by Meghan March
Guilt floods me, twisting in my stomach. “I’m sorry, Crey. I didn’t think about that. But I’m also not going to live my life any differently just to appease investors. You haven’t, so why should the rules be any different for me?”
“The rules are different, whether you want them to be or not. I’m having the head of PR call you to walk through the dos and don’ts you need to be observing now that you’ve got this guy in the mix. Lay low; don’t attract any more media attention. And I’ve got a team digging into his background. I need to know exactly who we’re dealing with before you see him again.”
And once again, I’m a wayward teenager who can’t possibly be trusted to know what I want or what’s best for me.
“Call them off.” My voice is flat and filled with determination.
“Not a chance in hell.”
“You don’t need to dig into him. I know exactly who he is and what he’s about.”
“Greer—”
I decide to lay it all out. “I’m already sleeping with him, Crey. Whatever you find out, it’s not affecting what I’m going to do. So basically, quit wasting your time.”
“You’re more stubborn than I am.” His voice twists into a familiar growl.
“I learned from the best.”
“Look, Greer, I need to know he’s not trying to scam you. You know what you’ve got to offer, and I’m not saying he’s looking for an easy payday, but I’d be a shitty brother if I wasn’t watching out for you.”
“I know, but I’m also not going to marry the guy like you married some perfect stranger after a one-night stand. So, quit worrying so much. If those pictures of us are already stirring interest, then the paps are going to be around whether I lay low or not. I might as well enjoy myself.”
“If stock prices keep falling in response, I’ll be taking action whether you like it or not. That’s a promise.”
The threat clearly on the table, Creighton and I say our good-byes and hang up. My life has never been simple, and today is no exception.
Is it worth it? For the non-relationship I have with Cav?
I have no answer to that question, except I’m not ready to call it off yet.
As I wrap Greer’s hand around the grip of a gun, I wonder if I’m making a huge mistake.
But where do you take the girl who has everything on a date? If you’re me, you take her to the gun range for a dual-purpose date—Greer gets to see that I’ve got mad skills, and she learns something useful.
“So I just pull the trigger,” she yells, her voice abnormally loud because of the ear-protection effect.
“Squeeze,” I tell her. “It’s a smooth motion.” I demonstrate with my finger as she bites her lip and concentrates downrange at the target.
It’s been a thirty-minute crash course in gun safety, and we’re finally getting to the fun part. At least, I hope she thinks it’s the fun part.
She squeezes the trigger but doesn’t jump at the percussion. Good sign. There’s no hole in the target, so I know she missed.
“Try again. Aim a little lower.”
She squeezes the trigger again, this time putting a hole in the chest of the yellow man hanging in the lane downrange. Greer flips the safety on, sets the gun down on the counter, and yanks off her ear protection.
“I did it!” Clapping her hands and bouncing, she looks younger than twenty-six and too damn innocent to drag into my life. But that doesn’t mean I won’t.
“Damn good job, baby girl. You want to give it another shot?”
She glances from me to the black 9mm Sig Sauer. “Sure, why not?”
“You’ve got plenty of ammo, so you might as well use it up.”
“Okay. Let’s do this.” Excitement lights up her face, and a triumphant feeling grows in my chest.
Once her ear protection is back in place, she unloads the remainder of the rounds in the magazine, and I reload it for her. Once she’s put a suitable number of holes in the target, she lays the gun down again, her dark eyes dancing with enthusiasm.
“I want to see you shoot, Hollywood.”
I grin at her nickname for me and crowd her against the wall of the booth of our shooting lane. The rest of the room is empty because I bought out the entire range for a couple of hours so we could have some privacy.
“Hollywood, huh?” I lean down, teasing both of us with the promise of my lips on hers.
Greer’s palms skim up my chest and she clasps her hands behind my neck. “Seems appropriate,” she whispers, her voice turning husky.
“I’ll let you call me whatever you want right now, baby. But when I’m inside you tonight, I want you moaning my name.”
“I guess we’ll have to see if you can make that happen.”
“It’s a guarantee, not a possibility.”
“So you say.”
“So I know.”
“Are you going to tease me or kiss me?” she asks.
“Whatever I want—that’s what I’m always gonna do.”
And right now I want her smile, not just her mouth. I want that warmth and energy radiating from her. Shit, I just want her. Everything she is, and I want her more than I’ve wanted anything in my life. I will not waste this second chance I’ve been given. But if I fuck it up, I will steal a third chance. And a fourth. Whatever it takes, and regardless of whether I deserve it.
But Greer is sick of waiting for me to make my move, and yanks my head down to her level and takes the kiss I’m teasing her with.
I take control, cupping her jaw and tilting her head to the side. My knee slides between her legs and she presses against it. A quick fuck in the gun range sounds like a hell of a plan—until my phone buzzes in my pocket. I ignore it, but it starts again.
Pulling away, I glance at the screen. BLOCKED CALL. The list of people with this number is short, which leaves me with few possibilities, some of them better than others.
“I gotta take this, baby,” I say, stepping back. “It’ll only take a few minutes.” She’s eying the gun as I swipe the screen. “And don’t shoot anything until I’m back.”
Rolling her eyes, Greer turns around and begins pulling in the target.
I step out of the room before I speak. “You got me. What do you want?”
The voice on the other end is all too familiar. “You know what I want, Cav.”
As soon as Cav leaves my sight, I pull out my phone. My notifications are blowing up.
Bad sign.
Two missed calls from Creighton and two texts. A text from Holly. Two from Banner.
I type in my passcode and read through the messages.
CREIGHTON: This is NOT laying low.
CREIGHTON: Answer your fucking phone.
CREIGHTON: I’m sending Cannon.
HOLLY: Cav Westman is totally hot, but your brother is losing his shit. You *might* want to answer.
BANNER: You’re my hero. Top post on CelebSightingsNYC. Oh, and according to the gossip sites, you’re officially a couple.
BANNER: You look hot in that pic, BTW.
Do I want to see what they’re all talking about? Of course. Who wouldn’t?
I tap on my browser and google CelebSightingsNYC and Cav’s name. Sure enough, the first pic that pops up is us getting out of a cab in front of the shooting range. That fucking cabbie. It’s the only explanation that makes sense with the angle of the picture.
I need to get Cav so we can get the hell out of here before the vultures descend. I mean, I’m not saying we’re the most interesting news story in the city tonight, but we’re probably toward the top of the list. And everyone knows where we are.
I leave the gun on the counter and slip around the corner to where I hear his deep voice. I’m not trying to eavesdrop, but I do wonder if it’s his agent or manager, or someone else calling to give him the heads-up that we’ve been spotted.
“No, I’m done. Not going back there.” Cav’s tone is harsh. “Fine. I’m out.” He hangs up and strides toward the door, his head jerking up whe
n he sees me standing in the doorway.
I lift my phone and point to the screen. “Cover’s blown, Hollywood. We’re being celeb-watched. My phone is blowing up. Is that what your call was about?”
Cav shakes his head. “No. What happened?” He takes my phone and reads the screen before it starts vibrating in his hand.
“Your brother,” he says, handing it back.
“Shit, he’s called three times. He told me to lay low and let all this stuff blow over, so he’s not happy with me right now . . .” The phone keeps vibrating as I explain.
“Are you going to answer it?”
“Mmm . . . I don’t want to.” I consider it again, knowing I’ve only got a few more seconds to decide. “I guess I better.”
I swipe the screen and answer with, “Don’t yell at me.”
“Greer,” Creighton’s deep voice rumbles with frustration. “I thought we had an understanding.”
“You told me to lay low and I’m laying low,” I counter.
“Then why is your picture on the top of every gossip site? The ad is front and center again, and Holly tells me you’re fucking trending on Twitter.”
My stomach twists, feeling weighed down with all of the bullets I just shot. “Shit. Really?“ Trending on Twitter isn’t exactly where I want to be.
“Apparently the citizens of New York are turning this into a fun-filled fiasco. You need to get the hell out of town and really lay low.”
“My apartment—”
Creighton cuts me off. “Is being watched around the clock because it’s been leaked that Cav bought a unit there too.”
“So, what do we do? Go to LA?” I cut my eyes to Cav when I realize I just made us a we and offered up his residence as a solution.
“No, Cannon is on his way. He’ll take you to Teterboro, and you’re getting out of the country for a while. I’ve got a friend with a place in Belize, and he’s agreed to let you stay as long as you need. Since you’re lacking a job, that shouldn’t be a big deal.”
Say what? “Seriously? I need to pack if I’m going—”
“He and his wife leave a full wardrobe at the house, and you’re close to her size. He’s a big bastard, so Cav should be fine. Just get in the SUV when Cannon pulls up, and get the fuck out of town so I can clean up this mess before it becomes a full-blown situation.”
There are plenty of times when I want to argue with my brother, but I’m not sure this is one of them. There’s something in his tone that tells me to choose my fight carefully. I feel like there’s more going on here than what Creighton is telling me, which wouldn’t be all that surprising. I trust him, though, and if he tells me to go, I’ll go.
“Okay. If that’s what you think is best.”
“Good. Cannon just texted that he’s a few blocks away.”
“Sorry, Crey. I didn’t mean for this to happen . . .”
“I know. Now, do what Cannon tells you and I’ll be in touch.”
I hang up and Cav is waiting semi-patiently. His jaw is tense and his hands are clenched into fists. “Your brother’s sending you away, and you’re going to let him.” The words carry a strong dose of fury.
“He’s sending us away. If you’re game, that is. How do you feel about Belize?”
Cav’s brows draw together deeper. “Belize? What the hell?”
I fill him in on Creighton’s directive that I lay low, and give him the details of the conversation that he didn’t overhear. The muscles of his jaw relax and so do his fists.
“Cannon should be here any minute to take us to Teterboro.”
“You’re sure you want to do this?”
“Run away to a tropical paradise with you? My brother has certainly had worse ideas.”
Cav finally smiles and grabs my hand. “Then let’s get a move on.”
We return the gun to the counter and make our way out to the street. Before I can look for Cannon, I’m blinded by flashing cameras. Damn paparazzi. Cav pulls me into his side, and we push through the crowd as the questions start flying.
“Cav, is it true that you answered Greer’s ad? Did you meet all the requirements?”
“Are you a couple?”
“When’s the quickie wedding like Creighton and Holly?”
The last thing I want to do is address any of them. Why? Because I don’t have any answers. Cav, it seems, isn’t plagued by the same problem. He stops and faces the crowd.
“Cannon is right here,” I whisper as the window of an SUV rolls down and he shouts my name.
“This will only take a second,” Cav replies. To the flashing cameras, he says, “If you had this amazing woman on your arm, wouldn’t you do everything you could to make her happy and keep her in your life? I don’t plan on letting her get away.”
The door to the SUV pops open and Cannon motions me inside. I tug at Cav’s arm and he follows.
“Better go find another story to chase, guys. That’s all you’re going to get out of us tonight.”
We both slide inside the SUV, and Cav slams the door as the questions continue to come.
From his seat beside me, Cannon says, “Was that really necessary? This is the start of you laying low. Feeding the press sound bites isn’t necessary. Let our PR people craft a statement, and we’ll leave it at that.”
Cav, on my left, faces Cannon, and I’m caught between two big men, one dark and the other light. When I first met him, I crushed on Cannon, but as I got older, I knew I could never feel that way about a man who was almost as close to me as my brother.
“I think I’ve got PR down. You do realize this isn’t the first time I’ve been chased by paps, right? In LA, you get this kind of bullshit when you go out for coffee.”
Cannon lays a hand on my knee. “Well, it’s not everyday bullshit for Greer, and you’re not helping matters when it comes to salvaging her reputation. Unlike yours, which is for purely entertainment value, her reputation matters to investors who need to have confidence in the Karas family and all they represent. I don’t expect some former janitor to understand how that works.”
“Maintenance man.” Cav’s tone is dark. “And I get how it works. I’m not looking to do anything but help Greer, so you can back the fuck off.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer to his side.
Cannon can’t mistake the possessive gesture, and neither can I. I just hope we can get to the jet without these two coming to blows.
That fucking prick Cannon leaves us at the corporate aviation building, and another driver takes us out to the tarmac where we climb onto the black Karas International jet. When I flew in here, I had visions of taking Greer on my own jet and flying her somewhere to impress her.
I forgot for an instant that I’m dealing with a woman who has probably never flown commercial, and a private jet is just another normal thing in her life. What can I give her that she’s never had before? That’s the question running through my mind as the flight attendant returns with our drinks and a few snacks. Greer knocks back her gin and tonic like it’s water.
“You okay, baby?”
She was quiet the entire ride out to the airport while Cannon and I shot daggers at each other. Her silence sets me on edge. Has she decided that getting pulled into the press because of me isn’t worth it? Fuck. I’m not letting her go now, so we’re going to have to find a way to deal with this.
Running away to a tropical paradise only works as a temporary solution. And honestly, I don’t understand why her reputation is so important to the investors of her brother’s companies.
“Greer, you okay?” I ask again because my last question received no answer. She’s lost in her thoughts, but my words finally penetrate.
She uncurls her fingers from around the tumbler, only to squeeze them tight again. “I’m fine. Just . . . thinking about how crazy my life is becoming. I went from working sixteen or eighteen hours a day at the firm to being unemployed, and now this. The last few days have been kind of surreal, and I’m still processing.”
She shakes her head. “No. I really don’t want to go back. That’s the part I’m trying not to feel guilty about.”
I wrap my arm around her shoulders and press a kiss to her temple. “Why would you feel guilty?”
“Because running makes me look like an irresponsible jet-setting little princess when that’s not who I am and it never will be.” She pauses for a moment before adding, “But I’m greedy because this means that I get to run away with you and leave the world behind. We don’t have to deal with all the bullshit for a few days, and can just have fun.”
I wish she added something about figuring out what’s going on between us and how this relationship is going to work, but I’m getting the message loud and clear that Greer isn’t ready for that. She’s not going to admit we have a relationship or a future.
That’s too damn bad because when I came back into her life, I did it with the intention of making this a permanent change. She’s going to have to find a way to deal with it because I’m not letting her go. Not this time.
Instead of pushing the issue, I lean closer and press another kiss to her temple. It’s becoming a habit that will be impossible to break.
“Let’s take this one day at a time and see what happens. I’ve got nowhere else I need to be, and I can’t think of anything I’d like better than you in a bikini on the beach before we go back to our room and I strip you naked and make you scream my name.”
Greer turns her body into me and lays her head on my shoulder. “I think I can handle that.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
I’m not sure what to expect from the very minimal description of the place Greer gave me, but when we land on an airstrip I’m not even sure is paved, I’m even more intrigued. The billionaire badass big brother wouldn’t send his treasured and protected little sister anywhere less than the best, though.