“Barbie’s at our house.” Probably snooping to find more not-actually-Ethan sketches. “We have to go.” Em gave a pointed glance to the exit. “Right now.”
Ethan chuckled, the sound trailing over the fine hairs of her arms in the same delicious way the raspberry sauce tasted.
That, right there, the way her body reacted? That was why they could never be friends.
Chapter Seven
ETHAN
There wasan electric buzz in the southern California air surrounding Ethan. The air that was also thick with the scent of hairspray, perfume, cologne and even sweat from the glitzy celebrities who came before him, and a little also from those who followed behind. Others might not enjoy this type of thing, but it was definitely Ethan’s bag. It wasn’t the attention, mind.
No, it was what the attentionmeant.
He loved food and he loved sharing that love of food. For a time, it’d slipped through his fingertips. And now,thiswas the smell and the feel of his return.
So even as the California sun beat down on him in his pseudo-tuxedo, he didn’t care about the discomfort of the heat. And he didn’t wear sunglasses, but not as a style choice. No, he was there to show his face and scope out a possible fake girlfriend accomplice. That’s exactly what he intended to do.
He’d had his hair professionally styled, which was silly since it looked exactly the same as whenhestyled it—if you asked him.
The rapid-fire sound of camera shutters clicked as paparazzi shouted names of the others on the carpet with him. A fair number of them were calling for him, too, which made a bloke feel good.
“Over here! Ethan!”
“Ethan Greene! This way!”
Ethan had no idea where the shouts came from so he turned one way, then the next. With one hand in his slacks pocket, he pivoted on his heel exactly as he was taught early in his career.
Smile plastered. Small wave. Cheeky grin.
Four steps forward and do it again.
“Ethan Greene! How’s the wife hunt?”
That had him cringing inside. He did his best not to let it show on the outside, too. He wouldn’t fuck up the last-minute opportunity Jack landed him to walk the red carpet for this premiere in Hollywood. He had no real idea what the movie was about. It didn’t factor in the invitation.
So he skipped town for Hollywood and Annie got to do an impromptu sleepover at Jack’s house with his stepdaughter.
“DateMeCelebrity Dad!” A woman shouted from behind the line of cameras.
He couldn’t see her at first, not with all the flashes blinding his vision. But he caught sight of her as she tossed herself through the mayhem and managed to break through the barrier to the red carpet.
Damn, this woman was committed. This, right here, was why he needed to make this hashtag nonsense stop.
Cute as a button, she was, but he tended not to entangle himself with fans who shirked security and begged him for a date. Then again, he didn’t entangle himself with anyone. And she wouldn’t be able to handle the fake aspect of his proposal, that was certain.
She landed at his feet with athudand while his instincts said to move away, he couldn’t leave her there tumbled into a ball like that. He stepped forward to help her up with the security that had gathered.
Someone near them shouted about how he should show them his meatsicle. Hah, like he’d never heard that before.
“Gently, mate,” he mumbled to the security team taking over with the woman on the ground now holding onto his ankles with a substantial grip. “She’s a fan.”
“I’ll call you daddy,” the woman said, breathlessly.
Security managed to pry her hands from Ethan’s ankles, and he took the opportunity to follow his instincts this time ’round and take a step back.
“I’ll date you, celebrity daddy!” the woman wailed.
What was a bloke to say to that?
