Read Hawk and Dove (Rock Star Romance Novel) for Free Online

could
borrow my tent, but I’d like to break it in myself. You understand.”
    The girl opens her mouth to reply, but as her wide eyes
focus on me, the words fall right out of her mouth and into the air. I smile,
not without a bit of sadness, as recognition sweeps over her face. It was nice,
watching her move across the grassy plain without self-consciousness. People
tend to close themselves off around me, become versions of themselves. It’s
always such a pity.
    But as I keep my eyes trained on her face, the moment
passes. Her body shakes off its knowledge of my celebrity, right before my
eyes. There’s no shift, there’s no facade that goes up. She smiles at me as
herself—now I’m the one that’s speechless.
    “You’re Trent Parker,” she says simply, taking a step toward
me.
    “That’s right,” I say, offering my hand. She stops short,
and I realize what an awkward gesture it is to offer a handshake at a music
festival. But she’s a good sport about it. She places her hand in mine and
shakes firmly. She’s strong, but pretending to be a little stronger than she really
is. Compensating, just a little. My skin smarts as she takes her hand back—the
contact was too brief. A sudden, hot longing for her stabs me between the ribs.
I’ve always been a sucker for stubborn girls.
    “I’m Ellie,” she says, “This is Mitch.”
    Mitch glares at me, not too pleased about having Ellie take
over the proceedings. Whatever they are, anyway. I wave cheerfully,
infuriatingly, at Mitch—his cheeks light up with every shade of red you can
imagine.
    “Can I help you two with something?” I ask, “You need a
mediator?”
    “What? Oh, no,” Ellie laughs. Her laugh is rough, clumsy,
not at all the practiced little trill I’m so used to hearing in LA. There’s
something genuine about her—not wholesome, certainly not naive, but kind of
unpracticed. She must be new to the music scene. No one stays this interesting
for long in our business.
    “Are you looking for your campsite?” I ask. “I don’t really
know my way around.”
    “That’s the, uh, thing,” she says, grinning sheepishly,
“You’re sort of...in our spot.”
    I look around at my tent and gear, the little kingdom I’ve
set up for myself. Ellie points at a numbered marker in the ground, a feature
of the landscape I just now notice.
    “Oh,” I say, disappointed, “Sorry about that.”
    “It’s OK,” she says, “We don’t have a lot of stuff. We could
probably share.”
    “Isn’t that your bus?” Mitch asks flatly, “Do you really
need an entire extra site? Consumerist bullshit—”
    “Would you stop it?” Ellie hisses.
    “It’s fine,” I laugh, “I don’t know who I was kidding,
setting all this up. You guys just go ahead and set up. I’ll get everything
cleared away.”
    Out of the corner of my eye I see Ellie shoot Mitch a look.
He stalks on back to the car to get their things. She watches me quietly as I
start to break down my stuff. I can feel myself performing for her, turning all
my best angles her way, tensing the muscles in my arms more than necessary. I
know I’m preening, but I can’t stop myself. She’s not the type of girl I
usually pursue, but she’s the kind that never fails to catch my eye.
    “Sorry about that,” she says, “He’s just annoyed that we’re
here in the first place.”
    “So’s my manager, if it makes you feel better,” I tell her.
“So, are you two a band or something?”
    “Yeah,” she says, “Ellie & Mitch.”
    “That’s your band’s name?” I ask.
    “Sure,” she says, a little defiantly. I like her more every
minute.
    “I can’t say I’ve heard of you,” I tell her honestly.
    “No one has,” she shrugs, “We won the New Voices contest is
all.”
    “Aha,” I say, “Well, congratulations.”
    “Thanks,” she says, grinning, “I’ve heard a thing or two
about you, you know.”
    “Do tell?” I smile, straightening up, “What’s your first
impression, now that