Page 5 of #Moonstruck

“Obviously.”

Now he laughed, throwing his head back as if I’d said the most hilarious thing ever. His reaction was loud enough that he drew the attention of everyone in the room, including Ryan. And as Ryan watched me, I couldn’t help but watch him back. Like his gaze held me captive and I was too weak to turn away. I forced my eyes down, and it was then that I realized what seemed strange about Ryan and his guitar. He wasn’t holding it like he loved it. Like it was a natural extension of his hands. The way I would have held it. The way Diego currently held his guitar.

Instead, Ryan wielded that guitar like a shield against the women surrounding him, invading his space. Like a kid hiding under his covers, hoping his blanket would keep him safe from the monsters.

I almost felt bad for him.

Diego startled me out of my Ryan-centric thoughts, causing my heart rate to increase. “I have to admit, that’s a first. Usually that’s all the women back here care about. Meeting him.”

Was it obvious I had been staring at Ryan? “Not me.”

He stopped strumming and laid his hand on top of the guitar. “You’re not a typical groupie.”

“I’m not any kind of groupie. I have an IQ with triple digits, thanks.”

Diego laughed again, and I couldn’t help but smile back. After spending a lifetime with brothers who adored me almost as much as they adored teasing me, it was nice to have a man appreciate my humor and not call me a bed-wetting string monkey.

“Then why are you here?”

I leaned forward and told him conspiratorially, “I was coerced by my best friend, who didn’t want to come alone. I’m here under duress.”

He moved his head toward mine. “Is this like a hostage situation?” he teased. “Blink twice if you need me to call the police.”

Okay, he was cute and charming, but I had two life rules:

Never date a musician.

Never have sex with a musician.

My second rule was easily kept by following the first one.

“No need to call out the SWAT team,” I assured him.

“So if you’re not here to hook up with my cousin, does that mean you’re here to hook up with me?” He said it playfully, but I knew that if I said yes, we’d be gone in under a minute.

Because that’s how guys in his line of work operated.

“I don’t date musicians. Kind of a rule I have.”

Speaking of musicians I would not be dating and/or sleeping with, Ryan De Luna appeared in front of me, making my mouth go completely dry. His arms were folded, and he glared down at us. The intense fire in his eyes turned my stomach hollow.

Ryan De Luna had really sexy forearms. I’d never noticed them on a guy before.

And then he spoke. In a husky, deep, thrilling way that made the room so cold that I couldn’t help but shiver.

“You know, usually when a girl goes to the effort to sneak in, they at least come over and say hi.”

Sneak in? Shivers gone.

Like I was just another one of those girls across the room. So desperate to meet him I’d do anything.

Jerk. I wanted to smack him.

CHAPTER TWO

“Hi,” I snapped at him while waving. I hoped he could see the sarcasm in my moving hand. “I didn’t sneak in. I was let in.” Big difference.

“Who let you in?”