Page 38 of Hard Rock Fling

The expression on his face smoothed out as he gave me a deceptively casual shrug. "It wasn't a bad idea, but Damon and I both want the same concept."

"Do you?"

Ian pierced me with his stare. "Yeah. We do."

I knew Ian understood I'd meant the singularyou,but he'd answered for both of them. I decided to let it go for now.

"I pretty much spent the entire week holed up in my room getting ready for my meeting with you guys. I don't know how I'm going to come up with another concept in only a few days."

"You're smart. I'm sure you'll think of something."

"I don't feel smart. I feel lost."

"The others all liked theirs. Three out of four isn't bad."

"I don't know if Noah liked his."

"Noah can go suck a dick. He doesn't like anything." He tilted his head at me. "You need a ride home?"

All breath left my lungs. Alone in a car with Ian. I didn't think my heart could take it. "No. I'm fine."

"Where are you parked? I'll walk you to your car."

"I don't have a car. I've got a public transit pass."

Ian blanched in disgust. "Now I'm definitely driving you home." He stepped towards the curb and nodded towards the car parked directly in front of the Etude entrance. "Get in."

The car was shiny and black and sleek. "That's yours?"

"It's my baby," he said with something almost like pride.

"I don't think that's actually a parking spot."

"Says who?"

I pointed to theno parkingsign three feet away.

Ian squinted at it. "Is that new?"

"Pretty sure it's been there for years."

Ian hummed, then turned away, ignoring the sign. "You coming?" He held the passenger door open, waiting expectantly.

"Really, I'm fine. You don't need to drive me home."

"I don'tneedto. I want to."

"Ian—"

"I'm not leaving until you get in. You wouldn't want me to get a ticket, would you?"

"As if you couldn't just pay for it with the change in your pocket."

"Still waiting." He looked at his wrist as if he were checking a watch.

"Women always give you what you want, don't they?"

"Yes." The smug tilt of his lips and glinting green eyes should have annoyed me. The heated expectation I saw in his expression made me dizzy instead.