Regret filled me the instant the stinging remark slithered off my tongue. That wouldn't make me apologize, though. A twisted pride knotted like a spider's web throughout my ribs.Each step of the way, I ensured our distance. The brittle tension followed, connecting us despite the gap. Guilt pricked at the back of my neck as awkward seconds passed.Levi looked up to my father. In some ways, I could see where Levi mimicked his style after him. And a decade ago he was one of my fans too, back when I was a rising teen star.That didn't change my feelings about this collaboration. Levi's admiration of my family's musical history wouldn't sway me in his favor. One glance at the healing gash on his nose reminded me of who and what he was -a swaggering, arrogant rockstar.Levi took it in stride. He wanted to say more. I read it in the softness around his eyes. Thanks to my constant scowl, he refrained from doing so. After changing the subject, he gave me a brief tour of the studio downstairs.

I clutched the strap of my backpack over my shoulder until my fingers ached. Shifting from foot to foot and gnawing my lip, I stared at the buzzer at the studio. Sunlight fought back the early chill, warming my backside as I anxiously built up the courage to press the button.Technically, I'm still on time. I should ring the button to get this over with. But there's also time for me to turn around and march back to my car.That secondary urge took hold. Before I realized it, I'd angled myself toward the sidewalk with one foot in the air. My boot hit the ground, gravel crunching under the heavy sole, and the lock clicked open behind me."Leaving before coming inside?" Levi's morning voice scraped against the edges of my nerves like a sparking live-wire. An illicit tingle dipped through my stomach from the rasping sound of it.Pivoting around, I plastered a smile on my face. "I thought I forgot something in the car, but it's all here." I shrugged with the backpack. My nervous laughter w

That singular moment solidified to me that my initial judgment was right all along. Levi was nothing more than a womanizing bastard like all the other rock stars around the world.I gave in to that nasty shock without stopping to think about why I felt the way I did. The true source of my upset didn't matter when it blinded me.What I knew was that I had a hot temper and a bad attitude. My short fuse had been lit up. A spark raced toward the explosive, and I needed to burst-to get this surging turmoil out.Everything blurred around me. The lights, the people, even the sounds of the band thanking the audience turned into a muffled mess in my head. I bee-lined through security and backstage at the same time Levi strolled off the stage.We were on a collision course, whether he knew it or not. I'm not sure I was fully aware of it yet either. Not with the red blinders on my head guiding me toward him.I made it to the dressing room first. A second later, the excited laughter of Levi and h

Saturday morning, I stared at my haggard reflection in the mirror. My fingers gripped the edge of my sink until my knuckles turned bone white, and I ground my teeth as a distraction from the sinking in my gut.A lovely dark bruise on my neck stared back at me. No larger than a nickel on the right side, but enough for me to notice it every time I passed a mirror.A hickey.I had a hickey on my neck like a damn teenager. A hickey from Levi Stark, of all people.This can't be happening to me. How am I supposed to face him again on Monday?With a low-cut shirt and the shortest skirt in my closet. No panties, or bra, and a box of condoms in my purse...No! Stop that!I mentally slapped myself and smacked my cheeks to clear my head.It didn't work.The filthiest daydreams of Levi penetrated my mind throughout the day. All my thoughts pounded through me and left me soaked. He slipped easily past my walls and filled the deepest parts of my thoughts.Oh, goddammit.Is working with him going to

|LEVIA hot shower and a jerk didn't help as much as it should have. The moment I went downstairs and entered the studio, the sight of Diana bent over the soundboard experimenting with the settings brought the ache back as swift as the wind.The edge of her black dress barely hid the perfect curve of her ass. If she leaned forward any further, I'd see her underwear-As if Diana sensed my presence, and my eyes devouring her, she glanced once over her shoulder. One glimpse where our eyes locked, and she shared some untold secret with me. A look of wanting and promise.She bent over further, flipping the switch to turn on the recording room. The light flicked on through the glass window, but my eyes riveted on her. Her dress rode up, revealing inches of her skin and the swell of her tantalizing ass.My jaw locked, and my next breath froze in my lungs.She wasn't wearing any underwear at all."Oh, fuck me," I cursed in a whisper. My heart palpitated, as if it wanted to beat right out of m