Dare to Rock (Dare to Love 5)

He nodded. “I live in Rep’s old place. The other one was Lola’s—that’s how they met. I bought both, knowing I wanted to build a sound-proof studio, where I can work without bothering anyone.”

He’d really planned out this notion of living in Miami. More so than she’d originally thought. “I had no idea.”

“I was going to explain all this to you this morning. I wanted to have breakfast and show you the layout and plans.”

“But I left.”

He shrugged. “We can still have breakfast now, and I can show you the apartment later?”

Her head was swimming with information and with confusion. She wouldn’t feel safe sleeping in her apartment knowing someone was out there … in a sense, stalking her. But was she ready to move in with Grey, even temporarily? And if so, should she move into his place or across the hall?

She blew out a deep breath and said the only thing that came to mind. “Breakfast sounds like a really good idea right now.”

He laughed, knowing she was avoiding any decisions. “French toast or pancakes? Either is my specialty.” And obviously he was letting her take her time deciding.

She grinned. “French toast. That’s all I have the ingredients for.”

He leaned in and kissed her lips. “Then we go take a tour of my place.”

“Only if, while we eat, you tell me about this email you received … and who you think is behind it.”

The happy light in his eyes dimmed at the reminder, and he hesitated before answering. “Fine.”

“And as long as you promise no more secrets between us.”

“Okay,” he said, faster and with more ease.

She wasn’t anywhere close to making a decision. In fact, she still wanted some space and time before doing anything, especially now that the stakes were higher than just an emotional tizzy over falling in love. But she also knew she couldn’t walk away from him yet.

She was afraid she would never be able to make that break. And waiting for him to be the one to ultimately walk away left her in an even bigger panic. So she’d eat breakfast and see his apartment and plans. Then she’d take a break and go visit with her mom or Olivia and get some much-needed perspective before making any huge decisions. Like whether or not to move in with Grey.

Chapter Nine

After a breakfast of French toast and maple syrup and cleanup, which he also insisted on doing, Grey took Avery back to his place. His heart was racing, well aware that she hadn’t made a decision about moving in with him, however temporarily. And also aware that every little thing that happened between them could change her mind. It was nerve wracking, but he accepted it. Told himself that the cops would connect Emerald to the vandalism, that his intended lifestyle would get boring for the press, the paparazzi, and the fans, and they could live a normal life.

He hoped he wasn’t deluding himself.

After they took the elevator to his floor, he decided to walk her through Lola’s old place first. He unlocked the door and gestured for her to enter.

“As you can see, it has the same layout as my apartment, but the décor is much different.” Where he had dark wood accents, courtesy of the furniture Rep had left behind, Lola’s was pops of color and huge pieces of comic-book-inspired artwork on the walls.

“Oh my God! Is that … Superman and Wonder Woman kissing in midair?” Avery asked, delighted at the sight.

“Yeah. And it’ll be the first thing to go when we start work in here,” he muttered.

She laughed. “This is so great!”

He rolled his eyes and went on to explain the plans for turning this apartment into a studio. She listened intently, and he had the distinct sense she could see and appreciate his vision.

“And this is … was Lola’s bedroom. She left me with sheets and the bedspread so that if any of our friends visited, I wouldn’t have to deal with buying stuff. So if you weren’t ready to move in with me, you could stay here until it was safe for you to go home.” He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice, knowing she had to come to him willingly, not because the situation was forced on her.

Avery walked inside and looked around the also brightly decorated room. “Lola does love primary colors,” Avery mused. “My bright colors are pale compared to hers.”

He shoved his hands into his pants pockets and waited for her to finish peeking into the master bath.

“Grey, I don’t know what I want to do yet.”

He nodded in understanding, frustrated but determined not to let it show.