Twenty year old Corey Evans is one-half of 2ICE, the biggest duo on the radio at the moment. Pronounced twice, they're number one on the Billboard charts this week with their latest single. And number one in download sales, with two albums that have already gone platinum, to hear their manager tell it. And currently on their second U.S. tour, which has sold out stadiums across the nation. Despite this, there's an emptiness inside him which Corey can't seem to fill, no matter how many groupies he takes to his bed. He sees this same emptiness mirrored in the eyes of his band-mate, Ian Coltraine, who drowns his evenings after each show with a bottle of whiskey. Ian's the one Corey turns to when he wakes beside an unknown fan, still asleep in his bed and needs help evicting her. He's Corey best friend, the only person on the tour he can confide in, who he really trusts ... The one, Corey finally realizes, with whom he is madly, deeply, terribly in love. And he suspects Ian might feel the same. But his recent string of one-night stands makes Ian cautious about Corey's true feelings. He's wanted Corey for so long, and has watched him go through countless fans in search of ... what? Ian doesn't know. And he doesn't yet believe Corey when he says Ian might be it. Ian hopes so, but can't bring himself to believe Corey's fickle desire won't be gone in the morning. Can these two young men somehow move beyond Corey's past and Ian's pain to embrace a love they both so desperately desire?

Beautiful Disaster

He wasn’t mad, not really. This was Corey and, try as he might, Ian couldn’t stay angry with him for long. It just hurt to see him so careless with himself and the girls and…


And your heart.He took another bite of his dessert, but the chocolate tasted like dirt in his mouth. Only he doesn’t know that, does he? Because you won’t bother telling him.


Ian felt Dean’s curious gaze on him, but he didn’t meet his manager’s eyes. “I’m just picking on him,” Dean said. “All I said was—”


“I know what you said,” Ian replied. “We all heard you. There’s no need to repeat it again.”


He turned and met Dean’s stare. He didn’t want to start anything, but if Dean couldn’t see how much Corey was not in the mood for this right now…well, Ian didn’t want to think about what he might do with the alcohol already in his system. Tension draped the air between them like a curtain.


“So who’s all going out later?” Kate asked, hoping to dispel the moment. No one answered. “Ian? You coming?”


Chapter 13