Ronan:Where are you?
Me:No hello, how are you?
Ronan:Hello. Where are you?
I hadn’t seen Ronan in a couple days. I’d been a sneaky sneak, taking Daisy for walks on my own, but the rest of the time, I’d been staying home, playing my guitar and writing lyrics. Possibly avoiding Ronan too.
Me:I’m at home, don’t worry, Daddy!
Ronan:Are you sure?
Me:That I’m home? I think I’d know where I was.
“What’s got you smiling?” When I looked up from my phone, both Claire and Dominic were watching me. She waggled her brows at me. “Seeing someone new?”
“Mmm...no. I’m giving my bodyguard a hard time. He deserves it.” I tucked my phone away, even though it continued to buzz with incoming texts. Stern Ronan wasn’t very happy with me ignoring him.
“Your bodyguard texts you?” Claire asked.
“Apparently.” I lifted a shoulder. “Our boundaries are pretty flimsy.”
Dom’s mouth quirked at the edges. “Is that a good thing?”
“Sometimes.” I licked my lips, thinking about the way his big hand had felt on my neck. “Other times, I sneak over to my friends’ places without telling him.”
Claire snorted and let her head fall onto Dom’s shoulder. “As unconventional as that sounds, is he keeping you safe? Do you feel protected?” Her eyes widened. “I just can’t believe what happened to your apartment.”
“When I’m with him, yeah, I don’t think he’d let anything happen to me. I’m just pissy I had this massive beast foisted into my life through no fault of my own, you know?”
Dom tipped his beer at me. “I know we’ve talked about all the baggage that comes with being a successful musician. Giving away a piece of yourself is part of it. It’s up to you to decide if it’s worth it.”
“It is. I know it is. This is just growing pains and letting the wrong person into my life.” I picked up a piece of my raven hair, smirking. “At least I got to choose my own hair color this time.”
When we had signed with our label, our image had been refined, and in my case, sexed up. I’d only just been able to go back to my natural color after spending two years with platinum hair.
Claire narrowed her eyes, peering at me. “Who even decided you should look like the second coming of Gwen Stefani?”
“Don’t know.” I curled my lip. Gwen was fly as hell, but she wasn’t me, and TSC wasn’t No Doubt. “I’d rather be Lzzy Hale or Amy Lee, goddammit.”
Claire shook her head. “I guess there was only room for two black-haired women in rock.”
I had to laugh, because that was the legitimate attitude of some of the decision-makers in the business. My poor hair had been a victim of that attitude.
There was a light tap on the front door. Dom and Claire exchanged looks before he got up from the couch to answer. I stretched my legs out on the chaise while we waited for Dom to come back.
“God, is this what married life is like? Big comfy couches, beer, and snuggling?”
Claire grinned. “When you marry the right person, it is.”
I arched a brow. “And all the sex?”
Her cheeks flushed, but she nodded. “Definitely all the sex.”
Dominic cleared his throat at the edge of the room. “Iris, you have a visitor. I made him wait at the door, but I can send him away if you give me the word.”
I sat up, confused and somewhat alarmed. “What? Who?”
He rubbed his silver and black beard. “A big guy who says his name is Ronan. Seems like he’s the bodyguard you’re avoiding?”