Page 7 of Playing for Keeps
Cleo blinks. “Wait, I thought your sister was coming to bid on you?”
“She was,” Wyatt says with a sigh. “But she asked Ivy to come in her place.”
He rises from his seat and offers me his hand. I take it, letting him help me to my feet.
“I’m not talking to anyone else tonight,” he says to Cleo. “I’ve done my part.” He turns to me, squeezing my hand. “Ready?”
I nod, but as we pass Cleo, she steps forward again.
“Wyatt, you’re the face of the charity. You can’t just walk out.”
“I’ve done my part by showing up,” he replies coolly. “There are plenty of people here to mingle with. I think they’ll survive without me.” She opens her mouth to argue, but Wyatt lifts his free hand to cut her off. “We’re leaving, Cleo. I’ll catch up with you next week.”
I offer her a polite smile as we pass, but she doesn’t return it. Guilt tugs at me as we walk away, and I can’t help but wonder if he’s only leaving because of me.
Once we reach the hotel foyer, I stop and tug Wyatt’s hand to get his attention. He turns toward me, his eyebrows lifting.
“Wyatt, if you need to stay… I don’t want you leaving because of me.”
He gives a small smile and shakes his head. “Trust me, Ivy. I can’twaitto get out of here.”
I smile and nod, then glance up at him. “Wyatt… what exactly did Cleo mean about the paparazzi? What has Ash signed me up for?”
He groans. “She didn’t tell you?”
“No,” I laugh. “Should I be worried?”
“It’s just dinner, for the auction winners,” he says. “But there’ll be press there and paparazzi, maybe a couple of interviews. It’s all to raise the charity’s profile. They’ll want photos of us together and might ask a few questions.” He meets my eyes. “Is that okay with you?”
A flutter of nerves twists in my stomach. I’m not exactly a spotlight kind of person. Ash has always been the outgoing one. Now it makes sense why she conveniently left those details out. She knew I’d freak and say no.
But it’s too late to back out now, and the last thing I want to do is leave Wyatt hanging.
“Yeah,” I say with a small nod. “Just… don’t let them corner me alone. I’ll probably blurt out something ridiculous.”
He smiles warmly. “I’ll be right by your side, I promise. The press can be intense, but we’ll get through it together.”
“When is it, anyway?” I ask, realizing I’ve been so caught up in the moment that I never even thought to ask.
“The weekend after next. I was thinking I could drive us back up here and you can crash at my place again if that works for you.” His tone is unsure, and I can tell he’s not any more thrilled about the public attention than I am.
I sigh to myself. It’s my birthday that weekend, not that Wyatt would have any idea, but Ash definitely does. There’s no way she knew the charity dinner would land on that exact date… right? I squeeze his hand and offer a reassuring smile. “That works for me.”
He chuckles. “It doesn’t really, but thanks for going along with it. I seriously owe you, Ivy.”
Even if talking to the press isn’t exactly my idea of fun, there are definitely worse ways to spend my birthday weekend. I’ve always gotten along well with Wyatt, and he’s ridiculously good-looking, even if he’s only ever seen me as his sister’s friend. I can live with that. I’ve gotten good at being invisible around guys. Wyatt is no different.
CHAPTER THREE
Wyatt
My mind’s reeling as I guide Ivy through the hotel foyer, her hand tucked securely in mine. She was the last person I expected to see walking up onto that stage tonight, but I can’t deny how glad I am that she did. When I told her she looked incredible, I meant it, and I definitely noticed the soft blush that crept into her cheeks when I said it.
I’m not entirely sure why her hand is still in mine. I’ve never held her hand before tonight, and I can’t explain why I haven’t let go yet. But I don’t, not until we step outside.
“Should I grab my car?” she asks, looking up at me. “I left my overnight bag in the trunk.”
“Yeah, of course. The bar’s just around the corner from my place. We’ll swing by and drop your car off first.”
