"Surprise!"

A chorus of cheers and claps greeted August and I as we stepped from his front foyer through the arched ceiling leading to his living room. The members of Darkest Days and Cherry Lips, along with some other friends and loved ones, had gathered at August's to welcome him home.

"You guys are aware it's not really a surprise if I know you're going to be here?" August asked wryly.

His friends crowded around him.

"Let us have our fun," Cameron grinned. "We needed an excuse to party."

"Since when do you need an excuse?" August laughed.

Cameron thumped him heartily on the back.

"It's great you're finally out of the hospital," he said. "Noah almost murdered me about a dozen times without you around."

"You need to stop torturing the poor man."

"Never." Cameron flashed us a cheeky grin.

"Stop hogging our drummer." Ian elbowed Cameron out of the way. He and Damon gave August one of those half-bro-hugs on each side. "Cameron's right. We nearly fell apart without you."

"You sure you're okay?" Noah asked.

"I'm better than I've been in a long time."

August's surgery had been a complete success. He'd healed and completed his in-patient therapy quicker than anyone had anticipated. We'd all been bracing ourselves for him to be there for a handful of months or longer. We shouldn't have been surprised. August never failed when he put his mind to something.

That was just the physical, though. His full recovery was long from over. He still had bi-weekly meetings with his addictions therapist, along with group therapy once a week. Because of everything he went through, it wasn't going to be easy. But he was working on it, and we were all there for him. It would take time, and it would take strength, but we believed in him. Most of all, he believed in himself.

"Seth is going to be disappointed," Cameron said. "We don't need him on drums anymore."

"Seth is going to be just fine." The drummer from Cherry Lips appeared behind us with a grin. "It was amazing getting to fill in for someone like August Summers, but there's no way I would leave Cherry Lips for the rest of you losers." Seth smirked.

"You mean Cerise would have had your balls if you tried to leave," Cameron retorted.

Seth winced. "Yeah. That, too."

More of August's friends came to greet him and give their well wishes. I surveyed the room, looking for one person in particular.

Ashford stood with a drink in his hand near the far end of the living room. He wasn't speaking with anyone, but he didn't seem to mind. He was eyeing the wild-haired and alternatively dressed crowd gathered around August with a skeptical look.

"I didn't know if you'd show up," I told him as I approached.

He raised his glass in greeting. "I have to meet this young man of yours in person, don't I?"

"You've already met him."

"You two weren't together then. And if I'd known he was going to hit on you on the job, I would have said no to the whole thing." Ashford's lips threatened to twist into a frown. He took a sip of his drink. "But I've done my research. He seems like a fine young man. Professional. Accomplished. Even if he did come on to an impressionable young girl, barely out of school, who was also working under him."

"You make it sound gross," I protested. "He's a perfect gentleman."

Ashford grumbled. "Let him introduce himself properly and we'll see."

I caught August's eye and gestured him to come over. His gaze flicked to Ashford. My mentor's back stiffened. August nodded at me to show he'd gotten the message.

With a promise to return, August left his crowd of well-wishers and made his way over to us. He immediately held out his hand to Ashford with an easy smile.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Professor Ashford," August said in smooth tones. "Thank you for coming to this gathering."

They shook hands a moment too long. Ashford scrutinized August, who looked back calmly.

"Glad to see you're in good health," Ashford said. "I heard from Cassie you've had a rough go of it recently."

The official story was, August's shoulder had been hurt during his fall on stage, and he needed surgery to fix it. No mention of drugs or him being kicked out of the band.

"Cassie's been a great help to me," August said. "She's been by my side the whole way." He gave me a loving, heart-stopping smile. "I couldn't have done it without her."

I fought to keep my composure and not fall into a swoon in front of Ashford. August still had that affect on me, even after several months.

"Cassie's a remarkable young woman," Ashford agreed. "I've known her for a long time. She deserves only the best in life."

"August, it looks like Cerise wants to say hello," I interrupted before Ashford could say anything too embarrassing. "You should go say hi."

With a parting handshake, August said his goodbyes to Ashford. When it was only the two of us, I turned to my mentor. Ashford had become a sort of father figure to me, and his opinion meant a lot.

"I approve," he said.

I let out a breath.

"Now that I've checked him out, I'm less worried about you." Ashford gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to take off. I'm the oldest person here by half a century," he joked.

With Ashford gone, and August still ensconced in conversation with his friends, I grabbed a drink. Scanning the room, I saw Hope standing in a corner, looking awkward and out of place. I headed over.

"Has Ian abandoned you?" I asked her.

She gave me a confused look.

"Sorry?" she asked.

"You're standing here all by yourself."

Her eyes widened.

"Oh! You must think I'm Hope."

Now it was my turn to look confused.

"I'm Faith," she explained. "Hope's twin sister."

I looked her up and down. If I'd thought Ian and Damon were identical, they had nothing on these girls. Same long dark hair, same light brown eyes, matching facial structures. The only difference was Hope's hair was usually messy, and this girl's hair was sleek and shiny, falling down her back like a waterfall.

"You're Hope's twin?" I asked, just to clarify. "And Hope is dating Ian. Who is also a twin."

"Don't remind me." She looked vaguely disgruntled. "I'd prefer to think of Ian as an only child and forget about that brother of his."

I understood why Damon would have a problem with Hope, but why would Hope's sister have a problem with Damon? Maybe she just didn't like the way he treated her sister. At least that problem was solved. Perhaps they'd all learn to get along now.

"I was just coming over here to say hi to Hope," I told her. "She was really nice to me when she visited the guys on tour."

"Are you Cassie?" she asked. "My sister told me about you. She loves your photos. She has every picture of Ian you've ever taken saved on her phone. It really helped her, I think, getting to see what he was up to every day, when they couldn't be together in person."

I'd never thought of my photos being used that way. I supposed it would be a good way to keep from missing loved ones.

"I'm glad my photos helped. She and Ian seem very close."

"They are." She sounded wistful as she glanced over my shoulder. I turned to see both Ian and Hope with their arms around each other, talking with August. "He's so good to her. I always worried my sister would end up with some…" She shook her head, trailing off. "Anyway. Ian's a great guy. I couldn't ask for a better future brother-in-law."

I thought back to our drinking game, when Ian and Hope had whispered to each other, eyes shining with love. Maybe that future would come sooner than anyone thought.

"Mind if I steal Cassie away for a moment?"

August wrapped his arms around me from behind and squeezed. Faith waved her hand.

"Steal away," she said.

With an arm around my waist, August led me through the living room, past the dining room, and into the kitchen.

"Are we running out of food and drink?" I asked. "Do we need to put out some more?"

He turned me around to face him and pressed me up against the fridge. He lowered his head, lips just barely grazing my mouth.

"I've missed you," he murmured.

"I visited you every day while you were doing therapy."

"You know what I mean." He shifted until his hips fit neatly against mine. "It's been a long time since we've been alone."

"You have a house full of guests out there," I protested weakly.

"So?" was his only response.

With his fingertips sneaking under my shirt and one knee parting my thighs, I had to admit it was a compelling argument.

I gave in, tilting my face up to meet him for a kiss. His tongue swiped a line at the seam of my lips. I parted for him easily. He buried his fingers in my hair, tugging me closer. I melted against him.

I'd missed the taste of him, the smell of him. We'd snuck chaste kisses in the hospital, but that was as far as we'd gotten.

The kiss turned heated, wanton. I couldn't help the small rock of my hips against his knee. He urged me on with a hand against the small of my back. His own length was hardening against my stomach.

We lost ourselves in each other, basking in the togetherness, the feeling of things finally being right. I moaned into his mouth, whimpering as his one hand moved to cup my breast under my shirt. I dug my nails into his upper arms, holding on for balance.

My brain fogged over with desire, barely aware of my surroundings. I was seconds away from ripping off my shirt and unzipping his jeans.

The kitchen door flew open.

"Don't know why you always have to be such a—"

"What? What exactly am I? Go on, say it."

Damon and Faith stormed through the kitchen doors, yelling and fuming.

The four of us froze, still as statues, as we stared at each other.

I slowly lowered my leg from where I'd wrapped it around August's hip. He removed his hands from underneath my shirt.

Faith's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Damon's look of agitation morphed into one of wicked delight.

"Just couldn't wait until the party was over, hm?" he teased.

I groaned and thumped my head back against the fridge.

"You're going to make fun of me for the rest of time because of this, aren't you?" I asked.

"Hell yeah." He smirked.

Faith whirled away, stomping back out into the dining room, not saying anything.

"Problem?" August asked.

Damon shrugged. "Nah. I've got a handle on it."

"And what exactly is it?" I asked, wondering if I could get ammunition on him.

"I have no idea." Instead of his usual wicked grin, his face was lined with frustration. He flicked his eyes to the kitchen door where Faith had stomped out. "I'll let you know when I figure it out." With a long suffering expression, he left the kitchen, not even taking the time to continue teasing me.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Damon might have finally met his match." August tugged my shirt back into place and adjusted himself. "Better get back to the party before everyone realizes we snuck off together."

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent chatting with friends and having a drink or two. I met some people from other bands, friendly acquaintances of August, but I couldn't remember any of their names. I just knew the dirty blond with wavy hair flopping over his forehead was even louder than Cameron, which I'd thought impossible.

Finally, the party wound down as August's liquor cabinet became depleted and couples began discreetly disappearing in pairs.

"Thank you for the welcome home party," August told Cameron as he got ready to leave.

The bassist had his arm around his girlfriend Lily's waist.

"Any excuse to party." The grin left Cameron's face, expression turning serious. "You really gonna be okay?" he asked, eyes questioning. "We don't want you to push yourself too hard."

"I'm really okay," August reassured him.

Cameron examined him closely before nodding. He gave me one last hug.

"Take care of him?" he whispered in my ear.

"I promise," I whispered back.

By the time everyone had left, the living room was a mess. Beer bottles, dirty glasses, and trays of half-finished finger foods littered the room.

"Leave it," August said when I started to gather up the trash. "I'll hire someone to come in and clean tomorrow."

"If this is how rich people live, sign me up," I said, repeating my previous thoughts. "I don't even own a dishwasher."

"Would you like to?"

I turned to August, confused at the hint of hesitation in his voice.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He stepped over empty cans on the carpet and came to stand in front of me. I blinked up at him, taken aback by the uncertainty in his eyes.

"Come with me," he said.

Leaving the living room a dirty mess, he led me upstairs to his bedroom, my hand cradled gently in his.

On the way, I noticed something on the wall. A framed photograph. A black and white cityscape.

"That's my photo," I said.

He stopped on the stairs, turning back with a quirk of his lips. "I told you I wanted to buy it."

“I didn’t think you actually meant it.”

“Of course I meant it,” he said. “I want to cover my walls with your photos.”

When we entered his bedroom, August opened the door to his walk-in closet and gestured for me to go in. The thing was the size of my current bedroom. He wasn't using all of it. Half the hangers were empty.

"Will you move in with me?" he asked.

My heart stopped, breath taken away.

"I never would have been able to get through any of this without you," he said. "I've always been the one to take care of others. I've never had to rely on anyone. I never wanted to. But with you—" He took my hands in his, gripping them tight, not able to continue. I understood what he was trying to say.

"Yes." My heart pounded sweetly in my chest. "I'd love to move in with you."

A relieved smile graced his lips. "Good thing I already made room in my closet for all your stuff."

"Are you telling me you didn't already know what I was going to say?"

"For once, I wasn't sure," he admitted. "But I'd hoped."

I threw my arms around his neck, standing on my tiptoes to press my lips to his. We kept the kiss light for long moments, brushing our mouths together gently, breathing in each other. I could never get enough of his scent, that earthy-sweet aroma that was uniquely August.

"How do you always smell so good?" I murmured. "I just want to eat you up."

"You already did that, remember?" His lips curved into a smile.

He picked me up, hoisting me into the air. I wrapped my legs around his hips reflexively, squeezing my thighs to hold on tight. With my breasts squished against his firm chest, our kisses turned desperate, mouth mashing together in a hot, wet slide.

With three long strides, he crossed the room, throwing me on the bed. I squealed, bouncing several times on the mattress. He hurried out of his shirt, tossed it to the floor and crawled between my legs.

The scar on his shoulder stood out in deep contrast to the smooth skin surrounding it. It was raised and red, painful looking.

I ran my fingertips over it lightly. "Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore. It healed well." He settled his weight between my spread thighs. "You don't have to worry."

"I'll always worry." Cupping his cheeks, I felt his strong jaw and cheekbones under my hands. "I'm so relieved everything turned out for the best."

"So am I. When I woke up from surgery with my shoulder on fire, when I couldn't even squeeze a stress ball during my first therapy session…"

He took in a shuddering breath. I tugged him down, cradling his head to my chest, holding him in my arms.

"Thank you for being by my side," he said.

His lips returned to mine, with soft pecks at first. The kiss didn't stay chaste for long. Soon we were moaning into each other's mouths, grinding against one another.

With my legs around his waist, I tilted my hips up to meet his. He grabbed my wrists and pinned them to the mattress above my head. He took control of the kiss, turning it almost rough with passion.

When we finally broke for air, the look in his eyes was wild, feral. He stared at me in a way I'd never seen before. His gaze roved all over my face, as if seeing me for the first time.

I parted my lips with a sigh, wetting them, anticipating. His nostrils flared, his eyes scorching hot. Instead of capturing my mouth in another kiss, he ducked his head and bit my neck with a growl.

I gasped at the sensation. It wasn't a light nip of his teeth. It was possessive and dominating, claiming me as his own. Pleasure pulsed through me from that single point before rushing straight between my thighs, turning me wet and wanton. I bared my throat in invitation for more.

"You like that?" he murmured into my skin.

I nodded desperately.

Using his lips and teeth and tongue, he assaulted my throat, leaving bite marks and sucking kisses along the delicate skin. My breathing turned labored and heavy at the onslaught.

August had bitten me before, and I'd loved it, but it had never been this hard, this rough, before. It was doing things to my insides. I was already throbbing, the heat in my core threatening to burn me up.

He stopped only long enough to tear off my shirt and remove my bra, flinging them to the floor. He immediately returned to biting and sucking, only this time he attacked my breasts. He bit down lightly on one nipple, turning it into a stiff peak.

I moaned, arching my back, pushing my breast further into his mouth, silently asking for more. As his mouth worked one, his thumb and forefinger pinched the other, duplicating the sensation from both sides as I panted and squirmed.

With his mouth occupied, he scratched his nails lightly down my front, leaving a pink trail. He reached my leggings and didn't stop, tugging them down and continuing his path down my hips and legs.

When I was naked except for my panties, his lips returned to my mouth. His fingers didn't stop their exploration, sneaking under my panties. He pinched my clit lightly. I let out a choked cry at the sharp sting. An exquisite pleasure-pain tingled throughout my body until I was shaking, thighs clenching and fingers tightening into fists.

"Little masochist," he teased.

"Does that make you a sadist?" I asked breathlessly.

"I'd never hurt you." He pinched my clit again. "But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy torturing you."

I moaned loud and long as he continued to do so, using one hand to play with my clit, the other sneaking between my folds, two fingers dipping inside me.

I writhed on the bed, scratching at his back for purchase as he worked me into a frenzy, taking me to higher and higher heights. When I thought I couldn't take anymore he bit down on my lower lip. That was enough to send me over the edge. I cried out and trembled furiously, clamping down and fluttering around his fingers.

I slowly sunk back down onto the mattress, trying to catch my breath. August reclined next to me on his side, running his hand up and down my belly.

"I had no idea you liked that kind of thing," he said softly.

"I didn't either. It hurt, but it was a good hurt. Like the pain made the pleasure that much better."

"You can't experience true pleasure without knowing what true pain feels like."

He said the words softly, as if they held a greater meaning for him. I turned on my side until we were face to face.

"I read that book, you know," I told him. "Your favorite. The Giver."

He stilled.

"What did you think of it?" he asked slowly.

"I didn't understand it at first. A utopian society where everyone lived in peace, no pain or fear or suffering. It didn't sound all that bad. But there was also no love or joy. To get rid of the bad, they had to also get rid of the good. And I began to understand why you might like it."

"A life without pain isn't worth living," he mused. "That's what I always told myself. If I hadn't experienced the loss I had, if I hadn't experienced suffering, I wouldn't be able to truly appreciate everything I do have."

"I don't want to see you suffer anymore," I said. "I don't want to see you in pain."

"That part of my life is over," he said. "Now I can enjoy pleasure. Joy. Love." He gathered me in his arms. "If I had to go through all that shit just for a chance to meet you, for a chance to be with you, it was worth it."

I buried my head in his chest, contemplating his words. August had been through so much. He'd experienced more suffering than most people ever did. And he'd only come out stronger for it.

"You're amazing," I told him.

His lips pressed against mine once again. He tongue swiped for entrance. I succumbed with a sigh. My orgasm at his fingers had only ignited the flames inside me. I still wanted him. I wanted everything he had to give me.

August rolled over and pinned me beneath him. As we kissed, he kicked off his jeans and boxers, and pulled my panties down my legs. When we were both naked, he leaned up to open a drawer in his bedside table, pulling out a foil packet.

I placed my hand on his wrist, stopping him.

"I want—" I hesitated, blushing, and powered on. "I want to feel you, skin to skin."

His eyes burned with heat.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm on birth control. And I haven't been with anyone since we first…"

"Me neither," he said quickly. "And they tested me for everything in the hospital before my surgery."

I took the foil square from his fingers and tossed it back in the drawer. I pulled him down into a kiss, spreading my legs to accept him into me.

His stiff length bumped against my thigh, the weeping head leaving a sticky wetness on my skin. I took him in my hand and guided him to my entrance. I was so wet, the tip was instantly slick.

"I want you," I told him. "Just like this."

Our eyes locked. His pupils went wide and he groaned as he entered me, no barriers between us.

He went slowly at first, with shallow motions. The pace drove me crazy. I rocked my hips, urging him to go faster and faster. The feeling of his flared head hitting that perfect spot inside me had sparks flying across my vision. I moaned with every thrust and gasped with every withdrawal. I dug my nails into his back and squeezed my eyes shut as pleasure began to overtake me.

He growled low in his throat, and bit down on my neck one last time. I cried out and exploded, inner walls clamping down around his cock, and he followed me into bliss.

We shook together, bodies quaking, clutching each other tight. Bright, clear, ice-blue eyes locked onto mine as the pleasure slowly abated. I lost myself in them with a sigh, knowing that whatever our future held, whether it was more pleasure or more pain, we would face it together.

We would stay by each other's side.

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If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, please know there is help available. Seek out doctors, therapists, counsellors and other professionals. You don’t have to go through this alone.

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Coming Soon:

Darkest Days #5: Hard Rock Heat

Featuring guitarist of Darkest Days Damon Drake and Hope’s sister Faith, Hard Rock Heat is the fifth novel in the Darkest Days Rock Star Romance Series.

Want a sneak peek of lead singer Noah Hart’s story? Continue reading with the first chapters from Hard Rock Tease >>>