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My throat suddenly felt dry, so I gulped down half of the glass he’d just poured. “You seem to always know the perfect thing to say.”
“I better. That’s why they pay me the big bucks.”
I wasn’t going to touch the topic of how much he earned with a ten-foot pole since it was more than obvious it was a crap-ton. But I was curious about something. “Rumor around town is that you’ll take over for James someday.”
“For once, the gossip is right,” Vaughn confirmed. “When he first mentioned the possibility, I thought he was yanking my chain. But then he started showing me the ropes and talking about it like me stepping into his shoes was a fait accompli when he’s ready to step down.”
“Is that why you’ve been trying to find someone to take over for you on the red carpet? Because that day is going to be sooner than expected after his heart attack?”
He winced as though something was bothering him. I hoped it wasn’t because I’d brought up James’s health.
After a few seconds, Vaugh nodded. “I don’t know,” he sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “His recovery has been harder than we thought it would be, and the need to take a step back and re-evaluate his life has really hit home for him.”
I reached out and threaded my fingers through his. “He’s really lucky to have you.”
“Nah, it’s the other way around,” he denied, shaking his head.
“I bet he’d say differently,” I insisted.
“Maybe,” he conceded as he noticed my glass was almost empty and topped it off.
I took another sip and batted my eyes at him. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to get me drunk so you could take advantage of me.”
“You can drink as much as you want; you never have to worry when you’re with me. You’ll always be safe.”
“Darn!” I snapped my fingers. “There goes my plan to find a hotel to stop at on the way home.”
“Not until date five, baby.” He swiped his thumb across my bottom lip to swipe away a drop of champagne and lifted it up to his mouth to lick it off.
“Four,” I reminded him, my voice quivering with need. “We agreed to a meet in the middle, remember?”
“Of course, I do.” He brushed his lips over mine. “There’ll never be a chance in hell that I’ll forget anything to do with you.”12VaughnOn Friday, Allie announced that she was taking charge of our Saturday date. I’d peppered her with questions about our destination, but she’d been stingy with details. When I’d pointed out that she didn’t like surprises, she’d laughed.
“I don’t like being on the receiving end,” she’d explained. “I love being the one doing the surprising, though.”
I was hoping that since we were on our way, she’d loosen up a little. “Where are we going?” I asked as she merged my Maserati onto the 101 headed south.
“That’s for me to know, and you to find out,” she answered cheekily.
She’d told me that we weren’t going anywhere fancy, so we were both dressed casually. The only instruction I’d gotten was to bring one of my baseball caps. That told me that wherever we wound up, we’d likely be in public.
Other than the hat, I was in jeans, a gray T-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. Allie was dressed similarly in black jeans, a soft black sweater, and a pair of black Chucks. Her long blond hair was pulled up and back into a high ponytail, and rose gold hoop earrings dangled from her ears. I’d learned that Allie didn’t have a heavy hand with makeup, which I liked. Honestly, she didn’t need any of that shit since she had the kind of beauty that didn’t require six pounds of foundation.
Relaxing into my seat, I enjoyed the view of her at the wheel. There was something sexy about the way she drove, her focus on the road and her hand on the gearshift. When she’d asked if it would be okay for her to drive my car, I’d said yes without hesitation. I’d never let anyone else drive my car before, but I’d had no problem handing over the key. I liked that she’d felt comfortable enough with me to ask.
After she took the exit to the 405, I started to pay more attention to our surroundings. Once she merged onto the 10, I knew our destination was in Santa Monica. I was intrigued when she turned down Colorado Avenue and pulled into the parking area at the Santa Monica Pier. Other than the times I’d done a live segment from the pier during a Renegade Saints reunion concert; I’d never spent any time there.
It was a rite of passage for most Southern California teens to hang out on the pier, but I’d never had the opportunity. Although the foster home I was in during those years had been in Culver City, I’d never had the money, the time, or more importantly, the permission to spend time at the pier.
