by Regina Frame
Cocky Rockstar
Regina Frame
Contents
COCKY ROCKSTAR
Untitled
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Epilogue
THE COCKY HERO CLUB
About the Author
Titles By Regina Frame
COCKY ROCKSTAR
Cocky Rockstar is a standalone story inspired by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward’s Cocky Bastard. It's published as part of the Cocky Hero Club world, a series of original works, written by various authors, and inspired by Keeland and Ward's New York Times bestselling series.
COCKY ROCKSTAR
1
TRINITY
“No! No! No!” I banged my palm onto my steering wheel as my car died on the side of the road. Damn gas gauge has never been reliable. I can hear my mother’s voice now; I should have stayed put in Arizona where Keith could take care of these type things. What my mother doesn’t seem to understand is that I don’t want Keith taking care of anything, not even a little thing like this. And there’s the fact that we’ve been divorced for a year now. She just refuses to accept it. I should’ve fixed it a year ago after the manufacturer mailed the recall for faulty gauges, but here I am two hundred miles from Temecula, CA and by the looks of it I may not make it to sign the lease for my new building as scheduled on Monday. I climbed out of the car and dug around in the trunk until I found my emergency roadside assistance bag. Too bad it didn’t come with a fill up of gas. I lit one of the road flares and laid it on the road behind my car. It’s already twelve midnight and pitch black out. I don’t want to risk someone coming along and sideswiping my car. I rub both of my arms as the cool night air whips around me, sending chills throughout my body.
Sometime later, a lone headlight had shown in my rearview mirror. It was a motorcycle, and it was rolling to a stop in front of my car. Please don’t be an axe murder. I watched as the dark figure dressed in black leather removed his helmet and walked back to my car. His blond hair looked like a halo beneath the moonlight. He tapped on my window with his knuckle and stared down at me with beautiful, pale blue eyes. Eyes the color of a summer sky.
“Roll your window down.” He pointed to the car door. I shook my head and clutched the steering wheel. God, Trinity, how are you going to get out of this? You’re stranded. At least talk to the guy, and don’t let him smell your fear. I turned the key forward and pressed the automatic window, lowering it a couple of inches. He leaned in so I could hear him and the delicious smell of his spicy cologne floated through the window sending a tingle to my senses.
“Want to pop the hood and let me look? It might just be a loose cable,” he offered. He ran his ringed fingers through his messy blond hair. I quickly shook my head.
“It’s not the motor. I ran out of gas,” I explained. Unfortunately, this has happened more times than I cared to remember. I felt like such a child for admitting that. He looked to his sleek red Harley sitting there, and then back to me. The chrome pipes were shiny beneath the moonlight.
“Well, I don’t exactly carry a gas can on my bike, but I can give you a ride,” he offered with a cocky grin on his full lips. His blue eyes danced with mischief. Why did I feel like he meant something completely different? “Where are you headed? The nearest town is almost an hour away.” Shit. I can’t exactly walk that. “You can’t exactly walk that, especially not at this hour of the night. It gets downright cold in the desert some nights, so sleeping in your car is out of the question. I wouldn’t feel right leaving you out here.” He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. I watched as his perfect lips pulled a drag off the stick and then smoke floated in the air around him, giving him that sexy, dangerous look. The kind you read about in books or see in old movies.
“I can’t take advantage of you like that. It was nice of you to stop but, I’ll wait here until morning. I’ve left a message for several towing companies but they were all out on calls. I’ll just have to wait for one of them to call me back.” I watched as he took another drag off his cigarette and then dropped it to the ground and stepped on it with his booted foot.
“I’ve never been taken advantage of when I didn’t want to be.” He grinned and good grief my panties went up in flames. “My name is Tucker. My friends call me Tuck,” he said, offering me his hand to shake.
“Is Tuck your road name?” I asked. Guys in motorcycle clubs usually have road names.
“No.” He laughed, and my face heated. He took the helmet he was holding and lifted it in my direction. “Here, put this on and I’ll get us to Temecula before daylight.” My shoulders slumped with defeat as I stepped out of my car and took his helmet.
“My name is Trinity, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.” I was relieved I wouldn’t be spending the night on the side of the road only to be found frozen in my car tomorrow morning. I placed the helmet on my head and slid the buckle in place to secure it. He took off his leather jacket, revealing a long-sleeved white thermal with a faded Mötley Crüe logo that hugged what looked to be some chiseled abs and hard pecs beneath the soft fabric. My fingers itched to touch them.
“Here, take my jacket. It’s gonna be a cold ride this time of night,” he offered. He stood back and looked at me from head to toe. I could feel the warmth of his stare spread throughout my body. “You’ll look hot as fuck in my coat,” he growled. He held the jacket for me to slip it on and then helped me onto the back of his bike.
“You ever been on a bike before?” he asked as he threw his leg over the beast of a ride? I shook my head and worried my bottom lip. “Relax, they’re perfectly safe. Just wrap your arms around my waist and enjoy the ride.” He winked. I should’ve been ashamed of the things going through my mind at the moment, but I wasn’t. The bike roared to life and soon we were tearing down the highway. The feeling was exhilarating in the night air. We found a small mom and pop gas station open and stopped for gas. While Tucker pumped gas, I used the ladies’ room and grabbed us a couple of coffees. When I stepped outside, Tucker was leaning against his bike with his long legs crossed at the ankles.
“Coffee?” I held out the cup.
“Thanks, cupcake.” He winked. I could feel my face flush with heat at the endearment he used.
“They’re bad for you,” I said.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Cupcakes. With all that frosting. They’re bad for you,” I pointed out.
“I happen to love things that are bad for me.” He pinned me with those baby blues and good grief… I needed a new pair of panties. He tilted back his coffee cup and drained the last of it, his eyes never leaving mine. “What do you say we get on the road before I take a bite of that cupcake?” He grinned and that smile was lethal.
I finished the last of my coffee and tossed the empty cup in the trash. I felt a little more alert than before thanks to the caffeine. I wondered if anyone had ever gone to sleep on the back of a bike and fallen off because sleep was calling my name.
“So where are you coming from?” I asked. His lips curled up on one side.
“Vegas. My band played a couple of shows there and now I’m headed home. I always travel with my bike so on the longer trips I don’t get bored.” He stretched his arms above his head, revealing a thin line of blond hair that disappeared beneath his dark leather pants. I li
ked to call it the pleasure trail. “We’re finally getting some much needed rest among other things,” he said.
“Wow! Anyone I know? What’s the name of your band?” I asked, curiously.
“Sutured Souls We’re still fairly new. We just signed on with Stealth records a few months ago. We do have a song in the top ten. You may have heard it, ‘Shadows in the Dark’,” he offered. I actually heard their song on the way down as I was driving. It rocked! I could see why it was in the top ten. That’s a big accomplishment for such a new band.
“Do you play guitar?” I asked.
“I’m lead singer, but yes, I play guitar also.”
“That sounds amazing. Congratulations!” I praised.
“Thanks. What about you? Where are you headed to from Temecula?” he asked.
“I’m actually stopping in to see my cousin Carla. She helps run one of the local bars there. Then I’m on to Hermosa Beach to sign the lease on my new business, and then I have to find a place to live. I’m an event planner, just getting started. I hope to provide the best beach side weddings along with other events available to the surrounding areas. I read in one of the tourist magazines that Hermosa and Temecula are popular tourist areas. I’m thinking spring breakers and newlyweds.” I grinned excitedly.
“You married?” he asked with an arched brow. Looking down at my left hand.
I choked a little on my own spit. Not very ladylike. I wiped my hand down the leg of my jeans and met his electric blue gaze. “No. Been there, done that. Got the T-shirt and burned it!” I laughed even though there was nothing funny about it. If I knew then what I know now, I never would’ve married the cheating asshole. It lasted a whole ten months.
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” he apologized.
“Thanks. It lasted longer than it should have. Hind-sight and all.” I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked the screen to find I had ten text messages and three missed calls. Some of them from my mother, but the majority were from my ex-husband Keith. He keeps asking me for money. He says I owe it to him. I owe him a swift kick to the balls! I shoved my phone back in the pocket of my jeans. When I looked up, I noticed Tucker watching me curiously. “No service,” I stated.
“Yeah, this is a bad stretch of road. We won’t have cell service again until we’re just outside of Temecula,” he explained.
“I can’t believe I’m riding on the back of some stranger’s bike,” I muttered.
“It’s better than sleeping in a car on the side of the road. And besides, I’m a hot rock star. All the women love me!” he teased.
Yes, you are.
“What if you’re an axe murderer with a big ego?” I asked.
“Do you see an axe?” He leaned against his bike and crossed his legs at the ankle. “I look horrible in flannel, and I never could pull off a beard,” he joked, scratching at his chin. “It always grows in splotchy.” He smirked.
“You have a point, I guess. You’re much more the leather type.” Now it was my turn to let my eyes wander.
“What do you say we hit the road?” He held his hand out to help me on the bike. I wrapped my arms around his waist and relished in the feel of his hard abs beneath my fingertips. The night sky was inky black, and the stars glittered like diamonds against the dark canvas. I settled in for the ride and enjoyed the heat of his lean body against mine.
The bike rolled to a stop in front of the bar in Temecula. I quickly swung my leg off the back and handed Tucker back his helmet.
“Looks like they’re closed,” he said, tilting his head toward the door. A knot of dread formed in my stomach as we walked around the side of the building to the stairs that led to my cousin’s apartment over the bar. There were no lights on, but I knocked anyway. I could feel Tucker’s eyes on my back as we waited for the door to open, but it didn’t. I pulled out my phone to call Carla only to find my battery was dead.
“I guess I didn’t really think this through.” I sat down on the top step and hugged my knees to my chest. “Thank you for the ride. I’m sure Carla will be home soon,” I said, a little unsure.
Tucker pulled out his phone and said, “It’s three a.m. Your cousin didn’t know you were coming, did she?” He shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather pants and studied me with those deep pools of blue.
I shook my head and chewed on my bottom lip. “I was going to surprise her. I guess I kind of left in a hurry and didn’t think things through.” I frowned. “I guess the surprise is on me, huh?”
“Come on, let’s go.” He reached for me, pulling me to a standing position. He led me around the side of the building and back to his bike. He patted the seat on his motorcycle. “I can’t just leave you here. What kind of man would I be? Besides, you know you want to touch my abs again,” he said with a cocky smirk. My face heated. Guilty as charged.
“It will make you a very nice one. You got me to my cousin’s place just like you promised,” I said.
“Come on.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him. You’re coming home with me and don’t argue. I’m not taking no for an answer. I have plenty of room. It’s just me, so you won’t be bothered,” he promised.
“I can’t possibly go to your place. I-I’m not that kind of woman,” I stuttered.
“Look, it’s late and we’re both tired. I live an hour from here. You can touch base with your cousin tomorrow after we get your car taken care of,” he said.
I took his helmet and climbed back on the bike. Before I knew it, we were pulling up to a large white multi-story home with yellow shutters on the beach. It was unlike anything I’d ever seen, except in magazines. The front was lined with palm trees and accent lights along the curved driveway. The smell of saltwater from the ocean tickled my nose and the ocean waves crashing against the shore was music to my ears. I followed Tucker inside to a spacious kitchen with white cabinets and black counter tops. The floor was a beautiful dark wood.
“Your home is beautiful,” I told him as I took it all in. There was a wall of windows in the living room that opened to the outside patio, making it great for entertaining. There were flyers and band memorabilia framed and hung along the walls.
“Thank you. I bought this a few months ago. I haven’t really settled into it yet, but I’m getting there. I still have to buy a few more furniture pieces and I’ll be all set. The hard thing is finding the time to do it,” he explained. “Can I get you something to drink?” he asked, walking toward the fridge. I shook my head.
“I think I’d like to get some sleep, if you’ll point me in the direction of my bed or I can sleep on the sofa,” I told him.
“This house has five bedrooms. No way are you sleeping on the couch. My bedroom is the last one on the right. The other four are across the hall. I have to tell you I have been known to sleepwalk and I sleep nude.” He grinned. Damn. Now that’s a mental image. Now I’ll lie awake thinking about his abs and all the other hard parts of his magnificent body.
“That’s good to know. I’ll remember to lock my door just to be safe,” I joked. He licked his lips and looks at me with eyes full of lust. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it instead.
I woke the next morning with the warmth of the sun shining in through the bedroom windows. I yawned and stretched and thought back to last night. I rode on the back of some stranger’s bike and now I’m lying in his bed inside his beach house. I really needed to talk to my cousin Carla and ask her if I could stay there until I found a place to rent, but first I needed coffee.
I dragged my feet into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face. My hair definitely needed a hairbrush, but it was in my suitcase, back in my car. I finger combed my hair the best I could. I padded down the hall and into the kitchen to find Tucker standing at the stove flipping pancakes. He was wearing a pair of navy basketball shorts that hung low on his hips and no shirt. I got a better look at his broad shoulders and trim waist. His skin was tanned like he spent a lot of time in the sun. His blond hair stuck out in e
very direction. I wanted to run my fingers through it.
“Coffee’s ready if you’d like a cup,” he offered, making me feel like a total creeper for ogling his body. How did he know I was behind him?
“I would love some. Thank you.” I took a cup from the mug rack on the counter and poured a steaming cup of the piping hot liquid.
“I hope you don’t mind. I made arrangements for your car. You should have it back by noon today.” He looked over his shoulder at me. His blue eyes were rimmed in red. I wondered if he had trouble sleeping last night. I spent a good hour lying in bed thinking about him sleeping naked in the next room. Too bad my trusty vibrator was in my suitcase in my car.
“That’s so nice of you. You’ve done so much already. How can I ever repay you?” I asked with a smile. I can’t believe he’s already made arrangements for my car. Even my ex-husband would’ve had me take care of it myself. He couldn’t be bothered with anything unless it benefited him in some way.
“I need no repayment. I’m happy to do it,” he said as he slid a plate of pancakes and bacon across the counter to me. “The band is coming home today, so I asked one of the guys to drive it to Hermosa for you. I hope that’s okay,” he said.
“One of the guys?” I asked, looking over my mug, a little confused.
“I contacted our manager Elliott and explained the situation to him. He said he’d take care of it.”
“Where is the band stopping?” I asked.
“Hermosa is home for all of us. We actually have a recording studio downtown where we will spend time writing and working on our next album for the next two months,” he explained.
