Page 46 of Unguarded

I want to keep watching—I really fucking do—but now, this feels too far, too personal. I’d be a Peeping Tom if I stayed here in his room when he doesn’t know I followed him in.

As difficult as it is, I spin around and silently slip out of his room. By the time I get to mine, I’m so turned on that I can hardly think.

He wants me too.Why is he denying himself?

I made the first move. I kissed him. I made it clearhow into him I was, and he still rejected me. The professional relationship is shattered. I’ve never done that before either.

Cash Redford is making me break all my rules, and I’m still pathetically crushing on him.

“Get a grip! Ugh!”

I fall back onto my bed, covering my face with my hands.

He ignoredme for the rest of our time in Australia. By the time we land in Paris a week later, I’m pissed off and beyond sick of wondering what Cash Redford is thinking or what he plans to do next.

I’m not this girl. I’ve never let a man occupy so much time in my head, distracting me from my world tour and the incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience I’m getting. If he doesn’t want me,fine. I have plenty of options.

The European leg is what I’m most excited about. I’ve always dreamed of visiting places like Paris, London, and Switzerland. Now, I get to do it all while getting paid millions and singing for my fans. It’s a dream come true.

I pinch myself when I see the Eiffel Tower in the distance from the window of my suite. A gentle wave of sadness washes over me when a memory of my mother rushes in. When I was little and she still had big dreams for herself, she used to tell me stories about how we’d one day come here together and go shopping, eat pastries, and take pictures at all the cool places, like the Eiffel Tower and the Notre-DameCathedral. Now, I barely hear from her unless she wants something or I reach out first. When I was a child, living in a lonely small town, with a mother who grew more distant, the older I got, Paris felt like the one place I could see us being happy together again.

And I won’t let this stupid crush ruin it.

I set my jaw and turn from the window. I’m writing him off. If he wants to make what we did a one-and-done thing, so be it. I don’t need to talk it out. Closure is overrated. I didn’t need it with Clint or Zade.

One kiss with my bodyguard shouldn’t cause me so much distress. I will enjoy this time. I will also ignore his existence.

“Ah, we’re finally in the City of Love. We need to do some exploring before dinner.” Ember sighs as she hangs up some of my clothes in the closet.

I try not to scoff audibly, but it slips out.

Ember’s eyes widen. “Is everything okay?”

I really don’t feel like talking. If I say anything, I’ll probably start spewing profanity or crying about how I have a childish crush on someone who’s rejected me for an unknown reason.

“Nothing. You know what? You’re right. We should go explore the city. Let’s get dressed! Maybe we’ll meet some hot French men.”

Ember nods, a tentative smile on her lips. “Yeah, okay. Let me just tell the bodyguards.”

Panic rises in my chest. “We don’t need them. I’ll wear sunglasses and a hat.”

She chews the side of her cheek and lowers her voice. “What about the stalker?”

I wave her off. “He hasn’t shown any sign he’s still chasing me. I’m suffocating with everyone being so overprotective. Also, we just got here! No one even knows we landed in Paris three days before the show.”

My insecurity from rejection is causing me to make reckless decisions, clearly.

Ember taps her foot for another minute, but she can’t actually tell me what to do. None of them can, even though one specific Texas native tries his hardest.

“Come on. I’ll change and then we can go.” I start stripping down from my travel outfit and don a pair of flowy tan pants, a white V-neck undershirt, and a long black trench coat.

“It’s raining still, but it’s not a total downpour,” Ember remarks, looking out the window as she runs a brush through her hair. “Are you sure we shouldn’t just get Brooks to come with us? He would keep his distance if we asked.”

“Ember, please. I just want to grab a croissant in a cute little café without someone telling us we can’t sit so close to the door. We’ll be gone for a couple of hours, tops. No one knows I’m here. It’s not like LA.”

The more I talk about it, the more determined I am to sneak away without a bodyguard. I just want to be a girl in Paris, exploring with my best friend and wishing I still had a mom who gave a shit.

“Ugh, okay, fine! We’re gonna have to sneak away. I think Danny is on shift. I’ll distract him while you go down to the lobby.”

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