I scratched my head. It was weird how messed up some people were. I mean, if you looked at Jaymeson you would think he didn’t have a care in the world, but now… I just felt bad for him.

“So what is she going to do?”

“Apparently the guy she was with was going to the press himself to deny it. She wants him to take the fall. She claims he was the guilty party.”

“That’s bull shit.” I snorted. “Especially if she was part of it.”

“Well…” Jaymeson took another swig of beer. “She thinks he drugged her. She’s on some pretty serious anti-anxiety meds and pain-killers for fibromyalgia. But she hadn’t taken anything that night because she was having champagne. Granted this was all from her drunken mouth last night as she stumbled around the house. But anyways, she says something was slipped into the champagne.”

“How?”

“The bottle was already opened.”

“Hmm…” I drank the last of my water and closed my eyes, leaning back against the warm sand. “That’s a lot of drama.”

“Tell me about it.”

“That why you don’t wanna whore around anymore?”

Jaymeson laughed. “Part of it. The other part is there is no chance in hell I want to get myself saddled to some chick whose just going to abuse my money and fame. I’d rather be single my entire life than fall in love.”

“Hah!” I burst out laughing. “It’s going to be a great day when you fall, Jaymeson, and believe me, you will.”

“Why the hell would you say that?”

“Because the ones who fight it the most, fall the hardest.”

****

Alyssa and I walked back to the beach house hand in hand. Maybe it was just because of all the crap going on with Jaymeson’s life and then Alec’s issues — I just felt thankful that I at least had Alyssa — we had each other.

“I love you,” I whispered once we were out of earshot of Jaymeson and Angelica.

Alyssa froze and then turned. “How much?”

“Enough to pet a bird,” I said straight-faced.

She giggled and jumped into my arms. I swung her around and found her mouth, crushing my lips against hers with such force I almost stumbled to my knees.

“Well…” She alternated between nibbling and sucking my lower lip. I needed to lean against something strong before I passed out. “I kind of love you a lot too.”

“How much?” With her legs wrapped around me I walked her into the house and slowly ascended the stairs toward my room.

“Enough to return the big bird costume I rented for Halloween.”

“Hilarious.” I fell backwards onto the bed with her on top of me.

“Fine.” She straddled me and leaned down until her lips were a breath away from mine. “I love you enough to never let you go.”

“Even if I do some crazy shit and make you pissed at me?”

“Well, that’s a given. I mean, you are Demetri Daniels.” Her tongue reached out to touch the side of my mouth. My entire body felt like an exposed wire as her nails scratched up my arms and then rested on my chest. “I love you enough to go shut the door.”

“Thank God.”

Chapter Twenty-one

Alec

“This is really pretty,” Nat said as we entered the hotel suite looking out onto the Puget Sound. “I hope we see a whale.”

Laughing, I pulled her against my chest. “A whale, huh? I’m not sure we’re close enough to open water, but we can go whale-watching tomorrow if you really want.”

“I want.”

“I want too…” I kissed her hard on the mouth, allowing the past to evaporate. It was just her and me. My phone buzzed in my pocket.

Nat pulled back. “You should get that.”

“Nah.” I continued my assault, lifting her into my arms and carrying her to the bed. My phone went off again.

“Alec, it could be important. Just get it.” She pushed me away and I relented.

With a curse I looked at the screen.

“Who is it?” Nat asked.

“Um…” I didn’t want to lie, so I shrugged and walked to the outside patio careful to close the sliding doors behind me. “What?” I snapped into the phone.

“Alec, I’m sorry to call you now, but we have a problem.”

My laugh sounded bitter as I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You have a problem. I’m happily a few hundred miles away enjoying my girlfriend. I’ll deal with stuff when I get back.”

“He wants the production company.”

“So?” I focused on the water and bit hard on my lower lip. “He’s wanted that all along. What’s the big deal now?”

“It’s not just about ruining my reputation now, Alec. It’s about yours and Demetri’s.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying as of tonight if I don’t sign over his half of the company, he’s going to go to the press and tell everyone that not only is Demetri… well, you know the sordid tale, I don’t have to repeat it. It makes me sick to repeat it.”

“But we didn’t—”

“—I know.” April sighed on the other end. “I know nothing happened, you know nothing happened. We both know something was in that damn champagne, Alec. We woke up in disarray, pictures were taken—” Her soft sobs broke my heart as I leaned against the railing of the patio and cursed. “How did everything get so messed up? I don’t want Demetri to find out this way. He can’t find out this way! It will destroy him.”