Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 136(@200wpm)___ 109(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
"Seriously? To my apartment?"
"They're going to want your side of the story. I wouldn't be shocked if TMZ picks it up at this point."
"No." I put my face in my hands. "I shouldn’t have tossed everything on his doorstep."
"He deserved it. Now people will know what a fraud Michael really is." I suppose that had been what I wanted. I knew bringing the prenup into the argument would make him come clean.
"I don't want to talk to them about it. I kind of wish I could just wash my hands of it. I thought I'd be done once I got all of his crap out of my home." I guess I really should have considered all that before I burned it on his doorstep. I’m sure that only fueled their interest.
"We can let it die down for a little before we come back. You can come with me." He taps the luggage.
"Come with you?” I ask, confused. Is he asking me to come stay with him? That would be absolutely ridiculous. We don’t even really know one another. Yet I find that I’m not opposed to the idea of going with him.
"Why not? I have more than enough room."
"Don't you think they might be knocking at your front door too?" I point out. I literally don’t want to bring all of my drama to his doorstep.
"We'll go to my home in the country." He says it as though that solves the issue.
"Right," I laugh. "How many homes do you have?"
"Not sure, but I could get you the exact number with a quick call." Graham smirks. I know it's not a joke, but still I only laugh harder.
“Let’s do it,” I say before I can change my mind. Getting away from all of this will probably do me some good until I can figure things out. Plus, I’m finding that I like having Graham around. “If you’re really sure about this? I don’t want to put you out.”
“At least at my country home I won’t need four security guards following my every move.”
“Okay, just give me a few minutes.” I quickly start grabbing what I might need for a few days.
“There is a pool, but you don’t have to wear a bathing suit if you don’t want to. It's optional.”
“Oh God, Graham. Please don’t tell me you use that line on your dates.” I fight down the pang of jealousy that I have. That can’t be right. I never even got jealous over Michael. Why would I do it with Graham, who I hardly know? We’re barely friends at this point.
“I don’t bring people there. It’s for family.”
“I’m not family,” I point out while grabbing a swimsuit. It’s been a long time since I needed one.
“Anything else I can help grab?” he asks, sidestepping my comment about me not being family.
“I think I’m ready. It’s only a few days.” Graham shuts the suitcase for me. When we open the door to my place, two of the suits are standing there.
“There are a slew of paparazzi out front. Maybe we should take a back exit?” one of them says as Graham ushers me onto the elevator.
“I think there is one.”
“The front is fine.” Graham hits the button for the lobby.
"People are really going to get the wrong idea if they see us leaving my place together with a suitcase."
"Let them." He shrugs as though he is unbothered by this entire situation.
It makes me wonder again about why the heck he is doing all of this for me. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. It’s nice having someone take care of me for once in my life without any expectations.
When we step off the elevator, the two other guards are there waiting. “Holy crap,” I whisper when I see the people outside with the cameras.
“I’ve got you.” Graham tucks me closer into his side.
I tell George, my doorman, sorry as I pass by, but I can tell he’s eating this all up. No one loves gossip more than him, and now he has a front-row seat.
The four guards come in handy when we exit the building, getting us quickly into the waiting car. It still doesn’t stop the barrage of questions that are coming at us. I don’t miss the gold digger comment nor the accusations that I’ve been cheating all along. I don’t hear one bad word about Michael Montclair.
“He’s going to spin this and make me look like I’m crazy,” I say to Graham as we pull away from the curb. He still has me tucked into his side.
“You let me worry about that.” Graham kisses the top of my head. “The only thing that is crazy is that you ever agreed to marry him.”
I couldn't agree more.
Chapter Nine
GRAHAM
It’s been three days since we arrived at the family house, and Luna hasn’t gone skinny-dipping even once. She does enjoy lounging by the pool in a one-piece that plunges to her waist. She must have felt like it exposed too much because she covers herself with some kind of gauzy material which only makes her sexier. Or maybe that’s the purpose of the cover-up because it fails to disguise anything. It caresses her curves, highlights the swells of her breasts, the indentation of her waist, the roundness of her hips. It teases and taunts, hides and reveals as she shifts on the lounge chair, reaches for a strawberry, stretches her arms. A maddening piece of fabric, actually, meant to drive men crazy. Me, specifically.