Page 156 of Dirty Rock

“What?”

“Why is Daisy known as your ex when you obviously want her to be your everything.”

His eyes drifted to the band members on stage behind him, before he focused back on me. “Can’t have it all, right?”

I thought back on the journey I’d had to get Rhett. On the journey we’d taken together. The very thoughts of ‘we can’t have it all, right?’ that floated through both our minds as we wasted time on the back and forth and all the pretending. I thought of Presley and Tessa, too. The battles they’d endured to be with each other the way they were always meant to be.

The music industry, or any industry in the spotlight, stripped the people within it of a right to live. They were forced to choose between business and personal, and that sacrifice would always, always end up in heartbreak and unnecessary distress. I didn’t want that for these kids anymore. I didn’t want it for Front Row Frogs. I didn’t want it for Youth Gone Wild. I didn’t want it for JJ Jones or any of them.

I was in a position to do something about it, too.

“You listen to me, Danny, and you listen good.” I leaned in, and Danny’s brows rose as he watched me. “Youcanhave it all. You can have everything you’ve ever wanted, and then you can ask for more. You can even demand a bloody cherry on top if that’s what your heart desires. You can have the music, and you can have the love. The two aren’t mutually exclusive, and if anyone tries to tell you otherwise, you send them to me, okay? You don’t waste your time sleeping with women like JJ Jones to forget about your Daisy. You don’t waste time speaking to me in the corridors of buildings we won’t remember tomorrow when you could be on the phone, speaking to someone who matters. Someone who could give you everything if you just let them.”

“Shit, I thought… I thought you’d…”

“What? Berate you for wanting to stay true to your heart? Hell no. You leave JJ Jones to me. If you want to deal with your Daisy issues, that’s up to you. I won’t get involved. But I also won’t sit by idly anymore and let this industry tell humans they can’t be human just because they sing, strum, or drum for a living. Whatever you decide, I’m your publicist, and I’ve got your back, Danny.”

He blinked wildly for a few moments before colour rose in his cheeks and his eyes lit up with genuine excitement.

“Youth Gone Wild were right,” he finally said.

“About what?”

“You being the biggest badass on the planet.”

I laughed fully, feeling the flutters in my belly joining me. I placed a hand over my stomach the way I always did when I felt those blessed motions before I chucked my chin and gestured for Danny to make a move. “Get out of here, lover boy.”

“Thanks, Jules.” In a surprise move, he leaned in to kiss me on my cheek and whispered in my ear, “You’re the best.”

When he walked away, I let my gaze fall to my hand over my belly, and I smiled to myself.

“No, you’re the best,” I said to my unborn baby in a whisper.

Life, like this, was magical.

The new job was going well, even if Rhett was bugging me about being away for just two days at the moment. Right on cue, my phone rang. The tune of UB40’sThe Way You Do the Things You Dobringing it to life with Rhett’s name and devilishly handsome face lighting up the screen.

I answered and pressed it to my ear, blowing out a breath. “I’m sorry, Julia Speed the publicist can’t talk right now. She’sverybusy dealing with teenage dramas of incurable lust and unrequited love.”

“Hey, Julia Speed the publicist. You happen to know where Jules my insatiable fucktoy and baby mama is?”

I blushed everywhere. “Hold, please.” I grinned. Dropping the phone down, I took a moment to collect a breath. His molten sex voice made my chest beat wildly. He made my heart skip around inside my body like it had free reign to roam wherever it deemed fit. After everything we’d been through, all the times we’d had sex, made love, kissed, and declared so many sweet things to one another, Rhett Ryan still managed to make me nervous.

I lived for those nerves.

I brought the phone back up to my ear and cleared my throat. “Jules the fucktoy and baby mama here,” I moaned seductively.

Rhett groaned. “There’s my girl.”

“What can I do for you?” I smirked.

“So many disgustingly vile things, but you’re not here, and I’m miserable.”

“I’ll be home tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow is too damn far away,” he grumbled.

I wouldn’t ever get used to the way he devoured me and never seemed to get enough. He promised me his hunger would never be satisfied as far as I was concerned. The thought of a lifetime of him, me, and our baby made my whole existence seem like a dream.

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