Rocked (Rock & Romance II.)

Chapter 53. - Unexpected Direction

*Gia*

"Oh, come on! You're really not going to tell me?" Jesse whined. He had his arms around me, squeezing me good-naturedly as he and London interrogated me about my talk with Dom.

"I already told you! You will find out when the time is right," I repeated myself, for the third time. "I don't want anyone interfering or meddling."

"I won't-" He started, but then trailed off. "Okay, perhaps I meddled in the past before. But I won't this time. Just tell me what you need!"

"What I need is a little space and time to figure everything out," I was trying to peel Jesse's arms off from around me when the front door opened again. I felt, rather than heard Ash come back inside, his presence immediately altering the chemistry of the room.

"Do you want to go get lunch?" He asked in his husky voice, stepping around Jesse and me so he could face me.

Jesse sighed. "Good idea! I'm getting kind of hungry. I had to skip breakfast to get-"

"Not you, idiot. I was talking to Gia." Ash nudged toward the front door with his head. "Wanna get out of here?"

For a moment, cognitive dissonance set in. My mouth almost formed the word 'no', out of habit. Ash and I shouldn't have been seen together. Our entire affair happened behind closed doors and in the dark, away from the public. I was used to having to hide around others.

But now, there was nothing to lose. The public, my friends, my family, along with the entire world already knew about Ash, and the worst I could've imagined had already happened. There was no reason not to be able to go on a friendly lunch with him. In addition, my talk with Dom has put me at ease, shifting my whole outlook on this situation. The fresh wind of change made me hopeful for the future once more.

So swallowing down my first reaction, I straightened my spine. "Yes. Let's go."

Jesse did let go of me this time and took a step back. Even London didn't object, she just hugged me and told me to call her any time I needed to talk. Ash shouted a goodbye down the staircase toward the basement for the other half of his band, before he opened the front door for me. "After you, red." His voice was a deep rumble that sent a delicious chill down my spine.

And that chill only doubled when I remembered that he came here on a motorcycle. "Let's take my car!" I started but Ash grabbed my hand and led me toward his death-horse.

"Come on, red. Live a little!" I must've had a funny look on my face, because his chest vibrated with a low chuckle as he pushed me toward the motorcycle. "I even brought an extra helmet for you."

I lifted a brow at me. "I'd hate to be a foregone conclusion." I murmured sarcastically.

Ash's dark eyes sparkled as he took off his fedora and replaced it with a black helmet, handing me a smaller red one. "You're anything but. But I trust Dom's abilities and I figured he could put your mind at ease." He threw a long leg over the motorcycle and kicked it into life.

It roared between his legs, the vibrations so hard I could feel it from where I stood.

"Come on, red. This won't bite you," Ash winked at me and held his hand out.

"The bike might not, but asphalt sure will when I scoot across it seventy miles an hour!" I put the helmet over my head and took his head. "I sure hope my friends will visit my memorial on the side of the 405."

He laughed. "We are in Los Angeles and lunch hour is about to start, red. We are not going to hit anywhere near seventy. Besides, I wouldn't let anything happen to you!" I was less than graceful swinging my sizeable behind onto the back of the bike, before scooting close to him like a curvy snail. While Ash looked like a wet dream in the saddle, I was about as comfortable as a brand new stiletto at the end of a night out.