Rock Hardest (Bad Boy Bandmates & Babies)

The end of Becca’s second pregnancy was timed just right for the off season, keeping the overlap between that and weening at a minimum. The happy mother was young enough to bounce right back afterwards, baton in hand.

As a perpetual bachelor, I found it inspiring to see people handling their romantic and professional lives so well— God knew I had no idea how I myself would make it work and I didn’t really plan to find out, considering that I enjoyed being single and having no commitments or responsibilities.

I did take pets, as I enjoyed being a dominant partner. But my “relationships” were limited to agreed-upon contracts that were temporary in nature. That was about as much commitment as I was comfortable with, and it kept feelings out of sex, so it worked for me just fine.

“Was that good?” Theo asked, after finishing up a song.

Genuine humility like his was rare to the point of being shocking but it was still nice to see.

“Indeed,” I agreed, not one for effusive praise, even when deserved.

With both of us working hard at it, we wrapped up the recording session for the day and Theo was back on the road by dinner time, his loving family awaiting him at home. The pang when I thought about that image was strange but potent.

I wasn’t used to feeling it so I couldn’t describe it exactly. It wasn’t envy, but a close cousin— longing, perhaps. But alone seemed the natural state for me.

It was how I did my best work and thinking. There was no one else to consider or answer to. It wasn’t out of selfishness, but instead it came from a desire not to impose my will on other people.

I found isolation to be the ultimate expression of the non-aggression principle, the majority of human exposure taking place through a window and allowing for detachment when needed. The majority of my job was spent editing music, and I couldn’t do that if I was distracted with a relationship.

Those were the times I enjoyed existence the most. As time ticked by, though a switch flipped, and I started thinking differently all of a sudden. Maybe life might be better with a wife, our bodies and spirits linking.

She would have to be a match for me, knowing how difficult I could be, just as a matter of nature. I was neither proud nor ashamed of things that couldn’t be helped, and which were part of my character. No mortal is perfect, after all.

But I had always thought no woman would put up with my flaws. In fact, it was only now that I had taken one glimpse of Claudia that I was even having such thoughts.

What power did that woman hold over me that I was already re-examining my life based on just having spotted her once?

Sure, there was an obvious attraction between us, and I knew she had felt the chemistry too. But this was a bit absurd!

I would usually be eyeing her up to be my next sub, but she worked for the studios, so that complicated things. Still, I was sure I could find a way to swing it in secret. I just had to have her for myself, even if for just a night.

Perhaps my longing for something more was just my realization that I wasn’t supposed to have anything at all with Claudia. She was off limits. But then again, that hadn’t stopped any of the men at Suspicious Activity or the bands the label represented from hooking up with people they worked with! Seth himself had been guilty of an illicit romance!

I knew it was different, though, because it had resulted in him and Jonna getting married. Plus, he was the boss and owner and so the rules didn’t apply to him.

So, I tried to tell myself to stay far away from Claudia, but I already knew that would be a very hard concept to follow through with if I had to keep seeing her at work, or inventing reasons to see her like I had done over lunch with Theo.

Once I had arrived home, still lost in thought, the phone buzzed and danced across the counter to its own happy tune, jolting me back to reality.

“Hello?” I said as I answered it.

“Hello, Sir.”

“Claudia.”

“Yes.”

I knew the sound well. Hers was the tone of a sub in heat, yearning for their master. Strange, considering we had barely met. The connection usually took a lot longer, though I had heard tales of things going much faster.

“What can I do for you?”

My tone was measured if not gentle. She was in a fragile state, and I didn’t want to break her. Even if I had an idea where things were going.

“I was just calling because one of the performers—Theo—dropped off a receipt for me and I wanted to know how to pay it.”