"Yes, a reformed douche. Now, why don't we take this bed for a test ride? Then, you can take me on my romantic walk on the beach."
I slowly unbuttoned her shirt to be greeted by a sheer pale pink bra that left nothing to the imagination as I agreed, "You've got yourself a deal."
Chapter Seventeen
~Leah~
There were so many light bulbs.
They flashed and flared, memorizing our every move from the second we arrived, and their reign over the event seemed endless. I didn't think I'd be able to see straight for years.
Declan and I had spent a magical twenty-four hours in Los Angeles. We had taken a moonlit walk on the beach where I'd dipped my toes into the Pacific Ocean for the first time. Holy f**k, it was cold. How did people swim in that water? When Declan had threatened to throw me in, I'd sworn that I would never wear lipstick again. That had ended the water threats in a heartbeat.
He had woken me up with breakfast in bed, bringing me an omelet with fresh avocado and a side of strawberries from a local farm. I'd understood why California was known for their produce. It was amazing. When I had felt pleasantly stuffed, he'd taken me shopping on Rodeo Drive. I'd felt like I'd stepped into a scene from Pretty Woman —minus the fact that I was not Julia Roberts or a hooker.
But the shopping had been similar. He wouldn't let me look at any price tags, and he'd told me the sky was the limit. He'd sat back and let me play dress-up for him for hours. Never once had he gotten bored. He'd watched me come out of the dressing room, wearing each dress, and his eyes would darken and flare with heat. I hadn't known shopping could turn a man on so much. In fact, at one point, he'd asked the woman assisting me for a few moments alone, so he could help me decide, and instead, we'd gotten busy in the dressing room. Yep, I'd had sex in a dressing room on Rodeo Drive. I was such a classy slut.
And now, one dress, a pair of ridiculously expensive shoes, and a professional hair and makeup session later, we had arrived to an actual Hollywood movie premiere.
All I could think was, Don't fall, don't fall.
As if sensing my nervousness, Declan leaned his head toward mine as his arm wrapped possessively around my waist. "You look breathtaking. You'll be fine. Just smile, and I'll do the rest."
I nodded, and to my surprise, he gave me a tender kiss before we entered the press area where the vultures would descend.
First, I felt actual pity for celebrities because they had to stand for that long and smile. It was agonizing. My face felt like it was going to cramp, and of course, we had to endure even more attention and scrutiny because Declan had never, ever brought someone to an event. He apparently very rarely ever showed up to events at all, so this was big news.
The last twenty-four hours had really opened my eyes. I knew, in the back of my head, that Declan was famous, that he was well known. This had been confirmed every time we had walked down the street or had been stopped in a store. But people in Virginia were different about it. They were polite, shy even. When they had approached him, they had been hesitant as if they couldn't really comprehend it was him right there in front of them.
Here, people held nothing back. Cameras were in his face whether they were held by a news crew, paparazzi, or fans. People wanted pictures with him everywhere we went. And, oh my God, the screaming —I couldn't get over the screaming. As soon as we exited the limo, women cried out blood-curdling screams. It was deafening.
We made our way through the flashing lights, stopping every so often to smile and pose again. Declan never strayed from my side. His arm was firmly fastened to my waist. He was announcing our status loud and clear, and I liked it —a lot.
As we walked by the screeching fans, yelling things like, "Marry me, Declan," and other things I'd rather not say, I might have slid my hand resting on his waist a bit lower, slipping it into the pocket of his suit pants over his firm ass. Declan looked over at me, giving me an arched brow, and I just smirked.
"Being a little evil tonight, aren't we?" he seductively whispered in my ear.
"Just making sure they understand you're taken."
"Well then, you should do it properly."
Pulling me to him, he slowly kissed me, wrapping his fingers from one hand around my neck while the other hand went around my waist. I swore I heard the crowd sigh. He turned back to the puddle of goo that used to be the crowd and flashed his award-winning smile as he gave a wink.
"Sorry, ladies. I just couldn't help myself. Love does crazy things to a man."
And just like that, the previously rabid fans were now the charter members of the Decah Fan Club.
Giving me a smug grin, we made our exit from the crowds and walked toward my most feared part of the night —well, besides the sex scene —the interviews. What if they asked me shit, and I sounded stupid? What if I embarrassed Declan?
He squeezed my hand in reassurance as he told me that I was doing fantastic, and we took the last few steps to his first interview. An overly made-up woman started firing off questions, and Declan handled her like a pro. The first were a series of questions about the movie, so I relaxed a bit.
This movie, Crossroads, was about a love triangle, and Declan had explained that he was not the chosen one in the end. The heroine, trying to decide between her bad-boy neighbor and her long-lost love, finally comes to her senses in the end...but not before she shakes a few walls with my boyfriend. I was totally looking forward to witnessing that.
The interviewer asked why Declan had chosen the movie and how he enjoyed his costar. He was polite and said she had been a delight to work with. I hid my smile, remembering him describe her as a pain in the ass.
Finally, running out of relevant questions, the woman looked to me. "And I see you've brought a date, Declan! Care to introduce us to the new woman in your life?"
He looked at me and grinned. "This is my lovely girlfriend, Leah, joining me tonight."
And then came the question Declan had prepared me for. "And what are you wearing, Leah?"
Apparently, this was the most important question of the evening, and Declan had told me to be prepared to repeat it over and over again.
I answered quickly, remembering the designer of my gorgeous floor-length, mermaid-style red dress that fit me like a glove and made my ass and boobs look like a million bucks. This was the dress that had Declan attacking me in the dressing room.
The interviewer smiled before saying I looked beautiful, and then she wished us a lovely evening.
Holy shit, it was over.
Until we had to go to the next one.
But I made it through all of them without tripping over my words. I'd even managed to answer a few questions outside of my wardrobe. It had gotten easier, and I'd learned to ignore the camera —for the most part.