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“My apologies. I was distracted by the beautiful woman who was sitting next to me. It was impossible to concentrate on the show.”
She giggled and shook her head at me. “You are one hell of a charmer, MacKinlay Bennett. I don’t believe you, but you’re forgiven.”
I wanted to tell her I would say that and so much more if it got her to look at me the way she was. If she would say my name, my full name again, in a way that came out like a whisper and a laugh.
“Shall we?” I asked.
“Yes,” she said.
She kept her hand in mine as we walked out of the theater. The crowd had dispersed somewhat and it was easier to move around, until we got outside and I saw the flashing lights and realized that the paparazzi were there. I lifted my hand up in defense of the bright lights suddenly blinding us and turned ever so slightly to shield Hope.
“Mac! Hope!” They called out to us.
“How long have you two been dating? Is it serious? Are you engaged?”
The questions bombarded us in rapid fire, overlapping each other as the reporters tried to get their question in or to be the most outlandish one in order to get a response out of us. I had a feeling they might be at the show tonight. The tickets were hot enough that it was bound to bring some A-list celebrities and in turn the paparazzi. I had thought there would be someone big enough that they would leave us alone but just enough they would want a picture or two. I guess we weren’t going to be that lucky.
Knowing that they weren’t going to go away and the best thing to do was to give them what they asked for, I leaned in and whispered into Hope’s ear, “Shall we give them a little show?”
She gave me a shocked look back but gave me a slight nod. I wanted to tell her I wouldn’t do anything inappropriate. There were a lot of things I would like to do to her, with her, but I wasn’t going to use the press to do it.
I gave her hand one more squeeze and then turned to smile at the cameras. She did the same, beaming as we walked to our waiting car. She even waved a little and then looked over at me with such adoration it took my breath away. I wanted to believe she was looking at me that way because she cared about me, not because she was putting on a show. I vowed to myself that she would truly look at me that way one day soon.
The paparazzi continued to shout out questions but neither of us answered them. I wasn’t sure if Faith had schooled Hope on how to handle the press or she was too overwhelmed by it all to do anything more than walk next to me and to the car. Either way, she was a natural, as she smiled and looked interested in the press without being too interested, she waved off any questions that were asked of her. Best of all, she kept her hand firmly in mine.
I could feel her shaking slightly as we moved past the onslaught of people. I wanted to reassure her, I wanted to tell her she was doing a great job, that I would be right next to her for this, and anything else that she would let me.
Right before she got to the car, I tugged on her arm and pulled her to me. She went, smiling up at me as she did. I could see she was playing it up for the cameras as her eyes were a little wider, her smile a little too bright, but the look in her eyes told me she was still happy to be with me. I took her hand and brought it up to my lips, doing what I wanted to do for such a very long time.
As my lips brushed up against her skin, I was enveloped by the honeysuckle and lemon scent that I associated with her. My eyes closed and savored the moment as I increased the pressure ever so slightly and then slowly opened my eyes to look at her. She smiled up at me as if I was the most incredible man in the world. I knew that moment would be the one that the paparazzi would use and I was okay with that. While it might have been the reason I was doing it, it wasn’t the only one.
I could see what Hope was feeling towards me, how this might have started as a way to get the paparazzi off our backs so that we could go on with our lives. And while I wanted it to be something much deeper, I had never been sure if Hope did as well. But as she looked at me, I knew she couldn’t hide what she was truly feeling for me, and it gave me the opening I had been waiting for.
The evening had just taken a new and very exciting turn.
Chapter 12
Hope
I had thought for sure that Mac would kiss me when we got outside the theater. Truth be told, I was kind of hoping he would. Though as soon as I thought it, I knew he wouldn’t. It might have been my own naive wish that when he asked me if I wanted to give them a little show, that was what he meant. Even if he had, he never would have gone through with it. He never would have used that as an excuse to kiss me.
Mac certainly didn’t need any reason or subterfuge to get a woman to kiss him, especially me, but he was too much of a gentleman to ever do that. He would never stoop to that level and use a woman that way, even if it was kind of what we were doing. It was one thing to take me out to a nice play and have a lovely meal together after, it was quite another to kiss me because of it.
Even if that was exactly what I wanted him to do.
It was strange to think but I was actually jealous of my own hand. It had been lovely for Mac to kiss it, to show the world we were together in such a bountiful way. He was putting the rumors to rest or get them buzzing, but it only made me want Mac to put his lips on mine and not only my hand.
As soon as Mac dropped my hand back down, he quickly opened the door and helped me inside. He came in right after me and the driver made sure we were inside before maneuvering around the crowd and onto the street.
I leaned my head against the seat and looked over to see that Mac had done the same. I would have thought with his family and what he did for a living he would be used to the attention, I guess I was wrong.
“You handled that well,” I said.
“Me? You looked like a rock star,” he said, turning to look at me.
I couldn’t see his face very well in the dark car, but I could tell he was smiling. Not at the situation but at me and it made my heart rate increase. I longed to reach over and take his hand again, but I wasn’t that bold.
“No. I was just following your lead. Do you think that will whet their appetites?”
