Hide and Seek: A Rock Games Novel: Vol. 2 Read online

  Table of Contents

  Disclaimer

  Thank you!

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  HIDE AND SEEK

  A Rock Games Novel: Vol. 2

  Nicole S. Goodin

  Hide and Seek

  Published by Nicole S. Goodin

  Copyright 2018 by Nicole S. Goodin

  All rights reserved. ©

  First published March 2018

  ISBN: 978-0-473-43083-2

  Cover design by Nicole Goodin

  Cover Images purchased from Shutterstock and Canva

  Edited by Spell Bound

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to events, places, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  The author acknowledges all song titles, song lyrics, film titles, film characters, trademarked statuses and brands mentioned in this book are the property of, and belong to, their respective owners.

  Nicole S. Goodin is in no way affiliated with any of the brands, songs, musicians or artists mentioned in this book.

  I would like to dedicate this book to Chloe Walsh.

  For those of you who haven’t heard of Chloe, she is an amazing, kind, generous Irish soul. She is a wife, a mother and a valued friend. She is also an incredibly talented author.

  She is the author who inspired me to write in the first place and continues to inspire me to write with every book she releases. She is the first author I ever felt the need to ‘stalk’ on Facebook, the only author whose book I would buy without even having read the blurb and the author I always recommend when someone asks for a new read.

  Chloe, thank you for being an inspiration, a role model and a friend.

  Disclaimer

  This book has been written using UK English and may contain euphemisms and slang words that form part of the New Zealand spoken word.

  Please remember that the words are not misspelled. They are slang terms and form part of everyday, New Zealand vernacular.

  AKA: I’m from New Zealand and sometimes we say weird things down here… please try and be cool about it.

  Thank you!

  Thank you for reading Hide and Seek! I hope you enjoy it.

  If you did enjoy it, please consider leaving a review; they give authors valuable feedback, help other readers find new books, and I’d really, really appreciate it!

  If you are interested in getting sneak peeks into my work, freebies and giveaways, you can sign up for my newsletter HERE.

  Thanks again!

  Contents

  Disclaimer

  Thank you!

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Epilogue

  Playlist

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Nicole S. Goodin

  hannah

  Present Day

  I still couldn’t get over how god damn hot the guy was.

  He was the only man that had ever set a fire in my belly like the one that was raging within me right now. He wasn’t what you’d describe as traditionally ‘handsome’, instead, he was a package of intense, raw masculinity.

  I was sure he could have been the classic, clean-cut, beautiful boy-next-door type if he’d wanted to be, but he’d kissed that vision goodbye when he’d covered his body in ink and grew hair in all the right places.

  Watching him, up there on that stage… it was everything I had ever fantasised about.

  I’d dreamed, for longer than I could even remember, about bagging myself a celebrity.

  I was obsessed.

  Fame, fortune, status… it had been everything to me.

  I couldn’t explain why I’d cared so much about all that shit in the past, or why I’d thought that that was what love was…

  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

  I knew what real love was now.

  I’d changed. He’d changed me.

  It was ironic really, that I’d changed my priorities just in time to get everything I’d thought I ever wanted.

  I had no idea what I really wanted…

  Him.

  I glanced over at him and my heart thumped at super speed in my chest.

  God, he looks good.

  He was out there doing what he did best.

  Correction… second best.

  There was nothing Jasper Jones did better than make magic between the sheets.

  Absolutely nothing.

  The man was skilled like nothing I’d ever encountered.

  I sighed as he strummed the guitar in his hands and sang into the mic.

  Heaven.

  Some crass bitch in the front row screamed out something about wanting to bang my man, and I cringed.

  I had to give myself a pep talk to stop from going down there and kicking her ass.

  That was the worst bit about this. He was public property now. Everyone wanted a piece of him these days.

  I loved him long before he’d become ‘big time’ famous, and I still loved him now, undeniably so, but it was a difficult pill to swallow.

  It was my own fault I’d decided, a karma of sorts – he was still exactly the same as he’d always been and I knew he’d never change, but our life… it wasn’t the same. Now I had to share him with the whole world.

  I’d never been particularly good at sharing – but for him it was worth it.

  He caught my eye as he swapped guitars and I blew him a kiss.

  He pretended to catch it and blew one back, a cheeky grin on his face.

  Oh yeah, so worth it.

  Now all I needed to do was get over the lingering terror that was always present in the back of my brain.

  That one where I’d wake up one day and it would all be over.

  That he’ll leave me.

  That was the only thing in life I truly feared.

  jasper

  “Jesus, man, do you ever get used to this?” I panted as I swigged back a bottle of ice cold water.

  I couldn’t ever imagine this shit feeling normal.

  Nothing about this was ‘normal’.

  I don’t know why I was still so surprised by my new life. I’d watched Parker live like this for years; I’d witnessed firsthand the screaming fans, the shameless women, the relentless hounding from the media… I’d seen it all.

  But it’s different when it’s you.

  This was my new normal.

  “Nah, J. Not even a little bit,” Parker answered honestly as he wiped the sweat off his brow before throwing the towel into the basket in the corner of our dressing room. “Don’t get me wrong, I owe a lot to this life, and it’s not all bad – but sometimes it’d just be nice to live like a normal dude, ya know? That’s what I want one day… but for now, I’m just gonna ride the wave until it end
s. You in?”

  I was all in.

  I nodded and grinned at him. “Hell yeah, wingmen, right?”

  He reached his fist out to bump with mine.

  That was the best bit about this gig we had going –we had each other. There was no way I would have been able to do this on my own.

  I wouldn’t have wanted to either. I loved to sing, play guitar too, but I was no solo artist. That stage gave me a thrill that pushed my limits completely, but I had no desire to experience it alone.

  It was probably why I’d never pursued a career in music until now.

  I knew some people thought I was riding on Parker’s coattails, since he had been the biggest thing in music for such a long time… but we both knew they were wrong.

  We deserved to have the success we did. Our songs were good, our voices blended flawlessly… sure, having the head start we did, due to Park being the world’s hottest ‘it boy’ didn’t hurt, but it was nothing short of hard work and a crazy fucking life that got us to the top – and kept us there thus far.

  Coming clean about the fact that I had music flowing through my veins had been one of the best decisions I’d ever made. I couldn’t even remember how I got by without it before.

  “How do ya keep your head on straight?” I asked before taking another drink. I was still fairly new to this life, but Park, he was an old hand.

  He chuckled darkly. “You know my head never used to be on straight.”

  That was for damn sure.

  “But now…” He looked up at me. “Charlotte,” he answered simply.

  I should have known that’s what he would say. Parker loved his wife something fierce. She kept his cocky ass grounded, made sure he didn’t do anything stupid, and she loved him like nothing I’d ever seen.

  Nothing… except Hannah.

  She loves me like that too.

  Right on cue, the door swung open and in they strolled, almost as though they’d been listening against the door – which I wouldn’t have put past them.

  “Legs,” Parker breathed. “How’s my beautiful wife?”

  I barely even saw her. Charlotte was one of my best friends, but right now I only had eyes for the blonde that was hot on her heels.

  “Well hey there, barbie girl,” I whispered as she threw herself into my arms, her mouth welding to mine in an instant.

  “Damn, you were smokin’ out there,” she murmured when our lips broke apart. “Hottest rock star I’ve ever seen.”

  I chuckled at the familiar conversation. Something similar came out of Hannah’s mouth after every show she saw me play – which was every show I did. Charlotte, Hannah, Parker and me, we were a package deal these days.

  “You like that, huh?” I teased as I rolled my groin against her hip.

  She let out the same breathy moan she always had – right from the very first time I’d touched her.

  I could remember that moment as though it was only yesterday.

  She nodded quickly, biting down on her lip.

  I need to get her out of here.

  It was somewhat of a ritual for us to sneak off after a show and sort out some of the pent-up excitement and energy.

  Parker liked to run it out. I preferred mine and Hannah’s method.

  “That was a great show, guys,” Lotte praised us. “I liked that arrangement you did for ‘Someone New’, it was really good.”

  “I’ll tell you what I didn’t like.” Hannah pouted, and I cringed, already knowing where this was heading. “I really didn’t like that nasty bimbo in the first row throwing her skanky-ass underwear in my man’s face,” she grumbled.

  I held back a laugh, knowing it would do me no favours to get caught being amused at the fact.

  Hannah had a lot of great qualities, but level headedness was not one of them.

  Jealously, however, was something she possessed in spades. A woman so much as looked at me the wrong way in front of her, which they did, on almost a daily basis, and you could practically see my girl sharpening her claws.

  I’d had to hire extra security to keep an eye on her during the shows and public appearances; she would have gotten into a fist fight by now if I hadn’t.

  That passionate fire inside her was just one of the bat-shit crazy qualities she possessed that I was mad about.

  It probably made me sound like a jerk, but her possessive jealously turned me on.

  Everything about this firecracker of a woman turned me on.

  I knew that probably made me mentally unstable in some way, but I didn’t give a shit. I loved her crazy.

  Hannah Montgomery did it for me, Monday through Sunday – twenty-four-seven.

  Every day was like I’d taken a double shot of wild with my coffee, and that was exactly how I liked it.

  hannah

  We stepped off the plane and into the waiting, tinted-out SUV, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

  It hadn’t happened in about eight months, but I was always paranoid about the guys getting bombarded by some crazy-ass fans that had somehow managed to sneak through security.

  The last ones had been their own special brand of nuts.

  Absolute fruit loops.

  And coming from me, that was really saying something; I was fairly wild myself… but I owned it, so I figured it didn’t really count.

  I was watching the raindrops sliding down the car window when Jasper’s hand gave my leg a gentle squeeze.

  “You okay, babe?” His voice pulled me from my thoughts, raspy and seductive. It was like music to my ears even when he wasn’t singing.

  I turned to face him and gave him a wide smile.

  His face broke out in a grin that matched mine and he reached for me, tucking me against his body.

  He kissed the top of my head. “You remember my sister is coming today, right?”

  I nodded quickly. I was so excited. I’d never met Gypsy, whose real name was actually Florence, because as her nickname suggested, she was a bit of a traveller. She’d been all over the world these past two and a half years, and this was the first time she and Jasper had been in the same place at the same time.

  I was also nervous as hell. Gypsy was the only family that Jasper had anything to do with anymore. His dad raised him and his sister, well technically, they raised each other. Gypsy was eight years older than Jasper, and he told me that she was like a mother to him. His dad had disappeared when Jasper turned eighteen, and he had barely seen him since.

  This woman’s opinion mattered to me.

  He kissed my forehead again.

  “She’ll love you,” he reassured me, sensing my unspoken fears. “She already loves you.”

  “We’ve only spoken twice, and I was a loud mouth… you know how I get on the phone, and that second time I was a tiny bit drunk, so that never helps.”

  “Barbie, you were more than a tiny bit drunk. You were totally wasted. The two of you talked for a half hour about mushrooms and whether or not fairies actually lived amongst them like little villages.”

  “See,” I agreed with him. “I told you I’m a loud mouth on the phone!”

  “You’re a loud mouth in real life too, just so you know,” Parker added helpfully.