Page 24 of Rockstar Next Door Neighbor

I don’t respond, turning back to the window as his words echo in my head.

Later, lying in bed in my darkened hotel room, I can’t sleep. My body is practically humming like a live wire from the adrenaline still coursing through my veins.

The show, the city, and the noise outside—it all blends into a kaleidoscope of noise and energy as my thoughts circle back to Lila. I remember how she looked at me on the beach like she was daring me to close the distance between us—and I wanted to. I also remember the look on her face as she walked away and how it made my chest ache.

I can’t keep doing this—hovering in limbo, pretending I don’t want more when every part of me is screaming that I do. But what the hell am I supposed to do? I wasn’t lying when I told her it was complicated.

And then there’s Crystal. Her father’s hold on me, the mess I’ve been trying to keep under wraps—it’s all tied together in a knot I don’t know how to untangle. The last thing I want is to drag Lila into it, to make her a part of a world that’s been filled with nothing but difficulties and compromises.

I turn and punch my pillow, but it doesn’t help. Nothing can change the fact that she’s under my skin in a way no one else has ever been. And as much as I hate to admit it, I don’t think I can walk away.

Glancing at the clock again, I see it’s almost three in the morning. Lila sometimes gets up this early when she’s working at the bakery. Before I can talk myself out of it, I grab my phone from the nightstand and tap out a quick text.

‘NYC performance went great. Hope you have a good morning.’My thumb hovers over the screen for a moment before hitting the send button.

A few minutes later, I get her response.‘It was incredible!’with her familiar smiley face emoji.

I wait to see if she’ll say more but after a few moments. I put my phone away and lean back against the pillows. What did I expect? She’s probably busy taking a shower and getting dressed before she heads to work. Damn. My mind immediately gets a picture of how she looked, spreading oil on her arms and legs, only this time she’s damp and naked in the shower.Fuck!

In frustration, I viciously yank off the covers, stand, and walk into the hotel’s luxurious bathroom. I turn on the shower, full blast and step under the stinging spray.

As I soap up, an image of Lila in the shower with me appears. Her soft pink mouth opening as she kneels in front of me and leans her head back, blinking water drops from her long lashes. My hand, slick with soap, snakes down my body and wraps around my lengthening cock. I begin stroking myself as I imagine what she does next with her hot little mouth, giving a guttural groan when I finally find a singular form of release—jerking off with my hand.

Leaning against the cool shower wall, I rest my forehead on my arm and let the warm water continue to cascade over me. Reduced to satisfying myself—some hot shot, rockstar I am. But I don’t want anyone else. No groupies, no Crystal. All I want at this moment is Lila. But she’s millions of miles away, and I’m not just talking about distance.

Nine

Lila

The scent of lemon and vanilla fills Beach Bites as I slide another tray of scones into the industrial oven. My phone sits on the stainless steel prep table, and I fight the urge to check it again. Luke’s 3 AM text shouldn’t make my heart flutter like this, but it does.

‘It was incredible!‘—my small-town response to his sold-out Madison Square Garden show.

Hours later, I’m still staring at his text, plus his signature keyboard emoji—his little stamp of rockstar personality that makes me smile. It’s so differentfrom my standard smiley face.

“Lila!” Jenny waves her flour-covered hand in front of my face. “You’ve checked your phone every ten minutes since you got here.”

“Sorry.” I adjust my apron and grab the bowl of cream cheese frosting. “Just distracted.”

“Uh-huh.” Jenny’s smile grows, and I know she’s about to start digging. “Let me guess. A guy?”

“What? No,” I say too quickly, which only makes her laugh.

“It’s a guy,” she says, nudging me with her elbow. “Spill, Lila. I’m dying of curiosity over here.”

“It’s nothing,” I say, focusing on the next cupcake with laser precision. “It’s just... confusing.”

Jenny gives me a knowing look. “Isn’t it always?”

The truth is, it’s more than confusing. It was exactly three nights ago, on a moonlit beach, after he congratulated me that he—

No. I won’t think about that kiss and how perfectly his lips fit against mine, how his hands in my hair made me forget everything except the sound of the surf, and how I felt his heartbeat under my palms.

“He’s dating someone,” I say, more to remind myself than her—Crystal, who I’ve only met once but felt completely out of my league afterward.

My eyes automatically go again to my phone, and Jenny reaches over and snatches it from my hand.

Heat creeps up my neck as Jenny eagerly reads Luke’s early morning text. “So, this guy is in a band? Cool!”

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