Excerpt of Rock King by Tara Leigh

Shane Hawthorne wanted me, Delaney Fraser, to be his girlfriend? Something told me I should make a break for it, leave now before he reduced my world to rubble. But I didn’t. I stayed put, waiting for him to supply more details. Waiting for Shane to redefine my world, because as far as I knew, relationships didn’t require conference rooms and contracts.

“I’m sure you’ve seen the gossip rags. I’m no choir boy. But I’m not looking for drama, Delaney. When I’m on the road, fans and groupies are constantly trying to sneak their way into my dressing rooms, hotel rooms, even onto the tour bus and private planes. The best way to discourage them is by having a beautiful woman by my side. I want that woman to be you.”

I tilted my head to the side, something telling me I should read between the lines, but I didn’t even understand where the lines were. “Me?”

A rumble erupted from deep in Shane’s chest. Dear God, his laugh was even sexier than his voice. “Yes, you.” He widened his thighs, pulling my chair closer and drawing my knees between his legs.

As if in slow motion, I watched his hand coming toward me, a shiver of pleasure rolling down my spine as it curved around the back of my neck, his fingers blazing a path into my hair as he leaned forward. Then all I felt was Shane’s full lips descending on my own, his mouth brushing against mine in a whisper-soft caress. But he pulled back too quickly, leaving me wanting more. My eyes fluttered open, absorbing the impact of his provocative grin like a kick to the solar plexus.

This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.

And then it happened again. Shane pressed harder this time, swallowing my breath as his tongue pushed into my mouth.

Shane Hawthorne tasted like spearmint and something headier, muskier…liquid testosterone maybe.

When he broke away, he took my soft groan of protest with him. One taste of heaven wasn’t nearly enough. “So, what do you think, Delaney—will you be my girlfriend?” Shane looked at me as if asking me to share his life was the most natural thing in the world.

Swallowing the want surging up my chest, filling my lungs, clawing at my throat, I managed a quiet whisper. “I think it’s a bad idea.”

Shane hooked a thumb beneath my chin, holding me still as his needy gaze scanned every inch of my face. “But it feels so good bein’ bad.”

He clearly didn’t know the first thing about me. All my life I’d been a good girl. Coloring between the lines, following the rules. Until one night, I slipped up. Put my own needs and wants ahead of anyone else’s, without considering the consequences. I learned a painful lesson. Being bad came at too high of a cost.

“Be bad with me, Delaney.” His words ghosted across my lips, and I opened my mouth, breathing them in. I felt myself yielding to Shane’s persistence, succumbing to the strength of my own desires.

The pull I felt toward Shane was a stronger lure than the money Travis had offered. But I was entirely wrong for the job. If they only knew what a mess I’d made of my life, they would never hire me to maintain order in Shane’s.

Shane said he wasn’t looking for drama. Of course—because he didn’t need to. Drama found him. And now he wanted to bring me into the center of the storm. His storm.

Electricity buzzed between us, the air still and sharp. Every glimpse of Shane, every taste of him, sent my body and soul plunging into chaos. And with him so close, every breath sent a shower of sparks racing along my skin.

The connection between us…it was volatile. Hazardous.

I was powerless to resist it.