Whole Lotta Lust

By Amity Cross

For the first time in her life, Juniper Rowe knows what it’s like to fall for a guy. After a string of tragedies, she’s given her heart to notorious bad boy rocker, Sebastian Hale. She’s all in, no matter the price his fame brings.
Juniper is Sebastian’s link between worlds. Taking her on tour was a way to keep her close, but his time is in high demand and things aren't working out as well as he'd hoped. He’s determined to put his wild ways to bed and make things work, but his past won’t leave him alone. The same past that comes in the form of tall, leggy, pop star, Mallory Grigorio.
As time goes by, Juniper’s doubts begin to grow. She’s not sure she belongs on the road with a bunch of wild rock stars—and her boyfriend’s ex is a glamazon with razor sharp claws—but she’s determined to try. Sebastian's worth it...isn’t he?
The lines between love and lust are blurred and when it comes to the crunch, dating a rock star might just be a whole lotta trouble.

Rock Star Hearts follows the tumultuous romance between small town woman Juniper Rowe and bad boy rock star Sebastian Hale.
Will love conquer all? Or will the price of fame be too hot to handle?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nicole R. Taylor
• Release date: Oct 3, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463034750

Amity Cross

Find out more about Amity and her books by visiting:https://www.amitycrosswrites.com

Book preview

1

Juniper

The sounds of the concert venue were a dull roar around me as I melted into Sebastian’s kiss.

I breathed in his spicy scent and clung to his torn Led Zeppelin tee, my head spinning from my crazy trip from Point Mambie to the city.

I’m so fucking glad you came, he murmured.

I almost didn’t get in, I replied, taking in his stormy eyes.

Sebastian frowned and combed his fingers through my copper-coloured hair.

The guy at the door kept slamming it in my face, I explained. If it wasn’t for Josh, I’d still be out there.

Josh?

I nodded. Josh was Beneath’s lead guitarist. He seems…colourful.

What did he say to you? His voice had a tightness to it, and I began to feel uneasy. From the sounds of it, Sebastian mustn’t be on the greatest terms with him. It was one thing for us to be together, but Sebastian came with a whole entourage that I had to get along with.

Nothing I didn’t already expect. I smoothed my palms over his chest and traced the outline of the writing that was printed on the material. Don’t worry about it, okay? Right now, I just want to be with you.

The letter did the trick, huh?

I smiled, the anxiety of the last week and a half evaporating. We’d been torn apart by the sudden appearance of the paparazzi and the shock had been too much for me to handle. I freaked out and let them get to me, especially when my dad’s suicide had been printed in the tabloids. I’d even started to get death threats on social media.

Up until now, my life had been this little thing—solitary and simple. I’d run the Page Break Bookshop—the name a clever play on the fact it was by the seaside and a secondhand bookstore—and kept to myself mostly, apart from my best friend Vanessa, and her dog, a black and white Jack Russell, named Ziggy.

Then a storm named Sebastian Hale blew into town and turned everything upside-down.

Now I was in his arms, backstage at Festival Hall in Melbourne, about to step into the chaos of life as a rock star’s girlfriend, but not just any rock star. Sebastian was the lead singer and guitarist of Beneath, the world’s wildest rock ‘n’ roll band. He was the kind of guy that women wanted to fuck, and men wanted to be. He was hot as sin, rich, powerful, and commanded the love and adoration of their legions of fans.

We’d found each other when we were lost. For Sebastian, his world was fake and reality was out of reach. For me, I’d been on the cusp of financial ruin, forced to sell my mother’s legacy, the Page Break Bookshop. Without it, I had no idea who I was supposed to be, but with Sebastian beside me, the world seemed full of possibilities—adventure, happiness, and maybe even love.

I pulled his letter out of my pocket and smoothed it against his chest, straightening out the wrinkles.

No one’s ever written me a love letter before, I said with a grin. But from you, I wouldn’t expect anything less.

Awesome. I didn’t think sending diamonds would work.

I shook my head. I don’t wear any jewellery.

I know. He glanced around. You didn’t bring anything else with you?

There wasn’t any time to think about it.

A knock at the door separated us and I stepped back awkwardly, shoving Sebastian’s letter into my pocket. A man wearing a headset walked into the room, letting in the sounds of the chaotic backstage setup with him. A phone was in his hand and he didn’t even glance up from the screen.

Twenty minutes, he said, then realised I was standing there. Oh, sorry.

Sebastian waved a hand at him. Twenty minutes, got it.

The man smiled at me, then backed out of the room and closed the door.

I looked at Sebastian and felt a shudder ripple through my body. I was going to see him perform in person for the first time. He was going to go out on that stage and do what he did best—tear apart his soul and bleed for his fans—and I’d bear witness, knowing he was all mine afterward.

I sucked on my bottom lip and squeezed my thighs together. Seeing him in videos online had juiced me up enough, but in real life? Man, I was in trouble.

Sebastian reached up and caressed his thumb along my lip, coaxing it from between my teeth.

Am I going cream my knickers? I asked, my breath shallow.

He moaned softly and thrust his hands into my hair. Holding me in place, his mouth covered mine. His kiss was hard and desperate, his tongue tasting and devouring. I was putty in his hands, my arousal rising to the point that my clit was throbbing.

Shit, I’m hard, he whispered.

We’ve got time…

Yeah, twenty minutes is more than enough time for a quick fuck, he said. But I want to savour you, Juniper Rowe. I’m going to need all fucking night for that.

Tell me I can handle this, I whispered.

You can handle this, he reassured me. You’re the strongest person I know.

I am? I didn’t realise how much I needed his words right then. Everything was collapsing around me, but Sebastian was my life raft, just as I’d been his back in the Point.

You leapt for me.

This is crazy, I said, euphoria taking over my senses. This is completely fucking crazy. I’m so… I took a deep breath and a grin pulled at my lips. I’m not sure there’s a word for it.

I’m pretty sure it’s called happiness, Juni.

I laughed and ran my fingertips over my lips. Happiness? It seemed like such a simple notion, but here I was, not quite believing that I was feeling it.

Sebastian let me go and picked up his jacket, sliding his arms into the worn leather.

C’mon. He grabbed my hand and led me from his dressing room.

The venue was buzzing as the support band played onstage. People were rushing back and forth, weaving past us as we made our way toward destinations unknown.

A woman rushed up, her gaze flickering between me and Sebastian. A Beneath T-shirt was stretched across her oversized boobs and her makeup looked at least an inch thick.

Sebastian she purred, fluttering her fake eyelashes, is anyone taking care of you tonight?

Not now. He held up his free hand and walked straight past her.

I stared at her as we passed, taken aback by her blatant proposition. The woman pouted and when her gaze met mine, her eyes narrowed in warning.

Who was that? I asked, giving her one last glance over my shoulder.

Fucked if I know.

A random groupie. That’s who she was. A pang of jealousy stabbed me directly in the heart and I pursed my lips, but Sebastian wasn’t paying any attention.

Ahead, I could see the flashing lights and the sounds of the band as they finished their last song. The crowd was screaming and cheering as the musicians walked off stage and the house lights came up.

You can hang here, Sebastian said, positioning me in a spot where I could see most of the stage, but was out of view of the audience.

A few other people were lingering, and their starry eyes were glued on Sebastian. I wondered who they were. Fans, VIPs, and friends, maybe?

He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close, his body strong and hard against mine. Oblivious to the crowd of people milling around us—stagehands, sound technicians, security, management, and even his bandmates—he ran his hands over my back, along my waist, and grabbed my arse cheeks.

I’m going to fuck you so hard tonight, he murmured into my ear, his breath hot against my skin. I’m going to be in you every way you’ll let me.

He ended his declaration with a full kiss on the mouth. Then he was gone, walking towards the stage and being handed a guitar.

I’d barely caught my breath when I realised someone was standing right next to me. Turning, I came face to face with yet another strange woman.

She was tall, blonde, and had a spiteful look aimed right at me. Her black eye makeup and red lipstick made her already pale skin appear washed out, even in the murky side of stage light. I think people called the look ‘heroin chic.’ It was very rock ‘n’ roll, which fit the mood.

You must be Juniper, she said, flashing a smile. I’m Vix, Beneath’s road manager.

Oh. I blinked, trying to remember if Sebastian had mentioned her, but I wasn’t entirely sure.

If I’d known you were coming, I would’ve made sure you had a ticket. Festy Hall isn’t the best venue to watch from the side. She looked me over, not masking her obvious distaste. There’s a reason they nicknamed it Festy Hall, you know.

It’s okay, I said. I wasn’t sure I was coming until today.

Her eyebrows rose, which led me to believe that Sebastian hadn’t exactly told anyone besides Josh that I was coming.

I saw Jane’s Addiction here once, I offered in an attempt to make conversation.

"You don’t say."

I tensed and gave her a half-smile. Yeah, I was so not welcome here.

What the press said about you was awful, Vix went on, flicking her blonde curls. They’re a pack of fucking twats if you ask me.

I raised my eyebrows, wondering where the line was. The line being the professional one. I was already seeing some of the fake that’d driven Sebastian to disappear.

Vix didn’t seem to care and laughed at my reaction. "Honey, when you’ve been in the music business as long as I have, your filter wears away. You ain’t rock ‘n’ roll if you don’t know how to swear. Follow these boys around for long enough and you’ll learn. The dirty gets dirty. She smiled sweetly and raked he gaze over me. Enjoy the show, okay? Just make sure you don’t get in the crew’s way."

As she walked away, I stared after her slightly shocked at how she just blew in a did a complete number on me. She’d been measuring my worth, and by all accounts, had found me wanting, but it wasn’t her or her opinion I cared about.

I craned my neck, searching for Sebastian. He was talking to a man I didn’t recognise—he seemed to be a sound technician of some sort—and was slinging the strap of the same sexy black electric guitar he’d been handed earlier over his head.

Out of nowhere, I was slapped on the arse and I yelped. Turning with a scowl, I found Josh Carroway striding past me, guitar in hand. He winked and blew me a kiss before standing beside Sebastian. He shouted something in his ear and they looked back at me.

That guy was trouble. I had a feeling all of them were going to be, and suddenly it was glaringly obvious how simple my life in Point Mambie was in comparison. What the hell had I gotten myself into?

Looking at Sebastian, I drank him in and knew I’d be able to give it back just as hard as they’d give it. Beneath hadn’t met the likes of Juniper Rowe. Now that I knew what I wanted, it was time to make it reality.

2

Juniper

Beneath was minutes away from taking the stage.

Trembling in anticipation, I craned my neck to see what was going on in front of me.

The stage seemed huge from where I was standing, and I found myself wondering how they’d fill it up. I stood to the side as roadies began to rush back and forth, changing the setup from the support band to the headline act. People strode in all directions, all of them seeming to know exactly which plug went into which hole.

The drum kit was on an elevated stand at the back, amps were set up at each side, and monitors were lined up along the front of the stage. Microphone stands and a range of pedals for the guitars were set up at the front and either side, mapping out where the other band members would be.

The moment the lights went down, the crowd erupted, screaming and cheering as Beneath walked out onto the stage.

Luckily, I’d done a little Googling, so I knew the drummer who was sliding behind the kit was Damon Whittaker. He had the whole bad boy look down pat. His coal black hair was slicked back, his jeans were ripped, he wore winklepicker shoes, and a well-worn black T-shirt that hugged his muscled chest and showed off his toned arms. Tattoos ran down both arms, giving him a whole ‘don’t mess with me’ vibe.

The bass guitarist was Nate Templeton. Compared to the others, he was a little cleaner cut, but his reputation was just as wild. He was the tallest of the quartet, blond, rugged, and mysterious behind his guitar.

The jerk on the other guitar was Josh. He’d changed his shirt to a top similar to Sebastian’s—a torn band shirt, I think it was a Black Sabbath tee, but I couldn’t tell from where I was standing. He’d also let out his man bun and his chestnut-coloured hair flowed free, brushing his shoulders.

The drumbeat throbbed through my feet, flowing through my body as Beneath started to play their opening song. It was one the audience knew, and their cheering intensified as the music ebbed and flowed, then the vocals kicked in.

I’d never heard Sebastian sing outside of a recording before, so when he opened his mouth, it was surreal. I watched, completely enraptured as he crooned into his microphone, his words echoed back to him from the darkness beyond. Every so often, a light would pan across the void in front of the stage, illuminating the sea of faces.

Behind all