Page 70 of The Love Dare
He can take it.
“What time is it?” She yawns into the collar of his jacket.
He lifts his arm. “Six fifteen.”
Winnie sighs and turns her face to the sky, which is already a warm, sunny blue. She slips off her glasses and rubs at the lenses with her sleeve. The source of the condensation becomes clear—morning dew. “We should probably get back inside.”
“Probably,” he agrees, but makes no move to let go.
She turns to him with a wry smile. “I can’t exactly stand when you’re holding on to me like a very large, very cute koala.”
“I know. I just want one more minute with you all to myself. We have another one of those god-awful ceremonies tonight, and I just—” He breaks off with a sigh, then his eyes go wide. Deep in the dark depths of his pupils a lightbulb flares to life. “Let’s just leave,” he blurts, turning to her with the most adorably earnest expression. “Let’s just go. What’s the worst they can do?”
Winnie tilts her chin with a pointed air. “Sue us.”
He waves it off. “I have lawyers.”
“Well, I don’t.” She snorts. “Besides, it’s like four weeks. Whatever they’re going to throw at us, we can handle it. I’m not going to let you ruin your reputation with your fans. They want to see you fall in love.”
“They will,” he says matter-of-factly. “I did. With you. Story’s over.”
“Ty.”
“What?”
“Ty.” She arches her brows.
His lips droop into the petulant frown of a guilty little boy. “What?”
“You know what.” She tries to sit up but he’s still got her in an iron grip. What the heck is he lifting these days? The man is pure muscle. “What about my reputation? I know I’m not nearly as famous as you, but I’ve got a business and I need to protect it. The women who watch this show are my ideal audience, andif they think I’ve cheated them out of a real romance after they invested so long, well, I’m totally screwed.”
A frustrated growl rumbles deep in his chest. “Fine.”
“Everything’s going to be okay,” she murmurs, his stubble rough against her palm as she looks deep into his crystalline eyes. “Like you just said. What’s the worst they can do?”
He narrows his eyes, then relents. With a quick kiss, she crawls off his lap. They pass two bleary-eyed cameramen as they walk hand in hand back to the lobby.
I guess that answers that.
Heat creeps up her neck at the memory of what those fathomless black lenses probably captured.
I won’t be embarrassed.
Nope.
Hell no.
Not today.
It was the best freaking night of her life, and she won’t let anything—not even the thought of ten million people seeing her orgasm—take that away.
Ty pulls her against his side, keeping their hands joined as he drapes his arm across her shoulders and whispers, “I love it when you blush.”
She bites her lower lip, fighting back a smile. “New kink?”
“Nah.” He grins. “Oldest kink in the book. But—” He lowers his voice. “Itisthe first time I’m watching you blush at the memory of my hands on your body, and that is definitely something I could get used to.”
The warmth on her cheeks deepens.
