Page 90 of Rockstar Next Door Neighbor

“Luke Sterling?” The man shakes his head. “Nah, I don’t see it. That guy’s amazing, though. Did you catch their last concert in Orlando?”

Luke clears his throat. “Missed that one, unfortunately.”

“Man, you should check them out if they come back through. The way Sterling handles those keys... he’s brilliant on that keyboard.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Luke says, and I can hear the suppressed laughter in hisvoice.

We exchange a few more pleasantries before the couple moves on, and once they’re out of earshot, Luke leans forward to murmur in my ear, “Brilliant, huh?”

“Oh, shut up.” I splash some water at him. “Your ego doesn’t need any more stroking.”

“I don’t know...” His hands slide around my waist. “I kind of like it when you stroke my—“

“Luke!” I’m laughing now, trying to squirm away without tipping the canoe. “We are in public!”

“Barely,” he argues, but he behaves himself... mostly.

We find a secluded spot for lunch, where we can pull up our canoe and have a brief picnic lunch. The water is impossibly clear, and after eating, we strip down to our swimsuits. Luke’s appreciative glance makes me shiver as we wade in.

“This is amazing,” Luke says, floating on his back. “How did I not know places like this existed?”

“Most people don’t.” I swim closer to him. “That’s what makes it special.”

He rights himself in the water, pulling me to him. “You make it special.”

When he kisses me, his lips taste like spring water and sunshine. I wrap my legs around his waist, letting him keep us both afloat.

“Thank you for sharing your world with me,” he murmurs against my neck. “For knowing exactly what I needed.” His eyes meet mine, serious despite the playful setting. “For being you.”

I run my fingers through his damp hair, knocking his cap off in the process. “You know what I think?”

“What’s that?”

“I think the guy in the other canoe was right about one thing.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Oh?”

I press a soft kiss to his lips. “The way you use your hands is kind of brilliant.”

His answering smile is brighter than the Florida sun overhead, and as he pulls me in for another kiss, I silently thank whatever twist of fate brought us here.

Even if it means occasionally pretending he’s just a Luke Sterlinglookalike.

The last rays of sunset paint the cabin’s weathered walls in shades of gold and rose as I fold the last of our clothes into our bags. Two weeks have passed like a dream, each day blending into the next in a haze of soft touches, quiet evenings on the porch swing, and making love wherever and whenever we wanted to.

“I can’t believe we have to leave tomorrow,” I say, running my hand along the smooth wooden doorframe. The cabin holds so many memories now—not just of my childhood or my grandmother, but of Luke. Of us.

He wraps his arms around me from behind. “We could stay,” he suggests, but we both know we can’t. Reality is waiting for us back in Jacksonville.

“The media coverage has died down a bit,” I offer, leaning back against his chest. “Emily says most of the press has moved on to the next scandal.”

“Mm.” He presses a kiss to my neck. “But they’ll be watching when we get back. These past two weeks, being here with you, it’s been perfect. No cameras, no expectations. Just us.”

“I know.” I trace the line of his jaw with my fingertips. “But we can’t hide forever.”

“Can’t we?” But he’s smiling now, soft and a little sad. “We could become hermits. Live off the land. I could learn to fish.”

I laugh despite the ache in my chest. “You hate fishing.”

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