“He’s sending us away. If you’re game, that is. How do you feel about Belize?”
Cav’s brows draw together deeper. “Belize? What the hell?”
I fill him in on Creighton’s directive that I lay low, and give him the details of the conversation that he didn’t overhear. The muscles of his jaw relax and so do his fists.
“Cannon should be here any minute to take us to Teterboro.”
“You’re sure you want to do this?”
“Run away to a tropical paradise with you? My brother has certainly had worse ideas.”
Cav finally smiles and grabs my hand. “Then let’s get a move on.”
We return the gun to the counter and make our way out to the street. Before I can look for Cannon, I’m blinded by flashing cameras. Damn paparazzi. Cav pulls me into his side, and we push through the crowd as the questions start flying.
“Cav, is it true that you answered Greer’s ad? Did you meet all the requirements?”
“Are you a couple?”
“When’s the quickie wedding like Creighton and Holly?”
The last thing I want to do is address any of them. Why? Because I don’t have any answers. Cav, it seems, isn’t plagued by the same problem. He stops and faces the crowd.
“Cannon is right here,” I whisper as the window of an SUV rolls down and he shouts my name.
“This will only take a second,” Cav replies. To the flashing cameras, he says, “If you had this amazing woman on your arm, wouldn’t you do everything you could to make her happy and keep her in your life? I don’t plan on letting her get away.”
The door to the SUV pops open and Cannon motions me inside. I tug at Cav’s arm and he follows.
“Better go find another story to chase, guys. That’s all you’re going to get out of us tonight.”
We both slide inside the SUV, and Cav slams the door as the questions continue to come.
From his seat beside me, Cannon says, “Was that really necessary? This is the start of you laying low. Feeding the press sound bites isn’t necessary. Let our PR people craft a statement, and we’ll leave it at that.”
Cav, on my left, faces Cannon, and I’m caught between two big men, one dark and the other light. When I first met him, I crushed on Cannon, but as I got older, I knew I could never feel that way about a man who was almost as close to me as my brother.
“I think I’ve got PR down. You do realize this isn’t the first time I’ve been chased by paps, right? In LA, you get this kind of bullshit when you go out for coffee.”
Cannon lays a hand on my knee. “Well, it’s not everyday bullshit for Greer, and you’re not helping matters when it comes to salvaging her reputation. Unlike yours, which is for purely entertainment value, her reputation matters to investors who need to have confidence in the Karas family and all they represent. I don’t expect some former janitor to understand how that works.”
“Maintenance man.” Cav’s tone is dark. “And I get how it works. I’m not looking to do anything but help Greer, so you can back the fuck off.” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer to his side.
Cannon can’t mistake the possessive gesture, and neither can I. I just hope we can get to the jet without these two coming to blows.
That fucking prick Cannon leaves us at the corporate aviation building, and another driver takes us out to the tarmac where we climb onto the black Karas International jet. When I flew in here, I had visions of taking Greer on my own jet and flying her somewhere to impress her.
I forgot for an instant that I’m dealing with a woman who has probably never flown commercial, and a private jet is just another normal thing in her life. What can I give her that she’s never had before? That’s the question running through my mind as the flight attendant returns with our drinks and a few snacks. Greer knocks back her gin and tonic like it’s water.
“You okay, baby?”
She was quiet the entire ride out to the airport while Cannon and I shot daggers at each other. Her silence sets me on edge. Has she decided that getting pulled into the press because of me isn’t worth it? Fuck. I’m not letting her go now, so we’re going to have to find a way to deal with this.
Running away to a tropical paradise only works as a temporary solution. And honestly, I don’t understand why her reputation is so important to the investors of her brother’s companies.
“Greer, you okay?” I ask again because my last question received no answer. She’s lost in her thoughts, but my words finally penetrate.
She uncurls her fingers from around the tumbler, only to squeeze them tight again. “I’m fine. Just . . . thinking about how crazy my life is becoming. I went from working sixteen or eighteen hours a day at the firm to being unemployed, and now this. The last few days have been kind of surreal, and I’m still processing.”
“Do you want to go back?” The captain is just beginning to taxi down the runway, so any decisions need to be made right now.
She shakes her head. “No. I really don’t want to go back. That’s the part I’m trying not to feel guilty about.”
I wrap my arm around her shoulders and press a kiss to her temple. “Why would you feel guilty?”
“Because running makes me look like an irresponsible jet-setting little princess when that’s not who I am and it never will be.” She pauses for a moment before adding, “But I’m greedy because this means that I get to run away with you and leave the world behind. We don’t have to deal with all the bullshit for a few days, and can just have fun.”