Page 49 of Hiding Hollywood

Addie didn’t miss the way Cameron phrased his question. She did seem to find herself in trouble with him around.

“I’d thought to go to the library, but Dexter was nice enough to inform me that it was closed.”

“It’s almost seven. They closed at six.”

Addie squeezed his side. “So, I’ve been told.”

Dexter crossed his arms. “I asked Addie out to dinner with me. Thought I could help her get over her recent break-up.”

Cameron’s body tensed even more. Dexter couldn’t have noticed it, but Addie felt it. Every muscle turned rock hard. She laid a hand on his chest, her fingers rubbing over the soft flannel.

“I told him that I’d started seeing someone.”

“Oh.” Cameron’s eyes widened. Yeah. She knew he wouldn’t appreciate that. Keeping things “low-key” vanished with that statement.

Dexter crossed his arms. “Are you two are together?”

“We, well…” He looked down at Addie.

Dang. Could the man not pretend to be her boyfriend to give her an easy excuse?

Apparently not since he seemed…panicked?

Fine. Cameron didn’t have to pretend to be her boyfriend. She could face Dexter one-on-one and tell him she wasn’t interested. She dropped her arm from around Cameron’s waist, but he snatched her hand at the last moment before she stepped away.

“It’s pretty new,” he said in a robotic voice. No way Dexter actually believed him. “I didn’t want to let the entire town know.”

Dexter’s lips quirked to the side in a humorless smile. “Small town gossip. Yeah. Ruth told me all about that last girlfriend, Jennifer.”

Addie looked down at the rutted, gravel parking log. Jennifer was his ex-fiancé, and.…

That was it. She still didn’t know about Jennifer.

After another utterly awkward pause, Dexter scoffed. “I guess Addie wasn’t included in the loop on that juicy bit of gossip. Ruth said it was quite a scene when she dumped you in the middle of the diner.”

She snapped her gaze to his. That was it. He could slither back under whatever rock he came from. She took a step. “Look here, you—”

Cameron’s heavy hands landed on her shoulders, abruptly ending her next word. He yanked her back to his chest. “I hope you enjoy your dinner.” He slowly rubbed up and down her arms before he added, “Alone.”

Dexter shrugged, but his eyes darkened. Addie didn’t care if he was offended. Who was he to stick his nose into theirnot-realrelationship?

“See you around.” Dexter winked at Addie. This time, Cameron’s chest rumbled with one of his deep growls. At least he was aiming that temper toward someone else for a change.

Cameron didn’t release her, even after Dexter disappeared down the street into the diner.

She twisted to face him. “Tell me about Jennifer.”

“I’m not discussing Jennifer with you. Besides, you’re not going to swing this back around to me. What were you doing here alone with him?”

“I think I deserve to know about Jennifer. Even the creepy guy knows about it. All I’ve heard is that you’re ‘better off without her’ and ‘she was your fiancé,’ and now I hear that she dumped you in public.” She didn’t want the gossip from all the people in Statem. She wanted the truth from him.

“I’m not talking about Jennifer. She’s gone. It’s over. Nothing else to know. Now, explain to me why you were standing in an empty parking lot with Dexter O’Brady.”

“I told you, I was going to the library.”

“You were going to the library? I’m not stupid, Addie. You wouldn’t come into town to go to the library.”

“Hey, girls like me go to libraries. I’m not dumb. I do care about things beyond my hair and nails.”

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