As they rounded the block to her brownstone, a crowd overflowed the sidewalk in front of her home, spilling onto the street. Lights flashed as people lifted cameras over the crowd and snapped photos of the car.
“What the hell?” She leaned forward and peered out the window. Her heart caught in her throat.
“Get down, Skye,” Forest said in a rumbly baritone. He yanked on her shoulder, trying to drag her away from the window. Then, he flinched when he realized what he’d done.
A man with a camera shoved a lens against the blacked-out window as the car rolled to a stop. The flash caught her in the eyes, blinding her. Her name was called out over and over again.
“Fuck,” Forest said.
Flash after flash flickered as the crowd mobbed them.
“Don’t worry; I can get you inside.” Forest huffed a laugh, but his lower lip trembled. “Wrap your arm around me and stick to my side. I’ll get a security team over here to help once we’re inside.”
She stared at her brother, stunned.He wanted her to touch him?From the car to the front door was well over twenty feet.Would he last that long?
“Bean, we don’t have to stay. We can go to a hotel.”
“It’s late, and all your stuff for work is in there, right?”
She nodded.
“I’m a fucking giant. Who better to protect you?”
“But—”
“I’ve been facing a lot of my fears lately. Someday, I’d like to be able to give you a hug without breaking into a cold sweat or…you know. Let’s start now.”
It wasn’t the cold sweats she was worried about. It was the meltdown that was sure to follow. This was a horrible idea.
“Okay, how do you want to do this?”
“I’ll go first.” His voice shook with rising anxiety, but he seemed determined to get her inside. “Hold on to my belt, and don’t let go. They shouldn’t touch you if they obey the law. I’ll shove right on through those bastards. But have your keys ready.”
She fished through her backpack and lifted her keys into the air. “Got them.”
“Okay.” He signaled to the driver. “Go.”
As the driver opened the door, a cacophony of noise descended on them. Forest used his body to form a blockade while she got out of the car. She wrapped an arm around his waist, threading her fingers through his belt loop. As she pressed against him, his entire body stiffened, and his breathing hitched. Tremors vibrated through the fabric of his shirt as he struggled to control his breathing. Her physical closeness overwhelmed him, and she tried to pull away, but he clamped a hand over hers, pulling her forward.
A voice called out from behind them, “When’s the baby due?”
Her head whipped up. “What?”
Forest growled, “Ignore them. Don’t respond.” With that, he tucked her under his arm, increasing their physical contact.
Cameras were thrust in her face, and light flashed in her eyes.
Voices called out random questions.
“Is Blaze with you?”
“Is this the end of the band?”
“Is it true that Blaze was high when you were married? Was this a drunken binge?”
“How long have you been seeing each other?”
The questions bombarded her, a wall of chaos she couldn’t process. People pressed in close, screaming above their colleagues. Forest defended, pushing those too aggressive out of the way. He lifted and dragged her up the steps when she became overwhelmed.
