I don’t get a chance to find out what he thinks of me because Morgan and Zahra inch closer, whispering to each other without looking away from me. Their expressions are familiar ones, so I’m not surprised when Morgan stands up straight and boldly asks, “Could we get a picture with you, Derek? I promise we won’t post it anywhere. It’s just for us.”
I shouldn’t, especially when their request gets a dirty look from Brody before he picks up his bag and heads from the pavilion. He’s still not a fan of mine and likely never will be, and it’s a bad idea to give him any reasons to test the strength of the NDA he signed. Still, it’s hard to say no when the women look so hopeful. “Of course,” I say and ignore the unease that sparks to life in my gut.
Morgan squeals, and the two of them scurry to stand on either side of me. Morgan stuffs her phone into Maverick’s hand and tucks herself under my arm. I usually try to avoid touching my fans, but I wrap both of them up in a side hug as we all smile for the picture.
I make a mental note to have someone keep an eye on Brody for the next few days, just in case he does something stupid.
“It was fun getting to know you all,” I tell them when we separate. “When do you find out who you’re matched with?” I look at Maverick when I ask that, since he’s the one who put the group together.
He shrugs at the same time Morgan says, “Who cares? I have some new besties, and that’s all I need.” She nudges her shoulder into Maverick and takes Zahra’s hand. “I’m definitely going to give WanderLove some feedback when it comes to the actual matching part, but this trip was so fun!”
“I’ll take all the feedback I can get,” Maverick mutters with a roll of his eyes. He gives me a smile, then wanders off toward Emmett only a second before Zahra gasps, her jaw dropping as she watches him go.
“Did he just…?”
“He totally did!” Morgan agrees, and the pair of them chase Maverick.
Huh. I didnotexpect Maverick to come clean like that. At least not this soon. Pulling my notebook out of my pocket again, I flip back to the page with the character study I’ve made for the guy so I can make a note of that twist. There’s something incredibly deep about Maverick, and I’m going to have to build a conversation with him into my schedule sooner than later. I have a feeling there’s a lot more I can learn from him.
“You and that little notebook,” a chiding voice says behind me.
Grinning, I turn and wrap my arm around Donovan’s waist, pulling her against my side. “Hey, don’t knock the notebook,” I complain. Her green eyes lock on mine, bright and vivid as she gazes up at me, and I don’t think I’ll ever get over the feel of her next to me. She fits so perfectly. “At this point, it’s the only thing keeping my head on straight.”
Her nose wrinkles with her smirk. “I thought that was what your assistant was for.”
“That too,” I agree with a grimace. “I can’t imagine what she’s been dealing with this week.”
Lifting an eyebrow, Donovan presses her hand to my chest. “It’s hard to believe you trusted her to take care of everything while you’re gone.”
It feels like a shadow creeps over the pavilion at the same time Cole’s warning about my assistant settles heavy in my stomach. It’s probablyjust piggybacking off my anxiety about Brody, but I don’t like it. “Why do you say that?”
Donovan shrugs. “I dunno. She doesn’t seem to have a lot of backbone.”
Janie has been with me ever sinceHot Scoopstarted targeting my friends, and without her, I wouldn’t have been able to help them as much as I have. “She’s bolder than she seems,” I mutter, though that doesn’t dispel the anxiety building in my chest. Instead of continuing the conversation, I pull Donovan flush against my chest so I can give her a proper hug. She tends to make things better when she’s in my arms.
“I’m supposed to be working right now,” Donovan mutters, unmoving.
Most of the guests have already left, leaving the yard quiet except for the guides chatting as they put gear away. We’re on our own in this corner of the pavilion. “I think they’ll survive a few minutes without you.”
“You have such a low opinion of my importance?” she asks into my chest.
“You know it’s the opposite. I just need you more than they do.”
She snorts. “Only because you basically funded our entire season. By the way, I’m still not a fan of wealth and fame, so I’m going to pretend you have neither for as long as I can.”
Good luck with that, I think, unwilling to say it out loud in case it scares her off. Tightening my hold, I rub my hand across her back as I search for the best way to pose the question I’ve been avoiding since yesterday. I’ll have to ask it sooner or later, but the answer terrifies me. “So what do we do now?” I murmur into her hair.
Donovan’s arms lock around my back, squeezing tight. “I don’t know. I have rivers to run.”
“I have a movie to film.”
And a press tour for a movie premiering in a few weeks. And screen tests for my next project, a script to prepare before the table read, an actors guild meeting to run, friends to check on…
I close my eyes and curse as life catches up to me quickly. How is this going to work? I barely made it out here for this trip, and I might have three open days total in the next two months, none of them consecutive.
“Let’s not overthink this,” Donovan says.
“Too late.”
