Page 102 of Dear Rockstar (Dear Rockstar 1)

Don’t you forget, girl, that they are led by my heart

They’ll always put first what I’ve loved from the start…”

The song ended and the lights went dark again.

The crowd went absolutely wild. So many people rushed the stage we were being crushed. I could barely breathe. The crowd chanted, “Black Diamond, Black Diamond, Black Diamond.” The cameras were still rolling and Dale stood at the microphone, head down. I saw his chest rising and falling with his breath, even in the dim haze. The emcee came onto the stage, leaning over to say something to Dale, into his ear, behind his hand. Then Dale handed the microphone over.

The spotlight went on, illuminating the emcee and Dale beside him.

“You want more of Black Diamond?” the emcee asked.

The crowd screamed like crazy. I did too.

“Here they are for an encore. Black Diamond!”

The emcee handed the mic back to Dale and they were off to the races, doing another cover, this one by Journey. I watched Dale move across the stage, beautiful and strangely graceful, striding back and forth like he owned it. And he did. He didn’t just know it, everyone knew it—even Rick, the envious lead guitarist, who came over to Dale while he was singing, both of them playing guitar together, making the crowd cheer.

No other band that night had been asked to do an encore. I knew then, if I hadn’t already known, Black Diamond was going to make it.

The emcee took the microphone when the song was done, trying to calm the crowd as Dale and the band broke down their equipment with the help of the stage crew. There were other bands that had to follow them. I felt sorry for them.

We made our way back and found the table we’d been sitting at with our drinks still waiting. Carrie and Wendy stayed out on the dance floor because INXS was now playing over the speakers, the lights pulsing to the beat of the music. Matt, Aimee and I looked at each other, all of us still a little high from the performance.

“He’s going to be a fucking rock star.” Matt shook his head in disbelief, taking a swig of his beer.

“I know.” I did know. I just wasn’t so sure how I felt about it.

“What’d you think?” Dale grabbed a chair and sat astride it next to me, surprising me out of nowhere. “Were we okay?”

“Are you kidding me?” Aimee put her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. “You were fantastic! If I wasn’t engaged, I’d ask you to marry me!”

Dale stared at her, eyes widening. Then he looked at Matt, grinned, and held up his hand for a high five. Matt came across and gave him one, both of them laughing.

“Congratulations!” Dale said.

“You’re really good.” Matt shook his head again like he couldn’t quite believe what he’d seen. There were girls already gathering in groups, giggling and squealing and pointing at Dale. I knew once they gathered the courage they would be approaching him for autographs and whatever else they could think of to entice him.

“Thanks.” Dale turned to me, leaning closer so he could say it in my ear. “What did you think?”

“You were amazing.” I felt his hand slide into mine. “But you’re always amazing.”

“I wrote that song for you.” He leaned in closer, his lips brushing my ear. “They’re all for you.”

“What do you think all those girls would say if you told them that?” I pointed into the crowd where there were groups of girls gathering like storm clouds.

“I don’t care.” He took my chin in his hand, turning it to face him. “You’re all I care about. Yours is the only opinion that matters to me.”

He kissed me, a slow, claiming kiss. My arms went around his neck, fingers moving through the thick, dark silk of his hair as his tongue found mine. Whenever I kissed Dale, everything else went away. I didn’t think about who might be watching or what they might be thinking. There was nothing in the world but Dale and his sweet, soft, perfect mouth on mine, a connection I never wanted to break.

When we came up for air, that’s when I remembered the rest of the world. I saw all the girls who had been swooning over him on stage looking at us, jealous. Part of me liked that feeling, knowing he was mine, that they wanted him but couldn’t have him. He’d chosen me. But Dale seemed oblivious to the rest of the world, pressing his forehead to mine, eyes closed, nostrils flaring as he took a deep breath.

“Come dance with me.” He grabbed my hand, dragging me out onto the floor. INXS—Need You Tonight—was still playing over the huge floor to ceiling speakers and Dale put his arms around me, edging our way through the couples and groups dancing, completely ignoring the girls who reached out to touch him or compliment him on his performance.

The body heat on the floor was intense. The whole club hung with a hazy humidity. Someone had propped a back door open to let in the cold winter air, but it didn’t seem to help. I was sweating, my t-shirt sticking to me, but Dale’s hands went there anyway, pulling up my shirt and sliding his hands along my lower back to move my body with his. His mouth found mine as we danced, and I moaned as his hips pressed into my pelvis, grinding against me to the beat of the music. It wasn’t dancing—it was sex.

“Dale,” I whispered into his ear, holding onto him as he propelled me across the floor, leading me, our bodies melded together, moving as one. My knees were weak but he held me with one hand, guiding me with the motion of his hips. I was completely his to do with what he wanted and he knew it.

“I have to fuck you,” he growled, his teeth raking my neck.

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