Rock Star Billionaire: A Standalone Novel (An Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story)

by Claire Adams

  “Seriously, Nalia. You’re a Godsend. Everything has gone off without a hitch,” Jeremiah added, giving her a fist bump. Her cheeks flushed again, but she thanked him for the compliment, then checked her watch as cheers erupted.

  “It’s time, guys! Get out there and break a leg!” She nodded to the door as she popped back up out of her seat. All of the guys headed out toward the stage to get ready, but I hung back so I could walk with Nalia. She smiled at me. “What’s wrong? Nervous?”

  “Nah,” I shook my head, then tugged her back into a little alcove behind the stage. I pressed my mouth to hers as I rubbed her hips. She giggled but kissed me back, parting her lips for me invitingly. “I did just think of something I need, though,” I told her as I let her go.

  “Anything, boss.” she teased looking up at me, about to pull out her smartphone and make whatever call she needed. I leaned in close, letting my lips brush her neck, sending goosebumps racing down her arm.

  “I need you, naked and trembling later tonight.”

  She bit her lip, her eyes intent on me as the stage lights went down.

  “All yours, handsome,” she flashed me a downright devious smile then popped me right on the ass. “Now, get out there and do your thing.”

  I smiled and ran out on stage, ready to rock.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Nalia

  It was crazy to think I could be so exhausted but completely wired at the same time. The guys’ excitement was contagious, though, and I was just as pumped for the show as they were, even though I wasn't going to be out on stage with them. Still, being right next to the stage was good enough for me – it almost felt as if I were out there myself with all those thousands of people screaming for me.

  Owen looked over at me with a grin before Talon hit the drums and the stage lights came up with a bright, flashing explosion of color. As soon as the band started, the crowd roared to life. The place was packed wall-to-wall with people dancing, cheering, and singing along as Owen started to belt out his vocals.

  I’d heard him singing earlier, but it was so much different with the crowd there, watching him interact with the fans. It was obvious he was totally in his element, that this was clearly what he had been born to do. He was drinking in the energy of the crowd as if it were pure, liquid electricity, and sending it right back out to them with his powerful voice. Every note was totally on point, and I could tell what had made Bleeding Heart so famous. I loved seeing it.

  I could only hope maybe one day that would be me, but for now, I was absolutely in love with my job and having an amazing time just being near this experience. I’d surprised even myself with how well things had gone today and how naturally all this had come to me. It was a hell of a lot of work, but seeing Owen and the others rocking out there to a cheering crowd was a fantastic payoff.

  Owen’s little request for the after party wasn’t a bad deal, either.

  Still, I had to remind myself we were just having fun and that I had to draw a line at that. Things wouldn’t always go this perfectly on the road; there were bound to be some mishaps on the way. No matter how well you planned, there was always a chance something would happen that would throw a wrench in the works. I had to be prepared for that.

  I wasn’t just talking about the band in this regard, but Owen, too — especially after our talk last night. I got why he didn’t want anything more, and truth be told, neither did I. But I could see how a girl could end up falling for him and subsequently getting hurt. I wouldn’t let that girl be me. I couldn't.

  “How are you all doing tonight, Seattle?” Owen yelled into the microphone as they finished up their first song, and the crowd responded with cheers and screams. “We love you, Seattle, and we’re so happy to be back here. Let’s do this! You all should know this next song from our last album, so I want to hear you singing along!” he shouted before they whirled into their next song. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched them perform with the crowd singing along.

  I found myself tapping my feet and dancing along, unable to help it. They really were a great band, and the on stage chemistry between them all was undeniable. Every member of the group radiated energy out from the stage, and their sound was so powerful, so energetic, and so catchy that I could understand why Grace had been surprised I’d never heard of them before. I would have definitely been a diehard fan if I had.

  But, in a way, it was a good thing I hadn’t been a fan. Owen had told me about the two other girls’ interviews and how they’d reacted to being interviewed by him. I was the only one who had kept my head because I wasn’t star struck. Owen was just a guy that happened to be a musician when I met him, and I had acted accordingly.

  Now, though, I could see how the other girls had gone all fangirl on him. He was handsome, talented, and sexy as hell. That deep and velvety voice of his could get any girl purring. No wonder he warned me about the groupies and why it would be a bad idea to be anything more than what we were. Several panties and bras had already been flung on stage and after what he’d said before going out there, I was close to flinging my own panties at his feet.

  But, I reminded myself this was my job. I was his tour assistant, not his girlfriend, and the job was my priority, first and foremost. Maybe after hours we could play, but right now, I was working. I couldn’t be playing the part of a fangirl, not at the moment, and not after the show, either — even if part of me wanted to fawn over him while he was on stage. Even though he had said I should relax and have a good time at the after party, I knew that even there I'd need to put my responsibilities first.

  The guys went right into another song as the crowd surged and danced, and I could see some of them crowd surfing now. That was one thing I’d never surfed and always wondered about. I smiled and clapped as they finished up that song, watching the crowd erupt in cheers with me.

  It was mind-blowing to see the connection the crowd had to the band and their music, as well as the energy running through the place. You could see it throughout the crowd as well as on each one of the guys’ faces. They sounded incredible. The crowd went crazy with each and every song, with every member of the audience seeming to know all the lyrics, and when the band finally hit the last song on their set list, the crowd was cheering their name madly for an encore.

  The guys gave in to the crowd and decided to play them one more song, and I took that cue to start getting things together for them to head back to the hotel. The show was drawing to an end, but that didn't mean my work for the evening was anywhere near done. The bus was out back waiting for them, stocked with cold water and drinks. I’d already stationed the security guys ready to escort them out of the venue to the bus and ensure that they didn't get mobbed along the way. I signaled the stage crew to be ready to start packing up their gear as soon as the band came off stage so that the guys had nothing to worry about and could head straight back to the hotel to enjoy their after party.

  By the time I returned to the side of the stage, the guys were bowing. Seconds later, they were running off stage, drenched in sweat from playing under the hot stage lights and jumping around. I held up a hand, hi-fiving them as they came flying by me, and shouted for them to head out back to get on the bus. There was a pressing crowd of fans back there waiting for them, but with the help of the security guys, I managed to hustle them through, although Talon, Jay, and Jeremiah all grabbed a few girls out of the crowd to join us on the bus. I shook my head and made a mental note to place condoms on the nightstands next to their beds at their rooms back at the hotel.

  The bus was packed when I finally managed to sign off with the security crew. I then had to double check with the stage and road crew that all the gear had been securely packed back on the bus. I was feeling a little run down, but pumped nonetheless, when I finally managed to get through the crowd. Owen grabbed my arm and pulled me on with him, smiling big.

  “You guys were amazing!” I shouted to him over the group of people on the bus. “Wow, I mean, seriously! I may not
have known much about Bleeding Heart before, but I've just been converted! I'm a fan now! Like I said, you guys were just amazing up there on stage.”

  He smiled, leaning close and kissed my cheek.

  "As were you today. We couldn’t have done this without you. Come on, it’s time to celebrate!” He handed me a drink and grinned. The real party was just about to get started.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Owen

  Nalia smiled and took a sip of the drink I’d handed her. She claimed she was just doing her job when I praised her for how smoothly everything had gone, but, to be honest, it was way more than that.

  She wasn't just doing her job well, she was doing everything above and beyond, really going the extra mile for us. There was no way we'd have been able to pull this all off so smoothly without everything she had taken on for us. I was hugely impressed with her dedication, enthusiasm, and efficiency. I could hardly believe how incredible she was. To hell with the after party, I wanted to spend the night celebrating with her, and her alone.

  “Come here.” I took the drink from her hand and put it on a cup holder, grabbed her wrist, and tugged her toward the bathroom as the bus started to move. We pushed past the guys and the horde of groupies they had pulled onto the bus with them.

  “What are you doing?” she giggled as I yanked the door open and tugged her inside with me.

  “This.” I heaved her against me and kissed her firmly on the lips — something I had wanted to do ever since I had seen her step into the room backstage in the little miniskirt she was wearing. After the high performing for a sold-out crowd had given me, I wanted her even more. She’d done everything, and because of all her effort, the day had gone off completely without a hitch. The woman was amazing, and I wanted her desperately.

  Her lips melted into mine, and I wrapped my arms around her waist, fondling her ass before she pulled back.

  “You’re making out with me in the bathroom?”

  “Yeah? So? I wanted to get you all to myself,” I admitted, still breathing heavily. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss me again when someone banged on the door.

  “Dude! I gotta take a leak!” Nate yelled from the other side of the door. I frowned as Nalia laughed and shook her head.

  “Come on,” she said as she dragged me out of the bathroom, an act that prompted several hoots from the other guys. “Besides, I still have a few more things to take care of, and you need to mingle, not be hiding out with me. You go do your job, and let me do mine. Remember what our priorities are here, Owen. We both agreed on certain things, and we need to stick to them.”

  “But what if I want to hide out with you?” I grinned.

  She shook her head at me and raised an eyebrow. “Go. Mingle. Do what everyone expects you to do.” She gave me a gentle pat on the butt, then disappeared toward the front of the bus.

  I did as I was I was told and hung back with the guys, even though I didn’t really want to. Talon was already doing body shots off of the stomachs of two of the girls he’d brought on the bus. He certainly wasn't one to waste any time when it came to the ladies. I shook my head and grabbed a beer, sitting down next to Jeremiah.

  “Good show tonight, man.” He clinked his bottle against mine. “Nalia is amazing, man, she really is. I'm glad you found a good assistant. She's taken a huge load off of your shoulders. All the guys have been talking about how they can tell you’re way more relaxed. I know it’s because of her.”

  “Yeah, she’s pretty great,” I sighed.

  Jeremiah raised an eyebrow at me. “You seem rather enamored with her, too. Funny. If I remember correctly, you were the one who made us all promise that we wouldn't get involved with her, no matter what?”

  I shrugged and took a swig of beer. He knew me well enough that I didn't need to respond. So, we finished our beers in silence as the bus headed back to the hotel.

  Once there, we all piled out of the bus and headed up to the penthouse in a couple of different elevators. I lost track of Nalia in all of the chaos, even though I was doing my best to keep an eye on her. When we walked into the penthouse, however, she was already there waiting, still wearing the Bleeding Heart tank top, but having changed out of her mini skirt into a pair of yoga pants.

  “You changed,” I frowned, looking down at her outfit. “You are partying with us, aren't you?”

  She shook her head. “Sorry, Owen, but I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to join in. I have a few things I need to take care of, and I thought maybe it would be a good idea to give you guys some time away from the mother hen’s watchful gaze. I was just going to head to my room and get some work done.”

  My frown deepened. “You’re not staying in the penthouse with us?”

  “Nah, with the extra people you guys brought and the road crew still coming to join in, I figured you guys could use the extra room. I'm sure you all want to cut loose, and the other guys already think I’m strict as hell. Actually, I think they're even a little scared of me now!” I laughed, thinking of how quickly they now conformed when she barked orders.

  “No, I'm gonna leave you all to do your thing, while I just get some peace and quiet. I’ll just be down a floor, though, in room 217, so if there are any problems just head down and get me or give me a call.” She gave me a comforting smile, but I still didn’t want her to go.

  “Stay,” I grabbed her hand, but it slipped from my grasp.

  “If you need anything, you know where to find me,” she said before she kissed my cheek. “Now, go enjoy your party; you guys earned it.”

  “Right,” I sighed, walking her to the door. I wanted to go with her, but at the same time, I knew the guys and the rest of the crew would expect me to stay, at least for a little while. Nalia was right, I did have to stay and mingle and at least try to have a good time. As the leader of this band, it was pretty much expected of me, even if I wasn't really in the mood for it at the moment.

  I watched her get onto the elevator before I headed back inside the penthouse, and couldn't deny there was a pang of sadness and disappointment that she wasn't going to be at the afterparty with me. Talon and Jay, meanwhile, had cranked up the stereo system and were pumping some party tunes, and people were starting to dance.

  I made my way over to the bar where I got the attention of the bartender and ordered a couple of drinks, downing them quickly in an attempt to drown my disappointment before joining the others. Forty-five minutes later, the crew arrived, bringing a few more guests up with them. The penthouse quickly became packed with partygoers. The party was definitely on now, and I was starting to feel a slight buzz from the drinks.

  “Great show tonight. Gonna be a good tour,” some of the crew members said in passing as they picked up drinks at the bar. I ended up hanging with several of the road crew guys on the sofas, bullshitting and laughing as I downed a few more drinks. I was having fun, but it didn’t feel quite right because Nalia wasn’t there with me. I tried to shake the feeling, but for some unknown reason, I couldn’t.

  I had a heavy buzz going when I got up and headed to the bar for another drink. Talon came over and slung an arm around my shoulder.

  “Come on! Let’s do some shots!” he said, slurring a little bit.

  “You sure you need to do any more shots?” I asked, unable to help smiling.

  “Hell yes!” he snorted, then slapped the bar. “This party is only just getting started, bro! Four shots of fireball!”

  The bartender came over and filled up four shot glasses and Talon beamed at me picking up one.

  “To Bleeding Heart!” He clinked his glass on mine, and several hoots of agreement sounded around the room.

  “To Bleeding Heart,” I agreed before taking the first shot and quickly following it with the second. If I had to mingle, I might as well get a bit drunk.

  “A couple more?” Talon shot me a mischievous glance. I nodded. Why the hell not?

  After two more shots, I was definitely in a more sociable mood. Still, something was miss
ing with Nalia not being there and I couldn't really get in the right mood for it, even with the alcohol flowing through my veins. I hung out for an hour or so more, then decided I’d had enough. I wanted to spend some time with her tonight.

  Since Talon and Jeremiah were busy chatting up girls, I excused myself with an Irish goodbye and headed into the hall for the elevator. I knew she was just one floor down, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember her room number. You drunken idiot, I thought as I stared at my swaying reflection on the mirrored elevator doors.

  Ever stubborn, I stepped off the elevator onto her floor, looking up and down the hallway, hoping that seeing the room numbers might jog my memory. What the hell was her room number? 218? 216? I remembered it was in the teens but not which one. Was it an even or odd number? I could knock on half if I remembered and find her.

  No, don't do that, I told myself. It was two in the morning. I doubted anyone sleeping in any of those rooms would appreciate me trying to guess which room she was in that way. I sighed and rested my forehead against the wall. Maybe those last few shots hadn't been my brightest idea.

  A door opened, and I looked up, but it was just some old man in his bathrobe who gave me a weird look when I smiled at him. Damn. Like I’d be lucky enough to have her step out of her room with perfect timing like that. I stood in the hall a little longer, hoping that I’d either remember her room number or that she’d come out to pull me into her room, but neither happened.

  The longer I stood there, in fact, the more I realized what a stupid idea this had been. As shitfaced as I was, I would probably make an ass out of myself trying to be smooth with her, anyway.

  With a sigh, I turned toward the elevator and stumbled back in, pressing the button for the penthouse floor. When I walked back in, Jay and Nate were hanging with some girls on the couch, but instead of more partying, I headed straight for one of the rooms to crash, no longer interested in hanging out or mingling.