Page 17 of Rockstar Next Door Neighbor

Five hundred grand. It’s a lot of money but not life-changing for someone with my income. Still...

“Let me think about it,” I say.

“Better think fast.” Nate picks up his drumsticks. “Word’s getting out. Won’t stay this low for long.”

We get back to working on the song, but my mind keeps drifting to those charts, those possibilities. It’s time to shake things up. Take some real risks.

An image of Lila flashes through my mind—the way she looked in my arms yesterday, water dripping from her lashes, her lips so close to mine...

“Earth to Luke,” Cass calls. “We losing you to the stock market already?”

I shake my head, forcing myself to focus. “Just thinking about the bridge. What if we tried it in a minor key?”

But even as we work through the new arrangement, part of my mind is still on risks worth taking and changes waiting to be made.

I’ve always been careful with my money. After watching my dad almost lose everything, I swore I’d never take a gamble I couldn’t afford to lose. The guys are right. The only major expense I’ve allowed myself this past year is my Jeep, and even that felt like an indulgence.

We spend the next hour fine-tuning the arrangement. We’re each focused and purposeful—the kind of vibe that means we’re on the verge of something great.

By the time we call it a day, the song feels solid—one of those rare tracks that come together so smoothly it feels like it was just waiting for us to find it.

As the others pack up their gear, I catch myself glancing at Nate again, the wheels in my head still turning. Maybe it’s time to take a leap of faith—not just in the market, but in the idea that sometimes, a calculated risk is worth the reward.

When I pull into the driveway, the sun is still bright in the sky. The hours with the band had been productive—one of those rare sessions where the music seemed to flow effortlessly. But instead of feeling accomplished, I can’t shake the restless energy that’s been clinging to me all morning.

Maybe it’s Nate’s stock talk, maybe it’s the song we’ve been working on, or maybe it’s something else–or someone—blonde and curvy who’s been occupying way too much space in my head lately.

I grab a bottle of water from the fridge and head out to the deck, hoping the ocean air will clear my mind. But when I step outside, the sight that greets me only makes things worse.

Lila is out on the beach, stretched out on a bright yellow towel in the sand.

My feet stop moving of their own accord.

She’s wearing a vintage-style swimsuit, the kind that’s supposed to be modest but somehow makes everything more enticing. The deep red fabric hugs every curve, highlighting the dip of her waist and the fullness of her hips. Her hair is loose, spilling across her towel in honey-colored waves. The way she looks in that swimsuit has my brain scrambling for coherent thought.

I freeze, trying to stop myself from doing something stupid, like walking down there just to be closer to her. She’s oblivious to my presence, her focus entirely on the small bottle of oil she’s holding.

I should go inside. I definitely shouldn’t stand here watching as she slowly unscrews the cap off the bottle.

But then she starts applying it, and I swallow hard as she pours a small amount into her palm, her movements slow and deliberate. She starts with her arms, smoothing the oil over her skin in long, graceful strokes. She moves with an unconscious sensuality that’s far more alluring than any deliberate attempt at seduction.

It’s hypnotic. Mesmerizing. And it is absolutely not something I should be watching.

I tell myself to look away, to go back inside and leave her to her peaceful moment. But my feet stay planted, my eyes locked on her as she moves to her legs, her fingers skimming over the curve of her calf, up to her thighs.

My chest tightens, and I take a long drink from the water bottle, hoping the cool liquid will temper the heat simmering under my skin. It doesn’t.

She shifts slightly, reaching again for her shoulder, and I see a hint of a smile on her lips like she’s enjoying the warmth of the sun on her skin. It’s such a simple, natural moment, but there’s something about it that feels intimate—like I’m witnessing a side of her she doesn’t let many people see.

And damn, if it doesn’t make me want to be closer and to know what’s going on in her head when she smiles like that, to hear the sound of her laugh without a group of people around, and to feel her skin under my hands the way her fingers glide over it now.

I drag a hand down my face, muttering a curse under my breath. This is getting out of hand.

When she arches her back to reach behind her, I have to grip the deck railing tighter to remain where I’m standing as I half-chub.

“Get it together, Sterling,” I mutter to myself. But I can’t tear my eyes away as she rolls onto her stomach, exposing the graceful line of her back, the gentle swell of her heart-shaped ass—

She’s made it clear she wants to keep things friendly—after she found out about Crystal. And I’ve been doing my best to honor that. But every time I’m around Lila it gets harder to ignore the pull. She’s different from anyone I’ve ever met—funny, smart, confident in a way that sneaks up on you.

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