Page 16 of An Accidental Love Affair

She dipped her head. “Thank you.”

He glanced around the room one last time. “Are you ready to go?”

She picked up her bag. “I’m good.” She moved toward the door, but he stopped her.

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“Nicole?” He reached out, taking the bag from her shoulder. She glanced over at him, a question in her eyes. “I know I put my foot in my mouth earlier. I’m sorry.”

She was suddenly blinking away the extra moisture in her eyes. “I could say I’m okay with it, but you hurt my feelings.”

He slung her pack over his shoulder and stepped close, cupping her cheek with one hand. “My lady,” he drawled like the finest courtier, “I will endeavor to never again be so insensitive.” He leaned down and placed his mouth, soft but firm, against hers.

The kiss was gentle, sweet, and too short to her way of thinking. When it ended and they were on their way out the door, all she wanted to do was kiss him again, and again, and again.

Chapter 3

Reece opened the front door, glancing up and down the street before taking Nicole’s hand, leading her out of the house.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked, dragging her feet and scanning for the nosy paparazzi.

“What?”

“Should we be seen together? The furor from the last story has barely begun to die down. Why stir it up again?”

He stopped walking. “Do you want to go with me or not?”

“Of course I do, it’s just . . .”

He lifted their entwined fingers to his mouth, lightly kissing her knuckles. “You have to trust me. I know what I’m doing.” He knew they were being watched. He’d seen the camera flashes in his peripheral vision. He was used to his every move being documented and was trying to be extra careful with what he did or didn’t allow the photographers to capture.

He knew what being in the spotlight did to your life and the lives of the people around you. He didn’t want her to suffer unduly because of their association.

Association wasn’t a strong enough word to describe what was growing between them. A budding friendship, a flirtation . . . He would describe them this way, but the paparazzi, which he knew well, could take the most innocent of actions and turn them into something scandalous. And his adoring public would believe it all as if it was the gospel truth.

He led her down the street to the corner where he’d parked his car, a 1985 Toyota Corolla.

Nicole stopped at her first sight of the vehicle. “Dude, with all your money, this is the car you drive?”

Reece held open the passenger side door. “I like to keep things on the down low.”

She snorted. “Yeah, very down low.”

He laughed. “Don’t hate on this car. My mum says I was conceived in it.” He held the passenger door open for her, noticing her silence at his statement.

“Where are we going?” she asked, just before he shut the door.

“I’m not telling you,” he said, walking around the front of the car and getting in the driver’s seat.

“Why not?”

He smirked over at her. “The word surprise means leaving things in the dark until the appropriate moment.”

She stared out the window in sudden apprehension. Why was he being so mysterious? Was she making a huge mistake going off with him?

“Would you like to listen to some music?” he asked, turning on the radio.

She turned back. “Sure. Do you want to listen to anything in particular?”

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