Page 16 of Rock Star

No wonder ChiMera needed a management team.

My chest tingled with anticipation. We were gonna enjoy a couple days staying in a villa on Lake Como north of Milan to acclimatize and recover from jet lag before the concerts. We’d ride by helicopter from there to the San Siro Stadium for our two scheduled shows. I couldn’t wait for us to get started.

Couldn’t wait but freaking terrified at the same time.

I thought about my parents, their sad faces as I’d said goodbye to them this morning. I’d promised to Skype with them at every opportunity… and I would. This would be the first time in our lives we’d be separated for so long. I knew I would miss them, but I’d do everything in my power to make them proud.

Including sticking to my bet with Axel.

Still too buzzed to fall asleep, I decided to leave my seat and go to the galley to ask for a glass of milk. The airplane’s engines rumbled under my feet as I padded past the slumbering passengers. I was almost at the front of the plane when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I breathed in a familiar masculine scent.

“Axel,” I spun around to face him. “You nearly made me jump outta my skin.”

“You okay?” he asked, his eyes roving over my face.

“I can’t sleep.” I shrugged.

“Neither can I.” He caught his lip with his teeth. “Would you like to hang out?”

“Sure,” I said.

He was, for all intents and purposes, my boss. What else could I have said?

There were a couple empty armchairs just before the area where the flight attendants prepared our meals. We sat and he turned to face me. “Can I get you a drink?”

“A glass of milk would be nice,” I said in a tentative tone.

Within minutes he’d returned with two mugs. He handed me one and I took a sip. The milk was warm and laced with something alcoholic.

Totally yummy.

“I asked for some brandy to be added,” he said, unleashing his heart-stopping smile.

“It’s nice. Are you having the same?”

He nodded and we sipped our drinks in silence.

I stared at the inflight monitor, which showed our position mid-Atlantic. Another five hours until we arrived. I released a weary sigh.

Axel cleared his throat. “I wanted to say something.”

I gazed into his smoldering dark brown eyes and my breath caught.AxelI’d been a complete wanker; I knew I had. What had gone down the other night had changed the dynamics between us, making her wary of me.

I should have apologized, called off the bet, but my pride and my cock wouldn’t let me. Besides, it would have been dishonest; I had no intention of letting her slip through my fingers. Fingers that couldn’t wait to explore her luscious body. Fingers that ached to be inside her. It wasn’t only about sex, either. Phoenix Johnson was special, I’d come to realize. Unlike any woman I’d ever met.

I took the mug from her hand, placed it next to mine on the table in front of us, and asked, “Can we go back to the way we were before?”

She tilted her head. “You wanna call off the bet?”

“Hell, no,” I smirked. “Just don’t want you avoiding me anymore.”

“I wasn’t avoiding you,” she huffed.

“Could have fooled me…”

“You are so full of yourself.” Her green eyes spat sparks. “I don’t have a team of people doing things for me. I was busy.”

I held up my hands. “Point taken. I was simply worried you didn’t trust me.”

“Can I trust you, Axel?” She shook her head. “I mean, you’re a rock star. Women all over the world would do anything for you.”

“I’m not interested in them.” I paused, gathered my thoughts. “There’s only one girl I’m interested in, and she’s sitting right next to me.”

She let out a small gasp. “You’re only interested in getting into my panties.”

“That too, but it’s not the full story.” I reached for her hand, and her fingers trembled in my hold. “I’d never do anything you didn’t want me to do.”

“Good, because I’m not gonna have sex with you.”

She was lying and I knew it. The way her pupils had dilated when I looked into her eyes had shown how needy she was. And even the fact that she’d been keeping her distance. She didn’t trust herself around me; it was fucking obvious.

But I went along with her game. “Why not?”

She released a shuddering breath. “Apart from the fact it would be unprofessional for you and me to have a relationship, I’ve sworn off men.”

I stared at her.

And I saw past her defenses.

Someone had screwed her over.

It was as plain as the nose on my face.

“Who hurt you?”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me. You’re my friend. Anyone hurts you and they’ll have me to answer to.”

“It was last summer.” Her breathing stuttered. “Zander, my high school sweetheart, dumped me.”

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