Thank God Xander had pulled her against him and rushed for the car.
Xander.
She opened her eyes to find him staring at her, his jaw tight, a muscle throbbing in his temple. She knew in that instant all the progress they’d made over the meal had dispersed with the crowd.
“Why the hell don’t you have a bodyguard?” he asked.
She blew out a long breath. “Because I don’t want to live like that.”
He frowned at her reply. “That’s a case of be careful what you wish for,” he muttered, more than a hint of frustration in his tone.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
He turned toward her. “Do I really need to spell it out for you? You have everything you dreamed of. Now you need to acknowledge it and take care of yourself.”
She glared at him. “Wow, that’s patronizing.”
His serious gaze bore into hers and he grasped her shoulders. “It’s common sense! Do you realize what could have happened if that guy had grabbed you and I hadn’t been there?”
His concern for her was surprising given the distance he’d been keeping. And she didn’t want to consider the scenario he was talking about because he was right. She’d read about celebrities accosted and hurt by crazy fans.
“I’m fine,” she assured him as well as herself.
“But what if you weren’t?” Fire blazed in his blue eyes as his grip on her tightened.
He wasn’t hurting her but his intensity was extreme. And she knew why. Given his military history and the IED blast that had taken him out of commission, he had an overprotective streak for those he cared about. She didn’t delude herself that she was one of those people. Not anymore. But the crush of people and the overeager male fan had triggered him.
She reached up and touched her hand to his cheek, feeling the softness of his beard for the first time. “We’re both safe,” she said softly.
His gaze fell to her lips, and his eyes darkened in a way she recognized. Her heart skipped a beat, and her stomach flipped as awareness settled between them. She leaned in, all the while wondering what she was doing. She’d barely survived losing him the first time. Not that he knew how she’d fallen apart, and she felt certain he’d never believe her if she told him. Because he’d been right. She had put her career front and center.
But with his mouth so close to hers, she couldn’t worry about the past and kissed him before he could change his mind.
He stilled at the touch of her lips to his, and her breath caught as she waited for him to pull away.
He didn’t.
Instead, he turned her against the back seat of the car and took charge, clearly needing to feel in control of himself, of her, and of life in general. One hand cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek while his mouth devoured, his tongue sliding back and forth, tangling with hers.
She’d missed him. Missed this and drowned in his familiar scent and taste. His beard scratched her face and she didn’t care. The sensation aroused her, and she wanted so much more than a kiss in the back seat of a car. But she’d take what she could get and threaded her fingers through his short hair, lightly scratching his scalp and getting a harsh groan in reply.
And then they were jolted when the vehicle came to a stop and the driver spoke. “We’re here.”
“Shit.” Xander jerked himself off her, as if the driver’s words brought reality crashing back.
She didn’t have to look at him to know he regretted the kiss. Her lips still tingled from the brush of his beard; she still tasted his minty flavor in her mouth. And her body would continue to remind her of what she’d lost. He’d been so amped up from escaping the crowd, he’d forgotten how he really felt about her.
He exited the car first. She slid across the seat and stepped out, accepting the hand he offered. Xander Kingston was nothing if not a gentleman.
Then he slammed the door shut and she forced herself to meet his gaze. His closed-off expression told her all she needed to know, and she had no intention of prolonging the inevitable.
“Thanks for dinner and the information about Amanda. I’ll see you on set,” she said, turning to go.
“Wait.” He touched her shoulder, and she glanced back. “I’ll walk you to your room.”
She had no desire for a long goodbye. “Thanks but I’ll be okay.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You hoped for the same thing when we left the restaurant. Humor me,” he said, gesturing for her to go first.
She knew better than to argue, and they headed inside the hotel, walking through the lobby. They reached the elevators, and he stood beside her as she pressed the up button.
She glanced at him. “I’m sure I can get to my room without a problem.”
The doors opened and he stepped inside along with her, subjecting her to his heady body heat and scent in the enclosed space. With a deliberately loud sigh, she pulled her keycard from her purse and watched the floor numbers go upward, waiting in silence while wishing this awkwardness would end.
She had nothing to say and clearly he didn’t either. His one-word curse earlier had been enough.
The elevator stopped, the doors opened, and she strode to her room. She opened the door, planning to turn and tell him to leave, but the sound of familiar voices distracted her.
In the suite sat Cassidy with Rebecca and Dina Addams, her publicist, who was located in LA but had come to the city for meetings this coming week.
“What’s wrong? What is everyone doing here?” Sasha entered the room and Xander stepped in behind her.
“It’s about time you got back! Since when don’t you check your phone?” Rebecca asked.
“I… We were busy talking. What’s going on?” Sasha glanced at her team.
Rebecca, a dedicated career woman at sixty years old, still looked closer to fifty. She wore her hair in a short bob and was the epitome of New York chic. Dina was in her early forties, dressed like she was twenty-five, and handled some of the most famous people in Hollywood.
“Shut the door,” Dina said.
Xander immediately let go and the door closed behind him.
Whatever was going on, Sasha didn’t want him as an audience and turned his way. “As you can see, I’m here and I’m safe. You can go now.”
His scowl deepened and Dina spoke. “Let him stay. He’ll be on set. He should know what’s going on.”
“What is going on? Is someone going to tell me?” Sasha strode over to the cocktail table by the sofa and put her purse down before leveling her team, one by one, with a hard stare.
Cassidy looked the most worried.
“Cass?”
Her friend sighed. “I ordered dinner, and while I was waiting, I took a shower. When I came out, a note had been slipped under the door. I thought it was a bill they’d put for you to look over even though we weren’t checking out soon.” She twisted her hands in front of her.
“It wasn’t?” This came from Xander.
Sasha had almost forgotten he was there. Almost.
“No, it wasn’t.” Dina, who stood by the window, stepped in closer. “You received a note,” she said to Sasha.
“Can I see?”
The other women looked at each other before Dina pulled a sealed plastic bag from her tote. “Just preserving evidence as best I can,” she said.