All the Feels (Spoiler Alert #2)(15)

And at some point, he definitely would. He knew that too.

Casting a sidelong glance at her, he snapped the fingers of his free hand. “Try to get those Smurf legs of yours moving faster, Nanny Clegg. You’re going to make us late for our flight.”

As she stared at him in disbelief, he smiled back at her contentedly.

DAMN, IT FELT good to be home.

Alex’s virtual PA had arranged for car service from LAX, and after a horrifically long day of travel, the sleek sedan was finally pulling up to his house in Beachwood Canyon.

Lauren raised her head from the plushly cushioned back seat, and her bleary eyes widened. “Is that …”

As soon as the car stopped, she climbed out and stood on his circular driveway, hands fisted on her ample hips.

“You—you have a mini-castle.” Her voice wavered. “With turrets. And a moat.”

Then she threw back her head and laughed.

The joyful sound floated through the evening sky, rich and warm, bright as the smile transforming her features into near-beauty, and— And he couldn’t seem to look away.

Fuck, he couldn’t seem to look away.

Texts with Marcus: Sunday Afternoon

Alex: Thank fuck, we’re finally at cruising altitude



Alex: So BORED



Alex: Nanny Clegg is sleeping and made me promise not to wake her up except for meals, because she’s cruel and wants me to suffer



Marcus: Maybe she’s just tired?



Alex: SHE’S TIRED ON PURPOSE, TO THWART ME



Marcus: Apart from her malicious napping, how are things going with Lauren?



Alex: …



Marcus: Alex?



Alex: She says GBBO is “okay”



Alex: NADIYA’S SEASON, MARCUS



Alex: How am I supposed to put up with such



Alex: I don’t even know the right word for it, nothing suffices



Marcus: Wrongheadedness?



Alex: Maybe she truly is a harpy



Marcus: A harpy???



Marcus: That’s mean. Do better, man.



Alex: FML



Alex: NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME



Alex: You know what? I wasn’t going to tell you, but now I am



Alex: I just found a treasure trove of smutty Aeneas/Cupid fics



Marcus: Nope, don’t want to know



Alex: Apparently our shipping portmanteau is Aeneid



Marcus: Clever, but still NO



Alex: Just wanted to thank you for all that very tender lovemaking



Marcus: OH MY GOD STOP



Alex: Your stamina was truly impressive



Alex: Also your girth



Marcus: AGGGGGGH



Alex: Good luck forgetting this conversation, my stern but loving daddy



Marcus: I HATE YOU SO MUCH



Alex: Off to take a nap now, byeeeeeeeee



Alex:



Marcus:



Alex:





5


ALEX WAS LOOKING AT HER WITH THE ODDEST EXPRESSION on his fatigue-creased face.

After one last snort, Lauren managed to contain her punch-drunk hilarity. Using the neckline of her tee, she wiped away the wetness under her eyes.

“What?” He braced himself against the door of the sedan, seemingly unaware that their driver had efficiently hoisted all their luggage from the car’s trunk and was awaiting his attention. “What’s so funny?”

The unaccustomed laughter had hurt her throat a little, and she reached inside the back seat for her forgotten bottle of water. After a swig, she shut the door and flicked a dismissive hand.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” She tilted her head toward their patient driver. “Let’s allow this poor woman to get on with her evening.”

“Oh.” In a startled rush of movement, he turned toward the uniformed driver, pressed what appeared to be a substantial tip in her hand, and waved her off.

The sedan completed the driveway’s circle and disappeared down the narrow, twisty Beachwood Canyon road as Lauren took stock of her surroundings.

If she had a dog named Toto, she’d inform him they weren’t in NoHo anymore. They were, in fact, right below the Hollywood sign, perched high on a mountainside, in a neighborhood where wealthy and famous people lived, rather than middle-class non-entities like her.

On the way to his house, driving up and up again on those tiny roads, they’d passed countless enormous, impeccably maintained houses. No, estates. Ones with an eye-popping array of architectural styles ranging from Spanish Colonial to—well, Turreted German Mini-Castle.

A mini-castle with a narrow, shallow moat filled with succulents, which visitors crossed via a tiny drawbridge, because of course. Of course Alex had a castle and a moat and a drawbridge. And what appeared to be stables off to one side. Did he have freaking horses?

What was the name of that magazine feature? Oh, right: Stars—they’re just like us!

Nooooope.

If she turned one way, the lights of downtown L.A. glittered below. A half-turn, and the mountain stretched still higher, those iconic letters startlingly close.