how low the bar is set.
I pull up Alice Segal’s The Scoundrel and the Governess on my phone. Nothing relaxes me more than getting lost in the funny banter of this long-ago time. Oh! I should get my paperback to give to Garrett. He said he’d have Alice sign it for me. What if he invites me to the palace where she lives? I feel like Alice and I could be best friends. At least the version of her I know through her stories. Silly, I know. She’s no more her characters than I’m one of the characters I play. Though I did hear that the scoundrel was based on her real-life husband, Prince Lucas Rourke. (I should’ve made the connection from Lucas to Alice to Garrett earlier. The royal Rourkes are Garrett’s cousins, of course.) At one point Lucas was the world’s most eligible royal bachelor and totally fit her scoundrel description. Now he’s hopelessly besotted with her. (One of her heroine’s favorite ways to describe him.)
I pluck the paperback off my bookshelf and hug it to my chest. I should get all of her books to be signed. I gather them up and put them in a canvas tote bag for Garrett.
The intercom buzzes, and my heart races. Calm down. He’s a nice guy. My brain knows that; I just need to convince my heart. Josie sings his praises all the time. She even told me his mom used to call him her teddy bear. I was a little embarrassed for him that she shared that, but I can see it. A big muscled teddy bear.
I hit the intercom button. “Yes?”
“Your date is here,” Joe says. My new bodyguard insists my visitors go through him so no one sneaks past with a fake identity.
“The hot one,” Garrett puts in.
I laugh and open the door. “Hi, come in.”
He’s carrying an insulated bag over one shoulder and a brown bag tucked in his other arm. “I had some time, so I whipped up dinner ahead of time.”
“Oh, cool.” I direct him toward the kitchen.
He sets it down on the counter. “I made enchiladas because they travel better.” One corner of his mouth curves up. “Truth is, I didn’t want to be cooking here and get something on my suit before we go to the theater.”
“It’s a very nice suit.” He’s in a black suit, open white dress shirt, no tie. It’s the open white dress shirt that has my attention, exposing tanned manly chest. I’m dying to see more. Josie told me he was shirtless for his commercial and that he’s gorgeous. How unfair is it that the rest of the world gets to see that and I don’t?
“Thanks. You look beautiful.”
I take a deep breath, looking away. “Wine?”
“The proper response is thank you.”
I flutter a hand in the air. “I’m not good with compliments. Thank you for saying that.”
“I mean it.”
I bite my lower lip, a fluttery feeling bouncing around inside me. Excitement? Nerves? Lust? I’m all over the place. “I’ll get some wine.”
He grins. He has the perfect amount of scruff, so sexy. “I brought beer. Mind if I put it in your fridge?”
“Sure.”
He sets a six-pack in there. Is he going to drink all that, or will he be returning for date two or three or…I break out into a cold sweat. Why does a six-pack of beer feel like a commitment? And why am I so terrified? It’s not like I’ve never had a relationship before or been in love. It’s just that I’ve had so many bad experiences, I’m finding it hard to try again. Perfectly normal, I assure myself. It was only three weeks ago I found out Colton had cheated on me. I’m just being cautious.
Garrett takes a sip of beer, eying me over the bottle. “Need help uncorking the wine?”
“Sorry, I got distracted. I’ve got it.” I head for the kitchen drawer, where I keep the corkscrew, but he’s partially blocking it with his body. “Could you shift a little to the side so I can open the drawer?”
“There’s a tax.”
I lift wary eyes to him. “What kind of tax?”
“You have to make eye contact for more than three seconds so I don’t feel like you’re terrified of me.”
I force myself to keep my eyes on his, channeling my tough persona. “I’m not terrified of you. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’d never hurt you.”
“I know that. Move, please.”
He pinches my chin. “In any way. Okay? You can relax.”
My heart beats double time. “I’m very