The Right Swipe (Modern Love, #1)(26)

If this was solely about shedding her anger and finding inner peace or closure or whatever Katrina wanted to call it, she might have already left. But this was also about business, so she was all-in.

She bypassed the reservation desk and made her way through the chandelier-lit lobby to the hallway that connected to a restaurant. There was a discreet sign in the window that said the restaurant was closed, but Rhiannon ignored that and tested the handle. The door easily opened.

The film crew was small, only about five or six people, but even if the room hadn’t been blocked off, she would have spotted Samson immediately. He towered over the other occupants, his broad shoulders big enough to block out the sun. He wore another suit, but no tie this time.

A shame. The sexy factor of a perfectly tied knot was undeniable, even to a casual dresser such as herself.

A small blond woman bopped her way, perky ponytail bouncing, a polite smile on her face. “I’m sorry, the restaurant is closed—”

“I’m not here for the restaurant,” Rhiannon said gently. “I’m here for your star.”

The woman raised an eyebrow. “I beg your pardon?” She blinked at Rhiannon, and recognition dawned in her eyes. “Hey, aren’t you—?”

“Tina, it’s fine.” Samson appeared behind the sentry and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I asked her to come.” His dark eyes were warm when they rested on Rhiannon’s face, and she could almost believe he had asked her to crash his date. Or whatever it was called when a film crew was present.

Rhiannon tilted her head. “I was hoping I could have a minute to talk privately.”

“Absolutely. Tina, how much time do we have?”

“Um.” Tina looked back and forth between the two of them. “Your date is going to be here in a half hour. But you said you wanted more prep . . .”

“I’ll wing it.” Samson nodded at Rhiannon. “There’s some space to talk outside. Let’s go there.”

She exhaled long and low as they walked away from Tina and the rest of the curious group. She’d expected Samson to be a number of things: shocked, panicked, annoyed. At the very least, she’d thought she might need to explain why she was here. She had a fast-talking spiel lined up and ready to go.

This had been relatively easy.

They exited to the patio, which looked out over a paradise of rolling hills and sprouting spring flowers. The view was designed to nourish and calm, but it had the opposite effect on her, ramping up the low-grade anxiety that had been humming under the surface since Lakshmi had told her where she could find the man.

Weird. She’d run from him and fought with him, but she supposed this was the first time since they’d been in her bed that they were alone with each other. She cast about for something to say. “Nice choice, filming here. Pasadena’s picturesque.”

Samson glanced at the surroundings and smiled. “Yes. Quieter than downtown for sure.”

“Is that where you live?”

“Yeah. Not permanently, Matchmaker put me up. What about you? I know Crush is in L.A., but not sure where.”

“Not far from there. Silver Lake.” She hadn’t wanted to be a Silicon Beach company, and the area had been more affordable when they’d established Crush.

“You live in that area too?”

“Part-time.” If not for Katrina, she’d live and work in L.A. full-time, but she cared about her best friend more than the city. Santa Barbara had its own charms, and she could commute down easily after each weekend. “Why?”

“No reason. Making small talk.”

She rolled her neck, trying to ease the tension there. “I’m not really here to make small talk.”

His face grew grave. “I understand.”

She gestured to a low stone bench, judging them far enough away from the restaurant and hotel that they wouldn’t be disturbed.

He sat at one end of the bench. She took the other end, though it was a tight squeeze. Then again, he’d make anything a tight squeeze.

His body angled toward her. “How’d you know where to find me?”

“My assistant has some creepy powers.”

Samson’s smile was small. “Apparently.”

She bit her lip, aware the clock was ticking. His hair was rumpled. She had a brief, untimely vision of it when it had been long, long enough to slip over his shoulders and brush her nipples and she looked away, focusing on a spot right over his shoulder.

Get this over with.

“Rhiannon—”

“I’m here for closure.”

“Closure.”

“Yeah. My best friend says I need it.”

“Do you think you do?”

“I don’t know.”

“You’re mad at me. I treated you really badly, and I am so sorry I hurt you.”

She drew herself up, feathers ruffling. Bad enough, showing Katrina her vulnerabilities.

Don’t get defensive. Don’t run away, or you’ll feel worse, as you discovered. This is what you’re here for. The voice in her head sounded oddly like Katrina’s, and it did calm her, but she still had to push back. “We knew it was going to be a temporary affair. It would have ended that second night anyway.”

“Not like it did.” Samson looked down at his hands. “The thing I said onstage, about the family emergency? That wasn’t a hypothetical.”