Page 99 of #Moonstruck

I didn’t, either, but I kept that piece of information to myself. I felt a tad guilty; I hadn’t meant to lead him on. It was just ... I understood where he was coming from when he said being close made his brain turn off. It did that for me, too.

“I know. But we need to.”

A few moments passed, and he pressed one last scalding kiss against my jaw before he sat up and moved to the opposite end of the couch. I tried to sit up, too, even though my bones currently had the same consistency as broth. Like every muscle in my body had failed to report to work today and refused to move or respond to my internal commands.

“Are you sure I can’t talk you into that Vegas flight?” His smile was rueful, and even though he was teasing, I seriously considered it.

“Maybe.” I didn’t joke. Ryan’s expression changed, and he reached out to me with one hand.

“Maisy, are you saying that you would—”

I became aware of a buzzing sound that I thought was coming from somewhere inside me until I realized it wasn’t.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“My intercom,” he said dismissively. “Some Luna-tic site posted my apartment number, and it’s usually some teenagers hoping I’ll come down and see them. Ignore it. This is more important.”

I couldn’t ignore the sound because it kept happening. “Ryan. You should answer that.”

With a growl and a choice word, Ryan got to his feet and stalked to his front door. He pushed a button on an intercom and said, “What?”

“Mr.De Luna, I’m sorry to bother you, but there’s a young woman here named Cecilia Williams, who is demanding she be let up to see you.”

“I don’t know anyone named Cecilia Williams.” Ryan leaned his forehead against the wall as my muscles started to show signs of life.

There was a pause, and the doorman on the other end answered, “She says you’d know her as CeCe.”

I saw Ryan straighten up, his back tighten. He turned to look at me with trepidation in his eyes. “Can you tell her I’ll text her?”

Now I had the strength to stand up. What was going on?

“She says it’s an emergency and she has to see you.”

I crossed my arms as goose bumps broke out. What kind of emergency? Had something happened to Ryan’s dad? To his aunt Bibi? Ryan stared at me as he pushed the button. “Let her come up.”

“Who’s CeCe?”

Ryan walked over and grasped my hand tightly. “Someone I used to date a long time ago. An actress. It’s been over for years.”

“What does she want?”

“I don’t know.”

Another guy might have tried to speak to her alone first to find out what she would say. Or ask his current girlfriend to leave the room. Ryan didn’t. We stood hand in hand, ready to face whatever this was together.

There was a knock on his front door, and I went with him to answer it.

The first thing I noticed was how tall, beautiful, and willowy this CeCe was.

The second thing I noticed was the toddler in her arms.

A little boy who looked exactly like Ryan.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“I’m sorry to just stop by. But I saw your tweet earlier today about showing off your apartment here in New York and figured this was as good a time as any. I didn’t know you had company.” CeCe’s gaze flickered to me for a second, her eyes full of pity. “May I come in?”

Ryan moved out of the way and let her inside. CeCe put the little boy down. He stayed close to her, wrapping his arms around her leg.