I slipped the key into the lock of Gwen’s Richmond townhouse and turned it carefully, like I might set off an alarm if I breathed too loud. I was praying they were all still in bed. The hallway was dim and quiet. Lola couldn’t be up yet.
Shoes in one hand, bag slung over my shoulder, hair an unapologetic mess that was half sex, half sleep, all chaos, I tiptoed into the house.
I hadn’t meant to stay the night. That wasn’t the plan. But when he asked, all sense fell out of my supposedly intelligent brain. One look into those golden-brown eyes, and I’d have walked off a cliff if he’d asked me to.
Okay, so Iabsolutelydidn’t plan on waking up cuddled with the most ridiculously attractive man I’d ever seen. We were all tangled up in sheets and limbs, and then he kissed my forehead, which completely undid me—more than anything else had.
I felt…ruined. Not just physically—though yes, in ways that deserved a public health warning—but emotionally, too. Like something had split open inside me and now everything vulnerable was exposed to the air.
And now I was supposed to spend the day entertaining a six-year-old.
Gwen and Tom were working, so I’d agreed to watch Lola. Honestly, I didn’t mind at all; she was an absolute delight. And I, of course, was the coolest Auntie Katie ever. Besides, she was a welcome distraction from the downward spiral I felt pulling me under like a riptide. I had big plans, none of which involved fantasizing about Jordan Taylor and his massive…well, you get the idea.
I barely made it to the stairs when I heard Gwen’s voice, smug and far too alert for this hour.
“Been a while since you did the walk of shame, Ashford.”
I winced. Bloody Gwen.
I didn’t say a word, instead inching towards the stairs, trying to be as stealthy as a teenager returning home before dawn. But then she was there, in the kitchen doorway, looking completely refreshed, ready for work, with a mug in her hand and a smirk plastered across her face. Totally smug and judgmental.
“Very funny,” I muttered, aiming for the stairs.
“Absolutely not.” She planted herself in the doorway. “You’re not fleeing until I get the full rundown. I want descriptions, details, size, everything.”
I groaned, tossed my shoes by the stairs like a Victorian heroine, and slumped into a kitchen chair. Gwen slid a coffee in front of me like the saint she was.
One sip in, and I almost felt human again.
“So,” she said, folding her arms, “did he live up to the hype?”
I let out a breath, mouth twitching into a reluctant smile. “He left me coffee. Kissed my forehead. And looked at me like I was the reason he didn’t want to leave.”
“Was he…” She cocked an eyebrow, hinting at what she was asking.
“Fucking massive,” I said before we both dissolved into laughter.
Then Gwen’s smirk softened, just for a second. She’d seen thewreckage and the betrayal in my past. Even the slow, messy climb back. She knew this wasn’tjustabout sex.
“And how do you feel?” she asked quietly.
I stared into my mug, stalling my thoughts. “Terrified,” I admitted finally. “I think I like him. Properly. But he’s this…thing. He’s on the brink of being everywhere. Famous-famous. Cameras. Posters. Interviews. And I’m just…me.”
Gwen tilted her head. “You say that likejust youisn’t one of the smartest, funniest, most beautiful women I know. He’s bloody lucky he even convinced you to go on a date.”
I smiled weakly. She meant it, I knew she did. But compliments always seemed to hit a wall before they reached my brain.
“Is this about what he’s really thinking,” she said, narrowing her eyes, “or are you just waiting for the other shoe to drop?”
My throat tightened. “Bit of both.”
Because that’s what I did. Waited for the reveal. The moment the man I’d let in decided I wasn’t worth staying for.
“I’m glad you had fun,” Gwen said, sitting beside me now. “You needed it. But if you’re catching feelings…just be careful, okay? These guys live at warp speed. They don’t always mean to hurt anyone. Sometimes they just forget to check who they’re dragging along.”
“I know.” I nodded. “Trust me, I’ve already written the entire ending in my head. All of them. The sweet fade-out, the ghosting, the sudden goodbye, theit was nice to know you.”
“Good.” She grinned, merciless. “Now. Did he actually rip your underwear off or did I hallucinate that from your text?”
