Page 27 of Rock Star

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.13We 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.

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