New York.
Where Oz would be.
And I’d be… fuck, who knew where I’d be.
I forced the morose thought away and skimmed my lips over Oz’s neck. “So, any opinion yet?”
“Mmmm,” he murmured as he tipped his head back, giving me better access to his neck. “Don’t know, don’t care.”
I chuckled.
“Okay, if I have to watch this, I need ice cream,” Lucky muttered, then left the room for the kitchen, leaving the television on a cable channel airing some kind of celebrity gossip show.
“I was asking if you preferred the original or the remakes,” I said as I nibbled at Oz’s jaw.
“You, I like you,” he said, then his mouth closed over mine. I tried to keep the kiss relatively tame, but Oz wasn’t having any of it. I was about to call off the whole Star Trek movie marathon and drag Oz back to our cabin when he stiffened in my arms, then tore his mouth from mine.
He turned to look at the television, and I forced myself to focus on the screen.
“—and while we haven’t been able to confirm the man spotted at a wedding in the small town of Colorado is actually Laird, the resemblance is uncanny,” a reporter said.
My heart skipped a beat as I stared at the two photographs on the screen.
Both were of Oz.
I barely recognized him in the first one. He was flashing a pose while wearing some kind of sparkly black and white ensemble. His hair was like it’d been when I’d first met him–platinum blond and long, hanging just beyond his shoulders. His skin was so white it was almost translucent, and his lips were plump and shiny. He was carrying some kind of bag or purse and I realized the photo was actually an ad, probably for the very bag he was holding. The other picture was the real Oz, my Oz. And it was from the night of the wedding.
What the hell?
My thoughts drifted to that night when I’d seen one of the young women who’d worked for the catering company seeming to take Oz’s picture and talk excitedly to him, but when I’d asked Oz about it, he’d told me she’d mistaken him for someone else. Even though my gut had told me he wasn’t telling me the whole truth, I’d accepted his explanation without thinking too much of it.
He lied to me?
“—no idea what one of the world’s most recognizable male models would be doing in a small town like that, but if the man on the right really is Laird, he’s got some explaining to do. I’m sure many a photographer is asking what is going on with Laird’s new hairstyle,” the female host said.
“So right, May. But it looks like the hair isn’t the only thing Laird has been keeping under wraps. Our source says the supermodel was dancing with a hunky date at the wedding,” the male host said with a smile.
My stomach dropped out as my picture flashed across the screen. I stumbled to my feet, pushing Oz out of my arms as I did so.
“Jake, I can explain,” Oz began, but I hardly heard him as fear cascaded through me in waves. My face was there, on the screen, as clear as day and for all the world to see. On national television.
My limbs began to shake, and I automatically began striding to leave the room. Oz cut me off by stepping in my path.
“Jake, wait, please—”
“Did you know about that?” I asked as I jammed my finger toward the screen.
Oz shook his head. “No… Aiden mentioned the picture circulating on social media, but we had no idea it would end up on TV. If I’d known—”
“If you’d known, you what? Would have decided to tell me the truth? You’re some kind of… what? Household name, for god’s sake? Am I the only person who didn’t realize what a big deal you are?”
Oz’s skin was ashen as his face fell. I glanced around the room and realized we were alone.
“How long has that picture been online?” I bit out.
Oz swallowed hard and I knew in that moment I wouldn’t like his answer.
“Two days.”
Oh god.
Oh my fucking god, I need to get the hell out of here. Now.
Chapter 27
Oz
“Jake, please, can you just… can you just sit down and I’ll tell you everything?”
“No,” he said. “I need to go.”
I felt the tears sting my eyes at the abrupt dismissal. Why hadn’t I just sucked it up and told Jake about the damn picture when Aiden had told me about it?
Because you were a coward who didn’t want this to end.
Jake began walking, and I immediately stepped in front of him again. Predictably, he stopped instead of pushing past me like he could have. I grabbed his shirt and fisted the material between my fingers. “Please, Jake, I’m sorry. I thought the picture would blow over and no one would make the connection. I just… I wanted a little more time before I had to tell you the truth about who I was.”