The F List - Alessandra Torre Page 0,56

that reaction played out on his features. I swam one stroke toward the shore, making sure to keep my distance from him. "I just thought you should know. In case you thought something was going to happen between us."

“Something already has happened between us.”

He had no tone when he said it, the words not giving me any hint as to what he was thinking, but that had been a major confession for me. Bojan didn’t even know about my virginal status, though he had called me a prude on several occasions. I swam further toward shore and heard the splash of water as he followed. “Emma, wait.”

I ducked underwater and breast-stroked, wanting to hide my position, but his hand closed around my ankle, and I was pulled back and suddenly back in his arms.

"Are you fucking with me?" Water dripped from his eyebrow, and a wet lock of hair fell over his forehead, and I couldn't believe that I was in his arms, practically naked against his chest, and he was staring at me as if he cared.

“No.” I pretended to struggle, but I wasn’t ready for him to let go, to leave me alone in the water. “I’m serious.”

“But you’re…what? Twenty-three?”

“Twenty-four.” I shrugged. “I haven’t dated much. I’ve been busy.”

“You and Bojan never…”

I grimaced. "Ew. You seriously believe that?" The press often has conspiracy theories about Bojan and my secret sex life, which involves a lot of orgies and drugs. I’d disputed the charges, but no one believed me, which was fine because bad press was just as strong, or more so, than good press. "We're friends. Just friends."

"Wow. Emma Blanton's a virgin. How did that never hit the sites?"

“I don’t talk about it. My people don’t know.” I hadn’t ever shared the information with Vidal or Michelle, and no one had ever asked because no one’s a virgin anymore. Plus, people don’t really like virgins. Hell, Tim Tebow barely pulled it off, and he had Jesus on his side.

“Thank you for telling me.”

"No problem." The hum grew louder, and the moonlight reflected off some sort of a vessel, coming from the direction of the beach. I pushed harder against Cash, freeing myself from him. "They're coming for us."

“Meet me tonight. Somewhere away from the cameras.”

I watched as the spotlight from the boat grew closer. Someone perched at the front of it, a filming rig up on their shoulder.

“Emma,” he said.

I ignored him because there wasn't anywhere away from the cameras, not in that house. Not unless you were going to the bathroom or taking a shower, and I wasn't entirely sure that those were safe places either.

“Come to my room,” he tried.

I shook my head, and it was stupid of me to do that last time. We had been lucky, impossibly so, that no one had found out about that.

The boat slowed beside us, and an extra big wave lapped toward me, splashing my face. I turned my head and sputtered as saltwater went into my mouth.

"Screw you both," Dana crowed from her place in the front. "I swear to God, if you said or did anything interesting out here, I'm going to drown you both right now."

“Take it easy,” Cash said. “No one did anything interesting.”

Dana peered over the side of the boat at me. “You’re topless? Felipe, get this on camera.”

I shot Felipe a dirty look and sank further into the water. Cash moved between me and the boat, blocking their view.

“Fine,” Dana muttered. “Go on. Continue whatever conversation you were having. Remember, I own you—both of you—for the next few weeks, so this is being recorded.”

“We’re going back in,” I announced, swimming sideways toward the shore. “Okay?”

“Yes, Emma,” Dana intoned, “that is okay. Because Layton—remember him? He’s supposed to be feeling you up right about now.”

If I didn't already feel like a hooker, I did now. Cash moved forward, easily swimming beside me. His arms pinwheeled through the water, propelling him past me, and I struggled to catch up. Beside us, the dingy chugged along, the propellers loud underneath the water.

It took less time to get back than it did to go out, and I was soon walking out of the water, my hands crossed over my chest, my teeth beginning to chatter from the chill.

“Here.” Cash took a towel from a crew member and wrapped it around me, then rubbed the sides of my arms, warming me. He took a second towel and worked it over each leg with a quick efficiency utterly devoid