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“You’re not a gimmick or a fad. You’re not the product of a boardroom trying to sell an image. You’re… remarkable. Gifted even. Fuck, I’d bet that if the entire industry reversed course tomorrow you’d still come out on top. You’re the realest fucking thing this industry has ever known. You shouldn’t have to apologize for any of it.” He swallowed, realizing he’d said way more than he’d intended but he wasn’t going to take it back. It was all true.
Her eyes flickered with something, a spark of something he hadn’t seen since October and he had really fucking missed it.
“Maybe I just don’t know if I have the guts for it right now.” Her eyes tracked to the floor. “Or if I even want to.”
He pushed aside the queasiness that accompanied her confession. Ignored how much he wanted to ask more questions. To listen to her low, husky voice explain what was happening in her life that had brought her here.
She forced a smile. “Anyway, all that to say, I’m here for a while. I have a place. It’s quiet. No one is doing construction.” They shared a smile. “You can have a room for however long you need it.”
She really meant that too.
It was part of her nature—to give without expectation. To help where she saw need. To show up when no one else would be able to find the time and do it all with a smile.
“Please,” she said, something new in her tone. “I’d really like it if you’d let me help you. Consider it repayment for everything you had to go through on my account.”
Fuck.
If he declined, she’d keep believing she owed him when she didn’t.
Her amber eyes pleaded with him. She chewed on her bottom lip as she waited for his answer.
“Okay,” he said, surprising himself as the words left his mouth.
She smiled a tentative smile. “Really?”
He shrugged. “Sure.”
This was probably going to end badly. But the way her entire face lit up and how she pressed her hands to her heart like he’d just given her a gift, made him feel like he could handle whatever came next.
“Oh, I’m so glad.” Her head dropped back and closed her eyes. “I thought you were going to harbor a lifelong grudge against me.”
He sniffed a laugh. She stood to leave.
“I’m going to get you a key. Let’s move your stuff tonight if we can,” she said, clapping her hands once.
He flicked two fingers her direction as a goodbye.
Yeah, it wasn’t a lifelong grudge he was harboring.
But she didn’t need to know that.
CHAPTER TEN
OVERDRIVE
ZARA
If someone asked her to describe how she felt when Asa had finally agreed to move in, she only had one word.
Yay!
Cas had gotten her an extra key and Johnny had given Asa the rest of the day off to get his things moved.
And yes, Zara had been trying to keep from being overly generous. But this wasAsa.The guy who had waded in and saved her from a public drama. The same guy who didn’t ask for anything from her. Who held babies and loved his friends.
He wasn’t going to take advantage of her.
“You have a lot of guitars.” She put her hands on her hips and surveyed the upstairs room.
