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Bree gave Maddie a sideways glance. “You can close your eyes and plug your ears when he gets on screen.”
“I can watch him.” She better be able to watch him. He was everywhere, after all. If she couldn’t make it through an award show, she’d never make it past the magazines in the checkout stand at the grocery store. Realizing that she knew exactly what he was doing at that moment, though, that made her heart extra lonely. “You better pass over the ice cream.” Yeah, good idea. Eat all the calories I burned off today at thegym.
Bree passed over the container of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Therapy. “Be careful, it’s kind of melty.”
Maddie took the carton, a drop of chocolate oozing onto her white Jersey dress. “Uh, no kidding.” She pulled the fabric to her mouth and licked the spot off her dress, leaving a brown smudge in its place. “Good thing I’m not going anywhere.”
Bree nodded toward the television. “He’sup.”
Dishing up a giant spoonful of ice cream, Maddie turned her attention to the screen as the announcer’s voice boomed. “Presenting our next awards, last year’s Best Actor and Best Actress, Micah Preston and Natalia Lowen.”
And there he was looking gorgeous, and more than a bit nervous, in his fitted black tux with a non-traditional black-button down shirt. Seeing him sent a stab to her chest while simultaneously causing her lower belly to clench. He looked so hot, she knew that later, when she was alone, she’d fantasize about taking him out of those clothes. Probably while she was in the shower so she could employ her showerhead nozzle to erase her pent-up horniness.
Christ, would he ever stop having this effect onher?
Maddie fixed on Natalia, trying to pretend she was alone on screen. “Micah, we’ve worked together so you know how I love gossip.”
With nervous charm—Maddie had never seen him so anxious—Micah gave his best smile. “This is true. You’re a gossip queen.”
Natalia fidgeted with her long, red gown. “Gossip princess, thank you. But anyway. I’ve heard various rumors about your relationship status. Can you clear that up for us right now? Are you or are you not available?”
Maddie stiffened. Was this seriously the only thing people cared about where Micah was concerned? She couldn’t bear to hear this again.
On cue, Bree patted around for the remote. “You don’t have to listen, I’m muting.”
She found the remote as Micah said, “Nat, I am totally unavaila —”
The TV went silent as Bree hit the mute button and threw the remotedown.
Unavailable?Maddie dropped her spoon. “Wait! What did he just say?” She must have heard wrong.
“I don’tknow.”
“Unmute.” Maddie leaned forward and watched the soundless screen trying without success to decipher the dialogue. “Unmute!”
Bree twisted around on the couch. “Where’s the remote?”
Maddie ignored the ice cream melting down her arm. She needed to hear what Micah had said. “You just hadit!”
“I know, but I threw—oh, there itis.”
The sound returned, “…you’ve broken the hearts of a million women across the world,” Nataliasaid.
“He’s broken hearts.” Maddie’s pulse quickened. “Why are there broken hearts? Rewind, rewind!”
Bree sounded just as frantic as Maddie felt. “Iam!”
Keeping her eyes glued to the TV as the show rewound, Maddie instructed Bree when to stop. The show picked up in the middle of Natalia’s sentence. “…princess, thank you. But anyway. I’ve heard various rumors about your relationship status. Can you clear that up for us right now? Are you or are you not available?”
Maddie set down the melting carton of ice cream, all focus on Micah.
“Nat, I am totally unavailable.” He stressed the un. “I’ve fallen in love with an amazing woman.”
“Oh, my God.” Maddie gripped the edge of the couch with her fingernails. Fallen in love. He said he’d fallen inlove.
Natalia tossed her black hair. “Wow. I never thought I’d see the day, Micah Preston! Tell usmore?”
The camera closed in on Super Hot Micah. “Well, she thinks I’m a total douchebag—can I say douchebag onair?”
