bonded with anyone the way I have with you. I know we’ve only known each other a short time but I feel like you’re my soul mate. A platonic soul mate.’
Danny reached over and took Ella’s hand.
‘Being my girlfriend won’t be easy,’ Danny said slowly. ‘You’ll have to abide by Aaron’s hundreds of rules, the press may want to know things about you, and you’ll be in the spotlight.’
Ella thought about this for a moment. ‘How did the other girls deal with it?’ she asked, and Danny laughed.
‘That was the bit they liked the most,’ he said. ‘They wanted to be famous by association, and because I felt like I was using them, I didn’t really mind. They thought I was distant and unaffectionate, but in return they got to have their photos in the papers, and one of them even went on a reality TV show.’
‘I’m not that kind of girl,’ Ella began, but Danny interrupted her.
‘Darling, if you were, you’d have insisted we move into my plush hotel rather than staying in your slummy beach bungalow,’ he grinned.
‘So will you let me help you?’ Ella asked, and Danny nodded.
‘Let’s see where it takes us,’ he said. ‘I love hanging out with you and I feel like I can tell you anything, so it’s practically a relationship anyway. Just one without sex.’
‘Okay then, deal,’ Ella said, and she shook Danny’s hand up and down.
‘You’re amazing, you know that?’ Danny said, and Ella laughed.
‘Damn right I am,’ she replied, and as Danny kissed her hand, she wondered if – however unconventional it was – she had found a happy ending.
‘Do I look all right?’ Ella whispered to Danny, as they entered the ballroom of The Dorchester. She was wearing a Versace gown in white silk-crepe, and with the barely there nude inserts and low back, she felt slightly naked. Her Givenchy beige leather sandals were ridiculously high, and her hands sweated against her Valentino eggshell tulle clutch. She looked sensational, but she didn’t normally dress so revealingly. Aaron had insisted she look knockout, and she hated to let him – or Danny – down.
‘Babes, you look sensational,’ Danny murmured into her ear, as he led Ella through the room. All eyes were on them, and Ella felt a little wobbly. This was her first official event at Danny’s side – they were there to help launch a new range of football boots by Putto, the manufacturer that sponsored Danny – and she felt out of her depth. She plastered on a smile, and quickly looked at her husband. Despite his broad grin and relaxed air, she knew he felt even more uncomfortable than she did. For some reason Danny just hadn’t wanted to come tonight, and Aaron had practically had to force him into a tux and out of the house. Ella didn’t know why.
‘It’s so great that you could both be here!’ chirruped Bailey Brinton, the blonde American PR girl for Putto, the Italian makers of the best football boots in the world. ‘We’ve got loads of photo sessions lined up, and a couple of journalists want to interview you too. Hope that’s okay!’ she said, and Ella knew it wasn’t a question. Danny was paid to rhapsodise about just how great Putto was, and Ella was there to help. It was their job for the evening.
‘It’s good to be here,’ Danny said stiffly, and Ella squeezed his hand. She didn’t quite know what had got into him, and hadn’t ever seen him moody like this. He was normally so cool, and never let anything faze him. Luckily Bailey didn’t notice.
‘We’ve got loads of press here, ranging from the nationals to the football magazines, and we’ve even got a bloggers’ room. We have loads of editors from football and celebrity sites trying on the collection and taking photos of it. Tonight’s going to have awesome coverage everywhere.’
Danny’s grin froze, and then slid slowly into a frown. This time Bailey caught his expression, and she paused uncertainly.
‘It’s going to be brilliant,’ Ella
Danny reached over and took Ella’s hand.
‘Being my girlfriend won’t be easy,’ Danny said slowly. ‘You’ll have to abide by Aaron’s hundreds of rules, the press may want to know things about you, and you’ll be in the spotlight.’
Ella thought about this for a moment. ‘How did the other girls deal with it?’ she asked, and Danny laughed.
‘That was the bit they liked the most,’ he said. ‘They wanted to be famous by association, and because I felt like I was using them, I didn’t really mind. They thought I was distant and unaffectionate, but in return they got to have their photos in the papers, and one of them even went on a reality TV show.’
‘I’m not that kind of girl,’ Ella began, but Danny interrupted her.
‘Darling, if you were, you’d have insisted we move into my plush hotel rather than staying in your slummy beach bungalow,’ he grinned.
‘So will you let me help you?’ Ella asked, and Danny nodded.
‘Let’s see where it takes us,’ he said. ‘I love hanging out with you and I feel like I can tell you anything, so it’s practically a relationship anyway. Just one without sex.’
‘Okay then, deal,’ Ella said, and she shook Danny’s hand up and down.
‘You’re amazing, you know that?’ Danny said, and Ella laughed.
‘Damn right I am,’ she replied, and as Danny kissed her hand, she wondered if – however unconventional it was – she had found a happy ending.
‘Do I look all right?’ Ella whispered to Danny, as they entered the ballroom of The Dorchester. She was wearing a Versace gown in white silk-crepe, and with the barely there nude inserts and low back, she felt slightly naked. Her Givenchy beige leather sandals were ridiculously high, and her hands sweated against her Valentino eggshell tulle clutch. She looked sensational, but she didn’t normally dress so revealingly. Aaron had insisted she look knockout, and she hated to let him – or Danny – down.
‘Babes, you look sensational,’ Danny murmured into her ear, as he led Ella through the room. All eyes were on them, and Ella felt a little wobbly. This was her first official event at Danny’s side – they were there to help launch a new range of football boots by Putto, the manufacturer that sponsored Danny – and she felt out of her depth. She plastered on a smile, and quickly looked at her husband. Despite his broad grin and relaxed air, she knew he felt even more uncomfortable than she did. For some reason Danny just hadn’t wanted to come tonight, and Aaron had practically had to force him into a tux and out of the house. Ella didn’t know why.
‘It’s so great that you could both be here!’ chirruped Bailey Brinton, the blonde American PR girl for Putto, the Italian makers of the best football boots in the world. ‘We’ve got loads of photo sessions lined up, and a couple of journalists want to interview you too. Hope that’s okay!’ she said, and Ella knew it wasn’t a question. Danny was paid to rhapsodise about just how great Putto was, and Ella was there to help. It was their job for the evening.
‘It’s good to be here,’ Danny said stiffly, and Ella squeezed his hand. She didn’t quite know what had got into him, and hadn’t ever seen him moody like this. He was normally so cool, and never let anything faze him. Luckily Bailey didn’t notice.
‘We’ve got loads of press here, ranging from the nationals to the football magazines, and we’ve even got a bloggers’ room. We have loads of editors from football and celebrity sites trying on the collection and taking photos of it. Tonight’s going to have awesome coverage everywhere.’
Danny’s grin froze, and then slid slowly into a frown. This time Bailey caught his expression, and she paused uncertainly.
‘It’s going to be brilliant,’ Ella
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