Hard Rocked by Clara Bayard Read Free Book Online Page B

busy right now, but would you like to hang out with me one day soon? We can go shopping or just walk around whatever city we’re in when the timing works. I know what it’s like living with these guys, and having another woman to spend time with means a lot.”
    “Um, sure. That would be nice.”
    “We can invite Mia too, if you want. Or just us.”
    “Okay. Let’s do that. We’ve got two free days in Paris next week.”
    “Perfect. We can eat croissants and scowl at all the skinny French bitches.”
    I laughed. “That does sound fun.”
    “Good. I can’t wait. Ditch our boys for some girl time.”
    The smile faded from my face. The “our” suggested we each had a boy. Did she know Dex and I had kissed? Or was my reluctant crush on him just that obvious?
    Not wanting to really know the answers to those questions I excused myself and went back to the green room where the opening act was hanging out. They didn’t have their own tour staff so I helped restock the food and located a bag they’d misplaced.
    But even as I worked, Dex’s voice was all around me. For real, as he backed up Joe’s vocals, and in my head, the way he said my name and the low husky whisper he used right before the kiss.
     
     
    After the show things were hectic again. Coordinating the breakdown of sets and making sure everything got into the equipment vans. And someone misplaced the cash box from the merchandise table. Then shooing away the last fans as the meet-and-greet went well over schedule.
    Finally we all piled onto the bus and headed back to the hotel. I knew some invited guests and more attractive fans would be joining the group at the hotel bar, but I had no interest in that. I needed more sleep and time away from Dex.
    When we got back to the hotel I say goodnight and headed up to my room. I shared an elevator with Joe and Liss, who didn’t even bother trying to keep their hands and lips to themselves. Being trapped in the tiny space made it impossible to ignore them and brought back all of the unwanted arousal I’d felt earlier. When we made it to our floor I practically sprinted down the hallway away from them.
    I dumped my stuff and was pulling on my pajamas when there was a knock at my door. I snuck a glance through the peephole and gasped. It was Dex.
    Squaring my shoulders off for a fight, I opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
    “I need to speak with you.”
    I bit back the angry retort when I saw the look on his face. It was pain, tinged with helplessness. “What’s wrong?”
    He cast a glance down the hallway. “I don’t want to say out here.”
    Ordinarily I might have thought it was a ploy to get in my room, but I could tell he was really suffering so I stepped aside and let him in.
    Dex strode over to the window and looked out on the dark city below. “I got a message when I returned to my room.”
    “Yes?” I walked up behind him close enough to touch him.
    “My father, he’s in Bristol. Had practically been adopted by my mother’s family after she died. I called a few days ago to tell him I was here. We’re,” his voice cracked. “We’re not close, never have been. He’s a right bastard with a violent mean-streak but he’s my father. I never heard back and I was kind of relieved. I’d done my part, yeah?” He stopped speaking and raked his hands through his hair a few times, leaving it a tangled ebony mess.
    “What happened?” I asked softly, putting my hand on his shoulder. The contact seemed to startle and then settle him.
    “No one is exactly sure. He’d been drinking too much and got kicked out of his local. Someone found him hours later on the side of the road, unconscious. At first they thought he’d been hit by a car but there were bruises and someone else’s blood on him. A fight. Who knows.”
    I squeezed his shoulder. “Is he…”
    “No. He’s alive. In a bad way, though, apparently.”
    “Are you going to go see him?”
    “Yes. No. I don’t know.” He looked