Page 3 of Rock

“I’m going. I’m going.” She could feel Rock’s heavy stare on her. It never wavered as her brother rushed past them, his arms laden with cans of soft drinks and bags of chips.

As she turned toward the stairs, forcing herself not to look back at Rock one last time, he grabbed her hand and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Tell me you’ll never stop sketching. Never stop following your heart.”

“Okay.” She bit her lower lip, frozen as his breath teased her ear.

“Good girl.”

CHAPTER

ONE

Two years later…

“Shit,” Lyla muttered under her breath as she parked her car in the driveway. She turned off the engine and stared out the passenger window at the Harley parked in the street in front of her house.

Normally, the sight of that Harley made her pulse race, her hands become clammy, and her panties dampen. But not tonight. Tonight she just wanted to be alone. She wanted to slink into the house, tiptoe up the stairs, lock her bedroom door, flop onto her bed, and wallow in self-pity.

She glanced at the dash clock. It was after eleven. The house was dark except for the small lamp in the front window her mother always left on at night. Thank God her parents were already in bed.

Now she had to get past Rock. And unfortunately, her brother. She wasn’t in the mood for twenty questions. She needed a bath and a good cry so she could lick her wounds.

It didn’t surprise her that Rock was here. He was here a lot. She’d never understood the relationship he had with herbrother. It seemed to her like the two of them were polar opposites. But they’d remained friends, even though her brother had just finished his sophomore year in college.

Rock had gone to school too. He’d gone to the local community college. She knew he’d gotten his associates in business and was about to do an internship somewhere this summer.

Taking a deep breath, Lyla finally opened the door of her coupe and carefully climbed out. She smoothed down the front of her tight black skirt and headed for the side door next to the garage.Maybe I can sneak in undetected and slink up the stairs.

The kitchen was quiet and dark. She shut the door as gently as possible, facing it as she turned the lock. The house was eerily silent. Instead of the usual music and laughter or television she expected to hear coming from the basement, she heard nothing.

“How was the prom, Little Lyla?”

The sound of Rock’s deep voice coming from right behind her made her nearly jump out of her skin. She spun around so fast, she almost tripped on her three-inch heels. “You scared me.” She flattened her hand on her chest.

Rock’s eyes widened as he took a step back. His gaze roamed up and down her body several times, blatantly checking her out. “Shit…” he breathed out.

She trembled as she watched him in the long beam of moonlight coming through the kitchen window.

They stood that way for long seconds, him fucking her with his gaze, her nearly melting. It was a wonder her knees held up. She’d had the hots for him for two years. He’d teased and flirted with her off and on, but he’d never looked at her the way he was looking at her now.

“Come.” He reached forward and took her hand. “I want to hear all about it, starting with why you’re home so early and whyyou’re alone. I know you went to the prom with that Brinkman kid, Casper or Jasper or whatever his name is.”

Rock instantly chased away some of her sorrow with his silly comment, and she almost laughed as he dragged her toward the basement stairs. Then reality seeped in.

She tugged her hand to break the connection and backed up to flatten herself once again to the back door. She was breathing heavily as she shook her head. The last thing she needed or wanted was to sit down and talk to Rock right now. She was nursing wounds. He would suck the air out of the basement with his scent and his smile and his touch.

Rock had no idea she secretly harbored a crush on him unlike any other crush ever held by a girl in all of time. He had no idea the shit night she’d had or that she’d been on the verge of tears when she entered the house. He had no idea his kindness would cause her to slide into the ugliest ugly cry on earth, which would make her feel even worse when she woke up tomorrow, having let him see her vulnerable side.

No way was she going to the basement with Rock Monroe.

Rock turned back toward her and stepped closer. “What’s wrong?”

“Where’s Jackson?” she asked, ignoring his question.

Rock rolled his eyes. “Drank too much. Passed out in his room.”

“Why are you here?”

“I waited for you.” His voice was so damn kind. Why was he always so kind to her?

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