right?”
I laughed. “It’s an awesome name. I hereby give you permission to use it.”
Michaela backhanded his chest. “We are not talking about a next kid when our current kid can’t even sit up on her own.”
“No more kids until I meet the first one,” Devon said. “When is that going to happen?”
Michaela rolled her eyes. “She’s currently in New York with her aunt. When you’re back on the east coast, we can discuss a meeting. I’m not sure I trust you holding her.”
Devon slapped the table. “I’ve only dropped one baby—and it was onto a cushion.”
Michaela met my gaze. “Devon dropped my friend’s daughter when she was two months old. She’s fine, and yes, there were pillows. But the point remains, you dropped a damn baby.”
“She was a squirmy little bugger,” he said.
“And you were high as a kite,” she shot back.
He dipped his head, all his good humor vacating. “Given the time frame, quite possibly.”
“Most likely,” Michaela added, twisting the knife she’d just jabbed.
“Mic,” Mo murmured.
She straightened, smoothing the lines between her brows. “Anyway, Devon, you missed Kat being a hero.”
“Yep. A poor bartender went down, and your girl flew into action before any of us could blink,” Mo confirmed.
Devon’s head lifted, swinging toward me. “What? I leave you for a half hour and you’re saving lives?”
I snorted, hating the attention for doing what my training called me to do. “I’m just glad I was here.” My eyes locked with Devon’s. “I’m really glad I’m here.”
“Me too,” he murmured.
I gave Michaela and Mo a bright smile as I tugged Devon’s arm from around my waist to thread our fingers together. “Do you mind if I steal Devon away? I’d love to check out the rest of the lobby. I don’t know if I’ll ever have a chance to come back here.”
We said our goodbyes, and I didn’t mistake the relief in Michaela’s eyes as we turned to leave. I didn’t blame her for having mixed feelings about Devon. It was clear she cared for him, but she also might have still hated him a little, and she probably always would.
Devon led me to a hallway at the side of the theater and pulled me into a barely lit alcove. His arms circled around me, and he exhaled through his nose as he searched my face.
“I’m sorry.”
“Why?” I slid my hands up his chest. “I’m fine. They were lovely.”
“Yeah?” He cocked his head. “I had no idea they’d be here or I wouldn’t have left you alone.”
“So they couldn’t tell me your secrets?” I asked.
He huffed. “Guess that wouldn’t have worked, since Mickey let that shit slip.”
“You haven’t hidden anything about yourself.” I raised up on my toes to dust my lips over his. “You’re not that man anymore, are you? When was the last time you were high?”
“Years,” he said. “It’s been almost four years. Six months since I had a drink.”
“That’s incredible, Devon. You know that, right?”
“Nah. It isn’t.” His forehead rested on mine. “I kept thinking about you when I was answering all those bullshit questions on the red carpet. I kept wishing you were with me.”
“You’ve been doing this for a long time. You don’t need me.”
His hand slid up my back, and he moved his head back and forth against mine. “But I want you, Kat. I want you.”
I want you too. If I could wipe away all your sadness, I would. But it’s impossible. We’re impossible.
The alcove we were in became too small. The walls seemed to shift closer, pressing us together. In a panic, I pushed away from Devon and took a step back.
“We’d better get back out there,” I said.
“Yeah?” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “We could leave. Go to my place.”
“No.” I shook my head, adamant. “When will I ever get to do something like this again? I want to soak up the entire experience.”
“All right.” His hand came to rest on the small of my back. “Anything you want.”
We left our hiding spot and walked back into the bright lights of the not-quite-real world. Out here, with all the glamour, cameras, and beautiful people, it was much easier to remember who Devon was—and more importantly, who I was.
Twenty-Two
Devon
There was an after-party in the hills I would have skipped if it hadn’t been for Kat. She wanted the full experience, so I gave it to her, driving her in my Audi R8, which spent too much time collecting dust in my garage. When we pulled up to the lead