Trouble in Disguise

by Sonia Stanizzo

  Trouble in Disguise

  by

  Sonia Stanizzo

  Trouble in Disguise

  Copyright © 2019, Sonia Stanizzo

  ISBN: 9781949300437

  Publisher: Beachwalk Press, Inc.

  Electronic Publication: July 2019

  Editor: Pamela Tyner

  Cover: Fantasia Frog Designs

  eBooks are not transferable. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

  Back Cover Copy

  The greatest risk is disguised in trouble.

  Jade Brennan is living with a family curse. If she falls in love, it will end in heartbreak. Because of this, she’s not taking any chances, and she’s learned to protect her heart.

  Nate Miller leads a double life. In one, he’s a major rock star with a huge fan base. In order to have a semi-normal life, he wears a disguise when he’s in his rock persona. Nate doesn’t necessarily love the music his band plays, but he followed in his father’s footsteps, vowing to keep his memory alive after he died. In Nate’s other life, he’s an everyday guy temporarily teaching music lessons at the primary school where Jade is a teacher.

  When Jade accidentally discovers what Nate’s hiding, she promises to keep his secret. If the truth about his identity was revealed, his career would be ruined.

  As they work closely together, sparks fly between them. Because of Jade’s family curse and Nate’s grueling touring schedule, they know a relationship will never work, but a casual fling is perfect. But the more time they spend together, feelings grow stronger and things become more than just casual.

  Can they overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of a relationship, or will family curses and obligations keep them apart?

  Content Warning: contains sexual content

  Dedication

  To my husband Tom. You make me believe I can do anything.

  Chapter 1

  Jade Brennan screeched with horror as she stared at her disheveled reflection. She groaned as she stood in front of the public restroom’s mirror at Brimland Point Arena.

  “Oh God, this is worse than I thought.” She yanked paper towels from the metal dispenser on the wall. “No wonder the security guard only invited you backstage and screwed his nose up at me,” she called out to her cousin Liz, who was in one of the cubicles.

  “It’s not that bad,” Liz yelled back.

  “Pfft, it’s worse. I showed up at the concert looking cute. The clock ticked midnight and now I resemble roadkill.”

  Something dark and sticky was smeared on her black and red polka-dot shirt. She didn’t want to know what it could be. And her white jeans had what she hoped was only beer stains splattered down her right leg. Being pressed up against sweaty bodies while they headbanged to heavy rock music was hazardous.

  Jade dampened the paper towel and scrubbed away the smudged mascara from under her eyes. “Waterproof my arse. And let’s not get me started on what’s happened to my hair.”

  Her difficult-to-manage red curls had escaped from the ponytail and now lay tangled and knotted around her face. The humidity in the arena was doing a great job of making her look like she’d just stepped out of a pressure cooker.

  The toilet flushed, and Liz walked to the sink and washed her hands. Her lips twitched as she took in Jade’s appearance. It was so great to see her cousin smile again. After Liz’s fiancé dumped her at the altar on their wedding day, she’d been a blubbering mess. It had taken Jade three months to get her out of the house.

  But Liz should have seen the break-up coming. With their family history she should have known it wouldn’t work. When would the Brennan women learn to never fall in love? The men in their lives always left.

  A tug pulled at Jade’s heart. Never having someone to love was depressing, but over the years she’d learned to live with it. It was better not to find love at all. It only left you with a broken heart. She’d seen it too many times.

  “Oh my God, freaking Harvey’s Territory wants us backstage.” Liz broke into a huge smile, and her eyes sparkled.

  “No, the giant security guard said they wanted you, not me. I look like a hot mess, and you just look hot. I’m only the tag-along who insisted I join you. Why did you have to flash the lead singer your boobs?”

  Liz laughed. “I’ve had too much to drink, and you know how I act when I get tipsy. Anyway, it got us backstage!”

  Yeah, when Liz was drinking, she liked to perform stripteases, no matter where she was, and that was why Jade insisted on going backstage too. Who knew the trouble Liz might find? Jade didn’t want a random guy taking advantage of her cousin.

  “And did you see him smile when I did? God, he’s so sexy.” Liz fanned her face. “I hope I get to talk to him or…” She smirked.

  Jade had noticed he was kind of cute if you liked that long-haired, tattooed, grungy look. And when he smiled his lips tilted in a crooked way that was sexy. Liz would definitely be easy prey.

  “Maybe we should go home,” Jade suggested.

  “No way! We’ll never have this opportunity again. It will be fun. I think I deserve it after the hell I’ve been through.” The sparkle dimmed from her eyes, and Jade didn’t want to see her miserable again.

  “Okay, but if they want us to join in some twisted, kinky orgy, we’re leaving.”

  “You won’t regret it, I promise.” Liz pulled her into a hug. “Hurry and fix yourself, I can’t wait to meet them.” She bounced around like an excited toddler waiting to meet Santa.

  With a pinched expression, Jade examined her makeup. “Go ahead, and I’ll catch up. It’ll take a few minutes to clean this mess.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I’ll see you soon.”

  Liz squealed and raced out of the room.

  Once Jade did all she could to improve her appearance, she left the bathroom. The huge, beefy security guard with no neck had given them directions to the party when he’d been called to attend a problem and couldn’t escort them himself. She found the corporate area above the arena, but it was a labyrinth of corridors and rooms.

  Did Mountain Man say left or right at the end of this corridor? She should have paid more attention. She took a guess and turned right, walked down another corridor, and found the double timber doors he’d mentioned. “Which one did he say to take?”

  She pressed an ear against each of them. Shouldn’t there be music pounding through them to indicate the right one? But she heard nothing.

  To decide which one to take, she pointed her finger and sang, “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. Door on the right it is.” And she pushed through.

  It was another hallway with offices lining each side. She glanced back over her shoulder. If she continued, would she remember the way out? Deciding she wouldn’t go too far, just in case, she peered through the windows, finding them empty.

  “This can’t be where the party is.” As she turned to go back, she came across a room with the blinds pulled down, covering the windows, but she still didn’t hear any music. “Maybe it’s one of those soundproof rooms,” she said as she opened the door and stepped inside the dim space.

  Immediately, she knew she was in the wrong place. There was no raging party. In fact, it was another empty room.

  “I shouldn’t have eaten my packet of chips. I could have used them as a trail to find my way out of this maze. Now I’ll get so lost I’ll never find my way out, and then someone will find my bones in an old janitor’s c
upboard,” she mumbled as she turned to leave.

  “Is there room in that cupboard for two?”

  With a gasp, Jade spun around and came face-to-face with trouble.

  * * * *

  Nathan Harvey dropped heavily onto an old, leather lounge in a dark office he’d stumbled into. Far enough away from the party his band was having. He blew out a long breath and scrubbed his hands over his face. Why after every show did they need to party like they were still twenty-one-year-old kids? For Nathan, the shine had worn off years ago.

  In fact, he never liked the backstage scene. It wasn’t like he could get involved in the party. He didn’t drink excessively or do drugs, not that he allowed anything illegal at them, and he couldn’t get close to anyone they invited to join them in case they discovered his secret. Eventually he learned it was easier to hide in an empty room to get away from it all. But lately not even playing music—what he loved to do most in the world—was worth the isolation. Touring became a lonely gig.

  With jerky movements, he shrugged off his leather jacket and threw it on the floor. How much longer could he keep going, pretending to be someone else?

  Music is in your blood, just like it’s in mine. Promise me you’ll never let it die. Whenever the urge to quit clouded his thoughts, his father’s words blew them away.

  Tonight was the last show for their Australian leg of the tour and the start of a much-needed break in his hometown for a few weeks before they headed to Europe and played more sold-out shows. Nathan often wondered if his dad could see how far he’d come, would he be proud? He’d never know. But deep down, he hoped so, because he was the reason Nathan played in a heavy rock band. Did that little boy who once yearned for his father’s approval think he’d get it now in some freakish spiritual way?

  A noise from across the office stopped his musings, and a petite redhead stumbled into the room. Man, how did these women find him? He made sure no one spotted him leaving the party.

  He was about to ask her to leave when she mumbled something about chips and a janitor’s cupboard, and instead of getting rid of her, he rose from the chair and asked if there was room in that cupboard for two. Because for a moment hiding away with a cute redhead sounded more appealing than being alone.

  The light shining from the hallway into the open doorway showed curls from a messy hairstyle bouncing around a creamy, smooth face clear of makeup. She had sparkling blue eyes, and a dusting of freckles spread along her nose and cheeks. Not the typical groupie with skin-tight clothing and a made-up face. He liked the simplicity of this woman, and he couldn’t deny she was cute, but a groupie was a groupie, and Nathan didn’t indulge in them. So why did looking at her blast a surge of heat through his body?

  “It’s you…the singer guy.” Her eyes grew wide, and her breath got a little choppy.

  And suddenly, the heat disappeared, and a chill blanketed over him. There were different types of groupies. The ones who acted surprised when they accidentally ran into him. And the ones who brazenly told him exactly what they wanted to do with him. She fell into the first category.

  “Don’t act so shocked you found me. I should have known I couldn’t sneak out undetected.” He turned away to dismiss her.

  “Found you? No, I was looking for the party—”

  He swung back around. “Look, Freckles.” She gasped at the reference and covered her nose with her hand. “No offense, but I’m not into groupies. If you go back to the party, I’m sure Mike or Chris will be happy to take you on.”

  The hand covering her nose dropped, and she frowned. “Take me on? You think I want… I want…”

  Some women tried to deny it, but they were always after the same thing. A hook-up with a band member. “If you go back down the hall and take the other timber door, you’ll find the party.”

  Her posture stiffened, and she puffed out her chest. It wasn’t Playboy magazine worthy, but with it heaving like she’d run a marathon, it drew his attention, and the heat worked its way back.

  “For your information, Mr. Grunge Band on Steroids, I got separated from my cousin, and I’m trying to find her. I’m not a groupie looking for who knows what with Mike or Chris, nor am I interested in you. And I spend a lot of money on creams to lighten my freckles, so how dare you point them out!”

  Nathan let out a surprised bark of laughter. This woman was as fiery as her red hair. He ambled closer to the little spitfire. She’d caught his attention, and if she meant what she said, he’d have no chance getting anything from her. Time for the test.

  “I happen to think your freckles are sexy.” When he took another step closer, her cheeks flushed pink and she sucked in a breath. He fingered a loose curl on her neck, making sure he touched the exposed skin. “Maybe I won’t send you to Mike or Chris. I’ve never had a hot redhead before.” He cupped her face and pretended to lean in as if to kiss her. She’d soon show her true colors.

  But instead of her claiming his kiss, one of her hands slammed a palm onto his forehead and the other wrapped around the wrist touching her hair. “What the hell are you doing?”

  For a moment he was stunned. This woman who was small enough to fit in his pocket held him back like she was double his size. “Honey, you’re playing the shy fan a little too seriously.”

  “I told you, I’m not here for any groupie gangbang. I’m looking for my cousin!” she said, and flung her hand away from his head. Some strands of hair got caught in a ring on her finger, and the wig he was wearing went flying from his head and hung from her hand like a dead, black cat.

  With wide eyes, the woman looked from her hand to his head and back down to the wig. “Ummm, I think this belongs to you?”

  Slowly, she held it out, and he snatched it from her grasp. It was still tangled around her fingers, and the force made her stumble into his chest. She clasped his arms to steady herself. After a beat she rubbed her hands along his arms. Not in a flirty, trying to feel him up kind of way. More like trying to figure out why he felt like stocking mesh instead of smooth skin.

  Nathan stepped back, held her hand, and untangled the wig from her fingers. Fuck! He never let anyone outside of the band and family get close enough to stumble upon his secret. Now this redhead would ruin everything; his band and identity would be destroyed.

  Dammit. Why did he have to get so close? Test or no test, she was one hot firecracker and he couldn’t help himself. Now, after a moment of stupidity, years of keeping his identity a secret was flying out the window.

  Turning his back on her, he threw the wig on the lounge, clenched his fists, and took a deep breath. “Forget what you saw here.”

  “But…why—”

  “If you breathe a word to anyone, I’ll sue your arse off.” He swung around, his muscles quivering. “Understood?”

  She quickly nodded.

  At her startled expression, he deflated. “Get out,” he said as he turned his back on her again.

  The sound of the door closing echoed through the room.

  Chapter 2

  “What the hell just happened?” Jade mumbled as she scuttled down the corridor.

  The long-haired, lead singer of Harvey’s Territory with the silver nose ring, black studs up his left ear, and black, messy hair wasn’t the grungy rock star the world saw. Underneath the black wig was dark, sandy-colored hair, which even though flattened, looked neatly cut, short around the sides with a little longer tussle on top. Without the long locks covering his face, and even with his angry expression, he was hot. Why would he want to hide such good looks?

  Rounding the end of the corridor, Jade bumped into a tall, solid wall and stumbled a couple of steps back. A hand reached out, stopping her from falling. The security guard that led them backstage scowled at her.

  “Why the hell are you wandering around?” he demanded as he searched the corridor behind her.

  “Sorry, I got lost.”

  He lifted a skeptical eyebrow and grumbled, “Lost…that’s what they all say. Anyway, your friend�
��s been looking for you.”

  Jade huffed and slammed her hands on her hips. She was getting tired of people around here not believing her. “I did get lost. This place is like a freaking maze, and your instructions were stupid.”

  The guard’s frown deepened, and he pointed a stumpy finger at her face. “Listen, lady, if I had a dollar for every skanky groupie that chased after Nathan and his boys, I’d be a rich fucking man. You’re not the first chick to get lost, and you won’t be the last. Now go find your friend or I’ll kick your arse outta here.”

  Jade gasped, but before she could come up with a scathing comeback, a deep voice shot out behind her. “Trent, get the fuck out of here.”

  Turning around, Jade almost bumped into the lead singer, he was standing so close. The wig was back, and a black leather jacket with chains hanging from it covered the tattoos.

  “Just as soon as I get rid of this skank for you,” the security guard said.

  Jade huffed at the insult.

  “No need. You’re fired,” the singer said with deadly calm.

  The guard’s eyes bugged out of his head. “Come on, Nathan, you don’t mean that. You told me you wanted no one sneaking around here, and she’s some bimbo trying to get into your pants.”

  The singer, who she now knew was named Nathan, spoke with a tone more like a growl. “And you didn’t do a great job of that either, did you? Now get the fuck out.”

  “But—”

  “Now!”

  The guard jumped. Even Jade flinched at the harshness of his voice. She watched as Trent hurried away.

  “I’m sorry he spoke to you like that.” Nathan’s dark brown eyes looked at her with a gentle expression, and Jade was a little taken aback. Only moments ago he’d threatened to sue her, and now he’d defended her against a big, muscly security guard he’d nearly brought to tears. Could tonight get any weirder?