SPARKED: A Bad Boy Rockstar Romance (With bonus book, PERFECT) Read online

  I put my bag down and take a seat, and Aidan closes the door and sits next to me. It’s a round table, and I wonder if he should sit across from me, but I guess that would make studying more difficult.

  “I’m on scholarship too,” he says as he lays his phone and a notepad on the table.

  “Really?” This surprises me quite a bit. Somehow, my mind equated “sexy manwhore band member” with the stereotypical spoiled rich guy who doesn’t have to work for anything. Maybe he understands financial struggles the way I do.

  For some reason, knowing this softens my opinion of him a little, but then I remind myself to keep my guard up. If I don’t, I’ll never be able to keep my mind on chemistry. Not the kind I need to study, anyway.

  I’m actually feeling all kinds of chemistry every time his knee bumps mine under the table. Is he doing that on purpose? His behavior, at least that taking place above the table, is all professional now. He’s looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to get organized.

  I pull out my notes and my calculator, and bring up the current lesson. Maybe Aidan will have the magic touch and finally make this all click for me. Just the thought of a magic touch has me remembering our encounter at the bar, and I have to pull my mind away from the memory and back to the present.

  His knee bumps mine once again, completely innocently, I think, but sparks shoot out from the point of contact, and my whole body feels alive. Focus, Amber, focus.

  I glance at him and he’s looking friendly and normal, not at all flirtatious, so I launch in. “The course started out fine. I thought I was going to be okay, but then we got into chemical equations and it all fell apart.”

  I risk another quick look at him, then flip through pages on my tablet as I continue. “I’m good at math, I really am, but I can’t even begin to make sense of balancing these.”

  Aidan reaches over and taps my screen. Even his fingers are sexy. How is that possible? He backs up a few pages, and then says, “Let’s see. Show me how you would approach this.”

  He points to an exercise as he tilts the screen in my direction. I read, fighting my nervousness as I think through the problem. Feeling self-conscious, I start to work and talk through my mental process.

  Surprisingly, Aidan helps put me at ease. His expression is focused and patient as I continue. When I get stuck, he steps in with guidance, and though I’m still struggling, his calm manner keeps me from getting discouraged.

  Together we work through a few exercises and I start to feel something like hope. I can’t quite say I’m getting it all yet, but he explains things in different ways, and offers new approaches that I hadn’t learned in class.

  As I’m starting on another problem, Aidan’s phone buzzes. “Our time is up,” he says, silencing it without looking at the screen. “We can work on that next time. Can you come back Thursday, this same time?”

  I quickly think through my class schedule and I’m sure disappointment shows on my face when I reply. “No, I can’t make Thursday. What other times are you here?”

  “Just Monday and Thursday. Maybe I’ll see you next week?” Aidan slides his chair back from the table and I feel a small wave of panic. I think I was close to making real progress, and a week seems like a long time to wait.

  “Oh,” I say, deflating with that single syllable, wondering if I should ask for his recommendation of another tutor.

  He pauses and looks into my eyes, his expression thoughtful. I’d been so focused on my lesson that I almost — only almost — forgot how beautiful his eyes are. They’re so penetrating, and they’re almost pretty, with their thick, dark lashes. But he is all man, from his eyes, to the sexy stubble on his jaw, down to—

  Aidan starts to speak and I pull my attention back up to his face. “We could get together outside of here,” he says. “You could come to my place.” Then his playful smirk makes a brief appearance. “To study,” he adds.

  “Oh, I’m pretty sure that’s not a good idea,” I say.

  “I live with my dad, Amber. All business, remember? But that’s okay if you don’t want to. I just thought you might like extra help.”

  “I would. I really would,” I say, surprised yet again by the reality of Aidan compared to how I’d been imagining him. He lives with his father? The more I find out about him, the more I realize how little I actually know about him, and how much I’ve assumed.

  “What about Wednesday afternoon?” he says.

  “I can do that. Is your place far?”

  “No, just off campus. Let me see your phone.” He holds his hand out, and I give him my cell without even thinking. He punches in a number, and a moment later his phone rings.

  “There. That way we can get in touch if we need to reschedule.” He hands the phone back to me, and our fingers brush as I take it. Heat rushes through me, and I hope he’s too distracted to notice the blush I can feel creeping up my face.

  I’m still not convinced it’s the best idea, but it’s really nice of him to offer his time to me, and he has definitely been a good teacher today. I guess I’ll have to resign myself to spending time with a ridiculously good-looking man in order to bring up my chemistry grade.

  While Aidan watches, expression serious, I put our meeting in my calendar. “All set then?” he asks.

  I nod, get up from my seat, and put everything away in my backpack. When I look up, Aidan’s standing right in front of me. “We’re off the clock now,” he says in a husky voice.

  8

  Amber

  Aidan focuses those devastating brown eyes on mine, hooks his fingers in my belt loops, and starts to pull me to him, slowly, very slowly. “Funny thing about chemistry. Some reactions start with a small spark.”

  He eases me toward him bit by bit, and I realize he means to kiss me. I know he's not right for me and I should stop him, but as he brings me closer, the part of me that thinks logically is shutting down.

  A corner of my mind is screaming that it’s a bad idea, but my body is saying, What’s the harm in one little kiss?

  His arm circles my waist, and it feels so right when he pulls me against him. The hard wall of his muscles presses against my breasts, setting me on fire while I try in vain to resist.

  “Can you feel it?” he whispers, just before he lowers his head. His lips part mine, his tongue finds mine immediately, and it’s as if no time has passed since we were tangled in each other’s arms at the bar. He picks right back up where he left off, and my body goes from zero to sixty in two seconds.

  That’s not true. I was never at zero. From the moment he walked into this room, I was idling and starting to accelerate.

  There’s a spark, all right. His kiss heats my lips and starts a fire in my core. I’m melting from the inside out.

  His breathing changes as he tangles his hand in the hair at my scalp and pulls softly, tilting my head back before he kisses a hot trail down my neck. His mouth burns on my skin. My entire body is lit up, eager for his touch.

  When his hands slide down to my ass and squeeze, I can’t help moaning. I want his hands on me, everywhere all at once.

  He claims my mouth again, this time with an urgency that’s new to me. I’ve kissed guys, of course I have, but it’s never felt like this before. There’s no fumbling uncertainty here; Aidan knows exactly what he’s doing. The lust, the desire, the raw hunger in his kiss both frightens and excites me.

  He scoops me up, his hands at the backs of my thighs, his fingers teasingly close to the part of me that’s burning the hottest for him. With instincts I didn’t know I had, I wrap my legs around his waist while I grab tighter to his strong shoulders. He moves us a few steps until my back hits the wall.

  He presses my head back with the force of his kiss, his mouth hot and moving fast on mine. At the same time he pushes his hips to mine, pinning me between him and the flat, cool wall behind me, and I feel his erection again. There is absolutely no mistaking it this time. He changes the angle of his body, and his hard cock, straining against rough de
nim, rubs against a spot on me that makes me cry out.

  “Aidan!” I barely manage to keep my voice low, some distant piece of my consciousness reminding me that we are in a small room in a very public area. For the most part, I’m beyond caring. All I want is to feel him again, just like that.

  As if reading my mind, he spreads my legs even wider and starts to grind himself against me. Oh my god. His cock is right there, so close to my pussy, with only fabric separating us. I can almost imagine how it would feel to have him pushing inside me.

  Our bodies are so close, nearly one, and the strength of his body as he’s holding me up is so fucking sexy. I feel like I’m his, and that’s all I want to be right now.

  He continues to grind against me, his breath hot and fast against my ear. The sensations are rising quickly, spreading through me; my breathing is shallow, and suddenly everything is focused right there where his cock is rubbing against me.

  “Amber. I want to be inside you.” The low growl of his voice is what sends me over the edge. It’s like fireworks shooting off, white-hot pleasure arcing through me. That little spark is now a full-blown explosion of pleasure, and for a long moment I’m up in the sky bursting into a million pieces. Oh wow, oh fuck, oh Aidan.

  I have no idea how much time passes before I’m again aware of my surroundings. One minute? Ten minutes? Still pressed up against the wall, I find his strong arms supporting me as he holds me tight. I’m shaking a little.

  I open my eyes to find Aidan staring at me. What is he thinking? I surely wasn’t expecting that to happen; he probably wasn’t either. He said he wanted to be inside me, not have me use his body to do my own thing.

  My face is probably flushed red. I know for sure that my breathing is ragged and my panties are soaked. A small part of me is embarrassed, but a larger part has gone wild, craving him as though nothing else matters. Wanting him inside me.

  Before I can do something I regret, a sound from the room beyond distracts me and the reality of our surroundings comes crashing back. Sanity kicks a painful hole through the lust in my brain. Failing chemistry wouldn’t be nearly as bad for my scholarship as fucking my tutor in a public building.

  Tilting my hips, I slide my legs from his grip. I think they’ll be able to support me, though they feel wobbly with pleasure.

  I try to read Aidan’s expression, but I can’t bear to look at him long enough to tell what’s going through his mind. His eyes are a bit wider than usual; I think he’s also surprised by what just happened. Is that good, or is he thinking what a nympho I am?

  He starts to say something, but he’s interrupted when someone opens the door. I jump and Aidan quickly turns, his body effectively serving as a shield in front of mine. We didn’t get caught doing anything, but that’s not what it feels like. My emotions are much too strong to hide so quickly.

  Aidan tells the people at the door that we’ll be done in a minute. I smooth my clothing and comb my fingers through my hair, and without a word we gather our things and leave.

  Another student and tutor are waiting outside the room. I keep my head down and follow Aidan toward the front desk.

  “I need to log out. Will you wait for me outside?”

  I give him a small nod, still too flustered for words, and rush out of the building. I feel like anyone who sees me will know what just happened. I’m grateful we have plans to study at Aidan’s house, because I’m not sure I can ever go back in the tutoring center.

  The fresh air feels better than it ever has, and I hope it helps my flushed skin return to normal. My pulse is still racing, though from desire or nerves, I’m not sure.

  Alone with my thoughts, I’m already in a state of disbelief over what just happened. Kissing Aidan in a bar, that was understandable. It was dark, and late, and a bar is a place you go for some fun. But he just gave me the most amazing orgasm of my life in the middle of the day at the campus tutoring center!

  I find myself pacing in a small circle, my path mirroring the confused patterns in my mind. Here I am waiting for Aidan. Again. What am I going to say to him when he comes out?

  I don’t have much longer to worry, because he appears at my side without warning, slightly out of breath himself. “Hi,” he says, as if we weren’t just pressed against each other a few moments ago.

  “Hi,” I say, suddenly feeling shy.

  “Are you okay?” He’s got those eyes focused on me again, those beautiful, thrilling, dangerous, sexy eyes. I manage to meet his gaze this time, and I’m touched when I see what looks like genuine concern in his expression.

  I had no idea what to expect from him in this moment. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d made a joke, or been nonchalant, as though he dry-fucks girls up against the study room walls all the time. Who knows, maybe he does. But it makes me feel a little better that he seems to care how I’m feeling after our intense encounter.

  “Yes, I’m okay.”

  Someone passes close by on a bike just then, and Aidan turns to watch them. He backs a step away from me and looks around the quad for a long moment. I get the impression that he’s deciding how to make his exit, and my stomach goes cold. What if he tells me we shouldn’t get together again?

  I switch my bag to my other shoulder and shift my weight. Everything feels so awkward between us now. Maybe I should just say a quick goodbye and head off.

  Before I can make my exit, Aidan moves in close again and takes a strand of my hair in his hand. Then he leans in and whispers in my ear, his voice deep and husky. “I wish I could haul you off to bed right now and fuck you ’til you scream.”

  All my inner muscles tighten at his words, as if he’s already inside me and I’m trying to keep him there.

  He draws back and looks at me with those amazing eyes. “But we’ve got classes, and work, and … life. So for now ... this’ll have to do.”

  His gaze drifts down to my mouth and I close my eyes as he leans in. His lips touch mine, but just barely. I feel him hovering there; his warm breath tickling my skin, his delicious scent surrounding me. Then he brushes his lips softly against mine, his movements so tender in contrast to his filthy words. His kiss is lingering, teasing, and makes me weak in the knees.

  He gently tugs my hair as he runs the tip of his tongue along my lip before deepening the kiss. Though I could easily lose myself again, I manage to remember that we’re outside where anyone can see us. I don’t resist him, though; I match his movements and am surprised at how long we carry on kissing.

  When he finally pulls away, Aidan looks at me for a long moment, then flashes a wicked, devastating grin. “See you later,” he says, and strides off across campus.

  9

  Aidan

  There is nothing sexy about polymers, glass and ceramics, but try telling that to my cock.

  Right here in the middle of an industrial design production lecture, it keeps twitching. Maybe if I were actually listening to the lecture, I wouldn’t be having this problem, but it’s impossible to focus.

  I’m thankful for the partial cover the desk provides as I try to discreetly adjust myself. I take a few notes on material costs and sources, but it’s fucking hopeless. My mind is back in the study room with Amber, and my body keeps acting like it’s back there too.

  I can’t believe she showed up at the tutoring center. At first I’d wondered if she’d tracked me down, but she was clearly just as surprised as I was.

  God, there is just something about her I can’t resist, even though I probably should. I hope the tutoring situation won’t complicate things after we hook up. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea. Girls are great for fun, but I’m not looking for anything serious.

  I find myself doodling circles, then ovals, and the shapes start to remind me of Amber’s wide eyes. She’s gorgeous, but she acts like she doesn’t even know it. Not like the girls I’m used to, who know exactly what their best assets are and don’t mind showing them to the world.

  Amber isn’t trying too hard with me. In
fact, she isn’t trying at all. I’ve never had trouble attracting women, but ever since Throwback started getting big there’s no end to them. They come to the shows, they like the music, and then they want to claim a piece of the excitement.

  It was fun at first — a big perk of being in a band. But now … I don’t know. It’s like the girls all look the same, and it’s gotten kind of empty.

  My phone vibrates, and I discreetly pull it out to see a text from Josh, our drummer. He’s going to be late to practice — again. His parents are getting divorced, and he’s dealing with their shit.

  Mine split up when I was just a kid, after my mom decided life as an engineer’s wife wasn’t exciting enough. She ran off with a tattoo artist and now they’re married, riding Harleys and reliving the ‘60s or something. I’m sorry for Josh, but I wish he’d get it together for practice, at least.

  My oval doodles lengthen out into rounded curves, curves that remind me of Amber’s hips and ass. It must be the thrill of the chase that I miss. Amber responds to me, but she holds something back.

  God, I loved getting her off today. She took me by surprise, and that doesn’t happen often. After her good-girl attitude I never expected her to come like that. It was all I could do not to take things farther, see how much we could get away with.

  I want to make her scream. Sneaking around in the tutoring center was a thrill, but I want to get her alone, and naked, and make her yell so loud the neighbors can hear her.

  All around me people start packing away their stuff and getting up. Shit! The class is over and my notes are nothing but sultry sketches.

  I’ve never zoned out during an entire lecture before. I shove my notepad in my bag and look around. “Hey, Chris,” I say to the guy the next row over. “Can I get a copy of your notes?”