to be gay, and had the hots for Alex Roberts. Still, she could not even regret that part. Bash saved her and Dad last night from what could have been disaster, and now she was staying in his house to avoid a hotel stay that would surely bring her presence in Tucson to light.
There was only one downside to her charade. Coming clean would also mean she was sure to break Bash’s heart and lose the trust of someone who had become a good friend.
Well, maybe two downsides, because she had fallen for Bash, and Alexandra Storme almost definitely was not his type.
CHAPTER TWO
“Fuck my life,” Alexandra whined to Eva over the phone.
Her best friend had phoned her via video call just after her shower, and now, on the other end of the line, she was chortling. Alexandra was in the middle of complaining about her dilemma, and Eva had the nerve to laugh in her face.
“This isn’t funny, Eva! This is a disaster,” she said, pouting.
“I’m sorry,” Eva answered. She struggled to get her fits of laughter under control, forcing a twitch of a smile out of Alexandra at her lack of success. “I know this is a big deal for you, but it’s a little hard to take you seriously when you’re, with you…wait, where in bloody hell are you, anyway?”
Alexandra began to giggle too at how ridiculous she probably looked, hiding under the covers this way. Morning sunlight speared through the blinds and penetrated the blanket where she camped out since waking up from that unnerving dream.
She sheepishly admitted, “I’m not ready to face him yet. Go ahead and call me a coward.”
“I’ll do no such thing. As much as I enjoy witnessing a good bitch fit, darling, you need to stop your whining and count your lucky stars,” she replied, with a soft British clip to her playful tone. “You say he has a fully stocked bar, right?”
“I think so.”
“Well, have you ever heard of a dry state? Because I’m filming in the bloody middle of one right now.”
“Where are you? Have you changed sets?”
“Yes, love. I’m in the town of Sibley, Louisiana. Oh, wait, parish—not town—it’s a dry parish. This place is so confusing. I’ve put the coordinates into my phone to be sure I never, ever stop here again. Anyway, you should just get sloshed and tell him, or you can just get sloshed and try again tomorrow. Just be sure to drink enough for me while you’re at it. There are plenty of tomorrows for the determined procrastinator, which you, my lovely, are mastering in at the moment.”
“Evangelyn Heatherly Reese, you’re supposed to boost my confidence to get this confession underway, not talk me down from doing what I need to do! Gosh, you’re such a bad bestie right now. Is giving me the easy way out part of the contract? If it is, you’re definitely on your mark.”
They laughed together while Alexandra tried to add a weak protest. Suddenly, she had a brilliant idea.
“You know what? It would be so much easier to pull this off if you were here! I think you should fly out here and help me salvage my integrity, best friend. Please?”
“You have got to be joking, love.”
“Nope. I think I’m dead serious. I want to tell him before I leave Tucson. He specifically stated he has a problem with liars, and I am leading him on in one of the worst ways possible. I need you, Eva. Pleeeaassse! I know this is probably one of the most childish things I’ve done in ages, but I need a wingwoman. I’m begging you.”
Alexandra pushed back the covers and peeked at the locked guestroom door, cocking an ear to listen out for Sebastian. It sounded like he was somewhere downstairs, doing whatever it was he did on the weekend. She hoped he was blissfully unaware of the fact that she was avoiding him at all costs this morning. She sat up in bed and surveyed her surroundings now that it was daytime. Sebastian’s house showed his style everywhere, little masculine touches that made it clear this place belonged to a bachelor.
Her guest bedroom was decorated in a neutral palette of browns and beige. It was clean and comfortable. For the briefest second, she wondered what things would be like if he was straight and they were dating. What were the tastes and interests he might not share with one of his boys but would expose to his girl? What was his bedroom like? She gnawed on her bottom lip, eyebrows furrowing at the thought.
“Sweet Mary mother of God! You’re falling in love with him, aren’t you, Lexxi?” Eva whispered scandalously.
The face cam displayed Eva’s flashing eyes and impish smile, her familiar brown face. Only then did Alexandra remember Eva could see her daydreaming over here. She snapped out of the fantasy with a vicious shake of her head, denying Eva’s comment. This was the woman she had shared all her deepest secrets with for the past four years. Alexandra could barely admit to herself how she felt about Bash, so confessing to Eva was out of the question. It couldn’t be love.
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“Love is such a dirty, dirty word, Eva. For the sake of the friendship between Bash and me, I just don’t want to burn any bridges, which is exactly what will happen if this isn’t handled well.”
“Right. Because friends get the feels for each other, naturally.” Sarcasm dripped from her every syllable.
“Dammit, I hate it when you’re right. I have no idea why I agreed to stay here at all.”
“You and me both, darling.”
“Well I know why, logically, but in hindsight I was not being practical. Before I ended up here in his house I had already damn near given myself away at every turn. I have to be crazy, trying to pull this off with my hormones on alert every time I get anywhere near the guy.”
“Why couldn’t you just stay at a hotel or something?”
“You know I would end up having to use my Lexxi Rock ID. I couldn’t say I’m Alex Roberts. Even that might be enough for some of the hellhound paparazzi to sniff me out. My mother’s maiden name is no secret and neither is my real first name.”
“What about Rosa’s place?”
“Not possible, hun. She lives across town, and travels a lot more now that Dad is ill. Besides, I didn’t want to impose.”
“Yet you’re fine imposing on Sebastian?”
“That’s different.”
“Different how, honey?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because he’s become a friend.”
“Friends don’t dress in drag and leave friends in the dark, honey.”
“Fuck. I really screwed this up, didn’t I?”
“What can I say, Lex? Well, maybe it will all work out. I have a funny feeling that it will. Either that, or your conscience will come alive and straighten it all out. The only way out now is through. The hotel would have at least given you a bit of time, but clearly you’re ready to confess you’re a girl. Why else would you go and shack up at his place? Anyhow, at least this way you can do it fast, and find out which way the river really bends with Bash Sullivan.”
Alexandra rolled her eyes, laughing slightly. “I’m pretty convinced, as far as that’s concerned. I’m not the boy of his dreams. He’s such a sweet guy, but anyone would be livid in his situation. Don’t you see? Having you here will mean I have someone to vouch for my character and show him I didn’t intentionally manipulate him. That was never my plan. That’s not too farfetched, is it? Dressing up the way I did to avoid the media?”
Reveal: A Contemporary Romance (Billionaire Rock Star Romance Book 2) Page 1
