Mister Fake Fiance

“Do you have a friend you can stay with for a little while? That would get the reporters to give up and try for other leads.”

I look away, embarrassed. I know people like Bev, but I’m not close enough to impose on them like that. “Not really,” I mumble.

“What?”

Guess I need to announce my shameful status more clearly. “I don’t have anybody I can stay with.” Before David can conclude that I’m a friendless loser, I quickly add, “I haven’t had a chance to go out and make a lot of close friends. We haven’t been in L.A. for that long.”

“That’s true.”

I sigh with relief at his ready agreement. He doesn’t know I didn’t have any friends in Virginia, either.

“But where can you stay? A hotel?”

“No, no,” I say quickly. I can’t afford to just pop into a hotel and live there for months on end.

“I can pay for it.”

I gasp in horror. He’s already spent way too much. I can’t let him do more. “It’s okay. Really.” It’s selfish of me to expect him to fix all my problems. He’s my fake fiancé, not my assistant. “I’ll figure something out.”

“But I can’t go home when I don’t know if you have a safe place to stay.” David runs his fingers through his hair. “How about you spend the night at my place? I have six spare bedrooms. All furnished.”

I flush, even more embarrassed that he feels the need to come to my rescue because I haven’t made any close friends in town. I didn’t mean for him to offer his place when I turned down the hotel.

“The doors come with locks, too.”

Oh my God. Did my hesitation make him think I consider him a pervert or something?

“It isn’t like that,” I explain. “I’m just…thinking about the logistics. Won’t reporters be at your place too?”

“Yeah, but it’s gated.” He gives me a significant look. “And there’s a secret entrance.”

“Are you kidding? There is?”

He nods. “Installed at Dane’s recommendation.”

“That icicle?” I blurt out in shock. He doesn’t strike me as the type to offer advice, especially useful advice. Then I put a hand over my mouth, realizing I spoke out loud. “Sorry,” I say against my palm.

David laughs. “It’s fine. He is an icicle, and you’re an excellent judge of character. Anyway, his cousin is Ryder Reed, so his family can be a bit funny about privacy. I basically did it to humor him. And because Kathleen also told me to.”

“Well…now it will come in handy.”

“Yeah. Anyway, I have spare toothbrushes, toothpaste, basic soap and stuff, but we can stop by Target on the way and grab what you need for the night. Lotion and”—he makes a vague gesture—“whatever else you might want.”

I wish there was another choice, but it doesn’t seem like there is. “We don’t have to stop anywhere. I always carry a small bottle of lotion in my purse,” I say, not wanting to impose on him any more than I already have. I should also have a couple of emergency

tampons in my bag as well.

“Okay. Then let’s just grab dinner and head home.”

I don’t bother to correct him that it isn’t home for me. It sort of feels nice to hear somebody say it, though, like I have somebody who cares about me enough to share a living space. The last person to let me know she cared was Mom.

It’s been so long since I felt this way.

But getting nostalgic right now would be silly. I should just follow David to his place, and make sure to remind myself that it’s only temporary until the reporters go away.

Chapter Seventeen

Erin