“No, that’s okay. I want to hear your news,” she said at last, taking one of her hands out of the muff and putting it on his gloved one. Her fingers were delicate, and the way she looked up at him was so open and a little bit vulnerable.
He told himself he had nothing to feel guilty about, but that didn’t stop him from feeling it. Also, it seemed like something about her was a little bit off and he wondered once again if she’d somehow already learned his identity. That would make this easier.
“Does your news concern me?” he asked her. If she said yes, he’d just go into his prepared speech about confidentiality on the set and all that.
“It does,” she whispered. “But I know I’m going to make a mess of telling you. So I just need a few more minutes to gather my thoughts.”
“Come here,” he said, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. His intention had been to comfort her, but then his best-laid plans went south as passion flared inside him. Her mouth was hard to resist when he knew he’d never be able to kiss her again. And now, with the uncertainty of her reaction to the truth, he needed her even more.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him back, tipping her head to the side as he deepened the lip-lock. God, how he wanted her.
He lifted his head. “Did that help soothe your nerves?”
Instead of answering, she averted her gaze.
Her reaction didn’t sit well with him. What was it she had to tell him that was making her this anxious? But right now, he had to revealhisnews.
“Uh, well, this isn’t going to be easy—”
Her eyes darted back to his. “You said you weren’t saying goodbye,” she interrupted.
“I’m not.”
“Then what is it?” she asked.
“I’m not who you think I am. I mean, I am but I’m also more.” For the love of all that was holy, how the hell had he ever won an Oscar with this kind of rambling nonsense. He wished he had called one of his screenwriter buddies and gotten him to script the scene for him.
She furrowed her brow. “What are you saying, Jack?”
“I haven’t been totally honest with you about my job situation,” he said at last.
“I figured,” she replied with a wry look. Her eyebrows arched and she gave him what he thought of as her I-mean-business face. “Granted, I don’t know what kind of occupation you have, but that gym you have me drop you off at doesn’t look like it’s very successful—” Her eyes widened. “Wait, do you do something illegal?” she asked.
“No! Listen, there’s no easy way to say this,” he began as the carriage made the turn to take them back to the restaurant. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he caught some movement in the bushes, but he didn’t want to be distracted from Paisley, who was looking up at him in anticipation.
“I’m not Jack Nelson, as I told you. I’m really—”
“Sean O’Neill, over here!”
“Fuck,” he muttered.
She looked around in confusion, trying to find Sean O’Neill, and then her gaze went back to Jack. As she continued looking at him, he saw the moment when realization dawned.
“Have you been hiding out in Chicago because your ex just got remarried to space-tech billionaire Ainsley Hartman?” a paparazzo asked as flashbulbs went off around them.
Jack brought up his hand and pulled up the blanket from their lap in order to cover their faces. In the intimate cocoon under it, he turned to face Paisley.
“Ex-wife?”Paisley gasped. Then she sat back and glared at him before reaching over to pull the beanie off his head. “Sean O’Neill!”
Two
Paisley almost couldn’t process everything he’d said. Of course, the paparazzi’s flashbulbs and a million questions being screamed at them didn’t help. The driver of the carriage thankfully picked up the pace and by the time they were back at the restaurant, several security guards awaited them. She couldn’t even look at Jack—Sean.
Her mind was spinning with so many questions she felt dizzy. One...was he married? And, two, had she really been dating a Hollywood A-lister? She wasn’t sure about the married thing, but the part about him being a famous celebrity was undeniable. In fact, the man was so damn famous that she felt stupid for not having recognized him.
To be fair, he’d definitely altered his looks by dyeing his hair blond and wearing the beard and mustache. But at the same time, how had she missed that? It made her realize how much she’d made Jack into the man she wanted him to be and not really seen him for who he actually was. Yet, now that she knew he was Sean O’Neill, it was impossible not to see. “Have you been wearing colored contacts?”
“Uh, yes.”