Changing the Key: A Detrimental Rock Star Romance (Book 1) Read online

  “Have you tried telling him how you feel?”

  “No,” she said sadly. “Whenever we’re out somewhere together, he always flirts with other women. He’s even tried giving me advice on finding the right guy and offered to set me up on dates. Everything he does makes it clear he isn’t interested, and I don’t want to make things uncomfortable for him or embarrass myself. I’ve honestly tried dating other guys, but nobody can compete with what I feel for Derek. As pathetic as it is, I can’t let go of the hope that one day he’ll return my feelings.”

  “It’s not pathetic.” She looked so dejected that I just wanted to hug her and offer some comfort. “You’re entitled to your feelings. I wish I could offer some sage advice, but I kind of suck at the whole relationship thing.”

  “But you and Jaxon are so perfect together.”

  “Nothing’s perfect,” I assured her. “I think there’s less pressure on us because we know it’s just a short-term arrangement.” Saying the words out loud made my chest hurt and my eyes sting. Yet I needed to say them as a reminder to keep myself from falling any deeper.

  “You’re seriously going to go back to Chicago?”

  “Yes. Why wouldn’t I?”

  Callie carefully chose her words. “Jaxon is happier and more at ease than I’ve ever seen him, and it’s because of you. You’re so good for him. I was hoping that he was just as good for you and that what you have together would outweigh what’s waiting for you back home.”

  What she said hit me hard. For years, I’d been focused on school and getting by. But I’d also started to realize that there were things missing from my life. In just a few weeks, Jaxon had become vital to me. The richness of my life with him and the Detrimental family made my life back home seem colorless. But Jaxon had never given me any indication that he wanted me to stay longer. Plus, I wasn’t ready to give up everything I’d worked towards because of a man.

  Staying with Jaxon would require too much sacrifice on my part. My goals and dreams would take a back seat to his career and life in the public eye. Then where would I be once he got tired of me? I would be left with nothing, forced to start over with just another life lesson on my resumé.

  As much as I already cared about him, I needed to put myself first to achieve the security I craved. Sometimes the only person you could count on was yourself, and that was a lesson that didn’t need repeating.

  Chapter 16

  Anna

  “My brother is going to completely lose it when he sees you.”

  Callie and I were in the elevator on our way to the lobby to meet the band. In an effort to surprise Jaxon, I had finished getting dressed in Callie’s room after our hair and make-up were completed at the hotel salon. Jaxon had been blowing up my phone with a constant stream of text messages telling me that he missed me and assuring me that I was beautiful just as I was while still supporting my need to feel more confident with any potential attention I might receive at the party later.

  The manicure, pedicure, facial, haircut, styling, make-up, and wardrobe were only surface armor. But underneath it all, I felt pretty. The extra polish only added to the way I felt wrapped in the most exquisite dress I had ever worn. Floor length and made from a pale pink, flowing material, it was asymmetrical with only one shoulder covered. There was a small twist of fabric to accent the space between my breast and waistline on one side. On the other side, an elegant tier of ruffles fell along the edges of the slit which ended mid-thigh. And every inch of it hugged my body to perfection.

  As the elevator doors opened, I walked with my head held high, knowing that no one would see anything but a refined woman in a designer dress. Jaxon nearly stole my breath as we approached. All of the guys were dressed in a variety of dark suits, individualized by a vest, tie, or lack of one, and masculine jewelry. Jaxon held my attention and froze when he saw me. The subtle shift of his head as he scanned me from head to toe and then back again was the only movement from him. The other guys complimented both Callie and me, but I noted an extra spark of heat in Derek’s eyes as he drank in Callie.

  Snapping out of his daze, Jaxon stepped forward. “I need a minute,” he said and led me behind a large, ornate staircase.

  Once we were alone, he just continued to stare. “Worth every penny,” he said, reverently running the back of his fingers down my exposed shoulder and arm.

  “I have the receipts and your credit card in my wallet upstairs,” I offered.

  “I don’t give a damn what it cost. You’re absolutely breathtaking.”

  “Thank you.” I could feel the blush heat my skin and tried deflecting his attention. “It’s this dress. Fallyn is a genius.”

  Jaxon shook his head. “It’s you. The dress is lovely, but it’s more than that or the make-up. A stylist once told me that the most important thing to wear is confidence. It’s radiating from you, and it’s worth the price of whatever it took to put it there.”

  In that moment, I recognized the look on his face because it was the same one that he always gave me. All of the things I had done earlier were just to help me blend in and feel more comfortable among his peers in the L.A. music industry. But to Jaxon, I was always beautiful, and he made me feel that way every day.

  Like an epiphany, it dawned on me that I didn’t need a bunch of strangers to validate my worth. They didn’t matter and could only make me feel inferior if I gave them the power to do so. A makeover could certainly provide a boost in self-confidence, but self-worth had to come from within, in knowing that you mattered whether you were dressed for an elite party or drenched from hauling wardrobe cases into a venue in the rain. Jaxon made me feel cherished no matter the circumstances.

  The only people whose opinions mattered were those who had shown that they cared about me and would be there for me, even when things got tough. Fisting the lapels of his jacket, I pulled Jaxon in for a crushing kiss. His hands skimmed my ass and gently settled there.

  “I’m afraid to touch you. I don’t want to mess you up.” His breathing was ragged, and desire flowed from his eyes. “But be prepared because I plan to completely wreck you when we get back here tonight.”

  Already wet for him, I nodded my agreement and pressed against his obvious arousal. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  Giving me just enough time to wipe the lipstick from his face, he took my hand and guided me out to the waiting limo. It was another new experience for me, but everyone else was already seated and eager to leave. Conversation flowed as the car pulled into traffic. Callie and I asked about the photoshoot, encouraging the guys to describe their monotonous day of waiting for long periods while each shot was set up and then posing for a few minutes. In return, they asked about our day, and we tried not to bore them with too many details.

  “I felt completely spoiled,” I said as we finished recapping the highlights.

  “You’re both glowing, so it was a day well spent,” Eli complimented.

  “I’ve never had a facial,” I confessed, touching my cheek. “My skin is so smooth.”

  “I’ve never had one either, but I’ve given plenty,” Lance chuckled.

  Groans filled the limo as Callie smacked him with her clutch. “You’re a pig,” she laughed.

  “Oink oink,” he replied, wiggling his eyebrows. “Let me know the next time your T-zone is dry. I’ll save you a trip to the spa.”

  Derek shot him a glare that would have shriveled any other man’s balls. “Show some respect, man.”

  “It’s just Callie,” Lance scoffed. “She’s been on tour long enough to hear way worse than that.”

  “Hearing shit and having it directed at her are two different things,” Derek insisted, looking at Jaxon to back him up.

  Holding up his hands in surrender, Jaxon tried his best to remain neutral. “Callie was raised to stand up for herself. If Lance says something that offends her, she’ll make it known. So, unless she asks for my help, I respect her to handle it.” He turned to Lance. “Don’t get me wrong. If you cr
oss the line, I’ll lay your ass out.”

  “Thank you,” Callie said, clearly appreciating the fact that Jaxon was willing to treat her like an adult. “He’s harmless,” Callie assured Derek, but the tension in his shoulders remained.

  Derek mumbled something under his breath and did not look at all happy about the situation. I caught Callie’s attention with a raised eyebrow. Clearly, Derek felt protective of her, proving that he cared in a way that went beyond friendship, in my opinion.

  Before I had time to analyze it more, Jaxon began whispering in my ear, describing all of the dirty things he planned to do once he got me back to the hotel and out of my dress. His attention to detail made the rest of the ride much more interesting, and I wondered how soon we could sneak off once we arrived at the party.

  To my dismay, there was no sneaking off. The house, which was more of an ostentatious mansion, was filled with people. Every two steps we took, someone new wanted to talk to Jaxon. Luckily, the wait staff circulated with food and drinks since we hadn’t been able to get remotely close to the buffet table.

  True to his word, Jaxon never left my side and made it a point to introduce me to everyone we met. Just as he predicted, there were all sorts of people in attendance and a range of personalities, but I never felt uncomfortable. Part of it might have been the fact that I was practically invisible next to Jaxon. He was the famous rock star that everyone wanted to meet, but he made every effort to pull me into conversations as much as possible. And the fact that I was blending in was a comfort on its own. A few people politely asked more about me and learned that I was the band’s assistant. Most just offered superficial greetings before going on their way.

  We finally got a break after mingling for well over two hours. There was a large white tent set up in the back yard with a live band playing a variety of popular cover songs. Eager for some time alone, Jaxon pulled me onto the dance floor.

  “Finally,” he complained, holding me close. “That was torture.”

  “Why are we here, again?” I asked, only half-joking. It had become clear that Jaxon barely knew the other guests and found no real pleasure in being there. Of course, we were content to be wrapped in each other’s arms at that moment. It didn’t matter what song played, we calmly swayed together, cheek to cheek.

  “Keeping up appearances and networking. Bianca got us the invitation, probably for her benefit. She gets to interact with some big-name music executives here and get her name in their ears. But we went along with it because we’re quietly shopping for a new record label and want to explore our west coast options. Shawn is subtly working the room right now to get some insight on who could be a good fit for us.”

  “I assume Bianca doesn’t know any of that.”

  “No, and we’d like to keep it that way for as long as possible.”

  “But she’s here tonight?” I asked, wondering why she hadn’t sought them out after they arrived.

  “I’m sure she’s here somewhere. She stopped by the photoshoot earlier for a few minutes, and she’ll be at the show taping tomorrow. After that, I’m hoping we can avoid her for the next couple of months.”

  “What happens then?”

  “Our current contract ends, but we don’t expect LGR to be open to the changes we’re going to propose to regain control of our music and image. So we’re looking to sign with a new label or go indie.”

  “Does that worry you?”

  “It’s terrifying. We’re responsible for the livelihood of a lot of people. Shawn has done some research and says we can handle it financially, but there’s still some risk involved.”

  Hugging him tighter, I tried to comfort him in some small way. I couldn’t make him any promises and refused to spew a bunch of empty words. Risk was always scary, though he wasn’t even worried about himself. He was always looking out for everyone else and took his responsibilities so seriously. But who was looking out for him? Internally, I vowed to do a little research of my own to help provide him with some peace of mind.

  Determined to salvage the night, we blocked out everything else. Holding on to each other while Jaxon quietly sang along with the cover of John Mayer’s “Edge of Desire” had me forgetting all about my earlier worries. I didn’t care who else was around or what they thought of me. Nothing else mattered. In that moment, it was just us.

  The audience applauded on cue, the cameras were in place, and the band was ready as the host introduced Detrimental to perform their new release, “How Do You Sleep at Night?”. I watched from the front row, admiring the guys, who all looked amazing in their rocked-out wardrobe and accessories. All of them had required some make-up to conceal the circles under their eyes from a late night of partying, which was especially rough with the time difference on the west coast. Everyone had gotten their second wind as the party was wrapping up, making it hard to get a good night’s sleep despite the early call time for the show taping.

  Just remembering last night made me more aware of the ache between my legs. As promised, the moment we had returned to the hotel, Jaxon took and gave great pleasure in removing my dress and carrying out all of the dirty things he had whispered in my ear throughout the evening. We had christened the dresser, which turned out to be the perfect height, and the jetted tub, which resulted in a call to housekeeping this morning for clean towels since all of the others had been used to soak up the water that had been sloshed onto the floor.

  In between the countless orgasms, we had nestled together in bed. Jaxon was so easy to talk to as we discussed a wide range of topics, from movies and music to childhood memories to current news headlines. We shared opinions on a lot of things, but even when we didn’t, it was okay. Neither of us felt the need to change the other person.

  After Detrimental ended their first song, the cameras cut for instrument changes, lighting adjustments, and make-up retouches. Bianca sat beside me, causing my instincts to scream out a warning to be wary. She had been polite, bordering on overly friendly, when we had been introduced at last night’s party. Of course, there had been a room full of music executives she was trying to impress, so it wasn’t much of a surprise that she unleashed her bitchy alter-ego now that we were alone.

  “I must admit, you’re good,” she said bitterly, though there was a fake smile plastered to her face. “In no time, you’ve managed to sink your claws into Jaxon. What I can’t figure out is your agenda. What is it you hope to gain from all of this? Money? Connections? Fifteen minutes of fame? Marriage?” she scoffed.

  Wanting to release all of my anger on her for the way she had been treating Jaxon, I purposely reminded myself of the need to maintain appearances. I refused to cause a scene in public and embarrass Jaxon or myself. Plus, he had insisted on making sure Bianca didn’t find out about their desire to leave LGR until they had concrete plans.

  Glancing at the stage, I caught Jaxon watching me, his eyes narrowed. I knew if I gave any indication that Bianca was causing trouble, he would march over and defend me. But that would make me look weak, and women like Bianca preyed on the weak. Somehow, my presence threatened her and was enough to warrant an attempt at intimidating me.

  “What’s your agenda?” I countered, refusing to divulge anything. “You seem determined to make Jaxon into a villain when that’s the farthest thing from the truth. What do you gain from that? Money? Power? Leverage for your career? Or are you just one of those people who has to tear others down so you can feel better about yourself?”

  Her spine straightened, but she wouldn’t look me in the eye. “I’m doing my job, something you wouldn’t understand as a waitress.” It didn’t escape my attention that she had done her homework to learn more about me. “Your little stunt in New York was cute, but you have no idea who you’re messing with,” Bianca seethed, leaning in close. “Did you think you could win Jaxon’s affection by playing the loyal girlfriend and then try to turn him against me?”

  “Oh, please. I had his affection long before New York, and it was given freely. Besid
es, what could you possibly understand about loyalty?”

  The little vein starting to pop out on her forehead should have been a warning. “Let me educate you on a few things,” she bit out. “LGR owns Jaxon, and I control the narrative. He does what I say, when I say it, and with a smile on his face. I’ll give him a free pass for the New York disaster with Spanky and probably that other magazine because I know you’re just a temporary distraction, a blip on the radar, and will be gone soon enough. But I’m warning you that if Jaxon doesn’t follow LGR’s orders or gives interviews without my consent, he’ll be in breach of contract, and LGR will pursue legal action. The legal fees alone will be astronomical.” She let that sink in for a minute, then patted my hand. “Go home, little girl. You’re way out of your league here.”

  As I opened my mouth to respond, the lights dimmed and taping resumed, forcing me to let her have the last word. For now. As much as I hated it, I decided to let her think she’d won. But there was no way in hell I was allowing that woman to continue controlling Jaxon. He was an amazing human being, and the world deserved to know that.

  “It was great seeing all of you being interviewed together,” I told the guys as we ate lunch at a local deli. Several paparazzi were already camped out in front, having followed the cars from the TV studio.

  “It felt great,” Derek agreed. “We’re a band and should be doing that stuff together. It’s something we need to demand in our next contract.”

  “That reminds me,” Jaxon interrupts, “what was Bianca talking to you about? Was she still playing nice?”

  A humorless laugh bursts from my lungs. “Hardly. The claws definitely came out.”

  “What the fuck! Why didn’t you say something?” Jaxon nearly came out of his chair, anger radiating off of him.