Page 52 of Dreaming About Forever

Alicia inhaled a shaky breath. She was wilting right before his eyes. “It’s not meaningless. I value marriage and the vows I would have made to him. I didn’t end the relationship, but he had his reasons for doing so.”

“Your parents,” Danny supplied. “I can see why he wouldn’t want to marry into that dumpster fire.”

Jenny gasped and turned to her co-host, but Jordan was already on his feet.

Jordan flattened his hands on the desk beside Danny, towering over him like the storm headed his way. “If you can’t stick to the music, we’ll cut this interview short.”

Danny narrowed his eyes at Jordan. “I’m doing my job. Why don’t you do yours?”

“It’s not your job to treat her like this. She’s a person, in case you haven’t noticed.” He tore his attention from Danny to check on Alicia. Her eyes were wide and glassy, like she might cry at any moment.

“We’re done here.” Jordan offered a hand to Alicia, and she didn’t hesitate to take it. Seconds later, he was whisking her from the room with Danny’s shouts echoing behind them. He focused on the feel of Alicia’s hand in his to keep from turning around and giving Danny something to whine about.

The woman with the glasses and tablet who’d escorted them in met them in the hallway and silently led them out. She had to jog to stay ahead of Jordan, but he didn’t need an escort. He knew this building like the back of his hand.

Jordan burst through the double doors leading to the back lot, and a small group of reporters greeted them with the midday sun.

“Alicia Carver! We saw what happened in there. Who are you with? Are the two of you together?”

“Miss Carver, is Jordan Taylor part of the reason for the breakup with Ashton Warner? Who is he?”

Heat spread up Jordan’s neck, dampening the collar of his shirt, despite the winter air. He was supposed to blend in and go unnoticed. Now, he’d opened up questions about his relationship with Alicia.

The client. She was the client.

He tightened his grip on her hand. Why couldn’t he think of her as the client?

They knew his name, which he’d expected to be revealed at some point. All security agents attracted a little publicity. He just didn’t want it to be like this. He’d put another dagger in the hands of the media. One they could use to stab Alicia.

Releasing her hand and wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he strong-armed the reporters all the way to the truck. He made a way through the crowd and helped Alicia to her seat before rounding to the other side.

The station’s guards formed a barrier around the truck, allowing them a path out of the parking lot. Once they were on the road, Jordan glanced at Alicia.

Her hands covered her mouth, and she kept her attention on the road in front of them with a blank stare.

“Are you okay?” It was a ridiculous question, but he needed some kind of assurance from her.

She looked at him and dropped her hands. Straightening in her seat before she responded. “Yeah. I’m fine. That was just…unexpected.”

“I know you’ve had tough interviews before, and you know what to do in those situations, but I couldn’t just sit there while they treated you like that.”

She sat quietly for a few miles while he contemplated what he’d just done. He’d made the right decision, hadn’t he? What if she didn’t agree? Alicia was tough, and she could take care of herself.

But he hadn’t been able to sit there while she was hurting. The urge to get up and help her had pulled him out of that chair.

“Thank you. For stepping in like that. I was blindsided, and things were going downhill fast. I was fighting tears. I’ve never cried during an interview before.”

She might as well have stabbed him in the gut. “I’m sorry they did that to you. You’re a great musician, but that doesn’t give people the right to talk to you like that.”

“I love the music. I love writing songs and performing. I just hate that I can’t do it now without this cloud hanging over me. Like my personal life is more important than the music. I’m not sure they even care about my actual career.”

“You should be able to do what makes you happy without putting yourself in danger. It’s stupid that you even need a security agent. People forget you’re a human being just like the rest of us.”

“They do,” she whispered. “Anyway, thanks for saving me. Pretty sure that wasn’t in your job description.”

Jordan gripped the steering wheel and focused on the road ahead. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

“I don’t ever worry about that when you’re around.”

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