Page 14 of Broncos and Ballads (Healing Springs Ranch #2)
Of course, because her mother had been a model, Venus had grown up hearing all about it and had started off doing child modeling for GUESS and other smaller brands.
She said she hadn’t planned on making a career out of modeling, had intended to pursue a business degree so that she could eventually have her own fashion business.
But her freshman year of college, she’d been approached by IMG with an offer that was too difficult to turn down.
So she’d dropped out of school six years ago and had been modeling ever since.
She still eventually wanted to have her own clothing and makeup line, but she’d been too busy to make it happen.
In turn, she asked him how he’d become interested in country music.
Although he’d finished college with a degree in communications, he’d been singing and playing guitar for most of his life.
It had been during his junior year of college, while performing at one of the country fairs in Colorado, that a video of one of his performances had gone viral.
After that, he’d been approached by several Nashville labels.
The dinner and the time together passed too quickly—at least from Brock’s perspective. When they finished their desert of tarte Tatin, with a generous layer of apples and caramel sauce, she only yawned once, but it was enough to know she was tired from her long day.
When he suggested they call an end to their night, she didn’t protest, and for some reason, he wished she would suggest getting coffee or taking a walk along the Seine or visiting the Eiffel Tower lit up at night.
But she was quiet as they made their way through the restaurant. As the front doors of Maxim’s opened, a barrage of camera lights flashed in their faces.
He should have guessed Harper would tip off the paparazzi that they were dining together at Maxim’s. After all, it was important that Brock be seen with Venus.
“It’s showtime,” he whispered as he leaned against her. “Are you okay if I give you a side hug?”
In response, she slipped her arm around him and laid her head against his shoulder. She peered up at him with half-lidded eyes and a seductive smile.
His heart flipped with unexpected desire.
Their relationship was supposed to be pretend, their interactions staged.
But as he gazed back down at her, he found that he didn’t have to work hard at pretending to adore her.
From her willingness to go along with the charade to her enjoyable company, she’d been the perfect date in every way.
The paparazzi had been roped off on either side of the restaurant walkway, and as he slipped his arm around her back in return and they made their way past the dozens of cameras and people shouting out questions, he held her gaze, unable to let her go.
When they reached the limo, the chauffeur was waiting for them with an open door.
Instead of releasing him and ducking inside, Venus paused and lifted up to whisper in his ear.
“Kiss me.” Her whisper was demanding and sent a shot of heat through him—a heat he knew he shouldn’t feel but that sizzled along his nerves anyway.
“It’s what they want to see.” She nuzzled his ear, then angled in so that he would have easy access to her mouth.
Holy smokes. He was in trouble. He started to shake his head, still unwilling to go that far and be that intimate in a pretend relationship. But before he could back away, she reached up and touched her mouth to his.
In that moment, it was like sparks fanning onto dry windfall. Her lips against his, even though light, were scorching hot, setting his world on fire.
Standing in flames, he was helpless but to kiss her back. He shifted so he could fit his mouth to hers, and in the next instant they were mingling and meshing in graceful and yet intense rhythm.
She was incredible and tasted of apples and champagne. And he couldn’t get enough. He wanted to wrap both arms around her and never let her go. The urge was so unexpected and unusual that he broke the kiss as suddenly as it had started.
For a fraction of a moment, a measure of panic sliced through him. Never let go? He couldn’t feel that way about Venus, not so quickly and strongly.
She pulled back from him, her lashes still low, hiding whatever she might be feeling in response to the kiss. Which was probably nothing because it was pretend.
As she pivoted away from him and ducked into the limo, he sucked in a sharp breath and tried to mentally stamp out all the flames that were burning in his body.
He had to put out the fire, couldn’t let the heat spread, couldn’t make more of the kiss than it was—a show for the paparazzi and ultimately for his fans so he could prove to them and everyone that he had more substance than they realized.
Other than that, he wasn’t planning to get carried away with Venus, just like he hadn’t gotten carried away with any other woman.
He was waiting for that one special woman to come along with a strong and passionate love that would last forever, just like it had for his dad and Ty and other McQuaid men.
And Venus wasn’t that woman. How could she be when she was only a shooting star in his life, burning brightly for a short while but eventually soaring on to a different universe?
He watched her disappear into the limo before he flashed a grin at the paparazzi, one he hoped communicated that he’d thoroughly enjoyed kissing Venus—which was no lie.
The camera flashes nearly blinded him, and the shouts only grew louder. “Is it true you purchased an engagement ring?” “When are you popping the big question?” “Isn’t this rather soon?”
Brock didn’t bother answering the slew of questions and instead slid inside the limo onto the seat beside Venus. A second later, the door closed, shutting out the crowd and casting them into shadows and silence.
Venus didn’t move.
He sat motionless too, not sure what to say or do after a kiss like that. Even after he’d tried to put out the flames, his body still felt scorched.
As the chauffeur took his place and then began to drive away, Venus sat stiffly, the dim light outlining her face. She was staring out the opposite window and didn’t look too happy.
He wanted to reach for her hand and make some sort of connection with her, but he crossed his arms instead. “I’m sorry about the onslaught from the paparazzi. I thought you knew—”
“Yes, I knew.” Her voice was tinged with irritation. “But what I didn’t know was that they would assume we’re getting engaged.”
“To be honest, I didn’t know that was part of the plan either.”
“There must be a reason they think that.”
“I did go to a jewelry store this afternoon,” he continued. “But only to buy a birthday present for my mom.”
“Now the whole world believes you went ring shopping for me.”
His mind began to whirl. Ella Mae had reminded him of his mom’s birthday in a few weeks and had suggested he stop at a couple of places, including a jewelry shop. What if Harper had started the rumor about him buying an engagement ring? Brock wouldn’t put it past his savvy manager.
With his elbows propped on his knees, he groaned and buried his face in his hands. “This has to be my people’s fault. Probably attempting to move things along between us more quickly.”
She didn’t respond.
A heaviness settled over his heart. He should have known something like this might happen.
Maybe he never should have agreed to the whole plan to fake date Venus.
He didn’t like all the lying and deceiving and pretending.
Would it have been better for him to simply admit to Ainsley Rose and the world that he’d never been in love and was still waiting to fall fast and furiously in love with someone he could spend forever with?
He and Venus rode in silence, the Paris nightlife filtering into the limo as they passed by bars and restaurants lit up and busy with people lingering at outside tables.
Finally, he sat back. “Do you want me to put an end to all of this and make a statement that we’re just friends and nothing more?”
“What’s the point?” She released a scoffing laugh. “After the kiss we just shared, I doubt anyone would believe it.”
“True.” Anyone watching the kiss had to have seen how affected he’d been. “Then at least I can tell them we have no plans to get engaged.”
A text pinged on her phone. In the dark, Reed’s name flashed brightly. She glanced down to read it, and Brock watched out his window to give her some privacy.
She was quiet for several beats, then snorted. “Well, that’s just wonderful.”
“What is?” He shifted back around.
“Reed’s angry about our engagement.”
“But we’re not engaged.”
“Apparently, there’s a picture of you leaving Tiffany’s with a tiny bag in hand, and it’s splashed all over social media.”