Taking Stage: A Night with the Rock Star (The Complete Series)

By Emma Rose

This 5-Pack includes the entire Taking Stage series by Emma Rose, formatted as a full-length novel.

Therese is convinced that hot rock-god guys like Max Stone could never fall for a girl like her. They chase after pencil-thin supermodels who never have to watch what they eat or exercise to keep their figure.

She also has no desire to see Max’s band live when he comes to town, but her groupie sister can’t stop going on about how sexy he is. When Therese nonchalantly wins a pair of backstage passes for her sister during a radio contest, she decides to give it a try despite the horde of tattooed and pierced fans that will be there.

When the limo arrives to take them to the show, she is sure she makes a fool of herself by not recognizing Max and the rest of the band who are already seated. She is fascinated by him, not for his fame, but for his jaw-droppingly good looks and magnetic personality. She allows her mind to wonder what it would be like to have him to herself for a night.

Max is caught off-guard when one of the winners of a radio contest takes a seat in his limo. Her full-figured frame, beautiful curves, and piercing eyes show him that she is interested in him personally, not his fame. He wants to show her there is more to him than being a rock star.

Will Therese look past the stage lights and her own insecurities to spend a night with the mysterious rock star, Max Stone?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Emma Rose
• Release date: Sep 10, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311550286

Emma Rose

As a full-time independent author, Emma Rose delights in giving you stories that draw you in and characters who captivate your imagination.

Book preview

Taking Stage: The Complete Series

By

Emma Rose

Copyright © 2014 by Emma Rose

Smashwords Edition

*****

PUBLISHED BY:

Crave Romance

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. All characters in this book are eighteen years or older.

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 where permitted by law.

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Taking Stage: The Complete Series

Therese shoved open the door to her apartment to find her sister already sitting on her couch. Nikki had the radio blaring on a local rock station, all the windows of Therese’s bright little apartment flung open to let in the Saturday afternoon sun while she crunched on potato chips from the bag in her lap. On the radio, Bono sang about streets with no names.

You shouldn’t eat this stuff, Therese. It’s not good for you if you want to lose weight. Nikki, slim and gorgeous with her big brown eyes and her hair in a short pixie cut, shoved her hand in the bag between her slender thighs and pulled out a handful of chips. I can eat this stuff, but you can’t.

Therese came fully into the apartment with her canvas bag full of groceries over her shoulder and closed the door. It’s a good thing I’m not trying to lose weight then, she said.

The ruffles of the white, off the shoulder dress she wore fluttered in the breeze that came through the window as she put her keys on the hook, turning so her sister wouldn’t see the annoyance on her face. Therese was a big, girly-girl who didn’t own a single pair of jeans or shorts. One who loved to wear dresses, heels, and make-up. She never left the house, no matter the reason, looking less than her opinion of perfect. Her cheeks, arms, and thighs were round. Therese didn’t have a problem with that, but her sister did.

Ever since they were children, Nikki had been telling Therese, in one way or another, how awfully fat she was. Of course, genetics and luck had blessed Nikki with a willowy slenderness she enhanced by running track in high school and later working as a yoga instructor in Downtown Decatur. She couldn’t stand it that Therese was on the thicker side and just didn’t give a damn.

Therese took her bag of groceries to the kitchen and unpacked them, sighing inwardly as her sister left the living room and followed her. She refused to be embarrassed by her purchases, tucking away the ice cream, potatoes, steak, and whipped cream without looking at Nikki.

Why do you always buy this garbage? Nikki asked as she munched on Therese’s bag of potato chips, dropping crumbs as she walked.

Because I like it. Therese put a gallon of milk in the refrigerator door and closed the fridge. What are you doing here anyway?

Mom is over at my place, cleaning. I figured the safest thing for me to do was get out of the way.

At twenty-eight, Nikki still got treated like a baby by both their parents. To them, she was still to be spoiled. There wasn’t a month that went by without her mother doing Nikki’s laundry or cleaning the two bedroom bungalow their parents had bought her as a reward for finishing her master’s degree. It never ceased to amaze Therese how spoiled her sister was. Or how differently their parents treated them.

Bono’s song faded away on the radio and Max Stone began singing about heartbreak and betrayal.

Oh my God, I love Max Stone. He’s so fucking hot! Nikki ran to the radio and turned it up even louder.

Come on, really?! Therese gave her sister a sour look as she put some bananas in the fruit basket on the kitchen counter. That is just too loud.

You have to listen to his music all the way up, Nikki shouted. She shook her butt to the raunchy beat of the song, wiggling her narrow hips covered in tiny shorts.

Therese turned down the music. This is ridiculous. Why don’t you go over to your place and help mom clean up. All you’re doing is making a mess over here. She pointed to the chip crumbs littering the hardwoods leading from the living room to her kitchen.

Don’t be such a nag, Therese. That’s probably why you can’t find a boyfriend. Nikki bopped around the kitchen, eyes closed, head rocking back and forth.

I don’t have a boyfriend because I broke up with Lloyd, remember?

Nikki seemed to have a selective memory where Therese’s love life was concerned, preferring to think of her curled up in a dark room someplace, waiting for any man to notice her. The reality of it—that her fat sister had no problem meeting and sleeping with men—couldn’t fit into Nikki’s world view.

I don’t know why you didn’t stay with Lloyd. He was cute and he was a doctor.

Therese rolled her eyes. He was also a lying cheat, fucking every nurse at the hospital every chance he got.

All you had to do was lose some weight and that problem would have disappeared. Poof!

I doubt starving myself was going to affect where Lloyd put his dick. Therese opened the cupboard to put away a box of whole wheat pasta and bag of dry black beans.

The last of Max Stone’s song drifted away in the kitchen.

The radio DJ’s cheerful, hyper voice filled the room. That was Max Stone’s latest hit, Hard Hearted. Mighty Max is going to be in Atlanta this weekend as part of his big US tour. Caller number ten will win tickets to the show plus an all access VIP backstage pass. Call now!

Oh my God! Did you hear that? Nikki flew into the living the room. Where is my phone?!

She frantically dug into the couch looking for her cell, her butt bent over in the air, the pocket of her short shorts dented with a familiar rectangular shape.

It’s probably in your back pocket, Nikki, Therese said dryly as she turned to fold up her canvas shopping bag and put it under the sink.

Shit! Her sister whipped the phone out of her pocket but it dropped and hit the hardwood floor, the phone face, battery, and battery cover scattering in different directions. Fuck! Fuck!

Therese took her phone out of her purse and called the number the DJ mentioned. The phone rang.

Congratulations caller number ten!

For a moment, Therese stood in surprise with the phone to her ear. Did she actually just win her sister the tickets?

Shit! Somebody already called in. Her sister cursed again from the living room where Therese could hear an echo of the DJ’s greeting in her ear.

Uh…thank you, she said into the phone.

Don’t sound so excited, the DJ mocked. Do you know what you just won?

Therese cleared her throat. Yes, I do. And I’m very excited, she said although she didn’t hear any excitement in her voice echoing from the radio in the living room. Hang on the line caller ten. We’ll get some more details about you and maybe get some real excitement going. The voice grew fainter in Therese’s ear. Maybe she’s shell-shocked, Atlanta. It isn’t everyday you get a chance to meet a rock god like Max Stone.

A few minutes later, Therese hung up the phone, the details of the concert and the tickets she’d won written down on her kitchen notepad. The radio played another Max Stone song, something slower and more romantic than the last number.

Chapter 2

Can you believe that crap? Nikki walked into the kitchen holding the separate pieces of her phone. I think it’s busted for good. She looked up when Therese didn’t respond. What?

"I just won

Reviews for Taking Stage

[gloria.herrera · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Endearing love story. About time a size 12 female is featured as the heroine and love interest! Therese is a gorgeous girl, sweet and intelligent. Max is the rock star who falls for her. The pursuit is worth reading this series. Fully recommended!