Page 19 of Rush

His eyes flicked to her and he flashed a smile. “Ain’t that the truth.” Then he had a thought. “Seeing as you’re up, do you want to come with me to the studio and watch what goes on behind the scenes while making a commercial?”

He glanced up from tying his shoe in time to see her look over at Sophie, a thoughtful expression tugging her lips. “I’d love to but I don’t know how interested Sophie would be. Maybe I should find something more kid friendly for us to do.”

He loved how she always put Sophie first. A direct contrast to any of his previous nannies. “How about this. Come with me and if Sophie gets bored, you can leave.”

A smile lit her face, telling him she liked that idea. “Deal. Give us a few minutes to get ready.”

A limo from the studio was waiting for them as they exited the hotel lobby. Linc had been expecting transport, but nothing quite so elaborate. Even if the studio was trying to impress, the stretch Town Car was a bit overkill.

After driving a while, he noticed Nora was unusually quiet, especially sitting next to the animated Sophie who was busying herself playing with all the buttons on the remote to the snack bar and accompanying entertainment system. At first, he’d chalked up her silence to their first-class ride—the luxurious interior could be a bit overwhelming especially if she’d never ridden in a limo before—but as the miles ticked by and her silence remained, he grew concerned.

“Everything okay?”

“What?” She blinked a few times, her eyes clearing.

“You’re quiet. Is everything okay?”

“Oh!” She laughed but it wasn’t her usual sexy, throaty one. This one sounded forced. “Sorry. I was just lost in thought.”

“About?” They were sitting on bench seats across from each other so it wasn’t hard for him to notice her fingers tugging at the hem of her t-shirt. She wasn’t usually a fidgeter.

She also wasn’t a sigher which she did just before saying, “I guess it’s just finally hit me.”

Confusion joined his concern. “What has?”

“That you’re rich and famous.” She threw her arms out dramatically and he glanced over at Sophie, who having grown bored with the remote, now had her head buried in Nora’s phone, playing a game and not paying attention to either of them. “You’re a big deal.”

“Nora, I’m the same guy I was a few hours ago.”

“Logically, I know that. But look…” She flung her arm out again, this time indicating the elaborate entertainment system. “There’s more tech here than in a Best Buy.”

Knowing she wasn’t trying to be funny and that it would probably upset her more, Linc hid his smile at her exaggeration, and instead pointed out, “It’s the studio’s limo, not mine.”

“Precisely. The studio. Where you’re about to shoot a commercial that will be on TV for millions of people to see.”

“I don’t see how that changes anything.”

Her gaze went to the window and stayed there for a good thirty seconds before turning back to him. “You’re right. It doesn’t. Forget I said anything.”

He studied her face and could tell the smile she was giving him was fake. But before he could call her out on it, she changed the subject, pointing at things outside the window and chatting away, pretending everything was back to normal. She put on a good show but something still bothered her. Her mood had shifted, putting a distance between them that hadn’t been there before. He didn’t like it but fuck if he knew what to do about it.

***

“I wasn’t expecting so much equipment and so many people.” Nora craned her neck this way and that, an awed expression on her face while keeping a tight grip on Sophie’s hand.

Cameras and the film crew were set up outside on a large greenbelt that was staged to look like a football field.

Not his first time on set and therefore not interested in the goings on, Linc only had eyes for Nora. “It takes just as many people to shoot a commercial as it does a sit-com.”

“I had no idea.”

A woman wearing a lanyard around her neck and holding a clipboard walked up to them. “Mr. Scott, wardrobe and makeup are ready for you now.”

He hated leaving his girls.

His girls?

His thoughts came to a screeching halt. Where had that come from? Not that he didn’t like the sound of it. In fact, he liked the sound of it so much, he repeated it in his head one more time.

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