“I can take care of myself,” she told her brother, even though she suspected he might never be able to see that that was true. “And I’m sure Nash has absolutely no intention of impinging on my honor in any way,” she added, suddenly feeling like a heroine in a historical drama. “Please go and find us some disguises so that we can get Nash out of here before the crowd gets any bigger. I’d hate for anyone to get hurt out there.”
“I would too,” Nash said, frowning as he looked out the window at the ever-growing crowd of his fans. “There’s nothing worse than hearing that one of my fans got hurt at a show. If someone got injured today—”
“I won’t let that happen,” Brandon said. “You have my word. And I’ll also make certain that a crowd won’t form outside the hotel again.” With one more warning look at Nash, he turned and left the room.
“The good news is that my brother has always been as good as his word,” Ashley said to Nash once they were alone. “So I’m positive your fans outside will all be okay.” Then she added, in a slightly apologetic tone, “The bad news, however, is that he’s always been overprotective with me and my two sisters. Our dad is pretty overbearing too. So are my other brothers—and a few of my cousins, come to think of it. Please don’t take it personally.” Even though they both knew it had been personal.
But Nash simply smiled and said, “It’s good to have family looking out for you.”
It was the last thing she’d expected him to say, and she appreciated that he didn’t seem to have taken any offense at Brandon’s behavior. For a moment, she thought Nash might say something more—perhaps to tell her about his own family?
Instead, he gestured to the buffet breakfast laid out on a side table. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”
Her grumbling stomach answered for her. She hadn’t had a chance to eat breakfast, and the meal on the plane had been a lifetime ago. “As you just heard for yourself, I’m starved.”
She thought she saw laughter in his eyes as he said, “Help yourself to whatever you want.”
She picked up a plate and put some fruit salad and a delicious-looking pastry on it. Nash did the same, and then they both sat at the dining table in his suite.
She supposed they could sit and eat in silence until Brandon came back, but she couldn’t stop wondering about something. “Is it hard? To have so many people want to see you? Talk with you? Breathe the same air as you?” She left off how many of them wanted to have his baby, saying instead, “Is it hard for you to always have to put on disguises to leave your hotel room?”
He didn’t answer for a few moments, giving her ample time to pop a piece of the pastry into her mouth. Gosh, it was good. Light and flaky and full of flavor. She’d have to ask Brandon to ask his chef what it was. Maybe she could give the recipe to her mother for the café back home.
Finally, Nash spoke. “There’s nothing worse than a celebrity complaining about his or her fans.”
Fans who were, at that very moment, still screaming his name at the top of their lungs.
She smiled across the table. “How about if I ask the question differently so your reply can’t be construed as complaining? Is it weird to be in your position, even though you truly appreciate the people who helped make you a success?”
She was surprised by how comfortable she was talking with Nash. She wasn’t nearly as socially adept as the other women in her family. Her mom could happily chat with anyone in her lovely lilting Irish accent. Her sister Cassie was a ray of sunshine, and everyone loved her. And her sister Lola was so confident and beautiful that she never had trouble connecting with strangers. Whereas Ashley spent her days in the back office of the Sullivan café, alone with her spreadsheets.
What’s more, she couldn’t shake the feeling that the stories about Nash’s dark and dangerous past had to be wrong. He didn’t strike her as a troublemaker. Although, she supposed he could have been different in his youth. After all, she’d been different, hadn’t she? Back then, she’d felt free to dream and seek adventure in a way she never would now.
“Yes,” he said with a nod, “it can be weird.” He smiled at her before adding, “Very weird.”
She was speechless for a moment, her heart pounding a million miles a minute from nothing but his super-sexy grin.
“Thanks again for doing this, Ashley.”
Thankfully, she found her voice in time to say, “I get what it’s like to be in a jam.” More than he’d ever know, given that she doubted her teenage pregnancy was going to come up in conversation anytime soon. After all, once they put on their disguises and left the hotel, she’d never see him again. “I have to admit, though, that I’m still worried we’re not going to be able to pull this off. Even if we can temporarily change the way you look, if you end up needing to speak with anyone on our way out, they’ll know it’s you in an instant.”