CHAPTER FIFTEEN

RYDER

––––––––

Well, this is fucking torture. Watching Nick and Savannah together without the camera on them is one thing. In front of one...I want to kill him.

He keeps touching her.

Smiling at her.

Teasing her.

And, yeah, I know he's kissed her. I may have watched their first movie on my phone while having a dinner break earlier.

Bad move.

I know it's acting, but Savannah was naked underneath him. His hand was on her breast. His mouth was on hers.

Facts.

Fucking facts.

Now I'm standing on the side of the stage watching Nick and Savannah be interviewed by Jimmy Stone, the Tonight Show host, and they're laughing and flirting playfully.

The worst part is she looks like she's having the time of her life.

"Let's play a game," Jimmy says.

"Ooh, I like games." Savannah purrs and winks at Nick.

The audience laughs.

I roll my eyes.

"She does." Nick leans his arm along the sofa behind her.

Dick.

"Well, this is all about how well you know each other." Jimmy says, lifting a big white card and tapping it on the table.

"Oh, god." Nick groans and drops his head into her neck.

Really? Is that fucking necessary?

I shuffle my feet and adjust my jaw.

"I'm going to be terrible at this," he adds.

"You won't." Savannah pats his knee.

Un-fucking-necessary!

"Okay, first question. What is each other's favorite food?"

"Ooh, ooh. Japanese. Sushi. Anything Japanese." Savannah bounces, excited to know the answer.

They grin at each other, and he nods.

"Yes!" She punches her hand in the air.

"Nick?"

"Hmmm..." He rubs his jaw.

He'd be rubbing his jaw for a different reason if

I was allowed a minute with him.

"Sav's a nibbler." He winks at the crowd. "So I'm going to say...anything in a buffet."

"What? No. Oh, maybe. I do like nibbling." She thinks about it, as the crowd laughs.

I tune out the rest, so I don't go to prison for life for killing a celebrity while cameras are filming me.

"They are so cute together," Briar says from beside me.

I lift my brow and glance down at her. "It's acting."

She lifts her shoulder. "Some of it. They are close."

Are they just?

"Not that close." Gina mutters on the other side of Briar, and we both look at her.

Ten minutes later, Briar, Gina, and I follow Savannah and Nick through the corridors to their changing rooms. They stop outside hers and finish their conversation.

I would usually stop a few feet away, but I move closer.

Nick's eyes lift to mine and without looking away, he leans in and kisses her cheek. "See you at dinner, babe."

Only when he straightens does he glance away from me, then wink at Gina.

Brave man.

Few would to that to me. It almost felt like a dare, but all it did was put him way more on my radar.

"I'll be an hour." Savannah tells him and I step between them to open the door and check the room before anyone goes in.

Briar and Savannah wait until I nod.

I glance around and Gina has disappeared.

"Well, that was so much more fun than stupid Selena's show," she says, flopping down onto the sofa.

"You were both amazing. It was brilliant," Briar says and starts packing things up around her.

"Really?"

"Yes. Those questions were hilarious." Briar laughs.

I walk to the door. I haven't spotted any notes, but that doesn't mean there aren't any.

"I'll wait outside. Let me know if you need me." I say roughly as Savannah lifts her face to mine.

"Okay." I open the door and she stops me. "Ryder. What did you think?"

I turn back to face her.

What do I think?

Why is she asking me that?

Out of the corner of my eye I see Briar has frozen and is watching me, waiting for my answer and studying the two of us.

"I think this is a very different world from mine." My eyes roam her face, down over her sexy body in the hot as hell black dress and realize that while I never expected to fuck her twice, knowing I will never get the chance to do it again bothers me.

It more than bothers me.

"That's not an answer."

I watch her a moment longer, then shake my head. "Yes, it is. You don't need any more adorers, Ms. Sinclair."

Then I step outside and lean against the wall.

I'm her bodyguard.

That's all.

After I find out who is threatening her, Marshall can take over. I can't get further involved with Savannah.

There is no place for me in her world.