Page 55 of You Rock My World

DORIAN

I lower my head to whisper in Josie’s ear, “Is it okay if I steal you?”

She nods and turns toward the balcony, waving at Lily. “I think I’ll skip dinner.”

Lily laughs. “Don’t you want to at least get your shoes?”

“No, thanks,” Josie shouts, and I agree. I can’t wait another minute to be alone with her.

“I’ll get her new shoes,” I yell, already walking out of the courtyard.

Josie pulls up in my arms and stares behind my shoulders. “What about your stuff?”

I shrug. “I’ll send someone to get it.” The only thing unique is the guitar strapped to my back. “Nick will stay here with the equipment.”

Josie gasps, turning to the dark spot where Nick is standing. “I hadn’t even noticed him. Your bodyguard really blends in with the shadows.”

I carry her out of the courtyard, her legs curled against my side, the soft fabric of her leggings pressing into my arm. She has one hand hooked behind my neck, the other curling over my shoulder. At my truck, I reluctantly set her down and get the door for her.

Josie stretches her toes in her socks against the concrete, then looks up at me with a playful squint. “Where’s Ned?”

I pop open the door. “Nick drove on the way here.”

Her mouth pulls into an exaggerated pout. “That’s a shame.”

I smirk, tipping her chin up with my fingers. “Why’s that?”

“Because that means we can’t make out in the back seat for the entire ride home.”

An electric heat shoots through me, setting every nerve on edge. My grip on the truck door tightens to metal-denting strength. My restraint is hanging by a thread, and she knows it.

“That’s actually for the best.”

Josie leans closer, lips an inch from mine. “Oh?”

“Yeah.” I brush a strand of hair from her face. “We need to talk first.”

Josie groans, but it’s teasing, her hands falling dramatically to her sides. “Fine. Ruin my fun.”

I chuckle, nudging her toward the seat. “I promise to make it up to you.”

She slides in, flashing me a grin as I shut the door and round the hood. I pause at the back, unstrapping my guitar and placing it in the truck bed before heading to the driver’s side. Once I’m behind the wheel, I shift the gear into drive, easing us onto the lane.

Christmas lights blur past the windows, the city shimmering in festive colors. Josie watches them for a while before turning to me.

“What did you want to talk about?”

I drum my fingers against the steering wheel, eyes flicking between the road and her profile. “Did you quit your job today?”

She blinks, surprised. “Why would you think I did?”

I give her a side stare, arching a brow. “The official email informing me that my previous PR rep had resigned and that I’d been assigned a new one tipped me off.”

Josie snorts. “Gosh, Nadine is a piece of work.”

“So, you didn’t quit?”

“Technically, yes,” she drawls. “But only after she fired me first and then tried to rehire me.”

I glance at her again. “Are you okay?”

She shrugs, staring at the passing streetlights. “I realized I didn’t really love my job. And the idea of going back and working under Nadine made my skin crawl. So yeah, I think I’m okay. A bit financially irresponsible, but otherwise fine.”

I nod, processing that. “Want me to fire your old firm?”

Josie lets out a surprised laugh. “Tempting, but actually? No.”

I study her out of the corner of my eye, mouth twitching. “Oh?”

“Nadine’s a shark,” Josie explains, shifting in her seat. “She’s awful to work for, but she’s incredible at what she does. For all her faults, she knows how to control a story. And after your interview, she had the press eating out of your hand.”

I smirk. “Don’t I get a little credit for that?”

Josie’s eyes sparkle. “You were fantastic.”

“So you’re not mad I did it, the interview?”

“No.” Josie shakes her head. “Do you know how Billie is?”

I grip the wheel a little harder. “She got out of the crash unscathed. Not a scratch on her.”

Josie exhales, nodding.

I roll my shoulders, forcing myself to loosen my grip. “And she’s going away, she’ll no longer be a problem for us.”

Josie’s gaze snaps to me. “What do you mean?”

“Billie had so much crap in her system, any judge would’ve given her jail time.

But her lawyers are negotiating a deal for rehab instead of prison.

” I don’t know if this will change anything.

If hitting rock bottom today will finally make Billie face what I couldn’t make her see for years.

But I want to believe she’ll take the help this time.

That she’ll come out of this experience whole.

“She’ll be gone for at least six months.

And hopefully, when she comes out, Billie will be ready to move on. ”

“Wow.”

“Josie…”

“Yup?”

“I’m sorry I made our relationship public without asking for your permission.” I keep my eyes on the road, but I feel her studying me. “But with the fans backing me, you quitting your job, and Lily’s bossy text, I figured I could take the risk. That I could grand-gesture you.”

Josie’s smile really is a rainbow. “Feel free to grand-gesture me whenever you want, rockstar. I loved my song… You put so much of us in it…”

I look at her, then at the road, undecided.

“What?” she asks, because she always notices when something is going on with me.

“I really tried to put a lyric in there about how I’ll always let you eat my fries, but couldn’t find the right poetics.”

She stares at me, stunned. “Did you have a microphone on you that night and record our entire conversation? How do you remember stuff like that?”

“I just paid attention. I always do when I care. And I know you remember everything, too.”

“I guess we were both paying attention, then.”

I chuckle. “Good to know.”

Josie frowns. “Wait. How was Lily’s text bossy? She swore she only texted you I was at her place.”

“Yeah.” I snort. “Your sister was a tad more assertive than that.”

“What did she say? Can I read it?”

“Sorry.” I make a zipper-over-my-mouth motion just as I pull up to my gate.

Josie narrows her eyes. “Dorian.”

I kill the engine and turn to her, already undoing my seat belt. “That’s classified information.”

She’s about to protest, but before she can, I step out of the truck and round to her side.

I open her door, offering my hand. Josie eyes me, still mock-outraged, but takes it anyway. As soon as she’s on the ground, I scoop her up in my arms, pressing my lips to the shell of her ear.

“And we don’t have time to discuss it now, anyway.”

“Why?”

“Because now, Josephine , the time for talking is over.”