by Lexy Timms
I started to panic, but I could practically see Daniel set all those things aside for the moment. I sighed as he reached around me to shut off the water in the shower, ending the gentle fantasy. As much as I might wish that it was just the two of us, alone in the world, it just wasn’t that way. There was so much more, between work around the office, our business partners, the media. It could never be just about what Daniel and I felt for one another.
What did I even feel for him? It was hard for me even to say to myself.
Forgetting everything else, I would be with him. I was sure of that now, in a way that I had only touched on before. I thought of all the arguments against being with him, and they all seemed like things that we could solve, if we would only try hard enough. And oh, it was going to be hard work. I didn’t want to have anything to do with the media frenzy around him.
But at the same time, I was sure that I could promise him not to believe everything that the media had to say about him.
I had never felt more confused in my life. “I’m sorry,” Daniel said as he wrapped the towel more tightly around me. He kissed my hair and then held me close to him. “I don’t want you to feel like you’re stuck with me. If you want to go work somewhere else, know that I’ll fully support that. Whatever you need from me.”
I swallowed hard, and slowly, I shook my head. “I want to be with you,” I told him, my voice barely audible. But I could tell, from the way that his arms tightened around me, that he had heard me. “I just don’t know if I can handle all the drama and the attention that goes along with it.”
“Then we keep this between us,” Daniel said simply. “Nobody needs to know.”
I wasn’t sure that it would be so easy. But on the other hand, what did I really have to lose? I didn’t think we could keep away from each other, and I really wanted to keep working with him. So...
I nodded at him. “I can do that,” I told him. And to be honest, the secrecy of it all seemed almost... exciting?
I grinned at him, and he grinned back. And suddenly, I felt like maybe things could work out between us.
Chapter 13
Daniel
I STOOD TO THE RIGHT side of the stage like I had been instructed, taking deep breaths to quell the nervousness and fighting the urge to do something terrible like running my fingers back through my carefully fixed hair. The ladies who had done my hair and makeup, cooing over me the whole time, would never forgive me if I knocked half the strands on my head out of place moments before we went on.
It was another stupid television interview. A live one. I had to do these every so often, but they still made me just as nervous now as they ever had. With all the negative news articles about me, though, it was the easiest way for people to understand that I really was a person, and that I really wasn’t the horrible person some of them thought I was.
Not only that, but it kept my fans interested in me. Which kept people interested in the company. It was just what Gerrard had once accused me of, with the news about me. Using it to keep the company on everyone’s minds. And while that wasn’t the only reason I went on these television shows, it was definitely effective.
But there was another reason for the timing on this one. The more I could give the media now, the less they would try to hunt around for other stories. Because there was only so much funding they could spare to send paparazzi on stakeouts outside of McGregor Enterprises. Only so many magazines for their followers to read. If I gave them this, there was a chance I might have a minor reprieve from the crazy fans.
I could always hope so, anyway.
I took a final deep breath and headed up onto the stage when I was summoned, waving out at the crowd even though I could barely see their silhouettes given the bright lights of the studio. I could hear the applause, of course, but that was a far cry from putting me at ease about any of this.
I perched on the edge of the couch and turned my full attention to my interviewer. “So glad to have you on the show today, Daniel,” she said, and the flirtatious note to her voice was more pronounced than it really needed to be. She leaned toward me and trailed her fingers down my arm, and I fought the urge to shake her off. I knew that if I even so much as hinted that there was someone else, she would be catlike with her claws, trying to tear the truth out of me.
It seemed that she wanted to know all about my love life anyway, though. She started out innocently enough, asking me about the business and my recent charity appearances, among other things. But then, she dove right into the core of what everyone really wanted to know, the type of questions that I hated. “So, Daniel, you’ve recently been named the hottest young bachelor in Chicago for the fifth year running. Any comments on that?”
I shrugged. “You know, it’s an honor,” I said, using my fake “media” voice with her and refusing to rise to the bait. I knew everyone was still dying to hear what had really happened between me and Abby James. Hell, everyone was still dying to hear what had really happened between me and Ivy.
“Nothing more to say than that?” the interviewer, I think her name was Erica, asked. “Are you even still single anymore? You know, there have been a lot of rumors about you recently.”
I shrugged at her and then turned my grin toward the audience, miming locking my lips and throwing away the key.
Erica groaned playfully. “Not even a little hint?” she asked. “We all know that you’ve always been closemouthed about your relationships, but can’t you at least have some mercy on the women of Chicago? Give us a nod or a head shake—yes or no, is there a woman in your life?"
I grinned at Erica even though I really wanted to scowl at her. She was worse than all the rest of them, really. I tried to remember who it was who had set up this interview. Who had thought that Erica was the right person for me to talk to? This was absolute trash.
But I was here now, so there was no use complaining about it. Instead, I just shrugged at her. “My personal life will remain personal, I’m sorry to say.”
Erica sighed and put a hand over her heart. “No hope for any of us, ladies,” she said to the audience, and there was plenty of applause. Then, she grinned wickedly at me. “But we will see you at the opening of Shade, won’t we? The dance floors have been so empty without you lately.”
I smiled at her, trying to look like I was aggrieved, just as much as she was. “It’s terrible,” I told her. “But being a public figure has been all consuming in the past few years. Or really, ever since I took over the company from my father. It’s been impossible to strike a healthy balance. But I want that now.”
Erica’s eyebrows shot up toward her hairline. “A balance between work and your personal life?” she asked, and even I could tell how agitated she sounded. She looked out at the audience again, as though trying to make it a joke that she shared with them. “But where does that leave the rest of us?”
I pasted on a fake smile to go with the fake response I’d made up before she had ever asked the question. “I’m still waiting to see where I end up with all of it,” I told her. “I’ll let you know when I know.”
I could read the disappointment clear in her face. Of course, she still thought that she was going to get to go home with me at the end of the interview. That was there in her eyes as well. They were all the same, all the people who interviewed me. But she wanted just what Ivy had wanted. She wanted to date me, to take a dozen pictures with me and post them all over her social media accounts. She wanted the whole ten yards.
My pronouncement that I was going to be even more private in future called all of that into question for her. But she was sure that she would prevail. That I would find some reason to give her what she wanted.
I hated her certainty. I wished I could just tell her the truth about all of it, that I had absolutely no interest in her that way and that I never would.
That I was with someone special now.
To be honest, though, things between me and Abby had been pretty difficult over the past couple of weeks. We�
�d had a long and serious talk after we had slept together the second time. We both doubted our ability to keep away from the other. But at the same time, we were working together every single day, along with some of the most important people who backed the company. I had to check myself in every last one of our meetings; it wasn’t like I could reach for her or tell everyone how much faith I put in her judgment of our latest projects.
But at the same time, those feelings swelled inside of me every time I looked over at her. I couldn’t imagine not working next to her anymore, but at the same time, I knew that working next to her just had so many more complications than I ever could have foreseen.
Not least of which because she didn’t want anyone in the press to even know that she was still working for me, let alone believe that we might possibly still be dating each other.
It had forced me to be creative on the rare occasions that I had taken her out. But it had also meant that more often than not, we ended up going to my place rather than going out. I chafed against that. I wanted to take her out on the town, show her off on my arm. I at least wanted to go out and get drinks with her and Austin again.
But I knew that it wasn’t safe to do that. Get her in another media storm, and she would never come back to me for a third time. Even if there was nothing I could do about any of it.
Things were difficult. But I wanted to explore this relationship with her. See how things went between us. And if that meant that I needed to be careful and do stupid things like this interview I hated, then so be it. I would do it. Whatever it took to keep Abby in my life.
Because I also couldn’t help fearing that if I screwed things up with her again, she wouldn’t be coming back to work for me next time.
Fortunately, before I could let that melancholy affect the interview, our time slot was over and Erica was waving a cheerful goodbye to her audience, saying something inane about how we’d just have to see how things played out with this new work-life balance of mine. She said it like she thought she could change my mind on it. I hightailed it out of there the moment I was cleared by the cameramen.
I hustled back to my dressing room before she could catch up to me, shutting the door behind myself and locking it. I knew that there was no way that she could corner me now, not if I hurried out of there. It would be beneath her for her to wait outside for me to change and wash off the stage makeup, but at the same time, she wasn’t going to hurry through her own shower and changing procedure for someone like me.
They were all the same, all these women who interviewed me.
I called Abby as I was on my way out to the parking lot. “Hey,” I said, noticing myself how soft my voice got as I chatted with her. “I’m on my way to pick you up.”
I couldn’t help feeling excited as I headed over there, behind the wheel of one of my luxury sports cars. It was going to be a good weekend, I was sure. The interview was over, and the only thing left in my plans was time with my favorite woman, away from everyone else in the world.
I smiled to myself as I roared down the road away from the television studio.
Chapter 14
Abby
I SMILED TO MYSELF at the thought that Daniel was on his way over here already. I didn’t know exactly what he had planned, and I honestly just hoped that it wasn’t anything that was too...extravagant, maybe? I was still trying to get used to what it felt like to date someone who was not only so obviously rich and in the public eye, but someone who just wanted to spoil me so much.
Not that I’d never been on a nice date before, but in the couple of weeks since Daniel and I had decided that we had to figure out a way to make things work between the two of us, it felt like he was constantly trying to one-up himself as well as any other romantics that might be out there in the city.
It was cute, really, but it left me feeling like I owed him something, especially after our initial cooling-off period had been at my insistence, because I didn’t want the media to know anything about the two of us.
I was still trying my best to keep out of the public eye, as much as I could. To be honest, it was both easier and more difficult than I had expected it would be. Daniel did his best to keep our dates private, but I could also tell that he was getting a bit impatient with all of our dates ending up in his bed.
“You know, I exist outside the bedroom too,” he complained the last time we’d had sex together.
I laughed. “I know,” I said, snuggling up against his side, still basking in the afterglow of good sex. “You make breakfast every morning too.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Daniel sighed, but he didn’t sound upset. Just unhappy.
I had straightened up a little so that I could look down at his face, suddenly wondering if the lack of media involvement was getting to him. He had told me that wasn’t the only reason he was interested in me, and I believed him. I believed when he told me that he actually cared about me. But at the same time, I couldn’t help wondering if he actually liked being in the public eye.
I tried to put all of that out of my mind, though. Daniel was taking me away for the weekend, to somewhere unspecified, and I liked to think that would make him feel less bored about what we had been up to recently. I just wished I knew where we were off to. Packing, without knowing, had been a nightmare.
I hurried downstairs and met Daniel just as he was pulling up outside my apartment building.
“Hey, babe,” he said to me, pulling me close against his body and giving me a kiss.
I grinned, leaning into him. “You’re still not going to give me any sort of clue about where we’re off to this weekend, are you?” I asked him.
Daniel laughed. “You’ve already committed to whatever it is that you packed,” he pointed out. “I don’t think it’ll make much of a difference now.”
“Fair enough.” I sighed. But I smiled up at him, unable to hide my enthusiasm over the mystery.
Daniel bent down and grabbed my bags, slinging them into the back of his fancy sports car. But overall, we were hurrying to get into the car, I could tell, from the way he opened my door for me. He didn’t want to be seen with me even here, in my quiet, residential neighborhood that I lived in. I tried not to sigh again.
We chatted along the drive, and I had to laugh as Daniel sang along to the radio for a couple songs. “What?” he asked me.
I shook my head. “You’re just really cute,” I finally told him. He grinned back at me.
“We’re here,” he announced a little while later, as we pulled up in front of the most luxurious hotel I had ever seen. My nervousness only got worse as we walked into the lobby. God, this place was fancy, with draping crystal chandeliers overhead and soft classical music setting the atmosphere. I had dressed somewhat conservatively, like I would for work, but even still, I felt a little awkward walking in there next to Daniel.
And how the hell were we supposed to stay incognito here? I swallowed hard, wondering if maybe this was Daniel’s way of telling me that he didn’t want us to stay out of the press anymore.
Daniel glanced over at me and caught my hand, giving it a light squeeze. “I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable,” he said in an undertone. “But the owner of this place is really good about making sure that the press can’t sneak in here, so we’re...safe here.”
I smiled at him, appreciating that at least. “I just wish you’d warned me to break out the family jewels in advance,” I muttered back in an undertone.
Daniel stifled a laugh as we reached the reception desk.
It wasn’t just that we were staying at a fancy hotel, though. No, we were up in the penthouse on the top floor of the place. I shook my head when we got there. “This is pretty swanky,” I said to Daniel, only half-joking.
He laughed. “Well, I wanted to make sure that if we really wanted to stay incognito and stay in the room the whole time, we were going to have a pretty comfortable stay.” He winked at me, and I could feel my body flush all over.
“Stay in th
e room the whole weekend?” I asked, arching an eyebrow at him. “What could we possibly do?”
Daniel caught me around the waist, dragging me close to him, a grin on his face. “I can’t imagine,” he said innocently. “I mean, there’s a pool and a Jacuzzi out on the sundeck. That might be a place to get started, at least?”
I giggled. “What if I’ve forgotten to bring a bathing suit?” I asked.
Daniel smirked. “Then it’s a good thing we have a private room,” he said wickedly. “Or I guess you can wear a bra and panties if you really don’t want to be naked around me.”
I laughed and shook my head. “And what are we going to do for food? I’m going to need a bra and panties so that I can go get food, I’m pretty sure.”
Daniel shrugged. “We could always just stay here and order room service,” he reminded me. “In fact, I like the idea of that. Maybe I’ll order a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries to get us started.” He leaned in even closer to me, pressing his forehead against mine. “I want to spend the whole weekend spoiling you,” he told me.
I ventured farther into the suite, exploring it. “So...the couch, the bed, the other bed, the counter. Are we going to make it our weekend goal to have sex as many places as we can?” I asked teasingly.
Daniel laughed. “We could,” he said. He caught me another time. “But I think the first place is going to be right here.” He pressed his lips against mine and bore me laughingly toward the floor as he kissed his way down my neck and jaw.
I pushed him off me. “Wait—I want to see what our options are first,” I told him, shrieking as he tickled me.
Daniel sighed, putting his hand over his heart as he lay back against the carpet. I laughed, watching him. “Come on, I’ve never been to somewhere as cool as this,” I told him. “It’s your own fault for bringing me somewhere this nice.”