Chapter 8 Skyler
SKYLER
Four days. It’s been four days since Zach showed up at my door. Four days of having him by my side, and I’m going crazy.
I wish I could find a huge flaw in him because then maybe, just maybe I could talk myself out of this attraction brewing between us.
But the man is making it hard. It’s like he anticipates my every need.
He’s helped me work, cleaned with me, cooked for me, and talked to me, and even though he’s asked me a thousand questions, I have secretly loved every minute of it.
But now that we’re out in public with people, it’s time to rein it in.
“This is not going to work,” I tell Zach for the tenth time in the last hour.
His big hand slides across my back, hooks around my waist, and pulls me closer to his side. “It has to.”
I open my mouth, but he turns me so we’re facing each other, and I lose all train of thought. The man is too good-looking, and he’s making me crazy.
I try to look away, but he gently puts his fingers on my chin, holding my face so that I have to look at him. “I’m not leaving your side, sweets.”
I grumble, “Quit calling me that.”
He tilts his head to the side, looking at me. I hate it because when he does that, I feel so vulnerable that it freaks me out a little bit. His hands move to my shoulders, and he starts to gently massage them. “What’s wrong? Talk to me.”
I lean in to whisper because for a brand trip, you never know where the cameras are going to be lurking. “Where should I start? We’re lying to these people. They all think we’re together.” I gesture between the two of us. “This is too much.”
Zach looks around, and when he spots a door, he grabs my hand and walks us to it. He pulls me outside and leans me against the wall, putting one hand beside my head. “Look, I know this is a lot. You have all kinds of stress on you, and I don’t want to add to it.”
I look at him like I don’t believe him. Since the second he walked back into my life, it’s been one surprise after another.
Just like this brand trip. I know he said he was coming with me, but I didn’t realize it meant we were staying in the same room and sharing a bed.
I’ve told myself that I need to keep my distance and my heart guarded, but the more time I spend with Zach, the harder that is.
I shake my head. “I just don’t understand. We can have separate rooms.”
He rubs his hand through his hair. “Look, I know this isn’t ideal, but in order to keep you safe, I am not leaving you by yourself.”
I look out at the mountains over Zach’s shoulder. “And did we really have to tell everyone I was your girlfriend?”
He searches my eyes. “They all knew anyway. All these people watch your channel, and really, is it such a bad thing that they know we’re together?”
I avoid his gaze, not trusting myself. He’s hinted a few times about this being real, but I just ignore him. I can totally see me throwing myself at him and really embarrassing myself.
Zach shifts so that I have no other option than to look into his eyes. He’s trying to figure me out, and his question rattles me. “What’s really going on here, Sky?”
I roll my eyes. “You know what, you want to do this, we’ll do it, but no one is going to believe it.”
He tenses. “Believe what?”
I point a finger between the two of us. “This. Me and you. No one is going to believe we’re really together. This is going to create even more drama, and that’s the last thing I want. This is my business, Zach. It’s my livelihood that we’re messing with, and I can’t just… muck it all up.”
He cups my cheek, and my heart starts to race. His voice dips low. “Do you trust me?”
I nod instantly because regardless of anything else, I do trust him.
For just a second, I think he’s going to kiss me.
I wait for it. Hell, I lick my lips in anticipation of it.
I’m so ready for it that there’s a pull in my lower belly from wanting it.
And just when I’m about to go to my tiptoes to get closer, I come to my senses. This is fake, Skyler. This is not real.
I force a smile to my face and pull away. “Come on. It’s show time.”
I am about to walk away, but Zach grabs my hand, threading our fingers together. We walk back into the resort and follow the signs for where the dinner is being held.
There’s a cooking segment where the chef is showing off all the Whisked Away cooking and baking utensils. We’re supposed to be able to watch while enjoying dinner.
I’m sure Zach is going to be bored out of his mind.
We walk in and are welcomed by the staff. I was originally so excited about this, but now there’s a dark cloud hanging over it. This strange man, my stalker as Zach calls him, has wreaked havoc on my life for weeks now. But tonight, I’m determined not to think about him.
I’m smiling as we’re led to a table with four other people. I give them a wave. “Hey, everyone. I’m Skyler with Sweet Temptations.”
Zach puts a hand at my waist. “And I’m Zach, her boyfriend.”
I tense but keep smiling as we sit down.
The woman next to me introduces herself and her husband. “Hi y’all! I’m Cindy, and this is my husband, Mark. We own Southern Food.”
I nod real big. “Yes, the food blog. I love that. It’s so nice to meet you both.”
I look to the two women next to Zach, and they’re both staring at him. My voice is strained, but I give them a little wave. “Hello.”
The one looks at me, but the other keeps staring at Zach. I glance at him, and he’s oblivious to it all because his eyes are completely trained on me.
The woman that can’t seem to take her eyes off Zach says, “Hello. I’m Patty, and I own Patty’s Pudding. This is my best friend, Kathy.”
Clueless, I keep a smile on my face. “It’s really nice to meet you both.”
Finally, the woman looks at me. “You know, Patty’s Pudding. It’s on TrueFans. I do live recordings of me making pudding nude.”
I had mistakenly taken that moment to drink some water, and when she says it, I start to choke.
Zach is on me instantly, patting my back, asking me if I’m okay.
I barely recover before Patty is shoving her business card and her cleavage into Zach’s face. “Here you go. There’s a QR code if you want to check it out.”
He doesn’t even reach for the business card. With a smirk on his face, he shakes his head. “No thank you. The only baking I watch is Sky’s.”
My whole body goes hot. I don’t know if it’s the fact that he’s turning down an obvious flirt or the way he says my name or what it is, but I feel it all over. For the rest of the evening, Zach turns in his seat so his back is to the voluptuous blonde.
The dinner and the show are amazing. I am amazed by all the cookware and utensils and ecstatic when they announce that everyone has a package waiting in our rooms.
We barely get up from dinner and say bye to Cindy and Mark when I’m racing back to the room. I’m bouncing from foot to foot waiting for Zach to open the door, but as soon as we’re inside, he halts me. “Wait here. I’m going to check the package.”
My eyes almost bug out of my head. “Check the package? What does that even mean? Check the package?”
He pulls a tool from his bag, and I point at it. “What is that?”
He shrugs. “Bomb detector.”
My eyes widen. “Bomb detector? I know this guy is a little crazy, but not like that. He’s not going to blow me up.”
For just a second, Zach looks regretful. “He’s escalating. Since that first night when I was on camera, asking you to be my girlfriend, he’s escalated.”
I hold a hand up. “Wait. How did I not know that? I haven’t seen any messages from him. No emails, nothing.”
He juts his chin at me. “I’ve intercepted them.”
I take a step back. “You intercepted them?”
He nods. “Yeah, I don’t want you to worry.”
I blurt out a laugh. “You don’t want me to worry? You’re holding a bomb detector in your hand and think that’s perfectly reasonable. Yeah, I’m going to worry.”
He curses. “Fuck, I’m doing this all wrong. Nothing is going to happen to you, Sky. I promise, I’m going to take care of you.”
He turns to walk to the huge box in the middle of the room. I rush to his side. “Wait.”
He patiently turns to me.
I put a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t want anything to happen to you either.” His face softens, and I know I’m giving away too much. “Look, let’s just put the box out in the hallway and give it away.”
He points at the box. “This box? You want to give it away? The one that we practically raced back to the room to open?”
I shrug. “Well, it’s not worth dying over.”
He moves the detector to his left hand and then puts his right hand on my shoulder. “I’m sure it’s fine. I’m just being cautious.”
I nod, and he gestures to the corner of the room. “Go on. Go stand over there.”
I firmly shake my head. “Nope. If we’re doing this, we’re doing it together.”
He wants to argue but decides against it. He rubs the detector along the box, and the room is silent as I wait for something to alert me. This whole situation is a little overwhelming. It doesn’t take long before Zach is putting away the machine. “Go ahead. Open it.”
I suck in a deep breath and let it out. The joy and excitement from earlier is now gone. I get the first flap open, and Zach apologizes. “I’m sorry. I ruined it for you, and that wasn’t my intention.”
I shake my head, forcing a smile to my face. “You didn’t ruin it. The asshole stalker did.”
Zach smirks at me, and I ask him, “What are you smiling about?”
He crosses his arms over his big chest and shakes his head, still smiling. “You must be really mad because you just cursed.”
I blush. It’s a bad habit of mine, but he’s right. I only curse when I’m mad.
I open the box, and Zach helps me take everything out. He’s really trying to get my mind off things, and he asks me to tell him about every appliance and utensil and what I’d like to make with them.
I’m trying. I really am. I answer all his questions, and I am excited about the PR package from Whisked Away, but it seems like the week is just taking its toll on me. Emotions are hitting me hard, and I know I’m not going to be able to keep it together much longer.
“I’m going to go shower and get ready for bed.”
He tenses but doesn’t say anything. I grab my pajamas and toiletry bag and then make my way to the bathroom. I can feel Zach’s eyes on me the whole way, and it’s only when I get to the bathroom, shut the door, and turn on the water that I finally let the tears start to fall.
I’m a mess. I know I am.
My stalker is going crazy. I’m spending twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week with a man that I’ve crushed on for what feels like forever. I know I need to stay strong and keep my guard up, but right now, I’m so damn tired, and I just can’t.