Page 64 of Hero's Prize

He held his hand up to his face, his pinkie at his mouth and his thumb at his ear, simulating a phone. “Hi, is this Ella? I was just wondering if you would go on a date with me tonight. A date to catch a stalker might be a little untraditional, but at least doing it with you would make it amazing. Please say yes and save me from a maniac.”

She laughed. “You know I’m not your normal type of date. I’m not sure of your normal type at all.”

She didn’t want to spend too much time thinking about his normal type: thin, leggy blondes.

He “hung up” his phone and swam over to her, placing his arms on the edge of the rock ledge on either side of her, trapping her in.

“Youare my normal type now. So, if you don’t have any plans for tonight, let’s get back to town and see if we can catch a bad guy.”

Maybe not the most traditional of dates, but she would take it.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-THREE

Ella knew this was a fake date, but it still felt real.

They’d driven back from Fairytale earlier this afternoon, Colton calling the team and setting everything up as they drove. They decided that going back to the Eagle’s Nest would probably make the most sense—that was where Colton would take a date here in town.

She’d gone home and dressed in her cutest little sundress. She figured that was probably stupid, pretend date and all, but when Colton had shown up at her door, he was wearing a nice sweater and khaki pants. Also a little dressy. He hadn’t needed to make the effort, but it meant a lot to her that he had.

It meant a lot that he’d ordered a bottle of wine for their table as if this were a completely real date too.

At the very least, they were fooling everyone in town, if all the knowing looks and smiles were anything to go by. Nobody was bold enough to come up to them and ask outright what was going on, but Ella had no doubt they would be the subject of much gossip.

She’d already been ignoring all of Lilah’s suggestive texts. The woman was sitting at the far side of the Eagle’s Nest, and Ella didn’t dare make eye contact with her since she was sure it would lead to rude sexual gestures. Lilah was Lilah.

The rest of the team was here again just like they had been last night. Callum and Lincoln were outside; Lilah, Derek, and Theo were here inside.

So, yeah, a date with Colton, but it didn’t really count when all your friends were surveilling you.

Colton reached over and took her hand in his. “You look a little nervous. Because of the stalker? I promise you’re not in any danger.”

She gave a shrug. “No, that’s not it. I’m not worried about that.”

“Then what? Talk to me, Butter?—”

He broke off in the middle of the endearment and pointed at his ear, reminding both of them that he was on the comms unit with the rest of the team. And that was the problem, wasn’t it?

“Tell me what you’re thinking,” he began again.

“This is our first date,” she finally said.

She wasn’t sure exactly what she’d been expecting, but it definitely wasn’t him tilting his head to study her and then nodding. He touched something on his ear. “I’m going off comms. You guys can handle this. Right?”

Whatever response he got had him slipping the small device out of his ear and into his pants pocket.

“Why did you do that?”

“You’re right. This is our first date. I don’t want to have everyone listening. I want to be with you. The team can handle it if any stranger shows up who fits the profile. Being with you is more important to me.”

She couldn’t stop the smile that crept up over her face. This wasn’t some ruse. He wasn’t acting.

Colton Harrison really wanted to be here with her on a date. Nothing could have made her feel more special.

They ordered food, and soon, Ella was forgetting anyone else was around except the two of them. They talked about their favorite memories from high school and different places they both traveled since they both had celebrity fathers. Their food was delivered as they talked.

“Are you ready for our wilderness adventure tomorrow?”

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