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Eventually they seemed to give up on getting any kind of reply from Daniel, perhaps knowing from experience that he wasn’t going to respond. So the paparazzo closest to Lily turned to her instead.

“Come on, love. Give us a name,” he yelled in her ear.

Another one leered. “You’re a cute one.”

“Are you Dan’s new Girl Friday?” the largest guy asked.

Her steps faltered at that last question. She’d wondered how this would look and knew without a doubt how these men would spin it. She didn’t even need to see Daniel’s face to know he had come to the same conclusion. His grip got even tighter on her hand, and his steps sped up as they turned the corner into the parking garage.

The paparazzi continued to follow them as they made their way to the back of the garage where Daniel had parked. Lily sighed in relief as she saw Daniel’s Audi come into view. The photographers snapped away, still trying to get a good shot of her face as Daniel led her to the passenger door and opened it. He finally let go of her hand and closed the door when he was sure she was settled in her seat. She strapped in as Daniel battled his way through the photographers to the driver’s side. Lily heard him take a deep breath as he started his car.

They still had their sunglasses on, but Lily felt Daniel’s eyes on hers. His grip remained tight on the steering wheel as he turned toward her. “Are you all right?”

She nodded, not trusting her voice. Her breathing was starting to regulate, but adrenaline had flooded her system. Daniel pulled out a cigarette and flicked his lighter to life. She focused on the rhythmic hollowing of his cheeks, trying her hardest to hold in the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. At that moment, Lily contemplated taking up smoking, if for no other reason than to have something to do with her shaking hands.

“Okay,” he said, letting out another breath of smoky air. Lily found it oddly comforting. “Head still down. And hold on.”

Lily closed her eyes as the car eased backward. Daniel’s reverse was forceful enough to scatter the paparazzi but not so rough as to run over anyone. Any flashes or shouting were blessedly muffled by the revving of the Audi’s engine.

“Christ, I hope they don’t follow us,” Daniel muttered under his breath. Lily heard the whirl of the window as Daniel rolled it down just a touch, giving them both some much-needed fresh air. He seemed to struggle to obey the traffic laws as he moved onto the streets, but kept his speed reasonable.

Lily eventually opened her eyes but kept them on the traffic in front of her while focusing on taking deep, regular breaths as the last of her adrenaline rush crashed back down to reality. Daniel glanced in her direction to check on her.

“Hey,” he said gently. “I’m sorry about that.”

She cleared her throat and gazed over at him. “It’s all right. It’s not your fault. That was just . . . intense.”

Lily hadn’t realized the truth behind her words until they were out of her mouth. It truly wasn’t Daniel’s fault. They were just having lunch, minding their own business, when the men started photographing them. And even in the middle of the chaos, Daniel wasn’t rude to them. By not saying anything at all, he didn’t give them what they wanted, but he also didn’t make the situation any worse.

Daniel’s laugh pulled her from her thoughts. “Believe me. I’ve been in worse. Much worse.”

Lily shook her head at the thought. “I cannot even imagine. That was enough for me, thanks.”

She watched the streets of Los Angeles fly by as Daniel weaved in and out of traffic. It occurred to her that she had no idea where he was taking her.

“So are you kidnapping me now?”

Daniel’s eyes flew to hers. They were filled with a devious glint. “Are you saying you wouldn’t come along willingly?” His eyebrow arched knowingly.

Lily scoffed but couldn’t deny it. “Yeah, probably,” she replied, smiling at him. “I was just curious about where we’re going.”

“Oh, well, I didn’t have a plan when I pulled out of the parking garage. So I just headed home. To my house. I assumed that was all right.”

Lily’s eyes widened in surprise. “Um . . . sure. If that’s fine with you. I mean, it’s your space. I don’t want to intrude.”

“Of course you’re welcome at my place. But if I see you taking photos with your smartphone or writing down the address, I will be forced to kill you.”

Lily assumed he was kidding. The thought of doing what he’d suggested hadn’t even crossed her mind.

Within a few minutes, they rolled into Hollywood Hills. The tension drained from Daniel’s posture the closer he got to his house. His white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel relaxed as he drove farther from the paparazzi.

If Lily had been driving, she would have missed the driveway. It was tucked among shrubs and other greenery lining the streets. Daniel pulled in, stopping at a tall iron gate. He rolled down the window of the Audi and punched in the security code as Lily admired the surroundings. The lush greenery continued on the inside of Daniel’s property as well. Lily could now see that the shrubbery lining the streets had actually grown through the rest of the iron fence surrounding the property.

She hadn’t expected a huge estate sprawling over several acres. That just wasn’t Daniel’s style. But she was still pleasantly surprised when she saw that the property wasn’t too large—less than an acre, she guessed. The stucco house, though set back from the road, was welcoming and not the least bit ostentatious. Where Lily was from, it would have been considered a mansion. But by Hollywood standards, it was merely average. It had a distinct bungalow vibe to it—cozy and inviting.

Around the house, the landscaping was lush and slightly tropical. Palm trees stood on each side of the garage. Parked inside the garage was another Audi coupe. Storage containers lined the walls in neat stacks, and recycling bins sat beside the door Lily assumed led inside. A few moments later, she found out she was right.

“So . . . welcome to my home.”

Chapter Eleven

The door led into a spacious kitchen. It had stone flooring, granite countertops, and a decorative tile backsplash around all the counters. The stainless steel appliances included a gas stove and gave the kitchen a clean, almost industrial feel.

Lily sat her bag on one of the counters when she heard someone else in the house.

“Hey, babe,” a muffled, vaguely familiar female voice called. “Back already? I thought you were going to be gone longer than that.”

Lily’s surprised gaze turned to Daniel. She fought the urge to tell him that she shouldn’t be here—that she was intruding. Daniel must have read her expression. He smiled and nodded toward the living area.

“Yeah, we had to cut it short,” he called out. As they walked into the next room, Lily heard the distinct sound of footsteps coming the same way. The living room had a relaxed and comfortable feel to it. Hardwood floors stretched across the large room. Black iron-scroll sconces and table lamps accented earth tone walls and colors of all variations—rich browns, greens ranging from sage to olive, neutral shades of taupe, and splashes of burgundy. A gas fireplace sat on one wall with a pair of olive colored chairs that formed a small sitting area. A larger area was clearly designed for more recreational purposes. A flat-screen high-definition television was attached to the wall, and below it were two plush microfiber sofas the color of cocoa powder separated by three square ottomans in the same shade, forming one “coffee table.” Leopard print pillows sat in the corners of both sofas. It was both comfortable and unassuming. Lily was about to sit down when the woman behind the voice entered the room.

It was her. You Know Who.

“Oh. Hi,” she said as she pulled her blond locks into a messy bun. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know there was anyone else here.”

“Please forgive me for imposing—” Lily started.

“Lily, I promise, it’s fine,” Daniel said from his spot on the sofa.

The younger woman nodded. “He’s right. You’re not imposing. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” She offered Lily her hand and a genuine smile.

Lily’s eyes widened. “Oh . . . so you two are really . . . and . . . y-you’ve talked about me?”

She sank down onto the sofa in embarrassment. “Wow . . . okay, that was, yeah. Forget I said that.”

Daniel laughed and his
whatever-she-was
giggled.

“It’s cool,” she said. “I’m Samantha, by the way. But please, call me Sam.”

“Sam . . .” Lily said, staring up at her in a combination of shock and curiosity. “I, um . . . hi?”

The blonde fought another giggle as she plopped down on the sofa opposite Daniel. “Hi.”

Lily eyed them for a moment, then shook her head and took a breath. “So tell me about the house—off the record.”

Daniel laughed again before launching into it. It was an older home, which Lily could tell by the building materials and layout, but Daniel had done quite a bit of work on it himself since purchasing it seven years ago. He’d taken a wall out to expand the living area and remodeled the kitchen to its now more modern look. Lily could tell he was proud of his home.

Unfortunately, his boasting was interrupted by a fast, angry rapping on the front door.

“You two stay. Talk. I’ll get it,” Sam said.

She had barely been gone a minute before Nate Brennan barged in.

“
Daniel!
” he shouted as he made his way through the house. “We’ve gotta talk!”

Lily sat up straight at the noise.

Daniel was standing by the time Nate entered the room. “What the hell, man?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” When Nate turned to walk toward the sofa, she was surprised to see his frustration directed at her. “Well. I’m glad you’re here, too,” he said, the green in his eyes churning like angry seawater. “What exactly were you two up to this afternoon? Why are there pictures of you all over the Internet?”

Daniel sighed. “Seriously? Already?”

“Yeah. Already.” Nate kept his glare on Lily. “What exactly are you trying to pull here?”

The hatred in Nate’s tone caused Lily to scoot further back on the sofa. “What? Nothing! I didn’t . . . I mean . . . I had no idea . . .”

Nate scoffed at her words. “Right. I’m sure you had no idea—”

“Nate, enough!” Daniel shouted. “Don’t talk to my guests that way in my home.”

Lily jerked in her seat, her gaze wide and burning from not blinking. A hand touched her shoulder.

“Come on. Let’s go outside and give them some privacy.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Lily followed Sam through the house, out to the patio. A small in-ground pool sat just beyond an outdoor kitchen area. She took a seat beside the actress at the patio table and looked out over the turquoise water.

“So . . . want to tell me what happened?” There was no accusation to the words, only concern.

Lily sighed, sinking back into her chair. She looked down, smoothing her dress over her thighs as she told the story of what had happened when she and Daniel had left the restaurant.

“It was just so . . . unsettling. I felt like I couldn’t breathe.” Just the memory of it caused her heart rate to spike. “God, I’m sorry,” Lily said, remembering who she was talking to. “I guess I don’t have to tell you.” She smiled solemnly. “I shouldn’t be complaining.”

It surprised her when she heard a small laugh from across the table.

“Of course you can complain. I get it. Completely.” Sam’s gentle smile put Lily at ease.

“I suppose the same is true for Daniel. He must get that all the time.”

“Yeah, he does. And most of the time, it’s no big deal. He doesn’t always like it, but I think he looks at it as the price he has to pay to be an actor.”

“I know you have no reason to believe me, but it shouldn’t be that way. For either of you.” Lily’s tone was adamant. “Being an actor, even one with a following like Daniel, doesn’t mean you should have to give up your privacy. And it certainly doesn’t mean photographers can push you around.” Lily knew she’d have faint bruises in the morning.

Sam—
Samantha Conrad,
she thought with some lingering awe—examined Lily with her familiar hazel eyes. “You know, not many journalists feel the way you do.”

“Believe me, I know. I just don’t see the interest in paparazzi photos. I mean, you two never look happy in them.” Lily’s gaze widened when she realized what she had said. “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it like that.”

Amused, her companion raised her somewhat chipped manicure to stop Lily’s apology. “No, you’re right. We don’t usually look happy. But now that you’ve run the gauntlet, so to speak, you know why.”

“It took all I had not to fall apart. Or at least not fall flat on my face.” Lily glanced at her before continuing. “Daniel was very . . . protective. He led me through it so that I’d be jostled as little as possible. But, I promise, there was nothing more to it.”

She gave Lily an understanding smile. “I know. He takes care of the people around him. But you don’t owe me an explanation.”

“Yes, I think I do,” Lily confessed. “I haven’t seen the pictures, but judging from Nate’s reaction, they can’t look good.”

“Lily, Daniel is photographed with beautiful women all the time at events and premieres. And he frequently has to kiss them as part of his job. Believe me, I’m not threatened easily.”