Page 25 of Caught Looking

A teddy bear that wanted to get to know me.

And who brushed off the cameras, got me out of there, kept me safe. Damn if that wasn’t hot.

“Can you help me with a wardrobe issue?” Jeri took my hand and started pulling me towards her bedroom. “You can take care of yourself, Butler?”

“I’m good. Roscoe needs lots of pets for being such a good boy.”

“Good man,” she said under her breath, shoved me into her room, and closed the door. “What happened?”

“Exactly what I texted you. We got swarmed with paparazzi at Dottie’s.” I didn’t think that warranted dragging me into her bedroom.

Then she shoved her phone in my face. It was a picture of us at Dottie’s. Holding hands. And that look on Seth’s face? I hadn’t imagined it after all.

“That man is falling for you. Hard.”

My heart skipped several beats as nervous butterflies took off. “You think so?”

Her eyes bugged. “I just saw it for myself with my own two fucking eyes!” she whisper-yelled as she pointed at the living room. “He’s all soft and gooey andoh my god Annalise is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. I can't wait to lick her like an ice cream cone.”

“Seth Butler doesn’t do soft and gooey.”

She shoved the phone back in my face. Okay, so Seth Butler did look soft and gooey. Over me. I sighed. “Is it bad that I want to frame a tabloid photo?”

“You mean this one?” She flipped to the photo of us in Atlanta. The one where he kissed the top of my head and both of us had our eyes closed with a look on each of our faces that was just…exquisite. “Iwant to frame this photo. Is it mutual? Have you kissed him yet? Give me the details!”

“There’s no details to give.” I shoved the photo right back. “Thisjusthappened!”

“Do you,” she made hand gestures that made no sense to anyone but Jeri, “havefeelingsfor him?”

I blushed seventeen shades of red. “The man’s attractive. Especially when he’s rescuing me from cameras.”

“But? Why does it sound like a but is coming?”

“No buts. I’m processing. Look, you told me to ignore the tabloids and throw out what I thought I knew about him. And,” I sighed, “he’s different from what I expected.”

“Told you.”

“So I’m trying to accept that the man I’ve gotten to know is indeed the real Seth Butler.” Because if it were true, I was very much in danger of falling for him. Hard.

“Then you should kiss him. Have amazing sex with him. Have fun with this fake dating thing and make itrealdating. What? Why did you just make that face?” She waved her finger in front of me.

Jeri was one of the few people I could confess my most secret thoughts and feelings to because she was blunt, honest, and didn’t judge people for being people. She only judged them for being assholes.

“He’s had sex with so many women.” And I knew that shouldn’t matter but…I was human! I was a woman! I didn’t want to be a number. I wanted to matter. I hadn’t trusted anyone with my bodyandmy heart at the same time in so long. I didn’t think I could handle another mistake.

“That’swhat has you hung up? Girl. The only number you should worry about is how many women he’s beenin love with.”

And now I felt a prudish two feet tall. I paced away, feeling better that I’d let my fears out. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right. And yet.”

“Oh my god. Annalise Ryan, go look in the mirror while I call a doctor to have your head checked.”

I spun back around. Jeri might be my friend and my captain, but I just might strangle her. “I’m not some shrinking violet. I know he likes how I look. I have eyes. But…what if we do this and it’s messy? Pretend dating is easier. When we break up they’ll write about us and talk about us, but it will fade away. If we turn this real?”

Jeri stared at me, studying me like I was a sculpture she didn’t understand. “Look at it a different way. What if you never break up?”

I blinked. Never break up? Like…fall in love? With a kind man who wears a onesie to dinner and hops curbs to get me to safety?Fuck.It was already too late, wasn’t it?

Jeri put her hands on my shoulders. “Can I give you some friendly advice?”

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