BWWM: Bad Boy Billionaires Box Set (A Bad Boy BWWM Billionaire Collection)

by Jameson, Jasmine

  “Christoff! Explain this.” My voice came out shrill and tense as I walked toward him waving the phone in the air. He was so startled that he almost dropped the weights. He slammed them down back on the rack before sitting up.

  “What is going on now, Gia?” Christoff sounded annoyed.

  “There is a picture with you and Bianca on the Internet” I seethed. “Look! And don’t accidentally click like or share.” I felt like my blood was boiling as I thrust the phone in his face. He took it from me, glanced down and gave it back to me.

  “Gia, why are freaking out on me. There are pictures with me and lots of people on the Internet. This was taken at a party a long time ago.”

  “I don’t like it being there!” I continued to wag the phone in his face. I was steaming.

  He snatched the phone out of my hand. “Gia, calm down. I can’t control what people post about me on the Internet. It’s obviously a memory from the past. It has nothing to do with the here and now, and it has nothing to do with us.”

  “Christoff, even if it is just a memory from the past, if she’s posting about you today, it means she must be thinking about you, which means you must have been talking to her recently.”

  “How many ways do I have to say it? I’m telling you, I had nothing to do with her posting that picture. Now drop it.” Christoff’s jaw was clenched and the veins in his neck were prominent. I knew that I should probably let him cool off, but I was so upset that I couldn’t let it go.

  “I saw how you were with that girl on Rodeo last week and now this. I’m not stupid Christoff. I think you’re talking to other girls behind my back.” I folded my arms across my chest.

  Christoff looked down and squeezed the bridge of his nose before looking back up at me. “Look Gia, I’m trying not to lose my patience with you, but you are really pushing me. Do you know how shitty it makes me feel when you accuse me of being a liar? I’ve made my mistakes in the past, but I have been nothing but good to you. Every day, I work hard to show up for you and be the man that you deserve, but you keep telling me it’s not good enough. Your accusations are getting out of control. I don’t like it at all. I feel like I’m hurting you, which makes me feel awful, even though I know I’m not doing anything wrong. This is not good for either of us. I think you need to think about what you really want.”

  “I know what I want. I want you to be loyal to me. What do you want?”

  “I am loyal to you. What I want is for you to trust me.”

  “I’m trying but it’s hard with pictures like this in my newsfeed.” I held up my phone.

  “I’m in the public eye, so there are going to be pictures of me with people everywhere. But if Bianca bothers you that much, then just unfollow her.”

  “Okay.” I sulked.

  “Look, I need to work on the new album. I’m going to my cabin in Germany to go write. While I’m out there working, let’s put some space between us and take some time to figure out what we want, and if we can give each other what we both need. I’ll leave late tonight. Hopefully some time to yourself will do you good. I need to relax and focus on my work, and I think you should do the same.”

  “Christoff?”

  “Yes, Gia?”

  “Are we breaking up?”

  “Not unless you want us to.”

  “I don’t want us to break up for good, but I think I need a break just to sort out some things inside of my head,” I said through tears.

  “I think that would be good for you. And, just so you know, I’m not leaving to get away from you. I just need the time and the space to focus on my work. Please take care of yourself while I’m away. ”

  “You do the same,” I said quietly. Even though I was the one that caused the fight and suggested the break, I felt so torn up inside. Christoff looked lost in thought. All of his muscles were tense. I could tell that he was pissed, so I decided to leave him alone. He nodded as he moved past me and went upstairs. I felt a cyclone of confusion and grief storm through me as I watched Christoff walk away. He had been so good to me, and, for the most part, he was so patient with me. I felt awful for pushing him away. I think he was right about taking a break to just work on myself without worrying about the relationship would be good for me.

  ***

  I nursed my tea as I sat on the couch feeling dejected and lonely. I wished that Christoff wasn’t so distant when he was writing. At first I welcomed the time apart, because it gave me time to pursue my own interests and to work on improving myself. But after almost three weeks away from him, my longing was so palpable it stood like an impermeable wall blocking my productivity and damming the flow of all creativity. The void his absence created was eating me alive. I no longer enjoyed the space between us. Christoff assured me that he wasn’t still mad at me over the fight and that he was just lost in his work. We didn’t talk as frequently as I would have liked, and, when we did speak, he always seemed preoccupied. Although I was in awe of musicians and their creative process, part of me wondered if I was really cut out to date a rockstar. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the intercom buzzing. Who could that be? I’m not expecting anyone.

  “Who is it?” I spoke hesitantly into the intercom.

  “It’s Axel. I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I’d stop by and say ‘hi.’ I brought my guitar, and I want to get your opinion on some new riffs I’ve been trying out.”

  I welcomed the company, and I was thrilled to get a behind the scenes peek at the upcoming album. Christoff hadn’t shared one note of the new album yet. I was excited to get to hear some of the instrumentals.

  “I’m glad you stopped by! Come on in.” I buzzed Axel in and unlocked the door as I waited for him to park. I grabbed my brush from off the coffee table, let my hair down and brushed out my sandy brown locks. I immediately felt foolish, because I knew Axel didn’t care what I looked like, and, even if he did, I knew better than to concern myself with it. Even though I didn’t want to admit it, I found Axel to be quite attractive, and I was drawn to his bad-boy edginess.

  Although I knew Axel personally and had hung out with him and the band several times in very casual settings away from the stage and the glitz and glam of show business, I still saw all of the guys as larger than life. I was such a huge Aus Deutschland fan that sometimes it was hard for me to be cool and treat them as normal human beings. I was so in awe of music, it spoke to my soul, and it moved me like no other form of art could. I couldn’t believe that after feeling empty and unfulfilled all week, one of the dreams of a lifetime was going to come true. I would get a sneak peek at an album while it was still in the creative process, and I may even get to have some input. Ohmigosh! I might get to shape the outcome of an Aus Deutschland album. Giavanna Johnson, co-creator to musical geniuses.

  A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. I jumped, even though I was expecting Axel to come up the walkway. I ran to the kitchen and opened the back door.

  “Gia! How are you?” Axel pulled me into a bear hug. He smelled really nice. This was the first time I’d been shown affection in far too long.

  “I’m doing well Axel. And you?”

  “I’m great. I’m super excited about this song I’m working on. I feel like it’s really good, but it just needs a little more spice to make it perfect. I was thinking that maybe you could help me with that. I need a fresh, non-biased pair of ears on it.”

  “Well Axel, I’m flattered that you want my opinion, but I haven’t played an instrument since the eighth grade, and I don’t know if I would call my ears non-biased. I’m a huge Aus Deutschland fan, so I would probably err on the side of loving every note a little too much.”

  “If only all our fans could be so loyal,” Axel laughed. I laughed with him. It was the first time I smiled in over two weeks. I took a step back to allow Axel and his guitar room to get through the door way.

  “Come in, come in. Do you want something to drink?”

  “Actually, I do, but I don’t trust Christoff’s taste in s
tocking a good bar. He’s a big beer guy. I’m a whiskey man.”

  “Well, Axel, you’re in luck. Christoff didn’t stock the bar—I did. I actually went to bartending school once upon a time, and I happen to have impeccable taste in whiskey. Would a double pour of Macallan 1939 suit your liking?” Axel’s eyes lit up.

  “Oh man, really!?” He exclaimed incredulously. “You have Macallan 1939? Most women don’t even know about that, let alone keep it stocked in their bar. I must say I’m impressed.” I was beaming with pride. German rockstar Axel Dietrich impressed with me? No way.

  “Well, I’m always delighted to please my guests. Would you like it cut with water?”

  “Oh no, of course not. I just like it straight. Do you want to do a shot with me?”

  “I don’t do shots, and Macallan is not a drink you slam. This is a sipping whiskey, Axel. Is there no one in your life to teach you any culture?” I teased.

  “I’m a man with a lot of rough edges, and, unfortunately, I don’t have anyone special in my life to smooth them out. But for tonight, since you have been gracious enough to host me, I’ll try to pretend to have some class. I’ll take my Macallan up.”

  “I’ll take mine on the rocks.” I smiled as I went behind the bar to the liquor cabinet. The Macallan 1939 was so special that we didn’t even keep it out. I was really happy Axel stopped by. It felt good to have someone to entertain. What good is a ten thousand dollar bottle of whiskey if you have no one to drink it with? I had been so used to being lonely that I almost forgot what it felt like to have company and companionship.

  I handed Axel his drink. “Let’s take these to the living room so you can relax and get ready to share one of your musical masterpieces with me.”

  “Musical masterpiece? I must say you sure know how to make a man feel like a rockstar.”

  “I hope you live up to the high ideal I have of you in my head. I’ve always thought you were an extremely talented artist.”

  “Well thank you. You certainly have good taste in music. It’s almost as good as your taste in whiskey.” Axel raised his glass. “Cheers to being awesome and enjoying the finest of everything.”

  “Cheers.” I clinked my glass to his and took a slow deliberate sip. It burned going down, and the potency of the alcohol made my cheeks flush. I took another sip. I welcomed the warm, soothing feeling that such a fine whiskey brought.

  “It must be lonely in this big house all by yourself?” Axel looked around the spacious living room before taking a seat on the sofa. I could tell he thought highly of himself and his status by how much space he took up. He sat with his legs far apart, and he stretched out his arms across the back of the sofa. I tucked my legs under my body and squeezed onto the empty cushion on the far end of the couch.

  “It’s quiet, but it’s not so bad. I’ve been able to get a lot of work done. And I hope that Christoff has been able to get a lot of work done while he’s been gone.”

  “If I had a gorgeous girl like you at home waiting for me, I wouldn’t be able to get anything done. I’d be too busy trying to figure out how I could get back next to you.” I couldn’t help but to smile, but my feeling of flattery soon turned to sourness as I realized how much I resented Christoff for leaving me for so long. Even though we were kind of on a break that I suggested, I still wished that he would check in more.

  “We all know Christoff is extremely focused. Nothing comes between him and his music… not even me.” I forced a smile so it wouldn’t seem as if I was complaining.

  “Well, I know Christoff, so I believe what you’re telling me, but I can’t wrap my head around how any man in his right mind would leave an irresistible woman like you alone for more than a day.”

  I was so flattered that I blushed. I didn’t know if he was being sincere, but Axel had me melting. I took a long sip of whiskey to take the edge off. I absentmindedly played with my hair as I watched Axel empty his glass in a few fluid sips.

  “But anyway, your personal life is none of my business.” Axel’s gaze lingered for a few seconds. “Would you mind pouring me another drink?”

  “No problem Axel, whatever you want.” I smiled. For some reason, I was eager to please him, and I didn’t know why. I would like to think that I wasn’t so shallow as to be eating out of the palm of a man’s hand just because he called me pretty or just because he’s a rockstar, or, even more superficially, just because he’s a rockstar that called me pretty.

  I crawled off the couch and sauntered over to the bar. I had only drank a third of my glass, and already I was a little unsteady on my feet. It had been a long time since I drank hard liquor, and it was really hitting me. I poured Axel another drink and brought it to him promptly.

  “Do you need anything else while I’m up?”

  “Nope, just your undivided attention. I’m going to play three different versions of one master riff and see which one you react to most.”

  “Awesome. I’m all ears.”

  “Do you have an amp here, or do I need to grab mine out of the SUV?”

  “We have all kinds of equipment down the hall. Here follow me.” I led Axel down a corridor and into a walk-in closet. I turned on the light inside the closet and saw there was an amp sitting off to the side. I walked forward and bent over to pick it up without realizing that Axel was right behind me. When I stood upright I felt his body pressed against me and the weight of the amp caused me to fall back against him. His body was warm and hard. I was flustered by the involuntary reaction I was having.

  “Here let me get that.” Axel brushed past me and took the amp out of my hands.

  I was shaking as we made our way back to the living room, but I didn’t know why. I took the last sip of my whiskey, and it made me feel calm and peaceful. I felt myself melt into the sofa as Axel plugged in his amp and strapped his guitar on. My heart raced as he skillfully produced a hard and heavy riff with a hypnotic melody. I felt like the music was lulling me into a trance. There was nothing like having a private concert put on by one of the members of your favorite rock band in your own living room.

  “I liked the way you reacted to that one, but I’d like you to hear the other two as well.” Axel looked up at me as he finished playing.

  “What? What do you mean you liked my reaction? I didn’t even give you my feedback yet.”

  “You don’t have to say anything. I can tell what you’re thinking and how you feel by reading your body…and your eyes. Your eyes say a lot. They are usually hazel, but now they are bright green.”

  “That’s not the music, it’s the Macallan, Mr. Presumptuous Rockstar.” I smirked.

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well let me play another piece for you. I am confident that it will have your eyes changing a different shade of green…envy green. After this one, if you don’t wish you were me or don’t wish you could be with me, I have not done my job.”

  Axel started to strum the guitar strings slowly and delicately. The music began to build gradually, then all of a sudden he stopped, raised his head, and looked directly into my eyes before unleashing a loud, hard, and intense crescendo of music. I got chills and my hair stood on end. His gaze penetrated mine as he continued to play with an intensity that I was surprised he was able to sustain. He then brought the tempo and the volume down, and I released a breath that I didn’t know I was holding. I was mesmerized.

  “That’s the one. I’m not even going to play the other one for you. This is the one I’m going to use on the album. Your reaction was priceless. I don’t ever think I’ve ever seen a girl’s eyes get so wide without me even touching her.” Axel laughed arrogantly.

  “I’d like to knock you off your pedestal right now, but that was a damn good riff. I can’t take anything away from you despite your cockiness.”

  “Well, thank you for providing your honest feedback.”

  “Thank you for sharing your music with me. As much as I hate to admit it, tonight is a special treat for me. I guess I have
been kind of lonely lately.”

  Axel took off his guitar and stretched out his arm so that it was resting on the couch behind me. “I’m actually sorry to hear that. Do you need to talk?”

  “No, you wouldn’t get it. You’re an artist just like Christoff is, so I know you’d probably relate more to his perspective. I feel so selfish even secretly wishing that he would put me before his work more often. As a career woman myself, I realize that Christoff would not be where he is today if he did not put his work as a priority. But I do miss him, and, when he gets distant like this, it makes me feel like there is something wrong with me. We’re actually on a break now, and I feel like it’s my fault, like I drove him away or something.”

  “Oh no, Gia, I’m sure that whatever happened wasn’t your fault. Christoff can be difficult to deal with at times, trust me on that one. I’ve known the man for over ten years. Music is important. It is my greatest love, and I think that everyone in the band would say the same thing. But you deserve love too, Gia, and you should never feel like you don’t deserve to be number one.” Axel placed his hand on my thigh. His touch was strangely comforting.

  “Thanks, Axel. I’m sorry for dumping my problems on you. I’ll be okay. How are you doing? I heard from the guys that you just went through a pretty bad break up.”

  “Yeah, I’m still trying to shake that one off.” Axel shuddered. “Actually, I’d rather not talk about it.”

  “I understand.” There was a moment of silence between us. I felt really connected to him, and I was really grateful that we could be there for each other when we both needed it most.

  All at once I felt Axel’s hand on the back of my neck. I let him guide my mouth to his. I was shaking when our lips met. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him. I melted into his embrace with little resistance. He kissed me more aggressively as he leaned into me, forcing me to lie back onto the arm of the sofa. Everything happened so fast. I didn’t have time to think about what I was doing. I let out a ragged breath as he lowered himself on top of me. I became so excited that I started to perspire. He ran his fingers through my hair and kissed me on the neck as he rubbed his hardness onto me. I could feel him throbbing through his jeans. I squeezed his rock hard body as he drove his tongue into my mouth. I was so tightly wound with frustration that I became completely undone as Axel’s hands started to explore my body. Ah, this is what it feels like to be wanted.