“What the fuck was that?” Coy practically growls after slamming and locking our bedroom door. He stalks toward me but I meet each of his steps with one backwards until my head hits the wall with a thud.

“What was what?” I shake my head but I know exactly to which he’s referring. Jealousy’s always been Coy’s nature. I should have asked Sean to leave the moment he dropped those boxes. He was only being friendly, and yes, I was quite enjoying the view, but I had no right to indulge in either.

“You are mine.” Coy grips my chin roughly and lifts it so I have no choice but to meet his gaze. “Mine.” His grip is firm already, but he jerks my head higher.

It hurts enough to bring tears to my eyes, but I blink them back before they fall. “I’m yours, babe. You know I am.” The words heave from my lips, along with my breath.

He nods, his hold loosening. “Damn straight,” he whispers, and just like that his lips cover mine. Pushing. Demanding. Claiming me as his as if I needed the reminder. He takes control and my body conforms to his hunger.

Lust, powerful and sudden, pulses through my body and between my legs. My fingers reach to pull him closer but he steps away.

“Don’t do that again.” His warning quashes my desire and replaces it with shame.

I’m not exactly sure what he means, but I don’t want to cross him again. “What?”

His gaze narrows. “Invite another man into our bedroom.”

I shake my head. “I won’t. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“Go find something to do.” He turns to one of the boxes that still needs unpacking. “I can’t even look at you right now.”

Even though I didn’t do anything wrong, this is just how Coy is. I should have known better. I was foolish. My fingers go to my lips, the ones he was tracing with his own only moments ago. “Oh, okay.”

“Just give me a minute, okay?” He glances over at me and runs his fingers through his hair. “I’m stressed the fuck out.”

“Okay.” I nod like I understand, but I don’t really. What does he have to worry about? He’s got his dream job, a rent-free place to live, and more money in the bank than he needs. Unless he’s stressed about me. That’s likely it. The usual melancholy hits and I tuck the loose strands of my hair behind my ear as I venture out into the house. I always screw up. Say the wrong thing. I’m not shiny and bright. I’m the girl who always falls short when everyone else seems to get it right.

This place is huge, big enough that when I wander downstairs and through the main living areas I don’t run into a single person. I wonder if everyone’s still asleep, and whether that’s a normal occurrence for rock stars. Party all night, sleep through the day? If that’s so, I need to find something around here to keep me busy. I might not be the most talented or skilled person, but I’m not okay with sitting around and doing nothing. Maybe I could help keep things clean. I’ve done housekeeping before. Yes, that’s perfect. I’ll just look for the broom closet, or wherever it is rich people store their cleaning supplies.

The kitchen is immaculate, like the rest of the house, and beyond that is a family room that extends out to a big patio. There’re several closed doors off of one hallway, and a staircase beyond that to the basement. That’s one thing Coy couldn’t stop talking about when we loaded up his Chevy before heading over. The studio is here, right in the lower level of the house, and apparently tricked out with all the latest in sound recording equipment.

There’s got to be a laundry room around here somewhere, but I don’t want to barge into any rooms without permission. God, I feel like a stranger in my new home. I thought it would be bad being left behind in Coy’s apartment, but now I’m not so sure. This place is posh, stylish, and way out of my league. I don’t belong here at all.

An overwhelming apprehension claws at my chest until I can’t take a full inhale without being on the verge of a panic attack. Fighting it back, I push outside the giant glass door in search of fresh air.

Down a little path I come upon a seating area of oversized padded furniture; I take a seat, and here I’m finally able to breathe normally again. Closing my eyes, I relish in the way the sun warms my skin over the cool air. March in Los Angeles is so much more delightful than Denver, and for a moment I focus on the fact that moving here with Coy wasn’t merely my only choice. It was a good one.

Here I can pretend everything is perfect.

I can make believe this is my home, and that I belong here with my talented boyfriend.

I curl up in my chair with my eyes still shut, and even consider falling asleep. This chair and secluded backyard is my new favorite hiding spot. When things get too overwhelming this is where I’ll disappear.

“Tony! Tony, no! Drop that this instant!” A woman’s shouts pull me out of my daydream. My eyelids snap open and I sit up just in time to catch the tiny dog barreling straight for my lap. He leaps from the ground, a ball of long fur with something bright purple between his teeth. Before I can investigate, the woman who’s shouting stops short, her hands on her hips while she glares at the pup.

Her eyes lift to mine and she shakes her head with a slight smile. “He’s always after the ladies.” She retrieves the dog from my arms and snuggles him to her chest before removing what’s stuck in his mouth and tucks it into her back pocket.

“I’m Jess,” I blurt out and the woman eyes me with a chuckle. Stupid. She doesn’t know who I am or why I’m here. Wishing I could start over, I push to my feet and try again. “I’m Coy’s girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you.” I hold out a hand.

Her lips pull with a familiar smile and she tucks the dog into one arm to grasp my hand. “Deb, Trent’s mom.”

I shove my hands into the back pockets of my cutoff shorts when she releases my hand. “And you live here, too?”

“Yeah.” Her smile widens but I can’t tell whether she’s happy to see me or not. Some people are really easy to read. She keeps her emotions well hidden.

“Oh, thank goodness. There’s a lot of testosterone in there.” I shake my head before I blabber any more. “But who is this?” I lean closer to examine the puppy’s face. He looks like a little lion with that giant mane of hair. I reach forward so he can sniff the back of my hand. “Oh, you are just the cutest pup I’ve ever seen, aren’t you?”

I glance up and find Trent’s mom laughing. Straightening my spine, I pull my hand back. I’m sure I sound like an idiot, but there’s something about a dog like this that brings out a high pitch in my voice. “Sorry. I’ve never had a pet before.”

“He’s mine.” She drops a kiss on his head, and for the first time in years I wonder if I might own a pet one day. It’s never been possible before, but even as a child I dreamed of that kind of companionship. “Even though he’s naughty, I still love him. Kinda like my son.”

“He’s adorable.” As if Tony agrees, he yips, and both Deb and I laugh. I glance back at the house before meeting her gaze. “If there’s anything I can help with around here—washing dishes, laundry, floors, whatever—please let me know. I’m used to keeping busy.”

Her brows rise with my offer and she smiles. “I do need help with the bathrooms, actually.”

“Sure.” I nod, because having a job right now is just what I need. “Cleaning supplies? I tried to find them earlier but I didn’t want to snoop around.”

Trent’s mom clicks her tongue inside her mouth and narrows her gaze along with her smile. Maybe I’m imagining it, but her smile appears warmer, more welcoming than before, as though we might actually be friends. “Oh, you’re an interesting one . . . I’m teasing you. I don’t clean the bathrooms, not anymore. I wouldn’t subject you to that mess! Have you seen those boys? Overgrown children, though I love them. We have a crew that comes through to take care of this place. I prepare and cook the meals though, because I love it. And I garden for fun.”

“That’s awesome. I’ve always wanted to learn how to do things like that. Grow my own food.” I shake my head and drop my gaze to the ground. “That’s silly probably.”

“Not at all. Want to see my garden?” Her eyes warm with delight and she sets Tony on the ground to run amuck. Nodding toward one side of the house, she gestures for me to follow. “I’ll show you a few things. I have a corner that’s open and ready to plant. I was going to do it this week. I can teach you.”

My stomach clenches with the hope that this place might not be as lonely as I thought. “I would love that. Thank you.”

She smiles and points a thumb over her shoulder and back toward the house. “And I’m the chef around here, but I can always use help. Nothing exciting, but it helps to have extra hands. Again, have you seen those boys? They eat as much as animals, too!”

“I’ll help anytime. As long as Coy doesn’t need me elsewhere.”

She wraps her arm around my shoulder and squeezes. “I’m glad you’re here, Jess. I think we’re going to get along just fine.”