CupidRocks

Cupid Rocks

Francesca
Hawley

When her parents’ rock band The
Pack performs at a bar, Mandy discovers her True Mate, Joe Blackwolf, the
band’s lead singer and guitarist. All she has to do now is convince Joe that
she told a little white lie to make her mom happy, convince her father that
rock musicians aren’t all alike, and convince her new mate’s family that
rockers aren’t all that different from classical musicians.

Joe Blackwolf is celebrating his
fortieth birthday. And what he wishes for when he blows out the candles is to
find his True Mate. He succeeds when he meets Mandy Goldwolf. At first, he
believes her mated to someone else. Finding out the truth leaves him free to
explore every inch of her smokin’ hot curves, but Joe and Mandy are neck-deep
in overbearing relatives and everyone is in for a rockin’ Valentine’s Day.

A
Romantica®
paranormal erotic romance
from Ellora’s Cave

Cupid Rocks

Francesca Hawley

Chapter One

Mandy Goldwolf squeezed one of Zach Blackwolf’s perfect,
firm ass cheeks. He whipped around ready to cuss her out then shook his head.

“I should have known it was you. Shit, where the hell have
you been?”

“What’s the problem? They’re here, aren’t they?”

“Yeah. Shouldn’t they be? If they miss gigs, you should have
told me before I agreed to sign them.”

“They don’t miss gigs…ever…but they’re notorious for being
late for setup. Believe me, I remember well.”

“From growing up?”

“And after.” Mandy shook her head thinking of all the rushed
setups back in the days she used to tour with the band.

“You performed with them?”

“A long, long time ago.”

“So why not now?”

“I got tired of the travel.” Which was true enough, but it
wasn’t the reason she quit. She briefly closed her eyes as she felt the
familiar stage fright tighten her belly…and her throat. Mandy took a deep
breath. She didn’t have to worry about that now. And hadn’t for more than ten
years.

Zach studied her, then shook his head. “Well, lateness
wasn’t an issue. They were like an hour and a half early.”

“So what’s the problem, Zach? Hell, you may have to start
turning people away. It’s going to be a good Saturday night haul for you.”

Mandy looked around the bar. It was already full and nearing
capacity. He was going to do some good business tonight…just like she told him.
Her parents’ rock band, The Pack, had a following.

“Business isn’t the problem. Your mother is.”

“She usually is. What did Carly do now?”

“She breezed in the door, walked over and drew me into a
preemptive hug. Then she gave me a smacking kiss on the cheek.”

“Well, Carly’s like that.” Mandy shook her head at his
aggrieved tone. What was the big deal and when had Zach gone drama on her? He
was straight for God’s sake.

“That wasn’t the bad part. After she kissed me, she leaned
back, her face full of wide-eyed innocence and said,” his voice went up an
octave and he took on Carly’s southern drawl, “‘Welcome to the family, Zach
honey. When are you going to make me a Granny?’”

“She was just kidding, Zach.” Mandy laughed at his dead-on
impression of her mother.

“No, she wasn’t. She was fucking serious. Damn it, Mands, I
can’t handle that kind of pressure. I’ll crack and tell her the truth.”

“Don’t roll over on me, Zach.”

She gave him a conciliatory hug. He’d always been a lousy
liar, but he had to back her on this one. Carly would never let her live this
down. Damn, that’s what she got for buddying up to principled, yet hunky
wolves.

“I’m really not sure about this one, Mandy. I mean—”

“It’s only for a little while.”

“You said they were taking off
several weeks
to do
some recording.”

“Yeah, I know but you don’t have to hang out the entire
time.”

“They’ll expect me to hang out with them. How do I get out
of it?”

“You run a business and have to spend time here. They won’t
think anything of it.”

“Bullshit! Your dad asked me why we aren’t living together
now.”

“I explained to Carly that you have your own place right
next door.”

“They didn’t like it. Your dad asked if I was some kind of
whelp who lets my bitch decide when we do it. I mean, he’s your
dad
.”

Mandy shook her head. “Eddie has also been in a rock band
since he was twenty. Sex, drugs and rock & roll, ya know?”

“No, I don’t. I guess the only good thing about me is that
I’m
not
a musician. When your mother kidded him about your last lover,
he got livid.”

“Yeah, he didn’t think much of Rik.”

“You’re talking about Rik Laughlin, aren’t you? The lead
singer of The Wolfmen?”

“That’s him.”

“Was he a jerk?”

“No, he’s a good guy but he’s a musician. Plus Rik is kind
of fickle and since Eddie already seems to think musicians are a bad deal
anyway…” She shrugged. “Eddie shredded him like Rik was a guitar and Eddie was
on stage. Rik didn’t like it.”

“I can relate.” Zach shook his head. “Your dad liked the
fact that I owned a business.”

“He thinks steady income is a good thing. Sometimes Eddie’s
a total Neanderthal.”

“Steady income
is
a good thing.”

“I know, but Eddie just has an attitude. Always has.”

“This is
so
not going to work, Mands.”

“How long have we known one another?”

“Three years.”

“Yeah. You’ve been my heat buddy for over a year and my best
friend ever since you moved in. We can
do
this.”

“Babe, you owe me big. Soooooo big it’s gonna take me years
to figure out what you could possibly do to pay me back.”

“Yeah, I know.” If only Carly hadn’t been so adamant about
meeting her mate. Lying had been a reflex to put her mother off the trail. She
looked around. “So where are they?”

“In the dressing room backstage. They practiced a bit during
setup and did a sound check. The Blackwolf on lead guitar is really good.”

“Joe? He’s new. Well, relatively.” Mandy shrugged, smoothing
down her skirt. “He joined the band about a year and a half ago. Red found his
True Mate and dropped out.”

“He was a Redwolf, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Red
Redwolf?”

“Not very original, but Red wasn’t really an original guy.
Good singer though. I wonder what the new wolf is like.”

“Great guitar player, excellent singer. Haven’t you met
him?”

“No, they haven’t played in the area in a while. Carly and
Eddie would roll through on the way to a gig, but I haven’t even met the new
lead.”

“Well, I guarantee this crowd is gonna love him.”

“Why?”

“Cause he’s pretty hot.”

“Zach, are you
sure
you’re straight?”

“Yup, I was informed of his hotness by two of my waitresses.
Their only complaint was that he was a hot
old
guy.”

“
Old
? Carly said he was only turning forty this year.
That’s not old.”

“It’s old when you’re in your early twenties. I’ve got to
start employing older waitstaff. They make me feel like a dirty old wolf
whenever I give ‘em the eye.”

“Then quit giving them the eye.”

“Hell no.” Zach snorted. “The day I don’t give a hot chick
the eye will be the day they bury my body in the cold, cold ground.”

God, she loved him. Why couldn’t he have been the right one?
But he wasn’t, and they both knew it. She just hoped Carly didn’t figure it
out.

* * * * *

Joe looked in the mirror and ran a hand over his jaw. His
face was as smooth as he could make it given his heavy beard, so he rinsed his
razor and set it on the sink to dry. He looked good…for forty. Forty. Shit.

“Are you about done in there, birthday boy?” Carly called
through the door.

“Yeah. I’ll be out in a minute.”

Forty and what did he have to show for it? Last year they’d
been out on the road for three hundred days. He had no mate. No pups. He was
just old and wrecked. What the hell was he doing? He groaned when someone
banged on the door again.

“C’mon, man.” Tom Whitewolf, the band drummer, pounded on
the door. “I’ve been drinking coffee all night. I’ve gotta piss before I hit
the stage.”

Joe straightened his jacket and lifted his chin. Forty
wasn’t dead. Two of the young wolf bitches working the bar tonight had whistled
at him. He was still hot. He shook off his sense of gloom and opened the door,
wincing at the bright light of the main room compared with the dim bathroom. He
blinked his eyes to adjust.

“We thought you’d never come out. Come on, hon. Blow out
your candles.”

A cake. They’d made him a cake. With candles—a four and a
zero. His last band didn’t even know when his birthday was and they would have
been more likely to call him an old man than bake him a cake. Joe grinned.
Changing bands eighteen months ago was the best move he’d made in a long time.
It was much better to be the “baby” of the group than the old man.

“At least you didn’t try to light forty candles,” he joked.
“We’d have the fire marshals in here.”

“Hey, watch that kinda talk, man. My last cake had sixty on
it. Fucking huge cake, too.” Eddie Goldwolf assured him, his arm around Carly’s
shoulder.

“Eddie,
must
you swear?” His mate frowned at him.

“Yes, Carly honey, I must.” He tugged his True Mate close to
plant a kiss on her laughing mouth. “Blow out the candles, Joe”

Joe leaned forward and took a deep breath.

“Don’t forget to make a wish.” Sharon Whitewolf, Tom’s True
Mate and the band’s bassist, ordered.

I wish to meet my True Mate this year. A pup on the way
would be nice too.
He blew out his candles then he opened his eyes.

“So what did you wish for?” Carly asked.

“I’m not telling or it won’t come true. Thanks for the
cake.” He hugged Carly and Sharon. “Come on, we need to tune up. We’re due on
stage in ten.”

It didn’t take them long to tune guitars and then they were
ready. Already Joe could feel the adrenaline kick in. The edge of performing.
He took a deep breath. If he ever doubted why he stayed on the road, this
answered all his questions. The rush of excitement fired his blood as they
lined up backstage.

“A full house,” Eddie murmured.

“Good.” Joe nodded.

He loved playing to a packed house. Every so often a loud
laugh filtered back to where they waited in the wings, but mostly the sound
reminded him of the rumble of the ocean crashing on rocks. Ebb and flow. He
fingered his beloved Les Paul Gibson. His father gave him this guitar when he
went on the road with his first band…God, twenty years ago. He shook his head.
He caressed the fine wood body. This guitar was his oldest, best friend and
tonight he’d make it sing.

Carly nudged him when the bar owner mounted the stage to introduce
them. This was it. He closed his eyes as the cheers started. All he needed to
do was find one lady in the crowd to flirt with from the stage. Just one and he
was set. He owned the room when the females started to scream.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for joining us here tonight.
Are you ready to rock?” The crowd roared. “I don’t hear you…” Again, they
roared. Louder. People pounded the tables. Yeah, they were ready and so was he.

“C’mon, Zach. Just get ‘em out here to play!” Someone in the
crowd yelled.

The bar owner laughed. “All right. Without further delay,
here they are—The Pack. Let’s hear it for them!”

They ran to their places on the stage, hooking up to the
amps. Tom counted them off and Joe set the tone with the opening riffs of
Sweet
Child of Mine
. Eddie and Sharon joined in while Carly added keyboards. Joe
stepped to the mike and he was in the zone. Immediately. God, it felt good. He
threw a grin Eddie’s way and got a wink in return.

Joe started to sing and finally noticed the crowd who filled
the dance floor in front of the stage. They bounced to the music like a human
wave breaking on shore. Where was she? His muse. The flash of a camera drew his
gaze and he saw her, camera in hand taking shot after shot of the band. He
winked at her and she laughed. He’d found her. Not very tall, but blonde,
stacked and curvy. His favorite kind of female—a big girl. Plus sized. Sweet T
& A.

Joe played for all he was worth and her eyes lit up while
she snapped away with the camera. He stepped back to let Eddie take the lead on
the next song, enjoying the give and take. It was just like jamming, except
with an audience to share the fun.

The blonde angel stayed near the stage during the first set.
Joe couldn’t take his eyes off her. This was more than the usual muse for a
night. He wanted her. Bad. And the way she watched him…it looked mutual. She
leaned forward and licked her lips every time their eyes met. Females had a
certain look when they wanted to fuck him. He’d had enough groupies through the
years to know the look. With that camera, she wasn’t the usual “groupie” kind
of chick though. Reporter? He hoped not. She didn’t look officious or objective
enough for the press. She was young, but not so young that it creeped him out.
Still, she was young enough to stroke his ego. Especially tonight.

He set out to flirt with his angel. They always played three
long sets to rev up the crowd all the way to close. The band carefully built
the first set, raising the energy in the room. The more excited the crowd, the more
likely they’d stay for the rest of the evening. The longer the crowd stayed,
the more money they spent, and the happier the venue owner was. More
importantly, the longer they stayed, the longer he could play. At the peak of
energy, the crowd screamed and stomped their feet. The band closed the set and
asked everyone to stay around for the next one.

Joe climbed down from the stage while he searched for his
blonde. She was alone at her table, but she glanced over at him. He smiled.
Fierce and hungry. She blushed but she smiled back. Time to make a move.

“Am I dead, angel? Cause you look like you’re straight from
heaven.”

“That has to be the worst line I’ve ever heard,” Mandy
laughed, looking up into warm brown eyes. She shivered as he settled into the
chair beside her.

“Maybe, but it made you laugh.” He took her hand. “Can I buy
you a drink?”

Joe waved over a waiter and ordered for them without once
releasing her hand. She could feel the rough calluses guitar playing had
created on his fingers, but they turned her on.
He
turned her on.

This was
Joe
? “Good ole Joe” as Eddie called him. He
was neither good nor old. No. He was gorgeous…and talented. Zach wasn’t kidding
when he’d said this Blackwolf was a great guitarist and singer. For the first
time since Carly bugged her, she wished with all her might she hadn’t lied
about Zach being her mate. Zach might be handsome, but Joe made her throb in
places that hadn’t throbbed in all of her thirty-five years.