Rocked (Rock & Romance II.)

Chapter 9. - Enigma

A/N: Welcome back - if you're here after the cat chapter, you're a total champ & I love you!

This chapter is dedicated to TanteShineyHiney ! Thank you for the support, love & for taking care of so many incredible animals!

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I was sprawled out on the couch in my pajamas, reading a book when my phone started ringing. I was itching to just continue ignoring it like I've been doing for the past few days, but it was relentless - vibrating away furiously on the wooden coffee table. Even, Neuro, my blind cat - who turned out to be the calmest animals I've ever met - was starting to get annoyed.

Frustrated, I reached for the mad little device, ready to tell whoever was disturbing my peace which orifice to stick it-

-when I saw the number I still haven't saved to my contacts, but couldn't forget if I tried.

"Take a hint, Wolfhart!" I said as a greeting, referring to the multiple calls I've gotten – and ignored – from him over the last few days. "I'm busy."

"The fuck you are!" He snarked, and I thought I heard a door slam in the background.

Followed by the distinctive sound of a car lock. "What are you doing?" Ash asked, skipping the initial custom greetings.

I glanced around my tiny apartment. "I'm in the lab. Late night." I lied, again. It was a Friday night, I was spending it alone with a glass of wine and an interesting, new collection of research papers my dad sent over. Oh, and my blind cat. I doubted this was Ash's idea of a good time, but if I was perfectly honest, I didn't mind. "I have to go." I was about to hang up on him, when he called out my name.

I lifted the phone back to my ear. "Quit bullshitting me, red!" He snapped, his deep voice booming through the speaker of my phone.

I swallowed hard. His nickname brought up very vivid, adulterated memories. "I'm not." I snapped back, but of course I was. His voice was so impossibly husky, so very Ash that it made the hair stand on the back of my neck-

-and my panties soaked.

On the other end of the line, Ash chuckled, like he knew the thoughts I was embarrassed to even admit to myself. "Well, if you're at your fancy lab, then who is at your apartment?"

My jaw dropped to the wooden floor. Did he-

But I didn't get a chance to get another word in, because he added. "It's a good thing I swung by. I'll check it out for you."

"The door is locked." As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew how foolish I sounded.

"Oh, red... " Ash laughed, the sound as sinister as it was an aphrodisiac for me. "That hasn't stopped me before!" He threatened, but then his voice softened. "Or, you could just open it, and let me in."

It was uncanny - the way he could make his raspy, deep voice smooth like honey whenever it suited him.

I found it hard to breathe for a second, my throat closing in. He was here. "Open for me, Gia." Ash knew damn well what he was doing. There was not a single doubt in my mind that he didn't chose those exact words on purpose to rile me up. He knew what he was, and how to use it, and despite my best judgement, I found myself getting to my feet and walking over to my front door.

"You're infuriating, has anyone ever told you that?" I countered, but I felt my defenses slip.

"More times than I can count." Amusement laced his velvety voice, and if it was possible, it dropped even lower. "Although, none as beautifully as you."