Page 4 of Rock

“Why?”

He reached up and lifted one of the perfect curls still hanging from her updo, a ringlet that hadn’t dared to collapse since it had enough hairspray on it to shellac the planet. His voice was soft when he met her gaze. “I couldn’t leave until I knew you were home safe, and I want to hear about the prom.”

She held his gaze. They did this often. Stared at each other without speaking. She usually fled to her room after such an instance, threw herself on her bed, and stared at the ceiling, pretending the two of them were long-suffering forbidden lovers or some other sappy shit from romance novels.

She licked the seam of her lips, wondering if her bold red lipstick was still in place. “I can’t, Rock. Not tonight. I’m exhausted and…”Shit. Shit shit shit. A tear escaped.

She lifted a hand to dash it away and turned her head to one side.

“Fuck,” he muttered before closing the distance even more. He cupped the side of her face. “I need you to talk to me, Baby girl.”

Another tear fell, and another. She shook her head.

“Come with me,” he encouraged.

She looked toward the stairs.

“Not to the basement. Come to my apartment. You need someone to talk to. I want to be that man, Little Lyla. We’ll go on my bike. If your parents look outside, they’ll see your car and assume you got home safely.”

She didn’t even blink as she held his gaze again. “You’re serious.”

“Totally. We can walk to the next block and I’ll start up the bike there so it won’t wake up anyone in the house. I’ll bring you back in a few hours. Come with me.”

She bit her bottom lip. She’d had a crush on Rock for two years. The king of all crushes. This was a horrible plan. There was no way he saw her as more than his friend’s kid sister. Which she was.

In a few days, he was going to leave town for his internship. At the end of the summer, she would go away to college.

She might never have an opportunity like this again. A chance to be alone with Rock Monroe—sexiest man she’d everseen. It didn’t matter if this was the only night she ever got with him. At least she would have spent a few hours with him alone. That time could provide fodder for her daydreams for months or years.

It could also destroy her.

She hedged.

“Don’t think. Come.” He grabbed her hand again. “Say yes.”

She swallowed. She knew this was a bad idea, but she couldn’t say no to him. Ever. “Okay.”

CHAPTER

TWO

“Sorry. I didn’t think about your dress,” Rock said five minutes later as soon as he’d led her around the corner to the next street.

Damn, she was smoking hot. This was probably the worst idea in the history of all ideas. What had he been thinking, insisting she go to his apartment with him?

He wasn’t about to stop now, though. She was here. Right next to him. Glancing around adorably, as if she was worried someone might see them.

And that dress.Fuck. Me. It should have been illegal. All black and silky and hugging her curves like it was made for her. Hell, considering who her parents were, maybe it had been made for her. Her family certainly had money.

The material clung to her amazing breasts and hips, making her look far older than her eighteen years. Her hair and makeup had been professionally styled and applied in a salon that afternoon. Her nails too. Fingers and toes.

He knew all of that because Jackson had grumbled about girls and their expensive needs earlier in the day. Rock knew her brother adored her, even though he never missed an opportunity to torment her.

Rock also knew Lyla was extremely low maintenance. If she wanted to take one day to doll herself up and go to a fancy prom, she deserved it. Hell, she’d earned it. She’d made straight A’s all through school, gotten into an amazing university, and never caused her parents a single moment of worry.

She caused Rock, on the other hand, all kinds of worry. He’d spent the past two years keeping an eye on her, mostly to make sure no stupid boys gave her any trouble.

Luckily he’d never had to punch anyone in the face. Lyla never dated. She was shy and often preferred to be alone with her sketchpad and her books. He knew she thought she was invisible, but she was wrong. He certainly noticed her.

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