Love Rock'ollection: The Brutal Strength Rock Star Trilogy, books 1-3 (30 page)

Apparently sensing his perusal, she glanced up from her cell phone, and he looked into smoky grey eyes that were the most beautiful he’d ever seen. A jolt of desire hit him like a lightning bolt. The world seemed to shrink and magnify in that moment. Her eyes widened slightly before she blinked and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Shrugging himself out of whatever the hell that had been, Chris sauntered into the room past her and set his guitar case down on one of the stools. While undoing the latches, he tried to sneak a peek at her ass. Just as he was imagining grabbing it, she turned in his direction and leveled him with a steely, disdainful stare.

Maybe this chick didn’t realize who she was dealing with. His brow rose. Obviously, introductions were in order. “Hey, babe. I’m Chris…”

“I know who you are.” She cut him off with a husky boudoir voice that literally gave him a chill it was so damn sexy. “Shelve the come on. I’m not interested. The name’s Sara Daniels.” She said her name like it should mean something to him. “And I’m not your babe or anyone else’s.”

“Fine,” he replied, sarcastically. Something inside of him immediately rose to the challenge of her confrontational attitude. He continued to hold her stare, carefully formulating his next words. “Sweetheart, I don’t recall saying I
was
interested. Barbed tongued old harpies like you are not my type.”

Sara stiffened, back going ramrod straight. No one could ever talk to
her
like that, especially a guy who had just mentally undressed her. The longest line at Wal-Mart during black Friday was shorter than the amount of time he’d been checking her out.
Arrogant ass
. Well ok, if that’s the way he wanted to play. “Old huh? Take a look in the mirror, you geezer. You’re the one who needs help getting your motorized wheel chaired carcass back in the game.”

“Hey wait a minute, witch. I’m not the one who asked you to come here. I don’t need this kinda crap from you or anyone.” He pointed. “There’s the door. Why don’t you hop back on your broom and fly back to your double wide mobile home lair?”

“You, you, arrogant ingrate,” she sputtered.

Turning his back, Chris bent over and picked up his guitar case. He was about fifty shades of pissed off now. When he turned around to face her, she jumped and her gaze popped back up. A telling rosy color stained her cheeks and her lips were parted.
Well, well, isn’t this an interesting development,
Chris thought, cocking his head. He’d bet good money that she’d totally been checking out
his
ass.
Hmmm, what to do with that.

Grinning, Chris thought it only fair to return the favor. Lowering his eyes, he made a big show of running his gaze slowly over her body, starting at her black cowboy boots and working his way back up to her face. He stopped to linger in certain areas, delighting in the fact that he seemed to be making her uncomfortable.

Sara’s blush deepened.

Chris decided it was time to turn up the voltage, and gave her his should be patented Chris Alex megawatt smile. “Babe, I could teach you a couple of things, if…” He paused, wiggling his eyebrows. “I was into older women.”

He watched her hands clench and her grey eyes smoke into a fiery blaze. “I’m thirty-two, you mummy. What are you, like sixty or something?”

“Forty-four,” he retorted. He was pleasantly surprised by her age. He’d thought she was much younger, actually. Setting back down his guitar case, he talked himself into giving this another try. This one had claws, but man she was a fine piece of ass. “Listen, Sara. I’m sorry. We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot. Can we rewind this whole deal and start over?”

She gave him a suspicious look. “Ok. Sure. I guess.”

“I mean if it’s possible for you to use that sexy voice of yours for something other than insults?”

Sara arched a brow. So the man candy with the tight bod, perfectly mussed up brown hair, milk chocolate eyes, and smoldering smile thought she had a sexy voice did he?
Sweet.
She could work with that.

“Have you seriously never heard the name, Sara Daniels?”

“Doesn’t ring a bell.”

She rolled her eyes. “And you mean to tell me that you’ve never seen a commercial for ‘Wild Texas Rose,’ my signature perfume?”

“Nope.” He shook his head, making the stylishly long layers of his brown hair slide appealingly across his face.

“You geriatric rockers don’t get out much, do you?”

“Well, why don’t you play me one of your redneck songs,” he asked smugly. “Maybe I’ll recognize it.”

“Alright.” Sara took a sip of bottled water and set it down. She dried her hands on her jeans before lifting her guitar off the stand where she’d placed it earlier. She took her time, carefully clipping it on. She gave him an I-am-the-diva-you-are-a-lowly-minion look, before launching into a rocking country tune.

Shit,
Chris thought as soon as she began singing. No wonder she had a huge ego. He did recognize the song. It was a huge cross- over hit. No way in hell was he going to let her know that, though. Her voice was incredibly strong and brassy. No perceptible hillbilly twang, just a slight and extremely sexy southern drawl. “Awesome,” he admitted when she finished. And although she was no Avery Jones, she did know her way around a six string. Competent and confident.

She acknowledged his compliment with a curt nod, some of the previous tension seeming to uncoil from her spine. Taking another sip of water, she asked, “Did you have something in mind for this so-called collaboration Mary insists we do?”

“Hold on. Wait a second there, Calamity Jane.” He raised both brows. “No one said anything to me about a collaboration. We’re just supposed to sing a tune together. Period. End of story.”

Her grey eyes flashed and her back appeared to bow up again. “I don’t do backup vocals any more, you old fart. Mary said…”

“I don’t care what she said. It’s not her album.”

“Ok. Listen.” She rubbed her temples. “You’re giving me a terrible headache.” She started packing up her guitar, her movements herky- jerky. “I’m done here. If you figure this all out,” she picked up her case and paused in the doorway, “give me a call. Mary’s got my number.”

IN THE BREAK room Samantha Daniels slammed the refrigerator door shut hard. “Bother!” she spat, spinning around angrily. Her breath came out in a rush as she ran right into someone’s rock hard chest. “I’m sorry, excuse me,” she apologized, backing up a step and glancing up into a pair of mesmerizing mossy green eyes. Long layers of sun streaked blond hair artfully framed them. The rest of his face wasn’t half bad either. A close cut beard and mustache several shades darker than his hair enhanced the strong masculine planes of his face. His mouth was pulled back into a wide white smile.
Very cute.

“Did you really just say ‘bother?’” he asked, eyes twinkling with amusement.

Samantha put her hands on her hips. “So what if I did?”

JR glanced down at the petite woman in front of him. He’d caught enough glimpses of her around Black Cat this past month to make him want to get a closer look. She was real cute, early twenties maybe, with long glossy chestnut curls surrounding a heart shaped face. She had the most striking grey eyes he’d ever seen. The way she’d just said ‘bother’ like it was a curse word in that southern twang had been freaking adorable.

“I’d say I think it was pretty cute kinda like you are…little missy,” he teased, mimicking her southern accent He noticed how the compliment made her blush. “But what did you see in there that brought out such a fierce response? Is the Lean Cuisine growing bacteria cultures again?”

She giggled, looking almost young enough to pass for a uniformed high school girl in her charcoal colored pencil skirt and pin tucked white silk blouse. “No,” she answered with a frown. “Someone ate my yogurt…again. It’s the third time this week, and I put my name on it with a sticky note and everything.”

JR pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. Sheepishly, he reached into the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out a crumpled yellow post it note. He read it out loud, “Property of Samantha Daniels… Oops.” He glanced back at her through a thick fringe of blond eyelashes with an apologetic expression on his face.

“You!” Sam pushed him in the chest. “You’re the thief! You,” she fumbled for words, “yogurt stealing jerk.”

Arms up in mock surrender, he said, “I’m sorry. I was hungry. Key lime is my favorite flavor. I couldn’t resist.”

She glared at him, arms folded over her chest.

“Isn’t there something I could do to make it up to you? I realize by your expression that you consider this a grievous offense.”

“It most certainly is.” She nodded solemnly and began tapping her foot which made her loose reddish brown curls tumble around her face. “And disciplinary action is mandatory.”

“Yikes.” JR rubbed a hand against his short beard. “Ok. What if I know for a fact that the yogurt swiper in question is very sorry?”

“Remorse would definitely be a factor in reducing the sentence,” Sam said with her lip curving up into a half smile.

“Sam, seriously, I’d like to make it up to you. It’s the least I can do,” JR said with his hand placed dramatically over his heart. “Let me take you out to your favorite restaurant for dinner. What would you say to that?”

Samantha’s silver eyes sparkled. “I’d say…” she lost her train of thought as her phone pinged. Glancing down at the screen, she frowned.

“Everything ok?” JR asked with a lifted brow.

“Huh? Oh yes, everything’s fine. It’s just my sister, Sara. She got into town late last night and is already having trouble with a co-worker this morning. She can be a bit difficult.” Sam shrugged. “About dinner, I don’t really know…”

“It doesn’t have to be tonight,” JR cut off what was beginning to sound like a brush off. He didn’t want to give her an opportunity to get away. “Whenever you’re free, alright?”

“Ok. Yeah, with my sister in, tonight wouldn’t be good. What I was going to say is…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “Hey. I don’t even know your name.”

He extended his hand. “John Raymond. My friends call me JR.”

Sam’s tiny hand was swallowed up by his longer fingers. A blush colored her cheeks when she felt him brush a calloused thumb across the back of her fingers. The caress was light and brief. She’d have thought it imagined but for the sinful grin that crept across his face. “Nice to meet you JR,” she said suspiciously, pulling her hand free.

Her cell phone pinged again and she looked away from him to read the message. “I’ve gotta go.” She sighed. “But would you put your contact information into my phone?”

“Sure. I was just going to suggest that,” JR answered exchanging his cell for hers. “I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll decide on a place.” He smiled at her, white teeth flashing. “I’m looking forward to it, Samantha.”

“Me too. Only JR?”

“Yeah?”

“In the future, keep your hands off my stuff,
comprende
?”

IN THE LIVING room of the elegant, traditionally decorated two bedroom Sutton Place hotel suite, Samantha sat facing her sister on the beige sofa. Both had their legs crisscrossed, and a pizza box lay open and empty on the polished cherry wood coffee table in front of them. Sam lifted up her can of soda as if to give a toast. “Thanks, Sara. I was dying for some Dr. Pepper.”

“No worries. I wish I could have brought you some Blue Bell ice cream, too.”

Sam sighed with pleasure. “Ah, yes pralines and cream, my favorite.” Taking a sip of the soft drink, her eyes narrowed. “Ok, Sara. Give me the details. What happened today between you and Chris Alex? He was in Mary’s office right before I checked out today. I heard your name mentioned. And I can tell you honestly it wasn’t a quiet conversation. Everyone on the executive floor heard it.”

“What exactly was he saying?”

“Something about you acting all high and mighty and demanding equal collaboration on his album.”

“Damn straight.” She nodded. “What did Mary say to that?”

“I don’t know. She closed the door. But when Chris came out, he looked pretty steamed.”

“Really? Hmmm.” Sara glanced down at her laptop briefly, typing a note into her facebook page before continuing. “Ok. Well. Maybe I overreacted just a tad. Chris wasn’t really all that bad.” She paused and smiled mischievously. “Badass body, though.”