Loving Link Read online

  Loving Link

  Love and Music Book 2

  T.D. Hassett

  Published 2013

  ISBN: 978-1-62210-044-6

  Published by Liquid Silver Books, imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana 46235. Copyright © Published 2013, T.D. Hassett. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Manufactured in the United States of America

  Liquid Silver Books

  http://LSbooks.com

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Blurb

  Can two artists salvage true love out of the unexpected consequences of one night of passion?

  Link Jacks is done with women and determined to focus solely on music and rock-band Becket’s upcoming album. He’s been living as a marketing-prop bad-boy rock star for so long he doesn’t remember who he really is anymore. Not until he meets Madison, the emotionally guarded and theoretically off-limits younger sister of his best friend’s wife.

  Madison just wants to get her fledgling tattoo career off the ground and stop relying on the generous charity of her wealthy brother-in-law to get by. She knows she should never get involved with the likes of Link but his presence is downright intoxicating. Her indiscretion will lead to Internet sex video and media frenzy. Their one wild night of passion will have scandalous repercussions and force each of them to confront their inner fears and emotional demons.

  .

  Dedication

  To Ava.

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to acknowledge the patient support and advice of my editors and the staff at Liquid Silver Books. In addition, I wholeheartedly appreciate the encouragement and interest of Richard, Carrie, Lori, William, Pat, and Steve—all of you had to listen to endless plot twists and name changes while I labored away on this series. Thank you all.

  Chapter 1

  Link reclined on the overstuffed chaise of his Beverly Hills hotel room and took a long swig from a near-empty bottle of Southern Comfort. It was so mild there was barely a burn as the liquor went down. He glanced over at the two naked women contorting on the king-sized bed. Not that long ago he would have been all over two hot chicks getting it on for his amusement. Tonight, it just depressed him. He had picked up the two college co-eds at an acoustic jam he’d performed earlier in the evening. The girls were all over each other at the bar, putting a show on for everyone. He was bored, so thought why the hell not, and started chatting them up. Once he got them back to his hotel room things just went south. With a vacant expression, he watched the girls kissing and stroking each other. They were hot—big tits, streaky blonde hair, and young, nubile bodies—but tonight it just wasn't doing anything for him. Whatever, I’ll get myself another room for the night. The press had already photographed him getting into the car with two sexy women. That should keep the gossipmongers happy for a while.

  Link placed his bottle on the nearby table and staggered to his feet.

  “Have fun girls. I gotta catch a shower,” he slurred over his shoulder.

  They mewled their disappointment but then went back to sucking on each other’s tits. Fabulous.

  He stumbled into the spacious bathroom, and then shut and locked the door. No sense taking chances with two practically unknown girls in the next room. Bracing his hands on the vanity, he looked into the giant mirror and didn't like the person he saw staring back at him. Who had he become?

  He was still good-looking. At thirty, he still had his short, spiky, dark hair, soulful brown eyes, and smooth skin. Link was just over six feet tall with a lean, muscular build, pierced nipples, and inked skin that was the usual uniform of a musician. Years of long nights counting off too many bottles of booze with too many women had shredded his soul but not his appearance. He still had the sexy look of a dark angel—that sinful look had brought him almost as much fame as his guitar-playing with super group Becket these last nine years.

  Ahh, shit. He missed Thomas. His bandmate and best friend was all the way across the country living in New York City with his nine-year-old son and his now-pregnant wife, Isabel. Thomas had called him about the passing of his wife's father. He'd been thinking about putting in an appearance at the funeral. Why not go back to New York City? Besides, he didn’t need to be in L.A. anymore; he’d finished the studio work on his side project and now was just waiting for the engineers to do their bit. He enjoyed California, but New York City was his home. That's where he would be recording Becket's sixth studio album, and he was looking forward to it.

  Chapter 2

  Madison

  Madison sat, forlorn and tired, in her first-class window seat. She was flying from London to JFK on a morning flight, relief and anxiety pulsing through her veins. She would miss the old-world feel of England, the market stalls, and of course the College of the Arts that she attended as a study abroad student this past year. But it was time for bittersweet change. She'd recently ended her affair with her history professor, Robert. It had been nice, but he’d gotten too needy and wanted more than she could comfortably give. She wasn’t interested in making commitments; she knew how much falling in love could hurt a woman. Besides, she needed to stay focused on her dreams. Those dreams did not include being with someone who wanted to make her into someone she wasn’t.

  Isabel’s call the day before had almost been a relief. The semester was basically wrapped up; she’d already finished and submitted her portfolio. Her plans were set. Leaving a week early wasn’t a huge deal. She’d been organizing her portfolio when her half sister called.

  “Maddie, it’s Izzy. Can you come back to New York right away?” she’d asked, her voice shaking with repressed sobs.

  “Izzy, what’s wrong? Is it the baby?” Madison questioned, fearing the answer.

  “No, everything’s okay with this pregnancy, but my dad passed away last night and I just need some more family around. I know I’m being a baby about it; he’s been practically in a vegetative state for the last nine years, but now that he’s really gone…” Isabel broke into sobs.

  The girls had different fathers, but they shared the same flighty mother, Susan. Madison had never known her own father, but it hadn’t mattered, because Isabel was the one who’d always been there for her. She hadn’t been home since the Christmas break, so her New York roommate sent her daily text updates with the countdown to finals. Prior to her trip to London, Madison attended New York University and shared a small apartment with her best friend, Darling. Isabel and Darling were the most important people in her life. She assured Isabel that she would be on the next flight to New York and quickly made arrangements.

  The sign lit up for seatbelts. Madison adjusted her lap belt and sighed. She'd learned so much about herself while living and studying in Europe. Most importantly, she learned that her dream was not to become a starving artist or a curator in some stuffy old museum. She wanted to become a master tattoo artist. Her plan was already in motion; she'd interned under a successful tattoo artist part time for the last six months. Now she was ready to take the next step and begin a full-fledged paid apprenticeship with a New York City master.

  Madison had sent her portfolio to a world-famous shop in New York City and was flabbergasted to have gotten an offer. She had done it all on her own, with no help from Izzy or Thomas. Cutting out a week early for the funeral wasn’t such a drag knowing that she’d landed a prime job with nothing but her own drive
and talent. She’d soon be working at the famous Times Square studio of Lori G, owner of All About Ink and tattoo artist to the stars. Madison was on her way. She couldn’t wait. The sound of landing gear lowering punctuated her thoughts.

  Chapter 3

  Sasha

  Sasha pushed around the brown rice and steamed vegetables on her plate with more force than necessary. She was practically seething with rage. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth settled into a sneer. Staring up at her from the cover of People Magazine was a picture of her ex-husband, rock legend Thomas Morgan, and his nobody of a wife, Isabel, surrounded by the rest of Becket. The headline read BABY ON BOARD, and the story was an emotional tale of the couple’s difficulties in achieving a pregnancy. A side bar juxtaposed lead guitarist Link Jack’s wild ways with Thomas’ domestic life. Sasha felt sick reading the warm fuzzy quotes Thomas gave about how he’d cried over their earlier failures to increase the size of their family. Where was he when she had been pregnant? There were no magazine covers of them, and she'd actually been somebody.

  Nine years ago Sasha had been at the top of the fashion model industry, gracing the covers of such magazines as Vogue, Elle, and Vanity Fair. She’d been the darling of Fashion Week for years. All that ended once she had the baby and Thomas divorced her. Granted, she had gotten pregnant sleeping with his brother Chris, but still, they had been a power couple. Didn’t he understand how this stuff worked?

  Sasha reached for her cigarettes and lit one up with a deep drag. She exhaled a long stream of smoke and gently tapped some ashes over her lunch plate. Whatever it took to control what she ate and keep the weight off. At twenty-nine years old she still looked fabulous. But time was not on her side, and her career had suffered. It was harder and harder to keep her weight in the right zone for work, and the stress was starting to show on her face. She hadn't had a major product endorsement in several years now and was surviving by doing mostly local fashion shows, infomercials, and catalogs. She’d even been desperate enough to accept a cruise ship job for two weeks. It was a fashion at sea event where she’d posed for pictures with tourists and hosted a dating-game show in the evenings. It had been horrific.

  Sasha looked out through her open French doors to see Francisco lounging around her pool. He had been just another one of her many mistakes. She had met him at a fashion shoot and thought he was one of the up-and-coming photographers. He was a photographer all right, but not the high-fashion photographer she’d thought he was. Francisco was much more about catalog shoots and doing principal videography on the occasional low-budget porn film. If he was at a high-fashion shoot, it was because he was assisting someone else or delivering some cocaine to the set. Unfortunately, she stumbled on this bit of intel just in time to figure out what a has-been and moocher he was. His only redeeming quality was that he could get some pretty high-end cocaine—something a woman fighting a few pounds here and there was always in need of.

  She watched him scratch his belly and noted with disgust his receding hairline. She snarled with self-loathing. What had happened to her life?

  Sasha reflected on her past as she stubbed out her smoke. She'd lost custody of her son Christopher four years ago and done a ninety-day stint in county lock up. Charges of possession, DUI, and risk of injury to a minor had not looked good either in the press or before the judge. She'd just been so mad at Thomas that day that she had driven stoned with her five-year-old in her Mercedes and hit a row of parked cars. She’d learned her lesson. She’d never get caught again; jail was hell on earth.

  She lit another cigarette and flicked some ash onto her leftover lunch, as she flipped through the copy of People Magazine at her elbow. Eyeing attractive candid shots of Paris Hilton and Dana Daughtry gave Sasha an idea. She would be on top again. She would find a way to get back into the public eye and pull her career out of the doldrums. She needed one incredible stunt that would make her look hot to a public always waiting for the next scintillating scandal.

  One leaked Webcam sex video could become an Internet sensation and go viral in no time. She just needed the right partner. It had to be somebody famous, hot, and known to be fabulous in bed. She had her standards after all. Fortunately, she knew just the cock for the job. Rock band Becket's own Link Jacks. Even better, he was her ex-husband's best friend and long time rhythm guitarist. Link was famous around the globe for his sexcapades and wild, bad-boy ways. Just the man who could get her all the media attention she'd need. And making a spectacle out of the band was just the icing on top of the cake. She owed Link some serious payback for what he had done to her.

  Chapter 4

  Madison

  Outside the airport, Maddie flagged down a waiting taxi and directed the driver to drop her at the Park Avenue apartment. She leaned back in the seat and watched the traffic and buildings through the window, listening to the comforting sounds of the city she had lived in on and off these last few years.

  Madison paid the driver upon arriving at Isabel and Thomas’ building. A uniformed doorman kindly made arrangements for her bag to be sent up and put her on the elevator to the penthouse. Classical music droned on hidden speakers, only interrupted when the doors slid almost silently open.

  Isabel stood in the hall waiting for her. Madison was shocked by the sight of how gaunt and tired her sister looked. Isabel had circles under her eyes and she looked pale and thin, barring the small bump of her baby belly. Obviously early pregnancy had not been an easy time.

  “Izzy, it's been too long! I haven't seen you in months,” Maddie said, leaning in to hug Isabel.

  “And you are a sight for sore eyes. You look fabulous. I love your hair longer. Wait till Christopher gets home from school and sees you.” Isabel welcomed her inside, her lips still curled up gently in a warm smile. “Let’s get your stuff into the guest room and then we can have some girl talk. I can’t wait to hear more about that professor you’ve been seeing."

  Maddie allowed herself to be hustled into the apartment. Crap. She hadn’t mentioned she broke things off with Robert. Izzy would start in on her. She was always warning her of the dire consequences of dating the wrong man. Her sister meant well, but her horrible experiences with men tended to color her perspective.

  Their mom’s love life had left permanent scars on Isabel and Madison’s psyches. Susan was always moving her from one place to the next in search of her next great love who would take care of them. The passion tended to fade quickly, and there would soon be another move to plan for. Isabel had been fortunate; her dad had mostly raised her. Maddie brought her attention back to the present.

  “How’s the pregnancy treating you?” Maddie asked. “You look a little under the weather.”

  “I'm so tired, but I can't sleep! All I want to do is throw up all the time, but at least feeling sick means I'm still pregnant and we haven't lost this one. My fingers are crossed. The blood work keeps coming back with higher and higher HCG counts." Isabel beamed, and her smile brightened up her whole young face.

  “Try to relax, Izz. I just know this is the one. I'm gonna be an auntie again really, really soon,” Maddie assured her.

  “Well, let's get you upstairs and settled in your room. I'm so glad you're going to be here with me. I realize you didn't know Jerry very well, but he’d been a dad to me—not the best—but at least he’d been there and it's been hard visiting him all these years in the convalescent home, not knowing how much of what I ever said he understood.” Isabel finished her sentence with teary eyes.

  “Oh, hell, at least you know that he's at peace now, and you've always been an awesome daughter. I'm glad I could be here for you, especially after all you and Thomas have done for me these years.” Maddie punctuated her words by wiping a stray tear from her sister’s face.

  The girls exchanged another quick embrace, and then Maddie was guided upstairs and into the guest room. It was a cheery room, with a big, fluffy white duvet over a large bed, but she wouldn’t feel at home until she settled back into her old apartment in th
e East Village.

  She wandered through the apartment in awe of the beauty of her sister's home. All open space and cathedral ceilings. It took up two floors of the building and had a gigantic balcony with a view out over the cityscape and parts of Central Park.

  Madison was determined to make her own way and not be a drain on her sister and brother-in-law for much longer.

  Chapter 5

  Link

  Oh, fuck. Goddamn commercial airlines. Link’s flight out of LAX to JFK had been delayed twice. He had tried switching planes, but by the time the airline got back to him with an alternative flight it was too late. He would never make it to the funeral on time.

  He had never met Isabel's father Jerry, but thought he should at least put in an appearance. It was his best friend’s father-in-law. Besides, he liked Isabel, and he could tell how happy she made Thomas. He wasn't the brooding, unhappy man he'd been after that train wreck of a marriage with Sasha. Oh well, Link would just have to make do with stopping by the post-service reception and paying his respects there. Maybe he and Thomas could work on a few things for the upcoming album later in the week. At least he was back in New York City, the place he loved best.

  New York City in late spring was fabulous; the weather was pleasant, and there was energy in the air that called to him. Even though he traveled a lot for his music, his home base was always New York. He would enjoy catching up with Thomas, writing some new songs, and visiting some friends.

  It was after four when the car service finally dropped him off in front of the joint where the mourners were gathered. He felt like a heel for not being there earlier, but at least he hadn’t told Thomas he would be attending, so it wasn’t like anyone had been expecting him.

  He entered and got the lay of the land. No mobs of paparazzi, so they had obviously kept a lid on Tommy being there, or any of the band for that matter. Mostly older people were in attendance, which made sense since Jerry was in his early sixties at the time of his death. The younger crowd must be acquaintances from Isabel’s former teaching job, but there were also a few suits from Canterbury Records no doubt trying to stay on Tommy’s good side. Link didn’t know Isabel’s family, but judging from what he remembered of the wedding there weren’t too many of them. Ah, time to do his duty and pay his respects.