Page 72 of Beyond the Spotlight Discreet Version

He kisses me before I can argue. Not that I would have. The kiss is soft and slow, as if he’s savoring this moment and turning it into a memory.

We pull apart and he boops my nose, which makes me giggle like a girl with a crush.

I am a girl with a crush.

“So… this new nickname…”

He stands to clear our dishes from the island.

“Whatever do you mean, my love?”

I point at him. “That. That nickname!”

He laughs, setting the dishes in the dishwasher. “Would you like me to stop?”

“I mean… no… but you saying it doesn’t mean… um… it’s just we haven’t known each other that long, so to say…thatword.”

It took me almost a year to say it to Brad, but to be fair, Brad never made me feel the way Reynold does.

He shuts the dishwasher and leans against the counter, arms folded over his broad chest.

“I don’t say that word easily, Savannah. In fact, it’s a word I haven’t said to anyone who wasn’t my family or my friends. For you, love seems possible for the first time in my life. And you are correct, we barely know each other. So, for now, I use the word as a term of endearment for the woman who is currently making me happy.”

Twofulldayswiththis man. It didn’t seem real. We spent every moment together: eating, sleeping, fucking, showering together. It was like when we were sick, but no gross coughing and feeling like shit.

The amount of sex we had… my poor vagina rarely got a break. Not that I’m complaining; it’s the type of ache I crave.

Reynold returns to work and I’m back on nanny duty. Lana came over for breakfast, then walked with me to take Addy to preschool. After dropping her off, we headed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art a couple of blocks away. I’m not too worried about being spotted with Lana since she’s wearing one of her famous wigs. This one is a black bob with bangs. We sit on the stone steps, enjoying the warm day while looking at photos from Addy’s sleepover with Mylan, Lana, and Banana.

“She’s been begging Rey for a dog ever since,” I say.

“He should get her one. Every child needs a pet.” She swipes to a picture of them standing outside the Minskoff Theatre before seeingThe Lion King. People crowd around them, ecstatic to be near celebrities.

Except one person.

I point at her phone. “That man…”

She brings the phone close to her face and zooms in on the picture. He’s staring at Lana, Mylan, and Addy with a look of disgust.

“Is that…?” I ask, scared to hear her answer.

“The man from Adeline’s preschool and the Brooklyn Bridge? Yeah, that’s him.”

My heart flutters in my chest.

“Lana. I think you have a stalker.”

She frowns. Two of her bodyguards standing next to us give each other a look.

“We saw him a lot when we had Adeline while you and Rey were sick, and again when we were out these past couple of days. He stays back and watches. It’s super creepy, but technically, he’s done nothing wrong.”

She blows out a long breath.

“My security team keeps an eye on him.”

“Does Rey know about this?”

Lana nods. “It’s why you have extra protection too.”