Rock Star: Rock Star, #1

Chapter 1

Lauren

Why were rock stars all complete self-absorbed jerks? Journalist Lauren Miller groaned as she looked over her interview schedule. Stark Stone, lead singer for the band, The Soft Burns, hadn’t shown. She'd wanted to prep him before their interview tomorrow. Now she’d have to wait until after the concert tonight before she got a chance to speak with him. Not ideal .

She walked over to the Marriott hotel reception desk to check in. She handed over her details to the clerk when her phone chirped. She looked down to see a message from her best friend, Sarah Bennett, wishing her luck for the interview. She smiled and immediately felt her oncoming headache start to slide. Sarah had that effect on her. She was the only calming thing in her life right now. They’d been through a lot over the years and it was good to have someone she could tell anything to.

Miss Miller, we’ve overbooked the floor you wanted. Lauren looked up at the clerk feeling the throb in her forehead return. This was the last hotel they’d tried and there was only one room left. Her cameraman had to stay with his sister. What was she going to do if they had no more room? The woman pushed a key in her direction before she could say anything. We’ve given you an upgrade. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Inconvenience? She looked down at the room number. They'd given her a room on the nineteenth floor, near the top of the hotel and a suite no less. Thank you, this is great. She smiled at the woman and grabbed her belongings before heading toward the elevator.

She’d never gotten an upgrade in a hotel before. Feeling pleased she found her floor and made her way to her room. As she placed her room card into the door and opened it she widened her eyes. This room was bigger than her whole apartment and decorated with modern decor. What a shame she only had one night of this luxury. She’d have liked to stay longer. But this wasn’t a holiday, it was work. 

Missing Stark Stone wasn’t such a big deal anymore.

She threw her bag onto the floor and bounced on the large king size bed. It was firm but comfortable. She felt a small thrill when she entered the bathroom. A large triangle shaped spa bath. Luxury toiletries lined a thin glass shelf above the sink. She opened the bath gel and inhaled the lavender aroma. She’d use that to relax in the bath tonight before she went to bed. Pocketing the rest of the toiletries she continued exploring the suite.

A door in the side of the wall opposite her bed intrigued her. At first, she thought it might be an extra closet but as she turned the handle she realized her error.

It was another room, made up exactly like hers. What the hell? They’d given her an adjourning suite next to someone. It didn’t look occupied, nothing was on the counters or beside the bed. Maybe no one was using it. Still, she didn’t like the idea of whoever was in there being able to walk into her room whenever they felt like it.

She flicked the lock so the occupant couldn’t enter her room. Done. She walked over to the glass balcony door and slid it open, feeling the warm breeze rush onto her face. Wow. What a great view from here. She had to tell Sarah about it. She returned to get her phone and came back to the balcony, sat on a deck chair and put her feet up on the small side table.

You haven’t met him yet? asked Sarah.

He was supposed to meet me earlier so we could go over the interview questions, but of course, he never showed. Jerk. Lauren watched the people in the pool below splashing in the water. He better give a good interview tomorrow or my producer will be furious. He’s already riding my ass.

But you’re going to his concert tonight. Sarah seemed much more excited about a musician than she usually did. Of course, she’d never met one in person. Lucky her.

Yeah, both my camera-man and I have tickets. At least that should be good fun.

Will you meet him tonight after the concert? God, he’s so hot. He’s like sex on a stick.

Lauren stifled a laugh. Sarah had come out of her shell since becoming engaged to ex-biker Ethan Collier. A year ago, before she met him, she would never have said anything like that. As long as he doesn’t put that stick anywhere near me, then we’ll get along just fine.

You don’t think he’s hot?

What could she say? Of course, he was, but he was also someone who slept with anything that batted an eyelid in his direction. It was the same with all the male talent she’d interviewed since becoming the entertainment reporter at T9 News. He’s not my type.

As much as Lauren enjoyed sex, sleeping with men who only wanted one thing wasn't good for her self-esteem. Or her career. The last guy she was with ended up cheating on her. He wasn't the first. That seemed to happen a lot when she dated the kind of guys she was attracted to. She was a grown up and it was now time she got serious about someone. 

Besides, she wouldn’t risk her job by sleeping with the talent. Not even if they were as hot as Stark Stone.

She said goodbye to Sarah and walked back inside her hotel room. There was a weird mix of excitement and nervous energy running through her. The only way she was going to get rid of this feeling was to forget about the interview and enjoy herself at the hotel. So what if she was here to work, she still had two hours before the concert tonight. She'd gone over her interview questions and knew them back to front. All she had to do was relax, and that pool below looked like it had relaxation written all over it. She might even have a cocktail while she was there. Something fruity and icy. That’d make her feel normal again.

She opened her bag and searched for her bathing suit. She got changed and tied a sarong around her waist, added sunglasses and a large floppy hat.

Tying her hair back into a messy ponytail she then applied sunscreen to her fair skin. No use getting burned while she was here to enjoy herself.

She glanced over at the clock beside her bed. She’d hang out at the pool for an hour then come back and get ready for the concert. 

Her cameraman was picking her up half an hour before it started and she could get ready in ten minutes, easy.

Maybe this weekend wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

Chapter 2

Stark

Stark Stone knew the cords in his throat were tight from more than singing the same songs over and over. His manager, Monty Keller, had kept them in rehearsals all day. He’d missed the meeting with the reporter and didn’t have her phone number to apologize. Shit. He didn’t like reporters at the best of times, but pissing one of them off wasn’t the best move for his career. He’d just have to be super charming at their interview tomorrow . 

Luckily being charming came easily to him. Just like women came easily to him. One of the perks of being the lead singer in a band. He hadn't had a gig where women didn't throw themselves at him. He wondered if the reporter would be as easy to charm as the rest of them. Probably. She was female after all. Still, he couldn't piss her off anymore.

Maybe he’d see her at the concert tonight and he could apologize then. Damn, what did she look like again?

Hey Mont, that reporter, what was her name? 

Monty looked up from the clipboard he was poring over. Lauren Miller. You know, the one from T9 News. The redhead.

No, he didn’t know. When did he have time to watch television? He didn’t - that’s what. He was too busy writing music and rehearsing songs with the guys. 

Not that he minded missing television. Who had time to relax when your career was taking off and you were in demand? It could all end as quickly as it had started. That wasn't going to happen. He wasn't going to be someone that people forgot. He was in this for the long haul and that meant working hard and staying on top.

Monty fished into his pocket and handed him a hotel room key. I’ve booked you into the Marriott already and sent your things over. You’ve got an hour to freshen up before you have to be back here.

An hour. Plenty of time for a quick shower and shave. He might even be able to explore the hotel as well in that time. Maybe have a few laughs with the guys before he had to be back. He needed downtime. He pulled his arms across his chest and stretched out the kinks.

Two black limos pulled up and the guys piled into the first. They were a good group and he was lucky to have such great men in his band. Sure they could be a bit rowdy, what groups of men weren’t? He could forgive them for that. Everyone needed to let off steam every now and then, especially when you worked as hard as The Soft Burns did.

He was about to head to their limo when it drove off and the second pulled up in front of him. He got inside.

Drop me at the back, I don't want to deal with anyone. The limo driver complied and pulled up outside the staff entrance. Stark got out and found the elevator. He made his way to the nineteenth floor and searched for his room.

It was at the end of the corridor and he opened it to find a pleasant enough room. Not the fanciest he’d stayed in, but it’d do. His clothes had already been unpacked. They hung neatly in the wardrobe next to his suitcase. Monty was the best manager ever for looking after him and the guys. Deserved every cent he made.

He walked out to his balcony and looked around. The air smelled crisp and fresh and it invigorated him. Crowds of people splashed in the sparkling blue pool. Man, he should be down there, cooling off in the water. A cool whiskey in one hand and lounging on a deck chair. Yeah, that'd be nice.

He couldn’t though, not without people hassling him for an autograph or photo. Even with his sunglasses on everyone knew who he was. He was Stark Stone, the lead singer of The Soft Burns. 

It still didn’t seem real. He’d sure come a long way from being Steven Stone, playing cover songs in his parent’s garage with guys from his school class. Little Stevie Stone dreaming of getting a record deal. He chuckled to himself as he walked back into his room. 

He paused when he saw the adjourning door. Excellent, Monty had put one of the guys from his band in the next room. That would make it easier to hang with them.

He tried the door, but it was locked. He knocked. Hey, Ric, the door’s locked, flick the lock will you. There was no answer. Maybe the guys had already gone to the bar. No, they wouldn’t do that before the gig, they knew better than that. Still, he’d want to hang with them tonight and he couldn’t have the door preventing that. 

He grabbed his room key and slid the credit card shaped plastic between the handle and the plate. He’d learned this trick as a young kid when he got locked in the bathroom of his parent’s house. Worked on hotel room doors as well which always surprised him. Since then he’d used the move plenty of times to avoid people outside or meet people within.

Sure enough, he heard the click and the door unlocked. He was just about to open it when the room phone rang. 

He walked over and picked it up.

Starkey! It was his lead guitarist, Ric Prince. 

Princey! I just got in the room, where are you guys? 

The band's drummer, Joey Turner, made a crude joke in the background. Bass player, Leo Sharpe laughed raucously. We’re at the other end of the corridor. Come out and down the end, I’ll leave the door open, said Ric.

If the guys were down the other end, then who was in the room next to him? It didn’t matter, it was probably empty. Monty wouldn’t have put anyone in the next room while he was performing. Maybe he could make the most of it and take turns sleeping in each bed. He could sleep in one room tonight and the other tomorrow. Yeah, that sounded like a plan. Mix it up.

Stark grabbed his room key and closed the door behind him. He had made his way halfway down the corridor when the elevator doors opened and out stepped a woman. A stunning woman. She had the palest smooth skin and the plumpest looking kissable lips he’d seen for a long time. And those legs. Jeez, they were slender, strong, and all he could think about was her legs wrapped around his naked waist.

For a moment, he was taken aback as he stared at her and she at him. 

Stark Stone? The woman lifted her sunglasses and he saw her gorgeous green eyes. They locked on him and he could tell she was having the same reaction to him as he was to her. It was lust, pure straight to the groin, gotta have her, lust.

Shit. He promised himself that he wouldn’t sleep with any more groupies. How did she even get up here?

Stark Stone, I’m Lauren Miller, the entertainment reporter for T9 News. She held out her hand for him and he was drawn to touch her. We were supposed to meet today.

Oh yeah, sorry, I was stuck at rehearsal. He took her hand and felt movement below. He swallowed as he tried to control himself. The last thing he needed was for the reporter to see him get hard just by shaking her hand. What the hell was wrong with him?

Did you want to catch up now and go over tomorrow’s questions? I have time. 

Hell yes, he wanted to catch up now, but not to go over any questions. He wanted to go over her and that smoking body of hers.

Starkey. Ric stood in the doorway and called out to him. Get in here.

He cursed under his breath. I gotta go see the guys. Maybe we can chat later, after the gig. He didn't want to go, but he also needed to walk away fast. His cock pressed hard against the rough denim of his jeans and he was sure she'd noticed. He