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Eddie shrugs like it’s no big deal. “You wanna take a shower? Might help you feel more like yourself.”

I nod. “Yeah. I think I would.”

He points toward the en-suite. “Go ahead. I’ll be next door in my room. Just keep the door open in case you need me. If you do, shout. I’ll be there.”

I hesitate, something about his unwavering presence and care makes my heart squeeze. He mistakes my pause for fear,stepping closer, his touch light but reassuring on my arm. “Hey... you’re safe here. I would never hurt you. Never touch you without your consent.”

My breath catches at the intensity in his gaze. “It’s not that,” I whisper.

His brows knit together. “Then what is it?”

I look down, feeling vulnerable in a way I’m not used to. “Nobody’s ever been this sweet to me before.”

Eddie’s grin is slow and devastating. “Get used to it.”

My heart flutters wildly, heat creeping up my neck. Before I can process it, he steps back and nods toward the bathroom. “Go on. I’ll be right here.”

With one last glance at him, I clutch the bag and disappear into the bathroom, my pulse still racing.

I don’t know a lot right now, but what I do know is that Eddie is the best thing that has happened to me in a very long time.

11.Eddie

I’m stretchedout on my bed, the door open so I can listen out for Laney, staring at the ceiling, trying not to let the exhaustion pull me under. The last few days have been intense; I’ve hardly slept a wink as I watched over Laney to ensure her breaths continued to softly make her chest rise and fall. Never before have I been consumed by a woman like I am her. It feels like fate keeps thrusting her in front of me, and I’m too weak to resist the pull she has on me.

I know I need to call Lucas and have a tough conversation with him, but I’ve put it off until I can decipher how Laney feels about me. Maybe the attraction is one-sided? I shake my head, rejecting the thought instantly. I saw the way she looked at me—the way her irises disappeared as desire bled through, turning her gaze black.

She wants me but is just getting out of an awful situation. Her ex-boyfriend is a piece of shit. I had Nico run his background and there’s so much more than him cheating on her to make me hate his guts. Gambling, sexual assault claims his parents paid to hide, and then there’s the fact he’s just a lazy fucking asshole who let her work her fingers to the bone while he fucked around.

When my phone vibrates on the nightstand, I grunt, rubbing a hand over my face before grabbing it and, seeing Reggie’s name, I stifle a groan.

“Yeah?” I answer, already irritated.

“Eddie, my man,” my agent, Reggie, greets me, his voice far too chipper for my current mood. “Have you had time to think about our little… predicament?”

I exhale sharply. “If by predicament, you mean the ridiculous idea of me getting a fake live-in girlfriend to pacify the label, then no. Because I did nothing wrong.”

Reggie sighs like he’s dealing with a petulant child. “Listen, man, it’s not about what’s right or wrong. It’s about perception. The label is still pissed about the last PR mess. They want stability. They want a love story, something to soften your image.”

I grit my teeth. “And they think hiring some random woman to pretend to love me is gonna fix that?”

“Yes.” Reggie’s tone is flat. “That’s exactly what they think.”

I push myself up, swinging my legs off the bed, already feeling the tension crawl up my spine. “I’m not picking some girl off a damn résumé, Reggie.”

“Then who?”

I don’t even hesitate. “Laney.”

Silence. Then, “Wait… you mean the girl from the arena? The one who got attacked?”

“That’s the one.” My tone is clipped, my shoulders tense, waiting for the pushback I know is coming.

I regret telling him what happened, but too many people were around for it not to get back to him, and I needed him to make sure the media didn’t get wind of it and go digging into Laney.

Fucking vultures.

Reggie swears under his breath. “Eddie, come on. You can’t seriously think this is a good idea. You don’t know anything about her. What if she’s working an angle?”