Rock with Me (With Me in Seattle, #4)(69)

“I know.”

His eyes shoot up to mine. “You do?”

I raise an eyebrow at him, a half-smile on my lips and he sighs and nods.

“You’re damn observant.”

I smile sweetly and sip my drink, waiting for him to talk.

“It’ll happen eventually.” He finally concedes. “But I have a feeling she won’t be easy to find.”

“She’ll be worth it.” I assure him and pat his broad shoulder.

“What’s up with you and Leo?” He asks quietly.

My eyes turn to the man in the living room, still in deep conversation with Meg. I’m always aware of him, what he’s doing and where he is. I can’t help it.

“I went and fell in love with him.” I smirk and glance back at Matt who has taken a seat next to me. “What do you think of him?”

“I like him.” He nods. “Looks to me like he fell in love with you, too.” He gestures over and I turn my head to find Leo watching us. I wink at him and he smiles softly before returning to his conversation.

“It’s kind of disgusting.” I choose a piece of pizza and take a bite. “But it’s fun. We’ll see how it goes.”


“You’re so not into the mushy stuff, are you?” Matt asks with a chuckle.

“Not really.” I shrug, and then realize that’s a lie. I love the mushy stuff with Leo.

“I get it.” He nods.

“You’re not either,” I remind him.

“There’s a time and a place for romance.” He disagrees. “But I decide when and where that is.”

“God, you’re bossy.”

He just laughs at me and clinks his glass with mine in cheers.

“Uh, Sam?” Stacey is moving through the room, her phone in her hands and she’s frowning down at it.

“Yeah?”

“Have you seen this?”

“What?” I ask as she pushes her phone in my hands. Matt leans close to look over my shoulder and swears under his breath as my world stops moving.

It’s a photo on an on-line gossip page of Leo and me from the photo shoot last week in L.A. Lori has been cropped out of the photo.

Of course.

The caption below is, Leo Nash with his new girlfriend, actor/producer Luke Williams’ sister.

No name.

“What is it?” I hear Leo ask, his voice closer than before and I feel my cheeks heat in anger and embarrassment and pure betrayal.

“Fuck.”

***

Leo



Sam’s face has turned bright red as she stares blankly down at Stacy’s phone, her hands are shaking and Matt is glaring at the phone as if it’s going to bite.

“What the f*ck is wrong?” I ask as I approach her. She wakes the screen back up and shoves it at me.

“That’s what the f*ck is wrong.”

The photo is from last week in L.A., the exact photo Sam said she didn’t want leaked.

Melissa just lost her motherf*cking job.

“What the hell, Leo?”

“What’s going on?” Luke asks as he joins us.

“A photo got leaked,” I murmur and pass it to him. He scowls down at the phone and back to Sam.

“Sam, this isn’t new. You were in L.A. with Leo. What did you expect to happen?”

“I specifically told that bitch of a publicist that she didn’t have my permission to use my photo.”

Luke turns his accusing eyes to me, his face hard and eyes narrowed.

“Hey, man, I backed her up. I’ll fire the bitch who leaked it.”

“Are you going to fire everyone who leaks this shit?” Luke demands and shoves Stacy’s phone back to her. “Sam’s worked hard to stay out of the tabloids.”

“I’m aware.” I stand strong and cross my arms over my chest.

“I told you.” Luke points his finger in my face. “I told you this would happen. This,” he points a the phone, “is why I warned you to stay the f*ck away!”

“Don’t talk to him like that!” Meg steps between Luke and me, her hazel eyes glaring at Luke. “He already said he backed Sam.”

“Stay out of this,” Luke mutters to her but she stands her ground.

“I will not. This shit happens. You should know that. Hell, she knows that. She works for a magazine.” Meg plants her fists on her hips, and I want to tell her to back off, but I know it’ll be futile.

She’s in protective sister mode.

“Meg.” I begin but she holds her hand up to me to stop talking and my eyebrows rise in surprise. Matt grins at her. Isaac, Nate and the others have come out of the game room to see what all the commotion is about.

“He’s put my sister in a position he doesn’t even understand.” He points his finger at me again, his voice rising as Mark moves up beside him.

“How in the bloody hell can you say he doesn’t understand it?” Meg roars. “He lives in that world every goddamned day! You’re no more of a celebrity than he is, you know. If anything, he’s even more submerged in it.”

“This is not about who is more famous,” Luke interrupts.

“Leo would never hurt Sam.”

“He’s not good enough for my sister!” Luke exclaims and a cold sweat breaks out on my face.