Page 35 of Not Another Rockstar
Unable to stop herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. She gasped as his hand slipped into her hair, and the taste of him overwhelmed her.
“Bee, please come home with me. I need to keep you close.”
He moaned, gripping the back of her neck as she bit him in rebellion. He liked to call her ‘Bee’, so she might as well sting.
“Don’t ruin the moment. Just kiss me,” she ordered.
He gripped her hips, pulling her against him harshly. There wasn’t an inch between them. He deepened the kiss as she groaned. His smile against her lips made her giddy, loving how he responded to her. His hard body pushed her up against the wall, and she dropped the prints, not caring as they fell on the staircase. She fisted his jacket, trying to steady herself as she reached up on her tiptoes.
She’d never acted this way, like all the anger was pouring out of her and turning into something much sweeter. His hand travelled down her waist to the hem of her skirt, squeezing her thigh as he feasted on her neck. He invaded her senses, and her hand slipped under his T-shirt and he gasped as she explored the smooth planes of his body. She forgot where they were as she felt his rough hand reach under her skirt between her thighs.
“You had to be wearing tights. I want to tear these fucking things off,” he rasped.
She rested her head against the wall to brace herself, wishing he’d stop teasing her mercilessly. The sound of footsteps echoing up the staircase reminded her how exposed they were. Axel stilled, then put her skirt back in place. She blushed, removing her hands from him, and tugged playfully at his T-shirt. Luckily there weren’t any cameras in the stairwell.
“You need to go,” Phoebe panted as he tipped her chin up to face him. She didn’t want him to go. He let out a long exhale, and she hoped he wouldn’t argue.
How could something feel so right but be so wrong? He wasn’t only her brother’s best friend, but her ex’s frenemy, and she couldn’t get enough. Those dark eyes, and strong hands—he was the opposite of Cillian’s boy-next-door charm.
Phoebe distracted herself from her thoughts by picking up the prints they had dropped.
“I won’t push you to move in, but if anything happens… call me or the guys, please,” Axel said, helping her clean up the mess without prompting.
“I promise.” She glanced at him, unable to suppress her smile when she caught him staring.
They walked to her door in silence. She wished she knew what he was thinking.
“Can you do me a favour?” she asked as he placed the boxes inside her apartment. “Don’t tell Nick about the break-in before I do? I don’t want him to worry.”
“And you swear that you’ll tell him?” he countered.
“Cross my heart. If I tell him now then he’ll be the one dragging me back to your place, and I need some time to think,” she said, needing some time to process.
Axel put his hands in the pockets of his black jeans. “Fine, I’ll give you twenty-four hours, because if they find out that I let you stay here alone after what someone did to your studio, Nick and August will shove my drumsticks where the sun doesn’t shine.”
“Shake on it?” she asked, wanting his word. Trust didn’t come as easy as it once had.
“Don’t trust me?” He arched a brow as he stared at her hand.
“I’m having trouble trusting anyone at the minute.”
“You can trust me.” Axel took her hand gently, careful not to hurt her.
“Be safe, and please call me, for anything,” he said, kissing her hand. It was becoming a habit.
“You have my word.” If she didn’t let him go now, she wouldn’t. He smirked as though reading her thoughts.
Phoebe closed the door before she was tempted to invite him back inside. It was the perfect boundary they needed. Shechewed her lip as she watched him hesitate outside the peephole before heading back down the stairs.
Once Axel had left,Phoebe put her art prints on the couch and opened her laptop on the coffee table. She had neglected to tell the police and Axel about the nanny cams she had installed in a painting hanging by the entrance to the studio. She had every inch covered; given the threats, she wasn’t going to leave herself unprotected. A few days after the funeral, Lena had helped her install them because the insurance company demanded more security given her increased notoriety. They hadn’t got around to installing an alarm system yet—it was an old building and it would be a big job that required rewiring. None of the contractors they had called had had any time in their immediate schedules for the project, no matter how much they offered to pay.
Phoebe scrolled through the footage while she iced her hand. She was trying to rely less on the painkillers and stick to ice. The spasms had increased because she had been clenching her fist.
“Show me your face,” Phoebe muttered to herself, squinting at the screen.
She scrolled to the time of Axel’s arrival and watched him walk around the back. She scrolled back in time, wishing she had installed some automatic lights to come on when someone entered the studio, because the streetlamp outside wasn’t helping.
“There you are,” she muttered as a hooded figure appeared on the front steps. They looked around before breaking thewindow to let themselves in. “Clever enough to hide their face, and wear gloves.”
