Iwoke to the quiet hum of the city outside my window. For a few delicious seconds, I let myself linger in the memory of last night. Hayes, his hands tracing paths across my skin that made my body remember every nerve ending.
And then reality intruded: the conference. My interview. An entire day of socializing and giving the world the Luna they expect. Good thing I was used to running on next to no sleep. I rolled over, expecting to find a hard, warm body beside me, but only found the cold sheet.
Since we’d met, Hayes had basically only been out of my sight long enough for me to pee, so my heart gave a sad little flip-flop when he wasn’t there.
The hotel room would make a shitty place for hide-and-seek. I could tell from just a glance that I was alone.
Where was he?
My heart rate sped up as I reached for my phone. No messages.No missed calls.
Had he left early? That didn’t make sense. He hadn’t said a word about leaving. My chest tightened as a surge of anxiety wormed its way in.
After we had fooled around the first time, he had asked to be replaced, leaving me unsure of where we stood. Now we had sex, and he disappeared.
Had I misread the situation…again?
I wanted to bang my head against the nearest hard surface, but I’d worked damn hard to get my career to where it was. I’d shoved my introvert tendencies aside and spent the last week on display.
I’d had cameras shoved in my face and influencers trying to paint pictures about my love life, but more importantly, I had shown up for my fans.
I would do the same today, and if Hayes was too preoccupied with being perfect to be mine, well, I’d mend my broken heart tomorrow. Today, I had to be Luna Darling, viral author.
After a quick shower, Hayes still hadn’t returned, and the knot in my stomach tightened. Even so, I dressed in a flowy blouse and skirt, pulled my curls into something resembling an updo, and dabbed on some mascara, blush, and a pretty mauve lipstick I had impulsively bought but never worn. I checked my reflection and forced a smile. Future best-selling author Luna. The one who was witty, funny, and polished in front of fans would need to show up today.
Easier said than done, since I knew everyone would ask about him.
Just as I was gathering my bag, there was a knock on the door. “It’s Gray from Lone Star Security.”
I checked the peephole.
Surely, that was one of Hayes’s rules.
I had met Gray briefly at The Ranch in Valor Springs, so I recognized his face and let him in.
“Ready to go?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Where’s Hayes?”
Gray scratched the back of his neck. “I sent him out on an assignment last night. Came up at the last minute, and he isn’t back yet.”
I studied him hard, trying to detect if this was a cover story or not to no avail.
“So this has nothing to do with him asking to be replaced?”
We stared each other down. He had one hell of a poker face, but I wasn’t about to be left in the dark about something that affected my life. Finally, he took a deep breath. “Whatever happened between you two on that trail ride or in the hotel rooms is none of my business. Until it affects Lone Star Security’s operations. Hayes asked to be replaced, so I replaced him. If you want answers on what comes after today, I don’t have them.”
I mulled that over. This was a conversation I needed to have with Hayes, and conveniently, he wasn’t here. “Fine, let’s go.” I pulled the door shut behind me.
We stopped in the lobby café for a caramel macchiato, extra large because fuck rule five, before heading to the venue.
I set up at my conference table to sign books as I had so many times this week. It was a blur of names, introductions, polite smiles, and nervous small talk.
I answered questions from fellow writers, media, and, of course, fans. I laughed when expected, nodded when necessary, but the absence of my usual shadow was sopotent I could feel it.
When someone asked where Hayes was, I joked that he was off making sure there was nothing on stage I could trip over or being cornered for autographs by rabid romance fans.
It stung less to pretend he was here somewhere.
