Was I crazy or did the eyes he flashed at Milo say jealous instead of curious? Okay, now I knew that was the vodka talking. Because that was crazy. He’d just been surrounded by a ton of models fawning all over him.
And I was… I was…
Too drunk to be taking any more of this day in.
“I think I’m gonna go catch an Uber home,” I said, forcing a bright smile for the both of them. “Tomorrow, we leave for New York and if we thought today was a long day, well—” I held my hands out, hoping for a quick exit.
But Janus startled me by saying, “We’ve already had your things brought to the mansion. It was good you’d already packed.”
I froze out of shock. He’d— They’d, what—
“We got notice from security that there are paparazzi outside the gates here. I didn’t want anyone following you home and learning your address.”
His eyes smoldered at me. “So you’re coming home with us.”
7
AFTER THE AFTER PARTY
I couldn’t sleep that night. I mean, how the hell was I supposed to sleep after the night I’d just had? And look where I was now!
Everywhere I looked, everything was the finest quality. Silk sheets. Carpet my toes were currently luxuriating in. A private bathroom suite with rain shower heads. I’d spent almost forty-five minutes in there luxuriating in the steam and had just gotten out. I was currently wrapped in the fluffiest down robe. I felt like I’d checked into a spa.
It was still taking all of my professional maturity not to send a girlish text to Makayla squeeing over the fact that I was actually sleeping under the same roof as the Mavros twins. In a guest bedroom. But still!
I hadn’t meant to be here tonight.
But then nothing had gone as plan today, had it?
They hadn’t been kidding about the paparazzi. They chased us down the highway on all sides, blinding flashes occasionally lighting up the night as they tried to get pictures through the thick black windows of the SUV. At least the highways were mostly empty at two in the morning—the only time of day that could be said of traffic in LA.
On the way home, Milo had ordered me to sit up front with him, and when we finally got to the gated mansion the twins shared, Janus was snoring. Milo woke him and he stumbled into the house.
Milo then bustled me upstairs right after we parked. The house had been mostly dark so I’d barely gotten a look around at the sumptuous mansion. And that was fine. I was here to do a job, not gawk. Tomorrow would be here soon enough and the three-week press tour we had scheduled would be grueling. Which was why I really should be going to bed.
Instead, I kept pacing, digging my toes into the carpet. Because in spite of feeling tired earlier after the premiere, now I felt supremely wired.
Last night had been my first real after-party—one where I wasn’t there playing mother hen or picking up the pieces when my charge was barfing up their lungs in a bathroom somewhere. And I hadn’t even been able to enjoy it like I thought I might.
Those just weren’t my people. I didn’t think going to a party like that could ever be anything more than a sociology project for a girl like me. I watched like a wallflower, studying all the beautiful people in their natural habitat. I was a celebrity hanger-on, and I knew they didn’t really want my kind mixing and mingling.
I’d always been happy with that before. Just watching. The thrill of getting to be in the room where it was all happening had been enough for me. I’d always focused on rubbing elbows with the power players in the industry and earning respect from those that mattered.
That had been all I cared about.
Before.
So why did I light up every time Janus brushed against me? Because several times tonight he had gone out of his way to touch me.
No, I shook my head. It was only my mind playing tricks on me. Probably because I’d just spent hours with reporters talking through very explicit details about the things he and his brother had done in that tape. Dear Lord, a woman should never know details like that about her very attractive clients!
I shook the ridiculous thoughts away. Regardless of Makayla’s fantasies, I was a professional first and foremost. Any lingering teenage crushes would not get in the way of me doing my job.
Plus, I was sure I’d find things not to like about the twins that would turn me off from any silly girlish crushes soon.
For instance, I’d been sure Janus would either stay behind or invite one of those gorgeous women he’d been chatting up all night back home with us. He’d stayed in their company all night; I’d been sure he would go home with one of them.