76. Alice

ALICE

“ H is dick looks huge,” my cousin Suzy exclaims the second the phone connects.

Sam, sister to Suzy and my other cousin, hums her agreement.

“Hush,” I hiss, looking at Michael to see if he can hear them.

But his back is currently to me as he paces through the hotel suite with his phone to his ear, so I’m pretty sure we’re safe.

“Oh shit, is Mr. Huge Dick with you?” Suzy barely lowers her volume. “We’re not on speaker are we?”

“Suzy.” I try to scold her while keeping my volume down.

“What? It’s a compliment,” she argues.

Sam snickers, and honestly, I don’t know why I would’ve expected anything different from them.

But I’m smart enough to not put them on speaker. And for that same reason, I didn’t do a video call. Which is good because I’m sure the redness of my cheeks would give away my thoughts. Because really, I can’t hear someone talk about Michael’s dick and not blush. Especially since I know they’re talking about the hot tub photo.

A photo I’ve saved to my phone and looked at more than a few times.

I really hope when Michael finds the photographer, he can get the uncensored versions.

“Okay, but for real.” Sam finally speaks up. “Are you okay? The photos are obviously super hot, but I’m guessing you guys didn’t plant them.”

Michael snaps something into his phone as he paces through the open double doors leading from where I am in the bedroom out to the living room part of the suite.

“Yeah, no. We didn’t plant them.” I keep my voice down. “Michael is furious. Mostly on my behalf, it seems.”

My cousins make matching sounds of intrigue.

“I can see why a man like Michael wouldn’t want the world seeing his woman with a mouthful of d?—”

“Sam!” I can’t help my laugh. “You are so crass.”

She snorts. “You know I’m right though.”

“You are.” I sigh. “And it’s not exactly a great look for him. Or the show.” I bite my lip. “Speaking of which…”

I don’t know if it’s supposed to be a secret, but considering the show starts airing tomorrow, it’s not like it can be a secret for long.

Michael holds his phone in front of him, hanging up his call, then starts a new one.

“What about the show?” Sam asks.

“Well, Pamela got sick and now she can’t make it. So.” I take a deep breath. “I’m going to judge alongside Michael.”

The two of them shriek.

I pull the phone away from my ear and wait for the shrill noise to die down.

“It’s bonkers,” I say when they’re quiet enough to hear me again.

“It’s fucking awesome.” Suzy sounds like she might be crying.

“It’s fucking something,” I mumble, still not sure I’ll be any good at it.

“I can hear that self-doubt in your tone,” Sam chides. “Stop that right now.”

I roll my eyes. “Thanks, Mom.”

She makes a sound. “I take it the show isn’t mad about the pictures?”

“Surprisingly, no. They seem to think it will be good for ratings.” I shake my head even though they can’t see it. “Seems a little backward to me, but what do I know.”

“Drama sells and all that, I guess.” Suzy hums.

“Yeah, I guess.” I shrug.

“So, is Michael trying to find the photographer, or is he just letting it go?”

I watch Michael pace some more, his free hand clenched at his side.

“I think he said something about hiring a private investigator,” I tell them. “But I’m not really sure how all that works.”

Suzy whistles. “Me either. But it’s cool to have PI money. And if anyone can hunt the fucker down, my bet is on HDM.”

I groan. “Do I even want to know what that stands for?”

“Oh, let me guess!” Sam sounds like she’s bouncing on her toes.

“Sam,” Suzy says like she’s calling on her.

“What is Huge Dick Michael.”

“Ding, ding! Got it in one!” Suzy cheers.

I do my best not to laugh. “I’m hanging up now.”

“Bye! Good luck!” Sam tells me.

“With the dick,” Suzy adds.

“And be careful,” Sam warns.

“With the dick,” Suzy repeats, laughing at her own joke.

“Oh my god, bye.” I hang up.

Setting my phone on the bed next to me, I have to admit I feel a little lighter, even if my cousins are ridiculous.

Michael paces back in my direction, and his features soften once his gaze lifts and meets mine.

“As soon as you know, I know,” he says to the person on the other end of the line, then hangs up.

I stay put, letting him cross the space to me.

“How are your cousins?” Michael nods to my phone.

“Ridiculous,” I answer. “Did you talk to the investigator guy?”

Michael nods.

“What did he say?” I cross my legs, making room for Michael.

He lowers himself to sit on the edge of the bed, facing me. “Said he’ll start right away.”

“Oh wow.” My brows lift. “Will he go to the cabin? I don’t actually know how this works.”

Michael shrugs. “He might end up going, but he sounded confident he could find the identity of the photographer digitally.”

“Oh.” My shoulders lower.

“Don’t sound so disappointed.” Michael chuckles. “It will still take detective work. And once he finds the guy who took the pictures, he can find out if anyone put him up to it.”

I make a humming sound. “I dunno. That picture of your ass was pretty well framed. It might have been a woman who took them.”

Michael gives me a deadpan look, and I only last a second before I crack and laugh.

“Fine.” I concede. “You’re right, it was probably a man because men are the worst.”

Michael dips his chin. “Precisely.”

“But what do you mean ‘put him up to it’? Weren’t we rerouted in the middle of the flight? How would anyone know where to find us?”

“These people can work quickly. And there was an entire plane full of people who knew we were snowed in somewhere near Bear Cove. Even with the last-minute rental, the options were pretty limited, so it wouldn’t have been hard for someone to find us.”

I scrunch up my nose. “And what, someone went out in the storm searching for a place with the lights on just to take some photos?”

Michael reaches out and takes my hands in his. “Most people aren’t like this. I want you to know that.”

His tone is so apologetic, and I scoot closer.

I flex my fingers in his. “I know.”

He squeezes mine back. “If I thought there was any chance that someone would do… what they did, I’d have kept you inside with all the curtains pulled shut.”

I scoot another inch closer until our knees touch. “Underneath the covers, just to be safe?”

His sigh is half humor, half frustration. “I really am sorry, Alice. This isn’t the way I wanted to introduce you to fame. My fans are better than this.”

“Please don’t apologize. You didn’t take the photos. You didn’t, what, sell them?” I tilt my head, thinking about it. “How much do you think those pictures sold for?”

He shrugs. “Something scandalous like that? Probably ten grand an image. Maybe more. Maybe a lot more.”

That amount of money might not seem like much to Michael, but it makes me want to gag.

“Do you have to buy them back?” Our talk from earlier is fresh in my mind. The one where I admitted to having basically no money, and the urge to gag gets stronger. We both know I can’t help pay for it if that’s what he has to do.

Michael shakes his head as he runs his thumbs over my wrists. “There’s no point. The tabloid is the one that bought them, they got the scoop and the initial major spike in views, but the photos are online now. There’s no stopping them.”

I slide one of my hands free from his grip and press it to my stomach. “You seem very calm about this.”

This being the half dozen photos of us, in the middle of various sex acts, plastered all over the internet.

Michael leans forward, stopping when his nose is just inches from mine. “I’m not okay with it. I’m not okay with the comments and bullshit you’re going to have to deal with. And I’m really not okay with all my relatives knowing what my bare ass looks like.”

I bite down on a smile. “I didn’t think about that.”

“I’m trying not to. But I’m glad it was my ass and not yours. Because your naughty bits are just for me.” Michael rolls up onto his knees and pushes me onto my back. “And as much as I don’t want anyone else to know what your face looks like when you come, I’m glad the world knows you’re mine.”

I reach for him. “Michael.”

With me flat on my back, Michael drops his weight over me. “And I don’t like that people know what you look like with a dick in your mouth. But I do like how greedily you swallowed me down.”

My legs spread on their own, and Michael’s arousal presses against my center.

I roll my hips and whisper his name this time.

He rocks into me. “So, to answer your question, I’m not calm, Sweetness.” He rocks his hips again. “I’m not calm at all.”

He lowers his face.

His lips a breath away from mine.

And then someone knocks on the door.