His steps falter. “Did you just call medude?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Your Majesty. Emperor Silver Screen. Or do you prefer Supreme Hot—”
“I prefer Derek.” His eyebrows pull low as we continue to walk at a hurried pace, which is definitely the wrong move if this plan is going to work.
I slow my steps, glad that it only takes a few paces before he notices and slows down to match me. “Just chill, okay?”
“Chill,” he repeats, shaking his head as he does a quick glance behind us. There must not be anyone following us because his shoulders relax a bit. But not enough. He’s makingmenervous, and clearly I have no control over my actions when I’m on edge. “It may come as a surprise, Donovan, but my life is rarelychill.”
“Oh, I’m not surprised at all.”
“No?”
His curious expression makes me chuckle. “When you’re so busy making women swoon with every perfectly delivered line?” I say with mock seriousness. “Of course you don’t have time to chill.”
“You don’t like me.” It’s not a question, and I can’t tell if he hates the fact or not. He seems more confused than anything; he’s used to being fawned over. This guy has spent the bulk of his life being loved bycomplete strangers and likely has no idea what to do when he encounters someone who couldn’t care less.
I bite my lip but fail to fully hold back my grin. “Don’t feel too special. I don’t like anyone.”
He exhales, almost like a laugh but not quite. “So why are you helping me, Donovan?”
“Because my momma taught me to take pity on any poor creatures I come across.” I chuckle when he does that same not-quite-a-laugh exhale. “Oh, would you calm down? I’m obviously kidding.”
“Obvious is a subjective word.” He glances back again, thick eyebrows pulling low. I guess it shouldn’t surprise me, given his profession, but he’s more expressive than I thought he would be. “Do you think they’ll be okay?” he asks.
I shrug. “Chuck’s tougher than he looks. He does the Portal Trail at least twice a year.”
Derek frowns at me. “I don’t know what that is.”
“Bike trail. On a cliffside above the river.”
“Oh. That’s cool. And Hunter will be fine. He deals with this sort of thing all the time.”
So many things I could tease Derek about for that comment,particularly when it comes to his fans, but I refrain. I have to praise my self-control because now that we’re outside and I don’t have to worry about his fans anymore, I’m getting a lot more comfortable. And when I’m comfortable, I tease.
Curious to see if he keeps talking to me, I say, “Your girlfriend, on the other ha—”
“Assistant.”
I snicker. “A little quick to clarify that one, Riley. What are you trying to tell me?”
He groans softly, shaking his head in clear irritation. I’m starting to get on his nerves.Good. It means he’s relaxing too. “Nothing. I don’t like when people believe things that aren’t true.”
“Hmm.” Can’t say that I blame him. Tabloids can be brutal, and some people will believe anything they read on the internet. Sometimes that’s a good thing; it makes the truth easier to hide when it’s masked by all the lies.
“Thanks.”
I look at him, eyebrows shooting high. “What?”
His jaw tightens for half a second before he forces himself to relax again. “I said thank you. For helping me.”
“I didn’t realize celebrities knew that phrase.”
“Thank you?” Lifting an eyebrow, he studies me for a long moment, then stuffs his hands into his pockets and shifts his walk into something more leisurely. It’s less about his speed and more about the way he holds himself, and I’m a little fascinated by how easily he changes his whole bearing. I know he’s an actor and all, but he’s not in front of a camera right now. He must be used to hiding if he’s putting on a show for the likes of me. I’m not sure he even realizes he’s doing it.
“Yeah,” I say, belatedly realizing he asked a question. “In my experience, people like you have never heard of gratitude.”
“Do you encounter a lot of people like me in Moab?”
