Rock Stars Don't Like Ugly Bras Read online

  Rock Stars Don’t Like Ugly Bras

  By

  Nikki Ashton

  Text Copyright © 2015 Nikki Ashton

  All Rights Reserved

  No parts of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes only.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are fictitious, and any similarities to real life are entirely coincidental.

  Quotations appear in this book from the 1939 film – Gone with the Wind

  Cover Design by Wes Fuller

  Acknowledgments

  The usual thanks go to my family, friends, my husband David, Gwyn for his guidance, Hayley for proof reading and Wes for yet another brilliant cover.

  However, the biggest thanks of all goes to all of you that keep on supporting me and reading my books. Your messages on Twitter and Facebook make all the hard work worthwhile. Special recognition to Kelly Jagger and Sherri Bell, my advanced readers of Jake and Amber’s story. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me out and let me know what you think. Kelly my thoughts are with you and sending big hugs. I also want to mention all my Twitter & Facebook followers, particularly Patsy Taylor, Gilly Williams & Erica Agombar – your excitement about this book knows no bounds!

  Every one of you that has bought one of my books has helped make my dream to write come true. Your reviews and comments inspire me to continue and I can never thank you enough.

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Epilogue

  More Books by Nikki Ashton

  Chapter 1

  Amber Mahoney blew out a long breath as she watched her cousin, Luke, and his band send the crowd wild with their final song of the night. Dirty Riches were definitely back on top, and Amber was pretty honoured to be along for the ride. Okay, so her job as general gopher, nanny, and assistant to the band didn’t really have much bearing on their success, but Amber liked to think that if she weren’t there they’d all have other things to worry about; things other than making great music and turning women to quivering wrecks every night.

  “Oh, my giddy aunt,” Luke’s wife Martha groaned at Amber’s side. “I might just go off like a rocket if Luke doesn’t stop doing that with his hips.”

  “Calm down love, he’ll be all yours in about ten minutes,” Amber said. She grinned and gave Martha a nudge.

  Martha, Amber and Stacey, the wife of Dirty Riches’ drummer, Skins, were all watching from stage side, and to say Martha and Stacey were feeling a little hot and bothered was a slight understatement. Amber was pretty sure she could fry a couple of eggs and some bacon on the heat that was coming from the two women who flanked her.

  “Shit!” Stacey moaned, her eyes fixed on Skins as he belted out a throbbing drum solo. “I may just have to make another baby with that man tonight.”

  Amber shook her head and laughed quietly to herself. Apart from Luke, who obviously she didn’t fancy – that would just be weird - she had to admit the other members of the band were damn sexy, and watching them certainly lit a small fire in the pit of her own stomach. Even Jake, their Lead Guitarist, was creating a stir within her, and he was pretty much the most annoying man on the planet.

  Amber didn’t normally get to watch their performance, as she was usually keeping an eye on Ethan, Stacey and Skins’ toddler, and Rocco, Luke and Martha’s baby. Tonight though was the last night of the tour and there was to be a big party after the show and everyone was attending. So, Martha’s Uncle Graham and his girlfriend, Sally, were currently looking after the children in a top hotel in a premier suite overlooking the city of Manchester. The boys had wanted to end the tour here as it was their home city – well as near as damn it being only forty minutes away from their home town of Rickeby.

  Amber had worked for the band for almost a year now, ever since the band’s last assistant, Hugo, had left under a cloud. Okay, not exactly a cloud, more a misunderstanding. He’d got the idea that Luke wanted to leave Martha and run away with him. Apparently, Luke’s face had been hilariously horrified when Hugo had revealed the tattoo of Luke’s face that he had that covered his back. Luke was furious because it wasn’t even recognisable as him. In fact it was so unrecognisable that rumour on the PA grapevine was that, with some minor alterations to the tattoo, it now resembled the new reality star that Hugo was currently working for.

  To add insult to Luke’s mortification, when Hugo had declared his love; rather than being the supportive wife, Martha had wet herself because she was laughing so hard – actually making a puddle on the floor. Something that she now refused to comment on; mainly because Luke had threatened her with withdrawal of sexual favours if she ever did. Obviously Jake had also found it hilarious, probably because it had been him who had led Hugo to believe that Luke was living a lie with Martha. Luckily Luke hadn’t broken Jake’s nose with the punch, but he did sport a pair of black eyes for a few days afterwards.

  Smiling to herself, and silently thanking Hugo for giving her such a great opportunity, Amber found her eyes landing on Jake. He’d recently had his shaggy blonde hair cropped short revealing his high cheek bones and sparkling blue eyes. She had to admit he was absolutely stunning – beautiful almost, but he was still a piss taking shit, who annoyed her more than anyone she’d ever met before.

  “He’s looking pretty tasty, don’t you think?” Martha asked, gently bumping hips with Amber.

  Amber turned to Martha and stared wide eyed. “Ugh, he’s my cousin,” she cried.

  Martha laughed loudly. “Not Luke, you burke, Jake.”

  “Shit, that’s an even bigger ugh.” Amber screwed her face up and shivered.

  “Ah, come on Amber,” Stacey added. “You must admit he’s looking good.”

  Amber folded her arms firmly across her chest and tutted. “What is it with you two? Are your own sexy rockers not enough for you?”

  “God yes,” Martha cried. “I can’t answer for Stace, but Luke is more than enough for me thank you. We just thought that since we hadn’t seen you cosy up to anyone in almost a year, that maybe Jake could be the one to fulfil your every fantasy.”

  The band increased their volume as they moved into the final verse of their current number one single, and Stacey moved her mouth closer to Amber’s ear. “Don’t tell us you haven’t thought about it. We’ve seen the way you look at him.”

  “What? I bloody don’t look at him at all, not if I can help it.” Amber’s cheeks burned at her little white lie.

  “You do,” Martha shouted above Luke’s vocals. “There’s lust in your eyes sweetie.”

  �
�There is not! And why have you both been discussing my sex life or lack of it?” Amber now thrust her hands to her hips. “Well?”

  Martha smiled kindly. “Because we love and care about you.”

  “Yeah,” Stacey added. “We just think it’s time you had some fun for a change.”

  “Well, I don’t, and certainly not with that man whore,” Amber growled as she pointed at Jake.

  At that moment, Jake strutted across the stage towards them and noticed Amber’s quivering finger pointing in his direction. He smiled and winked at her, before snaking his tongue out and wiggling it lasciviously.

  “You see,” Amber cried. “He’s disgusting. What on earth would I see in that?” With that, she turned tail and strutted away from the stage side.

  “Hmm, you thinking what I’m thinking?” Martha asked Stacey.

  Stacey nodded and sighed. “Oh yeah, I certainly am.”

  Chapter 2

  It was almost three in the morning, and Amber tried to stifle a yawn. The end of tour party was still going strong in a private room of a high class nightclub in the city centre. It had been a great night, and everyone was enjoying themselves and most people didn’t look even close to calling it a night. Luke and Martha were still dancing and had barely left the dance floor - or each other’s side - all night. Stacey and Skins were talking and laughing with Neil, the band’s manager; both of them having just returned with satisfied grins across their faces after disappearing for half an hour. Then, Amber’s eyes travelled past them and watched Tom and Jake entertain a group of ‘personally invited’ women with their witty repartee and clever banter – that’s what they called it anyway.

  She huffed as she spotted Jake slide his hand down the back of a girl’s jeans. She thought back to earlier when she’d stormed off from the stage side and felt a little bit foolish about it now. Martha and Stacey were only trying to make sure that she was happy…but with Jake? Amber shook her head, trying to erase the images that were filtering into her brain.

  “You okay?”

  Amber hadn’t noticed that Luke had pushed into the booth beside her. She smiled at him and nodded.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Where’s Martha gone?” she asked, resting her head on Luke’s shoulder.

  “The ladies, so I’ve taken the opportunity for a break. I’m bloody knackered; I can’t keep up with her. She could dance all night.” Luke grinned, love shining in his eyes.

  “I must admit I’m pretty tired myself.” Amber yawned again. “I might go back to the hotel.”

  “Well, wait until Martha gets back and we’ll come with you,” Luke said lifting his hand to ruffle Amber’s hair. “The cars are waiting out back.”

  “Okay,” Amber said through another long drawn out yawn. “Shit, sorry.”

  “What’s wrong, Freckles, is Luke boring you?” Jake squeezed past them and sat on Amber’s other side, so she was flanked by them both. He draped an arm around her shoulder.

  Amber shrugged it off. “It’s late and I’m knackered,” she huffed throwing him a narrow eyed glare. “If you remember I was up at six cleaning your mess on the bus after last night’s little soiree.”

  Jake sucked on his bottom lip trying to hide a smile. Christ she was one angry woman when she wanted to be, but all it did was make him laugh, and a little bit turned on if he was being honest. How could he take her seriously with those cute freckles on her little upturned nose?

  “What the fuck did you do, Jake?” Luke growled reaching around Amber to cuff Jake across the head.

  Jake held his hands up in mock surrender. “We just had a couple of ladies over, that’s all.”

  “What did he do, Amber?” Luke took Amber’s chin between his thumb and forefinger, and turned her to face him. “And no covering for him.”

  “As if I would.” Amber muttered. “He was sick all over the floor and the lovely lady who stayed over skidded in it and then collapsed on the sofa. Everything was covered in puke!”

  Jake poked Amber in the side. “Bloody grass,” he hissed with a smile. “It was motion sickness. I hate it when we travel through the night.”

  Luke cuffed Jake’s head again. “Dick head. Amber isn’t paid to clean up after you and the skanks that you bring on the bus. And you,” he said, giving Amber a nudge, “should’ve made him clean it up himself.”

  “Stop it!” Amber smacked at Jake’s fingers as they gently pinched at her waist. . She shuffled along the seat as far as she could, then turned back to Luke. “And it definitely wasn’t ‘motion sickness. He was as pissed as a fart.”

  Luke’s scowl suddenly softened as Martha appeared at his side and then plonked herself down on his knee.

  “What’s going on?” she asked noticing the smirk on Jake’s face.

  “Now what makes you think something is going on my little cherub?” Jake asked.

  “Because you’ve got that ‘I’ve been a naughty boy and Luke is cross with me’ look on your face.” Martha shook her head and giggled. “So, baby, what did he do?”

  “Hurled everywhere and left Amber to clean it up,” Luke said, snaking his arms around her waist.

  “Jake!”

  “Martha?”

  “Oh, forget it.” Amber sighed. “He’s just a dirty slapper who has no idea how to behave, and he’s dragging Tom down with him.” She gestured for Luke to move so she could stand up. He and Martha stood up and Amber edged her way out of the booth.

  Luke shook his head and pointed a finger at Jake.

  “You need to learn how to behave,” he said. “And you owe Amber an apology!” He took Martha’s hand and smiled. “You ready to go back to the hotel? I thought we’d go back with Amber.”

  Martha nodded, leaned across to Jake and gave him a peck on his cheek.

  “Start being nice to her,” Martha whispered. “You’ll never get anywhere with her while you keep shagging around like the Duracell bunny on heat.”

  “Eh? What’s that mean?” Jake pulled his head back and stared wide eyed at Martha.

  Martha grinned as Luke started to drag her away. “Don’t act dumb, Jake. Just think about what I’ve said.”

  As the three members of the Mahoney family disappeared, Jake’s mouth dropped open as he stared after them.

  “Fuck!” he groaned to himself. “No fucking way. All that sexy time with bloody Luke has sent her nuts.”

  “You talking to yourself?” Tom slipped in beside Jake and slammed a shot of Tequila in front of him. “Here, you left this over there. What’ve I told you about leaving your drink hanging about? Anyone could have slipped something into it.”

  Jack looked at Tom and laughed. “You know you don’t have to drug me sugar tits, I’m all yours, always.”

  “Piss off, Jake.” Tom hit Jake across the back of the head.

  Jake cried out and put a hand to his head. “What is it with people hitting me tonight? If I drop dead on stage with a brain injury, it’ll be your fault.”

  Tom laughed and scooted back out of the booth. “You need a brain for that to happen,” he scoffed.

  “Ooh funny,” Jake replied throwing a thin lipped smile at Tom. “And you need a big dick to satisfy a woman.”

  Tom waved a hand at him and walked off shaking his head. As Jake watched him go, he thought about what Martha had said, and wondered what on earth she was talking about.

  Chapter 3

  “Home Sweet Home,” Jake said as he stretched his arms above his head.

  Amber glanced at the span of his tanned stomach that appeared as his t-shirt rode up. She quickly looked back out of the car window and sighed, creating a mist that fogged over it. Amber giggled as she fought the urge to write ‘Jake is a dick’ in it.

  “What’s funny?” Jake asked.

  “Nothing at all,” Amber replied. “Absolutely nothing.”

  As the car slowly travelled through the village towards Luke’s house, Amber wished that she’d gone straight home from the tour to her mum in Kent. Luke and Martha were going on holiday
in a couple of days, for two weeks to Italy with Auntie Lucia, Luke’s mum. She was then staying with her brother while Martha and Luke spent four weeks at their villa on the Algarve with Stacey, Skins and Ethan. So there really wasn’t any need for Amber to be here. Unfortunately though, she couldn’t go home to Kent as her mum was on a four month cruise, until the end of July, paid for by Luke. She had subsequently rented her house out to some Americans who were on holiday over here. Anyway this was her home now, and everything that she owned was here, which wasn’t a great deal. However, there was the awful realisation that Jake was staying for a while too. He and Tom were both selling up in LA and moving back to England. Tom had bought a house a few miles away from Stacey and Skins new house in the countryside, on the outskirts of Manchester. Jake meanwhile, was having a house built just three miles away from the village that Luke and Martha lived in. The builders, however, were taking their time to get it finished so Jake wanted to be around to kick their backsides into gear. As Tom was going back to LA that afternoon to finalise the sale of his condo’, Luke had literally drawn the short straw at getting Jake for a house guest.

  “Why don’t you stay at Tom’s?” Amber asked the thought suddenly occurring to her.

  “Eh?” Jake asked with a smirk. “Don’t you want me around, Freckles?”

  “No, not really,” Amber said bluntly and glared at Jake. She chose to ignore his nickname for her – she’d realised a long time ago that the more she complained, the more he would use it. “His house is empty, so it seems logical to me,” she added.

  “Ah, logical it may be, but he’s having the plumbing replaced, so no facilities. Where would I poop?”

  Amber shuddered at his crass comment and her shoulders drooped in resignation. She just hoped he kept out of her way until Tom got back, and then maybe she could persuade him to go there. There was no denying Jake was great to look at, but spending time with him just wasn’t on her bucket list.

  “Don’t even think it,” Jake said with a chortle. “Tom’s staying for at least a month. He’s not only got to finalise the sale, but he’s also got to pack up all his stuff, arrange for it to be shipped over here and then say goodbye to all his lady friends. That in itself could take two weeks.”