her stomach clench. He actually sounded happy. She wasn’t sure if that could be a good thing or a bad thing, considering he was about to spend the next six weeks getting to know women better, none of them her.
“So you’re not mad anymore then?” she asked tentatively.
“More overwhelmed than anything.”
“Me, too,” she admitted. “Starting tomorrow, there are going to be a lot of people around here poking microphones and lights in our faces.” An odd mixture of fear and disappointment suddenly rifled through her as she realized the next few hours might be the only ones they would have together without the entire country watching them on TV. She began to pace. “We’re going to be miked and followed and then edited. Who knows what’s going to be aired.” She stopped and put a hand to her stomach. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Most of the blood left her head, and the room began to spin.
Logan reacted instantly. He grabbed her shoulders and dragged her back to the chaise. “Don’t move. I’m going to get you some water.”
She leaned her head back onto the padded backrest and closed her eyes to stop the spinning. What had she done? The enormity of how unprepared she was for this hit her hard.
“Fred. Are you all right?”
His voice sounded like an echo. She wanted to respond, but she couldn’t find the energy. She heard him slide something onto a tabletop next to the chaise. Still, she couldn’t open her eyes.
“Fred. Answer me.” He patted her hand as he spoke.
With great effort, she fluttered her eyes open and was immediately hit by the full force of concern she saw on his face. “I’m okay.”
He didn’t let go of her hand when he sat on the edge of the chaise. “You scared me. I thought you were going to faint for a moment.”
Her heart pounded. She didn’t know if it was from fear of the unknown or the fact that he held her hand. “It seemed like a distinct possibility for a while.”
He reached over and retrieved the glass of water. “Here.”
She cupped the glass with both hands and held on for dear life.
“Look. We don’t have to do this,” he said. “It’s not worth all the stress I see on your face. There must be some way we can get out of the contract.”
Just so she could stop looking into his eyes, she glanced at the glass before raising it to her lips. “You’re not interested in finding the woman of your dreams?” Her heart beat faster, and she hoped her voice held no more emotion than it would have if she’d asked him if he wanted to watch football or hockey.
“Actually, I have been thinking about that,” he admitted.
Freddy felt her heart slam to a stop as though it hit a brick wall.
“Someday. But not quite this way and not in just a few weeks.”
Slowly, her heart seemed to restart.
“But then again, you are going to help me, right?”
And stop again.
“So it could be fun.”
“Fun,” she agreed weakly. Whom was she kidding? There would be no fun. Not for her. It was going to be pure torture.
Besides, Roberto had all but said there could be no turning back now. There had to be some sort of penalty clause in the contract she hadn’t bothered to read. In a day or two, the magazine would hit the stands, the manor was rented, the sponsors had paid their bills, and tomorrow, the women would be arriving at the expense of the network. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were at stake here.
She did a quick mental inventory to figure out if she had enough body parts to sell to repay the network if they backed out. Not nearly enough, she decided. She was stuck in a trap of her own making with no way out except straight ahead to the end. She suddenly pictured herself waving good-bye to Logan and the woman she helped pick out for him. It made her feel sick again.
“I think I should go back to my room now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Uh-huh. I want to see if I have goodies in my closet, too,” she said as an excuse. She gulped down the rest of
“So you’re not mad anymore then?” she asked tentatively.
“More overwhelmed than anything.”
“Me, too,” she admitted. “Starting tomorrow, there are going to be a lot of people around here poking microphones and lights in our faces.” An odd mixture of fear and disappointment suddenly rifled through her as she realized the next few hours might be the only ones they would have together without the entire country watching them on TV. She began to pace. “We’re going to be miked and followed and then edited. Who knows what’s going to be aired.” She stopped and put a hand to her stomach. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Most of the blood left her head, and the room began to spin.
Logan reacted instantly. He grabbed her shoulders and dragged her back to the chaise. “Don’t move. I’m going to get you some water.”
She leaned her head back onto the padded backrest and closed her eyes to stop the spinning. What had she done? The enormity of how unprepared she was for this hit her hard.
“Fred. Are you all right?”
His voice sounded like an echo. She wanted to respond, but she couldn’t find the energy. She heard him slide something onto a tabletop next to the chaise. Still, she couldn’t open her eyes.
“Fred. Answer me.” He patted her hand as he spoke.
With great effort, she fluttered her eyes open and was immediately hit by the full force of concern she saw on his face. “I’m okay.”
He didn’t let go of her hand when he sat on the edge of the chaise. “You scared me. I thought you were going to faint for a moment.”
Her heart pounded. She didn’t know if it was from fear of the unknown or the fact that he held her hand. “It seemed like a distinct possibility for a while.”
He reached over and retrieved the glass of water. “Here.”
She cupped the glass with both hands and held on for dear life.
“Look. We don’t have to do this,” he said. “It’s not worth all the stress I see on your face. There must be some way we can get out of the contract.”
Just so she could stop looking into his eyes, she glanced at the glass before raising it to her lips. “You’re not interested in finding the woman of your dreams?” Her heart beat faster, and she hoped her voice held no more emotion than it would have if she’d asked him if he wanted to watch football or hockey.
“Actually, I have been thinking about that,” he admitted.
Freddy felt her heart slam to a stop as though it hit a brick wall.
“Someday. But not quite this way and not in just a few weeks.”
Slowly, her heart seemed to restart.
“But then again, you are going to help me, right?”
And stop again.
“So it could be fun.”
“Fun,” she agreed weakly. Whom was she kidding? There would be no fun. Not for her. It was going to be pure torture.
Besides, Roberto had all but said there could be no turning back now. There had to be some sort of penalty clause in the contract she hadn’t bothered to read. In a day or two, the magazine would hit the stands, the manor was rented, the sponsors had paid their bills, and tomorrow, the women would be arriving at the expense of the network. Hundreds of thousands of dollars were at stake here.
She did a quick mental inventory to figure out if she had enough body parts to sell to repay the network if they backed out. Not nearly enough, she decided. She was stuck in a trap of her own making with no way out except straight ahead to the end. She suddenly pictured herself waving good-bye to Logan and the woman she helped pick out for him. It made her feel sick again.
“I think I should go back to my room now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Uh-huh. I want to see if I have goodies in my closet, too,” she said as an excuse. She gulped down the rest of
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