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“Am I interrupting something?” Eloise said with a chuckle, her gaze darting from Snow to where Hunter had stood. Flames filled Snow’s cheeks, and she lifted her hands to her face.
“From the pink in your cheeks, I’m guessing it’s not just friendship between you and Hunter,” Eloise went on. “Has something more happened?”
“I—”
“This is off the record. I’m asking you as a friend.”
Snow gaped for a moment. She hadn’t considered Eloise a friend. Even now, she wasn’t sure she should say anything to her. But she supposed, for the sake of future interviews, a little honesty couldn’t hurt. “I like him a lot,” Snow said. “And I have had more time with him than any of the others.”
“Then that makes this much more difficult for you, doesn’t it?”
“How so?”
Eloise gave Snow a sympathetic gaze, one Snow suspected was fabricated. The pity she attempted to cram into her tone wasn’t quite believable either. “You have to pick one of your bachelors. And you’re contracted to be with him for at least a year once the show ends.”
At this point, Snow was tempted to break her contract. But that wouldn’t be fair to Hunter and the others on the crew. So much had gone into the production and her dates. It wouldn’t be right to walk away now.
“This show is different from any of the others,” Snow said, elevating her chin. “None of your other Heartthrobs have been attacked or been secluded with their bodyguards like I have, have they?”
Eloise’s lips parted. She considered this for a few moments. “No,” she said with a pause. “That is an extenuating circumstance.”
Gratified that Eloise had no other argument on hand, Snow pressed on. “There’s no way around the contract?”
Eloise’s harsh, stenciled brows elevated. “Not that I know of.”
She didn’t bother trying to sound sympathetic this time.
* * *
Hunter watchedSnow during her interview with Amira. She had a knack for being on screen. Who was he kidding—she had a knack for everything she did. After fighting Eric for her attention, Hunter realized he wanted to continue fighting for her. Maybe not physically, though he was prepared to should anyone else be stupid enough to attack her outright again. He didn’t only want to defend her person; he wanted her heart.
He wanted to run his hands through her silver hair and lose himself in her eyes. He wanted his hands joined with hers. To dance with her and not stop simply because the music did.
The realization slammed into him with the force of a shove. Hunter felt it shock through his system and alter the fabric of what made him who he was. He was falling for Snow.
How could he have let this happen? Once again, he wanted a girl he couldn’t have.
Against his will, his thoughts strayed to his ex-wife. Haven had been off-limits because her parents disapproved of her being with someone in the military. They didn’t like that he would be on active duty away from his family.
Haven had insisted they marry anyway—and they had. Apparently, she’d turned out to feel the same as her parents, because she’d cheated on him during his last stint overseas and abandoned Kassie in the process.
Fortunately, his parents had taken the baby until he could come home.
It wasn’t that Hunter worried Snow would cheat. And though he knew that if she chose him, she would be letting down one of her other contestants, it wasn’t even for the other men, either. In his experience doing the show, only one of the heartthrobs and her chosen winner had stayed together once their post-show year had ended and they’d gotten the money. If he were to bet on it, though the men seemed to care about Snow, most of them were here for the money.
As the owner of the show, Hunter worried how it would look to others if she chose him. The whole reason for pushing the show now was to increase magazine sales as well, and people would lose faith in the show’s validity.
In ordinary circumstances, he would’ve tried to keep his distance from her, but he had to keep her safe.
It was fine—except that being with her only made him want her more.
And he couldn’t have her.
“Keep things professional,” he told himself as her interview with Amira ended. “Don’t cross any lines.”
He considered asking Martin or Consuelo, the other men handling security at the station, to find another bodyguard for her, but who could they trust, really? She was too magnetic; that was the problem. This attacker, whoever they were, appeared to have a personal vendetta against Snow. Perhaps it was based on jealousy. Perhaps—
Luis cleared his throat. “Any new developments with the threats?” he asked under his voice.
