Black Falcon: Complete Series Collection (37 page)

I flinch. “The way you just said that makes it sound like I’ll be leaving by my self.”

“You will be if you go,” she whispers.

I shake my head. “No. You promised you were going with me.”

“I can’t go with you, Noel.”

I drop my hands from her face. “What do you mean, you can’t? We talked about this since freshman year.”

“Exactly,” she cries. “We had no clue what we were talking about back then. Things change, Noel. I don’t know why this is such a huge shock to you. I’ve been telling you for the last year that I want to go to college.”

“I didn’t think you were serious. Damn, Lane. Why are you waiting until just now to tell me this? We had a plan.”

“
You
had a plan. Not me. Not one time have you asked me what I wanted!”

I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Yes I have.”

“No. No you haven’t. Have you heard anything I said about going to college and living in a dorm?”

“I heard you. I just didn’t think you were serious.” I sigh. “I can’t believe you’d pick going to college over being with me.”

“That’s the same way I feel every time you pick music over me.”

“I
never
pick music over you!”

“No? If I won’t go with you, are you going to go anyway?” she challenges.

“Yes! Because that’s been our plan.” I raise my voice, completely frustrated by this blindside. “Music is my fucking life. You know that. It’s all I have.”

“You had me.” Lane bites her plump, bottom lip as forces a cry back. “This is the end for us.”

My heart squeezes so hard in my chest that panic starts setting in. “Please, Lane. Don’t do this.”

She kisses my cheek. “Goodbye, Noel.”

My body turns completely numb as she turns and runs away from me. I should pull it together and go after her and force her to understand and try harder at convincing her to come with me, but I can’t move. The idea that Lanie Vance is no longer mine hits me hard and I drop to my knees, shaking uncontrollably. I fist my hair in my hands and allow myself to cry for the loss of the only girl I’ll ever really love.

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Rock My Bed

by
Michelle A. Valentine

––––––––

I
tip my head back, listening to the beat of the music echoing down the hallway and readjust my backstage pass. This isn’t the piece of cake first assignment for my best friend, Lanie, although I thought it would be. I just hope she isn’t beating the crap out of Noel Falcon on the other side of that red door.

The brick wall is cold against the bare skin on my shoulders as I lean against it. This is such a fucked up mess. If I’d known things would get this heated between Lanie and Noel I might’ve agreed with her that she shouldn’t take Diana Swagger, our boss, up on her offer to head up his children’s literacy campaign. Seeing an ex is never easy. I can’t even imagine what I would do if my ex became a rock-god and I was forced to work with him in order to advance my career.

She’s definitely got her work cut out for her.

A few screams at the end of the hall draw my attention. I stiffen against the wall as my gaze lands on Riff, the lead guitarist of Black Falcon. Women rip open their shirts for him to sign their chests as he moves gracefully among them down the hall. My eyes rake over his body. I can see why women line up to throw themselves at him. He’s really, really sexy.

The hair on his head is perfectly styled into a tall Mohawk that alternates between blond and black chunk stripes, while his wife-beater tank top shows off a vast array of tattoos covering his broad shoulders and impressive forearms. Riff grins as he signs a couple of bare breasts with a silver Sharpie while another fan kisses his cheek. Everything about him emits raw sex appeal, and it’s impossible to tear my gaze away.

I bite my bottom lip just as Riff glances up and notices me. Every instinct in my body advises me to look away because this guy is trouble—the kind I’ve sworn off since the last bad boy I messed around with broke my heart. Guys like him aren’t good news.

He holds my eyes with his for a few seconds and when I don’t break our stare, a slow, cocky smile spreads across his lips.

Oh shit. Why do I have the feeling that look means I’m in for it?

Riff leans over and says something to one of the security guards then claps him on the back before he stalks towards me alone.

Security holds the crazed fans back. The girls behind him continue to scream out Riff’s name as he leaves them standing there still starving for his attention, but he never looks back. His gaze pins me as he heads right for me.

I swallow hard and my heart hammers inside my chest. The moment is surreal. Since getting to know Lanie in college and learning about her connection to Black Falcon, I admit Riff is the one band member that’s always caught my eye. Everything about him that screams naughty sex on a stick, and I can’t believe he’s heading my way.

My knees grow a little weak beneath me as he stops a couple feet in front of me. Riff smirks as his eyes trail over my body unabashedly, lingering a good while on my breasts beneath my form fitting halter-top. “Your tits are amazing.”

I flinch and my mouth drops open. It’s not like I’m dressed like a skank, but this form-fitting halter doesn’t do anything to disguise that I have a large chest. It doesn’t give him the right to be so crude about it. “
Excuse
me?”

His grin widens as he leans into me and braces himself against the wall with a hand beside my head. “I knew it. Redheads are always feisty, and they
never
disappoint in the sack.”

Where does he get off? I’m not a prude. I’m down for having all kinds of fun with a random hottie, but just because he’s a fucking rock-star doesn’t give him the right to treat women like random pieces of rump-roast, especially ones like me. I’m not a usable doormat.

Any other pick-up line would’ve given him better shot at getting in my panties. Now, he’s just pissed me off.

“Um, ever heard of personal space?” I place my hand on his chest and give him a gentle shove.

Riff’s hand shoots up and he wraps his fingers around my wrist. “Feisty
and
brave. I can only imagine what a night with you would be like. I bet you’re a regular wildcat. Here. Take this.” He reaches in his back pocket of his jeans and pulls out a golden piece of paper and slips it into my palm. “Meet me out by our bus. Let me have just one night to fuck you senseless. I guarantee I’ll have you speaking in tongues before the nights through.”

I stare down at the paper, which looks like a pass to an amusement park ride. My fingers crumple the golden ticket in my fist. “What the hell is this?”

He moves his other arm and places his left hand on the other side of my head, effectively pinning me against the wall. Both of his knees bump into mine as he leans into me. I feel my own lips betray me as they part when Riff dips his head low, like he’s about to kiss me. I close my eyes and my chest heaves with anticipation. Damn my stupid body for getting turned on by this beautiful asshole. This is wrong on so many levels, but a rational reason to not allow this to happen doesn’t enter my brain.

The door across the hall startles me as it slams shut, and a very pissed Noel Falcon flees from the room. Riff watches the back of the lead singer of his band storm down the hall, obviously distraught as he grips handfuls of his own hair in his fists.

Riff shifts his gaze back to me. “Use this ticket and come find me. Security will let you through as long as you have it. We aren’t done with this conversation.”

I open my mouth to protest, but he leans in and kisses me so passionately my knees below me nearly give out. The warmth of his tongue gliding over mine causes a tingle in my belly that spreads down between my legs. Riff cups my face in the palms of his hands and gives me a final peck on the lips. “Find me.”

Without another word he pulls away and heads toward the direction of his band-mate. I watch his retreating backside with my mouth gaping open.

What the hell just happened? Did he really just offer to fuck me for sport and then kiss me breathless?

My heart still hammers in my chest as I unclench my fingers and stare down at the golden piece of paper in my hand. That’s one man I need to stay far, far away from. I just know my sanity and my heart depends on it. Good thing this is the last time I’ll ever see him.

I shake my head to wake myself out of the daze Riff just put me in and stare at the door across the hall. The way Noel came tearing out of it tells me Lanie’s little chat with him didn’t go well. Time to do a little damage control.

The door creaks open, and I spot my friend with her head hung low. More than anything I want to comfort her. I know it can’t be easy facing a messy past head-on like she just did. She’s got some big lady balls, I’ll give her that.

I rest my hands on her shoulders. “Did you get your answers?”

Lanie nods, but she doesn’t turn to face me. She sniffs a little, trying to fight back her emotional pain. “Everything I needed to know.”

My heart instantly breaks for her because I can tell she’s not referring to our job. This weekend jaunt hasn’t gone anything like what I imagined.

W
hat the fuck is wrong with me? Why am I chasing down the one person I hate, instead of working on seducing that fine piece of ass back there? Two more seconds and I would’ve had her heading back to the bus where she would’ve been happy to cash in that golden ticket.

What a waste.

I follow Noel out the exit doors into the Texas summer heat and watch as he paces in the parking lot. The cool demeanor he usually sports is gone, replaced by a wild look in his eye as he huffs and growls with his hands on top of his head.

“What the fuck is your problem?” Not that I really care anymore. Anything that’s bothering him, he probably brought on himself.

Noel glances up to the sky and bites his bottom lip like he’s searching for answers from up above. After a couple long moments he shakes his head but still allows his chin to be tilted up. “You ever wished for something so much that when it actually came true you ruined it without even meaning to?”

I scrunched my brow. “I have no clue what the fuck you’re talking about. You’re not using again are you? Babbling like this was always a sign before. You know you shouldn’t be doing that with a baby coming and all. You need to keep your shit together.”

Noel’s eyes meet mine. “You know I don’t touch that shit anymore.”

I cross my arms over my chest. If it weren’t for needing to keep Black Falcon together, I would’ve told him to go fuck himself two months ago when I found out he fucked my girlfriend and got her pregnant.

I actually do hate him for going behind my back. Sophie I expected that kind of shit from. I knew from the jump she and I were never going to be serious. She was merely the chick I kept around for a good fuck when I needed it. Finding a random groupie night after night gets pretty taxing.

But Noel on the other hand, his ass was supposed to be my brother, and I never expected that shit from him. If he stabbed me in the back for a quick piece of ass, what else is he screwing me over with? The moment Sophie told me she was pregnant by him, the trust between us was gone. And so was our friendship.

I stand here now, trying to talk to him out of obligation to the band, nothing more.

Noel rubs his hand over his face and sighs. “Lanie Vance was at our show tonight.”

My eyes widen. “The cold-hearted slut you dedicate
Ball Busting Bitch
to at every one of our shows?”

He nods. “That’s the one. I never thought I’d see her again, and how the fuck did she end up backstage?”

Things start to click. “Is that who was in there with you when you came flying out? No wonder you were pissed. The one chick that carries your balls around in her purse finally confronts you for calling her ass out in front of thousands of people. Nice.”

I laugh and his face twists. Karma is a bitch named Lanie Vance apparently. Life couldn’t get any fucking sweeter.

Noel glares at me. “That’s not why she came after me.”

“What other reason would she have? You haven’t seen her since high school, right? Keep your wallet in check, dude. Sounds like a gold digger to me,” I say.

He shakes his head. “No. She isn’t like that. Believe it or not she needs me for a job.”

Like that doesn’t sound like a load of shit. “What kind of job?”

“She’s working for Center Stage Marketing. Apparently, I’m her first client.”

“Fuck. That blows. Can’t you just hire someone else to handle your children’s literacy thing so you won’t have to deal with her crazy ass?” This band doesn’t need any more fucking chick drama to come between us.

“That would be the easy thing to do, but the thing of it is, man, she knows me. She knows all about my struggle with dyslexia, and as much as I hate to admit it, she’s actually the best person for the job.”

I stare at this pussy-whipped douchebag in front of me and know exactly what he’s trying to get at. He’s told me all about how this woman was the great love of his life. I know Noel Falcon well enough to know he has a side agenda for keeping her around. God knows he’ll screw anything that walks at the drop of a hat, why not fuck an old flame that crushed you once just to prove you still can. If I was him, that’s what I would do.