Rock Hard (Rock Kiss 2)

Startled at the thought that Gabriel had spoken about her to his family, she found herself saying, “Did he tell you I threw a muffin at his head?”

Alison burst out laughing again. “God, sweetheart, what had he done?”

“He kept growling and snarling at me that the documents weren’t right when I’d double and triple-checked them.”

“That doesn’t sound like Gabriel. He’s the most detail-oriented of my boys.”

“Uh-huh.” Charlotte nodded. “I suspected he’d ‘lost’ some of the pages on purpose just to mess with me.”

Alison’s lips twitched. “That sounds like Gabriel.”

And suddenly Charlotte was laughing with this woman who had given birth to the most talented, infuriating, and gorgeous man Charlotte had ever known.

WHEN ESME WAS SENT back with a message that Grandpa wanted to talk to Uncle Gabe, Gabriel knew exactly what the conversation would entail even before he reached his stepfather.

“Dad,” he said, “What’s up?”

“You mother told me of her talk with you,” Joseph said in his steady way that demanded absolute attention, his black hair grizzled with white now but his body and mind no less in shape than when he’d first come into Gabriel’s life. “Have you really considered your decision, son?”

Gabriel shrugged. “You know what he did to us. Cancer doesn’t change the fact that he’s an unreliable piece of shit who abandoned his wife and children.”

His stepfather lifted a hand to wave at another family on the other side of the road; Gabriel thought they might be neighbors. “Look, Gabriel,” Joseph said. “You’ve always been smart and you know your own mind, so the decision’s yours.” Putting one hand on Gabriel’s shoulder, he squeezed. “But I want you to think about what that anger inside you will do to you if he ends up dying before you’ve cleared the air with him.”

Gabriel glanced over his shoulder to make sure Charlotte was still okay with his mom before he returned his attention to his stepfather. “I will,” he said because of his respect for Joseph. “But I can’t see myself changing my mind.”

“Fair enough.” His stepfather carried on walking. “So, tell me about your woman.”

CHARLOTTE HAD GUESSED GABRIEL’S family must have really good seats, given how important rugby was to the family, but she never expected to go through the main gates and up to the exclusive top level of the stadium complex.

“You have access to a corporate box?” she whispered to Gabriel, her eyes wide. She knew Saxon & Archer didn’t have one of the elite rooms, so it had to come via one of Gabriel’s other investments.

Keeping her tucked close to his side, he said, “Bishop Enterprises owns the lease.”

Her mouth fell open at the name under which his property empire was nested. Tipping her parted lips shut with a finger under her jaw, he leaned down to whisper, “Filthy rich, remember?” His lips brushed her ear. “Emphasis on the filthy when it comes to you, Ms. Baird.”

Arousal hitting her in a hard slap, she was barely aware of walking into the box. However its spectacular view of the flawless green of the pitch had her sucking in a breath. The stadium lights bathed that green in a bright white light that made everything crisp and sharp. There were seats inside, but the tiered game seating was directly in front—on what looked to be a private balcony.

Already, the girls were outside on that balcony, standing on tiptoe to look over the rail at the bottom. Gabriel’s brothers, meanwhile, were at the small bar to one side of the box itself, popping the tops off beer cans they’d taken from a well-stocked fridge. Fancy but delicious-looking canapés—crumbed prawns with sauce, for one—sat within easy reach, and there was a steward who seemed to be taking orders for other drinks.

He’d also managed to produce small bags of potato chips for the girls.

“Next thing you know, they’ll be bringing up gourmet meals,” Charlotte whispered to Gabriel, who’d leaned down to her.

His smile creased his cheeks. “Those have been ordered.” Rubbing his hand over her lower back, he said, “You good? I’m going to grab a beer.”

“Yes, I want to go look outside.” Joining the girls, she just soaked in the view as the stadium began to fill, an excited buzz in the air.

“Charlotte.” Joseph patted the seat next to him in the front row. “Come talk to me.”

It was odd; her father had been physically slight, had worn glasses like Charlotte. Gabriel’s stepfather was an ex-rugby player with twenty-twenty eyesight, a full-sleeve tattoo that she could see now he’d taken off his coat, and had a voice like a bullhorn. Yet she felt the same sense of comfort with him that she had with her father. Before she knew it, she had her coat off too and they were debating the finer points of last weekend’s game.

SAILOR TOOK A SIP of his beer, his blue eyes gleaming. “She’s a bit bite-sized for you, isn’t she, bro?”

Gabriel imagined taking little bites of Charlotte and felt his lips curve. “Good things. Small packages,” he said, enjoying watching her mobile face, her bright, intelligent eyes as she spoke to his father.

Leaning back against the bar, Sailor followed Gabriel’s gaze. “You think I should tell her she’s the first woman you’ve ever brought to a game with us?”

“Sure. If you want a black eye.” Charlotte wasn’t yet ready for the pressure the knowledge would put on her.