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“We can text,” I offered. We’d done that a bunch of times throughout the tour, each of us in our own bunk, texting for hours, talking about random subjects, trading jokes, flirting, and counting down until we could find a locked door.
He snorted. “Like that’s the same thing.”
“I know.” Texting wasn’t holding him, wasn’t kissing, wasn’t anything other than a placeholder for what we both wanted. “Maybe we can get away for a run before the Philadelphia show?”
“Maybe.” He rotated his neck, stretching into my touch. A run would at least be a chance to talk privately, a tiny snack while we waited for the main meal. Tomorrow night couldn’t come soon enough. He yawned, tone shifting to something more cautious that immediately put me on edge. “At some point, we need to talk about New York. It’s coming up.”
“Yeah.” I dropped my hand and took a step backward. The end of the tour. The one thing I definitely did not want to talk about. Or think about. “Do you need to shower? I can tell Kate to delay your meet-and-greet, buy you another ten minutes.”
“I’m good.” Ezra’s expression was tight, like he knew exactly what I was after, pushing away any talk of the last show. Every time he tried to raise the subject, I retreated to practical matters because anything else simply hurt too much.
However, before he could call me on my cowardliness, the door opened, and Kate burst in.
“Your meet-and-greet is turning into a circus.” She’d been bubbly and cutely spacey the past few days, waxing on about her date, but her current expression was closer to wet cat than lovesick puppy. I straightened, senses going on red alert for trouble.
“What’s going on?” I asked as Ezra also stood.
“I can come out now,” he offered, stepping toward Kate. “That will tone the crowd down.”
Face stony, she held up a hand. “No, you don’t understand. In addition to way more people than usual waiting outside the venue, I’m also getting pummeled by media requests. Something about you and Duncan saving some dude’s life?”
“Oh. That.” Ezra’s mouth formed a circle so perfect that it would be comical if I didn’t have such a sense of rising doom.
“Yes. That.” Kate shook her head, disapproval dripping from her tone. “You and Duncan encountered that much excitement, and you didn’t think to mention it to me?”
“Eh. It wasn’t that big a deal.” Ezra waved a hand. “You had your big date and were so excited when we got back. I didn’t want to spoil it when I didn’t know for sure the story would get out.”
“What do you mean for sure?” I narrowed my eyes at him, voice going as pointed as my gaze.
“It was only a few media inquiries.” He did another dismissive gesture, but I wasn’t buying it. “Dad put them off. I figured it would be no big deal.”
“There were media types sniffing around, and you didn’t think that might be a security concern?” I had to watch my words, trying to sound more frustrated than hurt because Kate was right there, and now Carl was too, having wandered in through the open door.
“Because this news story is, in fact, a big deal.” Carl draped himself over the chair Ezra had vacated, getting entirely too comfortable as he held up his phone. “Check out the latest trending article.”
Taking Carl’s phone, Kate read the headline aloud. “Ezra Moon’s new bodyguard is a thirst trap, and we’re here for it?”
“Yup.” Carl grinned. The dressing room had been tiny to start with, but now it seemed smaller than my navy-issued duffel. “Apparently, your bodyguard is good for more than being a tight ass about backstage passes. And actually, you’re both trending because the heart attack dude is giving interviews from his hospital bed talking about how Ezra Moon saved his life.”
“It was mainly Duncan,” Ezra said weakly. “And fuck. I didn’t think the story would get so much traction.”
“The country’s hottest rock star saves someone’s life on a slow news week? Yeah, you’re gonna rack up the headlines.”
“And so is Duncan.” Continuing to scroll on Carl’s phone, Kate held up another story. “Look. Hollywood’s hottest bodyguards ranked.”
Jaw clenching, I looked away, not wanting to see where I rated. Fuck. I was not here to be anyone’s thirst trap.
Ezra made a noise that echoed my frustration. “That’s so not helping.”
“Sure it is,” Carl said affably as he stretched. “And seriously, this is great news for Duncan. It has to mean more business for his company.”
I growled. I wanted nothing to do with any business that came about because of my looks or some gossip columns.
“It’s positive publicity,” Kate agreed, rolling right over my objections. “But I would have liked a warning about the story. Especially since we now have a swarm of people outside who need dealing with.”
