Rocked (Rock & Romance II.)

Chapter 1. - Grand Entrance

"...the devil doesn't come dressed in a red cape and pointy horns.

He comes as everything you've ever wished for." - Tucker Max

***

*Gia*

I pulled up to the enormous mansion at the end of a long street of other gigantic, luxurious mansions. Still in awe of the neighborhood, it took me substantially longer than normal to get my bearings together. I unhooked my phone from the dashboard, and slid it into my bag. Next, I slipped on my ridiculous heels by opening the door and sticking my feet out in the night. Once I raised myself out of the vehicle – still wobbly on these heels – I adjusted my tight dress, my glasses, and was – at last – ready to head in.

My sensible Prius stuck out like a sore thumb in the horde of G-Wagons, Bentleys, and Porsches. I imagined that if I forgot to hit the lock button, nothing would've happened to it in this neighborhood...

So, of course, I pressed it three times. Just in case.

There were no fences outside of these houses, so I walked right up to the front door. I was halfway up the giant staircase when I noticed the tall form, lighting up a cigarette in the shadows.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, earning a low chuckle from him. I supposed, he enjoyed the effect he had on people – especially on women. Ash Wolfhart was intimidating... For most.

I squared my shoulders, and met his gaze. "Someone is going to flick you in the ear one of these days – if you keep lurking like that."

He tossed the match to the side, and stepped closer – moving out of the shadows. I was just below average height, standing proudly at 5'3, whereas Ash was a fucking giant. He used the foot and them some of height difference to his advantage. "Are you offering?" His voice was impossibly low and hoarse – something that made him a billionaire at the early age of twenty-eight. A voice that made the girls lose their heads, no matter the chest-tightening feeling they got around him.

I huffed. "You're barking at the wrong tree, bud." I snorted, admittedly quite embarrassed that he just watched me going through my little ritual back at the car.

Turning away from him, I went to twist the doorknob – which didn't even budge.

"Cock..." I muttered under my nose. I was hoping to make a quick escape from the rock star now standing right behind me.

I felt his body step closer to mine, heat emanating from his big, muscled form. I was now painfully aware of the fact that despite my heels, Ash towered over me. His nearness gave me first-hand experience of a strong case of horripilation – our body's natural fight-or-flight response to a stressful situation, where the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and goosebumps covered my skin.

One surprisingly thick forearm entered my peripheral vision, as his arm reached out to enter the code in the keypad, placed just above the door handle.

I was too stunned and overwhelmed by my senses to even think about memorizing the sequence. Instead, I stood frozen on the spot as the lock clicked, and he pushed the door open. "After you, red!" I noted the amount of sarcasm behind his nickname for me, but my brain was still malfunctioning, and I couldn't think of a comeback.

So instead, I stepped inside my best friend's new home, and into a large foyer area, with a neat shoe rack, and some very comfortable looking chairs. The staircase behind gave the option of going up or down a floor – London's new house being a whopping three floors tall.

The music came from above, and that was the path I chose – with Ash following closely behind me. I had no idea if he already finished his cigarette – something I found highly unlikely – or if he simply discarded it. But I didn't have time to dwell on the rock God's crazed actions, because Callie ran up to me, nearly tackling me in my heels.