“Yeah, but I wanted tonight to be perfect.” Anna’s expression fell. “I feel like every time I encourage you to take a risk, something like this happens, and it backfires. I think I still underestimate what life is like for someone as famous as you.”
“Even when our plans have backfired, I still don’t regret them.”
“Not even Chicago?”
Eden shook her head. “I was upset at the time, partly because I was so tied up in knots about my feelings for you. Being mobbed like that while I was feeling emotionally vulnerable was ... a lot. But I don’t regret it.”
“I do,” Anna admitted. “I’ve been kicking myself ever since for taking you to such a public place and for not noticing sooner that those fans were live streaming us. It could have been a much bigger disaster than it was.”
“It could have, but what I’m trying to say is that I felt like I was sleepwalking through my life before I met you, Anna. I was—as you so eloquently put it—living in a cage. I’d lost my way, and my career slump reflected that. Now ... I’m living again,reallyliving.”
“You’re trying to make me cry in the restaurant now.” Anna swiped at her eyes before reaching for Eden’s hands.
“Just being honest. You’ve shown me that sometimes I have to riskthat”—she nodded toward the group of teens, who had been escorted to a table downstairs but were looking around the restaurant, phones up and clearly on a celebrity hunt—“in order to be happy.”
The waitress approached with their salads, setting a plate in front of each of them.
“Is there anything else I can get for you?” she asked.
Eden decided to take the bull by the horns, so to speak. “You know who we are, right?”
The woman’s eyes widened comically, and then she nodded, her expression somewhat sheepish, as if she’d been busted doing something she shouldn’t. “Yes, ma’am.”
“See that group of teens downstairs?” Eden gestured subtly toward them. “We ran into them earlier today, and while they were very sweet, they’re obviously here looking for us, and we’re just trying to enjoy our dinner. Do you think you could keep them from coming up here?”
The waitress nodded again, looking more assertive now. “Yes, ma’am. I can put up the rope that we use to block the stairs when the loft is closed, and I could also move you to that table over there, where you can’t be seen from the restaurant below?”
“That would be perfect,” Eden told her. “Thank you so much.”
So they moved to a different table. Eden had taken control of the situation in a way that allowed her to stay in the restaurant. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled, relaxing her shoulders as she settled in to enjoy the rest of her dinner.
“Tomorrow, we head to Boston.” Anna stroked a hand through Eden’s hair as they lay together, naked and satisfied, after several sizzling hours in bed. They hadn’t really talked about what would happen once the tour resumed, and now it was time. This week had been magical, but what would their relationship look like once they were back on the road?
“Mm.” Eden snuggled closer against her, eyes closed.
“I’ll miss waking up beside you every morning.” Anna’s heart pinched at the thought.
Eden peeked at her through her eyelashes. “Who says you can’t still do that?”
“Well, I mean ... if I spend the night in your room, our teams would know.”
Eden shrugged. “I made peace with my team knowing every intimate detail of my life a long time ago. They’re discreet.”
“You’re really taking this whole ‘coming out’ thing a lot better than I’d expected,” Anna admitted. “It doesn’t bother you for them to know?”
“Why would it? They adore you, and I’m pretty sure they’re going to be thrilled for us. I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t be.”
Anna sat up, hugging her knees against her chest. She hadn’t really thought about it, but she certainly hadn’t anticipated telling her team right away.
“Is that okay?” Eden sat up, giving Anna a shrewd look. “Because we don’t have to tell anyone, if you’d rather keep it between us for now.”
“I ...” Anna gave her head a quick shake. “I don’t know. I just assumed you would want to keep things private.”
“I do, but keeping it private will be a lot easier with Paris and Taylor’s help. They keep all my dirty secrets for me.” She stuck her tongue out playfully.
What other dirty secrets were they keeping for her? Anna’s stomach squirmed at the thought. “Um ... okay.”
“Areyou okay?” Eden asked. “Because you look a little freaked out.”
