Liam put his arm around Chloe, drawing her close as they came to a halt under the canopy. “Hey, guys. How’s it going?”
She slipped her arm around his waist and turned her face up to him, hoping and praying he’d take it from here because she had no idea what to say right now.
“MissAnderson, what’s it like to date a movie star?”
Liam chuckled, gazing down on her like a man madly in love. “Absolutely crazy, I’m sure. But hopefully worth it.”
“Definitely worth it.” She told her smile to widen. Her eyes to soften on Liam. But his come-hither look had just melted her bones into the sidewalk so she couldn’t be sure either of those things actually happened.
Liam turned back to the photographers, holding up the bag. “Two crime novels for me and a beach read for her. Have a great day, folks.”
Chapter 17
It was so quiet in the car, Liam might’ve been wearing a pair of muted AirPods.
The run-in with the paps had gone pretty well. If Chloe seemed a little dazed, that could easily be attributed to her inexperience in the spotlight. As for Liam, he’d simply gone through the motions, his acting skills coming through for the win because his heart had definitely not been in it.
He hadn’t been able to get Chloe’s words out of his mind. Still couldn’t.“I’m not about to fall for Liam. He’s nice to look at, but he’s the opposite of what I’m searching for in a man.”Even the memory of those words made him flinch.
Not that he had any designs on Chloe. They’d only known each other two and a half weeks, and their lives were worlds apart in more ways than one. But they’d spent many hours together during those days. And pretending to be a couple in public and on the movie set had allowed them to bond more quickly than they would’ve otherwise. He’d started thinking of her as a friend. But just because he’d begun to enjoy her company didn’t mean she was doing the same. She was in this “relationship” for her own reasons.
“—the opposite of what I’m searching for in a man.”He had no reason to feel sucker punched by her words.
And yet he did.
It couldn’t be more obvious who Chloe’s perfect man was. And it was just as obvious that Liam could never measure up to the paragonshe’d created. Not that he wanted to for Chloe’s sake, but he did want to be that man for someone, someday.
Didn’t he?
“Thank you again for the book,” Chloe said quietly from the passenger seat.
“You’re welcome.”
It was obvious she felt bad about what she’d said and was trying to make up for it. But nothing she’d said was untrue. Tabloid spin aside, his record with women spoke for itself. As for all the doting fans who claimed they wanted to marry him, they wouldn’t really want that.
The truth pierced his chest. Deep down he wanted to be the kind of man Ledger was... He just had no idea how to get there. Acting like him was one thing; being like him another.
He breathed a quiet sigh as he pulled into Chloe’s drive, ready to dispel the awkward tension and get this day behind him.
But instead of opening her door, Chloe turned toward him. “Liam, I owe you an apology. I’m sorry about what I said to Meghan. I didn’t—”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. It was callous and uncalled for and— Would you look at me?”
At her plea he turned and zeroed in on her features. Sadness turned down the corners of her mouth. Regret lined her brow. If that wasn’t enough, tears filled her liquid blue eyes. Something inside him went soft.
“I’m truly sorry. You’ve been nothing but kind to me, and you have some very excellent qualities that, quite frankly, you don’t get enough credit for. I’m just getting acquainted with you.” She touched his chest. “But I already realize there’s a man inside here the rest of the world should know.”
His stomach tightened at her heartfelt words. He hoped it was true. He wanted it to be. And he hated seeing her so sad. So un-Chloelike. He brushed away the tear that trickled down her cheek. “Thanks for saying that.”
Her hand patted his chest ever so lightly, her gaze searching his. “Do you forgive me?”
“Yes, you’re fine, Chloe. Don’t give it another thought.”
Her smile wobbled. “Friends?”
“Of course.” He offered her a grin. “And hey, let’s cross our fingers the paps will give it a rest for a while, huh?”
