Finally, the publicist learned how it felt on the wrong side of the camera. Finally, the publicist knew how hard it was to do what they asked their clients to do on a daily basis.
Just a few more steps to the car, just a few more steps to the car...
I chanted it over and over in my mind. But Nick had rather different plans.
When we got to the bottom of the stairs, there was a slight hitch in his breathing. He lifted me higher still, so that he could whisper again in my ear.
“Little detour...do you trust me?”
“What?” I lifted my head, but was blinded again by the lights. “Nick—no!”
I might as well have saved my breath. With a grand flourish worthy of princes of old, Nick lifted his head to address the crowd, cradling me delicately all the while.
“This is Abigail Wilder.”
His hands tightened protectively around me, and my breath caught in my chest. There was something strange about hearing him say my name. He’d said it a million times, of course, but for some reason, it never sounded like how it did today.
It was...possessive, somehow. Said not as a call for attention...but as a caress.
“What happened to Ella?” a brave reporter near the front ventured.
Nick’s body tensed for a moment, and his voice was sharp.
“We don’t say that name, anymore.”
Then, as quickly as it had flared up, his temper cooled. Softened. Giving way to something both gentle, but exciting all at the same time.
“Abigail used to be my publicist. But when we were on holiday in Spain, the relationship blossomed into...other things.”
It was impossible to miss the giant sexual implication in his voice. Even though my eyes were temporarily lit up with stars, I could imagine the exact, devilish smile.
“So what are you two doing now?” someone else shouted near the back.
“...now?”
For the first time, my vision cleared. The blue clouds in front of my eyes dimmed just long enough for me to see Nick staring down at me. A single eyebrow was lifted, and even standing beneath the darkened sky, it was impossible to miss that telltale twinkle in his eyes.
“Now...we’ll just see where the night takes us.”
With that—he swung me down into a cinematic dip. One so low that the tips of my hair brushed the ground. My mouth opened up in a silent scream, but there wasn’t time.
The next thing I knew, he was kissing me.
Really kissing me.
A brand new host of lights and stars erupted behind my eyes, but for whatever reason, this time, they didn’t scare me. In fact, they hardly even registered. My body was frozen, and my eyes were closed. My every thought was focused on this one thing.
Nick was kissing me.
I was kissing Nick.
...where the hell did we go from here?
Chapter 4
SLEEP.
It was the only thing I required after a day like this. The only thing that would keep me sane. As my world was spinning out of control around me, as the forces that had governed me gave way to different, more whimsical things...sleep was the answer.