Dare to Rock

by Carly Phillips

  He didn’t know if she’d seen the article yet. If not, he wanted to tell her in person. If so, he needed to get over to her place and exercise some damage control as soon as possible.

  * * *

  While Ella showered and finished packing in preparation for overseeing a two-week photo shoot on a Caribbean island, Avery returned concerned phone calls. When disaster and insanity struck, the Dare family banded together … well, all of them except her father. Apparently he only surfaced when he needed Avery’s help for his other kids. Checking on her after she became front-page news must not be a priority for him, she thought, pushing the painful reality away. She didn’t need him. She had the rest of her clan circling the wagons. Even her half siblings checked in, Alex threatening to kick Grey’s ass—an act she didn’t need or want—and Jason, Samantha, and Sienna had all offered her a place to hide out if things became too much.

  Olivia and her mother had left messages for Avery on her cell and at home. She’d already called them back and promised she was dealing well with the publicity on her end. They didn’t have to know she’d already had a mini-panic attack and taken her pills, or that crazy photographers were still camped outside her apartment. They’d just worry, and her mother had a wedding to plan, and her sister was pregnant. Neither needed added stress.

  She’d called her brothers back too, reaching Ian and Scott but not Tyler. And that scared her because there was a very good chance Tyler would take one look at the article and, when he couldn’t immediately reach Avery on her cell, head right over.

  A loud knock sounded on the door. “Avery, open up. It’s Tyler.”

  “And right on time,” she muttered, letting her brother in.

  “Jesus, there’s a massive group of paparazzi out there. Is this what being with that asshole is doing to your life?”

  Tyler stood in the doorway, looking less than pleased and ready to take over, something she would not let happen. “If you want to talk to me, back off Grey. That’s not going to help matters.”

  “Who’s causing all the racket?” Ella asked.

  Avery turned. Ella had joined them wearing a short silk bathrobe, towel drying her hair as she walked. “Tyler!” she stopped short and stared in shock. Her hand slowly lowered, and the towel dropped to the floor.

  “Yes,” Avery said. “My bossy brother’s here to—”

  “Check up on you,” Tyler said to Avery … but his gaze never wavered from Ella, whose cheeks turned a rosy shade of pink.

  “You, go put some clothes on,” Tyler ordered her.

  “Tyler!” Avery called him out for bossing Ella around in her own apartment.

  Ella, meanwhile, frowned at him, then bent to retrieve her towel. Her robe gaped open, exposing her breasts, something she didn’t realize until a low growl came from Tyler’s throat.

  Ella rose and glanced down. “Shit.” She spun around and stormed out of the room.

  “What was that all about?” Avery asked her brother. “Are you trying to be an asshole today? Oh, wait, it just comes naturally.”

  Tyler blew out a frustrated breath. “Don’t change the subject. I’m here to talk about you.”

  Avery shook her head, feeling like she was missing something. Ella knew Tyler, just like she knew the rest of Avery’s siblings, from the two weeks every summer and occasional holidays she’d spent visiting. Had this just been embarrassment? Or something more?

  “Avery, I’m worried about you,” he said, his voice softening. “You have a history of anxiety—”

  “And I’m on daily medication.” And had Xanax for emergencies like today. “I’m fine.” Or she had been until Grey’s life had exploded around her. But she didn’t want her brother to worry. “I’m not nine years old anymore,” she added as a means of reassuring them both.

  Tyler ran a hand through his dark hair. “Between the picture in the paper, the nasty insinuation about breaking up the band, and now the photographers stalking your apartment, you’re in the center of the storm. And considering I do security for a living, I should know.”

  Another loud knock sounded on her door.

  “Ask who it is.”

  Avery shot Tyler a disgusted look. Did he really think she didn’t know how to take care of herself?

  Instead of asking, she looked through the peephole and groaned. “It’s Grey,” she said to Tyler and winced inwardly.

  The very last thing she needed was a confrontation between Grey and her overprotective brother. But it seemed that was exactly what she was about to get.

  Chapter Six

  Grey couldn’t believe he had to cut through paparazzi to get into Avery’s building. If he’d known, he’d have found out whether there was a back entrance or brought Marco. The assholes yelled rude questions and tried to crowd him, and it took too damn long to make his way inside. His stomach churned as he imagined what Avery was thinking or feeling. She hated the overzealous female fans, and she’d never been one for large groups of people in general. He just wasn’t sure how she’d handle this. Nor did it help to know that getting rid of him would be the easiest option.

  He knocked on her door, unsure if she was home. She hadn’t answered her phone when he’d called on his way over.

  The door opened wide. One look at her face and he swore out loud. “I’m sorry,” he said before she could utter a word.

  “You damn well should be, Kingston.”

  He glanced over her shoulder to find one of her brothers standing behind her, arms crossed over his chest as he glared at Grey.

  Avery, her face already pale and makeup free, groaned and gestured for him to come inside. “You remember my brother Tyler¸” she said.

  Grey inclined his head at the pissed off man. Tyler, the brother who’d been in the Army, who ran the security company, and who rightfully hated Grey’s guts. Good to see you, man, wasn’t going to cut it.

  “What do you want?” Tyler asked.

  Avery turned to her brother. “I have enough to deal with without you making things worse. If you can’t be civil to Grey, you can leave.”

  Well, at least she wasn’t throwing him out yet. “I came as soon as I saw the article. I had no idea the paps had found you.”

  “Well, now you know,” Tyler said. “And you showing up here is only going to make things worse. We’re going to have to put a security detail on you,” he said to Avery.

  She shook her head. “No way. I can’t live like that.”

  Grey remained silent as the siblings went at it. Until he knew where everyone’s head was, he wouldn’t step in.

  “Well, can you live like this?” Tyler swept an arm toward the window. “Going through that crowd by yourself every time you want to come and go?”

  “No, I don’t want that.” Avery clasped her hands around her forearms in a protective gesture that gutted Grey.

  He’d put her in this position. Somehow he needed to get her out. Though he might agree with Tyler about security, her brother’s strong-arm tactics were only hurting her more, taking away any feelings of control she was holding on to.

  Grey shot Tyler a warning look and moved in, leading her to the couch in her living room. He sat down beside her, keeping her close. “Listen, your brother’s right. We have to talk about security for you, but we can figure out something that will make you comfortable.”

  “None of this would be necessary if you’d just disappear,” Tyler added. “She could stay with one of us for a little while, they’d forget all about her, and that would be that.”

  Grey stiffened, bristling at her brother’s words, which had too much truth in them for his peace of mind.

  “Tyler, go home, please? I’ll figure out what I want to do and let you know.”

  His gaze softened as he looked at his sister. “I’m worried about you. Did you have a panic attack getting through those jackals?” he asked.

  Grey narrowed his gaze. “Panic attack?”

  Avery tensed. “I handled it.”

  Tyler placed a han
d on her shoulder. “I never said you didn’t. I just want to protect you from having to deal with it at all.”

  “Well, you can’t protect me from everything.”

  But Grey wanted to. He had the overwhelming need to pack her up and move her in with him, into his doorman building, where she’d be protected and safe.

  “I’ll call the cops to clear them off of private property,” Tyler said.

  Grey nodded. “That’ll be a start, but it won’t hold off the more determined ones. And it won’t keep them away from public areas where Avery goes.”

  “Hello, can you stop speaking about me as if I’m not right here?”

  Grey met her gaze. “Sorry, sugar.”

  Tyler scowled at the endearment. “You need a bodyguard. Someone who can follow you at a distance but who will be there just in case you need him. I’m assuming Mr. Rock Star here has one.”

  Grey stiffened but let the insulting tone slide. “When I know I’ll be in public, yes, I have security.”

  “I want my guy on you when you’re together.”

  “Fine,” Grey said, knowing better than to argue. He didn’t care who watched their backs as long as she was safe.

  “Are we in agreement?” Tyler met his sister’s gaze.

  Avery groaned. “Fine.”

  Grey didn’t like what he had to do next, but he looked at Tyler. “Can I have a word with you?”

  Avery’s gaze shot between them. “What? Why?”

  “It’ll be fine.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek.

  She stood and he rose with her.

  “I’ll go see if Ella’s okay.” She looked between them one more time. “And I expect an explanation later.”

  Grey waited until she’d disappeared down the hall before turning to Tyler. “Look, you don’t have to like me, but can we agree we both have Avery’s best interests at heart?”

  “That remains to be seen.”

  Grey swallowed a curse. The man wasn’t going to make anything easy. “There’s another security issue you need to know about.”

  “What’s going on?” Tyler asked.

  “I got a fan mail …” Grey went on to explain the connection between the email he’d received from Emerald and Avery’s blog, and the woman’s implied threat to break them apart.

  He wanted nothing more than to hide the information that would give Avery’s brothers even more reason to dislike him and want him away from their sister. But he wouldn’t put his self-interest above Avery’s safety, and he wasn’t foolish enough to think he could handle things on his own.

  He rolled his shoulders, tension settling there like lead. “I don’t know what it means, but I don’t like what my gut’s telling me.”

  “Fuck. And you can’t just walk away and leave my sister alone?” Tyler muttered.

  Grey had had enough. He stepped into Tyler’s personal space. “Listen carefully. I may let you get away with the occasional insult because I know I brought this shit into her life.”

  “Not to mention how badly you hurt her when you left? Who do you think picked up the pieces? The same people who are going to have to do it when you bail on her again.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m serious about your sister, and you’d better get used to it. In the meantime, I’d appreciate it if you’d use your expertise to help keep her safe.”

  Tyler eyed Grey warily, but Grey thought he caught a hint of admiration in the man’s gaze when he didn’t back down.

  “Fine. I’ll do my job and keep an eye on you at the same time,” Tyler said.

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Now, you mentioned anxiety.”

  Tyler straightened his shoulders. “Not my story to tell.”

  Grey inclined his head. He wanted to hear anything about Avery from Avery. “Can you at least tell me if I should let her know about the crazy fan?”

  Tyler blew out a harsh breath. “I’m torn between honesty and whether or not this will put her over the edge.” He paused in thought. “Tell you what. Send me the email, and I’ll shoot you one back with the information I need to dig into who sent it. Let me get to work on the email and look into her blog. If I find out we’re dealing with someone seriously unhinged, I’ll let you know, and we’ll change tactics.”

  Grey nodded. He was clearly in the dark about Avery in ways he hadn’t expected. He needed to trust her brother’s judgment.

  “I hate lying, even by omission,” he said, his voice low. “But I don’t want to freak her out either.”

  Tyler ran a hand through his slightly longer-than-military-cut hair. “I know. I don’t want her blindsided, but I also don’t want her under a crazy amount of stress. Not until we see how badly this current band-breakup news is going to get for her. So we’re agreed?”

  He nodded. “Agreed.” He extended a hand, a peace offering of sorts toward Tyler.

  Tyler shook his hand. “Doesn’t mean I like you, Kingston.”

  “Understood.” Grey didn’t need anything more from Tyler than for him to know the facts and help keep Avery safe.

  Tyler glanced toward the bedrooms. “Tell Avery I’m running out to buy supplies to get her locks updated. I’ll be back to install and let her know who’ll be watching her six.”

  Grey respected her brother’s ability to pull together all the safety features Avery needed. “I will.”

  Tyler eyed him hard. “Keep her safe.”

  That went without saying but Grey replied anyway. “Will do.”

  Tyler headed out, slamming the door shut behind him, leaving Grey alone with the knowledge that he’d done more harm than good by returning to Avery’s life. At least according to her brother. What mattered was what Avery thought, and his chances with her had always been shaky.

  Now? He had no idea what he was up against. All he could do was make sure she felt the depth of his feelings for her and believed that if she was with him, she’d be protected and safe … and hope for the best.

  * * *

  Avery couldn’t stand sitting around her room any longer. Ella got busy blow-drying her hair. She wouldn’t discuss Tyler, just saying that Avery’s brother had always been controlling, annoying, and a pain in the ass. Avery agreed, but she still sensed more brewing and couldn’t begin to understand their dynamic. And why hadn’t she picked up on it sooner? Meanwhile, her brother and Grey were in the other room discussing God knew what, and she’d had enough.

  She swept into the room only to find Grey staring out the window and Tyler nowhere to be seen. She took in the stiff lines of Grey’s broad back, the way he braced his hands on the windowsill and looked down, lost in thought and wondered what had been said between these two men in her life.

  “Hey. Where’s Tyler?”

  Grey turned, his concerned gaze meeting hers. “He took off. Said to tell you he was going out to buy better locks and he’d be back to install them. He’ll also be in touch about who he picks as your bodyguard.”

  She stiffened at the reminder of how much her life had and would change if she persisted in this relationship with Grey. No matter how short term, the tumultuous existence that followed him would become hers as well.

  “Come here.” Grey beckoned with a crook of his finger, and damn her, she walked over, as if pulled across the room by an invisible string.

  He braced his hands on her waist, deliberately lifting her top and touching her bare skin. His palms seared like a hot brand on her skin. Her nipples tightened, her sex clenched, and need swept through her, all rational thought and concern disappearing at his touch.

  “We need to talk.”

  Apparently she didn’t have the same effect on him, and she fought through the haze of desire to regain her wits. “We do. I want to know what you and my brother discussed behind my back.”

  “I already told you.”

  She frowned. “That was what Tyler had to say. You’re the one who wanted a minute with him. So … spill.”

  “That was just guy
shit. We needed to get some facts straight, and we did.”

  “Such as?” If he wasn’t going to jump her bones the way her body wanted, she intended to force honest answers from him.

  “Such as the fact that I’m back in your life, and I’m not going anywhere, so he’d better get used to it and stop giving you a hard time about me.”

  “Oh.” That statement shocked her.

  The notion that Grey would take that kind of stand with Tyler took her off guard. If her brothers thought he’d made promises, they’d be even more pissed off when the inevitable happened and he left again. She bit down on her lip. Somehow she’d have to explain to the overprotective men in her family that she’d known the end result with Grey. No matter what he claimed or believed now.

  She blew out a calming breath.

  “Oh? That’s all you have to say?”

  She couldn’t help the grin that lifted her lips. “I’m impressed that you’d take Tyler on.”

  He rubbed his nose against hers. “I already told you, anything for you, Very.”

  She melted inside and accepted that this was worth the pain and difficulty his star status would cause her. She slipped her hands around his waist, and suddenly his hard cock was nestled between her thighs. Warmth and need became a tangible thing. His breathing grew rougher, and her hips began to circle against him in a dance she couldn’t control.

  He let out a harsh groan that reverberated inside her, and her eyes fluttered closed as she swayed into him.

  “Now I need an answer,” he said.

  She didn’t know how he managed to think clearly when her panties were so wet, her sex so needy, she could barely bring herself to care that Ella was right in the next room.

  Which meant whatever he wanted to know was more important to him than lifting her dress, ripping off her panties, and thrusting inside her.

  That cooled off her libido. “About what?” she asked, though now that her brain was back in control, she had a feeling she already knew.

  He led her to the couch and resettled her where they’d been before except he pulled her onto his lap. Instead of desire, nerves settled inside her.