Authors: Clara Bayard
Deep Rocked (9 page)
My heart was pounding in my chest and I dug my nails into him, trying to communicate something I didn’t have words for. When I was a kid my father once told me the thing about music is the magic in it. Makes everything bigger, more intense. Better and worse.
I never really understood until that moment. I was falling in love and losing control. And I’d never been so happy.
Dex and I stayed there, kissing and groping for a long time. It was really uncomfortable in that chair but I didn’t dare move away for even a second. I was drowning in his kiss and his touch. And it was perfect.
That is, until the door behind us opened.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
My eyes flew open and I looked over. Ryan was standing in the doorway.
“Oh shit.” I hopped off of Dex, almost falling over in my haste. He steadied me and left his hand on my waist.
“I thought she was crazy,” Ryan said.”
“What? Who?”
“She told me something was going on between you two. But I didn’t believe it. I thought you were smarter than that, Rebecca.”
I refused to hang my head. “Look, I’m sorry. I know you didn’t want this to happen, but it has. But my relationship with Dex has no effect on my work.”
“Like hell it doesn’t.” He swiveled his head to look at Dex. “And you, what the hell? DO you have to stick your dick in every woman you come across?”
“It’s not like that, man.”
“Don’t tell me what it’s like. I don’t want to hear it. I know you, Dex. I’ve seen you. I know you can’t go five minutes without a drink or a screw, but taking advantage of my assistant is pretty low, even for you.”
“Ryan,” I interrupted. “No one is being taken advantage of.”
He shook his head. “Damn it. I hired you because I thought you were better than this. Getting blinded by his bullshit.”
Dex stepped forward into the other man’s face. “Watch it.”
“No, you watch it. How many times have I cleaned up your messes? How many times have I gone to bat for you with the other guys and the label?”
I was confused. I knew Dex had a reputation as a hard partier, but I’d never heard anything this serious was going on. “Look, why don’t we all calm down and talk about this.”
Ryan’s cold eyes turned back to me. “There’s nothing to talk about. Dex, go back out and sit with the others.”
I saw the muscles in my lover’s back tighten, but he just cast a short, sad glance at me and then did as he was told.
“Please, don’t be hard on him. He’s been going through a rough time.”
Ryan held his hand up. “I don’t need you to tell me about my guys. I know them all a hundred times better than you ever will. And this is as much for you as the rest of us.”
“What is?”
“Me sending you back to the States on the next flight out. Buy a ticket on the business card. I’ll pay you for the rest of this leg of the tour and call it even.”
“Wait, what? You’re firing me?”
“Yes.”
“You can’t do that.”
“I can, and I did. You can make a scene if you want, but the result will be the same. Save what little dignity you have left and go graciously.”
“But…”
“But nothing. Your father would be ashamed. His smart daughter turned into a pathetic groupie for an alcoholic rock star. What a cliché.”
I sobbed and covered my face with my hands. Any response I might make was drowned in anguish, but I forced it back. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Right, sure. Let me guess. You share something special. A real connection? Give me a break. He’ll feed any line he needs to in order to get what he wants. I told you before, they’re all children. Instead of sucking on a pacified he uses a whiskey bottle. And instead of a security blanket he uses whatever naïve girl falls for it.”
“You’re wrong.” I shoved past him and out to the lounge, not caring that my face was red and tears dripped from my eyes.
Ryan followed me, his stomping feet echoing in the room.
Everyone went silent when we appeared. Dex was sitting next to Matthew. He didn’t even look at me.
I cast a miserable glance around the room. Liss looked ill, sitting with Joe’s arm around her. Mia was curled up in the corner, smirking. None of the others would even turn my way.
“See?” Ryan spat over my shoulder. “There’s nothing for you anymore, Rebecca. It’s time to go.”
I looked around one more time and then hung my head. I picked up my purse and carry-on and walked out of the lounge, wiping at my cheeks. The whole time it took to walk back to an information desk I was waiting for something to happen. For Dex to run up and beg me not to go. To tell me he wouldn’t let me go.
But he didn’t come. And he had let me go. All those words and the song was just that, words. When it came to actually fighting for me, being on my side, he was nowhere to be found. Just the flaky attention-hungry musician I’d feared he was from the beginning. And I was what Ryan thought. The naïve girl who fell for it.
It was time to go home.
A Note from the Author
Thank you so much for reading
Deep Rocked
. If you want to be one of the first to read my next book, please go to my website,
www.clarabayard.com
, and enter your email address to join the announcement list.
Also, I love hearing from readers to feel free to send me an email at
[email protected]
and I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible.
And finally, if you enjoyed this book please consider leaving a review.
- Clara
Connect Online:
Facebook
-
Goodreads
-
Twitter
Also by Clara Bayard
One Night of Danger:
#1 One Night Stand
#2 One Night More
#3 One Last Night
Rocked (Joe & Liss):
#1 Rocked
#2 Rocked On the Road
#3 Rocked to the Core
Rocked (Becca & Dex):
#4 Hard Rocked
#5 Deep Rocked
#6 Well Rocked
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
A Note from the Author
Also by Clara Bayard