Page 128 of Princes of Hollywood

I run my hands through my hair. Fuck. I need to think. To fix this. To be the hero she needs and not the guy constantly trying to get in her pants.

“We’ll figure this out.” Mason sounds so confident, but he hasn’t seen her like I’ve seen her.

I walk back to the bathroom door and knock. “Greer, please. Let me in.”

“I’ll be out in a minute.” Her voice is soft and too high-pitched.

I rest my head against the door. “We’ll figure this out. You’re not leaving this house. You’re not out of a job. Please just come out and talk to us.”

Fuck, she can be my assistant. It doesn’t matter if I fuck my assistant or not. This isn’t over, but it feels like she’s already pulling away. Normally, that wouldn’t bother me, but this time it does.

I’ve barely had her in my life. I need more time. I need her.

Chapter 33

Calm Down

GREER

Roarke’s words make my heart race. I wipe at my eyes and take a deep breath. They aren’t letting me go. Yet.

Fuck, if I feel this bad after only a few days, how will I feel in months? A year?

Maybe it would be better to leave now. If I pin all my hopes and dreams on these men, what happens when they get sick of me? When they find someone new and better?

What if I’m just a convenient mystery to them? Or, like Mason said, I’m a broken doll they want to fix. What happens when they can’t fix me?

The last few days have been some of the best of my life so far. What cost am I willing to pay for more of those days? What cost will I have to pay?

“Greer.” Roarke’s voice sounds like he’s directly on the other side of the door. “Please, poppet. Come out or let me in.”

His coaxing voice tugs at something deep inside me that needs him. I want to be wanted. It’s just part of my makeup at this point in my life, but there’s something more here with these men.

This has the potential to break me, but I want them. Knowing I might have to make a decision, I hesitate to reach for the doorknob. I can’t stay just to have sex with them, and I won’t take money for that either. That’s not who I am. I never want to be that desperate.

Taking a breath and making sure my emotions are tucked away deep, I open the door.

Roarke’s blue eyes sweep over my face as he cocks a grin. “We wouldn’t let you go that easily, poppet.”

“I just needed to freshen up.” I gesture hopelessly back to the bathroom. The mirror mocks me. My eyes are still a little red, but at least I didn’t have a full meltdown.

Roarke steps into the small bathroom, closing the door, and before I know what’s happening, he’s engulfed me in a hug, drawing me deep into his arms. I stay stiff, trying to resist the urge to count on him. To trust this time, they won’t send me away when I become inconvenient or useless.

His large hand holds my head against his chest. “This is something that will come up. It’s the nature of our business, but I swear everything is fixable, including this. Even if it gets out, we’ll spin it. That’s why we have a team of publicists working for us.”

I draw in his sandalwood scent and let it seep into my veins. My muscles ease, and I let him take my weight against him.

“You aren’t leaving,” Roarke whispers.

I nod, even though I don’t believe him. I want to believe him. He could mean that. But promises are easily broken.

“You ready to go back out, poppet?” Roarke doesn’t let me go from his hug.

“Yeah.” When I pull away a little, he releases me.

He tips my chin up and searches my eyes like he’s trying to see inside me. Satisfied with whatever he sees, Roarke holds his hand out to me. I wish I could prepare myself for the sparks, but every time we touch, it’s like a jolt to my system. I slide my hand into his, and some of the tension eases from his shoulders.

“We’ll figure this out, poppet.” He leads me into the kitchen.

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