JENNA GALICKI
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Credits
Copyright and Disclaimer
Synopsis
Making It Right
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Change of Plans
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
New Year’s Day Delivery
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Other Books by the Author
Sample: Street of Dreams
Sample: Jealousy
Sample: The Prince of Punk Rock
About the Author
Credits:
Photo: Paul Henry Serres
Cover Design: Taria Reed and Jenna Galicki
Copyright and Disclaimer:
Copyright © 2020 by Jenna Galicki
This book is not transferable. It is for your own personal use. If it is sold, shared, or given away, it is an infringement of the copyright of this work. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the author or publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously, though reference may be made to actual historical events or existing locations. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or yet to be born, is purely coincidental and entirely unintentional.
The book is for mature audiences only.
Synopsis
Making it Right
Jeremy Kagan and Alan Delgado are America’s number one rock star couple. Everything is perfect between the two, until a series of faux pas leaves Alan in the dog house.
Change of Plans
Conflicting tour schedules cause Derek MacAlister and Travis Fontana to be apart for the first time. When their long over-due reunion finally takes place, the two can hardly contain their excitement and end up hijacking someone else’s agenda.
New Year’s Day Delivery
Brandon Bullet and Cameron Douglas are finally ready to expand their family and couldn’t be happier. But it’s a long hard road before their perfect little family is complete.
Jeremy Kagan reveled in the deep boom of his bass guitar as he thumped out a beat on stage. Bulletproof just took home the award for Album of the Year and were closing out the award show with a spectacular performance of Light the Night. Fire bombs exploded on stage in tune to the beat of Alan Motherfucking Delgado’s double bass drum. It was sweltering, so Jeremy stepped in front of the fan and let the wind blow his long brown hair off his back. After cooling down, he jumped onto the drum riser, stood in front of the twin bass drums with his legs shoulder-width apart, and jutted his hips forward as he fed off the thunderous beats that Alan created. The two of them were the rhythm makers of the band, and they were as in sync with one another on stage as they were in the bedroom.
Alan, who was lost in the sound of the music, suddenly looked up as if just noticing Jeremy was standing in the center of the drum riser. His gorgeous silver eyes glowed against his dark tanned complexion and under his short black hair. “What’s up, bruh?”
Jeremy took a drumstick from the stick bag and smashed the cymbal several times, as his lover laughed through a smile.
“Do you want to take my seat?” Alan asked, never missing a beat on the drums.
Without stopping to think about it, Jeremy rounded the drum kit and plopped into Alan’s lap. He literally took the sticks from Alan’s hands and started pounding on the toms and cymbals, while Alan worked the double bass with his legs. Jeremy felt his bass guitar shift in his lap and realized that Alan was plucking on the strings from behind. It was totally unrehearsed and fucking insane!
The crowd went nuts at the interaction between the two and roared back at them, rock and roll horns held high. Jeremy jumped down from the drum riser and raced back to his spot on the stage. He just missed getting sandwiched between Derek MacAlister and Brandon Bullet, Bulletproof’s guitarist and lead singer, as they ran toward one another and collided in a chest bump at the apron.
Brandon let out his signature scream, which shook the room with its power, and it signaled the end of the song. The four of them stood together at the front of the stage, arms slung over one another’s shoulders, and bowed, just as they’d been doing for the past decade.
Once they passed the side curtain, they were greeted by Felix Osbourne, the band’s longtime manager. “That was brilliant!” he praised Jeremy and Alan. “Did you rehearse that? I’ve never seen the two of you switch instruments before!”
Jeremy just shook his head and shrugged. “Alan asked me if I wanted his seat, so I took it.”
“I had a face full of his long hair.” Alan wrapped his arm around Jeremy’s neck and laughed. “I could barely see what I was doing, but I think I did all right on the bass.”
“All right?” Always filled with drama, Felix’s voice raised an octave. “It was an incredible display of showmanship! Just incredible! There’s no time to waste.” He switched to his usual no-nonsense, all-business tone without pausing for a breath. “Paparazzi is waiting outside on the red carpet. Be gracious and cordial, but please wrap it up quickly. We need to leave for San Diego in an hour.” His comment was directed at Brandon, who thrived on media attention.
Outside the venue, it was mayhem. Rock stars and celebs congregated on the red carpet, while cameras snapped photos and journalists descended upon everyone with microphones in hand. Barricades held slews of screaming fans at bay, even at this late hour.
A new wave of deafening screams erupted as Brandon Bullet stepped from the building. His face lit up as if every single one of the squealing fans were there just for him, and he waved like the Pope. Without warning, he suddenly ran up and down the aisle and slapped the hands of those closest to the railing. With his long, flowing blond hair and muscles on display, he looked like a professional wrestler, and Jeremy couldn’t help the laugh that bellowed from his lungs.
“He looks like Hulk Hogan,” Alan, always on the same wavelength as Jeremy, added, also laughing at their outgoing lead singer. “Only with way more hair.”
“I was just about to say the same thing!” Jeremy exclaimed.
Their conversation was interrupted by a journalist brandishing a dazzling smile. She brought the microphone to her lips and her eyes sparkled. “Alan Delgado and Jeremy Kagan, I’ve wanted to interview the two of you for a very long time. I’m happy to say that I’m about to cross that off my bucket list. You’ve been voted America’s number one rock star couple for three years in a row,” she continued, barely taking a breath. “The media has followed your relationship from its inception, without scandal. We see nothing but love and devotion between the two of you.” She stuck the microphone in Alan’s face. “Do you have any tips to share or advice for other celebrities whose relationships are playing out in front of the cameras?”
Alan wrapped his arm around Jeremy’s neck and gave him a squeeze. “What can I say? I love this dude.”
Even though Alan’s bicep practically gave Jeremy a black eye, he melted at the simple little explanation Alan offered.
The journalist batted her long eyelashes. “That’s so sweet. But we all know it takes more than just love to keep a relationship going.” She turned toward Jeremy. “How do you deal with the outside pressures? It’s no secret that the two of you were well known for yo
ur famous threesomes. Are groupies still trying to get the two of you into bed together? Is that really a thing of the past?”
Jeremy’s jaw immediately clenched. It irked the hell out of him that people still brought up the group bangs that used to take place and insinuated that they continued. Besides, this was a classy event. Who the hell did this chick think she was asking a question about sex? “That was a long time ago,” he answered, annoyance clear in his voice. “Before me and Alan got together. We’re in a committed relationship now.”
The journalist picked up on the tension in Jeremy’s tone. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy?” she prodded.
“No,” Alan answered, before Jeremy had a chance to say anything. “There’s nothing to be jealous of. Groupies and fans have been hitting on rock stars since the beginning of time. That’s just the way it is. We’re used to it. Right, Jeremy?”
Used to it? Jeremy would never get used to guys trying to pick up Alan, and the journalist hit the nail on the head. But he wasn’t about to admit it on national television.
“What does the future look like for America’s number one rock star couple?” the journalist asked. “Is there marriage on the horizon?”
“No way,” Alan quickly replied, with a loud laugh, as if the question was ridiculous.
Jeremy’s head immediately snapped in Alan’s direction. They hadn’t talked about marriage, but Alan didn’t have to dismiss it so quickly and make it sound as if it were the last thing on his mind, especially to this woman, who was obviously digging for gossip.
“Me and Jeremy have known each other practically our whole lives,” Alan went on, now completely serious. “We spend all of our time together and get along great. We love each other and we’re rock solid.” He shrugged. “Why do we need more than that?”
Because that’s the natural progression of a relationship, Jeremy wanted to say. People fought hard for the right for same-sex couples to marry. He knew that just because it was an option, it didn’t mean they had to run out and get married. He just thought that it was somewhere on the horizon for them. He didn’t expect Alan’s immediate dismissal of the idea of marriage, and it filled him with disappointment.
“There you have it,” the journalist said, into the camera. “Alan Delgado and Jeremy Kagan are madly in love and committed to one another, but they have no intentions or desires to make it legit.” She paused and brought her hand to her chin. “It leaves me wondering, is everything really as wonderful between the two as it seems? Or is it just a ploy in order to hang onto their coveted title of America’s number one rock star couple? What do you think America?” She then plugged her social media sites and prompted viewers to post their opinion. The camera light went off, and she walked away.
Jeremy stared after her, with his jaw hanging open, as she pranced down the red carpet toward her next victim. “Did she really just ask people to speculate on whether or not we’re pretending to be happy?”
Alan burst out laughing and shook his head. “The paparazzi will twist anything and everything you say in order to make a story out of it. You know that.”
“Really?” Jeremy pushed his long hair behind one ear. “Do you really think she twisted what you said?”
“Of course.” Alan saw the look on Jeremy’s face, and his voice softened with concern. “Are you mad?”
“You acted like she asked if you planned to stop playing the drums, not if you planned on marrying the guy you’re in love with.”
Alan looked shocked. “Do you want to get married?”
“Is that a proposal?”
“No.”
“You see!” Jeremy threw his hands up. “Why are you so quick to shut down the idea of marrying me?”
“I’m not. We just never talked about it, so I’m surprised that you’re over-reacting like this.”
Damn right Jeremy was over-reacting, because, more than anything, he was hurt. “Maybe this isn’t a big deal to you, but it is to me. I’ve been in love with you since I was 18 years old. I never thought you would love me back. These past few years together have been a dream come true for me.” Jeremy was quiet for a moment, his heart suddenly deflated. “I just thought, or hoped, that I meant as much to you as you mean to me.”
“Jeremy,” Alan sighed. “Don’t make me feel like an asshole. She just caught me by surprise. Really. That’s all. You know how much I love you. You never have to doubt your place in my heart. But, just in case you need to hear it. “I love you. You’re my whole world and my best friend.”
Jeremy practically melted into the red carpet. His legs got all wobbly and his heart ballooned. He thought his voice would crack if he tried to speak, so he nodded and gave Alan a long kiss. The paparazzi jumped on the opportunity to catch a photo of the two of them in a lip lock, and Jeremy felt them swoop in. He knew that their personal bodyguards were probably about to lose their shit, so he slowly broke the kiss, but he took a moment to stare into the incandescent eyes of the man who set his soul on fire. “I love you too.”
He didn’t know if he was ready for marriage. He probably wasn’t. In his head he was still a teenager, but, since he and Alan became a couple, they’d moved past the crazy days and nights filled with sex and drugs. They were acting like adults for the first time in their lives, and it was nice. He agreed with Alan that he liked the way things were between them. It worked. But the idea of marriage was cool. He just wished Alan would have said it was somewhere in their future plans.
Alan’s arm landed across Jeremy’s shoulder, and they headed toward the waiting limo which brought everyone back to the hotel. From there, they all hopped onto the tour bus and set off for San Diego. Bulletproof had less than a week left before their fall tour ended a few days before Christmas.
Brandon snuggled on one of the couches with his husband Cam and their dog, who was chewing on a squeaky tennis ball. Alan and Jeremy sat together on the other couch, and Derek had his head in the refrigerator. Jeremy stole the dog’s tennis ball and threw it down the corridor toward the back of the bus, where it accidentally hit Derek in the butt.
“Hey!” Derek straightened up, holding an apple pie in his hand. “That hurt.” He dropped into the dining booth, dodging the running dog, and started eating the whole pie with a fork.
Jeremy watched the band’s lead guitarist pick at the apple pie without gusto, which was unlike him. Alan’s hand slipped inside Jeremy’s, and it reminded him that Derek was missing his boyfriend. “I thought Travis was going to join us before the tour ended,” he called to Derek.
Derek dropped his fork and slumped in the seat. “He got tied up with shooting a music video. This is the first time our tours crossed. I’m not used to being without him. It sucks. I miss him. You guys are lucky that you can always be on the road together. It’s hard when you’re in different bands.”
It just about broke Jeremy’s heart. He couldn’t imagine being away from Alan for eight weeks, like Derek and Travis had. “He’ll be here before you know it.” Jeremy tried to sound reassuring, but instead, he just sounded sad.
Brandy came trotting back with her tennis ball and promptly dropped it in Jeremy’s lap. He tossed it down the corridor again, but it got lodged under one of the bunks, and the dog whined and pawed at it. So, Jeremy got up to help her retrieve it.
As soon as Jeremy was out of earshot, Cam leaned over and rested his palm on Alan’s knee. “I overheard that interview you did on the red carpet. Let me give you a little piece of advice. When someone asks if you have marriage plans with your serious, longtime boyfriend, you don’t just blurt out, no way.”
“Did it really sound that bad?” Alan regretted the blunt reply, which obviously bothered Jeremy, but the words just slipped out. He wished he could take them back, or at least rephrase them. It’s not that he was anti-marriage. It’s just that, sometimes, marriage changed things. And he didn’t want anything to change about his relationship with Jeremy.
“Put it this way,” Cam said. “If Brandon would have dismissed
the idea of marrying me so flippantly, he would have been doing some serious groveling. For a long time.”
Brandon put his arm around Cam in a possessive hold. “Never would’ve happened, baby. I wanted to marry you the day I met you.”
Brandon and Cam had recently exchanged vows, and Alan began to wonder if that’s what put the idea of marriage in Jeremy’s head. He glanced at Jeremy, who was sitting on one of the lower bunks petting the dog. Jeremy’s long brown hair fell into his lap as he leaned down and hugged her. Still cuddling the big black dog in his arms, Jeremy lifted his eyes, met Alan’s gaze, and smiled.
Alan could feel the love projecting from this man clear across the bus, and the warmth and contentment that radiated from Jeremy’s expression made a lump form in Alan’s throat. He smiled back and thought about the years they’d spent together, as both best friends and lovers. They’d known each other since they were in junior high, and he couldn’t imagine anyone else by his side for the rest of his life. But that didn’t mean they had to jump into marriage. He knew Jeremy had a soft and emotional heart, and the idea that he inadvertently caused even the tiniest bit of pain on that tender heart made his chest hurt. He patted the seat next to him and motioned for Jeremy to rejoin him on the couch.
Jeremy immediately got to his feet, left the dog with a pat on her head, and returned to the spot next to Alan. When he sat down, he wrapped his hand around Alan’s thigh with affection.
The mere touch of his lover’s hand made Alan’s blood pressure slow down and his heartrate speed up at the same time. “Are we OK?” he asked, softly.
“Yeah. We’re good.” Jeremy presented the sweetest smile under whisky-colored eyes that could melt a glacier.
“Good. You’d let me know if we weren’t, right?”
Jeremy nodded.
Derek fell into the captain’s chair next to them, still picking at the pie. “What’s the plan for tomorrow? Let’s do something fun. I can deal with Travis being gone when we have show after show, but on these free days . . .” He tugged on the roots of his hair and shook his head. “I lose my mind.” He tossed the pie plate on the side table. “I can’t even enjoy my food.”
A Bulletproof New Year (The Holiday Collection Book 2) Page 1
