Page 35 of The Playboy

It’s a short walk to the ferry once we’re off the bus, and we get in line. I don’t want to freak Sam out, but I’m sure I’ve seen a few people taking pictures of us. I know she doesn’t want anyone finding out about her or us, and I do the only thing I can think of to shield her. I pull my hat off and stick it on her head. She smiles up at me from under the rim.

“Aren’t you supposed to be the one hiding out?”

“Don’t want your beautiful face to get sunburned. Plus, I don’t think anyone recognizes me all the way out here.” I see her blush and look toward the ground. I dig my phone out of my pocket and snap a picture of the two of us. She looks good standing next to me. Relaxed. Happy. “Make a funny face.” I keep her back to the cameras and lean down, planting a small kiss on her cheek as I snap the picture. I show it to her and she laughs.God, that laugh is going to kill me.The ferry pulls up, and we board to take the short trip out to the island.

“I’m starving. I can’t wait to eat something. I read they have a ton of different food choices at the market and a lot of samples. I plan on trying everything I can.” She rubs her hands together in glee.

“Who knew a girl could like food so much?” I chuckle.

“I take offense to that. Besides, haven’t you seen Emily eat? That girl can pack it away, for sure. We went to a baseball game together once, and she ate a sausage sub, had two beers, a pretzel, and popcorn. Then, when we left, she said she was still hungry and stopped for fast food and got a chicken sandwich and fries.”

I laugh—full on belly laugh—as she tells me this because that sounds exactly like Emily. Whoever that girl ends up with, she’s going to eat him out of house and home. I settle in behind her, caging her in against the handrail of the ferry. The horn blows, and the ferry jerks forward to the island.

“Are you sure you don’t want your hat back? You’re the one who’s supposed to be hiding, after all.” She smiles up at me. Everything about this moment is perfect. She’s excited, I can see it in the way her eyes are dancing over my face. I can’t wait any longer. I know what I want, and I’m willing to do just about anything to make it happen.

“Sam, what if I want more from you than just sex?”

She widens her eyes and presses her back against the handrail of the ferry, putting another inch or two between us. I notice her breathing hitch, and she crosses her arms over her chest, trying to block me out. It’s her signature move when she’s scared. She takes a deep breath and whispers, “What more do you want?”

“A girlfriend.”

Chapter 22

What the hellis going on?Am I on Punk’d? Is this whole thing a set-up? Tait, the man whodoesn’tdo relationships wants to date me. Wait. He’s joking. He just wants to see my reaction. I relax in a matter of seconds and laugh it off. I uncross my arms and rest my elbows on the handrails behind me.

“Yeah right. You’re funny, Tait. Maybe you should have been a comedian.”

He looks… hurt? I see the emotion flash across his features for a second before he takes a small step back and smirks. “Yeah, maybe I should have been.”

My smile falters and I narrow my eyes. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” He nods a fraction of an inch, keeping his beautiful eyes locked with mine. “You always say you don’t do relationships. What’s with the sudden change of heart?” I take a deep breath in through my nose and push it out, trying to stop from shaking. “Why me?” my voice comes out barely above a whisper.

“There’s something about you. You’re my own kind of drug. I can’t get enough of you. When you leave for the night, I want you to stay. When I see you standing on the side of the set, I want to be close to you. There’s something sodifferentabout you, and I want the chance to explore it.”

He stops talking and waits for me to respond.Do I want to date Tait? Do I want this to be real between us?I’m letting his words sink in when I hear the shutter of a camera. I turn toward the noise, and he places his index finger on my cheek, directing my attention back to him. His lips come down over mine, and I wrap my arms around his neck. His breath is warm and his fingers are rough but gentle as he wraps his large hand around the back of my neck and everyone around us melts away.

“Will you let us try? We can still keep it secret. No one has to know,” he says quietly so no one can overhear us.

I bite my lip and scrunch my eyebrows. “What about the contract?”

“It will stay in place as a protection for you if you’d like.”

I hear the shutter again and turn toward it. There’s a man snapping pictures of us, the lens covering his face. He pulls it away and holds it by his shoulder, smiling at me. “How about you give him another kiss?” He plasters a shit eating grin on his face as he snaps another picture.

My blood boils, and I clench my hands in fists, holding them tightly by my sides.What nerve!I try to move toward him and demand he deletes the photos when I feel the weight of Tait’s hands on my shoulders. He pulls my back against his hard chest and leans down to whisper, “Don’t. He’s not worth it.”

I turn around, facing Tait, and look up at him. “He has no right to take my picture. Is this why you gave me your hat? You knew he was following us?”

He nods. “Yes, I knew he was there. He found us when we got in line for the ferry. I know how much you want to keep your personal life private, but I don’t always have that luxury. When I’m in public, the paparazzi take photos of me, and there is nothing I can do about it.” He shrugs as if this is no big deal. “If you are with me, you’re also a target.”

I look around and wipe a tear that’s threatening to fall. A small crowd is around us, and a few more people have taken out their phones to take pictures. “So, this is going to be out there? People are going to know what we’re doing, that you’re my boss?”

He shakes his head. “No. They’ll think we’re out on a date, but they won’t know you’re my assistant. The part that makes this harder is he has pictures of your face. It all depends on if someone identifies you.” He places his hands on my cheeks, and I cover his hands with mine. “Let’s just try to have a good time today and not let this bother us. Keep my hat on; I’ll buy another, and we will see if we can keep this under wraps for today.”

“What about the paparazzi guy? Don’t you think he’ll follow us for the day?”

Tait looks past me at the guy who gives him a small wave as he smacks his gum between his teeth. “Wait here, and don’t look at him.” He walks over to the man, and I turn enough so I can still watch them talking out of the corner of my eye. I can’t hear the conversation, but I see Tait reach into his pocket and hand him something, the guy giving him something in return. He returns and places his hand on my lower back, looking out at the water.

“What did you do?” I ask, standing stiffly next to him.