Dare to Rock by Carly Phillips

to believe that he suddenly desired a normal life away from the fans and the spotlight. But she did think he believed it, when in reality all he needed was a break from the insanity of being on the road.
    At some point, boredom and the need for more would reassert themselves; but as long as she was aware that day was coming, she could keep this thing between them in perspective. She was an adult, perfectly capable of handling a short-term relationship. She wouldn’t insult Grey or what they shared by calling it an affair. When it came to them together, it was always so much more. It just couldn’t be forever.
    She swallowed hard, locking the harsh truth away in a box where it couldn’t hurt her. Just like she’d boxed away her father’s choices that had never included her. Unless he’d needed her … Nope. That wasn’t pushing things away.
    “You’re quiet,” Grey said, intruding on her not-so-pleasant thoughts.
    “Just thinking,” she said.
    “About?”
    “Us.” She shook her head, clearing it of all negative emotions. “Can’t you drive faster?” She didn’t want anything to intrude on what they had planned, and this trip without panties was making her antsy and needy. Even now, without underwear, she was wet.
    His laughter rumbled through her and set her on fire, bringing her back to the moment in the bathroom. She’d never come so hard, so fast. In the years since Grey, she’d chosen men who were the opposite of her ex. Safe men. Men who didn’t challenge her, who didn’t excite her … who didn’t remind her of Grey.
    Now was the time to live in the moment. Avery had never been good at doing that, but dammit, she was going to try.
    They pulled up to a luxury condo complex, a high-rise building with a security guard in the lobby. Grey kept a hand on her back and led her into the elevator that, with his personal key card, took them directly to his floor.
    Her body tingling with anticipation, they stepped into his apartment, and he shut the door and locked it behind them. The sound reverberated through her with finality, putting punctuation on what they had planned.
    “Grey, I—” She never finished her sentence. No sooner had the lock clicked than she found herself against the wall, Grey’s lips on hers.
    She didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him back for all she was worth.
    Today had taught her something. It was one thing for her to back away from Grey out of fear, another for someone to try and take him from her. Two someones in the span of half an hour. At least that’s what Lola’s warning and Simon’s boasting about women loving Grey had felt like. She needed to take control of the situation and do what she wanted. She even needed to stop letting her own insecurities and fear get the better of her. She was here and she was with Grey.
    He was relentless, his lips devouring hers, and while last time she’d been the one taking, this time she wanted to give. She wanted to feel, taste, and experience him in living, breathing color. She pulled up his shirt, and he yanked it off, giving her an entire blank slate to enjoy. She ran her hands over his taut abs, his hard stomach, and smooth, tanned, tattoo-covered skin. Every touch aroused her senses, and she leaned in close, inhaling, drinking in his familiar musk-laden scent.
    Unable to resist temptation, she licked his chest, eliciting a shuddering moan from him. She grinned. “You like that.”
    “And you like that I do.” He grasped her wrists, pinning them against the wall.
    She sucked in a breath and met his darkened gaze.
    “Grey?” she asked, surprised by both his sudden show of dominance and how much she enjoyed it.
    Her sex was slick with arousal, and she rolled her hips into him, his thick cock nestling in the cradle of her thighs, fire burning her inside and out.
    “I promised myself the first time I’d take things slow, but when you touch me, I’m afraid I’ll go off and ruin everything. So I need