Page 46 of Dirty Rock

“She’s worried about you. She was hysterical, actually. She needed to find out if you were okay.”

“Did you manage to sell the lie?”

“That’s what I do, Rhett. I sell the lie. It’s what you pay me for.”

The memory of seeing Julia’s name on my phone floated back to me, but it was foggy and hard to make out until she stepped closer and dropped her tight little arse to the edge of the bed.

She was here because of me, and she smelt so good and I wanted her and I needed to kiss her and I couldn’tthinkwithout taking a mental breath.

Her perfume floated under my nose, making things come to life beneath the bedsheets. Even with my head pounding and my heart pounding harder, I held her gaze from one puffy, blurry eye, and I studied Jules.

How hadn’t I seen how fuckable she was before?

Her arse brushed against my thigh, and I imagined pushing that jacket from her shoulders, trailing my fingers up her bare arms, and placing a soft kiss on her neck, just under her ear. I pictured the small shudder that would run through her, and the goosebumps rising on her perfect skin. I imagined the gentle moans she’d make, and I pictured that smile she was smiling at me being wrapped around my dick.

All those thoughts made a tent out of my bedsheet. Thankfully, Julia’s eyes were focused on my face and not my raging erection.

“I’m going to need you to behave while I’m not around,” she said quietly—lightly. She looked like my sassy publicist again today. That little spark was back in her eyes. The sadness had disappeared. I wanted to turn that spark into a raging fire.

“Where’s the fun in that?” I dropped my elbows to the bed and pushed up on them. I didn’t miss the way her eyes dropped to take in every inch of my body before she swallowed lightly and looked back up into my eyes. “Misbehaving brings you back to me.”

“You need to stop this.” She didn’t want me to stop shit.

“If I don’t, you’re not going to be able to say no to me for much longer. That’s the truth of it, isn’t it?”

Her eyes narrowed, but a small smile tugged on one corner of her mouth.

“You’re at war with yourself, Jules. Just let it happen.”

“And what happens once it’s over?”

“We go back to how it was. You, being a bossy diva, walking in on me being the shitty little rock star you love to loathe, and I’ll go back to finding new ways to piss you off every chance I get.”

“It’d be that easy?”

“It can be whatever we want it to be,” I breathed out, my eyes falling to her lips.

She looked so clean, and I was rough. The untameable rock star she couldn’t manage.

It felt like forever before she spoke and pressed a hand into the mattress, leaning closer so there were only a few inches between us.

“You want to play, Rhett? Fine.” Her brows bounced. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Meet me downstairs in ten minutes. Pack a bag. And for the love of God, take a shower and brush your teeth.Don’tkeep me waiting.”

She pushed herself off my bed, and my eyes fell to her tight backside as she made her way to the door and left.

I glanced down at my dick, suddenly more excited than I could ever remember being for it and for me. But I couldn’t deny the way my heart pounded wildly, and the nerves began to prickle my skin.

Nerves? Me? Fuck… it had been a long time.

Chapter Fourteen

My stepdad Caleb had been sitting with Ma when I went downstairs. After showering and throwing a bag over my shoulder, I had approximately one and a half minutes left to say my goodbyes.

“Promise me you’ll be safe,” Ma whimpered, visibly upset by my leaving again. I hated hurting her but staying would cripple me. My absence didn’t mean I loved her any less. It meant I loved life enough to take it by the balls and embrace the days ahead.

“I promise, I’ll be safe. I’m sorry again about last night.”

Caleb was rubbing his hand over Ma’s back, and I could tell by the tightness of his jaw that he wasn’t all that impressed by my return.

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