ROCK STAR

by Daiko, SC

  He pulled me onto his face and ate me out like he was starving.

  “I’m coming,” I panted.

  “Music to my ears.”

  The vibration of his voice tipped me over the edge.

  A ball of fire spread from the base of my spine to my core.

  “Axel,” I moaned.

  The waves of ecstasy kept coming and coming as he carried on sucking me, alternating between my clit and my entrance, sucking all my juices down his throat like he was dying of thirst.

  I stared at him. “That was…” I couldn’t find the right words.

  “I know,” he gave a cocky smirk, shifting his body up the bed to put his arms around me.

  He smelled of sex.

  He smelled of me.

  He even tasted of me when he kissed me.

  And it was so erotic it took my breath.

  I could feel his hard-on against my stomach, and I moved my hand down. He’d given me such pleasure, I wanted to get him off too. I held him in my gaze, peeled back the towel and gazed at his penis.

  My pulse quickened.

  He was gorgeous—thick, veined and freaking huge. I wrapped my fingers around him with difficulty and tugged.

  He pushed into my hand and closed his eyes. “Keep going, baby.”

  I pumped him up and down, using his precum as lube. I felt powerful, like I owned him… which I did at this moment. Briefly, he was mine to control, like I’d been his only a short time ago. The feeling was euphoric.

  “Going to shoot my load,” he grunted, pulling the towel down to cover my hand. “Can’t last any longer…”

  He came in spurts, coating my fingers, sliding in the slickness of his cum.

  I caught his release in the towel, then wiped him clean.

  He put both hands on the sides of my face and kissed me. “Will you be my muse, Firebird? Please, say yes. I need you…”

  The look in his eyes freaking killed me.

  Like he would be lost without me.

  I couldn’t refuse him… nor did I want to.

  “I’ll be your muse,” I said.

  “Thank God.” He released a sharp breath and spun me over so he was spooned around my back. “I could stay like this all night, sweetheart. But I’m going to have to go back to my own room.” He nuzzled my neck, sending tingles all through me. “The others will be back from the nightclub soon. Knowing Jake, he’ll check I’m safely tucked up in my bed.”

  “He’s like a nanny to you and the guys,” I gave voice to my thoughts.

  “With good reason. You know how bad we used to be…”

  I turned to face Axel and searched his eyes. “Was it hard to stop the drugs?”

  A shadow passed across his face. “Yeah. And the need will never go away…. Just have to keep fighting it. But I promise you I won’t fall off the wagon.”

  I wanted to ask him about Ella, wanted to find out more about her death. From what he’d told me after that nightmare last night, there were still a lot of unanswered questions.

  But he kissed me on the forehead and said, “Sleep well, my muse. Remember to have a lie in so you’re well rested. Tomorrow will be a tiring day.”

  Without waiting for an answer, he swung his legs from the bed, picked up his clothes and started getting dressed.

  I leaned against the headboard, watching him. Not wanting him to go.

  Dammit, what have I gotten myself into?

  This wasn’t supposed to happen, but now that it had, I wouldn’t be able to stop it from happening again.

  My body won’t be able to stop it from happening again.

  My heart skittered against my ribs, prompting me that it wasn’t just my body that was part of the equation.

  I was developing feelings for Axel. Feelings I shouldn’t have been developing. Not when I had my entire future mapped out. A future that didn’t include any relationships other than with my family.

  We snuggled for a while before he bent and kissed me on the lips. “See you tomorrow, baby.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Don’t worry. We’ll work this out. All will be good.”

  But I did worry. I worried until I fell into a troubled sleep. I dreamed I was Ella, singing with the band. It was totally weird, like I’d become her, and I was excited to have fallen in love.

  I woke with a start, drenched in sweat.

  Something didn’t add up.

  It would have been almost impossible for Ella to sustain a relationship with a boyfriend and tour like she’d been doing with ChiMera at the same time.

  She must have been seeing someone close to the band.

  I chewed the inside of my cheek.

  Maybe someone in the crew?

  I wrapped my arms around myself as a chilling thought struck me.

  What if she’d been seeing someone in the band itself? They might have kept it from everyone because of the rules…

  I drew in a breath and released it, telling myself not to be silly. I was letting my imagination run away with me.

  Go back to sleep, Phoenix. You need to rest.

  I closed my eyes and ran my hands down my body to my pussy… still sensitive from what Axel had done to it.

  A quiver tingled through me.

  He’d been beyond amazing.

  And holding that thought, I finally fell into an untroubled sleep.

  13

  We were eating lunch in the private dining room of our swanky Barcelona hotel. We’d arrived in the early hours of this morning, wiped out from our second concert in Milan followed almost immediately by the one-and-a-half-hour plane ride; we’d gone straight to bed on arrival and had slept in as instructed by Jake. I stole a glance at him now… I knew he had our best interests at heart, but he was like the freaking ringmaster in a circus, cracking his whip and getting everyone to jump at his command.

  I was sitting next to Axel. Our fingers touched under the table, and I felt a rush of need gush through me. We’d only spoken for a couple of minutes yesterday before the show… after he’d pressed me up against the wall backstage while no one was around, and had claimed me in a deep, wet, intoxicating kiss. “I’ll tell the guys you’re going to be my muse when we have our next band meeting,” he’d said, breathing heavily. “Then we’ll be able to hang out together no worries.”

  No worries?!

  I twisted a stray strand of hair around my finger, wishing I felt as confident. The other night I’d been consumed by hunger for him. Even now I craved him like a drug, but it could only lead to regret in the long run. Axel wasn’t the kind of dude to settle down. Even if he were, I wasn’t ready to be any man’s woman.

  Our server arrived with plates of tapas—fries covered in a tasty, spicy sauce, cured ham on slices of crunchy bread, local cheeses, olives stuffed with anchovies and peppers, rings of hot battered squid, chorizo sausage, and even little dishes of paella—it was more like a banquet than a snack lunch, and I said so.

  Axel forked saffron rice and seafood into his mouth and let out a groan of pleasure. He shot me a quick look, a look that made my belly flutter. “My mum is half Spanish,” he said. “She was born on the island of Ibiza. We used to go there every summer as a family and lived off this.”

  My eyes bugged.

  There was so much I didn’t know about him.

  And so much to find out.

  I chewed on a piece of squid, not sure whether I liked it or not—kinda rubbery and tasteless—then took a sip of water. “How about you?” I asked Foxy, who was sitting on the other side of me. If I was gonna find out if one of the band members had been seeing Ella behind everyone’s back, I needed to get to know them better. “Do you like tapas?”

  “It’s okay.” He flicked his dark brown hair out of his eyes and pierced a fry with his fork. “But, for me, good old British fish and chips are the ultimate shit.”

  “I can’t wait to try that when we are in England,” I smiled.

  He returned my smile and added a cocky wink. “There’s a chippy in Borough Mar
ket I’ll take you to. Best fish and chips in the world.”

  “I’ll hold you to that,” I high fived him.

  “How about you?” I smiled at Zach, sitting opposite. “What’s your favorite food?”

  “Irish stew,” he said, licking his lips. “No one makes it better than my mum.”

  “Huh,” Rhys interjected. “Can’t be compared with Welsh stew, bro.”

  The guys launched into a lighthearted argument about which British food was best. But when Jake accused them of being clichéd wankers, Foxy threw a fry at him in retaliation and the debate escalated into a food fight.

  I rolled my eyes and ducked my head… they’d suddenly started behaving like rock stars. Not exactly badass—they were throwing fries at each other instead of TVs out the windows—but they were letting off steam. I snickered to myself.

  “Time to get ready for the photo shoot,” Jake said eventually, wiping spicy sauce from his face with a napkin.

  We all groaned.

  He’d gotten a special rate for our rooms in exchange for pictures for the hotel magazine and brochures, he’d said before reminding everyone that CM had lost millions from cancelling the South American, Oceanian and Asian legs of the tour. Due to the advent of streaming and downloading, ChiMera, like every other band in the industry, earned up to fifty times more from touring than from record sales. Publicity was vital to the success of their image and brand.

  I rubbed my clammy hands down my jeans, wishing I could hide myself away. The photo shoot gig was freaking scary and somewhat embarrassing. But Jake had asked me to do it after he’d showed me to my room last night… a room boasting 180-degree views of the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the city of Barcelona on the other.

  I’d stared at the gorgeous king size bed and beautiful minimalist furnishings and said, “Isn’t this a little over the top for a backup singer like me?”

  He’d quirked a brow. “Ella always stayed in the same grade room as the rest of the band. You’re standing in for her, so you have the same perks.”

  Then he’d sprung on me that she also did photo shoots with the guys whenever needed, and he expected me to do the same.

  So here I was, about to be glammed up and it wasn’t even for a concert.

  We all left the dining room and rode the elevator up to the top floor. Camila would style the guys’ hair, but I needed more girly shit done to me… Hayley was waiting in the corridor outside my suite, a whole load of bikinis in one hand for me to try on, and a vanity case in the other.

  “Did you eat yet?” I asked as I sat in front of my dressing table mirror.

  Her eyes glowed. “There’s an awesome restaurant on the beachfront. Camila and I ate there with the backline boys…”

  For a second I envied her the freedom to come and go as she pleased.

  Only for a second.

  I was touring with the greatest indie rock band in the world.

  Go me!

  An hour later, I paced the decking by the infinity pool wearing a white bikini, my hair in waves down my back and my face covered in make-up. The guys hadn’t appeared yet, so I sat on a sunlounger, my arms wrapped around myself to cover my near nakedness. I tipped my head back and gazed up at the wall of glass, shaped like a sail, towering above me… an iconic structure designed by a world-renowned architect. This hotel was truly gorgeous and I couldn’t wait to Skype call my parents later and tell them about it.

  Jake appeared before the others arrived; he was accompanied by a photographer, who leaned against the bar, his camera at the ready.

  “So, Phoenix,” Jake said, perching next to me. “Axel just called a band meeting. Told us about his problems coming up with new material for the next album. He said you inspired him when you two were practicing at his place in LA and he asked if we’d mind you hanging out together.”

  I nodded—my mouth had gone completely dry—and my heart thudded against my ribs. What if they’d voted Axel’s request down?

  “Are you okay with this” Jake fixed me with a stern look. “He hasn’t put any pressure on you, I hope?”

  “No pressure,” I managed to say despite the lump of relief in my throat. “I’m totally cool and think I might even learn something about song writing from him.”

  I was winging it with the last statement. I’d never written a song in my life. I was a singer, first and foremost. But I’d be pumped if I could get some insight into the process from Axel at the same time as…

  My cheeks heated and I turned away from Jake.

  The photographer had sprung to life and was aiming his camera toward the entrance to the pool area.

  I spun around and my mouth popped into an O.

  Holy crap.

  So many abs.

  And muscles.

  And hotness.

  The guys were stalking toward us in their swimsuits and their ripped bodies were freaking amazing.

  But it was Axel who took my breath.

  As ever.

  He was everything.

  And he was mine.

  Whoa, where had that come from? He wasn’t mine. He hadn’t even boned me yet, let alone made any commitment. This was just an interlude.

  On both of our parts.

  He came up, biting down on his lip and unleashing his sexy smile. “Did Jake tell you the good news, Firebird?”

  “Yup.”

  I tore my gaze away. My eyes had been feasting on him unashamedly.

  But, when he started speaking Spanish to the photographer, I almost self-combusted it was so freaking hot.

  I glanced down at my bikini top, at my peaked nipples under the thin material, and crossed my arms over my chest.

  The shoot proceeded and we spent about an hour posing for the photographer.

  Me with all four band members.

  Me with each of them on our own.

  Me with Axel, his arm around me, his hot body pressed against mine.

  I melded into him—I couldn’t resist it—and he grabbed a towel from the sunlounger next to us, wrapped it around his waist. “You’ve given me a boner, Firebird,” he croaked into my ear. “I need a cold shower.”

  “Oops,” I giggled, moving away from him as he laughed with me.

  Finally, this part of the shoot ended and we went to our rooms to get ready for the next session... dinner in the hotel’s Michelin star restaurant, followed by an evening in the nightclub.

  Except, I was dreading the last part of the arrangement. Spanish movie stars would be joining us, and I knew what that meant.

  Axel would have to act his rock star role, and I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from feeling jealous.

  Dammit.

  14

  A DJ was mixing tracks in his booth at the back of the club, blending the songs seamlessly to achieve a perfect beat. He wasn’t one of those blokes who did nothing but push buttons. This DJ was a turntablist, a musician, and he was performing at his console… encouraging people to dance and have a good time.

  Only I wasn’t one of them.

  I rubbed the back of my neck and pressed my lips together, staring at Firebird across the room. She didn’t realize how beautiful and sexy she was in that slinky black backless dress, how every man here wanted to be that bastard Spanish actor posing with his arm around her.

  I pulled my gaze away from them, sank back into the plush couch and downed the last of the whiskey in my glass.

  Mercedes, the sultry dark-haired actress I’d been paired off with, pouted. “Quieres bailar?”

  I didn’t want to dance.

  Not with her.

  Miguel, our photographer, with whom I was by now on first-name terms, lifted his camera expectantly, but I ignored him.

  Foxy, whose movie star had offered him a joint and had been escorted from the club by Jake, grabbed me in a headlock and ruffled my hair. “If you don’t want her, mind if I do the honors, mate? I’m in the mood for some pussy.”

  I folded my arms. “Sure. Go ahead.”

  “What’s
got you so pissed?” Jake asked from where he was sitting on the other side of me. He clinked the ice in his glass.

  “Nothing,” I muttered.

  Jake was my oldest friend, but sometimes it was as if I didn’t know him at all.

  Especially since the tragedy of Ella’s death.

  He’d turned into a man on a mission, a mission to keep us all on the straight and narrow.

  How was I going to put up with his micromanaging over the next several weeks when it was even now getting on my nerves? Jake had never joined in our hell raising in the past. He’d always said one of us needed to be the grownup. But now we were behaving like sensible adults, more or less, I just wished he’d lighten up. It was like he didn’t trust us, and that really got on my nerves.

  I heaved out a heavy sigh.

  Movement by the DJ’s booth caught my attention. Zach and Rhys were already pressed up against their movie star partners. No doubt they wouldn’t be sleeping alone tonight.

  My gaze snapped back to Phoenix and that fucking actor. They’d also started dancing and Miguel was snapping pictures of them like a demented pap.

  Without warning, Firebird wriggled out of her partner’s hold and strode away, leaving him standing in the middle of the dance floor looking like a prize wanker.

  I leapt to my feet and was by her side in an instant. “What happened?”

  Her eyes glistened. “Nothing.”

  But I could see she was upset.

  My hand balled as I raged to sucker punch the fucker, and it took every ounce of willpower to abstain from the pleasure of feeling his cheekbones crack under my fist.

  I put my arm around Firebird. “Let’s split.”

  Her shoulders trembled. “There’s nothing I’d like better.”

  I led her over to Jake. “Phoenix and I are off to get some fresh air. Expect us when you see us.”

  His mouth opened and closed like a goldfish in a glass bowl. “Where are you going?”

  “I need some inspiration,” I said through gritted teeth. “Barcelona is one of my favourite cities. Phoenix has never been here before, so I thought I’d show her some of the sights.”

  “Take Mike with you. And keep a low profile.”