She turned to her side and squinted her eyes at me. Before she could answer, my damn phone vibrated with a new text.

“It’s Megan. We have a car waiting to take us to dinner. Apparently she is joining us.”

Olive groaned and covered her eyes with her arm. “She is going to go over her game plan for tomorrow. We’re screwed.”

***

The dinner was exactly what Olive had predicted it would be: Megan giving each of us detailed instructions on what to say, what not to say, etc. Toward the end, she focused completely on Olive and explained what would happen at the premiere the next day. When neither Olive nor I could keep our eyes open any more, she agreed to end the night and we all returned to our rooms.

I eyed the alarm clock on my left side and noticed it had been only eleven minutes since I had left Olive alone on the balcony after giving her a quick kiss on her forehead. It was the closest we had gotten to a real kiss so far, always a forehead kiss, or sometimes an even more innocent cheek kiss. I’d already discovered that I preferred forehead kisses over the cheek kisses. The way she looked at me after I gave her one always undid something inside me, so I took what I could get.

Another minute passed. Was she still talking to her friends? It was the first night we’d be sleeping under the same roof, and I was having trouble guiding my thoughts away from that fact.

Finally, I heard a door being clicked shut, then soft footsteps took her farther away from my room to her own bedroom. Maybe I should’ve found a suite with only one bedroom.

I took a deep breath and let it all out.

When I heard Olive’s ear-piercing scream, I was out of my bed and running for her in seconds. As soon as I hit the living room, she collided with my bare chest, knocking the air out of me.

“What is it?” I asked urgently, my heart racing in my chest. When she kept shaking in my arms, trying to catch her breath, I gripped her elbows and pushed her away from my body. “What’s wrong?”

Her chest rising and falling rapidly, she met my eyes. “Someone is in my room.” Her breath hitched. “The closet.”

Just as she finished her words, I heard a soft clatter coming from her room. I gripped her arm tighter. “Go to my room. Now. Call the hotel security.” She nodded sharply, but didn’t move. “Go, sweetheart. It’s gonna be okay,” I said, softening my tone. She ran without questioning me further.

When I entered her room, I caught the faint smell of Olive, the scent of her perfume: fresh apples and flowers. As I walked father in, a heavier smell clouded the one I was starting to recognize whenever Olive was near.

“Hotel security is on their way. If you don’t want to get in more trouble, you should come out of there.”

A slender blonde strolled out of the walk-in closet at my words. She was wearing a black lingerie set that left nothing to the imagination. I made sure to keep my eyes on her face and not an inch below that.

I balled my fists and took a deep breath.

“How did you get in?” I asked, trying so very hard to keep the anger that was burning inside me out of my voice.

What if Olive hadn’t noticed this person’s presence in her room and this lunatic had managed to hurt her?

She shrugged and offered me a small smile. It wasn’t the first time some fan or stalker had paid a hotel employee to get into my room, but having Olive here with me…

It changed things.

Her eyes roamed my naked chest and she found the courage to take a step toward me as she licked her lips. I crossed my arms over my chest.

“I guessed you would bring her here with you, but I wanted to give you options tonight. I’m game for a threesome, too,” she said.

I clenched my jaw and had to force myself to not throw her out on her ass on the spot.

“Jason? Is everything okay?” Olive’s softly spoken words came from right outside the room.

“It’s okay, Olive.” I raised my voice. “Open the door so security can get in here as fast as possible.”

Turning to the lunatic, I saw the shocked expression on her face. “Perhaps you want to put on your clothes before more people see you like this.”

“But…but I love you,” she said, taking another step forward. “Please, give me a chance. I really love you, Jason! I’ve watched every one of your movies a hundred times!”

I gritted my teeth and turned away from her to wait for security.

“I’ll do whatever you want, Jason. Just give me one night, please,” she begged instead of putting clothes on. “I only want one chance. I’ll let you do anything you want to me. I don’t even care if you fuck me in front of a bunch of people. Whatever gets you off, I’m down with it.”

Hearing raised voices coming from outside the room, I walked out without glancing back at her. I was doing my damnedest to ignore her words. She was still begging me, her pleas becoming desperate. The head of the hotel security, Daniel…something, who I had met as we checked in, reached me before I could get to them.

“What’s the problem, sir?”

“Someone managed to get into the room and hide in the closet. I suggest you take her out of here immediately or I’ll be pressing charges.”

“That’s impossible. Our security—”

I held up a hand. “I don’t have time to go over this with you. She obviously found her way in. Get her out of here, right now.” His eyes hardened and before he could move toward the room with the two other men that were standing right behind him, the girl came running outside, still in the same getup.

“You took him from me,” she cried as she ran toward the door. While I was thinking she was finally getting out, one way or another, my eyes caught something in her clenched fists: a taser.

She was running toward Olive.

I growled Olive’s name, trying to warn her as my heart leaped to my throat. Before I could reach Olive where she was standing next to the open door or take out the fucking lunatic, one of the security guys tackled the girl down on the hardwood floor and restrained her hands behind her back, forcefully prying the weapon out of her hands.

Once I reached Olive’s side, I was shaking just as much as she was, if not more. Holding her face in my hands, I forced her to meet my gaze. “You okay?”

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. She gave a small nod.

I buried her face in my chest and willed my heart to slow down.

She is okay. She is fine.

“Get her the fuck out of here,” I growled when the security guys seemed to be taking their sweet time with the wailing girl.

I pulled Olive as far away from the door as possible. Her skin was cold under my touch.

“Sir, do you want us to—”

“Get out,” I roared, finally fed up. Thankfully, they obeyed.

Before the last one could close the door, Megan peered in through the small opening. “What the hell is going on here? What’s with all the yelling?” She looked over her shoulder. “Did someone try to get in?”

Letting go of Olive for a second, I walked toward the door and closed it on Megan’s face. I was in no condition to talk to her.

This time I was gentler when I held Olive’s face in my hands. She lifted her face and her eyes locked with mine. “I’m so sorry, Olive.” She had stiffened when I’d touched her again, but seemed to relax as I slowly caressed her cheeks with my thumbs. I didn’t like the fact that her face was still pale, but she didn’t seem to shake any more.

She grabbed my forearms. “It wasn’t your fault. I think I overreacted a little. It’s just…” Her eyes broke contact. “When the closet door opened and I saw her reflection in the mirror…”

“Don’t apologize, sweetheart,” I said gruffly. It was my own damn fault for not bringing my own bodyguard. “I’m sorry, Olive,” I murmured again and pulled her against my chest.

A few seconds later, her arms tentatively closed around my waist and the tension quickly left my body.