Page 39 of If We Never Met

Nikki understood what it meant to be a celebrity, and she had trouble dealing with a faked-up story.How could Keira possibly handle it, or even want to handle it?

Not that she would ever have to. He was only in town for a few weeks, but he was here tonight, and that's all he was going to think about for the next few hours.

He jogged out the door, down the stairs, and through the dining room. Lizzie was in the kitchen. She gave him a smile. "Did you eat dinner, Dante?"

"No, but I'm going to meet Keira now, so…"

"That's what I figured." She picked up a shopping bag from the counter and handed it to him. "After you said you wanted to meet with her, I made you dinner to go—for two, just in case."

"You didn't have to do that."

"It was no problem. I was making enchiladas for me and Justin, so I just made extra. There's also a salad."

He was constantly amazed by how thoughtful Lizzie was. "Thanks."

"My car is in the garage. You have the key. Take the road behind the property, and you should be good."

Lizzie had been generous enough to offer him her car so that he could leave without being seen. He'd left his rental car conspicuously parked in front of the inn.

He headed into the adjacent garage and got into the car. On the way off the property, he kept a sharp eye out for the press, but didn't see anyone. As he drove through town, he made enough turns to feel confident he wasn't being followed, and then he headed to the east shore of the lake where the houses were spaced farther apart, and cabins were tucked into forested hills.

When he got to the address, he parked in the driveway, grabbed the shopping bag, and headed up the steps.

Keira opened the door as he hit the porch and waved him inside, closing the door behind him. They stared at each other, and he felt like his heart was beating way too fast. Keira's dark eyes were lit up, and her breathing seemed fast.

He wanted to kiss her more than he wanted to take his next breath. But he hadn't come here for that…Had he?

Chapter Ten

Dante was goingto kiss her, and her lips parted in response. She should say no. She should stop him. But she couldn't seem to move. He couldn't seem to move, either. The air between them was charged with tension. She could feel the sizzle. But one of them had to make a move. They couldn't just stand there and stare at each other.

She sucked in a breath and stepped back. "Was the cabin hard for you to find?"

"What?" Confusion entered his eyes.

"I know this street can be tricky to find."

"Oh, no. I didn't have any problem." He cleared his throat. "Lizzie thought we might be hungry. She sent enchiladas and salad. There's a bottle of wine in here, too." He held up the shopping bag in his hand.

"I can't believe she did all that. I guess you told her you were coming to meet me."

"Yes, and she offered her car so I could make a clean escape."

"That was a good idea. I'm glad you were able to leave the inn without anyone realizing it. This all feels a little crazy and surreal to me."

"I'm sure. It's not your life."

"No, but it is yours."

"Unfortunately, yes. It's the least favorite part of my life."

"It was weird to see myself in a photo with a headline that had nothing to do with the truth," she said.

"They don't care about the truth. Fiction always makes more money."

"I guess. Why don't you come into the kitchen? We can open that wine and see what Lizzie packed for us." She led the way down the hall, taking the time to pull her head together. She hadn't expected him to bring dinner, which meant he'd be staying for more than a few minutes. She wanted him to stay, but after the tension that had flared between them, she was also a little worried that keeping him in the friend zone would not be easy.

As they entered the kitchen, he set the bag on the table, while she pulled out some wine glasses and looked for a bottle opener.

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