In Bed with the Rockstar (With the Rockstar #2) (rockstar romance series)
From bestselling author, Ana W. Fawkes – the voice that brought the erotic romance chart topping series – BY HIS COMMAND.
This is…
WITH THE ROCKSTAR
Book two –
In Bed with the Rockstar
Welcome to the world of Alex Slader and Ashes in Vain. He’s the lead singer for Ashes in Vain. He writes all the music. He writes the lyrics. He records everything. And he owns more than anyone can ever imagine… he’s a billionaire rockstar and more than that… he’s the rockstar… the one all men wish they could become and the one all women want to be with.
Alex Slader is dark and dominating… and he’s just met the only woman he’s only woman he’s ever loved… she just doesn’t know it yet.
Taken away.
Taken away.
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Jessica Harpmae seems to have gotten her wish with billionaire rockstar, Alex Slader.
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Taken away.
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After an altercation with a previous guitarist, Alex Slader strongly believes the world is trying to keep him and Jessica apart.
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Taken away.
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Jessica must find a way to put all her trust - and love - into Alex Slader and all he has to offer. But when he betrays her trust and gets arrested, Jessica feels she has nowhere to turn. Then her roommate, Carrie, begins to fulfill a major part of her secret sexual contract and the lines between friendship, trust, and love are quickly destroyed...
*
When Jessica asked to be taken away, this wasn't quite what she had in mind...
Sometimes in the darkness is when we can see. The darkness can be our planet. It can push the world away for us. We can finally have this... we can finally have us. Isn’t that what you want?
.1.
The lights had been off for ten minutes. Jessica Harpmae stood alone, yet she was submersed in a crowd that continued to cheer and chant for the only thing they wanted. They all wanted Alex Slader, the front man of Ashes in Vain. The ultimate rockstar.
Jessica was safely off to the side of the stage near the gate. If the crowd grew restless or people started pushing, none of that would bother her. She knew if she kept her bearings, she needed to turn right and walk until she found the backstage area.
That’s not what Alex Slader wanted. It had been almost a week since Slader whisked her away from her normal life of chasing bands and writing stories for a man who could quite possibly be her old boss by now. Jessica wasn’t sure at that point if she had an actual job or not nor did she care. She had the hands, the eyes, and the words of Alex Slader to keep her going.
He took care of her in a way nobody had ever before. Yes, he was a self-made billionaire who was more than willing to share anything and everything with Jessica, but Slader also took care of Jessica physically and emotionally. He ignored his own pain that she could see in his eyes. Jessica wanted to explore his pain and discover what made him the rockstar he was. The pain made Alex Slader real. That’s why his fans were so dedicated to him.
The crowd began to chant for Slader. The emotion in the small venue was swelling. The fans patience would be pushed to the limits. People wouldn’t wait forever, or would they? Slader would try to break them, but he’d never chase them away for good. That’s one thing Jessica learned right away. The fans loves Slader in a way she’d never witnessed before. They would do anything for a piece of Alex Slader. They’d take on security guards. They’d throw items on stage hoping to say Slader touched something of theirs. Men wanted Slader as much as women did. In fact, if Slader wanted, he could be on any stage across the world. He could play for hundreds of thousands of fans. Instead, he kept his shows small, usually secretive, and he played the same venue multiple times if the crowd worked the way he wanted.
The Slader chants started to break up and were now on an uneven chant. Jessica knew it had to have been over fifteen minutes now since the lights went off. The moment it happened everyone exhausted the biggest scream they could find, but now it was a waiting game. Slader versus his audience. Slader was in control, as always.
Jessica felt her hip vibrate and wasn’t sure if she should check her phone. She really didn’t want to miss anything. This was the first Ashes in Vain show since the explosive relationship between she and Slader began. It was supposed to just be one night of wild fun. To say Jessica had spent it with the hottest rockstar in the world. But now it was something else.
Jessica took her cell phone from her pocket and looked at it.
It was a message from Slader.
I’m coming. For you.
Jessica turned the screen off and put her phone away. She looked to her left and made out the dots of cell phones screens, scattering throughout the audience like stars on a clear night. The text message made Jessica feel like the most important person in the venue. She knew something none of them did. Not to mention she was probably the only person there in the place that could say they had seen Slader naked and felt the touch of his muscles and hands on their body.
Thinking of Slader naked turned Jessica on.
When something touched her shoulders, she almost moaned. It was a tight grip. Two hands pulled her back and Jessica stumbled a few steps before crashing into a body. The moment she felt the hardness - everywhere - she knew it was Alex Slader. He was right there, right next to his audience. The people standing at the gate, their eyes stuck to the stage, chanting, had no idea that Slader was just a foot or two away from them.
Slader’s right hand slithered from Jessica’s shoulder down to her chest. He cupped her breast and squeezed. His face touched against Jessica’s. They were both looking forward, into the darkness Slader created. His left hand moved down Jessica’s body and hurried under her shirt, touching her warm skin. His hand spread wide and held Jessica tight against his body.
“Beautiful,” Slader said into her ear. “Just beautiful.”
Slader turned his head and nuzzled Jessica’s cheek in a sweet dominating way. His hands were then gone from her body. He moved quickly and Jessica saw his silhouette moving towards the stage. A few seconds later, Jessica heard the sound of a breath being exhaled into the mic. It sounded throughout the small venue, but she wasn’t sure if anyone realized what was happening.
She wanted to scream to everyone to shut up and listen.
Then came a gentle whisper... “Beautiful,” Slader said.
The crowd exploded again. He was there. Their rockstar had shown.
A light slowly began to shine on Slader as though he was coming to life right before their eyes. Slader stood with his head back and his arms out. Then, with the simple motion of moving his hands up and down, the crowd began to calm. He brought them all to complete silence. The sight was unreal. Not one of those people made so much as a peep as Slader stood on stage. He brought his head down and looked left to right. On stage he was dominating to everyone. He controlled their emotions, their thoughts, their needs. Every song Ashes in Vain played was written by Slader himself. He wrote the lyrics and the music. Everything was a product of Slader. That’s what made the shows more real because nothing came from anyone else. It made Jessica feel bad for the band members Slader rotated, because they were nothing more than hired help. Then again, the benefits they received after each show were pretty intense. There was plenty of women, booze, and drugs to keep someone busy for days. That was Slader’s payment to the musicians he hired.
For the crowd in front of him, Slader exhaled another breath again into the mic. The rest of the band took the stage a
nd the crowd didn’t move or make noise as it happened. Two guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer all took their positions on stage and waited for the same direction as the audience did.
Jessica was completely entranced by Alex Slader. She waited to see what would happen next. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? Was he even going to play at all? A few times in the past, Slader had taken the stage and stared into the crowd for a few minutes before calling it all off. Even then the fans still showed up. They knew that even if Slader played one song... just one song... it would be worth everything.
Slader took another breath and then put his hands to the mic.
“Tonight, we live,” Slader said. “We live in this moment. In this place. Nothing else matters. Everything you need is right here, everything...”
Slader let the last word ring out and the band started to play. The song was loud and heavy, bringing the crowd back to life. Slader nodded his head as the song played. He wanted the crowd to cheer. He wanted the crowd to become his for the night.
They already were.
Jessica caught herself getting into the music too. This was why she loved her job. No matter what her job at the office had given her, she always believed in the music. There were times when getting coffee for Mr. Plink and dealing with the office bullshit at PL Sound made Jessica want to scream, but it seemed those days were long gone. With Alex Slader in her life, nothing could get in her way. Nothing could harm her. Nothing could stop her.
Slader stepped to the mic and began to sing. Lyrical sex poured through the speakers. His voice could sing clear one second and then add a little growl the next. He controlled the notes effortlessly. Slader was the realest rockstar Jessica had ever seen before.
When he looked at Jessica, she put her hands in the air and danced a little. She had the best seat in the entire venue. All these fans would have a memory when the show ended. For Jessica, when the show ended, she’d have a chance to make more memories.
With her hands in the air, Jessica cheered. Slader turned his sights back to the crowd and before Jessica could put her arms down, hands were wrapped around her. One arm came around her chest and pulled up to her throat. The second hand wrapped around her stomach. Then Jessica was in the air. She thrashed and kicked, screaming for help, but it was lost in the crowd. She began to move, against her own will, and Jessica wasn’t sure what to do.
She watched as Slader became more and more distant. The hands around her were tight. She continued to kick, wanting to defend herself but more so, wanting to stay near Slader. He was the only one who could protect her.
Without Alex Slader, Jessica felt she would become nothing.
Goodbye. I will never leave for good. Our hearts can keep this alive. Our hearts can keep us together. The distance of our miles means nothing. Even still, I must say goodbye. I must. I will. I hate it. Goodbye.
.2.
Some men had booze, some men had drugs, Alex Slader had music. His music to be exact, the only music that really mattered. The men surrounding him on stage were a different set of guys than the last show he played. They were good for being hired help. They hit the notes, they showed passion, but that really came from the fact that they were fans of Alex Slader and would forever be able to share a story of how they played with Alex fucking Slader. They were worth keeping around to play some more shows. That’s what Alex needed when the time came to entertain the fans who needed him. Their lives were important to him. The energy was raw, and after the first song, Slader looked off stage and saw the vacant spot where Jessica had been standing.
He had to smile.
He could only imagine the emotion running through her right then.
Fear. Worry. Hope. Need. He was sure she wanted to give up. He was sure she feared he would never come for her. Because of that, Slader wondered how he could punish Jessica for such thoughts. Did she really believe he’d leave her? The same could be said for the fans cheering. When Slader had the lights out, did they believe for a second that he wouldn’t play?
By the end of the hour set, Slader was angry. The band played the last song and before it ended, Slader left the stage. There was no need to say anything to the people out there. They had gotten what they wanted. They had gotten their show.
Slader tossed the mic to someone and then stormed down the concrete hallway. He counted three doors on his right and then turned, kicking the door in. He flipped the light switch and found the bathroom sink. As he stood staring at himself in the mirror, the beads of sweat still forming and dripping, Slader curled his lip. It felt like a razor blade was in his heart. He couldn’t figure out why. They all needed to trust him.
Slader turned the water on and let it run over his hands and fingers. He cupped his hands to collect some water and splashed it on his face. It was cold but did nothing. Slader opened his eyes again and watched the water drip off his face. He wanted to write. Right then. He wanted to create something beautiful to give to Jessica. He wanted everything from her and that included her trust, matter happened between them.
The door slowly opened and Slader saw Jerry in the reflection. He had worked with Slader for years and it was the only man Slader could honestly trust. He didn’t let Jerry in on much, but it did ease him to see Jerry.
“Great show,” Jerry said.
“Think so?” Slader asked.
“Does my opinion matter?”
Slader smiled. “You get it, Jerry. You always get it.”
“They get it too,” Jerry said. “There’s nothing like an Ashes in Vain show.”
“Where’s the band?”
“Back dressing room.”
Slader nodded. “They happy?”
“Vodka. Whiskey. Coke. Strippers.”
“Check, check, check, check,” Slader said.
He stood tall and looked at himself one last time. He turned and walked towards Jerry. He got close, but Jerry didn’t move.
“Problem?” Slader asked.
Slader hoped Jerry wouldn’t question his actions with Jessica. Slader knew Jessica probably screamed and kicked as she was taken. She probably screamed and kicked all the way down the hallway to the dressing room where she now waited for Slader. It pained Slader to imagine Jessica screaming. Didn’t she trust him enough?
Didn’t she love him enough?
She had to love him. Slader needed that in his heart. It had been so long since he had that feeling.
“Slader, there’s someone here,” Jerry said.
“Reporter? Photographer? Women desperate for me?”
“Not quite,” Jerry said. “It’s Richie.”
“Who the hell is Richie?”
“Guitarist,” Jerry said. “He played a handful of shows at the beginning of the year.”
“Oh.”
Slader remembered Richie. He remembered Richie all too well.
“Don’t get excited,” Jerry said. “But he’s here looking for money.”
“Money?” Slader laughed. “Did he forget what he did?”
“I understand,” Jerry said. “I wanted to tell you. I’m going to have security remove him...”
“No,” Slader said. He put a hand to Jerry’s shoulder. “Take me to him. Right now.”
“Slader...”
Slader squeezed Jerry’s shoulder. Jerry’s knee bent and he winced in pain.
“Follow me,” he whispered.
It had been a typical after show gathering. Slader had the usual setup for the band. They were always free to party and indulge. Of course, if they ended up dead, it wasn’t Slader’s fault. He could control people, but he couldn’t control their addiction. And that was the problem with Richie. He had an addiction and that addiction was Slader. When Slader caught Richie playing one of his guitars, that was the first strike. The second strike was when Richie suggested a different bridge to a song. The final strike came when Slader walked into the dressing room and found Richie having sex with a woman Slader had picked. It was time for their relationship to end.
The reason was simple, nobody fucked with Alex Slader. Ever.
Slader found Richie at the end of the hallway, pacing. When Richie saw Slader, he stopped, and both men stared each other down. Jerry was in between. Jerry was a good man, but he couldn’t battle a breeze let alone Slader and Richie.
“There he is,” Richie said. “You motherfucker.”
“Nice to see you again, Richie,” Slader said.
“Where’s my fucking money?”
“You were paid what you deserved.”
“You control that? You give what you feel people deserve?”
Slader laughed. He opened his arms and looked around. “Works for me.”
“You’re a piece of shit,” Richie said.
“Why don’t we let the legal team handle this?” Jerry offered. “Do you have a lawyer, Richie?”
“I don’t need a lawyer,” Richie shouted. He lifted his fists. “I have these.”
“You want to fight me?” Slader asked.
“Yeah, I do. I want to smash your fucking face in.”
“Smash my fucking face in,” Slader said. “Because of you addiction?”
“My addiction?” Richie said. “I have no addiction.”
Slader stepped forward. He put a hand to Jerry and with a single swat Jerry was no longer in the way. Slader moved closer to Richie. There wasn’t an ounce of fear in Slader’s body. In fact, he was excited. He wanted to feel what Richie felt right then. The want. The need. The willingness to die for something.
“You’re addicted to me,” Slader said. “You want me. You want to be me. Because you’re worth nothing. You’re a hack guitar player.”