Cofi’s arm was snaked around Chloe’s shoulder as we strolled with Def Deception’s whole crowd into The InterContinental Chicago hotel on Michigan Avenue. A crowd formed a red carpet line on either side of us, but the bodyguards kept the gawkers and fangirls away.

My arms were preoccupied with multiple McDonald’s bags. I had volunteered myself and Hawke to take the bags into the hotel, giving his hands something to do other than touch my body.

Sweat formed along the inside of my palms as I walked in step with Hawke. Since our kiss, he’d been silent, reserved. I didn’t know if I had offended him by denying his advances or if he was going to try again later.

Being with Hawke, the band, and their entourage was awfully awkward. I didn’t like being the center of attention, and all eyes were zoomed in on me because I was with Hawke.

I suddenly wanted to retreat to my two-bedroom apartment that I shared with Chloe, but I couldn’t leave her and break the girl code. If she was going to get it on with Cofi, I’d stay and wait until she’d had her fun. Chloe was like a carefree bird, but I didn’t care because she was a fanatic about protection.

We strolled toward the rear of the hotel to a secluded elevator bank, and I moved to the back of the elevator as everyone piled in.

Hawke stood beside me, leaning in, his warm breath brushing my face. “You’re awfully quiet.”

“I don’t see you chatting it up.” I focused on the bright fluorescent lights above us, covered by plastic panels.

“The truth is, I’m really hungry.” His tone was softer this time without its usual flirty flair. He displayed his signature crooked smile.

I quirked an eyebrow, waiting for some sexual innuendo to come but it didn’t.

“Really.” He laughed. “I needed nuggets and fries thirty minutes ago.”

The elevator pinged and opened to a massive penthouse. My jaw nearly dropped as I took everything in. Black marble floors beckoned us forward, like an infinity pool. The room was adorned with arrangements of white hydrangeas and roses and peonies, a contrast to the black tables they sat on. A circular white leather couch that could sit twenty was centered in the room. Floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded us, giving us a wide, open view of the city below. The glimmer of the lights from the Chicago skyscrapers blinked in front of us like stars against a dark night.

“Wow.” I staggered mid step to a stop.

I had only seen the city in its finest at the top of Willis Tower, but that was in the middle of the day.

I readjusted the bags of warm food and walked closer toward one of the windows overlooking the beautiful buildings. The tiny cars looked like moving ants from this distance. Chicago was even more breathtakingly beautiful in the evening. It seemed like everything was twinkling.

“Let’s go.” Hawke held my elbow and maneuvered me toward the table in the corner. He dropped all but our two bags on top of the table and intertwined our fingers. “Get rid of the cargo. I’ve got our food.” He lifted the two bags he held.

After I dropped the food, my eyes searched the room for Chloe. “Where’s my friend?”

Music blasted through the wall speakers as the whole entourage dispersed.

“She’s fine,” Hawke said, walking us through the penthouse.

“Where are we headed?” I spotted a couple of leggy brunettes sitting on another white couch backed against the wall, but none of them were my best friend.

“We’re eating where it’s less crowded.” He winked, and his sexy, crooked smile popped on display. “My room.”

I extracted my hand from his. “I really need to look for Chloe.”

Rock star or not, he was still a stranger, and I was in unfamiliar surroundings.

He intertwined our fingers again, tugging my hand along like I hadn’t said anything.

“Hey.” My face meant business.

I needed to know she was okay. We’d been in one too many situations before to just leave each other without checking in.

“Relax. I’ll take you to her.” He smiled, but that didn’t curb the uneasiness stirring inside me.

He led us down a hall, past a grand piano and kitchen area, further down another hall, and up some stairs. Full white hydrangeas sat on every table we passed.

He stopped at a door at the end of the hall and banged on it. “Cofi, open up.”

When no one responded, Hawke’s hit the door harder, fist closed. “Open the fuck up, man.”

The door flung open, and a shirtless Cofi stood at the doorway. “What the hell?”

I drove past him, and my eyes scanned the area. “Chloe,” I called out.

She was sitting on the couch, eating a fry. She had a humongo grin on her face, as though she was in the happiest place on earth, and she stared at Cofi as if he were Mickey Mouse.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” I asked.

Her smile momentarily slipped, and her eyebrows pinched together. “Why? Is something the matter?” Her eyes flew immediately to Hawke, a shoot-to-kill look crossing her features. Superstar or not, if he stepped out of bounds, there was no doubt that Chloe would kick his ass to the next country, travel to that country, and kick his ass to the next one.

“No.” I shook my head. “I just need to ask you something.”

She stood and tilted her head toward the bathroom where I trailed behind her and shut the door, locking us in.

She flipped to face me, her eyes hard. “Did Hawke try something?” She shook her head and elaborated, “Something you’re not comfortable with?”

“No, not at all. That’s not it.” My eyes moved to the shut door. “You didn’t tell me where you were going.”

Why did it feel like Hawke and Cofi were listening beyond the door?

She slapped her head. “I’m sorry. Ugh. My brain is mush from being around that muscled hunk.” She stuck out her pinkie. “Never again. I’m sorry.”

I wrapped my finger against hers, feeling much more at ease after our girlie pinkie promise. “It’s okay.” I shoved down memories of our past, one where she had gotten so drunk that I’d had to step into the situation when a jerky guy had overstepped his boundaries while she wasn’t of sound mind. Since then, we’d promised that we’d never get that wasted, and we’d know where each other was at all times. “Are we staying long?”

“Good God, I hope so.” Her voice rang with excitement, taking on a dreamy tone. “I hope he’s not a one-minute man. You can totally leave if you want to, but I’m going to hook up with that sexy bod.” She licked her lips and glanced at herself in the mirror. With one finger, she rubbed below each eye, fixing her eyeliner. “And I’m going to tell the world that I hooked up with Cofi Cole, the hottest drummer from Def Deception.” She batted her eyelashes with exaggeration.

“He’s the only drummer of DD, dummy.” I rolled my eyes. “And I’m not leaving you. I’ll just hang out till you’re done.”

“But, girlfriend”—she gave me a amused look—“little drummer boy could last all night. I’m officially releasing you from your girlfriend obligations.” She pointed at the door. “How about Hot Hawkey?”

I jerked my head back and assessed her face. “What about him?”

“He’s hot, hot, hot for you, baby.” She flicked her index finger against my arm. “You need to let loose with the sexiest man alive. Seriously? I get the drummer, but you…you, Samantha Sunshine…get the lead.”

“Please.” I averted my gaze. “Not going to happen.”

She squinted her eyes and placed one hand on her hip. “Why the hell not? Are you planning on getting married tomorrow?”

“Of course not.”

“Listen, I know you’re not into the temporary-fling thing.”

I could read the pity in her eyes. Pity for a girl who hadn’t had action or satisfaction in over three years.

“You’ve lived your life, acting as a parent to your own parent. You moved here for a reason, Sam. To get away. To start over. To forget.” She placed both hands on my shoulders and leaned in, speaking softer, firmer, clearer, “But you’re twenty-three, Sam. We’re in the prime of our lives and out of school. This is the time to let loose, girlie pie, before we’re stuck with one dick for eternity. Don’t think too heavily on this. Just have fun.”

When she pulled me in close, I tightly wrapped my arms around her. Chloe had the emotional makeup of a man; she could separate the emotional and physical whereas I, on the other hand, could not. And, yeah, my childhood had been a rocky one. I had come to Chicago to forget and move on, but I had also moved to Chicago to work as a sous pastry chef and to apply to culinary school. I couldn’t let anyone or anything deter me from achieving my goals.

Boom, boom, boom.

The door shook behind me.

“Time’s up. We want to join in on the girl fun.” Cofi’s voice filtered through the door.

Boom, boom, boom.

Chloe kissed my cheek and squeezed my hand. “Don’t overthink this, okay? If anything, just be safe.”

I stepped to the side, so she could get to the door. Her hand lingered on the knob before she said, “Have fun, Sam. You’re in your twenties only once. And I’ll text you, so you won’t worry. Do you have cab money to get home?”

I nodded.

She threw the door open and tossed her wavy caramel locks over her shoulder. “We’re right here,” she said, mid flip.

She pinched his nipple and kissed him, hard, and I blinked at the heat of their interaction.

He lifted her from her butt, and her legs wrapped around his waist as he walked them back into the room.

All righty then. I don’t want to rain on her mating match.

Chloe had changed and peed in front of me with no problem. I wasn’t ready for our relationship to jump to a whole other level. I’d be blinded for life.

Hawke intertwined our fingers again. “I’m hungry, Sunshine. Let’s eat.”

I let him lead me down the hall and up the stairs to another room. I wondered how many rooms they could fit in the penthouse suite.

When the double doors opened, I knew that Hawke had the master bedroom. The bed spanned half of the room. The pillows alone looked like they could swallow me whole. More floor-to-ceiling windows encompassed another wall. The room was big enough to have a full sitting room, center table, couch, love seat, and recliner. A massive television was hung on the wall.

Oh, the things that money could buy.

He dropped the McDonald’s bags on the center table in front of the TV and plopped on the couch. “Shit, I’m starving.”

I dropped my purse on the couch. When I sat next to him, my stomach grumbled at the smell of and sight of fries. “I’m sure you could’ve ordered anything. Room service if you wanted,” I pointed out, still surprised that he was slumming it with me and my McDonald’s.

He shrugged. “I haven’t had Mickey Dee’s in forever.” He took out the box of fries, flattened the bag and dumped the fries on top of it. “And, right now, this greasy shit will hit the spot.”

He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. The news showed on the big screen. He opened packets of ketchup and mayo, and I made a face when he twirled his fingers to mix the two sauces. I watched red and white blend into a light pink.

He dipped his fries into the mixture and stuffed them in his mouth. Then, he nodded in my direction. “What are you waiting for? Eat.”

“I’m observing. I could do a whole documentary on how the rich and famous eat.”

He dipped the fries into the sauce and stretched his hand toward my mouth. “Open up for me, Sunshine.” His voice was teasingly sexy.

“Nah, I don’t think so.” I cringed. “Ketchup and mayo? Not my thing.”

“Don’t knock it before you’ve tried it,” he shot back, faking offense. “You have to try everything at least once.” He angled closer, pushing the fries toward my mouth. “Take it.”

His eyes darkened when I opened my mouth, and he slowly pressed the fries between my lips. The move was methodical and deliberate, and it was the most sensual thing. I shifted in my seat, chewed, and ducked my head into my pile of food. I felt his eyes on me the whole time.

I opened my box of nuggets and the small tub of honey-mustard sauce.

“Here.” He extended another fry dipped in his ketchup-mayo concoction and placed it against my lips.

I opened for him and took the fry into my mouth, slower this time, our eyes never breaking contact. He surprised me when he leaned over and kissed my lips. Just a quick kiss, but nonetheless, the kiss packed a pleasurable punch.

When he pulled back, I read pure lust in his green eyes.

“I’m hungry for something other than fries now.” He licked his lips and focused on mine.

Seconds ticked by, and heat spread from my toes to my chest before reaching the tips of my ears.

“Me, too,” I said, my tone seductive and silky, as I tore a piece of chicken within my fingers. “Nuggets. I’m hungry for nuggets,” I said. I chomped on the nugget, chewing on it like I hadn’t eaten in days. Nervousness bubbled in my chest, so I took a different approach, going for unattractive.

A small smile crept up his face as a deep chuckle escaped him. “Funny, Sunshine.” He reached for my waist and tugged me toward him. Easily lifting my body, he set me on his lap in a straddling position, as he had done in the club—except, now, no one was watching, no one could stop us, no one would know.

I breathed him in as my heart pitter-pattered in my chest, like a timed bomb ready to explode.

Hawke was the epitome of a rock star. From his tight jeans to his fitted white tee to the way his hair was wavy and wild. He was dark and dangerous, intimidating yet enticing.

He threaded his fingers through my hair and tugged, exposing my neck. When his warm tongue licked a path up the side of my neck, I released an uninhibited moan.

I closed my eyes as he lapped kisses up and down my neck. With his free hand, he cupped the front of my shirt, stroking my breast, causing my nipple to pebble against his touch.

And, right then, I knew I’d let him take me. I knew I’d throw my no-one-night-stands rule out the window. It had been a three-year-long dry spell, and I suddenly wanted to end that dry spell with him tonight.

I wanted sex. I wanted Hawke. I wanted to feel wanted.

Chloe was right; I didn’t need to overthink things. I’d never had a one-night stand, but there was a first time for everything, right?

And maybe I was in denial, but my last two relationships had ended badly, so this was exactly what I needed. A one-night fling. I wasn’t looking for a relationship, and I sure as hell wasn’t dumb enough to think this was going to end in anything more than pure, uninhibited, raw sex.

With a sudden need, I grabbed the edge of his shirt. I wanted to feel the firm span of his stomach beneath my fingertips. His skin was taut and perfect.

When I grazed his bare skin under his shirt, he shifted and captured my lips with his. His tongue was hot and insanely talented as it intertwined with mine—no hesitation, no restraint. It was as if, once he’d sensed my change in mood, it unleashed the sexual beast inside him, and he only advanced with more fervor.

I moaned into his mouth, and my hands moved to undo the buckle of his belt. There was no stopping now, not when my body was on fire.

In one swift movement, he stood, bringing me up with him and not breaking contact. My legs wrapped around his waist as he walked backward, holding me by my ass, pressing me against his growing erection.

I pulled back and stared into blazing emerald-green eyes. “Where are we going?” I asked, gripping the tips of his hair.

“I want to fuck you on the bed,” he said, his tone husky, horny, hot.

“Romantic,” I joked.

He bit my lip. “I’m going to love you and worship every inch of your body.” Then, he continued whispering the lyrics to “Love You Hard,” one of their Grammy Award-winning hits. There was no inflection in his voice as he recited the words to one of the best-written love songs of all time.

“Nice. Who did you write that for?” I asked, my voice breathless.

“For a woman I’ve never met before. For my future wife.” He flicked his tongue against my lips. “Enough talking.”

I closed my eyes as I threaded my fingers through his hair that ended at the base of his neck. I matched his kisses, tongue for tongue, heat for heat.

He gently guided me onto the bed. Through hooded eyes, his stare never wavered from mine as he lifted the back of his shirt and tossed it across the room. My mouth watered as I took in the art that covered every inch of his chest and arms. A real-life living mural of pure perfection stood before me. Black tribal art wrapped around both his arms and down his torso with colorful Chinese characters adorning each pec.

He tipped his chin. “Your turn. Off with it.”

With all the lights on, my cheeks flushed, and I stilled, motionless beneath him. Nervousness hit me at the enormity of what was going to happen next. Us naked. Him inside me.

When I didn’t move, he went on his knees on the bed and dropped his hands to the edge of my shirt, gently lifting it above my head and tossing it to the side.

He bent down and sucked on my breast through my lace bra. Thank the heavens I was wearing my pretty black undergarments. My head fell back as he sucked my nipple and bit down, the pain shooting straight to my core.

My breathing labored when his kisses trailed up my neck and back to my lips.

“I love the sounds you make.” His voice was rugged and rough and on the verge of losing control.

Kneeling above me, he unbuttoned my jeans, and the anticipation was almost too much to take as I lifted my bottom, so he could tear off my pants. When he cupped my sex, wetness dampened my lace panty. My breathing accelerated as he slipped off his jeans, and his cock sprung free before he began stroking it.

My eyes widened, and a light sheen of sweat formed above my brow. Being fully in the light embarrassed me, for no other reason than feeling inadequate, given I knew he’d been with beautiful runway models before.

“Can you turn off the lights?” My tone was fragile and soft, opposite to how I’d wanted it to sound.

He paused and flipped the lights off along with the television. The only light in the room now was from the skyscrapers shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The sound of a condom ripping had my pulse racing, my palms sweating, and my heart stammering. As I peered up at his glorious body, I swallowed and pushed down all that anxiety because today, for once, I would live in the moment.

He shifted above me, and a silent moan escaped my mouth as I felt him at my entrance.

“Wait,” I said, breathless.

“What?” He sounded equally breathless.

“Uh…” Nervous butterflies stirred in my belly as the reality hit me hard. I was going to have sex with Hawke Calvin. My mind raced.

Would he know it’d been a while for me? What if I sucked in bed? Shoot, would this classify me as a groupie?

“Sunshine, I’m fucking hard as a rock over here,” he moaned, his tone deeply desperate. Want was written all over his face. “Do you want this or not? Because I really want to be inside you.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

He moved my panties to the side and entered me without hesitation and without restraint, not even giving me a chance to let out a breath. I clenched my eyes as the fullness of him rocked inside my body.

He dropped his head into my neck and lifted my ass, so he could drive deeper. “Shit, please don’t tell me you’re a virgin. Because you feel like a virgin.”

“No,” I exhaled. “It’s just been a while.”

He pushed into me from tip to balls, and low moans escaped from his lips. My fingertips wrapped around his neck, feeling the sweat against his skin, as he pumped harder and faster and deeper into me with every thrust of his hips. My teeth clenched with the impact and the feel of his satin skin against mine.

“You feel so fucking good, Sunshine,” he said gruffly. “So tight.”

I had no words because there was no doubt that he wasn’t a virgin.

He was screwing me raw, his movements animalistic.

A moment later, his thrusts intensified, and a familiar sensation began in the pit of my belly, like the first of a small spark at the top of a firecracker that was ready to explode.

“Hawke,” I moaned, on the verge of combustion.

I was close…so close. He must have felt it, too, because he shifted and quickened his pace. With the pounding of his hips, I closed my eyes, and my toes curled as pure sensation ran through my body.

And then it happened.

Sparks. Explosion. Fireworks.

Hawke did not stop pounding into my flesh, causing the orgasm to last forever and ever, convulsion after convulsion. After one final thrust, he stilled and collapsed on me. My whole body was hypersensitive to touch as the sweat off his chest stuck to mine.

Holy wow.

He didn’t move and was still lodged in me. We waited for our breathing to even out and our pulse to slow down.

A one-night stand in my twenties. There. Check. Done.

Extra points for having sex with the most attractive man on the planet, according to seventy-five percent of the female population.

He flipped over as his chest heaved from exhaustion. After he disposed of his condom in the garbage next to the bed, he turned on his stomach and conked out, his head still facing mine but his eyes closed.

I hugged the sheets closer to my chest, feeling uncomfortable in my own skin, not knowing what to do next.

Did I leave now or wait for him to kick me out tomorrow morning?

Then, he opened his eyes, still lazy, and extended his hand toward mine, intertwining my fingers with his.

“Sleep, Sunshine.” His voice was groggy, tired.

I turned toward him and inched over. The heat of his body radiated against mine. I breathed him in, and for a moment, I basked in the glow of amazing sex.

I let what had just happened sink in. I was lying next to the man I had been drooling over since I was a teenager.

After a few more minutes, my breathing slowed, and I closed my eyes.

Tomorrow, I’d do the walk of shame, but tonight, I was going to sleep next to the sexiest rock star alive.