AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I reached for her chin, pressing a light kiss against her lips. I heard her breath catch, and as much as I wanted to kiss her deeply, I stopped myself. No one liked that kind of PDA, and it always seemed forced once the pictures were taken. If I was going to pull this whole thing off, I wanted to be respectful. After all, to the rest of the world, this woman was about to be my wife.
And strangely, I found myself enjoying the fantasy. I was proud to be toting Lena around on my arm. I tried not to think any more about it as we finished taking pictures, and I led her out of the spotlight, entering the venue.
“How come there aren’t any cameras in here?” Lena glanced around, clearly shocked at the relaxed atmosphere.
“That’s because this is a pretty private screening. They can’t let the press in.”
“Oh…” She followed me to the table where the rest of the band—and Maeve—was seated. I pulled out her chair and then I took a seat, letting out a relieved sigh. It was always good when that walk was over.
“It wasn’t so bad, was it?” Maeve asked Lena, her thick, freshly filled lips curled in a smile. “Once you make it inside, you’re in the clear.”
“Thankfully.” Lena laughed, reaching for my water. “Now what?”
“Now we enjoy the premiere of The Valiant Quest for the next two-and-a-half hours,” Nel groaned, but then perked up. “And then we get to hit the after-party.”
Not feeling that.
I sat for the next two hours, watching a film that I thought was mediocre at best. Dragons and bloody battles weren’t really my cup of tea.
Lena seemed bored as well, though I had to give it to her—she didn’t spend the entire night on her phone like Maeve did. She paid attention, clapping with the others at various moments.
“Ready?” I turned to her as soon as the screen went black.
She nodded. “I guess so.”
I scrutinized the expression on her face. “Not feeling like a night of partying?”
She sighed. “I know it’s part of the job.”
“Not really,” I said to her, pushing back from the table and standing to my feet. “I have a much better idea.” I took her hand and led her out the back exit, flagging down Frank and one of the black Tahoes.
“Where are we going?” Lena asked with an edge in her voice.
“You’ll see.” I gestured for her to climb into the back seat and then joined her. “Hey, Frank, can you take us to the spot off the pier?”
“Yep,” he grunted from the front seat as he put the car in drive.
Lena gave me a strange look, but I just let it sit. It was okay to have some mystery, and the fact that she was letting me take her somewhere showed that she trusted me—and I liked the way that felt. I glanced over to her, seeing her head leaning back against the seat.
And my mind flashed to what it might be like if this was real.
Would I be happy to settle down? To trade long nights of partying for nights like this? I blinked a few times, and then ripped my eyes away from her.
If I could ensure that I wouldn’t end up broken, I probably would be willing to give up the high life.
But would I choose to do that with Lena?
My heart flipped in my chest, and I pushed the thought away, not even willing to mull it over. Sometimes things are just better left unanswered.
“Here,” Frank announced as he pulled up to the curb. “You want me to come along or wait in the car?”
I peered around us, checking for any signs of sneaky paparazzi, but didn’t see anything suspicious. “I think we’re good.” I reached up, patting him on the shoulder. “Have a nice nap, man.”
Shoving open the car door, I slid out and offered a hand to Lena, who looked more confused than ever. “Come on.”
“We’re at the beach?”
“Yeah, it’s one of my favorite spots. I come here sometimes to write. Never brought anyone else, but I thought you might like it.”
