Ace (Playtime Series Book 1) by Gemma Arlington (distant reading TXT) 📕

were excited, but it seemed that in order for the Europe tour to happen, we had to try and get Chris and Lucas to lay off the contraband; the drugs they’d seemed to be getting themselves into.

Between the bar fights and arrests for indecent exposure and a few charges for minor possession, Dash wasn’t too thrilled, but Ace had managed to smooth things over enough to get us through.

If those two didn’t lay off their party ways, it could spell disaster not only for them, but also for the band.

˜*˜

Ace

“Well aren’t you looking mighty fine tonight,” I heard, turning to see Brandon beaming from ear to ear.

It had been a while since I had seen him and I could almost guarantee it would be another few months till I saw his face grace my presence again.

“Brandon,” I smiled.

“It’s been a while Ace, maybe we should hit the bedroom and relive some old times,” he joked.

I sighed and glared at him. I was never going to hit the bedroom with him ever again. A one night stand with him, a couple of years back, was more than enough for me to never want to travel down that path again.

“Back off Brandon and leave my girl alone,” Eric snarled as he placed his hands around my waist and leaned in.

Brandon laughed, “Should have known

Ace would jump from one rocker to the next,” he snickered.

“Excuse me!” I barked back. “Are you calling me a slut?” I yelled.

“I’m just calling it as I see it,” Brandon replied.

“Like I said Brandon, back the fuck off. Ace isn’t a slut and as far as I know she is free to see whoever she wants. If you don’t want to continue this conversation and have me bash your ugly face in, I suggest you walk away,” Eric warned, as he dragged me away from Brandon and into a secluded corner.

Brandon had put me into a ripe mood and I didn’t feel like sticking around to see how this album launch party would end. I just wanted to be at home in my own bed.

“I’m going to head home; enjoy the rest of this party,” I sighed, stepping away from Eric to head towards the exit. I’d call a cab and be home in no time.

I missed the quiet seclusion of Hank’s mansion, my own Californian, king sized bed, my fluffy pillows and the massive tub that I loved to soak my bones in.

I knew I had a busy day at the office tomorrow and this party was just dragging me down.

“Ace,” Eric called out, grabbing hold of my arm and bringing me back towards him.

“Are you going to invite me to come home?” he asked with a smile.

I bit down on my lip, “Do you want to come home with me Eric?” I pouted, leaning up and sealing my lips to his.

Eric could kiss, Eric could hug… in fact Eric could do practically anything with his lips, tongue, hands and body and would have me melting into a pool of goo at his feet.

“Oh baby girl… I want to come home with you,” he whispered, as he pulled away and winked, before linking his hand with mine and led me from the party.

~Chapter Twenty~

Four months later

Ace

“Fuck me babe, you can’t go out with Elle looking like that,” Eric groaned.  He wasn’t mad, but I could tell by the look in his eyes that this wasn’t a subject he intended to lose the argument on.

We had been enjoying each other’s company for the better half of the last four months. He was sweet, attentive and a complete charmer, but we had both decided to keep it strictly friends. Or as I liked to put it, friends with benefits… benefits I loved to reap.

I had to admit, the past few months were bliss, except for the fact that Hank was barely around and I missed him like crazy. I hadn’t seen him in a long time and I started to wonder if my being with Eric was such a great idea.

After about two months of dating my

‘Bad Boy Rocker’ as the magazine had labelled him, I had said the three little words to him after the exciting news that they would be going on tour yet again, but this time the tour was in Europe. I knew all too well that the love I had for Eric was different to the love I felt for others, maybe even the love I felt for Hank, but I loved Eric nonetheless.

After a two month stint in rehab, Chris and Lucas had finally got their acts together. The night he went off the rails was the night I had ended up in hospital myself. After a few months on tour, stress and homesickness combined, had made me collapse after yelling and arguing with the band at a party Dash Records had thrown in congratulations for signing the European contracts for the new tour.

Chris and Lucas, after repeatedly being bailed out of jails and kicked out of nightclubs, still weren’t getting the message that this lifestyle of theirs was going to kill them and I refused to sit by and see them wither away to nothing.

Those boys were like family, they had weaseled their ways into my life with cocky grins, smooth lines and caring hearts.

They weren’t bad boys, they were just lost and I couldn’t see them suffer any longer because they didn’t know any better, because they were given a dud life.

Growing up in a crappy, trailer park with parents who couldn’t give a rat’s ass what those two little boys did, was hard for me to hear. During their stint in rehab, it seemed the guys had to make amends, which meant they had to face demons. In