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“Stay on the other side of her,” I tell Colby. “I don’t need one of those bloodhounds getting ahold of her. They’re fucking ruthless.”
He gives me a look that tells me he completely agrees, and the two of us lead Tessa to the door.
Lights flash the second Colby steps out of the plane. Tessa follows him with some confusion, and I bring up the rear. The second they notice me, they all go nuts. Shouts of my name and random questions are yelled from all angles as we make our way down the stairs.
Colby does what I asked, and the two of us cage her in for her safety. I don’t even realize I have my hand on her lower back until someone mentions something about it. Fuck.
“Asher, is that your girlfriend? Is there a new special someone in your life?”
We ignore all questions and keep moving until we’re safely inside the car. It isn’t until we pull away that Tessa takes the hat off. She turns to look at me with a devilish grin on her face.
“Smooth move, Hawthorne. You couldn’t keep your hands off me long enough to walk from the plane to the car?”
I drop my head and run my fingers through my hair. “I know. I fucked up.”
The second Tessa puts a hand on my cheek, I stop my miniature freak-out.
“Hey,” she says softly. “It’s okay. It’s not that big of deal.”
She tucks herself into my side, and I relax instantly, but I don’t miss the look on Colby’s face. He just watched that entire exchange, and he’s never going to let me live it down. Fuck.
THE NEXT MORNING, COLBY wakes me up with a knock on the hotel suite door. As soon as I open it, he tosses a newspaper at me and steps inside. It only takes a second for me to notice the headline.
Asher Hawthorne: Taken by A Mystery Girl?
Right below it is a picture from yesterday, with my hand planted firmly against Tessa’s lower back as I lead her to the car. Okay, so I knew this was going to happen. It probably would have happened even if I hadn’t slipped up. For some reason, my love life has been a topic of fascination ever since Nikki and I called off our wedding six years ago.
“All right, it’s not that bad.”
He smirks. “Wait for it.”
My brows furrow, until five seconds later when my phone starts to ring inside my pocket. Colby chuckles and takes a sip of his coffee.
“There it is.”
Pulling it out of my pocket, I groan when I see Blaire’s name lit up on the screen. Sure, I could always not answer, but she won’t stop calling until she reaches me. And besides, she knows I’m with Colby. She’ll use any excuse she can to get him on the phone, and he’d rat me out faster than I could blink.
“Hey, Blaire.”
She scoffs. “Hey? Seriously? When were you going to tell me about this, Asher? Or do you find it amusing when I wake up to nearly 100 messages about something I know nothing about?”
I bite my lip to contain my laughter. “I mean…”
“Don’t answer that,” she groans. “It’s too early in the morning to deal with your shit. Just tell me how you want me to spin this.”
I think it over for a second but ultimately don’t know the answer. “Give me options?”
“You’re useless. She’s just a friend. She’s dating Colby. She’s someone you’re seeing casually but it’s not serious. You’re getting married next month. You eloped. Give me something to work with, Hawthorne.”
Colby waggles his eyebrows at me when he hears the one about using him as an excuse. Over my dead body. I think over the rest of the choices and sigh.
“Go with just a friend.”
“And in all actuality?” she inquires for the truth.
“It’s complicated.”
Okay, so that’s not exactly a lie, but if I was blatantly honest with her, she would tell me to get rid of Tess. She’d have a flight back to California booked and a car here to pick her up within the hour. I can’t let anything ruin this weekend. Tessa needs it.
