Page 103 of Reputation (Tempt)

Checking in?Pierce never called just to “check in.”

“Fine,” I said, furrowing my brow. “Why?”

“I was just wondering if there was a reason you’ve only made one public appearance as a couple since landing in Abu Dhabi.”

I frowned, increasing the speed on the treadmill. “We’ve been busy. I’m filming. She’s training. We both want to spend time with Brooklyn.”

“Those all sound like excuses. You just announced your engagement. You need to get your ass out there and sell this relationship, not…hole up in your hotel room.”

Ha! What a joke.

“Emerson and I did thatVogueinterview. We went out to dinner. We’ve posted on social media. Besides, we’re busy. And don’t you think that our absence only adds to the allure?”

“No. I think it has people questioning what you’re trying to hide. Is she giving you pushback or something?”

“No.” Not at all. Quite the opposite. I was the one who didn’t want to be so public about our relationship. “You know that I like to keep my private life private.”

“Nate,” he sighed. “I get that. I do.” I honestly wasn’t sure he did. “And I was fine with your decision to sneak out of the hospital.”

I put him on mute and ratcheted up the speed on the treadmill. He was really starting to piss me off.

“Sneaking out of the hospital,” as he’d put it, hadn’t been part of any strategy other than protecting Emerson.

“But, Nate,” he continued, “you need to think big picture here.”

I was thinking big picture. Big picture was that I loved Emerson, and I’d do anything to protect her.Damn, it felt good to admit that. Scary but good.

I was still concerned about Emerson’s health and mental state. She seemed a lot more relaxed since coming to Abu Dhabi, and I wanted to keep it that way. I wanted to shield her from the publicity storm and backlash that could come with being engaged to me. I refused to ask her for more than she’d already given me. And she’d given me a lot.

“What’s really going on?” Pierce asked. “Is the chemistry just not there or something?”

I took him off mute and answered. “Actually, the opposite.”

He was silent, which was never good. And then he said, “Oh shit. You’re fucking her.”

“I’m not…” I was going to use a different word. Something less crass. But all I could come up with was, “I’m in love with her.”

“Have you told her?”

I sighed. “No.”

I was afraid to. I didn’t know how she felt. I was waiting for the right moment.

Yeah. Those all sound like excuses.

“Good. Don’t,” Pierce said.

I jerked my head back. “Excuse me?”

“You can fuck her all you want, but don’t fuck this up. There’s too much at stake.”

“Jesus, Pierce,” I spat. I used a towel to wipe my forehead. “I know that. And I’m not going to fuck it up.”

At least, I hoped I wasn’t. I didn’twantto fuck it up. Emerson was important to me.

“Good. Because I think you’re forgetting something very important.”

“What’s that?” I huffed, feeling the burn of my muscles.

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