“Wrong.” Andrew glared at Skye before turning his attention back to Paige. “We’ll just have to be careful.”
“You mean like you were being careful in Detroit,” Skye pointed out.
“Can you give us a minute?” he asked.
“Whatever. I’ll give myself a tour of this fabulous house.” Skye stalked off, muttering something about arrogant men who think they know everything.
Andrew rested his forehead on Paige’s. “It’s not forever,” he said. “Just until Skye can schedule some positive publicity. In the meantime, I need you to concentrate on you.”
“I do need to shift my focus right now. I just don’t want to—”
He pulled her into a searing kiss. When he finally pulled away, he met her gaze. “We’re fine. I’m going to be there with you. I’ll be pulling the strings in the background.”
Paige closed her eyes as relief washed over her. “Good, because I need you with me.”
“I’m always going to be there.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Promise?”
“I promise.”
Paige let him hold her for a minute before calling Skye back into the kitchen. It was time to hit Julius where it hurt. And she would gladly rise to the occasion.
Chapter Fourteen
Andrew walked into the Pure Talent Los Angeles office on a mission—to get in without answering any questions. Yet, from the moment he’d stepped into the lobby, he’d been bombarded with weird “hellos” and different looks.
Greeting his colleagues with quick head nods, he didn’t stop until he was behind his closed office door. He dropped his bag on the sofa in his office and walked over to his desk. The desk was just as he’d left it a few weeks ago, bare except for the file he’d requested Vonda leave on it this morning.
Taking a seat, he scanned the document in front of him—a copy of Paige’s contract for her last movie. He had a meeting scheduled with Robert Wilkes to discuss reshoots. Before he’d left Michigan, she’d agreed to fulfill her contract, but he wanted to request specific provisions for her return to set.
A knock on the door drew his attention away from the contract. “Come in.”
Vonda poked her head inside. “Hey, Andrew.” She entered the office and approached the desk. “How are you?”
Andrew nodded his greeting and focused on the contract. “I’d like you to come to the meeting with Robert today. It’ll be good practice for future clients.”
“I had planned on it.” She sat on one of the leather chairs in front of his desk. “I also gathered the information about the author you emailed me about yesterday.”
He lifted his gaze to her. “Good. We can get started on that as well. I need to set up a meeting with Xavier to discuss my thoughts on a packaging deal.”
Andrew had read the opening chapters of the book Paige gave him, and wanted to find out a little more about the author. He’d done a preliminary search himself, but figured it might be a good idea to reach out to the author’s literary agent.
“How is everything else?” he asked Vonda. “Any fires that need dousing?”
She shook her head. “No. But are we going to talk around the elephant in the room like it’s not there?”
Chuckling, he let out a heavy sigh. “No.”
“I’m not trying to get in your business or anything, but if I can help in any way, I’d love to assist you.”
“You are helping, by going with me to this meeting today.”
“Right, but I know there’s a lot going on between you and Paige. I also know that she’s been dealing with some very personal things. If you need to keep your distance, I’m more than willing to step in.”
Andrew swallowed. Leaving Paige last night had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. Although they’d talked, he felt like there was more that needed to be said. He felt like he owed her his truth, but the timing didn’t seem right after everything that went down in Detroit, then at the lake house.
“I appreciate that,” he said. “And I’ll let you know if I need you.”
