Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 66387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“Good morning,” he says. Dark aviator sunglasses shield his blue eyes, and he’s wearing khaki shorts and a polo shirt.
He looks like he’s on his way to a photo shoot for a men’s cologne advertisement.
“Hello,” I say and push my hair out of my eyes. “Is the royal family aware they have a stalker on their hands?”
He laughs, his straight teeth white against his tanned skin.
“I’m not stalking you.”
“Looks that way to me.”
“You’re the one who said it’s a small town and I’d run into you. And I did, twice in one day.”
“And now again, the very next day.” I gesture for him to follow me up to the house. “How did you manage that, by the way?”
“After you left last night, I asked Jacob where you live.”
I can’t help but give him points for not lying. I like an honest man.
“Were you just going to crawl into bed with me?”
He stops walking, and I turn to face him, surprised to see the frown on his face.
“I’m not an arse,” he says. “I was going to invite you to breakfast. I would have rung, but you refused to give me your number.”
Okay, now I feel like the arse.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m just not a morning person, and I’m taking that out on you. I’m especially horrible when I haven’t slept. Would you like some tea?”
“You have tea?”
“Of course, I do. I’m not an animal.”
His lips twitch, and he walks forward. “Then I’d love some tea, Nina.”
“Excellent. I can even whip together an omelet.” Looks like I’ll be missing the morning yoga class.
“A woman who can cook? Be still my heart.”
Chapter Two
Sebastian
SHE’S RIGHT. IT’S insane that I’m here. I’ve never had to work this hard for a woman’s number before.
It’s bloody frustrating.
And intriguing, all at the same time.
Nina fills a kettle with water and fetches tins of tea from her cupboard, then turns to me with a small smile.
Jesus, she’s beautiful. With her golden hair and bright blue eyes, she might be the loveliest woman I’ve ever seen.
And her sassy attitude just pulls at me.
“Earl Grey or peppermint?” she asks.
“Earl Grey would be wonderful, thank you.”
She nods and builds our teas, and I fill the silence by looking at her cute home.
The house is small, but it has a wall of windows that face the lake. I imagine her sunset view is stunning. In the framed photos set out on shelves, I recognize Jacob’s wife, Grace, along with Willa and Jenna. I’ve met them all in passing.
There’s also a photo of Nina with Christian Wolfe—that’s the connection that’s kept niggling at the back of my mind—and Luke Williams, the movie star, with his wife.
“You’re Christian Wolfe’s sister,” I say and turn to see her pouring hot water into mugs. Americans love their mugs. I’m accustomed to drinking my tea from a teacup, but I won’t complain.
“Guilty,” she replies and narrows her eyes as she plops teabags into the hot water.
“I knew I’d seen you before,” I say, careful to keep my voice calm. I have a feeling this is a sticky conversation for her.
And why wouldn’t it be? I’m sure many a person has tried to get close to Nina because of who her brother is.
I live that life every day.
But I couldn’t care less who she’s related to.
“I’m also his manager and publicist,” she says with a shrug. “Though now that he’s a boring, married man, things have calmed down quite a bit on that front.”
“Less PR to worry about for a married man?” I ask her and take a seat in the chair she gestures to, the one across from her at the little, round table.
“It seems so. Fewer rumors, that’s for sure. And he’s doing less and less press these days.”
“Which is probably easier for him, and less work for you.”
Her eyebrows briefly pinch together, and I want to reach out and smooth my thumb over the lines there, but she quickly recovers and shrugs her shoulder once more.
“You could say that. Why don’t you have security with you?”
Ah, a woman who cuts through the pleasantries and goes straight to the heart of the matter.
I like that very much.
“Because I told them not to come with me, much to everyone’s dismay.”
She adds a teaspoon of sugar to her cup and watches me as she stirs it. “I bet it pissed everyone off.”
“More than you know,” I agree. “But I don’t need them here. I stick close to Jacob’s resort, and few people know I’m here.”
Nina’s smart, I can see that. Her wheels are turning like crazy. And she’s used to the celebrity life—avoiding and dealing with scandal.
It seems my wheels are also turning.
“What do you think of Hollywood?” I ask.
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m curious.”
“Well, it’s not as glamorous as everyone thinks it is.” She sips her tea thoughtfully. “It’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. Window dressing, if you will. No one is the person they show to the media. Except Jennifer Garner. She might be the nicest person in the universe.”