Her finger went to her ear, ending the call on her device like I suspected. She was free rein now and I whipped her around, pulling her out of her chair and into my lap. She squealed of course, giggling like a kid when I pushed a few strands of her hair away and bit her ear. I moved some of the blanket down her shoulder and was rewarded with the expanse of creamy brown skin.

  I placed a kiss there. “I won’t lie,” I told her, kissing up her neck. “You tired me the fuck out last night, but I’m ready for another round before I’m forced to be with other people again.”

  She sighed, letting me pull the blankets down a little more and squeeze her shoulder. But then she faced up, frowning at me. “I can’t. My flight is in a couple hours. I have things to do with Troy today.”

  Now I was the one frowning, repositioning her on my lap so I could see her better. “You really have to go?” She’d just gotten here.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Letting out a breath, I pushed a more than frustrated hand through my bed hair. I wasn’t frustrated with her, but the situation really. “Baby, I know you wanted to surprise me, but it would have been nice if you said something so I could see you longer. I would have stayed here last night if you would have called. You could have at least contacted Mickey or Rich so they’d keep me around for you.”

  She blinked after that, staring away, and I immediately felt guilty for voicing my frustrations. I kissed her shoulder, saying, “Sorry,” before pushing the blanket back up her arm.

  “I just wanted to see you,” I continued, squeezing her in my embrace. “I didn’t mean that.”

  “I know. I wanted to see you too. That’s why I came out. As soon as I dropped off your brother and dad at the airport I just… I don’t know. Stayed I guess.”

  She said that last bit with a laugh and I had forgotten my family was making their way down. “How was that?” I asked her, knowing my dad, and hell my brother too. He could be a big, goofy motherfucker.

  Mention of my family seemed to bring out the light in her. “It actually wasn’t so bad for the most part.”

  “Most part?”

  She nodded. “We had a run in with the paparazzi. They thought Brody was you. It was funny at first, but I think it might have bugged your dad.”

  Damn. How awkward for her. I squeezed her again. “I’m sure it’s fine. I see him in a few weeks as my town is giving me the key to the city.” Something I had been blown away by the minute I found out they called Mickey to set it up. “I’ll talk to him then and make sure he’s cool.”

  She nudged me with a laugh. “That’s something you could have mentioned. The key to the city. That’s great.”

  “Yeah, I couldn’t believe it when Mickey told me.”

  “Actually, that’s even better you’re going to be down there. You think your brothers and dad would mind meeting up? Getting their measurements taken? Troy told me to ask you to mention that to them. They can do it right down there and since you’ll be there, you can get yours done too.”

  I smiled, kissing her cheek. “I like that idea. Now, less talking and more how we can fit in a quickie before you leave.”

  My hands went to her blanket, but as she already told me no I just messed with her by pretending to undress her. Faking a struggle, she pushed herself up from the chair and escaped me. But as my lap was free now, I was all laid out and exposed.

  “You sure I can’t convince you to stay?” I asked. Kicking my leg out, I leaned back, letting her know it was all hers if she wanted it. Always. “I could use a little more of what you showed me last night.” And hell into this morning. I lost track of the hour honestly.

  She went all shy when she covered her mouth. Dropping her hands, she pushed one into her hair. “I’ve been feeling pretty good I guess. The workouts giving me energy.”

  She had told me she was going to start doing that, and now that she mentioned it, that had to be the difference. She did have a difference about her and it reflected all over her face not just physically. She radiated a glow, had that energy in which she spoke.

  I held out my hands and she came over, giving them to me. With a light tug, I brought her back into my lap, pulling her legs up and holding her. I just wanted to do that a little longer before she left me. I had to do that. Running my nose down her cheek, I smiled, kissing her mouth.

  “I’m glad it’s making you feel good,” I told her, referring to what she told me. And I wasn’t lying. She didn’t know how important that was to me; that she was okay. I kissed her again. “So glad. I can see what it’s bringing out of you. How amazing you look.”

  “Yeah?” she said, her gaze going up to me.

  I smiled, moving my lips along her jaw more. “Yeah. But you know that though already.”

  Her eyes shifted away, her mouth closing. But then, her eyes closed too when I pressed my mouth to her ear lobe.

  “Stay with me,” I pushed, ignoring what she said earlier. I couldn’t help it. I wanted her with me. “Just one day. Two at the most. I’ll make it worth it. I promise.”

  And I would do that for her. All she had to do was make the call.

  Her arms moved around my chest. Well, as well as they could be bundled in blanket, and she cuddled up to me, tucking herself in tight within my arms. Looking down, she watched my fingers brush her blanket-covered arm in smooth repetition.

  “You’re so busy,” she said, a small smile twisting her lips. “You probably won’t even miss me.”

  Lifting her up, I made her lashes do the same in my direction. I brushed my finger along her cheek now. “You don’t mean that.”

  She didn’t answer, but she did shake her head. Her finger peeked from the blanket, following a line on a bone at my neck. “Been seeing you everywhere, you know,” she said, staring up at me. “Your ads and commercials. What’s that one you just did?” she paused to think of it. When she got it, she grinned a little. “The soft drink with a squirrel?”

  I had to fight myself from rolling my eyes. That day had been a fuckin’ mess and the absolutely last time I worked with animals. All I had to do was hold up a soda bottle, but the damn thing kept stealing it from me. I had to correct her on a small detail though.

  “It was a monkey,” I said, pointing at her, “and it sucked as much as the commercial did.”

  My seriousness made her bust out in laugher, and man, did I love hearing it. It took her a moment to calm down, but I enjoyed every second of it.

  Letting out a breath, she gave one last laugh. The smile faded away eventually too and her finger went back to my chest.

  “And that one with Rose,” she continued, striking me as out of left field. What would make her think of that? Her lashes flickered up. “People seem to like that one. They must otherwise they wouldn’t put it all around town.”

  I really didn’t like her voice as she said this, told me this. Of course, I’d been informed the ad would be up. Shit, a damn billboard in downtown Miami, but I hadn’t thought to mention it as I quite literally had been all over the place lately. But that was no excuse though, for not saying anything.

  “Yeah, I heard it would be going up on Sunset. Rich said something when the proofs came back,” I told her now, feeling even guiltier as I squeezed her arm through the blanket. She said they put it everywhere, and with what the media had been spewing lately about me and Rose, I guess that didn’t surprise me. God, I hope all that hadn’t made it to Roxie. She’d never buy into it, but I didn’t want her seeing it. She didn’t need that shit shoved in her face.

  I watched her now in my arms, wishing I could go back and make sure she knew. Her saying something about the ad though reminded me of something.

  “You know D is seeing her?” I told her.

  She perked up, turning her head. “D is seeing who?”

  “Rose,” I said finding the whole thing funny again. That was D though, an opportunist to the fullest. “Apparently the two have been getting along pretty well. She came out to the charity event in Indiana and I introduced them.”

  She thought on that, blinking. “That’s… That’s good. I’m glad. For him. For them. Wow, yes. That’s really good.”

  Shaking my head at how silly she was acting, I leaned forward. “Yeah, real good,” I said, kissing those fumbling lips.

  Her hand pushed into my hair and her unsteady breaths I loved just as much as her voice. But for now, I didn’t mind not hearing it. I didn’t because I got to kiss her and I wouldn’t waste that time. I didn’t have her long today, that I knew as she told me she had to go, but with that time, I gave her this. I showed her this. No matter how busy I was, she always had a piece of me, and it was a piece that could never be shared.

  It could never be for anyone but her.

  After I took a quick shower, I met Griffin outside of his hotel room. He got a call, so I let him take it while I freshened up. Now, he held me, his security detail being awesome and turning his head during our goodbye. Yet, another goodbye happening again, happening so soon. I did this to myself really. Hopping a plane, I knew I’d have to leave the next morning. I had my first dress-fitting coming up, but I decided to come anyway. I just couldn’t help it.

  After what Brody said…

  His brother really did miss me. He missed me like I missed him and I could feel that in Griffin’s embrace. I could feel that last night while we made love so many times. I didn’t know what came over me then. I had been mad at the situation in which my arrival had been greeted. Yes, I did drop in on him. Yes, I did believe him that nothing happened, but seeing him come in so late and smelling like he had… that was hard to say the least. I could only conclude what we did last night and into this morning was my need to claim him, to claim what was already mine, which was both foolish and ridiculous. And I had been ridiculous. I knew that after he told me about D dating Rose. The relief I felt shamed even me.

  I hoped he wasn’t reading that shame while he held me now, pressing soft kisses to my neck within his embrace. I didn’t want him to know. My behavior had embarrassed me to say the least.

  He didn’t seem like he was aware of what happened last night or even my relief about Rose this morning. He hadn’t questioned any of it, and when he lifted his head from my neck, smiling at me, I could only see me in his eyes, this moment, our now.

  He touched a kiss down on my mouth, staying there. “Call me as soon as you get in. Hell, call me sooner if you want. I’ll be around.”

  I told him I would, and then I let him go once again.

  My next stop was the front desk, remembering that I needed to hire a service to get me to the airport. A man stood there already, so I waited behind him. The body type seemed familiar, but the slicked back hair gave him away when he gazed casually over his shoulder. It seemed Griffin’s publicist had some business at the front desk too this morning.

  “Roxie?” he said, resting an arm on the counter. “I didn’t know you were here. You come to see Griffin?”

  Though I wasn’t much of a fan of this guy, I felt no reason to be rude to him. Really, my biggest problem was that he seemed slick, but so was this industry.

  I adjusted my bag on my shoulder. “Mmhmm. I flew in late last night.”

  Another concierge appeared behind the counter, next to the one helping Rich, and got both of our attention. Lifting a hand, the concierge gestured me over to the counter. I excused myself from Rich with a smile and I dragged my bag over to the desk, telling the clerk what I needed.

  His own concierge busy at work on the computer, Rich watched the short exchange with me and mine. He tilted his head of oiled hair. “Leaving so soon?”

  He asked me this question, seemingly honest about it, but I didn’t know how genuine the publicist was about me leaving. Griffin let something slip upstairs, something clearly unbeknownst to him about my arrival, and I wanted to know if Rich knew about it. Resting my arm on the counter, I decided to try to read him. “Yeah,” I said casually. “I’ve got things to tend to at home. You know, wedding plans and all that.”

  He nodded. “Ah, of course. I guess life doesn’t stop for a second, does it?”

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  His clerk asked for Rich’s credit card. It sounded like he was getting some add-on’s charged to his room’s bill, massage service and a couple of other things. It was all on Griffin’s tab no doubt, and though that made sense as he worked for him, it still made my stomach turn. In fact, more than one thing did about this guy since the day I met him.

  The man gave Rich back his card and he pocketed it. “Well, I hope you have a safe flight. I’m taking good care of the big guy for you. Don’t you worry.”

  I was sure he was. I faced the counter, but something itched at my mouth. I turned back and let the words fly without thinking about them. “Hey, um,” I started, and he paused, making his way back to me.

  No turning back now.

  “Did uh, Mickey tell you I’d be coming? I called him and he was supposed to tell you.” Which was why I found it off that Griffin hadn’t been in when I arrived. Mickey said he’d call Rich to keep him around so I could surprise him. But Griffin definitely hadn’t been in until late last night and clearly had no idea he should have been since he suggested I should have done that upstairs.

  Either this Rich guy was a good actor, or he was telling the truth with his initial reaction to my question. His eyebrows drew in, shaking his head as he thought. “Not that I know of. But then again, I haven’t made it through all my emails yet. He usually contacts me that way, busy you know with other clients.”

  “Right,” I said. Busy. “Of course.”

  Shifting my way back to the counter, I left what he said at that. Not great with confrontation, I didn’t want to continue building one I almost felt I created unnecessarily. Maybe Rich didn’t know to tell Griffin. Maybe Mickey forgot to tell him I’d been coming in like Rich said. I stood there going over the scenarios in my head, but I noticed pretty soon I wasn’t alone.

  Rich stood at the desk even after his concierge helped him, and when mine left to grab the phone, Rich closed a bit of the space at my side.

  My lashes flickered up to his height, wondering what he wanted.

  A hand went to his shiny hair and he cheesed a smile, shaking his head with it. “Sorry. It’s just…” He placed his hands together, doing more head shaking with his lips tight like he was in debate about something. Eventually, he wasn’t anymore as he spoke. “I’m just going to go ahead and say it. It concerns Griffin and…”

  “What about Griffin?” I asked, removing my arm from the counter.

  That hand went to his neck now, rubbing. Clearly what he was about to say was awkward for him, which surprised me. Like I said before. He seemed slick and people like him were never short on words. “It’s just something came up with him recently. Something about him and you, and as you’re here, it almost seems like too much of a coincidence not to bring up.”

  “What is it?” I wished he’d spit it out already.

  His hands dropped at his waist and he laced them. “I don’t mean to overstep, but I was wondering if you had a chance to look over that prenuptial agreement Mickey drew up.”

  I twitched the topic came so far out of left field, and he was right. He was overstepping.

  Looking away, I let my shock recede and calculated my next words carefully. If I didn’t, I had no idea what I would say.

  “I don’t believe that’s any of your business,” I told him, my ears hot. The steam slowly crept its way to my face, my jaw tight. I let out a breath. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

  And that’s all I could say. That’s all I would say to him about the issue. But I did have words about him. They’d be going straight to Griffin after I left this counter.

  I expected Rich to leave as I was clearly giving off vibes this conversation was done, but he didn’t leave. Why didn’t he leave? And from the corner of my eyes, I noticed he raised his hands.

  “I really mean no disrespect,” he said, cool as a cucumber. “It’s just, it came up the other day and I thought I’d ask.”

  I hated that he piqued my interest about a topic that quite frankly had nothing to do with him. But he said it came up. With who? With Griffin? I hardly believe he’d talk about that with this man behind my back.

  “How so?” I asked despite myself. My curiosity got the better of me.

  He was only silent for a moment. “Griff was just concerned about it. Stressed about it really. He and Mickey talked about it when Mickey called him the other day. I overheard despite myself. Griff said he wished you both could just move forward with it already.”

  His words chilled me to the bone. Like a tub of ice water being thrown over my head, the water like daggers to my skin, heart.

  Was he… Was he telling the truth? Did Griffin say such a thing? He said he overheard, which meant they didn’t causally talk about it.

  And what reason would he have to lie?

  “Anyway, I thought you’d want to know. That way you guys could figure it out. It would take some of the stress off the big guy’s mind. He’s got a lot on his plate already these days… you know?”

  I nodded. I did know.

  “Miss, are you ready?”

  I looked up to the concierge on autopilot, handing him my bag. The hotel had a check in service. He’d take care of my luggage to make sure it got on the plane.

  I told him to be careful as it had my laptop in it, then left him to check it. I passed Rich after that, head down as I did. I couldn’t let him see how what he’d said affected me. I refused.

  “Have a safe trip home, Roxie,” he said behind me.

  Not turning around, I didn’t respond. I made myself walk. I was too shaken to do anything else.

  Rich’s words sat with me, a flourish of syllables whipping and weaving through the clouds I travelled through above. Internally, I argued my way around them, but I kept coming back to the same conclusion. That man, Griffin’s publicist, was out for himself. He had no reason to lie to me about something Griffin said. He wouldn’t want to jeopardize his job, his career. He was driven by the mighty dollar and lying to a client’s significant other about something the client said wouldn’t make sense. He’d be caught, easily, so why would he take the risk over something anything but factual?