Gauge
by Cara Nelson
Release Date: November 2014
New Adult/ 17+
Summary fron Goodreads:
Gauge Bronson has a simple rule:
never mix business with pleasure. As the lead singer and guitarist of
Provocative, he has his fair share of girls throwing themselves at him, but he
refuses to get involved with clingy groupies or women he works with. When
beautiful, beguiling Brynn joins the tour, though, he can't deny there's
something about her he finds irresistible. It's been a long time since a woman
didn't fawn over him. He'll have to keep his appetite in check and keep her at
a distance if he's going to remember that she's off limits.
Aspiring journalist Brynn Morgan has been given the chance of a lifetime to interview a rock band for a new magazine and launch her career. When she learns her assignment is the band Provocative, whose music she's never liked, any disappointment is overshadowed by her excitement and determination to write a killer story. Plus, the fact that she's not a fan will make it that much easier to keep things professional. One look at Gauge, though, and she feels an instant attraction to the cocky, tattooed rocker. But despite the sparks flying between them, she's got a job to do.
Aspiring journalist Brynn Morgan has been given the chance of a lifetime to interview a rock band for a new magazine and launch her career. When she learns her assignment is the band Provocative, whose music she's never liked, any disappointment is overshadowed by her excitement and determination to write a killer story. Plus, the fact that she's not a fan will make it that much easier to keep things professional. One look at Gauge, though, and she feels an instant attraction to the cocky, tattooed rocker. But despite the sparks flying between them, she's got a job to do.
As Brynn heads out on a world tour with the band and tries to get them to spill their secrets, the sizzling chemistry between her and Gauge becomes harder and harder to ignore…
Excerpt:
My eyes were burning from the visual. Raw, definitely uncensored, but something I didn't dare turn away from.
"Holy wow," Trinity said, "How is he even doing that, Brynn?"
I glanced at the YouTube video by ProVokaTiv, the 'in' group, and watched the lead singer and guitarist, Gauge Bronson, acting like a typical rock star-assuming that everyone would put up with whatever he dished out. From the looks of it, he was right.
"No class and so spastic…hot, but spastic. A guy like that would drive me nuts. If he has a girlfriend, she's patient," I said, shaking my head.
Jessie took a drink of her wine and set the glass down. "I could never trust him, but damn, girl, you are so lucky that you'll get to see how often this type of thing happens in person. I think you have the best internship ever. "
The ProVokaTiv band members were no more than veteran frat boys. I'd been focused on Gauge, the lead singer, but then I averted my gaze to what was happening in the background of the video. I could see Hunter Martinez, the band's bassist, with a girl on each side of him in the background, kicking back on a couch and going back and forth between the two.
"Ménageàtrois," Trinity said. "Hot."
"Would you ever do that?" I asked, turning to Trinity. Her black eyes had a gleam in them and she had a cheeky grin.
"Uh…no. I'm too greedy to share a guy I'm into with anyone," Trinity said, laughing.
"But look at that one," Jessie piped in. "What's his name again?"
"That's Simon Jefferson," I said, "the drummer."
"He's the best looking drummer I've ever seen," Jessie said, leaning in closer. "Come to think of it, he's the only drummer I've ever noticed."
"He was voted sexiest drummer this past year on Buzzfeed. Makes sense," I said.
Simon was standing in the back corner of the video. It was hard to see his exact expression, but his body language said quite a bit. He was surrounded by adoring fans, and you could see plenty of leggy girls in stilettos, swarming around him like piranhas ready to feast. He had his arms crossed, though, and leaned towards them just a bit. It was hard to tell if they cared about his inviting body posture-they were all but eating him up.
Gauge scattered the crowd around Simon, running and flailing towards a couch, sending it toppling backwards. Everyone on the couch flew back, their beers fountaining onto their faces.
"Wet t-shirt!" he shouted, pumping his fist into the air.
"Well, you can hear him," I said. I groaned as I watched their antics and glanced at my besties. "I'm not sure I can do this…it seems so out of my league."
"You'll be fine," Trinity said. "What are a few rowdy boys? You're always level-headed, and, well…practical. "
"Practical. Makes me sound matronly," I said, crossing my arms.
"I somehow doubt that The Rift would risk hiring someone they didn't think could do the job for their start-up issue," Trinity said. "You're travelling across the States and Europe for free all summer. That's totally worth enduring some fratboys!"
"Says Miss Runway Model," I said. "Excited for Milan and Marc Jacobs?"
"And you'll bring back the rejects for those of us on a budget, of course," Jessie added.
"Look, you just need to relax and use your mad skills to do what you do. You'll be great,"
Trinity reassured me. I rolled my blue eyes and tossed my brown hair, annoyed.
"This is going to sound odd coming from me, but Trinity's right; you need to relax," Jessie added.
"See Brynn? If our sweet, pure Jessie agrees, there must be something to it. "
I was silent for a moment. I'd researched these guys thoroughly: watching videos, reading stories from fans and critics, and crawling through some really weird fansites. I'd done research on bands before, of course, but this was something else. Everyone-from critics to fans to most YouTube commenters-worshipped them and the ground they walked on.
"Aw, what's up, Brynn?"
"I bet she's thinking about Rick again," Trinity teased. "I don't know why you went into music journalism-you've never trusted a musician since him!"
"Oh, come on," I countered, annoyed.
"First breakup. 'The first cut is the deepest,'" Trinity sang, breaking into song mid-sentence.
Jessie and I rolled our eyes.
"Well, these guys have lots of energy and they're extremely good-looking, so it's natural you'd be cautious. You don't want to become a casualty. "Jessie shrugged her shoulders and smirked.
"This is a professional opportunity. I don't care how cute they are. I've handled cute before," I justified.
"Well, good, then. Problem solved," Jessie said.
"Yeah," Trinity piped in. "Just be yourself, tell your story, expose whatever you want to that you learn, and be done with it…on to bigger and better things."
"I'll have three months to talk about them, to them, and think about them. That's enough for now. Let's enjoy our last night before I take off tomorrow. Warehouse district sound good?"
"Sounds great. Dancing at Aqua or 400 Soundbar?" Trinity asked. She posed, shaking her small butt and flipping her black hair. "I can't wait to get my twerk on."
"I say 400," I said.
"It's your farewell, so it's your choice," Trinity said, a little disappointed. "I'll call the cab."
"Holy wow," Trinity said, "How is he even doing that, Brynn?"
I glanced at the YouTube video by ProVokaTiv, the 'in' group, and watched the lead singer and guitarist, Gauge Bronson, acting like a typical rock star-assuming that everyone would put up with whatever he dished out. From the looks of it, he was right.
"No class and so spastic…hot, but spastic. A guy like that would drive me nuts. If he has a girlfriend, she's patient," I said, shaking my head.
Jessie took a drink of her wine and set the glass down. "I could never trust him, but damn, girl, you are so lucky that you'll get to see how often this type of thing happens in person. I think you have the best internship ever. "
The ProVokaTiv band members were no more than veteran frat boys. I'd been focused on Gauge, the lead singer, but then I averted my gaze to what was happening in the background of the video. I could see Hunter Martinez, the band's bassist, with a girl on each side of him in the background, kicking back on a couch and going back and forth between the two.
"Ménageàtrois," Trinity said. "Hot."
"Would you ever do that?" I asked, turning to Trinity. Her black eyes had a gleam in them and she had a cheeky grin.
"Uh…no. I'm too greedy to share a guy I'm into with anyone," Trinity said, laughing.
"But look at that one," Jessie piped in. "What's his name again?"
"That's Simon Jefferson," I said, "the drummer."
"He's the best looking drummer I've ever seen," Jessie said, leaning in closer. "Come to think of it, he's the only drummer I've ever noticed."
"He was voted sexiest drummer this past year on Buzzfeed. Makes sense," I said.
Simon was standing in the back corner of the video. It was hard to see his exact expression, but his body language said quite a bit. He was surrounded by adoring fans, and you could see plenty of leggy girls in stilettos, swarming around him like piranhas ready to feast. He had his arms crossed, though, and leaned towards them just a bit. It was hard to tell if they cared about his inviting body posture-they were all but eating him up.
Gauge scattered the crowd around Simon, running and flailing towards a couch, sending it toppling backwards. Everyone on the couch flew back, their beers fountaining onto their faces.
"Wet t-shirt!" he shouted, pumping his fist into the air.
"Well, you can hear him," I said. I groaned as I watched their antics and glanced at my besties. "I'm not sure I can do this…it seems so out of my league."
"You'll be fine," Trinity said. "What are a few rowdy boys? You're always level-headed, and, well…practical. "
"Practical. Makes me sound matronly," I said, crossing my arms.
"I somehow doubt that The Rift would risk hiring someone they didn't think could do the job for their start-up issue," Trinity said. "You're travelling across the States and Europe for free all summer. That's totally worth enduring some fratboys!"
"Says Miss Runway Model," I said. "Excited for Milan and Marc Jacobs?"
"And you'll bring back the rejects for those of us on a budget, of course," Jessie added.
"Look, you just need to relax and use your mad skills to do what you do. You'll be great,"
Trinity reassured me. I rolled my blue eyes and tossed my brown hair, annoyed.
"This is going to sound odd coming from me, but Trinity's right; you need to relax," Jessie added.
"See Brynn? If our sweet, pure Jessie agrees, there must be something to it. "
I was silent for a moment. I'd researched these guys thoroughly: watching videos, reading stories from fans and critics, and crawling through some really weird fansites. I'd done research on bands before, of course, but this was something else. Everyone-from critics to fans to most YouTube commenters-worshipped them and the ground they walked on.
"Aw, what's up, Brynn?"
"I bet she's thinking about Rick again," Trinity teased. "I don't know why you went into music journalism-you've never trusted a musician since him!"
"Oh, come on," I countered, annoyed.
"First breakup. 'The first cut is the deepest,'" Trinity sang, breaking into song mid-sentence.
Jessie and I rolled our eyes.
"Well, these guys have lots of energy and they're extremely good-looking, so it's natural you'd be cautious. You don't want to become a casualty. "Jessie shrugged her shoulders and smirked.
"This is a professional opportunity. I don't care how cute they are. I've handled cute before," I justified.
"Well, good, then. Problem solved," Jessie said.
"Yeah," Trinity piped in. "Just be yourself, tell your story, expose whatever you want to that you learn, and be done with it…on to bigger and better things."
"I'll have three months to talk about them, to them, and think about them. That's enough for now. Let's enjoy our last night before I take off tomorrow. Warehouse district sound good?"
"Sounds great. Dancing at Aqua or 400 Soundbar?" Trinity asked. She posed, shaking her small butt and flipping her black hair. "I can't wait to get my twerk on."
"I say 400," I said.
"It's your farewell, so it's your choice," Trinity said, a little disappointed. "I'll call the cab."
About the Author
Cara Nelson is the author of the bestselling 'Men of
the Capital' series. Her books hit the Amazon store in the summer of 2014 and have
since been enjoyed by over 50,000 readers! She is known for her bold
characters, hilariously witty dialogue and touching romances.
Interested in a fun, light and breezy read? Her readers recommend you start
with 'The Billionaire's Hotline'.
Author Links:
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