The press kept calling us over but Lily didn’t flinch. It was only when she saw a specific journalist that she stopped and smiled.
“Lily, hi. Thank you for coming over.”
“Of course. Hi Ruby. How are you doing this evening?” Lily put her hands in her suit pockets, looking super fucking hot and powerful. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath her perfectly tailored suit jacket and it was about all I could do not to rip it off her.
Obviously, I would not do that.
The journalist was giving Lily a very flirty look and smiling broadly. Did they know each other or something? She was a voluptuous redhead wearing a gorgeously sexy figure-hugging dress that accentuated her deep cleavage. I caught myself staring for a second and averted my eyes as quickly as I could only to feel mildly annoyed at how overtly charming Lily had become.
“I’m all the better for seeing you,” she replied.
My throat felt thick, like I was tongue-tied, and also full of anger.
“I’d like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Rona Gibson.” Lily turned and directed her sparkling gaze upon me.
I felt like the most special person in the world. My irritation lifted.
Ruby gave me the most appreciative look, taking me all in, or rather, drinking me up with her eyes. Then she looked between us. “Fucking wow. I’m so happy you gave us this exclusive. You two will be the new power couple. Talented. Hot. Dripping with…”
“Ruby,” Lily warned, gently.
I now got the impression this journalist was just a super flirty person.
“Can we have a chat later?” She asked Lily. “I want to know more and to get the inside scoop.”
“Of course.”
“Will you both stand for a picture so Kai can get this ready for socials?”
Lily nodded and we stepped back to the boards behind us. Lily put her hand on my lower back. She was a pro at this. I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was a little. It was fascinating to see this other side of her, no longer hiding behind sunglasses and oversized hoodies.
“Come on,” she stroked the small of my back, sending tingles to my centre. “I’m looking forward to introducing you to my friends. Also, I can’t stop thinking about how good your ass looks.”
Public or not, I only had one thought now too. How were we going to get through this night keeping our hands to ourselves?
Cameras flashed all along the media gauntlet until we reached the inside dome, where everyone was mingling. Looking around, there were so many famous footballers I felt like my head was spinning.
People kept looking over at us. I did my best to keep my shoulders relaxed and to smile. And to follow Lily’s lead. This was her domain. She waved at some people and they waved back.
Lily handed me a glass of champagne. We caught each other’s eyes before we took a sip, and in her eyes I felt safe, even in the middle of an overwhelming situation like this.
“How are you feeling about all this, really?” Her face was sincere and concerned.
“I’m a little nervous, to be honest.”
She put her hand on my forearm. “It’s understandable. What can I do to help?”
“Could you stay close for the first bit? Just until I get more comfortable.”
“Of course. No problem.”
“I’m expecting people to come up and talk to you all night.”
“To us both. Because we’re a pair.”
“Who was that journalist? Did you know her already?”
“Ruby? She’s the editor ofSapphic. She’s interviewed me a few times over the years. Why?” Lily looked at me as if questioning to herself if I was jealous.
