Second in Dawn Ryder’s sizzling new Rock Band series.
He kept it casual
Superstar guitarist Ramsey’s reputation as a bad-boy rocker is exceeded only by his dedication to his music. He’s worked hard for the success of his hit metal band Toxsin, and he intends to enjoy it-completely. When a jilted groupie gets back at him for a one-night stand with an intimate-and completely inappropriate-tattoo, he needs it fixed, and fast. Sparks fly between Ramsey and his new tattoo artist, and Ramsey finds himself hoping for more than new ink.
Until she made him want more
When a high-profile tattoo job lands Jewel an invite on Toxsin’s latest tour, she can’t say no. It’ll be great exposure, after all. What she’s really worried about is ruining the gig by hooking up with the first guy to completely rock her world. She knows she should resist-Ramsey’s not the kind to stick around for a morning after. But the way he makes her feel-as an artist and a woman-could be worth any risk.
Excerpt:
“Tell your mom you’ll call back. I need you right now.”
Okay, fried wasn’t nearly hot enough a word to describe the sensation going through her. The guy in front of her was a god. Six and a quarter feet of raw muscle, with black eyes that looked like they’d been carved out of a moonless night sky at midnight. His shoulder-length hair was spiky and screamed nonconformity. But it was the flash of arrogance in his eyes that drove home just how raw he was.
This guy took what he wanted and never apologized for any of his desires.
It should have raised her hackles. Instead, it made her wet.
And she wasn’t sure she liked it.
Scratch that. She was sure she didn’t like it, because it felt like she was losing control.
“Mom, I’ve got someone in the shop.”
Her voice had become raspy. She blinked, trying to scrape together some poise. It felt like mission impossible as the god grinned at her, his lips curving in a sensual way that sent a bolt of heat straight into her clit.
Shit.
The guy was sex-on-a-stick. And his leather pants made it clear he had quite a stick.
“How can I help you?” she asked.
“So, you’re open?” She’d never realized the god had companions. One was an Asian man with short, spiky hair, black as a raven’s wing, with a flash of blue fire that made it look amazing.
“Oh…sorry. I was talking to my mom.” Her tongue felt like it had gone lame. “When you walked in, that is. We’re always open.”
And her day was suddenly looking up. “I’m Jewel. What are you gents looking for?”
“Do you do tattoo rescue?” The blond one was talking now. His hair fell just to his shoulders, and his eyebrows were slashes.
“You can only go darker. So if it’s already black, your options are limited. But sure, I do rescues.”
“Wait,” the Asian guy insisted. “Do you have a portfolio?”
“Of course.” Jewel pulled a large book from under the counter.
She was used to seeing leather and brawn in the shop, but there was a level of detail on all three of them that spoke of money. The pants were all custom-made, or she’d pack up and start sending out marketing resumes like her parents advised. She knew the difference between wannabes and genuine badasses.
These were the real McCoy.
“I mean, nothing personal, but we can’t have this done by an amateur,” the Asian continued as he started flipping through the pages of her work.
“Speak for yourself, Taz.” The dark-eyed one was leaning farther across the counter, making the air between them sizzle. “I’d like to get very personal with you.”
His voice was like black velvet. It would be super easy to just let it rub all over her. She got the feeling she’d end up purring. There was a flash of something in his eyes, sending a tingle of apprehension through her.
He knew exactly what sort of effect he was having on her.
God, that was sexy. It really redefined her concept of the word. He knew exactly what to do with every inch of her body.
She ended up rolling her lower lip in and setting her teeth into it. His dark gaze dropped to the little nervous motion, his lips curving rakishly in response as he leaned on the counter, moving closer to her. He was too damned smooth, pushing in on her comfort zone with an ease that was annoying, but at the same time, forced her to admit she admired it. A ton of guys thought they were good at getting under a girl’s skin.
This guy was amazing at it.
He was arrogant, but with a solid core of confidence that sent a shiver down her spine. Part of her really wanted to put him to the test.
Which wouldn’t help her pay the rent. She dug deep, trying to get a grip on her professionalism.
“You might want to see these too.” She lifted another album from beneath the counter and handed it over. “These are my awards, and the back half are rescues, before and after shots.”
The blond took it in a flash, leaving her once again staring at the dark-eyed god. Her mouth actually went dry when he opened his mouth and bit the air between them. “Maybe you should let me in on the…problem?”
His grin grew into a huge smile that showed off gleaming white teeth. “Thought you’d never ask me to open my pants.”
He’d straightened up, giving her another glimpse of just how tall he was before he was popping the button on his fly .
It was totally unprofessional for her to get a buzz out of his brazen attitude.
But frickin’ awesome nonetheless.
She was actually holding her breath as he worked the buttons .
One…
Two…
Oh, hell, the guy was chiseled.
But the delicate pink blossoms hit her like a bucket of ice water. “Oh, that is just wrong.”
“Hmmm…” The dark god made a soft sound under his breath and reached for her head. For a moment, she was caught in that second, waiting for his fingers to land on her.She came around the counter, her attention fixed on his lower belly. Jewel sank to her knee to get eye level with the cherry blossoms. It was a sacrilege, like putting pink ribbons in the ears of a panther.
“Don’t be an idiot, Ramsey.” Taz smacked the hand away. “These pictures are good. We don’t need her getting pissed off because you get touchy.”
“Looked to me like she wouldn’t mind me…touching.” There was a brazenness to him that should have pissed her off.
Really, it should.
Review:
The Rock Band series by Dawn Ryder is the first time that I
have read anything by this author and I really like the series so far!!!
Rock Steady is the second book in the series. It can be read
as a stand-alone, but I read the first book, Rock Me Two Times, just before
this. I wanted to have the background of the characters and story line. The band
Toxsin is made up if four best friends that have known each other for years,
including their time serving in the military before becoming famous.
Ramsey Brimer is the guitar player of the group. He enjoys the
bad boy rocker image he projects to others. He seems to love the excess that
the life of a rock star possesses, including the groupies who constantly want
to be with him. When one of the groupies gets him drunk and has a cherry
blossom tattooed on his lower stomach, he needs it fixed fast.
Jewel Ryan is an artist and recent college graduate who is
struggling to make it on her own. She is
working at the tattoo parlor Ramsey and the band members go to have his fixed.
After looking at her portfolio, as well as the drawing she had done for him,
Ramsey has her make a dragon to cover up the cherry blossoms.
There is instant chemistry between Jewel and Ramsey and he is
very impressed with her art work. After she loses her job for helping him, Ramsey
starts to pursue her, including a visit to her apartment. When he sees how she
is living, he decides he wants to give her a job that includes her coming on
tour with the band for a few weeks so she can finish the tattoo.
Ramsey is very forward with his feelings for Jewel and she
is reluctant to give in to her feelings. In addition to their budding
relationship, there is the newness to the environment of being involved with a
band. There are a lot of things that Jewel has never had to deal with, that she
is learning about now.
Ramsey has realized he no longer wants to be the “bad boy”
with a different girl every night. He wants Jewel for possibly more than the
four weeks she is originally set to be with the band. He also likes how she
sees beyond the image he projects and sees who he really is.
You see the struggle Ramsey has between maintaining his bad boy image and wanting to change to be with Jewel. When she leaves because she sees him with a groupie, he realizes what he is doing wrong.
As Ramsey tells Jewel, "he wants to be everything she has always thought he can be, but he can't do it without her to anchor hiim." So he can have what he wants, which is to be with only her.
This is a hot romance, full of emotion that you won’t want
to put down.
I am looking forward to reading the next story in the series.
I will also definitely be reading more of Ms. Ryder’s books in the future!!
About the Author
Dawn Ryder is the erotic romance pen name of a bestselling author of historical romances. She has been publishing her stories for over eight years to a growing and appreciative audience. She is commercially published in mass market and trade paper, and digi-first published with trade paper releases. She is hugely committed to her career as an author, as well as to other authors and to her readership. She resides in Southern California.
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