photographers squealed up in two sedans. They spilled out and grabbed cameras from the trunk and backseat.
“Use my car,” Brandon shouted, running with her toward the passenger door. The wind had picked up again and it was hard to hear above the sound. “Get in. I can lose them.”
A scream rose in her throat but she swallowed it as she slid into the seat and he slammed the door. He ran around the front of the car, they had their cameras up. “Brandon, don’t leave! Let us get some pictures,” one of them yelled. “Why do you run? We always catch you.”
Bailey slid lower in her seat, her heart pounding. She hated this, being chased whenever they were in public. She didn’t have it in her to fake a smile, which meant the story would be about them breaking up. She couldn’t handle that. Especially now, whenshe was trying to decide whether she could stay another week in Los Angeles.
Brandon jumped into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and sped into a squealing U-turn away from them. Bailey looked over her shoulder and watched them run back to their cars. “They’re gonna follow us.”
“I’ll lose them.” He sounded angry. “I said I would, Bailey.”
She sat back in her seat, shaken. He’d never talked to her like this, so what was happening between them? He sped across the parking lot and made a dramatic right turn on Pacific Coast Highway. She had no idea where he was going, but it didn’t matter. Suddenly the photographers chasing them weren’t nearly as important as one very obvious detail.
The question marks sucking the oxygen out of his BMW.
Six
B AILEY GLANCED AT B RANDON’S PROFILE AS HE DROVE. HE WAS clearly upset, focused on the road, speeding at the outer limits of safe. The intensity in his jaw told her this wasn’t the time to talk. So she looked straight ahead. Her heart slammed around in her chest, faster and louder than when they’d been running up the sandy beach. Did he really expect her to be fine with this? With paparazzi chasing them along Pacific Coast Highway? Putting their lives in danger?
The moment had an uncanny, terrifying resemblance to the ones Dayne Matthews had once lived with. It was a time like this that had caused Dayne’s nearly fatal accident on this very highway. She tried to breathe deeply, but she couldn’t. Her heart raced faster than before. If the constant danger caused by the photographers wasn’t trouble enough, there were the lies splashed across the tabloids.
Brandon shot her a quick, serious look. “I’m taking you out on my yacht.”
She blinked and shifted so she could see him better. “You have a yacht?”
His face relaxed a little. “Yes.” He smiled and it erased some of the anger in his eyes. “I thought I told you.”
“Uh,” Bailey uttered a bewildered sort of laugh. “No. You never told me.”
“I don’t use it much.” He set his jaw again, glanced in the rearview mirror, and returned his eyes to the road once more. “Ourfirst time out shouldn’t be like this.” He sighed. “I was going to surprise you with the trip today. The captain lives in Marina del Rey, and he’s already on board, fueled up and ready to go.”
Bailey felt the air around her grow thinner. He had planned this? A trip on his yacht? How could she tell him she might leave Monday for Bloomington when he cared so much, when he would do anything to connect with her and talk to her? She cracked the window and tried to take a full breath.
“What?” He didn’t sound angry like before, but he wasn’t happy. “Why the whole window thing? You’re still worried about those guys.” He clenched his teeth. “We’ve lost them. I told you … trust me.”
“I’m not worried.” She craned her neck around and searched the two-lane highway behind them. If they were still being chased, for the moment Brandon had lost them. No frantic drivers appeared to be gaining ground on Brandon’s car. Bailey faced the front once more. She
“Use my car,” Brandon shouted, running with her toward the passenger door. The wind had picked up again and it was hard to hear above the sound. “Get in. I can lose them.”
A scream rose in her throat but she swallowed it as she slid into the seat and he slammed the door. He ran around the front of the car, they had their cameras up. “Brandon, don’t leave! Let us get some pictures,” one of them yelled. “Why do you run? We always catch you.”
Bailey slid lower in her seat, her heart pounding. She hated this, being chased whenever they were in public. She didn’t have it in her to fake a smile, which meant the story would be about them breaking up. She couldn’t handle that. Especially now, whenshe was trying to decide whether she could stay another week in Los Angeles.
Brandon jumped into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and sped into a squealing U-turn away from them. Bailey looked over her shoulder and watched them run back to their cars. “They’re gonna follow us.”
“I’ll lose them.” He sounded angry. “I said I would, Bailey.”
She sat back in her seat, shaken. He’d never talked to her like this, so what was happening between them? He sped across the parking lot and made a dramatic right turn on Pacific Coast Highway. She had no idea where he was going, but it didn’t matter. Suddenly the photographers chasing them weren’t nearly as important as one very obvious detail.
The question marks sucking the oxygen out of his BMW.
Six
B AILEY GLANCED AT B RANDON’S PROFILE AS HE DROVE. HE WAS clearly upset, focused on the road, speeding at the outer limits of safe. The intensity in his jaw told her this wasn’t the time to talk. So she looked straight ahead. Her heart slammed around in her chest, faster and louder than when they’d been running up the sandy beach. Did he really expect her to be fine with this? With paparazzi chasing them along Pacific Coast Highway? Putting their lives in danger?
The moment had an uncanny, terrifying resemblance to the ones Dayne Matthews had once lived with. It was a time like this that had caused Dayne’s nearly fatal accident on this very highway. She tried to breathe deeply, but she couldn’t. Her heart raced faster than before. If the constant danger caused by the photographers wasn’t trouble enough, there were the lies splashed across the tabloids.
Brandon shot her a quick, serious look. “I’m taking you out on my yacht.”
She blinked and shifted so she could see him better. “You have a yacht?”
His face relaxed a little. “Yes.” He smiled and it erased some of the anger in his eyes. “I thought I told you.”
“Uh,” Bailey uttered a bewildered sort of laugh. “No. You never told me.”
“I don’t use it much.” He set his jaw again, glanced in the rearview mirror, and returned his eyes to the road once more. “Ourfirst time out shouldn’t be like this.” He sighed. “I was going to surprise you with the trip today. The captain lives in Marina del Rey, and he’s already on board, fueled up and ready to go.”
Bailey felt the air around her grow thinner. He had planned this? A trip on his yacht? How could she tell him she might leave Monday for Bloomington when he cared so much, when he would do anything to connect with her and talk to her? She cracked the window and tried to take a full breath.
“What?” He didn’t sound angry like before, but he wasn’t happy. “Why the whole window thing? You’re still worried about those guys.” He clenched his teeth. “We’ve lost them. I told you … trust me.”
“I’m not worried.” She craned her neck around and searched the two-lane highway behind them. If they were still being chased, for the moment Brandon had lost them. No frantic drivers appeared to be gaining ground on Brandon’s car. Bailey faced the front once more. She
Similar Books
