JUST ONE SPARK
He’s a playboy rock star living the rock and roll dream…
Until a very real baby scare threatens to bring it all crashing down.
Dash Kingston has learned his lesson and knows his hard-partying lifestyle needs to change. To clean up his playboy image, he needs a fake girlfriend.
There’s just one problem: the perfect woman for the job is a gorgeous blonde who once aroused not just his body but his emotions, sending him running. And leaving her to wake up alone.
For the band’s sake, Cassidy Forrester agrees to play the girlfriend role, but she’s not going to fall for Dash’s charm or sex appeal ever again.
Except this Dash Kingston swears he’s a changed man, and he’s out to win Cassidy over – for good. But only a fool would make the same mistake twice, and Cassidy refuses to let their spark burn her a second time.
Chapter One
A couple of months ago, Dash Kingston had been living the dream. He’d had women at his beck and call. More money than he’d ever dreamed of earning doing something he loved. Bandmates who were his best friends, and success beyond his wildest dreams. He still had those things, but he also had a huge weight sitting on his chest in the form of an outstanding paternity test, courtesy of one night with a woman he barely remembered and whose name he hadn’t known at the time.
Word had spread over social media, television entertainment and celebrity news, and whatever magazines still showed up in grocery store checkout lines. Instead of talk about the band’s music and their new drummer, Axel Forrester, there was speculation about whether the Original Kings’ lead singer had impregnated a one-night stand.
Talk about a wake-up call.
Dash glanced around his patio, where clusters of people gathered talking. The professionals stood on one side, the roadies and groupies, the women who wanted to fuck a rock star, laughed and partied on the other. His band members were scattered around, all having fun on a hot late-September day in East Hampton, with the alcohol at Dash’s expense.
Whose idea was a party when his entire world might be falling apart? He ran a hand through his hair and decided to head over to his brother Xander’s house, about a mile down the road. Though he could walk, he took his baby, a Ferrari Limited-Edition V12 supercar. Not even the power of the engine or the yellow racing stripe he loved helped his mood.
On the short ride, he thought about the many mistakes he’d made in life and decided he could do better. And though he knew, if the kid was his, he’d step up, he prayed to God he’d dodge this bullet. Panic-induced sweat broke out on his skin, and he pumped up the air conditioner.
When he arrived at Xander’s, his other brother Linc’s car sat in the driveway. So he’d have both brothers to hang out with. Dash let himself inside and heard their voices coming from the kitchen.
He walked into the huge room where Linc and Xander were sitting at the table. “Hey.”
They looked up when he entered. “How are you holding up?” Linc asked.
Dash strode to the refrigerator, opened the door, and took out a can of Diet Coke. “Feeling like shit.” He popped the top and guzzled a long sip.
“How long until you have news?” Xander asked.
“My lawyer should call me any minute. Hour. Day. Fuck!” He raised a hand and caught himself, not wanting to hit anything in his brother’s kitchen. Or break his hand on the granite countertop.
Xander and Linc exchanged knowing looks.
“Come on. Sit.” Xander strode over, hooked an arm around Dash’s neck, and pulled him toward the chairs by the table. Releasing him, which Dash appreciated because he was choking, Xander then braced both palms on his shoulders and pushed until Dash dropped into the chair.
“Look, I’d be as crazy as you are if it was happening to me, but right now the best thing you can do is calm the fuck down,” Xander said.
“I know.” And he did but was it possible? Hell no.
Linc shook his head. “I hope this goes without saying, but once you survive this scare, things need to change.”
Dash did his best not to scowl or punch his brother for thinking now was a good time for life lectures.
“Linc, chill, yeah?” Xander gave Linc a pointed look.
“I’m just looking out for him,” Linc said, leaning back in his chair, always the composed brother.
“I know you are.” Dash got where Linc was coming from. He’d also noticed Linc had said when Dash survived this scare. Not if. Which meant his oldest sibling had faith Dash might get through this unscathed. Not be a father. Dash just hoped Linc was right.
Since their dead father hadn’t been a good parent, Linc had always felt the need to herd the rest of the siblings and make sure they were taken care of. Whether they needed his guidance or not. Dash didn’t blame him. Hell, he appreciated his oldest brother. He just wasn’t in the mood for a lecture.
He was damned lucky the woman in question was willing to do a noninvasive DNA test. A blood sample from Mom, one from Dad, and a fetal cell analysis would provide a result that was ninety-nine percent accurate. The fact that the chick was willing to do one told Dash she wasn’t a money-hungry gold-digger.
If he’d knocked her up, he wouldn’t marry her, but she and the baby wouldn’t want for a damned thing, and Dash would get to know his kid. His stomach cramped at the notion of having a baby with a stranger.
“Are the guys at your place?” Xander asked.
The question shook Dash from his disturbing thoughts. “They were out by the pool when I left.”
Xander folded his arms across his chest. “Any chance I’ll have a houseful of people soon?” he asked, not sounding happy about it.
“You never know.” Dash couldn’t stop the grin lifting the corners of his mouth at Xander’s predictable reaction.
Dash had made it his life’s mission to drive his more solitary brother crazy by showing up uninvited all the time. Xander was uptight and could use a good shaking up. But despite it all, they were close.
Now that Xander lived with his fiancée, Dash had stopped using his key and rang the bell instead. Unless he knew he wouldn’t be interrupting them. Linc’s car in the driveaway had indicated he’d been safe to enter today. He had no desire to walk in on Xander and Sasha doing shit he didn’t need to see.
“Dash! I didn’t know you were here, too.” Sasha flowed into the kitchen because that’s what his brother’s fiancée did. She glided across a room like the actress she was. Good thing she was down-to-earth, too.
“Hello, beautiful.” He winked at her and caught Xander’s glare.
Dash had every reason to suck up to Sasha. He’d crossed a line with Cassidy, Sasha’s best friend and former personal assistant, despite both Xander and Sasha warning him against making a move. Things between them had escalated out of control after Sasha had been hurt by her stalker. Cassidy had needed a shoulder to cry on, and Dash had been admittedly struck dumb from the first time he’d laid eyes on her.
He’d acted with his dick and all his other body parts that were drawn to the California girl. Their one night had blown his mind, and even for a guy who’d had more than his share of women, that was a huge understatement.