Page 109 of How to Love a Rockstar

No hurt but in pain. “Ah, it’s that time of the month. No worries. I can have a period packet ready in minutes. Go rest.” I usher her toward her door. “Do you have a heating pad?”

She digs her feet in. “It’s not my time of the month.” Her cheeks flare with the admission.

“You gotta help me out. I don’t know what’s wrong. If I don’t know what’s wrong, I don’t know how to fix it.”

“You don’t have to fix everything.”

“If it involves you, I’m fixing it.”

“You’re also ruining your surprise,” she mumbles. When she realizes she spoke out loud, she slaps a hand over her mouth and retreats. “Forget I said anything.”

I crowd her until her back is against the wall. I place my hands next to her head to cage her in.

“What surprise?”

She clamps her mouth shut and shakes her head back and forth.

I lean close to whisper in her ear. “What surprise?”

She shivers but she doesn’t give in.

I step closer until I can feel the heat of her body. We’re not touching but if she heaves a breath, we will be.

“What surprise?”

Her chest rises and those magnificent breasts touch me. I fist my hands to stop myself from reaching for her. She has to make the first move. She’s the one who wanted a break. I can’t touch her without her permission.

“Ouch.”

I freeze. “You are hurt.”

I grasp her hand and drag her into my apartment. I get her settled on the sofa before sitting in front of her.

“I know I’m not your favorite person right now. I’m not going to force you to tell me what’s wrong. But I’m begging you to please let me call Indigo to help you. I can’t stand seeing you in pain.”

She scowls at me. “You’re determined to ruin your surprise.”

“Ginny, my love, I don’t give a shit about the surprise. I do give a shit the woman I love is in pain and I can’t do anything about it.”

“Dang it.” She huffs. “I can’t keep my grand gesture a surprise if you beg me.”

“Grand gesture? Why the hell are you doing a grand gesture?” I’m the one who needs to do a grand gesture. I’m the one who failed her.

Pain flashes in her eyes. “Because I’m an idiot who got scared and pushed you away.”

“You’re not an idiot. You can never be an idiot.”

“You didn’t deny I got scared and pushed you away.”

I shrug. “We all get scared sometimes. Ask me about the time Joni found a spider in the bathtub one day.”

She smiles just the way I intended. “Spiders are creepy.”

“I’ll fight a battalion of spiders over a group of paparazzi who smell fresh blood any day.”

“They scared me.”

I can’t keep my distance any longer. Not when she’s talking about being scared. I cup her chin. “I know they did, but you handled them like a champ. Didn’t give them any information and made your way out of there without getting into a fist fight. You deserve a medal.”

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