I changed into some loose jeans and a tank top and walked barefoot back out to the living room. Rock had poured himself a drink and was sitting on the couch. I sat down next to him.

“Everything okay?” I said, and then wanted to take back the words. The last thing I wanted to be was a nag.

“Fine. Just a rough day. I’m worried about Riley.”

I placed my hand over his. “I’m sorry. Is she still missing?”

He lifted his brow. “You know?”

Uh-oh. He didn’t sound pleased.

“Yeah. I guess I just assumed you knew, and I didn’t think it was any of my business.”

The spark of anger in him dissipated, and I silently thanked the universe.

“We’ve got PIs looking for her, but according to my brother, this isn’t the first time she’s gone AWOL.”

“It isn’t?” Her Paris trip crossed my mind briefly. Was she really going to walk out on Dominique Cosmetics?

He shook his head. “Apparently she’s struggling. And I haven’t been here. I feel helpless right now, Lacey. This is my little sister. How could I have stayed gone all those years?”

I caressed his forearm, wanting to go further but not sure what to do. This was the most he’d ever opened up to me. I didn’t want to jinx it.

“She seemed like she wanted to talk to me about something that night we went to dinner, but then she ended up leaving.”

“That’s the last time I saw her,” he said.

“Me too. She was supposed to meet with me regarding the transfer of personal items from the will, but she didn’t show.”

He nodded. “She’s been through a lot.”

“I think you all have.”

He pursed his lips into a flat line. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

I squeezed his hand. “Okay.”

“How was your day?”

“Busy, but fine.”

He nodded but said nothing.

I wasn’t sure what to do, so I did nothing. A few minutes passed, and then he held up his arm. “Come here.”

I smiled and snuggled into his shoulder.

He kissed the top of my head.

We stayed there, silently, the only sound our breathing.

Rock was in a better mood the next morning. We’d gone to bed together, and he held me, but we hadn’t made love.

Really weird, but it was also nice. I was feeling closer to him, which was what I wanted, but I fought myself. I didn’t want to enjoy it too much and end up heartbroken.

I took a quick shower and then found him in the kitchen, frying up bacon and hash browns in a cast-iron skillet. He was wearing a pair of old jeans and nothing else, his newly cut hair was in disarray, and he looked absolutely edible.