Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 99
Estimated words: 96260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96260 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 385(@250wpm)___ 321(@300wpm)
“Just don’t accidentally start an emergency,” he teased, winking at me.
We’d had three of those since the first time. After all, something had to relieve the stress of all the work we were doing with Bryan and Frederick. However, despite having to study nonstop for today, I had no doubt once we were finished with our first major obligation, we’d have to manage the ache in my pants. Admittedly, I hadn’t taken care of it in hopes of saving up for Keeg, specifically because he’d noted how much I came each time he’d swallowed.
We entered the suite where we’d held the practice interviews—a typical tactic to make the setting more familiar, especially to Keegan, who wasn’t used to this sort of media frenzy.
This time, it was packed full, the crew setting up c-stands, lighting, and flags.
“This is another level,” Keeg said, noticing all the people in the room. “The only stuff I’ve done before has been when Jace really got big, and it was like one camera and a reporter. Maybe someone holding a mic.”
“Same principle,” I assured him, enjoying a laugh.
He squeezed my hand gently, in a way that had goose bumps rushing up my arm.
As I turned to him, he shifted his hat with his other hand and said, “What? Can’t I squeeze my boyfriend’s hand?”
“I think he’s just surprised by how much he enjoys it.”
A smile swept across his face, and as it did, I warned myself, Be careful, O.
It seemed the more time we spent together, the more I had to remind myself that I had to have lines, limits. I knew the consequences of caving completely to my natural inclinations, had gone down that path and spent four months at a rehabilitation center because of it.
Although, trying to speculate on what panties Keegan was likely wearing today made me want to throw out all the rules and just have my way with him.
Bryan stepped out of the main bedroom, smiling. “Hey, guys! Come meet Gayle. And we need to take care of makeup.”
We followed him into the adjoining room, where Gayle, who I’d interviewed with plenty of times before, shook hands with Keegan and me. We prepared for the interview before finding ourselves on the sofa, Gayle in a cushioned chair across from us. Gayle was in charge of her ship, calling the shots, including action before turning to us and noticing Keeg and me holding hands once again. She began the interview as she would have any other. The Q&A went well enough, with the sorts of questions Bryan had anticipated. It was evident that it took Keeg a moment to adjust, but he was doing well.
Even his uneasiness was charming, and I had a difficult time believing the public would have any issue warming to him the way I did.
“I think a lot of people are thinking, this kid is nineteen years old,” Gayle finally said. “Prince Owen, you’re going on thirty-two. That’s a big age difference.”
“As we’ve all seen through my past, I’m fairly immature for my age,” I joked.
“Since you’re bringing up your past, I think now might be a good time for me to ask, how do you feel about that, Keegan?”
“His past?” Keeg asked, though he must have known what she was referring to.
I wanted to warn him to stick to the script and everything would be fine.
“Yes,” Gayle went on. “I’m sure you know about his scandals and history with addiction. How do you feel knowing you’re going into a relationship with a man who has this kind of history behind him? Do you really think you’re mentally equipped to handle something if it were to come up?”
Keegan thought for a moment. “That’s in his past, and I think everyone deserves a second chance. I’m not sure what you think I can’t handle because of my age, but I think like most people, I have to deal with life as it happens. There are things I had to deal with as a kid that I wasn’t ready for back then, but I didn’t have a choice, and I had to deal with them anyway. That’s life, isn’t it?”
It wasn’t a response we’d rehearsed, yet it was perfect, and I could see Gayle’s impressed expression as she nodded.
“You’re talking about your own loss of your father?”
“That’s obviously not the only thing that’s ever happened to me,” he said, “but yes, that’s one of them. A big one. I just don’t think you can judge a person’s strength by their age. I think you have to judge it based on how they respond to shit when it hits the fan. Oh, fuck.”
As elegant as his response had been, I could tell he had surprised himself.
“Sorry, Nance,” he said quickly to the screen. “Are you guys gonna bleep that out or something?”