However, if she truly wanted her dream, she needed more one-on-one time to talk to Matt.
But he led her toward the motorcycle he’d left outside.
Ashley hesitated. She wore a dress, and her hair was salon fresh, but she ignored the tenseness in her shoulders and pulled her hair up to completely go inside thehelmet.
Once she covered her face, she knew her makeup would be fine. Her body curled into Matt’s this time like it was second nature.
If only at his house they could be this close.
He started the engine and turned toward her. “Why did you do this to yourself?”
Having the helmet on was almost like she had blinders around her eyes and he couldn’t quite see the real her.“I wanted to spruce myself up. I told you I came to California to figure myself out, and what I want to do next.”
He positioned himself on the motorcycle. “Reasonable, but I’m worried my agent will say you’re too pretty now.”
He turned off the brake. She held him tighter. “I think I needed a change. I haven’t had a day where it was just about… me… in a long time.”
“Got it.”
And then he took off.
Riding behind Matt, like this, was like she was completely someone else.
They zipped through Beverly Hills and passed Rodeo Drive.
A few minutes later, he stopped at a hotel. She took off her helmet and asked, “So where are we going exactly?”
He turned off the motorcycle and took off his own helmet, showing her his devastatingly beautifulhigh cheekbones. “Drinks at the Beverly Hills Hotel and then dinner at Spago.”
He tossed the keys to the valet and she adjusted her dress to ensure she had no wrinkles in the silky blue fabric. He offered his arm and she squeezed his hard muscle as she asked, “So we’ll be seen there?”
He pointed toward the entrance. “Yes. The hotel is where Elizabeth Taylor and Valentino and Sinatraall stayed and the pool lounge is laden with stars and people with cameras who follow the stars.”
More fake kisses. More fake dating. She longed for it to be real. She supposed she wouldn’t mind if people took her picture while she looked this way but her body tingled. “I’m nervous.”
He patted her arm. “Don’t be. You’re with me.”
They passed people who had their phones out.Maybe they were snapping pictures, or maybe they were texting. She stayed on his arm and quietly said, “This means that tomorrow the gossip will be talk about the surrogacy. That might not help your ratings.”
He opened the doors for her, his mouth close to her ear. “We can say we’ve known each other for the entire year, and that you volunteered to help Peter and Belle.”
No one wouldbelieve she was a family friend. One look at her taxes would show she’d been the maid. But she shrugged as she glanced up at the multiple-storied hotel with surrounding bungalows for their guests. They headed toward the pool.
Hadn’t she seen pictures of this place? It was magnificent. She glanced at Matt’s profile and asked, “Weren’t you dating a model last year?”
He squeezed herhand. “That wasn’t serious. And we can say I was waiting for you to say yes to me.”
He directed them toward the maitre’d and she spoke mostly to his backside as he let her go for a moment as she said, “And who would say no to you?”
“You.” He turned toward her with a half-smile.
Her heart kick-started like he’d done with the motorcycle to get it going. He took her hand, thistime letting their fingers entwine. “What makes me special?”
He kissed her cheek. “You keep your word and had my brother’s baby even though we were falling for one another.”
“And you waited?” She met his gaze as he pulled back and her cheeks were hot with a blush from his simple kiss.
Perhaps she was a fool, but part of her wished every lie they discussed was real. And ifshe believed it, others might too.
