The Road Kings
Duet
I did something I’ve never done.
I couldn’t help it. The man I met at the bar was too gorgeous, too fascinating, too sexy. The next thing I knew, we had a one-night stand.
Except… It turns out he’s Denver Gilchrist, lead singer of the Road Kings, the legendary band that broke up five years ago.
How was I supposed to know I was sleeping with a genius rock god? I’m just a piano teacher who plays jazz on Thursday nights. I have a happy single life with my cat. I don’t need Denver’s brand of chaos.
But now I’m addicted. And so is he.
Denver is a poet, a talent, a complicated intellect, a lost soul. He can bring me to life, but he can also break me to pieces. Stories like ours don’t get happy endings -- but I won’t know the end until I risk it all.
Riff
I confess: I hooked up with the Road Kings’ bassist after a show thirteen years ago. It was supposed to be just one night - then I’d never see Neal Watts again.
But life likes to throw curveballs, and we ended up with a daughter. We could do this, right? We could stay friends for our daughter’s sake, even though we weren’t a couple.
Thirteen years of friendship. Thirteen years of relying on each other. Thirteen years of Neal in my life, even though we’re never alone together. Because that would be crossing a line.
But suddenly we’re both free to cross any lines we want to. And when Neal gives me that look that melted me all those years ago, I definitely want to.
I could have a wild fling with a rock star, and it would be incredible. But suddenly I’m starting to wonder…
What if we’ve been in love all this time?
Rhythm
The only person more damaged than I am is Axel de Vries, the drummer for the Road Kings. He’s a rock star, my new neighbor, and a blond god with tattoos. The eye candy from my window is crazy.
But he’s just pulled himself out of addiction, and I’ve just escaped a devastating relationship. We’re both too scarred to handle getting involved. So we make an agreement: We’re just friends.
Axel is good at the friends thing—too good. He’d be the best friend I ever had, except that suddenly I’m accompanying him on tour to keep him sober. And the more time I spend with him, the less I want friendship.
I’m keeping him clean. He’s keeping me sane. We’re saying no to temptation. But what would happen—just once—if both of us said yes?
Reverb
Here’s what I know about Stone Zeeland:
He’s a legendary god of guitar.
He’s infamously bad-tempered and hates everyone.
He especially hates journalists—which means he hates me.
I refuse to let this be a problem. I have a job to do—write about the Road Kings’ reunion tour—and I’m going to do it. I don’t care that I’m stuck crossing the country with a band that won’t talk to me, or that everyone wants me to quit. This is my big break, and I’m going to take it.
But before long, Stone and I have a secret. When you’re on tour with a rock god, it’s hard to stay objective. And the more I learn about Stone, the more I see he’s nothing like I thought he’d be.
Here’s what I know about Stone Zeeland:
Deep down, he has a heart.
And he’s about to break mine.
What Happened Last Night
A remote inn. A bad storm. My millionaire boss. And me.
How did I get here, you ask? I took a job as Will Hale’s assistant. Will is the rich genius who manages the rock band the Road Kings. Working with rock stars is the coolest job I’ve ever had.
Will is oblivious to the fact that I’ve had a crush on him from the moment we met. Too bad he’s so smart he’s clueless, because everything he does makes me swoon.
He doesn’t seem to notice. Except for that one time… But we don’t talk about that.
I can’t take the pining anymore, so I quit - on the same night we’re trapped in a storm at my family’s inn.
It could have been awkward. But instead…
Maybe Will isn’t so clueless, after all.