“Mommy! Mommy! I gots a princess room!”

The sound of Liddy’s voice coming from down the hall was quickly followed by the fast-paced sound of her tiny feet as she ran toward my bedroom.

I cleared my throat and took a step backward. Garrett’s arms around me spasmed. For a second I thought he wasn’t going to let me go, and a spike of panic pierced my chest at the thought of Liddy seeing the two of us in a weird clinch. Fortunately he released me at the last second, and I was able to move away just as Liddy ran through my doorway.

“I gots a princess room! I gots a princess room!”

I smiled and scooped her up, propping her weight on my hip. “That’s awesome, monkey. How about you show it to me?”

I headed down the hall with Liddy in my arms. Garrett and I needed a firm and clear line in the sand. We needed to establish some serious boundaries, but until then, I was going to keep Liddy between us so I didn’t do anything reckless or stupid… like throw myself at him and beg him to let me trace every one of his tattoos with my tongue.

We met Ian at Liddy’s door, and he gave me his standard lip twitch, then full-on grinned at my baby girl before he headed off down the hall. She wriggled in my arms, demanding down, and raced ahead of Garrett and me into a room with pale pink walls.

“See! It’s a princess room!”

“Wow,” I breathed. She really wasn’t kidding. Like mine, her furniture was all white, but instead of a leather headboard she had a white iron one with pretty scrolls and a sheer silky sheet hanging from the ceiling above, coming down like a triangle that opened for her to climb in. It was every little girl’s dream room, complete with a tiny lamp on her bedside table that threw shadows of castles and tiaras on the walls and a ton of other princess décor.

I turned to Garrett, completely in awe of my surroundings as Liddy ran around inspecting her new bedroom. “Did you pick all this stuff too?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “And I gotta tell you, I felt my balls shriveling up into my stomach the whole time I was picking this shit out.”

“How in the world did you get these rooms painted in less than a day?”

He shoved one hand into his jeans pocket and raked the other through his hair. “Well, your room has always been that color, and I had this one painted when I got back from tour. I knew I wanted to see more of Liddy, so I started making a room for her in the hopes you’d let me start with overnight visits.”

God, he really was serious about missing her like crazy. Those words hit my shield like a battering ram.

“Daddy! Come play tea party with me!” Liddy yelled, jumping up and down on her bed.

“Wish I could, munchkin,” Garrett answered, the tone of his voice belying his words. I’d have bet money that he’d rather have his teeth pulled without anesthesia than sit and have a tea party—not that I could blame him. “But I’ve got some work to do, and you and your mom need to get settled.” She didn’t pout for too long, not with so many new, exciting things to play with.

Garrett and I stepped out of the room when Liddy turned around and started looking through the boxes on the floor that had already been opened, in search of toys.

“I thought you said you and the guys were taking a break for a while,” I muttered as we moved down the hall.

“Yeah, we are. We agreed no more tours for the foreseeable future, and the record company isn’t expecting anything new from us, but Declan came up with some new stuff he wants to start on. We’re using my studio here.”

It was then that I realized how little I knew about Garrett and his band. “Does Declan write all your songs?”

We stopped at my bedroom. Garrett turned to face me, tucking his hands in his pockets. “The majority of them, yeah. He comes up with the lyrics, and then we all get together to collaborate on the melody. The booth’s soundproof if you’re worried about noise—”

“No. No, I’m not worried about that. I was just… curious. I don’t really know much about your process, I guess.”

A pleased smile curved his lips as he eased closer. “You were curious about me, sweetness?”

I would have blushed if not for that last word. “Don’t call me that,” I grunted, taking a step backward. “And do you have to make everything sound so dirty? I just figured I’d ask since I don’t know anything about you or the band.”

He chuckled, removing his hands from his pockets and holding them up in surrender. “You ever have any questions, just ask.” He gave me a salacious wink and started backing away. “You know where to find me.”

“God, you’re such a pig,” I muttered with a roll of my eyes.

“Make yourself at home, Gwen. My place is your place. I want you to be comfortable, so do whatever you want. And if you get hungry, Rosita can make you guys something to eat.”

“Rosita?” I called to his back.

“My cook. And Sylvie’s the housekeeper if you have any questions about where things are,” he answered over his shoulder, then disappeared down the stairs.

“Of course you have a housekeeper and cook,” I mumbled to myself as I turned and headed back into my room. I was living with a rich and famous rock star who worked on songs in his tricked-out home studio and employed staff to keep his meals and house in order. I huffed as I looked down at the boxes waiting to be unpacked, wondering if I’d ever come to grips with my new reality.

* * *

There was a dull ache in my lower back that would no longer be ignored by the time I finished unpacking the last box in my room. After a delicious dinner made and served—despite my insistence that she not wait on us—by Rosita, a short, plump, cheerful Hispanic lady, I’d spent the better part of my evening getting Liddy’s room finished before giving her a bath in my new—and totally awesome—claw-foot tub, reading her two books, and putting her to bed. After that, I killed several hours getting my own room in order. I couldn’t fit all the pictures I had around our apartment in my bedroom, so I stowed several of them away, making a mental note to ask Garrett if I could put them around the rest of the house.

I flattened the last box and stood from my place on the bedroom floor, stretching out my sore muscles, and decided I’d drop them in the garage for recycling before going in search of painkillers.

Hefting the boxes under my arm, I made the trek down the grand staircase, really taking in Garrett’s house for the first time. In the past, the visits had either been short or there was a raging party distracting me from anything else. The place seemed so different without hundreds of people packed inside.

As I moved through the house, I noticed that everything from the furniture to the curtains was high-end and expensive. But one thing in particular stood out as I moved through the rooms on the first floor—the place felt like it was staged, unlived in. There wasn’t a hint of Garrett’s personality anywhere to be seen. It was surprising, given how hard he tried to ingrain Liddy’s and my personalities in our bedrooms. The house was nice, I couldn’t deny that, but if I had to guess, I’d say he paid someone to pick the furniture and few paintings that hung on the wall, then never made any effort to put his own stamp on it.

I leaned the flattened boxes against a wall in the garage and closed the door behind me before heading into the kitchen in search of ibuprofen. I’d just downed the capsules with a glass of water when the door leading to the basement studio swung open and Killian, Declan, and Mace came walking through.

“What’s up, baby mama?” Mace asked, heading to the fridge and pulling out a beer.

I gave a hesitant nod, feeling out of place surrounded by these men who graced the covers of more magazines than I could count. I always felt awkward around the famous members of Civil Corruption. “Hey. You guys finished for the night?”

Declan gave me a quizzical look as he twirled his key ring around his index finger. “Yep.” The distrust in his eyes as he watched me was disconcerting, the tiny hairs on the back of my neck standing on end. “Making yourself at home in this big cushy house?” There was an accusation in the way he asked that didn’t sit right with me.

“I guess,” I dragged out, glancing over at Mace and Killian to see them looking anywhere but at me and Declan.

“Must be nice,” he continued, smiling with total insincerity. “You know, to go from where you were to all this. Garrett told us about your old place. Sounds like you’re really moving up in the world.”

“Ah.” I nodded, finally catching what he was throwing at me. “Answer something for me, Deck. Are you being a raging prick right now because you’re protective of your friend, or are you just an asshole all the time?”

“All the time,” Killian answered, earning a laugh from Mace.

Declan paid no attention to anyone but me. With a shrug, he answered, “Can you blame me for looking out for my boy’s best interest?”

“Nope, and that’s why I’ll let it slide this one time.” His head jerked back in surprise, and the air in the kitchen went electric. But I wasn’t done. These guys might have intimidated me, but I’d be damned if I let it show. “I get being protective of the ones you love. But next time you want to swing your dick around to prove you’re a man, remember something. I haven’t taken a dime from your boy or exploited him in any way. As a matter of fact, I’ve gone to great lengths to hide our connection. I’m not the one you need to protect your friend from. In my opinion, your little assistant is the only venomous bitch to step foot in this house that anyone needs protection from.”

“Ah, the lovely Kimber,” Mace chuckled before chugging the last of his beer.

“Swear to God, if that woman didn’t have a mouth like a goddamn Hoover there’d be no point in keeping her around,” Killian chimed in.

I looked in his direction and curled my lip in disgust. “Gross,” I sneered, then turned back to Declan. “We done with the interrogation, because it’s late and I’m tired.”

“You know, you’re not so bad, baby mama.”

I rolled my eyes at the nickname these guys liked to use for me and replied flatly, “So glad for your approval. Now I can die happy.”

“What’s going on here?”

I let out a startled yelp and spun around to find Garrett watching us with a suspicious look on his face. “Nothing,” I answered quickly.

“We were just saying good night to the lovely Gwen,” Declan responded.

Garrett didn’t look convinced. “Well now you’ve said it, so you can go. And get Mace the fuck outta here before he drinks all my beer.”

Killian smacked Mace on his shoulder. “Let’s go. Mom and Dad need their rest.”

“But the night’s still young,” he practically whined as the three of them started for the back door. I rolled my eyes at Mace, seeing as it was already after midnight.

“We’ll hit up a bar,” Killian continued. “Get drunk and laid.”

“You’re a genius,” Mace declared. “The smartest of us all.”

Declan threw a wave at us over his shoulder and I shook my head as the door closed behind them. “Your friends are… colorful,” I said to Garrett.

“What’d Deck say to you?”

My forehead wrinkled in confusion at his abrupt tone. “Uh… nothing.”

“Really?” He came closer, lifting his hand to brush my hair behind my shoulder. “’Cause you looked tense when I came upstairs.”

My brain fizzled and popped at his touch, short-circuiting for several seconds. “I….” I cleared my throat and took a step back, unable to think straight when he touched me. “It was nothing, seriously. He was just looking out for you.”

His face hardened at my response. “That’s not his fuckin’ place,” he said sharply.

“Hey, it’s all right,” I murmured soothingly, placing a hand on his chest before I could think better of it. “He was just being a good friend.”

I moved to pull away, but his hand shot up and his fingers curled around my wrist, holding my palm in place. His eyes darkened and his expression morphed into one I’d seen when I thought he was going to kiss me. My heart stuttered when he began to lean in. I put pressure on his chest, stopping him before his lips could touch mine, and whispered, “Garrett,” but it was too late. The instant his lips hit mine I was gone. My mouth opened and his tongue invaded, tangling with mine in a delicious dance that made me moan as I fisted his shirt.

At my sound of desire, he growled and moved so fast I barely had time to process. One second my feet were on the ground, and the next my ass was planted on the kitchen counter. His hands hit my knees, pushing my legs apart to make room for his trim hips. He feasted on my mouth with such hunger that I had no choice but to follow his lead. It was heady and intoxicating; the best kiss I’d ever had, bar none. I never wanted it to end. I whimpered when his mouth disengaged from mine and began trailing nibbling kisses along my neck.

“Christ,” he groaned, causing a full body shiver. “You’re so goddamn beautiful, sweetness.”

The impact of that last word was like being hit with a bucket of ice-cold water. I gave his chest a hard shove, gaining two feet of space, enough room for me to jump down and move away. “I’ve told you not call me that,” I snapped. Agitation snuffed out the blooming desire within me, and I raked my hands through my hair in frustration.

“For fuck’s sake, Gwen. What’s your deal, huh? One second you’re burning hot for me, and the next you go frigid. Shit, you’re doing my head in. I can’t keep up.”

My spine stiffened at his accusation. “I do not burn hot for you!” I denied, the lie rolling off my tongue.

“You think I’m stupid?” he scoffed. “That I don’t know when a woman wants me? Please, you damn near ripped my clothes off just now, sweetness.”

“Stop. Calling. Me. That!” I shouted uncontrollably. “God,” I breathed, placing my fingers against my kiss-bruised lips. “I hate it when you call me that,” I finished on a whisper.

“Why?”

I squeezed my eyes closed, unable to look at him as I answered. “That’s what you called me that night,” I explained quietly. “It’s a throwaway word for you, a name you use for women who don’t mean anything. It’s what you call the ones you send Kimber to kick out the morning after.”

I finally opened my eyes when he said nothing for several long, agonizing seconds. What I saw written on his face made me wince. I’d given too much away, given him a peek behind my shield.

Damn it. I began pacing back and forth, that agitation growing. Arguing with him would have done nothing but lead to another fight I was too exhausted to deal with, so I decided on another route.

“Look, I don’t want to fight—”

The rest of my sentence stuck in my throat when he moved, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me flush against his chest. “Then don’t.”

“Garrett, stop,” I demanded, leaning away from his descending mouth. I could not allow him to kiss me again or God knew what would happen next. “We need to talk.”

“About what?”

“Us,” I stated. “How we’re going to make this work, us living under the same roof and raising Liddy together.” He dropped his arms with a heavy sigh and rested his ass against the counter behind him, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared down at me with a blank expression on his chiseled face. I took his silence as an opportunity to continue. “I… I want us to be friends.”

“Friends?” He snorted derisively. “Are you fuckin’ kidding me?”

“No, I’m not. I’m dead serious, Garrett. We did the whole lust thing once already, and look how well that turned out,” I said sarcastically.

He scowled, his jaw ticking with irritation. “If I remember correctly, those four fucking hours turned out pretty fuckin’ great.”

“You know what I mean.” I let out an exasperated sigh. “This isn’t just about us anymore. Liddy’s involved now. If the past three years have proven anything, it’s that we don’t work, not in that way. I think our best option is to try and be friends. Maybe if we give that a shot, we can actually start to respect one another.”

He pushed off the counter menacingly. “You think I don’t respect you?”

I quirked up a brow. “Do you even remember the morning after that night? Or the ensuing months where I had to jump through hoops to prove Liddy was actually yours? Or the years after that where—”

His held both his hands up to silence me. “Okay, fuck. I get it. I didn’t handle shit well. We’ve established that already.”

“Exactly. That’s why I think it’s best we try to be friends.”

He examined me for what felt like an eternity before letting out a sharp bark of laughter and shaking his head. “Friends. Sure, whatever.”

The pissed tone in those three words cut through me like a knife. I took a step closer, wanting to make things better but not having the first clue how. “Garrett, please—” I began, but he was already on the move.

“It’s late, friend,” he bit sarcastically. “You should get to bed.”

Then he was gone.