Page 80 of The One With the Mountain Man

He crossed his arms over his chest. "So this is a PR stunt."

"Essentially. Look, I get that you're upset about her situation, but this will help. I promise this is the first step in a plan we've put together to calm the fanbase before the book comes out."

Jackson glared.

"It's fine," I managed to say even though air was beginning to feel harder and harder to draw into my lungs.

"Then let's get on with it," Alex, the shorter of the security team said.

They put me inside the circle of their bodies so that anyone who happened down the hallway wouldn't be able to see me. As we rode the elevator, I felt Georgie and Moses and Adam squeezed in there with us. It was just as cramped in the car.

Jackson kept his fingers threaded through mine, his other clasped on top. His other knee bounced as we rode the fifteen miles from the hotel to the bookstore. He almost didn't look like himself. No hat, not even boots. Instead, he wore an expensive looking white dress shirt and dark gray slacks with his usual silver watch. He could have stepped out of a magazine or a boardroom. His neck appeared to be slightly too thick for the shirt, not that I was complaining about the top button being undone. It made me want to run my hands down his shirt, undoing them all. I wanted to ask about the clothes, where they came from, when he wore them, but my mouth was too dry from the combination of anxiety and lust.

When we pulled up the crowd was a lot larger than a hundred people.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," Jackson growled.

There were signs. Books. Posters. They were chanting something about freeing a shadow.

"Go around back," Jackson ordered.

"We can't, sir. They've surrounded the car. We're waiting on police to help with the crowd."

We sat there like a turtle in the road as officers cleared the sidewalk in front of the bookstore, all while my heart pounded away like my own personal Edgar Allen Poe poem.

"Guess word got out," Felicity muttered.

"You think?" Jackson shot back.

"Jackson."

He kissed my temple. "I'm just worried, darlin'."

"It's thirty steps from the car to the door. Security is manning the door and three officers will escort us there," Felicity said, her phone pressed to her ear, repeating the information she was getting.

Jackson's hand tightened on mine, and I started to lose feeling in some of my fingers, but I didn't care. I needed to feel him, it was keeping me from freaking out.

"They're ready," Felicity said, her hand on the door handle, the police officers standing just outside the window.

"Let's go," I whispered.

As the door opened, the roar of the crowd rushed in at us. It was deafening. So Jackson pressed his lips to my ear. "Wait for me." He slipped out after Felicity and stood there glaring at the crowd before he reached back for my hand. Then he used his large body to shield me from as much of the crowd as possible, all while holding me close. The police formed a triangle around us with Felicity and Alex at the back. Jackson's head was on a swivel, scanning the crowd with each step.

To my surprise no one pushed closer. Mostly, I was sure, because of Jackson. He stood tall and confident, in a way that made most sane people realize they were outmatched. The door to the shop opened and we were swallowed inside the much quieter shop.

My ticketed audience for the afternoon stood around with shocked expressions on their faces as they scanned the windows with dozens upon dozens of fans pressing their faces to the windows. We were like animals at a zoo.

Which was a shame because the bookstore was lovely. Two stories of wooden beams and bookcases, a bright green rug, and books everywhere. I wanted to enjoy it but doubted I would.

"Given the uh, unprecedented audience, we thought it would be best to move everything into our reading room upstairs. Would that be all right?" Jessica, the shop owner, wrung her hands as she spoke.

Now that I was inside, I could take a breath and switched into author mode. My feelings could wait until later. "I think that's a wonderful idea. How are you holding up?"

She jumped as someone pounded on the window and shouted, "Finish the damn book!"

I grabbed Jackson's hand before he could move, stopping him from doing something he'd regret.

Jessica's eyes were as wide as saucers. "How am I holding up? How areyouholding up?"

---