Page 25 of Little Did You Know

"You're exactly who I want there with me." The pad of his thumb brushed my jawline, feather-light. "Even if we have to arrive separately to avoid the press vultures."

"Vultures?" My laugh came out shaky. "Not helping the anxiety here."

His answering smile reached his eyes, softening the sharp lines of his face. "Trust me?"

And there it was—the real question beneath the invitation. The question that had hovered between us since I arrived on his doorstep.

"Yes," I whispered, surprising us both with how much I meant it.

Something shifted in his expression—relief, perhaps, or something deeper. The moment stretched between us, fragile and charged.

Then, like a spell breaking, he straightened his cuffs—a businessman once more. "Hannah is picking up a dress for you. She'll help you get ready."

Hannah. The thought of another person—a woman, someone I might actually talk to—lifted some of the weight from my shoulders. I needed a confidante, someone to help me navigate this strange new world I'd stepped into. Someone who might explain Nick to me, or at least men in general.

"What time will you be picking me up?" I was already mentally rehearsing what I might say to Hannah.

Nick's expression turned apologetic. "You and Hannah will ride together. I'll be there before you arrive, waiting for you." He hesitated, then added, "Typically, Jackson would drive you, but the press would notice."

The press. Of course. I was forgetting who Nick was in the world outside these walls.

"A friend of Jackson's will drive you and Hannah," he continued. "Separate arrivals, separate cars with deter the press. It’s simpler this way."

Simpler.

I nodded, illustrating that I understood.

Each step took me further from Nick but not from the questions that multiplied with every hour I spent in his presence. Questions about my past, my future, and the confusing, complicated man I was living with.

Chapter Twelve

The sound of a loud ringing woke me with a jolt. I wasn't sure when I'd fallen asleep, but I was exhausted before starting my run this morning, so it had only been a matter of time before I lost the fight, and exhaustion won. The bell chimed again. Looking out the window, I realized I'd slept most of the day; the sun was starting to set, decorating the sky with pinks and purples. The ringing sound rang again. I'd never heard that sound in the house, but I thought it was probably the doorbell.

Hannah, with my dress! I took the stairs two at a time, nearly tripping over my own feet. The door flew open.

I froze my eyes wide as they raked over a tall, thin blonde who stood completely naked, holding open a tan trench coat.

"You're not Hannah," I muttered, the words barely a whisper in the cooling evening air.

"No," she screeched, clutching her coat closed. "I'm Tiffany. Who are you?"

Before I could answer, the familiar sound of the side door to the garage caught my attention.

"Olivia," Nick called out, his footsteps echoing on the tile floor. "Look who I found."

Time seemed to slow as I turned toward his voice, catching sight of Hannah stepping in behind him. The moment stretched as Nick's expression shifted from casual warmth to confusion, his eyes darting between me and our unexpected visitor.

Nick's gaze fixed on Tiffany, barely acknowledging my presence. "What's going on?"

I shifted my weight, unable to resist filling the awkward silence. "This is Tiffany." I gestured to the woman. "And Tiffany is completely naked under that coat, in case you were wondering."

Hannah doubled over, pressing her hand against the doorframe to keep herself upright as laughter shook her shoulders.

Nick's jaw tightened, the muscle there twitching. "Tiffany, what are you doing here?" His voice cut through Hannah's giggles like ice.

Tiffany twirled a strand of blonde hair around her finger, lips curving into what she probably thought was a seductive smile. "I missed you."

Nick pinched the bridge of his nose, eyes closing briefly. "How did you get past security?"

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