UnBurdened
UnBurdened
By
Bethany Bazile
UnBurdened
Copyright © 2012 by Bethany Bazile
All rights reserved.
Warning: No part of this publication may be
reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying,
recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written
permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in
critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright
law.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical
events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names,
characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination,
and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is
entirely coincidental.
Chapter
1
“Is it over yet?”
Ally rolls her eyes at me obviously annoyed with my
indifference to her favorite band. She basically had to drag me to this concert
so I can’t wait to get out of here. My best friend Allison has been screaming
the lead singers name so loud I’m sure he can hear her. The crowd is on their
feet joining in Allison’s crazy obsession with UnBurdened. Don’t get me wrong
the music is good but I’ve never really been into rock and I defiantly don’t
have a thing for heavily tattooed guitarist or men screaming into the
microphone. I’ve been sitting here messing around with the apps on my iphone
for most of the show. The crowd is beginning to shout ‘Encore’, so from my
estimation I’m almost out of here.
A spotlight shines center stage to highlight the lead
singer. He’s sitting on a stool with his head cocked to the right, his dark
hair drenched in sweat. His booted foot is hitched up on the footrest and he
clutches his guitar to his now bare chest. When had he lost his shirt? And how
did I miss that? His body is…amazing. Broad shoulders, perfectly chiseled abs,
he appears to be made of pure steel, hard and smooth. I just want to run my
hand over his pecs and down to explore his six pack abs. Umm…manly perfection.
He begins to sing again and I’m dazed. His voice is amazing,
rough and raspy as he sings a ballad of a beautiful woman that’s beyond his
grasp. I can’t believe this guy had sung for the last hour and I was oblivious.
He lifts his head and seems to look straight towards me. A shiver runs down my
spine as our eyes meet. I feel like the millions of women who think he’s
singing to them, only I don’t think the looks he’s throwing my way are
imagined. I begin to feel uncomfortable because the lyrics are explicitly
describing all the sexual things he wants to do to her, or maybe to me judging
by the way he’s looking at me. I think he’s undressing me with his eyes because
the way his eyes run over my body make my panties wet. The dirty words coming
out his mouth make my pussy clench.
“He’s amazingly hot, isn’t he?” Allison screams into my ear,
breaking me away from the trance he had me under.
“I guess so, if you’re into that kind of guy,” I lie. The
moisture in my panties says he’s hot enough to set a fire in my core.
When I glance back up I see him walking off the stage the
muscles on his back flowing as he walks. We gather our things and begin to make
our way out the aisle. When we get to the end a big bulky looking security
guard pats me on the shoulder and announces, “Mr. Quinn would like you to join
him backstage.” He practically ordered me to go.
I’m being summoned. I knew I wasn’t imagining those looks
from the stage.
“I’m sorry I’m here with my friend and we have somewhere to
be”. There’s no way I’m getting anywhere near that man. If he had that kind of
power over me from a distance, I know he’ll have me naked, screaming his name
and running my nails down his back before the night is over. A man like that
has a cesspool of sluts to choose from and I’m not going to lower myself by
acting like a groupie. No matter how much I want him between my legs.
“Are you crazy!?” Allison gasps. “We don’t have anywhere to
be” she announces.
“Your friend can come too.” He answers flatly.
“Yea! Let’s go” she grabs my hand and drags me to the door
the guard is sliding his key card into. We walk down a long corridor and a
feeling of dread hangs over me. I often let Allison get me into messy
situations but this time I know I should turn around and flee.
At the end of the hallway we are led through a set of doors.
The room is packed with scantily clad women, tables full of food and lots of
alcohol. There are posters on the wall, most of
my
sexy singer. I have
no idea when he became mine but there it is, floating around in my head.
Brayden Quinn the posters read. Even his name is sexy. The band has yet to make
their appearance so people are mingling amongst each other. Allison pulls me
over to the bar and orders shots of tequila. There’s no way I’m letting tequila
mess with my thinking tonight. “Can I have a margarita?” I ask as the bartender
places two shot glass in front of us.
“Come on Kerri, just one shot.” Ally pleads with me. “It
will help ease your nerves; it’s not every day a girl gets a personal
invitation by a rock god.”
I know I should refuse but I really am quite nervous to be
around that man. My reaction to his attention from afar will only be heightened
up close. I lick the back of my hand and shake some salt on it I let my tongue
savor the tingly saltiness than throw back the shot. As I throw the lime in my
mouth to chase the burn an electric sensation runs down my spine and I know
instantly it’s not an after effect from the shot.
“I love a woman who can handle her tequila.” A deep husky
voice vibrates against my ear, sending shivers up my spine as his warm breath
caresses my neck. His hand rests on my hips slowly moving around my waist. As I
spin around I prepare for a faceoff with this douche bag, he actually thinks he
can send his bodyguard to deliver him some ass for the night.
The first thing I notice is the most amazing blue eyes I’ve
ever seen. His lips are inches away from mine with a cocky grin on them; he
knows he’s sexy. So sexy I can taste his delicious flavor on my tongue without
even touching him.
I forgot what I was angry about seconds ago as his spicy all
male smell hit me. He must have just gotten out of the shower because his hair
is still wet and disheveled. I tried backing up to get him out of my space but
the bar behind me refuses me that luxury.
“I’m not having sex with you,” I declare. There. I’ve made
my position clear and I hope he believes me more than I believe myself. I grab
my margarita off the bar and hope it will chase away my nervous stomach. Or is
it even nerves that are causing this fluttering feeling?
“It’s a good thing I’m not that easy love” he runs his hand
through his hair and smiles at me. “Well maybe I am but I’ll make an exception
for you. I’ll wait for you take advantage of me.” He looks in my eyes with a
burning hunger. It’s predatory. Animalistic. It warms me, excites me, and
scares me at the same time. I place my hand on his chest and push back against a
hard wall of muscle. That soft Irish accent he has is officially my new
weakness.
He sits in the stool next to me with his body facing me as
he leans his elbow on the bar top, eyes studying me intently.
“Do you usually summon woman from your audience?” I ask. The
corner of his lip twitches and he shakes his head.
“You’re my first.” He says and I’m not sure I believe that.
“Why me?”
‘Curious is all. Couldn’t understand how the sexiest woman
in the place was more interested in her phone than my performance.”
“Oh, so your ego was wounded and you decided to see if you
could win me over.”
His eyes scan the room and he gets oddly serious. “I just sensed
you were different. I just wanted to be around a pretty woman that wasn’t
blinded by my persona. You know what I mean?”
His blue gaze locks with mine and he runs his hand over that
sexy five o’clock shadow and I know I’m not going to be able to fight him off
as planned.
“I’m going to the restroom” I say as I get up and walk away.
I hear Ally introducing herself and wasting no time getting cozy with him.
I return from getting my emotions or should I say hormones
under control and the vultures have already descended. Ally is practically
sitting in his
lap,
another blonde reaches over and
whispers something into his ear as she runs her fingers through his hair. He
flinches from the contact and gently pushes her off. I know it shouldn’t matter
to me but I can’t help but feel relieved that he hasn’t moved on from me yet.
I scoot in front of the skanky blonde cutting off her
contact with him. He notices the move I make to mark my territory and smirks.
“Wanna get out of here?” he asks.
I shouldn’t. I know his type. I really don’t need to get
caught up with a rock star. If I could only get my heart to stop pounding and
my body to stop tingling at every word he says in that sexy accent, I might be
strong enough to say no. I grab the shot glass the bartender puts down in front
of him and throw it back.
“I wouldn’t want to take advantage of you so soon.” I say
flirtatiously smiling at him, the tequila whirling through my body making me
bolder.
“Don’t worry, I’m too exhausted to put in the kind of work
you deserve. Just let me take you to dinner because I’m starving.” He rubs his
belly and the corner of his shirt lifts exposing the smooth skin on his stomach
and my panties get even wetter. He gets up and reaches for my hand but my mind
is still stuck on the glimpse of his sexy torso.
“You coming?” He asks, not noticing how shaken I am by my
attraction to him. I grab his hand and after making sure Ally is alright being
there alone he pull me towards the exit.
“Have fun!” Ally yells after us, catching the attention of a
group of women closest to us. They throw dirty looks my way, angry that I just
marched out the room with the man they had their eyes on.
We silently make our way through the hallways and exit the
building into a black Range Rover with dark windows. I notice the same bulky
guy who led me into the VIP room was driving us to dinner. “Is he your security
guard?”
“Yeah, Butch has been with me for ages. I got tired of all
the constant new faces our management threw at us and decided to keep Butch
after our second tour. He acts more like my uncle from hell though, I don’t
know why I keep him around,” he jokes.
“Fuck you B,” Butch throws up a middle finger from his seat
up front and Brayden laughs at him.
As we begin to travel the streets of midtown I feel his heated
gaze focusing on my face. He shifts restlessly in his seat and it’s almost as
if this super famous rock star is nervous.
“Since you’ve already propositioned me,” he breaks the tense
silence. “And I’ve agreed to let you have your way with me, I think it’s only
fair I at least get your name.”
“Kerri,” I answer.
“Well Kerri, I’m going to have to at least make you promise
to leave me with your number when you’re done with me.” It’s funny how he’s
making me feel like I have all the power in this connection that’s beginning to
spark between us when he’s the one controlling everything with his sexy accent
and enticing smile. He gazed at me from the stage and something instantly
sparked between us.
“Let’s wait to see how well you perform before I promise you
my number.” I smile enjoying how easy it is to play around with him.
“What? I put on the performance of my life for you on that
stage. Did you miss all the screaming and sweating.” He responds, laughter
rumbling from deep in his chest. “I like you Kerri, it’s been a while since
I’ve actually laughed in the company of a woman. Is Kerri short for something?”
He asks as the car come to a stop in front of the restaurant.
“Kerrington” I reply. Usually you have to pry that out of me
but I was too lost in his sapphire eyes to care.
“Wow that’s very prim and proper you must be a proper lady.”
“Ha,” I giggle, if he only knew the improper thought flowing
through my mind right now.
“You know a proper lady should always have a chaperone on
every date or a scoundrel like me may corrupt you.” He continues as Butch opens
the door. He steps out onto the sidewalk, turn and offers me his right hand
with his left tucked behind him in true 19
th
century form.