Book 3 – Rock Hard: Chord Brothers
$5.99
Book 3 in the Rock Hard Series
COLE
I top the night off with dinner at a fancy restaurant on a rooftop with a view of Los Angeles. When we get back to my place I’m torn between desperate need for T.J. and a perverse, almost angry determination to not have sex with her. I’m pissed she’s keeping me at arms length. I’m mad at myself that I was so attracted to her from the moment she walked in my place. I’m angry she’s so beautiful, talented, funny. How could I not fall for her.
I don’t like not being in control. I don’t like that she has the upper hand. I especially don’t like that she’s not as smitten with me as I am with her. I don’t like it one bit.
You know what? Fuck her.
Except she peels off her top to reveal a red bra with a deep plunge between the breasts and a tiny bow.
Dear God.
She shimmies out of her skirt and shows off skimpy red panties barely held together with side ties that will come apart with one sharp tug.
I cross the distance between us in three stalking strides and yank her to me. “You’re an evil woman.”
Her laugh is delicious and penetrates me like a knife peeling me open.
“I can resist you if I want.”
She reaches behind her and unclasps her bra, but it doesn’t fall because it’s trapped between us. My breath catches. She laughs harder. I kiss her upper chest. Her laughter dies and I feel pain and satisfaction.
Her skin is cream and flowers, warmth, softness and stars, energy and need.
“Baby, why? Why do you do this to me?”
“What do you want me to do?”
I sigh and step away.
“How about a beer?” she asks. Then she walks to the refrigerator, looks in, and bends over in a very exaggerated way, showing off her ass through the semi-see-through back panel of the panties.
I put my hand over my chest so my racing heart doesn’t kill me. My feet walk without my permission until I’m right behind her and I’ve lined up my groin to her fabulous backside.
“You just love it,” I growl. “That you so… fucking…” I can’t even finish without taking a deep breath, “have so much power over me.”
“Maybe…” she says in a sing-song teasing voice.
I step back. “Get the damn beer.”
I walk away and sit on the couch. She turns toward me and her bra falls all the way off.
“Damn,” I groan. I pat my thigh. “Come here, baby.”
She slinks toward me, holding two beers, and goes to straddle me.
“No,” I say firmly. I pull her down on my lap so she’s sitting sidesaddle, her legs across both of mine. I scoot her until she’s up against my body. I take the beers from her and put them down on the table.
“Baby.”
T.J. leans against me. “You feel good.”
I graze my knuckles over the high swells of her perfect breasts. T.J. picks up a beer and hands it to me. She goes to pick up the other one and I stop her.
“We’ll share one,” I say. I hand her a bottle and she takes a sip. There’s an intimacy, knowing her mouth is on the place my lips have just been.
“Want to watch a movie?” I ask.
She laughs. “I’m sitting on your lap, almost naked, and you want to watch a movie?”
“Yeah.”
She wiggles seductively and I still her hips.
“We’re more than this,” I say. “We’re more than sex.”
“Yeah. We’re sex and bandmates.”
Inwardly I sigh. “And friends.”
“Okay,” she says. “Movie it is. But wild monkey-gorilla sex afterward. We only have a few nights left.”
I smile. “If you insist. But just know, I feel soooo used.”
She rolls her eyes. “Poor Mr. Pretty Pants. It’s hard being you.”
“It will be.”
*
Noshad Ali –
Such an intimidating story. Highly recommended to read
J. Faltys –
After reading the two previous installments in the Chord Brothers series I knew I couldn’t let this one pass me by and even though it wasn’t a perfect read it was satisfying. Courtesy of a romantic and charming hero who’s overcome a painful past, secondary characters who left a big mark, and reintroductions of couples from the previous books, this book quickly immersed me in the world of music that these brothers are making their own and has me counting down the days until the next installment arrives.
Cole Chord’s world imploded seventeen years ago with the rape and murder of their sister. The guilt of that night weighed on him and ultimately drove him to burying his pain under a haze of drugs. He’s been clean for years now, remade his life into something successful, and is ready to start his own band. He lives a comfortable life due to his realty company, but music is what truly feeds his soul and is what brings him together with TJ. She may come from a working class family, but he senses from the very start that they’re meant to be and does all he can to convince her of it. Their journey together doesn’t go smoothly though as her preconceived notions, and a big misunderstanding, cause a few speed bumps along the way in a frustrating road to HEA. Through it all Cole’s a kindhearted hero willing to spend any amount of money to make things easier for others. He’s a strong support to his family, and to his bandmates, and I was rooting for him from the very first as he deserved a bit of happiness after all he’s gone through.
TJ Casarez is an admirable heroine with a love of family, a strong work ethic, and a tendency to be the dutiful daughter. Her family means a lot to her but they use her familial obligations to keep her doing what THEY want, instead of her going after her own dreams. Her dream is to play drums for a living and when her cousin Spider invites her to audition for the new band he just joined it will change her life irrevocably. She becomes more empowered behind her drum kit, comes out of her shell to start going after everything she wants…including sexy lead singer Cole. After a bruising past relationship she might at first see him as only a little rich boy, but the more they connect the more good things she sees in him, and the more protective he becomes when in her presence. Behind the drums she becomes a bit of a badass, becomes a commanding presence who owns the stage. She wasn’t a perfect heroine though as her past experiences with her father’s addiction caused VERY FRUSTRATING moments late in the story and it had me wanting to shake her for her close mindedness. I wish that she had stood up to her family more often, and earlier on too, as she tented to go quiet and run when things got difficult.
From the first page to the last I found this an entertaining read with a compelling hero and a larger than life cast of secondary characters. I enjoyed the slow burn between Cole and TJ, enjoyed watching him subtly woo her through his tender and romantic words and deeds. Their scorching encounters were well worth the wait and I enjoyed seeing TJ take charge in many of these steamy scenes. Alongside this entertaining main couple were the other members of Phoenix Rising…Spider and Tremor. Spider is TJ’s cousin and there’s a definite vibe of danger surrounding him. He’s quick to anger, very touchy when it comes to sexuality, and is very protective of TJ almost to the point of smothering. The characteristics of his ethnicity were a bit too stereotypical at times, but I still appreciate Ms. Roberts crafting such an intriguing character that I hope to see more of in the future. Tremor too is unforgettable, a giant of a man with a booming voice and a tendency to push people’s buttons. He and Spider have numerous combustible encounters which will leave readers wondering about their connection. Their scenes together sizzle and teem with sexual tension. When it comes to sex Tremor is clearly embracing that part of the rockstar lifestyle, flitting from women of varying ages to couples, and his hedonistic side is one he displays proudly…along with a bold and eclectic clothing style. He certainly left a lasting impression on me and I look forward to seeing more about this character and what’s hiding behind his larger than life actions. Seeing past couples rounded out this story beautifully and I enjoyed seeing their HEAs continue, loved seeing these families and friends support each other so strongly. While there was a bit of roughness regarding the narrative, a bit of frustration over the heroine’s actions, and a storyline about an embezzler in Cole’s company that came out of nowhere, I still found this a satisfying tale that has me counting down the days until the next installment in this series hits bookshelves.
Tara Peters –
I love this series and even though I didn’t think anyone could replace Ryder, I was proven wrong. Cole stole my heart and never gave it back. All of the Chord brothers went through a horrible experience when they were children and it affected everyone hard and differently. Cole turned to drugs and hearing his explanation of why he started and how he recovered was heartbreaking. When he first saw T.J. he knew she was the one, but she had walls up around her heart so high that every time he knocked one down, it seemed like three more were erected.
T.J., while I understood where she was coming from with protecting herself, she also drove me crazy and I wanted to shake her. There were so many times that I would shake my head and tell Cole that he should move on. I am not sure I could have been as patient or understanding with her as he was.
Tremor and Spider were hilarious and I can’t wait for their stories. I was almost hoping that their stories would be one, but it doesn’t appear to be the case. The characters, from main to the supporting, are so well developed that you feel like they could be your friends. I was nice seeing the gang from the first two books in this one. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.
Jennifer Pierson –
Rock Harder had the possibility of being the perfect read, but it just fell a tad short for me. Cole, like his brothers, went through something traumatic as children, and he really seemed to not be able to get past it without destructive decisions to be honest. He’s starting a new band, but he needs a drummer which is where T.J. comes in at. Her cousin calls her to audition, and the moment Cole lays eyes on her, he feels like she’s his person, but her walls are sky high, and she’s a flight risk in my opinion since her first response to things is to run. While there are some funny interactions, there’s a seemingly lack of communication skills between these two, and if they were just willing to sit down & talk for a minute, they probably wouldn’t have gone through some of the stuff they did. Anyway, this is only my opinion, so now it’s time for y’all to decide for yourselves by hitting those one click buttons! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!