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“But you don’t bake, H,” Charlotte added.
Like she didn’t know that.
“I eat baked goods. How hard can it be to bake them?”
“You can pack away the bonbons—not that I’m blaming you. The bakery by your grandma’s place makes delectable confections,” Libby offered.
Penny crossed her arms. “Are you serious? This is for real?”
“Yes, it’s real. A lawyer was there. It’s legit. We just have to beat some other celebrity team.”
“Are you sure you won’t let us help you with the house? It’s not a burden,” Charlotte offered.
“Oh no,” Libby breathed, taking a step back. “You’ve done it now, Char. H’s aura shifted.”
“Yeah, my aura shifted. Like I told you before, I’m handling the situation—on my own,” she answered.
“Then we wish you luck. If anyone can kick ass in a reality show, it’s you, H,” Penny added.
Libby did that thing with her hands where she looked like she was communing with the universe. “I agree. I’m picking up a good vibe. You’ve got this.”
“And we’ve got to get to the office,” Rowen said to his fiancée. “Video games don’t make themselves.”
“And I’ve got an appointment with a gallery,” Charlotte trilled. “And you’ve got food truck chefs-in-training to oversee,” she finished, taking Mitch’s hand.
“We beat you all,” Raz announced with a shit-eating grin. “We’re testing vibrator prototypes.”
Libby shook her head. “You love announcing that, don’t you, beefcake?”
“You bet your arse I do,” he answered and wrapped his arm around his fiancée.
Their friends dispersed and left in their corresponding Lamborghinis.
Landon took her hand and brought it to his lips. The man kissed her knuckles.
“What was that for?” she asked as they headed toward the car.
He opened the passenger side door for her, beaming like a kid on Christmas. “I’m damned happy. We’re not bad at this, are we?”
The warmth of his expression and the magnetism of his grin drew her in. It was easy to see why the man had legions of fans.
“Aria’s off to a good start,” she answered. She wanted to bask in thiswemoment, but a twinge of unease held her back.
Landon got in the car, and they headed to her place in Baxter Park.
She stared out the window at the familiar landmarks as a comfortable silence settled.
Landon’s grin widened as he tapped his fingers on the steering wheel, keeping the beat to the song on the radio. She had a good idea of what was on her pop star’s mind.
Leighton and Trey.
They pulled into the driveway, and Landon cut the ignition. But neither moved.
She sat back and drank in his profile. “What was it like when you, Leighton, and Trey were just starting out and entire stadiums would chant your name?”
He turned and pegged her with his gaze. The darkness that often preceded him talking about Heartthrob Warfare didn’t appear. “It’s like electricity taking over your body—a pulse that connects you to something greater than yourself. I didn’t think there was anything like it until…”
She watched him closely. “Until what?”
