Rock the City: A Midnight Fate Novel
Rock the City
Copyright © 2016 by Gia Riley
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded, or distributed via the Internet without the publisher’s permission and is in violation of the International copyright law.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
Cover designer:
Sommer Stein,
Perfect Pear Creative
Interior design and formatting:
Christine Borgford,
Perfectly Publishable
Editing:
Hot Tree Editing
Table of Contents
To family.
Whether by blood or by circumstance, love is all that matters.
Most girls turn into demons when they’re upset, and the one who just ran by me looked mad enough to murder someone. It’s been a slow night, and I’m so bored I’d rather get wasted than think about all the things I could be doing back home.
I haven’t seen my family in months. I haven’t written any music in weeks, and what bothers me most is how much I envy my bandmates and the relationships they have—that all-consuming love that eats you alive before you ever see it coming.
That’s why, as I approach this mystery girl, the one I’ve already had my eye on, I realize this might be the last chance I have to speak to her. Even if she doesn’t want me near her, I have to get closer for reasons I don’t totally understand. All I know is that each time our paths have crossed, I feel like she’s been silently speaking to me, wishing I was able to read her mind.
If I did have superpowers, I’d use them all on her just to make her smile and so she’d never know what pain felt like, even if it’s already written all over her face.
“Are you okay?” I ask her cautiously.
At first, she ignores me, but after she brushes her tears away, she turns around with her arms dangling by her side. “What do you want?” she asks, as defeat continues to consume her.
“To make sure you’re okay.”
Like she just realized how pathetic she sounded, she stands a little straighter, crossing her arms over her chest. With a stronger voice, she says, “And if I’m not? What are you going to do about it?”
She’s feisty—just like I hoped she’d be.
“I’ll help you,” I tell her without thinking it through. I may not even be qualified to listen to her story, but considering the pull toward her is even stronger now that we’ve spoken, I’d do it anyway. Her tears don’t change the way I feel about her.
She’s practically shaking, but her eyes brighten the slightest bit as a hopeful tear flutters across her lashes. “You’re the drummer from Midnight Fate, aren’t you?”
It always makes me cringe when girls ask me that because I know what comes next. Now that she’s recognized me, she’ll probably turn into a super fan, asking me for an autograph as she morphs into the same obnoxious girl I meet every night of the week. I silently beg for her to be different.
Still, I play the part that’s expected of me, holding out my hand for her to shake, praying she’s as different as I think she could be. “Lane Lewis,” I tell her. “Nice to meet you.”
She bypasses my hand completely, reaching out and hugging me instead. Despite our difference in height, my six feet three inches to her barely five feet, she catches me so off guard I stumble backward. I don’t even know her name, but I’d never let her fall.
“Sorry,” she says once she regains her balance. “I’m a big fan. I’m sure you get that all the time, but my best friend is with your lead singer, Easton. That’s probably old news to you though.”
“Actually, I try to stay out Easton’s business.”
“Oh, I guess I just messed that up for you then.”
Already hooked on her smile, I can’t help but grin along with her. Sure, I’ve had girls jump on me, beg me to marry them and then some, but even though she was just as eager to meet me, I’m not the least bit put off by her. Unlike all the others, I’m intrigued. That’s why I’m not afraid when I take an unexpected leap. “Do you want to go someplace and talk?”
Her eyes brighten and cast away the shadows. “Really? You’d do that for me?”
I nod, shoving my hands in my pockets to keep from touching her the way I want to. “Yeah, I would. You look like you could use a friend right now.”
Like I reminded her of why she was standing here in the first place, a little bit of the light I put back in her eyes burns out. “Can we go back to my room?”
Surprised by her bold invitation, I pray she’s not going to ruin this. Mostly because I wouldn’t be able to tell her no, even if I want so much more than sex with her. “Your room?”
“I promise I’m not going to try anything. I just don’t want to stay around here and deal with anymore bullshit.”
I’ve seen it many times; a beautiful girl comes on one of these cruises to find her perfect guy, only to be let down when she finds out he’s all wrong for her—not at all what she was hoping for. Talking to me isn’t going to make him a better match for her. It isn’t going to take away her problems either; they’ll still be there when we’re finished. But what we do between now and then, that could be a game changer.
Against my better judgement, she makes me say yes with one simple look. I’m pretty sure she could get me to do just about anything right now. “I’ll go if you tell me your name.”
Blushing, she ducks her head and smiles. “It’s Noelle.”
I nod toward the elevators, letting her lead the way. “Let’s go.”
She’s quiet the entire walk back to her room, and I already sense a million questions swirling around in that gorgeous head of hers. I’m sure she’s about to set the first one free when I catch her watching me out of the corner of her eye, but she holds onto it a little while longer.
Once we’re in her room, she waits until the door closes behind me before she sits on the edge of the bed and curls up with a pillow, watching me like I’m here to put on a private show just for her.
I’m not the biggest talker, but if I don’t say something soon, this will end up with the both of us naked. That’s how much I already want her.
“What are you thinking about?” she finally asks, breaking the ice but making the sexual tension that much thicker.
I could lie and talk about the weather, or tell her the truth. On a whim, I decide to go with the truth. “I’m thinking about how pretty you are.”
“Are you trying to get me naked?” she fires back right away, but she doesn’t seem the least bit mad. In fact, she seems happy I’m interested.
“Would I have to try?”
Smirking, she finally laughs, a sound so unexpected it’s borderline obnoxious. But it’s also infectious, leaving me wanting more instead of praying for it to end. “You’d be surprised what a girl from the country can do.”