Page 26 of Wild Stars (Rock His World #2)

Three Weeks Later

Dare

“You hear back yet about the song?” Matty asks, carrying down my bags from my tour bus, loading them onto the luggage racks for the hotel.

“No, not yet, but I did just submit it yesterday,” I remind him.

He shrugs. “Still, I think if they don’t like it, you should release it on your own. Put it on your YouTube or something.”

It’s my turn to raise an eyebrow as I sling my backpack over my shoulder.

“Maybe. But I’m not worried about it. I know it’s good. Because we wrote it.”

Matty lets out a sigh. “I told you, you didn’t have to credit me. It’s your song.”

“Yeah, and you helped. Thus credit,” I repy as I take the lead.

Richie and the rest of the band loved the final cut of Wild Star , and after only a few days on the road, we’d written a damn good hook, and managed to cut the song pretty clean.

I know it is different than anything else we’ve done, after all, Heart Killer isn’t the type to do power ballads to begin with, but I think it’s got a lot of potential.

I think it would make one hell of a next single.

But right now, the only reason I’m even talking about the damn thing, is so that I can keep Matty’s attention span on anything else, because I feel like I’m going to explode from holding on to this fucking secret right now.

“I have reservations for us at the restaurant. Figured you wouldn’t mind too much. I know you get fucking bitchy if you don’t stick to your routine,” I taunt him.

Matty hip checks me, nearly knocking me and my backpack over.

“Yeah, and you get bitchy without your damn rice crispy treats. Those things are terrible for you, you know.”

“You know what else is bad for me? You. On an empty stomach,” I bite out.

“When you have a black balloon birthday, Dare, you’ll understand.”

I roll my eyes.

“So fucking dramatic. You’re forty, not a hundred.”

“I am one year closer to death,” he nips.

“Still sexy, though,” I declare, trying to appear flirtatious and not like I’m harboring knowledge that in t-minus five minutes I’ll be dropping Mateo Starr into a room full of rockstars. With cake.

Matty shakes his head as he commands me to drop off my shit, but his bark is worse than his bite.

Regardless, I drop off my bags to the bellhop while Matty checks us in, texting Hailee and my brother to let her know we’ve arrived.

“I’m fucking starving,” he groans as he slips his hand around my waist. “I could really use a good glass of whiskey and a nice, juicy steak.”

“Uh huh,” I reply as I lead us around the bend to the restaurant, giving the host my name, knowing in just a matter of moments, Matty will probably have plenty more reasons to punish me.

The host opens the door, and the moment Matty steps in, the resounding hollers of surprise and happy birthday ring out in tandem.

His eyes widen as he turns to me, jaw tense. “You?—”

“Are going to pay for this later? Yeah, I know.” I chuckle nervously as Hailee comes up and throws her arms around her brother.

Richie waves to me, grinning from ear to ear.

“Happy Birthday, Mateo!” Hailee says sweetly as she kisses him on the cheek.

“It is a very merry un-birthday , but thank you.”

Geo comes up next to us, clapping his friend on the back. “You’re only as old as you feel, right?”

Matty grumbles, shooting me a scathing glare. “Yes, well, that’s easy for all of you to say, you’re not the oldest one here.”

“Technically, Duncan is the oldest one here,” Felix’s voice makes me turn around, along with Matty.

Felix grins as Duncan extends his hand to Matty.

“You know dating someone over a decade younger than you will age you faster, right?” he says with a laugh.

I can’t help but laugh as Felix shoots him a dramatic look.

“How dare you,” he says, his mock-shock quite funny.

Duncan laughs, and his entire body moves with it. “It’s true!”

“Unbelievable,” Felix says, turning back to us.

“Perhaps you two can start a club,” he says bitterly, as Richie calls out, “Cake’s here!”

“Finally!” I exclaim with excitement as I leave my boyfriend and the rest of the awkward as fuck conversation in favor of my favorite thing.

Dessert.

When Richie lights the candle on Matty’s cupcake, I lead the choir.

Matty tries not to smile, but he fails miserably.

“All right, Batman, make a wish,” I say as I present him with a single cupcake with one candle.

Matty takes it from my hands, his smile so genuine behind the flame, that it makes me respond in unison.

“I already have everything I could ever want.” His voice is dark, sultry, and I can’t fight my blush.

He holds the cupcake in front of me. “Blow,” he says, flashing me with a smirk.

“Yes, sir,” I whisper as I make my own wish, watching the flame go out.

Everyone cheers and I pull out the candle, licking the icing off.

Matty sets his cupcake down on the table next to us, stealing my candle from between my fingers, taking one step toward me.

In that one step, he manages to push me back up against the table, and I have to brace myself.

He reaches out, wiping some icing from my mouth, and I think I’ll never get over moments like this.

Ever.

“What did you wish for, wild star?” he purrs.

“I’m not telling,” I say darkly.

“I have ways of making you talk,” he says as he kisses me, licking the bottom of my lip, and I feel more on display than ever in this room full of people, with Matty licking me.

I gaze up at him, and I forget about all of them.

All there is, is this.

Us.

“That’s what I’m counting on.”

* * *

Three Weeks Later

Mateo

“And that was Heart Killer with their newest single, Wild Star !”

I can’t help but smile, feeling a sense of pride over the success my boyfriend’s latest single is picking up. It debuted at number one, knocking Satellites to number two, and I couldn’t be happier to be considered second.

I steal a glance at Dare, who’s curled up next to the window in the backseat next to his brother, while Hailee is absentmindedly scrolling her phone.

“Are we there yet?” Dare groans from the backseat, like the little brat he is.

“Almost,” I reply.

It’s been nearly six weeks since we started this tour. And due to unforeseen circumstances, our original venue in Tucson was changed for the next show, so we’ve all got a few extra days to soak up the Arizona sun.

Which is how Hailee roped us all into this trip to the Grand Canyon today, including Geo and his friend, Zeb... which I’m actually looking forward to.

I know this new demographic, as he calls it, is quite new for him, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in meeting the man that has Geo so... bubbly.

“This place better have somewhere decent to eat because I’m damn starving,” Hailee says.

“Me too,” Dare whines in the back.

I can’t help but shake my head. “You know it’s the middle of nowhere, right?”

“They have to have a food truck or something!” Dare growls.

I sigh, knowing arguing with him is a lost cause.

When we finally arrive, Geo and his friend are not there. I shoot them off a text, and sure enough, Geo tells me they stopped at some dive bar on the way up for something to eat.

I don’t know much about what caused the rift between Geo and his former bandmate, except for the basics of what Geo’s told me. That Zeb was his guitarist, and that Geo had pursued Casualty on his own, apart from his former partner.

But that’s typical in this line of work. Bands, singers... the players are always changing.

Even those of us who think they’ll never change.

Like when you perform with one person for twenty years and think you’ll never collaborate... only to discover you can work with other people.

And the experience is fun.

Which is how I ended up getting roped into playing guitar when Dare performs Wild Star now at our shows.

Not long after our conversation, I note the candy apple red pickup truck flying into the private tours parking lot.

When Geo and his friend get out of the car, I notice the smile on his face immediately.

He looks happy. Happier than I think I’ve seen him in the last ten years.

“Hey, G!” My sister squeals with excitement as she runs up and hugs him.

Richie also pulls him in for a friendly hug while Dare slaps him on the back, and I don’t miss how Zeb stands frozen, staring at them like glaciers in the middle of the desert.

“Hi! I’m Dare!” Dare chirps happily as he approaches the dark-haired, beastly looking man. I’d seen him when we arrived, picking up Geo from the hotel, but that was from afar. Up close, I can get a good look at him.

He’s tall, almost as tall as me, with a deep, rich tan that can only come from being a native to the area. Combined with his sturdy build, medium length dark hair and beard, he looks like he could pass for a bit older than twenty-nine.

“Nice to meet you, Dare,” he replies with a polite grin, but I note the way his shoulders are tense, even as he shakes my boyfriend’s hand. He’s nervous.

Interesting.

“This is my boyfriend, Matty!” Dare says as he practically shoves me toward the man to make an introduction.

Zeb glances at me, sizing me up. I want to smirk, because the aura of protectiveness rolling off of him tells me everything I need to know about how he feels about my friend, even if he doesn’t say it out loud.

“It’s Mateo,” I advise him, sliding an arm around Dare and pulling him closer.

Hailee hugs him, and I steal a look at Geo. He looks like a kid on Christmas morning, smiling from ear to ear with excitement.

“This is Zebulon, my—” Geo’s voice disappears and then there is a miniscule silence as he looks to his demographic , who only responds with, “friend.”

Geo frowns only slightly, but soon recovers, even if it is not genuine.

Perhaps Geo is not the only one wading into unknown waters.

Something tells me this Zebulon may be encountering new challenges of his own.

When we finally arrive at the canyon, Dare is the first to plop his sweet ass down on the ground.

With his space cat tank top and his long, dark hair pulled back into a bun, long eyelashes standing out against the desert orange tones surrounding us, he looks absolutely perfect.

I take a seat next to him, removing a bottle of water and a rice crispy treat from my backpack.

“Thought you might need this.” I offer him the items.

“You’re a fucking angel,” he groans, tearing the treat right out of my hand.

In my peripheral vision, I can see Geo and Zeb standing beside one another, talking closely. Richie and Hailee are snapping a million selfies of themselves with the dessert.

I’m sure their photo will be everywhere the second it hits Instagram.

“You know that stuff is terrible for you, right?” I open my own water.

Dare tears into his rice crispy treat, moaning like he does when I have him tied up in my Italian ropes.

“Sugar makes everything better,” he gushes, licking his fingers clean.

“Spice is quite nice, too,” I say, pulling out my own snack; some gochujang seaweed crisps.

“Bet the stars here would be fucking top tier,” he says softly through bouts of chewing.

I wrap my arms around him, a smile forming on my face. His body is warm and sweaty, and fits to my side perfectly. Like the sun and the moon fit together for an eclipse, existing as something rare, beautiful, and magical.

“Maybe we’ll have to come back and see for ourselves,” I suggest, looking down at his fiery, dark eyes. Dare looks up at me, and I think there is no better sight. Grand Canyon or not.

The smile that forms on his face is sublime.

“Hmmm... that gives me an idea...” He flashes me with a mischievous grin.

“Good idea or bad idea?” I ask, because with Dare, I never know how things will end up.

But if I’m being honest, that’s why I love him.

“I’ll let you be the judge,” he says as he leans his head on my shoulder.

“Yes, sir,” I reply as I hold him close, singing out the melody of my current work in progress, Savior.

“Rescue me from anarchy, deliver me from war

Show me what it’s like to love, my savior

And I’ll show you what it’s like to be adored.”

Dare swoons at my voice, and I grin.

When he sings along, improvising lyrics of his own, I think there’s nothing better than this.

The music we make.

Together.

Just me, and my savior, my little wild star.

“I’ll slay the dragons, I’ll bring you the moon

I’m a Heart Killer , Matty, and I fucking love you,” Dare sings, his tone full of that bratty bravado I can’t get enough of.

“You are certifiable,” I whisper as I tilt his chin up, brushing my thumb over his bottom lip. I kiss him, losing myself in his sweet chaos once more, letting my hand fall to his neck, squeezing lightly.

The motion draws out a sweet groan from his mouth, so I do it again.

I don’t think I’ll ever get over the sounds he makes for me.

They are like music to my ears.

When we break apart, he settles back against me, wrapping his arm around my back and cuddling close to me, the both of us silent as we take in the beauty of our surroundings, together, in perfect harmony.

Thank you for reading Wild Stars!

Continue with the next book in the Rock His World series, Grave Misgivings .

If you enjoyed this book, maybe you’ll do me a huge favor and leave a review. Even a few words would mean the world to me, and it also helps other readers find the stories you love.

Thanks!

~Evie Riley