Love in the Studio (The Wild Diamonds)

  Love in the Studio

  The Wild Diamonds, Volume 2

  by Piper Snow

  Published by Piper Snow, 2013.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  LOVE IN THE STUDIO

  First edition. December 2, 2013.

  Copyright © 2013 Piper Snow.

  Written by Piper Snow.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  About Piper Snow

  LOVE ON RADIO EXCERPT

  Chapter One

  Kelly

  “And the winner is...”

  I held my breath. Time seemed to slow down as I waited to hear if my lifelong dream was about to come true.

  “The Wild Diamonds!”

  Applause filled the room. Jaz, Ella and Jesse jumped to their feet, hugging each other in celebration, but I was frozen in my seat.

  “Kelly!” Jaz called as she grabbed my hand and pulled me up and out into the aisle. “C’mon, we won! We won!”

  Tears filled my eyes as I followed them towards the stage, the smiling faces of my peers and idols cheering for us as we walked by. Climbing up the stairs to the podium, my heart was pounding so fast I thought it might explode. I graciously took the golden statue in my hands, surprised at how heavy it was, and looked out over the audience, terrified that I would wake up any second and realize this was all a dream.

  I listened to Jaz as she spoke into the microphone, talking about how proud she was of all the hard work we’d done. Ella and Jesse thanked their families and our fans, and suddenly it was my turn to speak.

  I stepped up to the mic, hoping I could muster something more than a squeak.

  “I...” I paused, a stray tear falling onto my cheek. “This is a dream come true for me. Winning Album of the Year is an amazing honor, thank you so much. I used to watch these awards shows when I was a little girl, trying to imagine what it might feel like to one day stand in this very spot, accepting this very award. And I can tell you, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me! To everyone watching at home just like I did, know this: if you have a dream, go after it. Don’t stop until you’ve made it a reality. The only difference between people who have achieved their dream and people who haven’t is action and perseverance. If I can do it, anyone can. Thank you!”

  My friends and I wandered off stage, and I felt like I was floating. My hands were shaking with adrenaline and a wide smile was permanently planted on my face. It was the most surreal, exhilarating, experience I’d ever had.

  Once the last awards were given out, everyone went to the Starlight Club to celebrate. I sat at the bar, clutching my award as I sipped on my margarita, studying every last detail of it as if I needed to make sure it was real. Letting out a happy sigh, I looked over to Ella and Jesse, swinging their hips on the dance floor, clutching their awards just as I was. Turning further to my left, I saw Jaz and Eli, huddled close together in our booth, whispering sweet nothings to each other and being adorable, as usual. They’d been living happily ever after for over six months now, Eli even packed up his whole life and moved to New York to be with her. So romantic. I smiled, glad to see my best friend so very happy.

  I couldn’t wait to be as happy as they were. I was only 23, but I felt like I’d already been waiting forever for my Prince Charming. Someone to sweep me off my feet and give me my own happily ever after. I looked at the bronze statue sitting proudly in front of me, and realized that I’d made a pretty awesome life for myself. I’d worked hard and made my dreams a reality, but there was still one thing missing... love. Actually, if I was being honest, there were two things missing: love, and sex.

  Right now, if I had to choose between them, I’d choose the latter. I was a virgin, after all, and lately I’d been craving a physical encounter much more than a romantic one. But no way did I have the guts to go through with anything like that. I was too much of a ‘good girl’, and sometimes I wished I was more like Jaz – wild and unafraid to show her sexuality. I shook off those thoughts, not wanting to ruin the high I was on from winning such a coveted title.

  I scanned the club, and I felt awestruck at all the famous faces I saw around me. Here I was, celebrating with my favorite artists, some of whom I used to sing along to in my bedroom as a kid, wielding a hairbrush as a microphone. I’d never felt so blessed in my life.

  My eyes landed on Drew Miller, the lead singer of the heavy metal band Angels of the Underworld. He and his bandmates were sitting in a booth, celebrating a win of their own: Break-Out Band of the Year. The Wild Diamonds had won that same award just a few years ago, when we were starting out. Drew and his band had performed their hit single that night at the awards show, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say he frightened me a little. He had jet-black shoulder-length hair, and when they performed he wore dark eye make-up and no shirt, revealing his big muscular body and cryptic tattoos. He was beautiful to look at, but I felt very intimidated by him and their music. It was much too heavy for my tastes, but I was happy that they won. Everyone deserved recognition for their talent, and they were clearly very good at what they did.

  Drew’s eyes locked onto mine, and I quickly turned back to the bar, my cheeks blushing crimson in embarrassment at being caught staring at him. I decided to get another drink before running off onto the dance floor and out of his sight.

  “What’s your poison?” A deep, husky voice asked, and I didn’t have to turn around to know it was him. He was standing so close behind me, his mouth right next to my ear, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine.

  “Huh?” That was all I could spit out as he took a seat on the bar stool next to mine.

  “What are you drinking? My shout,” he offered.

  “Oh, no thanks. I’m fine.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  He ordered himself a beer, and out of the corner of my eye, I couldn’t help but notice the slight bulge in his tight black leather pants, and even though he was wearing a loose singlet now, I’d already had a good look at his built upper body during the show.

  “You’re Kelly, right? Of the Wild Diamonds?” he asked, turning to face me.

  I nodded, twisting slightly on the stool to match his body language. “And you’re Drew of the Angels of the Underworld. Great performance tonight, it was... intense.”

  He chuckled, his pouty lip tightening into a dazzling crooked smile. “Thanks. Congrats on your award. Must be a great feeling to have accomplished such a huge dream.”

  I lit up, unable to hide my excitement. “It’s amazing. We worked so hard on this album, and I’m very proud of it. It’s good to have our work recognized in such a monumental way.”

  He nodded as he took a swig of his beer. “Well, I gotta admit,” he said as he ran a hand through his long, silky hair, pushing it back so I could see more of his handsome face. He looked like a model, or a Greek statue, with his chiseled jawline and dark features. I was so lost in his good looks that I almost forgot to listen to what he was saying. “Your music isn’t my favorite genre, but I have heard all of your songs. You have an amazing voice.”

  “Oh,” I said, surprised that he’d heard all our songs. “Thank you! Have you really heard our stuff? Sounds like you’re a closet Wild Diamonds fan.” I laughed, finally letting myself relax into the conversation.

  “My lit
tle sister worships you guys, you’re all she listens to. The first thing she does when she wakes up in the morning is play your latest album, so I wake up hearing your voice every day.”

  “That’s so sweet, what a die-hard fan she must be. What’s her name?”

  “Lacey.” The love he had in his eyes when he said her name told me that he cared about his sister very much, which made my heart melt.

  “And she lives with you?” I asked, wondering if I was prying too much, but for some reason I couldn’t yet define, I was intrigued by him. I wanted to know more about him.

  “Yeah. She’s only sixteen, so someone’s gotta make sure she stays in school and is taken care of.”

  “What about your parents?”

  He paused, his eyes dropping to the floor, and I knew I’d asked one question too many. “They died. It was a few years ago, in a car accident.”

  “Oh, Drew, I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. We’re okay. She lives with me back in New York, she’s a good kid. I’m taking her to Disneyland tomorrow while we’re here in L.A.”

  “You know what?” I said, an idea popping into my head. “We’re doing a special one-time gig tomorrow night, here in L.A. I’d be more than happy to give you and your sister some VIP passes, you could watch the show and then bring her backstage to meet us. We always love meeting hardcore fans! What do you think?”

  His raised his eyebrows, a broad smile stretching across his face. “Seriously?”

  I nodded, smiling at his surprised reaction.

  “Wow!” he grinned. “Yes! That would be so cool. Man, Lacey’s gonna lose her mind over this. Thank you so much, Kelly, really.”

  “My pleasure!”

  “Well, now you gotta let me buy you a drink.”

  I laughed, nodding in acceptance.

  A few cocktails later, we were still chatting and getting to know each other, when he leaned in close and asked if I wanted to dance. I said yes, and he grabbed my hand and led me through the crowd of people.

  I saw Jaz and Ella dancing together on the other side of the room, and when they saw me walking hand in hand with Drew, their mouths hung open in shock. But it seemed they quickly got used to the sight, as encouraging grins formed on their faces just seconds later. Jaz even gave me a thumbs up. I wondered why I wasn’t more nervous, usually dancing with a guy made me so anxious I could hardly see straight. I dismissed the thought, deciding that my calmness must have been alcohol induced.

  We found a space on the dance floor and I promptly began swaying my hips to the music, closing my eyes so I could truly get lost in the beat. I felt hands on either side of my hips, and my eyes snapped open to see Drew standing only inches away from me. My normal reaction would have been to take a step back, keep my distance. But I felt so attracted to him, I was drawn to him like a magnet, so I stood my ground. He looked at me with fierce heat emanating from his dark caramel eyes, and I realized the intensity of their performance earlier that night was nothing compared to his own personal brand of intensity.

  His fiery gaze moved down my body, lingering for a moment on my cleavage, searing my skin and dampening my panties at the same time.

  He edged closer once more, and I teased him with a slight brush of my hips against his own. I looked up at him, notching his eyes firmly planted on my mouth, and for a moment I lost myself in his gaze, tracing my tongue over my top lip seductively. As soon as I did it, I began to panic. This suggestive behavior wasn’t like me at all, but it felt so good.

  My thoughts were interrupted by the force of his mouth on my own, his tongue parting my lips passionately. All thoughts faded away as I lost myself in his taste, and I threw my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. I’d kissed guys before, but it was never like this. This was thrilling, this was wild, I could feel it electrifying the deepest, darkest parts of me.

  He ran his hands down my back, cupping my ass as he pulled me against him, igniting a fire in my belly. The blaring music and sound of the swarm of people around us faded away as our tongues danced and twirled, and a light moan surfaced from deep inside me, somewhere I rarely gave attention to.

  I dipped my head back as his lips fluttered along my jawline and down my neck, before pausing by my ear to whisper something. “Why don’t we take this back to your hotel room?”

  Suddenly, the reality of what he was asking, of what we were doing, sunk in, and fear took over. I stepped backwards, unable to look him in the eyes, fearing I’ll get lost in them again. Could I really do this? Could I have a one night stand? And could I do it with a rebel like Drew Miller?

  No.

  I wished I could, but I didn’t have it in me.

  “Kelly? What’s wrong?” Drew yelled over the music, trying to make eye contact with me.

  “I’m sorry,” I yelled back. “I can’t do this.”

  I spun around and began weaving through the mass of people, suddenly feeling suffocated. I needed to get some air. I pushed through the door of the club and ran to the curb where the Wild Diamonds limo sat waiting for us. I shielded my face from the flashing cameras as I jumped into the back before slamming the door shut and asking our driver, Dave, to take me back to the hotel.

  The limo pulled into the street and began driving away as I looked out the window, wondering if I’d just made a horrible mistake. I watched as Drew burst out the door, worry on his face as he searched for me amongst the crowd of people and photographers.

  Chapter Two

  I closed the door of my hotel room, kicked my heels off and fell onto my bed, embarrassed for having freaked out like I did. At this rate, I would be a virgin until the day I died. I thought of all the other times I’d run away like this, how I’d go on a few dates with a guy, we’d make out and even do some light petting, then I’d panic, leaving both of us high and dry.

  Although, none of those guys were like Drew. They were clean-cut, not a hair out of place, the kind of guy your grandmother would like you to date. They definitely weren’t exciting or passionate. Not like Drew. I covered my face with my hands, kicking myself for turning down what was guaranteed to be a night of passion and wildness. I wondered what we would have been doing right now, had I brought him home with me.

  I closed my eyes, sliding a hand down under my dress to stroke my still wet panties. I remembered the taste of his tongue, his soft lips, the feel of his hands on my ass, that bulge in his tight pants...

  “Drew,” I whispered, my fingers circling over my tiny nub faster and faster, imagining it was him pleasuring me. My chest rose and fell as my breath quickened, making me dizzy with delight. I ran my spare hand over my breasts, fantasizing about what it would feel like to have him sucking on my nipples. I bit my lip, the thought of him on top of me too much to bear, and within seconds I was exploding in climax. Pleasure rippled through my veins as I held the memory of his kiss in my mind, and I wished I hadn’t been such a coward.

  Just as I came down off my high, there was a knock at my door. I jumped out of bed and tried to compose myself as I walked towards the door, taking a look in the mirror to make sure I wasn’t too flushed.

  I opened the door to see Jaz and Ella standing in the hall, and they sighed in relief when they saw me.

  “Are you okay?” Jaz asked, looking me up and down to make sure there was nothing wrong with me.

  “I’m fine, what are you doing here?”

  “Well, first of all, you left this in the club,” Jaz said, holding out one of the two award statues she was holding in her arms.

  “Oh crap! I can’t believe I forgot this! Thank you so much, girls,” I said as I grabbed the award and held it close, shocked at my forgetfulness.

  “Secondly,” she continued as she and Ella came in and sat down on my bed. “Drew said you ran off, that you looked terrified. Did he hurt you? If he did, I swear, I don’t care how big and strong he is, I’ll kick his ass.”

  “Calm down,” I said, stifling a smile at her over-protectiveness. “He didn’t hurt me. In fact, it
was quite the opposite. That’s the problem.”

  They both looked at me, tilting their heads in confusion, so I told them what happened – all of it. I told them about the kiss, how amazing it was and how I wanted more, but when he asked to come up to my room, I freaked out.

  “Awww, Kell!” Ella said as she hugged me tight. “It’s okay, sweetie. It’s natural to be a bit intimidated at first.”

  “It’s not okay!” I blurted out. “I really wanted to fuck him! I could feel it, I’ve never been more turned on in my life.”

  Their jaws dropped. I very rarely swore like that, and I’ve never said I wanted to fuck someone before, so I could understand their shock. We sat in stupefied silence for a moment, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. I collapsed onto the bed, partly because of the laughter and partly because I was just so frustrated with myself. Jaz and Ella laid down on either side of me, still giggling.

  “You know, Kell,” Jaz said. “If you really want it that bad, and you feel ready, you should go for it. There’s nothing wrong with being pleasured, and having fun now doesn’t mean you won’t find your Prince Charming later.”

  “I agree,” Ella said. “And Drew would be the perfect distraction while you wait for your Prince. A very yummy, sexy distraction. I’m sure he’d definitely be willing to have some fun with you.”

  “I’ve actually met Drew a few times, back in New York,” Jaz said. “He’s got the same manager as Eli. He’s a good guy. He looks after his little sister, putting her through school, cooking for her, taking her to soccer practice. Eli said he’s saving money to put her through college, too.”

  “Plus, yum!” Ella laughed, slapping me on the thigh. “He was really worried about you tonight. He said to tell you he’s sorry if he offended you. It was kinda sweet.”

  I sat up, pondering the idea. I’d been holding myself back for so long, waiting for some perfect guy who obviously wasn’t ready to show up yet. I was sick of waiting. I wanted to be pleasured, to cry out in orgasm and to have hot, animalistic sex.