Dare to Rock (3 page)

“Nope. I actually have to get to work. I promised my boss I’d meet with a new photographer she’s considering hiring.” Ella was an assistant to an up-and-coming fashion designer based out of Miami. Another reason they were such good friends—they shared a love of clothes, makeup, and design.

“Okay, well, thanks for the talk,” Avery said.

“Any time.” Ella pushed herself off the bed just as Avery’s cell rang from across the room.

“Toss me the phone before you go?”

Ella grabbed the phone from beside the computer and squealed as she handed Avery the cell. “Looks like Mr. Tangled Royal surfaced.”

Avery’s eyes opened wide as she stared at Grey’s name on the screen.

“I want all the details later,” Ella called out with glee before heading out of the room.

*     *     *

Grey sat in his apartment, surrounded by warm cream-colored walls and soft brown and taupe furniture Rep had left behind. They had similar taste, and the place already felt like home, giving Grey the comfort and sense of peace he’d missed while being on the road. His gut told him the other part of home lay in reconnecting with Avery.

He’d begun the process through the end of Tangled Royal’s tour, sending her a steady stream of gifts corresponding to the things she mentioned on her blog, smartly named
Avery’s Attitude
. He wished he could take credit for being so creatively brilliant, but it had been Lola’s idea, as a way to get back into Avery’s good graces.

The first gift and card he’d sent had contained his private cell, and he’d asked her to text him. She had. Which had started a stilted and hesitant back-and-forth dialogue between them. Lola had been right, the gifts were a good opening gambit, and he’d kept them up … until Milo had OD’d, and everything in the band’s life had screeched to a halt as they’d tried to help their friend.

The early days of rehab hadn’t been easy. Milo had threatened to leave more than once, Lola had cried, Grey had begged and done everything short of taking his best friend’s place himself to get him to stick it out. By then the band had fulfilled their concert commitments as well as announced that they were breaking up.

The timing made sense. Lola had cemented her relationship with Rep and decided to buy a place on secluded, private Star Island. Grey, in turn, had put in motion the process of buying out both Lola’s and Rep’s condo leases downtown. The board had finally approved his application, speeding things up because of his interest in the two apartments on the same floor. Lola’s side he intended to turn into a sound-proof studio.

All of which had occupied his time. Not to the exclusion of Avery. She’d never been far from his mind, but everything he did had been methodically planned out. He wanted to be settled before approaching her again. If they had any chance of seeing what could be in the future, she had to believe the life he desired now wasn’t the one he’d left her for once before. Or the one she’d seen backstage.

He picked up his cell, dialed her number, and listened as it rang and rang. All the while, he hoped he hadn’t blown his second chance with her before it ever began.

He prepared himself to leave a message on voice mail when suddenly she picked up. Relief swamped him, and Avery’s soft, dulcet tones settled something deep in his bones. “Hey, sugar,” he said, suddenly nervous about what to say.

“Grey, this is a surprise.” She sounded distant. Cool.

“I told you I’d call when I got to town.”

But she obviously hadn’t believed him, and now he knew just how much of an uphill road he had ahead of him. Good thing he wasn’t afraid of working for what he wanted.

She cleared her throat. “So when did you get back?”

He bent his knee and settled into the sofa. “I’ve been back for a little over a week. I wanted …” He trailed off, at a loss. Fuck. “I’d rather fill you in in person.”

She hesitated and then, “I’m really not sure it’s a good idea.”

He glanced heavenward, praying for opportunity. Something he could work with. “Give me a chance to just talk to you. If, after that, you don’t even want to be friends, I’ll back off.” He was lying through his teeth, but that was okay.

All he wanted, needed was for them to spend time together and both experience their old chemistry. He trusted in their long-ago connection. Thinking of her had gotten him through many lonely times. He refused to believe that bond was gone. He wanted to feel it again and needed for her to see that what they’d shared as teenagers could be even more solid as adults.

The silence on the other end of the phone nearly killed him, but he let it go on. Though it wasn’t his nature to let life dictate to him, he sensed she needed the illusion of control. He’d start by not pressuring her.

“Okay, we can get together,” she finally agreed.

He released a long breath. “I already made a reservation at Tino’s,” he said, knowing she’d recognize the restaurant. “Saturday night if you’re free.”

“Pretty sure of yourself,” she muttered.

“Pretty hopeful,” he corrected her. “Can you make it?”

She hesitated before answering. “Yes.”

He refrained from pumping his fist in the air.

“What time?” she asked.

“Eight.”

“That works. I’ll meet you there,” she said in an obvious attempt to keep things short and distant.

That wouldn’t work for him. “I’ll pick you up at seven thirty.”

“Grey—”

“Avery—” he mimicked, like he used to every time she’d tried to argue with him.

Her light laughter eased the heavy weight on his chest.

“Fine,” she said, giving in. “I already know you don’t need my address.” Her tone softened at the unspoken reminder of the many gifts he’d sent over.

“No, I don’t. I’ll see you at seven thirty on Saturday. And Avery?”

“Hmm?”

“I can’t wait to see you,” he said, hanging up before she could answer … or worse, not say the same.

Chapter Two

S
aturday night, Avery tried on a fourth outfit, finding something to criticize about each and annoyed with herself for caring so much about impressing Grey. But the fact was, it had been years since she’d seen her ex up close and personal, and she wanted to make an impact. She wouldn’t be a normal woman if she didn’t.

Finally, she decided on a bohemian-looking dress, baby-doll style with kimono-draped sleeves in a variegated array of blues, accented by her favorite silver necklace. She slipped on silver gladiator sandals and styled her recently highlighted hair in loose waves. A spritz of her favorite perfume, a new one with vanilla and amber undertones that Grey had sent her, and she was ready to go with—she glanced at her watch—no time to spare.

Just as she finished, the doorbell rang. She drew in a deep breath and headed to answer it, grateful Ella was at a business dinner with her boss and a designer in town for the weekend. Avery didn’t need her friend watching her first interaction with Grey in seven years. She was nervous enough without an audience.

She opened the door and stared at the man standing in front of her. When she’d seen him at the venue, she’d barely had time for a long look, not when he’d had a groupie clinging to him, and prior to that, the last time they’d been together, they’d both been kids.

The guy standing before her was all grown up.

He braced a hand against the frame and grinned at her. “Hey, Very,” he said, using the nickname he used to call her.

“Hi,” she managed to answer, taking in his hotness as she realized the years of seeing him on magazines and the Internet hadn’t begun to capture the changes time had wrought.

His features were the same but more mature. He’d grown into himself in a really good way. His jet-black hair was cropped short at the sides, a little longer on top, the rocker-like style suiting him more than the shaggy look he’d preferred when they were younger. She used to run her fingers through the long strands of his hair when they made love. She swallowed the pained sound that threatened to escape her throat along with the memory.

Instead she refocused on him. He was still lean, his faded jeans hugging his body, but now he was well built too. Muscles defined his forearms, and his pecs protruded from beneath his fitted black tee shirt, while drool-worthy tattoos wrapped around his skin, emphasizing those same muscles. The urge to trace the ink in his flesh, to feel the heat and bulk of those muscles overcame her, and she curled her hands to prevent herself from acting on the crazy impulse.

His body was powerful, and she understood how he had the stamina to sing, play his guitar, and grace the stage, running from one end to the next while enrapturing the audience. And she’d be a liar if she claimed to be immune to the masculine strength that exuded from him now.

Her gaze traveled up to his face, and she would have apologized for staring, but she caught his green eyes devouring her much as she’d done to him.

“You look fucking gorgeous,” he said, a sexy smile on the handsome face that women swooned over.

She pushed the thought of other women …
groupies
aside, reminding herself this was Grey. Her Grey once upon a time, but those days were over. “Thank you.”

“How about a hug for an old friend?” His voice, deep and gravelly, scratched over her already-sensitized nerves in a wholly seductive way.

Her heart dipped, disappointment racing through her at his use of the word
friend
. And she hated herself for the brief reaction. Still, she stepped forward, and before she could prepare herself, he enfolded her in his strong embrace.

His raw masculine scent with only a hint of cologne enveloped her, heightening the sexual awareness she’d promised herself she wouldn’t feel. But her body didn’t lie. Her nipples tightened, and a coil of need twisted in her belly. He felt familiar … yet not as she hugged him back, noting he was hard everywhere, from his tight stomach to his solid arms. That insane urge to touch him returned, and she eased back before she could feel or do anything else.

“I’ll just get my bag and we can go,” she said, her voice too raspy, threatening to betray her. She was eager to take them to neutral, public territory.

“Good by me,” he said, his gaze never leaving hers.

She locked up her apartment, and he led her to the parking lot. Before she knew it, he paused by a black convertible. A black Aston Martin DB9 convertible.

Avery’s mouth dropped open at the sight of the beyond-luxury vehicle. “Holy shit, Grey, is this yours?”

She didn’t blink at the unladylike words coming out of her mouth. Her brothers knew and had taught her cars, and this was a
car
.

A sexy, proud smile lifted his lips, making him look like the much younger Grey she remembered. Boys and their toys, she thought. Although in Grey’s case, she understood the fascination. Unlike Avery, who’d grown up with luxury, Grey’s past hadn’t been nearly as easy, and he’d worked damned hard for every dollar he’d earned as a musician.

“Couldn’t resist.” He gestured toward the car. “For the last few years, I’ve been touring so much I didn’t bother with a ride.” He shrugged. “I figured I owed myself.”

He opened the car door for her, and she climbed inside before he joined her from the driver’s side. Plush leather surrounded her. Not even her BMW came close to this kind of comfort, and she wriggled her behind into the seat and groaned. “God, it’s like heaven.”

He slammed his door shut and shot her a dark look. “This is a get-to-know-you-again dinner, right?”

She met his gaze and nodded.

“Then don’t fucking purr like a kitten needing to be stroked. A lot of years might have passed, but you still do it for me,” he said, his words very much a warning as he turned the ignition on.

Holy crap. She didn’t know how to respond to that. The old Grey had been shyer when it came to expressing his feelings. This man was sure of himself in every way, and damned if she didn’t find it sexy. Not to mention the huge rush of happiness swirling inside her at the knowledge that she still affected him so strongly … even as her brain reminded her to keep him in the friend zone.

“I’d put the top down, but it looks like rain,” he said in a calmer tone. “And I remember how much you hate having your hair messed up after you’ve taken the time to do it right.” He grinned at her then, his mood lightened.

He pulled out of the parking lot, the car’s motor revving so that everyone within a good mile could hear. He drove to the strip mall where Tino’s was located. Some of the shops and restaurants had changed names, others remained the same, but the overall familiarity warmed her. He parked in a fortuitous open spot out front and cut the engine.

“Do the parking gods always smile on you?” she asked.

He grinned, “Sometimes. Others you have to call ahead.”

She shook her head and laughed at his obvious willingness to use his star status to secure parking. For that, she couldn’t blame him. Not when he’d be leaving a two-hundred-thousand-dollar car somewhere where it would be in danger of being vandalized. She doubted Tino minded clearing his prized spot out for Grey.

He hopped out of the car and headed to her side, grabbing her door just as she opened it. Before she could walk ahead, he grasped her hand, the familiar gesture taking her off guard as his large hand wrapped around hers. Sparks of awareness prickled her skin at his touch, arousing conflicting feelings—the sweet pleasure at being with him again and a sexual charge she couldn’t deny.