(Lost in Oblivion #2)
Publication date: December 2nd 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis:
He’s always saved her. Now she’s going to return the favor…
Gray Duffy never thought he’d end up as the co-lead guitarist of Oblivion, one of the hottest rock bands in the country. Even better? He’s sharing the experience with his best friend, Jazz. Since the day she’d showed up as his family’s new foster kid, Gray has protected her. Loved her. And not just platonically either. After all these years of wanting her in his bed, he still doesn’t know what it would be like to have her mouth on his.
Except for that one time. The time he’d shared her with Nick. The best worst night of his life.
Now they’re living their dream. They’re making music together and spending every waking moment trapped in tight quarters. With success at their fingertips, the time is right for him to finally make his move toward the woman he needs.
He just never figured he would lose control. Or that she would find out.
They’ve loved each other through everything. But what if this time love just isn’t enough?
Gray Duffy never thought he’d end up as the co-lead guitarist of Oblivion, one of the hottest rock bands in the country. Even better? He’s sharing the experience with his best friend, Jazz. Since the day she’d showed up as his family’s new foster kid, Gray has protected her. Loved her. And not just platonically either. After all these years of wanting her in his bed, he still doesn’t know what it would be like to have her mouth on his.
Except for that one time. The time he’d shared her with Nick. The best worst night of his life.
Now they’re living their dream. They’re making music together and spending every waking moment trapped in tight quarters. With success at their fingertips, the time is right for him to finally make his move toward the woman he needs.
He just never figured he would lose control. Or that she would find out.
They’ve loved each other through everything. But what if this time love just isn’t enough?
Excerpts:
One:
Two:
Three:
Goodreads: https://www.
One:
Jazz frowned.
Splitting up the band? What the hell?
Deacon lumbered to
his feet. “What is that supposed to mean? You can’t split us up. That’s not
your call to make.”
One of Lila’s pale
blonde eyebrows lifted. “Oh, you’d be surprised what calls I can make, Mr.
McCoy. However, in this case, you misunderstand me. I’m not splitting up the
band.” A hint of a smile crept across her mouth. “For long.”
“I’ve had enough
of this shit for one night. Call us back when you’re done speaking in riddles.”
Nick shoved out of his chair and had made it halfway to the door when Lila
barked out a command.
“Sit. All of you.
And listen with the things on the side of your head instead of the big gaping
maws under your noses.”
Jazz sniffled and
tried to discreetly run her thumbs under her eyes. Simon bumped his chair into
hers then slid his arm around her shoulders, giving her an excuse to lean into
his embrace. After the near band breakup a couple of months ago, things weren’t
the same between her and Simon anymore, but she wasn’t about to fight that
battle right now. She was tired of fighting to hold on to the pieces of her
life.
It was nice, just
now, to be held.
Her gaze connected
with Nick’s across the table. His Adam’s apple bobbed in the stubbled column of
his throat but he didn’t look away.
After tonight, she
had a feeling he was willing to hold her too, in a much different way than
Simon or Deak. Somehow he still was, even after that mess that had been the
threesome with Gray.
And what was
stopping her from taking that comfort if it was offered? Why shouldn’t she feel
good too?
Because
he’s not who you want and it’s not fair to either one of you to settle.
God, she hated
that reasonable voice in her head sometimes. All the time lately.
“When I said I
intend to split the band up, I meant temporarily. For the ultimate good of
Oblivion.”
“Should we pull
our pants down and bend over now or should we wait?”
Jazz tried not to
smile at Nick’s question but Simon choking his laughter into her hair didn’t
help. Deak, on the other hand, sat stoic, stone-faced to the end. He was the
best negotiator of all of them and wouldn’t concede even a smile until he knew
what Lila had in mind.
Jazz had to admire
him for that, just as she admired him for managing to build a family in the
middle of the craziness that was life for a new band on the road. If a little
envy snuck in there from time to time, she figured that was natural. Harper
would be starting to show soon. Hell, she was already glowing. They both were,
Deak in a much more mansterly way, of course. They were new too, their
marriage, their life together. But they were a unit.
She wanted that so
fucking bad.
Kinda crazy that
she’d achieved the dream of being in a semi-famous band but the one of settling
down with a husband and family seemed to get farther away by the day. Not just
any husband. It would always be Gray for her. Always.
Lila sent Nick a
withering look. “Please, don’t drop trou on my account. I’m not sure my heart
could take the thrill. Now if we can continue…”
Jazz blinked away
the renewed prickling in her eyes and tried to focus on Lila. “Shouldn’t we
discuss this when Gray’s here?”
“I intended to do
just that until he split when Granny fell ill. Unless you can get him back here
in the next ten, we proceed without him.”
“No,” she whispered.
“He’s gone.”
Finally.
Gray pushed his
hands into Jazz’s crazy braids. Her soft mouth tasted of rum. Of everything
he’d ever wanted and told himself he shouldn’t take.
Before now.
He tried not to
rush, to let the moment spin out naturally. But when she moaned and parted her
lips, inviting his tongue inside, he couldn’t resist. He wrapped her hair
around his wrist, dragging her up off the stool until she was half standing
against him, her full breasts pressed to his chest. Her nipples imprinted his
flesh even through their clothes. She wanted this. Wanted him, even if it was
because she was a little tipsy and more than a little pissed. Her nails clawed
down his side as she sucked on his tongue with an urgency that matched his own.
Come
with me. Be with me.
The words clamored loudly in his head. He was so tired of fighting his feelings
for her. If it was wrong, if he’d go to hell for this, at least he’d take them
on a long, hot ride through heaven first.
He eased back a
fraction and dragged in a breath, already diving back down when the singe in
his nostrils registered. The moments before he’d walked into the bar flashed
through his mind in stark Technicolor.
Face close to a
mirror, eyes shut. Too many memories crowding his head until he inhaled, slow
and deep, and they all faded away. The high rushing through his veins, filling
the vast, empty spaces that had gone to rot inside him.
No. God, no. He
couldn’t let that filth touch her.
You’re
the filth.
He shut his eyes
and dug his fist into his forehead. Already the rush was receding, the edges of
his consciousness blurring as reality encroached. The warmth that had exploded
inside him from her kiss wouldn’t last long.
She’d been about
to kiss Nick when he showed up. Fucking Nick. That was the truth. More proof of what he’d never been able to
accept.
Jazz would never
be his. And now he’d made it so he didn’t even deserve her.
Her sleepy blue
eyes opened and she blinked, clearly confused why he’d stopped. Her lips were
swollen and wet. So wet. “Gray?”
His hand was still
embedded in her hair, fisting it at the root. He pulled it away, unsurprised
when a tangle of rainbow-streaked dark strands snarled in his fingers. He
must’ve hurt her. Again.
God, not again.
His gaze shot to
hers and he swallowed hard at the hazy desire reflected back at him. He’d never
been good enough for her, and he sure as hell wasn’t now.
“That’s enough.
Party’s over.” The sharp female voice cut through the crash of noise in his
head. He hadn’t even realized that the people around them had quieted. It was
still so loud in his brain. He pressed his fists against his ears and stumbled
away.
Right into a
coolly furious Lila.
Curves.
So many curves. Jazz was like a living G-clef made out of flesh and flawless
diamond-crushed skin. The ruby red tips of her breasts peeked out from beneath
the waves of her white-blonde hair. Thanks to the spill of light from the
window, he could see that the same flush bloomed between her legs, beyond
enticing. It would be so easy to move forward and take. To just drown himself
in her until he couldn’t remember anymore why this was wrong.
“Jazz,”
Gray breathed, shutting his eyes to block out the torch-light of her beauty in
front of him. He couldn’t breathe through his want. Couldn’t think through the
haze of his need. And his love.
He
fucking loved her, and he’d fight not
to do this with every fiber of his being. She deserved more than a strung-out
bastard who’d turned to pot because he couldn’t get ahold of more coke. For
fuck’s sake, even his dealer wouldn’t return his calls.
Now
she was here, and he couldn’t get high enough not to feel each of the knives
carving him up inside.
“Gray,”
she said, equally soft. He didn’t open his eyes but her voice crept closer.
“Look at me.”
“No.”
The word burst from him on an exhale. “No.”
Her
hand touched his bare chest and he jolted as if she’d set off a stick of
dynamite. Her chuckle rubbed over his nerve endings, sandpaper and silk, and he
struggled to hold back a shudder. Only the steel beam he’d shoved in his spine
held him upright.
“Back
when I used to get high, it’d lower my inhibitions,” she continued. “It made me
excited. I know it’s supposed to relax you, but it had a different effect on
me.”
He
focused on each of her words on its own, so he couldn’t take them all together
and feel their impact. He couldn’t let her do this. The man she was trying to
seduce might’ve been worthy of her a year ago. He hadn’t believed it fully then
either but he knew without doubt that he wasn’t now.
“As
if you ever had inhibitions,” he muttered, unable to summon the strength to
raise his voice. All his blood had rerouted to his cock. All his air was
fueling his starving cells. He could only not inhale for so long. But if he
did, he’d smell her again, watermelon and sugar, and he’d be finished.
“Oh,
you’d be surprised. I’ve wanted you for years. And I haven’t done one damn
thing to let you know.” She started circling him, her body brushing against
his. Hip to thigh, thigh to ass. Her fingers trailed from his chest to his arm
to his back, sensual feathers of sensation that made his balls clench so tight
he feared any movement would send him over the edge. “But I will tonight.”
He
gritted his teeth. “You can’t. You don’t know me anymore. You don’t understand
what you’re getting into.”
That
made her stop. Her fingers pressed into his lower back as she processed his
words.
Please, make them be enough.
She
completed her loop around him and hooked her fingers in the front of his jeans.
He groaned at the slide of skin on skin. He heard her inhale before the wisps
of her breath kissed his mouth. “So show me.”
Hope you enjoy this deleted scene
that didn’t make it into the final manuscript of TWISTED! J
Gray reclined in his seat, kicking
out his legs as far as he could in the SUV’s back seat. It was one of those
monster, tricked out ones like he still drove occasionally for Elite Transport,
though that was mostly out of a sense of loyalty than anything else. It wasn’t
like he needed the money anymore.
Or the access to blow.
As one of the co-lead guitarists of
Oblivion, one of the biggest up-and-coming bands around—according to their
press kit—he could get anything he wanted pretty much as soon as the thought
occurred. Drugs, expensive alcohol, cheap girls. Those in particular were
everywhere. A snap of a finger and he could have two in his lap.
Well, not right now. He was crammed
in with his band, their manager and their driver in an Escalade zooming up Sepulveda
Boulevard. There wasn’t any room in here for women.
He cast a quick glance to his right
to their drummer. She sat with her knees drawn up to her chest as she bobbed
her head to the music coming through her headphones. Aqua and sapphire blue striped
hair waved down her back in time with her movements and sparkling bangle
bracelets caught the passing sunlight every time she tapped her fingers against
her thigh.
That particular woman didn’t count.
Even when she counted for too much.
He dragged his jacket over his face
and tried to block out the voices around him. Too many voices. Before the past
year, it had been a long time since he’d been in the middle of chaos, and now
it was his daily reality.
Oblivion was on its way to another media
thing at some big ass radio station in LA. That meant a couple of hours of
standing around, waiting for their turn. Questions, photos, lots of acting
fake. Maybe if he was lucky he’d get to strum his guitar on command and talk about
the new single that was about to drop. Anything was better than muttering about
his “songwriting process” and “if it was true what they said about guitarists
in rock bands.” That usually meant some lewd joke about how fast he could get a
woman off, which he’d answer with a cocky laugh while pretending he wasn’t mentally
stabbing the deejay.
He loved music. It had saved him, was
still saving him every goddamn day. What he didn’t love? The press. Talking too
much. Anything that wasn’t, yanno, actually playing his freaking songs.
Smothering a yawn from under his
jacket, he turned his cheek and tried to get a few minutes sleep. He’d been
blessed with the ability to drop off anywhere anytime and that skill had come
in very handy during their weeks on the road. When he wanted to check out,
nothing stopped him.
Not even the song he’d written for
Jazz playing on the radio for the first time.
He went still, barely breathing as
the first frenetic notes of “Twisted” came out of the speakers. Everyone was
talking so loudly that they didn’t hear it at first. Simon yelled something
about needing a hamburger, and Deak tried to calm him down with promises to
stop at a fast food place soon. Nick interjected a comment about Simon loving
meat, especially the wet, pink kind. Jazz, happily oblivious, sung along to
Alanis Morisette on her headphones.
And layered beneath it all played the
words Gray had written the night he’d watched Jazz fuck another guy.
Everything
I do, it’s for you. You
don’t see it. Don’t feel it. I’m just the picture on the wall. The man you call. Maybe it’s your fault. Maybe
it’s mine.
We
got it twisted.
So
twisted.
The shouts turned to silence,
followed by loud whoops of laughter and cheers.
Hidden under his jacket, Gray
groaned. He’d known this day would come—the day when the whole world got to hear
him pour his heart out to the woman he’d loved since he was sixteen.
He just hadn’t been ready.
Would never be ready.
Goodreads: https://www.
Purchase:
Hi everyone! Thanks so much for stopping in to let me talk a
little bit about TWISTED. I’m Taryn Elliott and I co-write the Lost in Oblivion
series with Cari Quinn. We started this crazy idea thanks to our mutual
obsession with music. We both came up with individual ideas for musicians and
decided…hmmm. Well, that’s stupid. We work well together already as critique
partners. Oh, and we’re best friends.
Why aren’t we doing a project together again?
Now the danger, of course, is jumping into bed with your best
friend. In our case…trust and being co-chairs of our mutual admiration society
keeps us pretty happy. That and we have the truly eerie ability to read each
other’s mind. I kid you not—it could be a party trick at this point. It’s a
little crazy.
There’s a lot of different ways to do the co-authoring thing. Our process?
We both wanted to make music the actual focus of the series.
There’s a lot of different ways to do the co-authoring thing. Our process?
We both wanted to make music the actual focus of the series.
No, really. Music.
I know…this is a little shocking, but there are many rock star
romances out there that barely touch on the actual music making. AND we wanted
it to be a bit grittier than what we’ve seen out there in our e-readers.
With that in mind we make a loose outline of where we want to go with the series. And seriously, I do mean loose. Holy change of heading, Batman! Boy do we throw monkey wrenches in our stories! But instead of arguing about huge changes, or plots that run off the rails…we simply reassess and find that the story is actually better for it in the long run.
With that in mind we make a loose outline of where we want to go with the series. And seriously, I do mean loose. Holy change of heading, Batman! Boy do we throw monkey wrenches in our stories! But instead of arguing about huge changes, or plots that run off the rails…we simply reassess and find that the story is actually better for it in the long run.
The first book, SEDUCED, we wrote together. That book was a beast
of a different color in all ways. She was the character of Nick Crandall and I
was Simon Kagan. We alternated chapters and stayed strictly in our own
character’s point of view. That worked pretty well, but the alternating
chapters kind of stilted our writing a little bit. Oh and the introduction
novel became a whole different kind of love story. It wasn’t two characters
falling in love—it was a band forming, or…for all intents and purposes…falling
in love.
After we were finished with that book we knew we needed to focus
on the relationships we’d established in SEDUCED. So we decided to take on the
full novels and alternate writing that way.
I wrote ROCKED – Harper Pruitt and Deacon McCoy’s story this past
April.
Cari wrote TWISTED – Jazz Edwards & Grayson Duffy’s story
which comes out December 2nd.
I will take over again and write DESTROYED this upcoming spring –
Simon Kagan & Margo Reece’s story.
Then Cari will bookend the series with SHATTERED next winter –Nick
Crandall & Lila Shawcross’s love story.
In between, we also write novellas because we juuuuust can’t let
go of our characters. At this point, you’d think we were COMPLETLY sick of our
characters. 400 pages? Nahhh. I neeeeeeed more!
Then…don’t get us started on the spinoffs. This whole musical
world opened up so many different stories for us. If you saw our
storyboards and One Note files you’d weep. It’s a sickness. Oone that I NEVER
want a cure for. Cari and I will never be one of those writers that says, “I’m
out of ideas.”
Seriously…TOO many ideas are rambling around in our heads! And man…we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Seriously…TOO many ideas are rambling around in our heads! And man…we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Thanks so much for having us! And we hope you enjoy our next
installment of the Lost in Oblivion series, TWISTED!
Want to know a bit more about the super sexy Lost in Oblivion NA
rock star series? Taryn and I would love to share a bit about our boys – and
girl – from Oblivion. We kicked off the Lost in Oblivion series summer 2013
with the full-length intro, SEDUCED, and Deacon’s book, ROCKED, released in
April, followed up by ROCK, RATTLE and ROLL in July and now TWISTED in
December.
In honor of the festivities, lead guitarist Nick decided to
interview Deacon, bassist, peacemaker and all-around good guy with a streak of
dirty. ;) Hope you enjoy!
1) Nick: So tell the loyal readers of this blog something, Deak
- how the fuck did you get so BIG? Is it all the protein shakes, the obsessive
working out or just genes that made you look like you gnaw on your bass for a
bedtime snack?
Deacon: It takes double reps to deal with you idiots on the bus. Oh, and that's daily. So...you do the math, genius. *Deacon tosses medicine ball at Nick*
*Nick catches the 20lb exercise ball in the gut with a grunt* Okay, fine, this is about music, so we'll keep it about music. *winces slightly and tosses back* How'd you get so damn lucky to end up with such fine musicians, boy?
D: Is that what this is? luck? Well, I guess if I didn't have shit luck, I wouldn't have any at all. *smirks at Nick's raised brow* No, seriously. We were in the same neighborhood and I caught you and Simon on the pier playing for cigarette money. How many people our age know Bad Company and Sweet Child O' Mine? It was fate.
Deacon: It takes double reps to deal with you idiots on the bus. Oh, and that's daily. So...you do the math, genius. *Deacon tosses medicine ball at Nick*
*Nick catches the 20lb exercise ball in the gut with a grunt* Okay, fine, this is about music, so we'll keep it about music. *winces slightly and tosses back* How'd you get so damn lucky to end up with such fine musicians, boy?
D: Is that what this is? luck? Well, I guess if I didn't have shit luck, I wouldn't have any at all. *smirks at Nick's raised brow* No, seriously. We were in the same neighborhood and I caught you and Simon on the pier playing for cigarette money. How many people our age know Bad Company and Sweet Child O' Mine? It was fate.
2) Nick: The bass is pretty cool and all but guitar players do
it faster, you know. Did you ever want to swap out instruments and come at it
from a different direction? (huh, that sounded dirty...something I'm always
*up* for)
D: Perv. You're hanging with Simon too much.
Nick: He doesn't shut the hell up. Yaps all damn night through the bunk on the damn bus.
D: 3 words. Noise cancelling earbuds. *smothers a laugh* You're learning that withering glare thing from Jazz. Impressive. *Sits back on couch and stretches out legs* I'm good with the guitar, and I can play the piano, but the bass feels right. And when it comes to music it's all about what feels right.
3) Nick: My first concert experience was Pearl Jam back when I
thought wearing flannel made me look deep. What was yours? If you tell me
something with Bret Michaels, I'll fear for your mortal soul, just FYI.
D: First show I paid for my own ticket? or first show I snuck into?
D: First show I paid for my own ticket? or first show I snuck into?
Nick: Both.
D: I had a growth spurt at 12.
Nick: Color me shocked.
D: Hey, being six feet tall gets you into gigs. And drinks.
Nick: And girls.
D: Maybe. But the first show was The White Stripes. First paid one was at sixteen. That one I drank way too much trying to impress a girl.
D: I had a growth spurt at 12.
Nick: Color me shocked.
D: Hey, being six feet tall gets you into gigs. And drinks.
Nick: And girls.
D: Maybe. But the first show was The White Stripes. First paid one was at sixteen. That one I drank way too much trying to impress a girl.
Nick: How'd that work out?
D: Puke and Black Eyed Peas. What do you think?
Nick: Your puke?
D: The girl.
* Nick claps loudly as he laughs*
4) Nick: Why the hell do you care so much about keeping the peace? Don't you ever want to let loose with me and Pretty Boy when we whale on each other? *looks off-camera* Okay, fine, this is supposed to be a semi-serious interview so I'll change that question to: What kind of satisfaction do you find from melding the tempestuous personalities of the great musical geniuses you have in your midst? *smirks*
D: If I don't keep the peace then the chaos takes over. I'm not letting this band fall into chaos. Period. It means too much. Besides, if I let loose you'd need more than a Band-Aid like when you fight with Pretty Boy.
D: Puke and Black Eyed Peas. What do you think?
Nick: Your puke?
D: The girl.
* Nick claps loudly as he laughs*
4) Nick: Why the hell do you care so much about keeping the peace? Don't you ever want to let loose with me and Pretty Boy when we whale on each other? *looks off-camera* Okay, fine, this is supposed to be a semi-serious interview so I'll change that question to: What kind of satisfaction do you find from melding the tempestuous personalities of the great musical geniuses you have in your midst? *smirks*
D: If I don't keep the peace then the chaos takes over. I'm not letting this band fall into chaos. Period. It means too much. Besides, if I let loose you'd need more than a Band-Aid like when you fight with Pretty Boy.
5) Nick: So how do you feel about groupies? Also - what's your
preferred way to FEEL UP groupies? I mean, now that we actually have some. You
aren't really looking to get settled down right when we've finally hit the
jack-off jackpot, are you? (I heard a rumor. No, of course I don't pay
attention to gossip mags. Unless they have dirt on Simon - then it's ALL true.)
D: Settled down isn't a bad thing. A new woman in my bed or my bunk...or if you're Simon, whatever closet is available...isn't my bag. I like knowing just where to touch my girl and learning all the things that make her tick or make her sigh. I like seeing that same smile spread just for me. The same woman isn't a bad thing, bro. Not at all. The groupie deal is way overrated.
…See what I mean? Deacon’s a good guy
who isn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to win over the heart of his woman.
Which brings me to my question for the readers of this blog: do you like bad
boys or good guys? Tell us why! All commenters who leave their email address
will be entered to win a signed copy of SEDUCED plus some fun swag. So comment
away! And happy one year anniversary to Tempting Reads—hope you all have a
great ROCKTOBER! J
Want to keep up with the band? Visit www.lostinoblivion.com
Visit Cari Quinn at www.cariquinn.com
and Taryn Elliott at www.tarynelliott.com
AUTHOR BIOS:
Though she also fires up her computer as a graphic designer, proofreader and editor, she can't resist the lure of disappearing into a world of her own creation. Now she gets to pen sexy romances for a living and routinely counts her lucky stars.
The only thing she loves more than writing is hearing from readers! Please contact her through one of the ways below.
http://cariquinn.com/
She loves talking to readers, so if you’d like to reach her, please visit her website: tarynelliott.com and sign up for her newsletter, or drop her a line at: taryn@tarynelliott.com.
Blitz-wide giveaway (US & Canada)
- A signed copy of Rocked (book 1)
- Lost in Oblivion swag and a guitar ornament
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