Due to some unforeseen, crappy, real world job circumstances I have to push the release date for ROCK THE HEART to Nov. 20th, 2012.
BUT the good news is my dear friend, Katie Ashley, has graciously volunteered to take my relase day of Nov. 1st, 2012! The Proposition is amazing. You all will love Aidan! Hopefully the steam within its pages will tide you over. :D
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16...
I’m truly sorry for the disappointment. Believe me, I know it sucks. It’s a bummer for me too. But, I promise this novel will be out on November 20th, 2012 and hopefully you guys will love it!
NOW because I feel like I owe you a little something after doing that...here's the first two complete chapters from ROCK THE HEART and a pitcure of my muse, Adam Levine! Hope it tides you over.
<3
Michelle
**Not Final Verison**
Chapter 1
This is the most uncomfortable seat in the entire world. The
stiff leather chair nearly swallows me whole with its high back, and the bare
skin on my legs stick to the seat. It’s also stifling in here. If I didn’t know
better, I would say someone left the heat on in the middle of July. A bead of
sweat trickles down my spine and I reach across the table to pour a glass of
water.
I can’t believe I’m this nervous. It’s only a board meeting
for crying out loud.
The glass meets my lips and I gulp down a drink.
My best friend of four years, Aubrey, reaches over and pats my
wrist. “Sweetie, it’s fine. This is no biggie.”
I muster up a smile and nod. Of course it’s no big deal to
her. She’s been through countless marketing meetings. This is my very first
one. Sure, I’m only an intern, but proving myself is the way I will earn a spot
at Center Stage Marketing. Something
I’ve wanted since my freshman year in college.
Aubrey and I both earned degrees from University of Texas
and she somehow landed an assistant position to one of the top executives in
the company. They actually pay her to be here, while I’m just the annoying tag
along in training.
Diana Swagger, one of the most respected female marketing executives
and the president of the firm, strides in and takes her seat at the head of the
long table, which fills most of the room. She’s put together from head to
toe—not one red hair out of place on her well groomed head. Her black suite
screams money and respect, and from what I’ve heard about her in the staff
lounge, she’s a no nonsense type.
Aubrey clicks her pen next to me, ready to jot notes for her
boss. Even though I’m only here to observe, I mimic her actions and do my
best to pretend like I belong.
“Can anyone read the goals we discussed two weeks ago?” Diana
asks while she unbuttons her jacket.
A middle-aged man to Diana’s right rattles off a list of
topics that might as well be said in a foreign language. None of the projects
Center Stage currently has going are products or companies I’m familiar with,
but I keep my eyes trained on him like he’s the most interesting person in the
world.
“…And we received the go ahead from Black Falcon’s people to
proceed with the children’s campaign,” he says.
This automatically catches my attention. Black Falcon hits a
little too close to home. Most people know them for their music, but I know
them because of their front man, Noel Falcon. The star-studded rocker is a huge
part of my past. There isn’t one childhood memory that he’s not in.
Diana makes a note on her yellow, legal paper. “Good. Now we
need a volunteer to go down and wine and dine Noel Falcon for a few days. We
need him to know we are serious about his charity.”
Everyone at the table quickly busies themselves with their
paperwork in front of them. All of them avoiding Diana’s stare.
Diana peers around the table. “No one is interested in this?
Harold?”
The man to Diana’s right looks up at her and adjusts his
glasses. “Sorry, Diana. Rock stars aren’t known for workings well with us
boring add types. Last time I personally tried working with one, he blew me
off, then became irate that his marketing wasn’t what he had envisioned. No
offense, but this isn’t the type of account I’m willing to take on again. It’s
a time suck.”
Diana leans back in her chair, steeples her fingers together,
and presses them to her lips. “Is no one interested?” Her eyes scan her
employees one more time—all of them avoiding her stare—before they land on me.
“How about you? You seem to be the only other one interested in this account.”
Shit. Eye contact is a pain in the ass.
I swallow hard and my hand clutches my throat. “M—me?”
She leans forward in her seat. “I’m sure Mr. Falcon would
surely give a young, pretty thing like you the time of day. All you would have
to do is get him to spend some time with you and then find out exactly what his
vision is for the children’s charity Black Falcon is heading up.”
My throat suddenly goes dry. How can I face Noel again? I want
to scream at the top of my lungs I can’t, but I know if I want a job at Center
Stage I need to be a yes woman until I get my foot planted firmly inside this
door.
I can do this—talk with an old friend in a very professional
level. This might be a piece of cake.
I take another huge gulp of water, trying to calm my nerves,
while Diana stares expectantly at me. If I let my history with Noel slip out she
might yank this opportunity away, and I can’t let that happen. Not
after I’m so close to landing my dream job.
Aubrey nudges my leg under the table. She knows I’m stalling.
She’s heard the stories about Noel.
I set the glass down, deciding it’s best to keep my
relationship with him private, and nod my head. “I would love to take on this
job for you.”
Diana smiles and leans back in her chair. “At least someone is
willing to go the distance for this company. What did you say your name was
again?”
“Lanie…Lanie Vance.”
Diana makes another note on the paper in front of her. “Does
anyone have Black Falcon’s tour schedule? We need to get Ms. Vance to their
next show and get things rolling on this.”
Harold types something into his tablet and quickly says,
“Black Falcon’s next show is tomorrow night in Houston
Texas, then it appears they have a break until
Rock on the Range in Columbus,
Ohio a few days later.”
Tomorrow? I scrunch my nose. That’s a hell of a lot sooner
than I expected. When I volunteered for this, I figured I would at least have a
few days to mentally prepare myself. What in the hell am I going to say to
Noel? Sorry for stomping on your heart four years ago? Oh and by the way I’m
only here to land my dream job.
I resist the urge to bury my face in my hands. What have I
just gotten myself into?
No, I have to look on the bright side. Houston is only about thirty minutes from my
hometown. At least it’ll be a free trip home for the weekend. It’s been a
couple months since I’ve seen my parents, and I miss them like crazy. New York is a hard place
to get away from.
I can do this, right?
“Someone schedule this girl a flight for tomorrow immediately
and give her the run down on this charity so she’ll know what information we
need from the band,” Diana says.
When I open my mouth to tell Diana I’ve change my mind, Aubrey
says, “Ms. Swagger, I would like to volunteer to go with Lanie. She’s only an
intern, and I would love to go along with her and show her the ropes on
navigating clients.”
Ms. Swagger nods. “Okay then, I’ll allow that. Go ahead and
book a flight for yourself and one for Ms. Vance and then report back to me on
Monday after the initial meeting.”
I slump back in the chair.
This may be the worst decision of my life.
Aubrey leads me into the hallway after the meeting is over.
Every nerve in my body zings with adrenaline. This is it—my big break to show
Ms. Swagger I deserve a job in her company—that I’m a marketing slave. The only
problem is facing Noel.
Aubrey grabs my wrist and yanks me into the supply closet.
“Oh. My. God.” She shakes her head and her auburn curls bounce around her
shoulders. “I don’t even know what to say. On one hand I’m thrilled you’ll have
the chance to show these stuffy assholes around here some of those mad
marketing skills, but on the other I’m freaked the fuck out. Noel Falcon,
Lanie?”
I sigh. “I know. I know, but what was I suppose to do? Tell
Diana no because I have a painful history with the lead singer of Black Falcon?
There’s no way I could admit that to her. This opportunity just fell into my
lap. I’d be crazy not to jump all over it.”
Aubrey grabs my hands and squeezes them. “You’re
right. You can get through this. It’s only Noel Falcon. We go down there and
take him to dinner. You’ll be fine because I’ll be there the entire time for
moral support.”
I wrap my arms around slender frame. “Thank you for doing this
with me.”
She pulls away and pushes my dark hair back before resting her
hands on my shoulders. Her emerald eyes stare at me. “You’re welcome, sweetie. Now there’s only
one thing left to do…” Her lips twist and she picks at my shirt.
I raise an eyebrow at the mischievous look on her face. “Oh,
no. I know that look.”
Aubrey’s grin broadens. “Where’s the closest mall. I can’t
wait to see Noel’s jaw hit the floor when he sees you.”
I roll my eyes and do my best to look displeased, but deep
down I can’t wait to see that either.
Chapter 2
The last chord of the song still hums in my ears. I can’t
believe I’m out here in this blistering heat. The sun beats down on my back and
I just know my fair skin is going to scream at me later. But I have to be here,
even if it is the last place I ever wanted to be—front row of my high school
boyfriend’s concert. God knows where he gets the inspiration for his music
from.
The lead singer from the opening act walks back on stage in
his tight, black, leather pants and ripped up shirt. The crowd behind me is
predominantly women because my old boyfriend is a rock-sex icon now. They
scream even louder when the rocker grabs the microphone off the stand.
Two fights broke out behind me during the last band’s set, so
I’m a bit nervous to find out what’s going to happen when the main act goes on,
but I’m not leaving this spot. I’ve waited out here since the gates opened at
noon to get center stage. I want the best view possible to lay my eyes on the
first boy I ever really kissed.
“You guys are
awesome. Thank you so much.” The singer smiles, and the rampant crowd of horny
women shove against one another even harder to get closer to the stage. “Are
you ladies ready to drop your panties for Black Falcon?”
That gets them pumped up again. I look behind me and watch the
waves of people scream and yell in excitement.
My ears ring,
but I don’t want to look like a total wuss and stuff my fingers in them in the
midst of all these hard-core rocker chicks. That might get my ass kicked.
The middle aged woman behind me screams out Noel’s name
followed by an ‘I love you’ at least ten octaves higher than her normal voice.
The woman shoves into my back, and I crunch into the iron fencing in front of
me.
“Give it up
for BLACK FALCON!” the rocker screams, and my insides jitter. I’m not sure why
I’m nervous. It’s not like he’ll even remember me. He sees tons of women every
night, and after a while, faces probably all start to look the same to him
My gaze
instantly glues to the stage. The lead singer, Noel Falcon, enters from the
right and looks just like I remember him—tall and lean with shaggy, dark-brown
hair. He’s not the goofy boy I knew anymore. The past four years have been good
to him. Really good. He wears twenty-two well. The dark, scruffy hair on his
jaw line brings out the blue in his eyes, and for a second, I kick myself for
the night we broke up.
Noel stops
center stage, wearing a sexy grin, as he takes in the arena packed with his
adoring fans. He’s close. I can practically reach out and trace the intricate
tattoos on his arm if I want to. The spotlight beams down on him, and he points
a finger out to the throngs of people in the upper deck. The crowd goes nuts,
but I stand there simply awestruck. Not because Noel Falcon, one of the hottest
rockers on the planet is five feet in front of me, but because it’s Noel
Falcon, the first boy I ever loved. He used to be my best friend. The guy I
thought at one time was my forever.
Noel pulls
the microphone off the stand. “Wow!” He steps back and laughs as he stares
around. He looks unbelievably hot in his jeans and tight, black t-shirt. “I
can’t tell you how great it feels to be back in my old stomping grounds. I grew
up not far from here, so tonight—”
“I LOVE YOU
NOEL!” shouts the lady behind me again, practically right in my ear.
Noel flicks
his line of sight down and makes eye contact with me. Surprise registers on his
face, and he pauses for a brief second, even though it feels like an eternity
to me. “So tonight—” he says, still staring at me. “—is a very special night.
It gives me a chance to revisit my past. See people I haven’t seen since high
school. The good and the bad.” Noel’s gaze leaves me, and he glances back out
toward the crowd. “Are you guys ready to rock?”
Noel’s band
starts off with a fast song, and every person in the arena thrashes around.
Pumping their fists and jumping around like crazy Mexican Jumping Beans.
“Oh My God,
Lanie. He totally recognizes you!” Aubrey squeals in my ear while grabbing my
arm.
“No he
doesn’t.” I attempt to blow her words off. She has no clue how intense mine and
Noel’s relationship was back then. She’s only heard stories.
“Hello? Are
you kidding me? He even just said high school when he looked at you. We have to
put these passes to use and get back stage,” Aubrey shouts as she bounces in
time with the beat—her long, auburn hair trailing down her back. Tonight for
her is all about fun and the possibility of meeting one of the hottest bands
around, but for me…I’m not really sure what I expect from tonight. Noel’s
always been the ‘what if’ for me. The one who got away.
Noel straps
his guitar around his neck and then haphazardly slings it over his shoulder. He
grabs the mic with both hands and brings it to his full lips. It reminds me of
the way he used to kiss. He always put his entire soul into everything he did,
which included the way he loved me.
“Look at me.
I see you now. The way we used to be…” Noel sings in perfect rhythm.
The
smoothness of his voice fills my ears, and it takes me back. I close my eyes
and listen to his words and remember all the times we sat out on the old boat
dock overlooking the lake that separated our two childhood homes. That was our
spot. The place we met in secret so many nights. The first place he sang to me.
The first place we made love.
It was also
the place where our love ended—where I told him to give up on his foolish
dreams to become a rock star and do something sensible, like me, and go to
college. I knew I broke his heart when I said I could never be with a dreamer
because dreams don’t pay the bills.
Look at what
I knew.
He totally
made it, while I’m still struggling to land my perfect job in this tough
economy with my ‘sensible’ degree. Life without
him these last four years has been lonely.
A tear rolls
down my cheek. How silly was I to listen to people, that Noel was a loser going
nowhere just because he loved music. We
could’ve been happy. We could’ve beaten the odds. But, I guess that’s something
I’ll never know. Just another old chapter in my life I need to walk away from
because it’s too late.
I open my
eyes to take one last look at Noel. His eyes close as he belts out the chorus.
Sweat beads illuminate his face under the spot light. He’s truly beautiful. But
he’s a stranger now. Someone I used to know. It’s time to quit torturing myself
and move on. I’ll just have to kiss the job at Center Stage goodbye.
“Aubrey, I
need to get out of here. I can’t do this,” I shout to my friend.
Her pink lips
twist. “Why? Because of him?” She points to Noel.
My eyes flit
up to Noel’s face, and at that very second, he looks down at me while he strums
his guitar. His eyes hold mine for a second before I glance back at Aubrey and
nod. “I have to get out of here. This is like torture.”
Aubrey’s
whole body slumps like a deflated balloon. “You know we can’t do that.” She
sighs. “You have to suck it up and talk to him. You won’t get a job and I’ll lose
mine. Diana doesn’t mess around.” She takes my hand and pulls me through the
crowd. I glance back and watch a pile of girls shove their way into our spot.
The out-door
arena is so loud I can hardly hear my own thoughts. We make it to the back of
the crowd just as the song ends. People are screaming Noel’s name while they’re
waiting for the next song to begin. When it’s oddly silent, I think about
taking one last look before I walk out on him again—one last look to remember
him by.
“This next song goes out to the girl who shredded my heart
without hesitation back in high school. It’s called Ball Busting Bitch, and Lanie, this one’s for you.”
My entire body freezes and I feel my mouth go dry. What a
dick. The blood in my veins boil and my fingers shake as I resist the urge to
storm the stage and punch him square in the face.
On second thought that sounds like a fantastic idea.
I lunge forward and Aubrey snags my arm. “What the hell are
you doing?”
“I’m going to kick his ass,” I snarl.
Aubrey rolls her emerald eyes. “As much as I would love to see
you do that, it’s impossible and you know it. The guy probably has ten hunky
body guards to protect him from the likes of you. Besides we have to be civil
to that cretin, remember?”
My shoulders slump in defeat. Oh, right. I have a job riding
on getting Noel to like me. The last thing I want to do right now is talk to
him, let alone be nice to him, but what choice do I have?
“You’re right. Let’s just get through tonight, get the info we
need, then get our asses back to New
York where we belong.”
Aubrey wraps her slender arm around my shoulders and gives me
a little squeeze. “There’s the Lanie I
love. Come on. Let’s weasel our way backstage and get to work.”
My fingers rub over my aching forehead. This is a bad idea,
but I reluctantly tell her okay. She grabs me up in a tight hug—her vanilla perfume
super strong in my nose—and then leads me toward the restricted area sign with
our backstage passes tight in hand.
