Marco Chase is the lead singer for Static, one of the world’s most famous and successful rock bands. Marco’s bad boy rock star image isn’t just one he’s cultivated for his fans—it’s Marco all over. Marco’s past is full of one night stands, bad decisions, and blackouts. Marco never saw a cage he didn’t want to rattle—and from the moment he lays eyes on him, he really wants to rattle sweet, innocent Ben Selden’s cage.
Ben Selden comes from a fundamentalist Baptist family. Ben is struggling under the weight of knowing that he’s gay, and a lifetime’s teachings that tell him that his God will condemn him, and his family reject him, if they ever find out. With a future he doesn’t want already mapped out for him, Ben’s at a breaking point when he meets Marco.
Marco’s teasing, flirting, and obvious interest awakens a hunger in Ben, and he knows this might be his only chance to act on his attraction to a man—if he’s brave enough to risk his future, and his family, to take it. He doesn’t expect Marco to be his savior, but maybe a savior isn’t what Ben needs—maybe he just needs someone to believe in him enough that he’s willing to save himself.
Because of Ben is the second book in the Star Crossed series, where regular guys meet famous ones, and sparks fly.
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Book 1 in this series, Not Until Noah, was a book that I really enjoyed, and in it we get a few little glimpses of Marco. He is “house sitting” for Carter, who is off filming in Australia, adopts a cat for Carter and his family. Marco, despite how much he thinks he’s a bad boy, is a big sweetheart. (Side note: we do get an update on the cat in this book as well…which makes me happy as a crazy cat lady.)
Marco, coming off a tour with his band, always drives home to visit with his parents (See? Sweet!), and stops overnight at the local Marriott, and sees “the Jesus kids”, and especially Ben, a pretty boy, he wants immediately. Marco is no saint. He smokes, drinks, has done drugs, and had sex wherever and whenever he could. However, when he loves, he doesn’t allow it to sit on the sidelines. He is willing to be there, for his parents, for his friend Carter, and for Ben.
Interestingly, he doesn’t have to pursue Ben that hard. Ben, knowing he was gay from an early age, is right there, quickly. When he’s later betrayed by a friend, and his world literally crumbles around him, and really only has Marco to rely on, he works hard to figure out how to rely on himself. I loved that about him. Someone in his position could have easily gone back to what he knew, but he took all the chances in the world to give himself some peace, even if he had to give up his family. Then later was willing to do all he could to be in charge of his own destiny and not rely on his boyfriend with the money.
On the surface, in the beginning, these two did not seem like a good match. However, when the chips were down, they were able to count on each other, and find the sort of relationship neither thought they could ever have.
4 pieces of eye candy
