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“Very well, I accept your terms. Tell you what,” he said slowly. “Why don’t I hit the couch tonight?”

My shoulders dropped in what was most likely relief. “That would be great. Thanks.”

“No problem.” He gave me a vaguely amused look. “Whatever works for you, Anne.”

“Great. I’m going to go have a bath.”

“Have fun.”

“Yeah.”

The bathroom door was locked shut behind me in record time. I sat on the edge of the big old battered claw-foot tub, blood rushing loud behind my ears. My mind was a blur. I’d just talked my way out of sleeping with a rock star. What had I done?

Disappointment made my insides ache.

But this was the right move. I needed to remember how into Reece I was. He was a far safer crush option. One day, he and I had a chance of actually working out.

Once all of the noise in my head faded, I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair hung flat around my face. My eyes were wide and wild. Within the space of twenty-four hours I’d been turned upside down. I might not be sleeping with one, but I most certainly now lived with a rock star. Didn’t see that one coming.

“What the hell have you gotten yourself into?” I asked the girl in the mirror.

She had nothing but a dazed, surprised smile to offer. Clearly she was a sucker for Mal’s particular brand of crazy. Thank goodness I was more mature.

I pulled my work T-shirt off over my head and started in on the laces of my boots. The sudden banging on the door almost made me fall off my perch. I put a hand to the floor and pushed myself upright before I fell face forward.

“Anne?”

“Yeah?” I sat back up and crossed my arms over my black bra, covering things up even though he couldn’t possibly see.

“I forgot to say thanks. For letting me live here with you and agreeing to be my girlfriend. I really appreciate it.”

“Well, thank you for paying my rent and for the furniture and everything.”

“That was nothing. I would’ve done that anyway. Didn’t like seeing you sad last night.”

“Really?” My throat tightened and I stared at the door, amazed. That was huge. I really didn’t know what to say. He barely knew me and yet he would have come to my rescue? Mal Ericson might be a bad boy, but he was also a good man.

One that I liked very much.

“Yeah. ‘Course. It’s going to be fun, Anne,” he said, his voice close to the door. “You wait and see.”

“Okay.”

He sounded like he needed me to believe him. Funny thing was, I did.

CHAPTER SIX

I started getting Mal’s texts just before lunch.

Mal: Awake

Anne: Morning

Mal: Going for a run with Jim

Anne: Have fun!

Mal: Back from run having lunch

Anne: K

Mal: Where’s cleaning stuff?

Anne: To clean what?

Mal: Pizza exploded in microwave

Anne: Spray bottle under sink

Mal: When you home?

Anne: 5:30

Mal: Bored

Anne: Sorry

Mal: What you doing?

Anne: Working right now. Gotta go. Talk later.

Mal: Your taste in music sucks

Anne: Thanks

Mal: Seriously, we need to talk it’s that bad. Everything apart from Stage Dive needs to go.

Anne: Wait. What are you doing?

Mal: Fixing it

Anne: Mal, WTH are you doing?

Mal: Making you new playlists with decent shit. Relax

Anne: K Thanks

Mal: Bored again

Mal: Ben’s coming over to play Halo

Anne: Great! But you don’t have to tell me everything you do, Mal.

Mal: Davie says communication’s important

Mal: When are you on the rag? Davie said to find out if you want cupcakes or ice cream

Anne: I want to not talk about this ever

Mal: Bored. Ben’s late

Mal: Let’s get a dog

Anne: Apartment has no pets rule

Mal: Nice green lace bra

Anne: Get out of my drawers, Mal.

Mal: Matching panties?

Anne: GET OUT NOW.

Mal: :)

Mal: Sext me

Mal: Come on it’ll be funny

Mal: Plz?

Mal: High level of unhealthy codependency traits exhibited by both parties relationship possibly bordering on toxic

Anne: WTF?

Mal: Did magazine quiz. We need help. Especially you

Anne: …

Mal: Booking us couples counseling. Tues 4:15 alright?

Anne: We are not going to counseling.

Mal: What’s wrong? Don’t you love me anymore?

Anne: Turning phone off now.

“Problem?” asked Reece, moseying on up and looking over my shoulder.

“No. Sorry.” I shoved my cell into my back pocket. “I’m working, I swear.”

“Sure you are.” He winked. Being friends with the boss did pay off sometimes. “Do anything interesting last night?”

Had I ever. Mal seemed hell-bent on driving me crazy today, but last night had been fantastic. We’d had a floor picnic with some of the best tapas I’d tasted in a long time, washed down with Spanish beer. He’d told me hilarious stories about big-name musicians. Lots of tawdry sexploits and insane backstage demands, Mal knew about them all. He made for awesome company.

I wasn’t ready to explain Mal to Reece, however. Looking at Reece, I might never be ready. Where would I begin? Even if I could keep a straight face, he knew me well enough to know I didn’t jump into relationships. Not in this way. Luckily, Reece’s attention had already slipped away. I shouldn’t have worried. His gaze rested on a young woman browsing in the True Crime section. You’d have thought he’d have enough sense to turn away when she picked up a book on female serial killers, but no.

“I didn’t get up to anything much last night,” I lied, feeling zero guilt.

He did a half nod, probably not even listening. “I’ll just go see if she needs help.”

“Okeydokey.” I pulled my cell out, switched it back on. As soon as the screen flashed to life I started one finger typing, a smile already on my face.

Anne: Ben arrive yet?

Mal: He’s here. How you doing? Home soon?

Anne: Soon.

Ben was lazed on the love seat, hands busy on the game controls, when I walked in the door. There was lots of blood and guts happening on the TV screen. The novelty of walking in to find famous people hanging in my apartment would probably never fade. I sincerely hoped it wouldn’t. Disappointingly, Mal was nowhere in sight. I’d been rushing through tasks, eager to see him all afternoon. Lizzy had called me and it’d almost killed me not telling her about him. But I honestly didn’t know how to plausibly explain his sudden appearance in my life. She’d been furious about the shit with Skye. I hadn’t been able to muster much anger about it, funnily enough. Good things were happening. That was all in the past.

Now I was finally home, my heart banging around inside my chest, and I felt inexcusably shy. Hesitant almost. Forget it, this was my apartment. My home. And he had chosen to live here, with me, for whatever reason. Back straight and boobs out, what little there was of them.