He wants her. She wants him—but she’s going to make it hard for him.
Vlogger Angel Metzler likes to create content on her two favourite things—rock music and classic cars. So when lead guitarist Judah Kallam approaches her at a car show and asks her to do some promotions work for him, she accepts—and when she notices someone filming them as he’s flirting with her, she kisses him, hoping this will result in good publicity.
Judah tells her he plans to quit his band Vegas Dreams to go solo and is happy to get any publicity he can by any means necessary. Irresistibly drawn to him, Angel agrees to make public appearances with him, but knows it will go no further—she has made a private vow never to date musicians, having been let down by too many in the past.
But when the press attention grows too much to handle, Angel and Judah are thrown closer together and the heat growing between them tempts Angel to break her vow. But will Judah still be interested when the promotion is done, or is she just a groupie to him?
General Release Date: 20th June 2023
There was just something about a rock concert. The blazing lights, the howling guitars, the roar of the crowd. It was a high like none other, and Angel never needed an excuse for this sort of high.
She didn’t know either band. Her best friend Sloane, a professional dancer, had got the tickets from a woman she was currently in a stage musical with. But Angel was always ready to see a band. Hell, she often got free tickets herself in exchange for an honest review on her vlog—and she fully intended to give an honest review of this show.
The warm-up act had been an all-female group called Urban Skin. Angel had only recognised one of their songs, a hard rock track called The Start of Something, but Sloane had been on her feet singing along to every word, her silver-blonde head a beacon in the crowds.
“Did you get any decent footage?”
Angel had held up her phone—no professional equipment had been allowed in. “Got plenty. Who did you say was on next?”
Sloane had sat down as the music ended for the first act. “They’re called Vegas Dreams. I don’t know their sound much, but I’ve seen photos. You’re going to love the lead singer.”
“Oh yeah? What’s his name?”
“Aspen LaRoche. He’s almost as blond as you.”
Angel laughed. Sloane had always had a thing for blond men, but she was more into dark hair herself. She would have to see if any of the other band members lived up to her expectations.
Now, with a blast of guitars, the second band were walking onstage. Angel pushed her white-blonde hair out of her face, noting with irritation that the straightening was starting to wear off in the heat. Still, nobody was looking at her, and she wouldn’t be on camera for this part. She had a whole look she liked to put together for when she was on screen—hair straight as a ruler, her catlike green eyes lined with kohl, a dark red lipstick to contrast with her alabaster skin. Angel on Tour had an image to protect.
The lead singer struck the crowd with a piercing look before playing the first chord, and Angel held up her phone, ready to record. These guys looked like they were going to be good.
Vegas Dreams. She would have to fire up Google when she got home. She would need some background information for her review. Names, album titles, future plans.
Judging by the lyrics, their first song was called Never Forever. She had never heard it before but the beat was infectious, and she began to move to the music, letting it flow through her.
As a bridge began, the lead guitarist moved to the front of the stage to start a solo, and Angel’s eyes widened as a wave of heat flooded through her body.
This guy was hot.
His dark hair was long, framing his face, his firm chin accentuated by a goatee. Dark eyes stood out under heavy brows, a curved facial tattoo of some kind—she couldn’t quite tell what—following the edge of his cheek to disappear behind his ear. Skintight jeans hugged his hips, but his chest was bare under his waistcoat, revealing a line of dark hair she instinctively ached to follow with her tongue.
“Sloane? What’s his name?”
Sloane paused, tilting her head in thought. “Judah, I think. Judah something.”
“Cute.”
Turning back to look, Sloane scanned him for a moment before shrugging.
“Meh. You can have him, I’ll take the lead singer.”
Angel laughed. “Yeah, right. I’m not a groupie.”
“We can go round the stage door after they finish and see how groupie-ish you feel then. Assuming he’s even single.” Sloane cast a glance at the lead singer and let out a disappointed sigh. “I hear that Aspen guy is dating one of the girls from the other band.”
The band began another song, and Angel turned her focus back to her phone, making sure it was still filming. She would have to edit out their conversation later. No good having her personal opinion of Judah on there.
He was definitely cute, though, and obviously knew his way round a guitar. She wondered if he wrote any of the music himself. Maybe she would ask him later, assuming they managed to catch the band after the show.
But she had no intention of fangirling for him. She had dated musicians in the past, as had Sloane. They were always a nightmare. Obsessed with their music, unreliable and usually selfish in bed. After the last messy break-up—with a guitarist for a working men’s club band, no less, a few months previously—she had made her feelings clear.
“That’s it. I’m never dating a musician again.”
Sloane had smirked over her glass of cider and Goldschläger. “Yeah, you’ll change your mind.”
“Nope. There are a million guys in the world. I can afford to rule a few out.” Angel had raised her glass as a toast. “No more musicians. Ever.”
Shaking her head indulgently, Sloane had clinked her glass.
And Angel had stuck to that ever since.
A few one-night stands, but nothing long-term so far, and definitely no musicians.
* * * *
With one last guitar chord, the lead singer—Aspen—raised a hand in the air, calling out “Good night!” into the microphone. The last of the encores was finished, and Angel switched her phone camera off.
Not bad. Not bad at all. She could get a decent piece out of this one.
Sloane fell back into her seat and fanned her face. “That was a hell of a show. I’d totally see them again.”
“Yeah, they were decent.”
“I’ll tell you what.” Sloane’s eyes lit up. “We need to go and get their autographs.”
“Oh, come on.” Angel shook her head, laughing. “I’m not doing that.”
Standing up, Sloane threw her jacket on. “Fine. I’ll get their autographs, you can get a soundbite from them. Heaven forbid you look like a fangirl.”
Angel followed her friend as Sloane darted through the crowds. She had never been to this venue before and had no idea where the stage door was, but Sloane seemed to know where she was going. Clearly several other fans had had the same idea, but Sloane was faster and they reached the doors ahead of most of the others, just as they opened to reveal the members of Vegas Dreams, still glistening with sweat from their performance.
Angel stood back as Sloane immediately launched into her autograph request. Aspen looked entirely unfazed by this, taking the pen offered to him and signing Sloane’s ticket before Sloane turned to face her again.
“Angel. Take a photo of us. You can use it to round off your vlog.”
Aspen merely arched an eyebrow at this, but Judah, who had been shaking hands with another fan, turned to look as Angel pulled her phone from her pocket.
“Oh? Are you a vlogger?”
His voice was deep, rough, and Angel felt her body flush even as she attempted a casual smile.
“I am. Angel on Tour, that’s me.”
A spark of interest lit Judah’s eyes, but his only response was a slow nod. Still, Angel could feel his gaze on her as she lifted her phone and took the photo, and when Sloane moved back to let other people through, he was still steadily watching.
“Don’t mind him,” Aspen commented over his shoulder, already moving on to the next fan. “He spends half his life online, so he’ll probably look you up now.”
“He’s welcome to,” Angel threw back coolly, giving Sloane’s arm a meaningful squeeze. Let’s get going now. Getting the message, Sloane turned to leave, giving Aspen a cheeky wave over her shoulder, and as Angel moved with her, she caught Judah’s eye.
Judah was staring at her, a half-smile on his face, and as Angel looked back at him, he closed one eye in a wink.
Cute, Angel thought as they made their way back through the crowds to the exit. Wonder if he will look me up.
After all, she could always use another Patreon subscriber—and he could afford it.
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