Page 112 of Pink

“A flex.” He scoffed. “Right, she’s not even a teenager and already flexing. Not that it matters. Can’t exactly tell her no when you’ve already given it to her, can I?”

Gigi stuck out her tongue. “Nope.”

Arely’s fist pumped into the air as she climbed out of her father’s lap, her LV bag still clutched close. “Yes.”

His kid headed back for the mirror.

Gigi, on the other hand, leaned a little closer to him, her pretty lips pouting just a bit. “You’re not too mad at me, are you?”

“For that?”

“Well … It’s okay to tell me not to step over a line. Even if I’ve already jumped over it and didn’t even see it, Lev.”

Right.

Except she hadn’t.

Not really.

Up until that second, Lev had been careful about showing any kind of physical affection toward Gigi while his daughter was in the same vicinity. Arely witnessed nothing more than perhaps his hand on Gigi’s back or a hug between the two. Certainly not the slow, languid kiss that he stole from her because she was close enough, and he couldn’t find an excuse not to. He hadn’t meant for the kiss to last as long as it did, but the way Gigi’s lashes fluttered closed and she hummed against his mouth … well, he took just a few more seconds to enjoy it.

The giggles across the room pulled him back, though. By the time he looked Arely’s way, she was watching herself in the mirror again. Clearly pretending as though she hadn’t seen a thing. He knew different, but he also felt comfortable enough that if his daughter had an issue with it, she would just say so. After all, she didn’t have a problem doing that any other time.

“That was security, by the way,” Gigi said, dragging his attention back to her instantly.

“Pardon?”

She waved a hand over her shoulder. “The call. They said a bunch of paps and some fans have gathered at the front and rear of the hotel. Maybe the ones that have the place staked out, put out a call that they saw you arrive or whatever. Anyway, they were wondering if you might wait a little while longer before leaving or—”

“We can’t take a side door again or …?”

A shrug fell from her delicate shoulders. “You could.”

“But?”

Gigi’s expression turned a little sheepish as her gaze darted from him to the girl in front of the mirror. “Well, I was thinking maybe you would stay for the night.”

“Arely—”

“There are three bedrooms in this suite, Lev.”

“The paps are gonna catch us leaving one way or the other, won’t they? Tonight, tomorrow. When really just determines what they might write, doesn’t it?”

She reached over to sweep her thumb along the hard line of his jaw. “But is what they might say about us really all that untrue at this point?”

He swallowed hard.

She wasn’t wrong.

“Doesn’t mean they should, Gigi.”

“Part of the package, Lev.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m supposed to be staying out of the spotlight, though. The boss doesn’t want it to look like we’re attempting to antagonize anyone from outside—or in—town, if you get my drift.”

Meaning Jensen or Marco.

She arched a brow, silently questioning. He offered nothing more. He couldn’t.