Ryan's voice came from outside the door, still distant.
"Have you seen Mr. Winston? I need to discuss some business with him."
The dark current in my eyes slowly receded. I couldn't take her here. Not only would we easily be discovered, but it would spook Natalie into running again. I stepped back, creating suffocating distance between us.
Natalie sat on the counter edge, still dazed from that charged moment, eyes unfocused.
"Nightingale. Pleasure meeting you."
I turned and walked out.
Ryan appeared from around the corner at the end of the hallway, all smiles as he approached.
I had zero interest in whatever he was saying. The fabric of my pants rubbing against that swollen place was torture with every step. I glanced down and swore silently.
When the party ended,Natalie and her manager Emma headed for the exit. The night air was cool. Natalie instinctively hugged her arms.
I stood up and strode after them. "I'll drive you back."
"No need," Natalie refused immediately. "We called a car."
"Cancel it." I wasn't negotiating. "My car's right here. Get in."
Natalie stood frozen, spine straight, lips pressed into a stubborn line. The night wind tousled her hair. Her mask gleamed cold under the porch light.
My gaze swept past her to Emma's face. This woman clearly knew better than my wife how to read a room. She didn't even need me to ask—she was already sliding into the back seat.
I walked to the passenger side and opened the door again, eyes on Natalie. "You sit up front."
She shook her head without thinking and reached for the other back door handle. "I'll sit with Emma..."
The instant her fingers were about to touch the handle, I grabbed her wrist. Not hard, but enough that she couldn't pull away.
"Then we'll just stand here!" Her voice finally rose, drawing glances from a couple of lingering guests.
A wave of frustrated irritation surged up. I hated this public tug-of-war, hated even more Natalie acting like I was a predator she had to escape from.
It made me feel suffocated.
After a few seconds of standoff, I took an almost inaudible breath and loosened my grip first.
The instant I relaxed, Natalie yanked her wrist from my hand with such force she stumbled.
She didn't look at me again. Instead, furious, she pulled open the other back door, ducked inside quickly, and slammed it shut.
Chapter Thirteen
Natalie
"Come to think of it, Miss Nightingale, you must turn a lot of heads in Vegas. Being a star and all, I bet admirers are lined up around the block, aren't they?"
God, why was Richard asking this?
The car glided through the night, streetlights streaking past the windows like stretched beads of light.
I pressed myself against the car door in the back seat, my clutch balanced on my knees, fingers twisting the velvet fabric of my dress. Emma sat beside me, supposedly dealing with work emails on her phone—or at least pretending to. But I could feel her ears perked up, catching every word.
I'd bet anything Richard had already figured out who I was.
