Hi friends!!! Today I’m so excited to share an excerpt from Carly Phillips with you! Not only is this an exclusive from Dare to Rock, it’s still a WIP, so it’s rough – but that means you’re getting a first look at it! Raw! Rawr! 😉 I have to say I’m excited about this book as well because I quite enjoy rockstar romances. What I like about the “Dare to Love” series is that each book can be read as a standalone.
Avery Dare lives a quiet life in Miami as an online fashion/makeup video blogger. She has good friends, a close, large family and if her love life is lacking, she likes it that way. But when she receives an invitation to one of her ex’s concerts along with an invitation to meet him back stage, she decides to take the risk… and comes face to face with the reality of his rock star lifestyle – the press, the crowds, and the half naked groupies.
At eighteen, Grey Kingston left everything he knew and loved behind to seek fame and fortune as a rock star, and he found it as the lead guitarist and singer for the band, Tangled Royal. Fans adore him, women throw themselves at him, and he can afford everything he couldn’t growing up. Yet at the height of his career, he’s ready to walk away and return home to a simpler life… and the woman he left behind, if he can convince her to give him another chance.
Except moving on isn’t as easy as Grey would like. When Avery is threatened by a stalker, it becomes evident Grey’s fans not only don’t want him to retire, they don’t want Avery in his life either. And Avery isn’t sure she wants the pressures that are part of Grey’s life… but she doesn’t want to lose him again, either. Can their recently renewed love survive the fallout?
With his hand on the small of her back and tremors of awareness rippling through her body, they walked to the end of the dock where The Lola sat, the name clearly scripted along the side.
“I’m not up on terminology, so I’ll just say welcome aboard,” Grey said, as he pulled off his shoes.
She did the same and soon she found herself on a deck with beautiful furniture, wooden frame with a beige and white chevron patter, and a bucket of champagne in ice waiting for them.
She blinked in surprise. “They set this up so quickly?”
“Told you. Full service crew.” He gestured to a love seat where they could sit side by side.
She dropped her shoes to the floor and lowered herself into the cushion. He joined her, his hard thigh touching hers and an electrical shock jolted through her. Her body flushed with heat, her nipples tightened and she bit back a sigh of pleasure. Not quite fast enough because his eyes darkened at the sound that escaped.
He tore his gaze away and with expertise, he opened the champagne and poured them each a glass.
She accepted hers, grateful for something to do with her hands. “Thanks.”
“To new beginnings.” He touched his glass to hers.
“To old friends,” she said, attempting to put things into perspective, more for her overheated body than for him.
Awareness flickered in his gaze. He was clearly aware of her attempt to put distance between them. Still watching her, he took a long sip.
She followed suit and moaned at the bubbly taste.
His gaze heated up at the sound that rippled unbidden from her throat and she just knew a heated blush stained her cheeks.
“I always was a sucker for champagne,” she murmured.
“I remember. You were a light weight too.”
She shrugged. “I still am.” It didn’t take much alcohol to give her a buzz.
He placed his glass down on the table in front of them. She preferred to hold onto hers for security. Now that she was alone with him, butterflies had taken up residence in her stomach.
“I needed this. Needed to be alone with you.” He reached out and wrapped a section of her hair around his finger and rubbed his thumb back and forth over the strands.
She felt the caress between her thighs, arousal and need alive and well inside her, an ache only Grey seemed capable of creating. “I’m glad we’re here too.”
“Could have fooled me,” he asked in a gruff voice. “You tried damned hard to get out of it.”
He looked and sounded like a hurt little boy and she felt compelled to explain. “That was my rational side reacting. The part that reminds me of how different we are, and how we like and want different things.”
She met his gaze, needing him to understand. “I want this time with you now, to catch up and get to know each other again.” And that’s all she’d admit to wanting, Avery thought.
“Good because I want the same thing.” He eased closer, his arm snaking around behind her, the closeness and warmth of his body arousing her in a way she hadn’t felt in years. Or maybe ever.
He took the glass out of her hands and placed it on the table. “I’ve moved here for good.”
His words took her off guard. “I thought you’d end up back in L.A.”
He shook his head. “We have plenty of time for details another time. Right now I think we should move on to other things,” he said, the sexual innuendo in his tone clear.
And so very welcome. “What things?” she asked in a husky tone.
“This.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, sliding his tongue over her lips. “Mmm. Champagne and you. Nothing sweeter,” he said, his voice a deep rumble, a sweet, seductive promise of things her body craved badly.
Her sex spasmed and she shifted in her seat, unable to ease the sudden ache between her thighs. Her hands drifted as she fought an inner battle, give in to what she wanted or let fear of losing again consume her.
He licked the corner of her mouth and slipped his tongue inside. Battle lost. She moaned, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back, all the pent up years of need and longing gone the instant she gave in.
He swept one hand into her hair, wrapping the long strands around his fist, the tug drawing a direct line to her sex. Dampness coated her panties and her nipples hardened, aching for his touch. But he held her in place, taking his time, his lips devouring hers, his tongue thrusting in and out, sweeping through the deep recesses of her mouth. She was lost in sensation, lost in Grey.
Thunder sounded closer but at this point she couldn’t distinguish between the arousal rumbling through her brain and body and the weather outside. He kissed his way down her neck, her throat, his teeth grazing her skin, pausing at her collarbone to find the sensitive spot he’d always favored.
She curled her hands into his shirt as her head fell back and she gave into sensation.
“You taste like vanilla,” he muttered, licking his way across her chest, following the line of her shirt where it crested over her breasts.
It was the very best kind of tease and she couldn’t do more than sigh his name. “Grey.”
“Missed you, sugar.”
She trembled in his arms. “I missed you too.” The admission hurt because he’d left her and the knowledge was always there, burrowed in her heart, next to the crack her father had left before him.
She pushed the thought away, reaching for him, her hand cupping his cheek. “It’s still there, isn’t it?” she asked, needing to know the intensity was as strong for him as it was for her.
His darkened gaze met hers and he stroked her cheek with his knuckles. “Stronger than ever.”
He braced her face in his hands and kissed her again – and again it went on, two people relearning and lost in long forgotten and reawakened sensation. She thread her fingers into his hair, running her palms over the shorter sides, tugging on the longer pieces on top.
He groaned and pulled her astride him, her pussy now in direct contact with the heavy, thick bulge in his jeans. She arched her back and rocked lightly, the cresting waves inside her body as powerful as those surrounding the boat below.
Another crack of thunder sounded, this one louder, startling her and she flinched at the noise. A streak of lightning lit the sky soon after.
Grey swore. “Inside. Now.” He helped her to her feet. She grabbed the glasses and he picked up the champagne but the skies had already opened. Before they could make their way below deck, the first droplet was followed by torrential sheets of rain.
You can read more about the Dare to Love series here. And because it’s my birthday month, Carly has very generously offered a giveaway! One lucky commenter is up for a $25 gift card! So what’d you think of the excerpt? Do you like rockstar romances? Friends to lovers? Have you read any of the previous books in the series?
Happy Birthday month!!
I did enjoy the excerpt thank you. I always think that friends to lovers stories are rather special. All that back history that they share.
I haven’t read many rockstar romances but friends to lovers ranks at the top of my favorite tropes. I love Carly’s books but I haven’t started this series yet (although I have the first few books waiting on my Kindle!), I can’t wait to get to this one as well!!
I have all of Carly’s as I call them “Dare to” if the title has the words dare to in it I get it,Ive got so many now that I had to change them around on my kindle so they now have 3 pages in a row on my kindle because it was the only way I could keep them in the correct reading order.I know that some of them can be standalones,but I like to read them in order so I don’t miss something lol and also HAPPY BIRTHDAY, you take up 10 pages on my kindle and it took me hours to get them in order by the different series you write and as you’ve been writing for quite a while, its a lot of books and thats just the books Im reading,there are some I have’nt got,goodness that would probably take up my entire kindle lol
Thanks for sharing the excerpt!! Makes me wish it was out sooner 🙂 I really like friends to lovers stories but I enjoy enemies to lovers stories a little bit more! All the drama, the love-hate back and forth is always so interesting, especially when the author can capture the feelings between the couple.
Thanks such hot books, love first one, so hot, love the dares,
Lopike rocksteady romance
Thanks carly
interesting excerpt; not a fan of those tropes