I had to crane my neck to look up at him.
He offered me his hand. “Come on. I can’tdo this here with all these people around. Let’s go.”
“Go where?” I asked, my eyes suspiciouslyjumping between his hand and eyes.
Clearly done with waiting for me to decide,he pulled back my chair while I was still sitting in it and took my handhimself.
Grabbing the small clutch I had borrowedfrom Char, I let him pull me away from our sad table and tried to ignore thewarmth that was travelling all over my body from feeling his warm skin on mineagain.
Even holding hands with him could count asaccomplishing childhood dreams, right? And it had already happened more thanonce. I should’ve counted the night as a success. Only I had no idea what wascoming next.
Talk about childhood dreams…
Chapter Sixteen
Olive
Instead of driving me home, he drove usback to Bel Air, to the heaven that was his home.
“Do you want something to drink?” he askedas soon as we were inside.
“I’m good. Thank you.”
“I’ll get something for myself then.”
He poured himself…I didn’t even care whatit was at that point. I just stood in the middle of his living room, huggingmyself and generally feeling like crap.
“Maybe you should’ve dropped me at home,Jason,” I said when he kept his back turned to me. “I don’t think this nightout was a good idea. If this is about you taking me to the set, or, hell, Idon’t know, to tell me that you think my book is crap…or maybe it’s about thephotos, that would make more sense, bu—”
“Stop, Olive. Just stop,” he interruptedme.
He finally left the bottle of alcohol aloneand walked to my side. Cupping my cheeks, he looked into my eyes. “Your bookwas amazing. You’re amazing. Stop thinking badly about yourself. I have to…no,I need to tell you something, or ask you something. Hell…” He let my face goand turned his back to me, again. “I’m already making a mess of this. I justdon’t know how to say it…where to start.”
“Well.” I dropped the clutch onto the comfylooking armchair. “I’m half convinced you’re trying to tell me you have to killme, so it can’t be worse than that. Just tell me and get over it with already.”
He raked his hand through his alreadysexily messed up hair and let out a deep breath. “You’re right. Okay. You likedsitting outside last time, so let’s go out.” Grabbing my hand, he walked usoutside.
“You have chaise lounges,” I said when we steppedoutside. There were six of them and they looked gorgeous next to the pool.There were also more than a few giant cushions, the ones that you can curl upand comfortably sleep on. “You didn’t have them the last time I was here.”
“Yeah, I asked Alvin to find somethingcomfortable to sit on for when I had guests who wanted to sit close to the poolinstead of at the table.”
He had gotten them because of me?
I was unable to hold back my smile.
We arranged the cushions closer to the pooland sat down facing each other.
“I’ve danced around it enough, so here wego,” he started. I sat up straighter, ready for whatever he was about to throwmy way.
“My publicist wants me to get married,Olive.”
Wait. What? I wasn’t ready for that!
“Come again?”
“I lost a few jobs after the alley videoscandal; apparently they don’t think I’m serious enough about my work, and nomajor studio wants to deal with that. They didn’t want the negative pressaround me to affect their movie, so they ended my contracts. Tom thinks that’llonly be the start if things don’t change.”
Wait. What?