Dare to Live

By Sandy Sullivan

Being part of the hottest rock band in the country has its perks even if you are the guy in the back.

Dylan Mannix has his own issues. Everything he could ever want is at his fingertips, but the emptiness of the next morning is getting to him. Beautiful women are a dime a dozen, each wanting a piece of him if it means making a name for themselves in the business of rock and roll. The last thing he needs is the complication of his attraction to the wanna-be band member.

Taylor Valentine wants this gig and wants it bad. She’s a keyboardist shooting for the big time and that means becoming a band member of Iron Rogue, the all-male hottest rock band on the circuit at the moment. When the band puts out feelers for a keyboardist, she’s on it, but it’s going to take everything she’s got to convince the guys she’s the girl for the job. Staying away from the hot drummer will be the real test of patience since she’s wanted him from the moment she laid eyes on him.

Will the addition of a new band member wreak havoc on the cohesiveness of the band or will bringing on a woman who has the hots for Dylan be the down-fall?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandy Sullivan
• Release date: Apr 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9781944122409

Sandy Sullivan

Sandy Sullivan is a romance author, who, when not writing, spends her time with her husband Shaun on their farm in middle Tennessee. She loves to ride her horses, play with their dogs and relax on the porch, enjoying the rolling hills of her home south of Nashville. Country music is a passion of hers and she loves to listen to it while she writes. She is an avid reader of romance novels and enjoys reading Nora Roberts, Jude Deveraux and Susan Wiggs. Finding new authors and delving into something different helps feed the need for literature. A registered nurse by education, she loves to help people and spread the enjoyment of romance to those around her with her novels. She loves cowboys so you'll find many of her novels have sexy men in tight jeans and cowboy boots. Sandy’s website www.romancestorytime.com

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Dare to Live

Iron Rogue 4

Erotic Romance

Sandy Sullivan

Copyright © 2019 Sandy Sullivan

Smashwords Edition

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Erotic Romance

Dare to Live – Iron Rogue 4

Copyright © 2019 Sandy Sullivan

E-book ISBN: 9781944122409

First E-book Publication: September 2019

Cover design by Dawne Dominique

Edited by Ariana Gaynor

Proofread by Maranda Raven

All cover art and logo copyright © 2019 by Sandy Sullivan

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

Dedication

This is for everyone who has followed the story of the guys from the band.

I hate that this is the end of their stories, but they have all found the love of their lives.

For you, their fans. Rock on!

DARE TO LIVE

Iron Rogue 4

Sandy Sullivan

Copyright © 2019

Chapter One

Great. A fucking hard-on. Just what I need right now. Thrashing out the pounding rhythm of their newest song for twenty-five thousand screaming fans sucked when his dick ached from a raging hard-on. It didn’t matter how bad his cock hurt, this was his job and with the band at the top of their careers, Iron Rogue could do no wrong.

Dylan Mannix ground his teeth so hard, he thought for sure his molars were going to crack as he watched Taylor Valentine behind her keyboard. She’d let her hair grow out, making the long blonde tresses dance around her face and shoulders. The signature pink streak from crown to tip only emphasized the thick mane.

Unable to keep his eyes off her, he drank in her sexy outfit. Decked out in a black leather dress, she was everything a man could want and more. The material hugged every curve, smoothed over each plain like a lover’s hand, his hand. The halter top gave her breasts a lift, showing off her sexy cleavage to perfection, the ever-present choker at her throat, emphasizing her slender neck. Four-inch heels on her feet gave her even more height, making her long legs look like they went on forever.

What he wouldn’t give to have them wrapped around his hips.

Fuck me.

Sweat poured from his temple and down the front of his t-shirt. He hated being behind her on the stage every night. It made it nearly impossible to play without thinking about her beneath him, legs spread wide as he brought her to orgasm after orgasm with his mouth and tongue before he slipped his cock into her heat.

Their tumultuous relationship had come to this, him fantasizing about her with each beat of the song.

Her hips swayed with it, that damn dress barely covering her ass cheeks, riding higher and higher with each sway.

The crowd along the rail loved every inch of skin she showed. The men stared up at her as if she hung the moon.

She’d really come into her own in the last two years she’d been with the band. When they’d let her audition, she’d been great, slipping right in with them without a hitch, but this year she’d become a full-blown hottie with her own following of groupies willing to give her anything she wanted or desired. Her wardrobe in those first few shows was nothing to write home about, jeans, a blouse, tennis shoes, and short spiky hair. The one she wore tonight showed off every asset she had, playing each and every man in the building like a fool, him included. When she’d come out of her dressing room dressed like that, he had almost swallowed his tongue.

The other women of Iron Rogue, Tori, Maddie, and Gracie, had gushed over it, reassuring her that the leather had been made for her skin and made every inch he could see glow. The second she walked by him, she shot him a look over her shoulder, daring him to say a word. Those gorgeous brown eyes sparkled with mischief and something more, something he wanted to explore except she was totally off limits.

The last strains of their final song faded into the echo of the arena as the fans screamed. The rush of having people love their music never got old.

Pushing out a long breath, he stood up from his stool behind his drums and headed for the side of the stage. I need a drink.

They still had their last encore to do before they could call it a night, he could get a Jack and Coke, settle into his spot on the bus, and chill. A shower would be great when they were done. Sweat clung to his upper lip as he took a towel one of the roadies handed him so he could wipe his face and then held out a bottle of water. The cool slide of the liquid quenched his thirst, but not the clenching of his gut as he watched Taylor talking with the other girls. Her skin glistened with a sheer sheen of sweat from their exertions on the stage. Even though the two of them didn’t do the physical antics of the front men, they still worked their asses off to give the fans a great show.

The slow dab of her towel on her neck fucked with his brain. He would love to follow that path with his tongue, straight to her breast. The coral nipple would harden under his lips, driving him insane with lust as he sucked and bit at the tip. Her moans would echo around them, forcing him to slow down before he shot his load like a teenage boy.

His head back on his shoulders, he pushed air between his lips, trying desperately to calm his raging testosterone levels so they could finish the show.

Got a bit of a problem there, Dylan? she murmured as she moved past him. The whisper of her breath on his heated flesh drove him past crazy. The bitch.

When he leveled his stare on her face, he said, Not something one of those hot chicks out there can’t put out.

She looked straight into his eyes for several long seconds as a frown settled on her lips. This had been their game for a while now. They would tease each other to the point of no return, issue threats, promises, and innuendos before moving on to someone else they could lose themselves in for the night. This dance of theirs was growing weary.

The stage manager ushered them toward the stage so they could get their last encore done.

The band took their positions as the lights came back up and the crowd went wild, screaming their name over and over.

Taylor played the first chord of their newest song, a long drawn out note that echoed through every corner of the arena. The rest of the band picked up the melody, threading the lyrics Noah sang into each note until the final one faded at the end.

It took a split second for the crowd to go crazy. This song would be number one on the charts by the end of the month.

Not missing a beat, Dylan lost himself in the steady rhythm. Sweat poured from his temple, soaking his shirt on the back. Hair stuck to his head and neck. It didn’t matter, he was in his element here in front of thousands that loved their music.

The last thrum from Alex’s guitar faded, leaving the arena in silence as they caught their breath.

Noah raised his hand. Thank you!

They took the back stairs off the stage leading down into the tunnel, sending them off in their own directions. The hottest band in rock deserved private dressing rooms, nothing was too good for Iron Rogue.

Dylan threaded his way through the crowd waiting backstage, stopping every few minutes to sign an autograph while he kept a close eye on Taylor, watching her stop to sign pictures and give kisses to several guys right smack on the mouth. Fucking son of a bitch.

By the time he made it to his room, he saw her disappear through her door, alone, shutting it behind her.

I need a shower. With the door closed behind him, he grabbed some clean clothes, a towel, and his shampoo. It would do no good to lose himself in fantasies of their keyboardist. A willing woman waiting outside would be the best option he could think of to forget for a while.

After pulling on his clothes and his boots, he waited a moment to see if there was anyone waiting out in the hall before he peeked through the door to find it empty. He really didn’t want to have to run a gamete to get to the bus. There were always people waiting near the front of the vehicle he would have to deal with, but he could slip one of them his room number at the hotel and have a companion before he hit the sheets.

With the door shut behind him, he moved down the hall only to stop for a second in front of Taylor’s door. Stupid idea. Stupid idea.

Unable to help himself, he turned the knob. Unlocked. The second he stepped inside, he was lost in the sight before him.

* * * *

Taylor stood with her butt planted on the edge of a sofa table, leather dress, four-inch heels, hair mussed like she’d just rolled out of bed, waiting. She knew he’d come. He always did. For some damn reason, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

His pupils almost engulfed the dark color of his irises. His nostrils flared, trying to take in her scent like a stallion. His hands were clenched at his sides, like he fought to keep from reaching for her.

He took two steps toward her and stopped.

She shook her hair back off her shoulder, knowing he loved the feel of the tresses in his hands. With the knowledge he would come, she hadn’t even showered yet.

A drop of sweat slid down her neck, and his gaze followed as if he couldn’t look away.

Both hands braced behind her on the table, she slid her butt up on the top, letting the skirt of her dress ride up her thigh. He couldn’t help but noticed she wore no underwear.

Dylan?

I fucking hate you, he growled, stepping close enough she could feel his breath on her cheek.

I know, she whispered, taking his hand and sliding it up her thigh.

His touch did crazy things for her, driving her insane with desire from the moment they met several years ago. He’d been on tour with Iron Rogue, she was only a band groupie hanging out with the women who wanted nothing more than a moment of their time, a smile, a touch, an autograph, or a word. For some reason, he’d picked her out of the crowd standing near the bus. When their gazes met, the spark between them had been unmistakable. The fire lit in her belly that night, traveled through her entire body, and settled low in her gut. The second he’d taken her hand, she’d been lost in his touch. She’d known that night she was nothing more to him than a quick lay in a stop on their tour. They hadn’t talked, she didn’t even think he knew her name as he fucked her silly in his hotel room before he disappeared the next morning without so much as a goodbye, thanks for the fuck, or anything.

Even if he didn’t know her from the next groupie on the road, she’d followed Iron Rogue’s every step. The second she’d heard about the auditions for a keyboardist, she’d jump at the chance to play for them. They’d seemed amazed that she could blend so well with them, but little did they know she’d been practicing every song they had, adding her keyboard talents to their tracks even without their knowledge.

The day she’d walked into the warehouse, she’d almost lost her nerve, especially the second she’d met Dylan’s gaze. His eyes had narrowed, but he didn’t seem to even notice her.

The call about working with the guys came, and the second she’d hung up the phone, she’d screamed at the top of her lungs before dancing around the room. Her dream come true, to play with Iron Rogue.

That was a couple of years ago now, and nothing much had changed. Yeah, she had more money than she could ever imagine, toured with the hottest rock band, and couldn’t believe how lonely her life was. Hookups. Her life consisted of a night here and there, and the nights her and Dylan couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

Tipping her head back, she looked up into Dylan’s face. His dark eyes bored into hers, the heat from his gaze scorching her with their intensity. The moment they came together, they would combust, burning each other with the heat they created.

The tips of her fingers traced up his forearms, feeling every cord of muscle he possessed. Then over his biceps, until she ran them over the muscles of his chest.

His breath whispered over her lips as he leaned in, barely a hairsbreadth from touching her mouth. Why is it I can’t seem to stay away from you? The angst in his words hurt her heart, knowing they could easily destroy each other.

I wish I knew because I have yet to manage the same thing. Her eyes closed as his lips whispered over her lips, briefly skimming his tongue over the surface on his way