Love in the Spotlight

by Olivia Jaymes

  “My charm, of course. What else?”

  He hated lying to his mother but both he and Riley thought it wise not to spread the news too widely until she was further along. It had actually been her idea, but he’d quickly agreed. There were too many things that could go wrong and it was better to wait.

  “I’m so happy about this. Is she leaving with you or following later?”

  “With me, but I hope you’re still planning to come visit soon. I know that Riley would love the company while I’m working.”

  He could also trust that she’d be looked after when she was with his mother.

  “I wouldn’t want to intrude–”

  He waved away her protests. “Nonsense, Riley is going to have a great deal of time to herself and she’d love it if you were there. She and I have already discussed it. In fact, why don’t you come with us in the morning? I can get another ticket.”

  They were only worried about Paula guessing Riley’s condition, but if she did they would deal with it then.

  His mother’s cheeks had turned bright pink and for once she didn’t seem to have an immediate reply. “Well…I would…but I have plans this weekend. I have…a date.”

  This was the second time in less than twelve hours he felt like someone had slapped him on the side of the head with a two by four.

  A date? Since when did his mother date?

  “That’s…nice. How did you meet him?” A terrible thought occurred to Sam. “You didn’t meet him online, did you? That’s not safe.”

  Laughing, Paula shook her head. “His name is Tom and he moved to New Hope about six months ago. He’s a retired aerospace engineer who used to work for NASA. Now he’s training for a triathlon and volunteering at the school to help kids with their math. I think you’d like him.”

  Sam already didn’t like this guy. Six months? He sounded like a fast mover. “How do you know he’s telling you the truth, Mom? Men will say anything to get a date with a female. You should give me his whole name so I can have him checked out. Find out all the things he hasn’t told you yet. He could be a criminal or a con artist.”

  Awful images of his mother heartbroken, crying and bilked out of her life savings ran through Sam’s head. Maybe he should meet this guy before he let his mother go out with him.

  “You will do no such thing, Samuel Christopher.” Paula had sat up and was now shaking a finger under his nose, her expression tight. Shit. “He can’t be a criminal because they do a background check and fingerprint you before you can volunteer in the school system. As for whether he’s lying about working for NASA, why would he lie about that? If I were going to lie about what I did for a living, I’d tell people I was a race car driver or a famous surgeon.”

  Sam still didn’t trust him. “Maybe I should–”

  “Mind your own business,” his mother finished for him. “I am still your mother, and you will not start acting like the parent in this relationship. Do I make myself clear, young man?”

  “Very clear,” he said through gritted teeth. He might not get to do a thorough background check on Tom but he was definitely going to ask Riley about him. “I’m just trying to help.”

  “I appreciate that but I’m a grown woman and I’ve been out on a date before. Now tell me what your plans are for Riley when you get to New York City.”

  That was easy. Make everything so wonderful for her she’d never want to leave.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Riley took another sip of the ginger ale Sam’s assistant Callie had left by her bedside and found herself relaxing with even the knots in her tortured stomach loosening slightly. Her morning sickness hadn’t appreciated the plane ride to New York City.

  Like a vengeful god in an old Norse tale, epic morning sickness had hit her today and she’d been blindsided, unprepared for the ferocity. When they’d left for the airport she’d been a little nauseous but nothing terrible, so she hadn’t thought much about it. By the time the plane took off, however, she was clutching a barf bag and grossing out all the other passengers in first class. At one point, Sam had apologized to the flight attendant that he hadn’t booked a charter.

  Now her stomach had emptied itself of not only its contents – decaf coffee and a muffin – but the lining as well. She had nothing left to give and that almost made it worse. Apparently, her digestive system was extremely pissed off at the moment.

  I might live after all.

  Cautiously, she swung her legs down from the mattress and slowly stood, testing her jelly-like knees and finding them surprisingly solid. Walking into the ensuite bathroom, she could almost see her reflection in the expensive white marble and shiny faucets. Too cold and sterile for Riley’s tastes.

  The mirror above the sink told the tale and it wasn’t pretty. Her face was pale, her hair limply clung to her skin, and she had nasty dark circles under her eyes making her resemble a panda she’d once seen at the zoo. She needed some damage control and quick. It was bad enough that she’d basically thrown up on Sam for three hours, but she didn’t want to look like a zombie afterward.

  If we have any future, he’s just going to have to take the good with the bad.

  Riley rinsed her mouth and splashed some cold water on her face before running her fingers through her hair.

  More human.

  Time to seek out the other human in the place. Sam.

  But first she took her first good look at the bedroom. Was this Sam’s room? With the massive bed, it probably was. All done in black, gray, and white, the space screamed that a single man lived here and he had money. The drapes were open, showing off an amazing view of the New York City skyline on a sunny day.

  She had an inkling that a condo like this in the Upper East Side wasn’t cheap. It was one more item to remind her how different their lives were, not that she needed it. She’d never flown first class until today either, but it had been clear it was old hat to Sam.

  The living room was also masculine with brown leather couches and navy blue throw pillows. The television in here was even larger than the one in the bedroom, resembling a movie screen more than a TV. Her father and brothers would love to watch a football game on this. They’d be in sports junkie heaven.

  A phone to his ear, Sam stopped pacing and looked up, giving her a smile. He held up one finger and mouthed just a minute.

  “Thanks, Bobby. No, just call me if you see anything. I know you’ll take care of it.”

  He pressed a button and tossed the cell into the cushions of the couch.

  “There you are. How are you feeling? You look much better than when we got here.”

  If she looked this bad now she could only imagine how terrible she’d looked about an hour ago, but then she’d been praying for a swift and merciful death at that time.

  “Better. That ginger ale and crackers were seriously magic.” She walked over to look out of the large windows at the far side of the room. The view was even better from here. “Callie seems nice.”

  Which was an understatement. She’d been invaluable in the few hours that Riley had been in New York City.

  Sam’s smile grew wider. “She is. She’s the best damn assistant I’ve ever had but if you tell her that I’ll deny it. I can barely afford her as it is, and I swear every year that she works for me she gets more bossy. Sometimes I wonder who works for whom.”

  “Your secret is safe with me,” Riley vowed. “I think I owe you a thank you as well as Callie. I don’t think I would have survived that flight without you. As it is, I doubt that we’re going to ever be allowed to fly that airline again. I’m sure we’ve been blackballed. Or at least I am.”

  Frowning, he came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. She could feel the heat of his skin through the thin cotton of her shirt and the warmth seemed to penetrate her very bones, soothing her even further after the long journey.

  “I’ll always take care of you, Riley. Don’t ever doubt that. If you need something – anything – don’t hesitate to ask me.
I mean that.”

  That was sweet but there wasn’t much he could do about morning sickness. She was going to have to tough this out. Reaching up, she allowed herself the luxury of stroking his forehead right where his brow furrowed. The skin was smooth under her fingertips and from the way his eyes closed for a long moment he enjoyed it as much as she did.

  He was hers to touch, after all. He’d said he wanted to marry her.

  “I’m still going to say thank you. We’re going to have to do battle as a team.”

  She hoped teasing him a little would garner a smile. He’d been far too tense this entire trip. He should be happy and relieved they’d arrived at his home in one piece.

  His lips turned up at the corners and his whole demeanor softened. “We are a team but when one of us is down the other has to pick up the ball, so to speak. If you don’t mind the sports metaphor.”

  “I don’t.” She nodded toward the expansive view. “Pretty impressive.”

  “New York is one of my favorite cities. I hope you’ll come to love it as much as I do while you’re here. Which brings me to my next question. I know you wanted to go sightseeing the minute you got here but maybe you should take it easy today and try again tomorrow?”

  He’d said it like a question, but she had a feeling she’d have a fight on her hands if she didn’t agree. Riley already felt much better but still less than a hundred percent, so she wasn’t going to argue. In fact, she might spend the rest of the day in this beautiful home reading and watching television. Sam had assured her they had nothing that needed to be done until he had to be on the set tomorrow morning.

  “I think that sounds like a good idea. I have plenty of time to see the sights and I am a little worn out.”

  Hopefully morning sickness would indeed stick to only the morning hours and she’d be recovered very soon.

  “If you feel better later, we can go out to dinner.”

  “I’d like that. Callie said you were talking to your publicist. Has anything been published on social media?”

  “Not yet, but he’s keeping watch. I asked the flight attendants to ask the other passengers not to post anything but of course no one can stop them. I didn’t notice anyone taking our picture while on the plane but that doesn’t mean someone won’t just post on Twitter that they saw us and that you were sick. That would be enough to start the conjecture and rumors. I think we may need to tell your family and my mom sooner rather than later. Especially as we have the doctor’s appointment day after tomorrow and you’ll want to do some baby shopping while you’re here. The news is going to filter out whether we like it or not.”

  She didn’t like it. It was too soon, but then would she ever really be ready for the world to know she was having Sam Collins’s baby? She doubted people would care all that much about her, but they would be curious about the child. If it resembled Sam, and if he or she had inherited their father’s talent. He did, however, have a valid point and the last thing she wanted was for her parents and siblings to find out about her pregnancy from a supermarket rag.

  “You’re right,” she sighed. “Although I wish you weren’t. Maybe after the doctor’s appointment we can call them.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Now is there anything I can get you? More ginger ale or crackers? Maybe make you some tea?”

  He had that anxious look on his face as if she were going to pass out on the floor at any minute. Of course, he had good reason after their flight.

  “Thank you but I’m feeling much better. I’m going to get a refill of ginger ale and then maybe sit down and read a good book. The light from those windows is perfect.”

  Holding up his phone, Sam grimaced. “I have several more calls to make, if you’re okay with that. If you need anything–”

  “I’ll be fine.” Riley waved away his concerns. “I know that you’re here to work. Believe me, nothing is more luxurious to me than a day spent lounging around and reading. This is heaven and I’m all happy. Go make your million dollar deals.”

  “I’ll go in the office so I don’t disturb you.”

  Settling on the couch, Riley stretched out her legs and opened her e-reader. She had a massive to be read list and the biggest decision she wanted to make for a few hours was which book was she going to choose.

  The other more important decisions about her life would have to wait. Taking it one day at a time here in New York with Sam was the most prudent course. This could work out, but it might crash and burn. This was all shiny and new to Sam, but in a few weeks would he still be all in? Only time would tell.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Sam stood in the center of his bedroom listening to the water running on the other side of the bathroom door. Riley was preparing for bed and that was what he needed to do as well, but instead he was frozen in place contemplating multiple scenarios and grading each one as to how likely it was an outcome.

  He had been nervous many times in his life. His first audition. His first day on a movie set. His first date. His first time having sex. And that was just a few from the very long list.

  But nothing in his life to date had him as nervous as bedtime now that Riley was staying in his home. She’d agreed to spend the summer with him and really think about his marriage proposal but that didn’t mean she’d agreed to share a bed with him. It also didn’t mean that she was interested in having sex with him, especially as she’d been so sick this morning. Physical intimacy was probably the furthest thing from her mind and he wasn’t a jerk that was going to press the issue. He’d let her come to him.

  But…

  The question of where he was going to sleep tonight was still wide open. He’d placed her suitcases in the master bedroom when they’d arrived and she hadn’t objected. He’d even showed her where he’d made room for her clothes in the closet and the dresser so she was able to unpack. But it didn’t mean that she expected him to sleep there. She might assume he was bunking in one of the guest rooms.

  Except that all of his clothes and toiletries were in there.

  I’ll just stroll in like this is totally normal. Act like we do this every night.

  If his friends could see him right now they’d be howling with laughter. Sam had a reputation as a cool, smooth operator but he was sweating through his t-shirt and hoping his heart didn’t jump out of his chest.

  This was ridiculous. He was a grown man, well-experienced with women of all kinds. He couldn’t remember the last time a female had rejected his advances. In fact, he rarely had to do the chasing. The women came to him.

  Riley, however, was different. She’d never come on to him or even flirted really. She was honest, straightforward, and she didn’t play those head games that so many of his other girlfriends had played. She wasn’t here because she wanted fame or diamonds. She was here…because of the baby. Whether any attraction to him had played a role, he didn’t know. If he’d asked her to join him before she knew she was pregnant, then he might have a clue into her psyche but right now all he had to go on was that she wasn’t sure whether to marry him or not, so this was a trial run. Technically he was on probation, so he didn’t want to screw this up.

  So here he was. Still standing in the middle of his bedroom like a fool. He didn’t have any more answers now than he’d had ten minutes ago. All he knew was that he wanted to share that bed with Riley. The sex wasn’t the important part. Okay, it was important, but it wasn’t required. He could control himself.

  He simply wanted to be close to her. He’d spent so many long, empty nights thinking about her and now she was here. The fact that his emotions were so diverse and all over the place spoke to a greater issue than where he would lay his head tonight, but he could only take one problem at a time.

  He took too long, however, and the bathroom door swung open. Riley stood there looking so absolutely, stunningly beautiful that he had a difficult time sucking oxygen into his lungs. Speaking was out of the question.

  A lump lodged in his throat as his gaze ran from her pink-
painted toes, up her shapely golden limbs, to the hem of the oversized t-shirt she was wearing. Gray with pink letters across her breasts, it read “New Hope Beach, Florida” and he lingered a little too long right there. Hopefully she’d just think he was a slow reader and not that he was checking out her rack.

  Because he totally was. Like a randy teenage boy who had never been laid, he was staring at her with his tongue hanging out. Not exactly the mature and laidback image he’d been honing in Hollywood for years.

  “Sam?”

  Don’t just stand here like an idiot. Say something.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Better than nothing but hardly original. He’d been asking her that all day.

  She smiled and he couldn’t help but notice how her eyes lit up when she did. There was no pretending she was happy or even a halfway grimace. When she smiled, she was all in.

  “I’m good. Much better than this morning.” She held up her wrists which had round dents in the flesh from the elastic bands she’d worn most of the afternoon. “Those pressure bands are magic right along with the ginger ale. I didn’t even have to try the lollipops.”

  Thank God. He didn’t think he could have handled watching her licking and sucking a lollipop. He was only human.

  “I bet you’re tired.”

  Wow, scintillating conversation. She had to be questioning his intelligence right about now.

  “Actually, I’m a little too keyed up to sleep,” she confessed. “I did rest earlier and now that I feel better I’m kind of excited to finally be visiting New York City. I’m looking forward to doing some sightseeing tomorrow and that reminds me…thank you for letting Callie spend so much time with me. I know it’s her job to take care of you.”

  “And you,” he corrected. “We’re a team now, remember? What’s mine is yours.”

  “You might not want to say that,” she giggled, her hand flying up over her mouth. “Because I’m not sure you want anything of mine unless you’ve had a deep-seated need for a used Honda Accord with low mileage.”