Page 52 of The Encounter
Kayla shrugged. “I like to dance.”
Jace nodded, but still felt shocked by the fact that everyone was acting cool about it. He knew he couldn’t have predicted what would have happened, but they had gone to the club that night because of him. Or so he assumed.
“Thank you for saying that,” he said.
“Now, let us inside. We brought a casserole over for you,” Mrs. O’Neill said.
“Mom, it’s like 10 a.m. When did you have time to make a casserole?” Kayla asked.
Mr. O’Neill laughed. “Oh, you know your mom. We got a call from Mrs. Nosy Nelson down the street, letting us know our daughter was in the tabloids. Your mom got right to work making that casserole.”
They all stepped into the house, and Kayla’s parents followed Kayla toward the kitchen.
“Kayla, why didn’t you answer our call this morning? We were worried sick?” Mrs. O’Neill asked, as their voices drifted away.
Once they were out of sight, Jace turned toward Maddie and pulled her into his arms. She sank into him and exhaled.
“I smell, don’t I?” Maddie asked.
Jace laughed. “I plead the fifth.”
She lightly socked him in the ribs. “I’m too tired to shower. It sounds like too much work.”
A knock on the front door had Maddie pulling back from Jace’s arms. She looked through the peephole and then pulled the door open to find Robert on the other side.
“Hey,” she said, smiling at him.
“Hey, Maddie. How are you feeling?”
“I’m as good as I can be. Kayla is in the kitchen.”
He nodded a hello to Jace before walking toward the kitchen carrying a bouquet of flowers.
“He’s about to be thrust into meeting the parents unexpectedly,” Maddie whispered.
Jace laughed. “They seem like nice people.”
“They are, although a little overbearing. It’s why Kayla didn’t tell them we were in the hospital. Seems it didn’t matter since they found out anyway.”
Jace circled his arms around Maddie’s waist and tugged her closer. “How about you come to my place? I’ll draw you a bath, and we can order whatever food you want.”
She sighed and smiled up at him. “On one condition: you get in the bath with me. Then we nap.”
“It’s a deal.”
Within fifteen minutes, Maddie had told Kayla she was taking off for the night, changed her clothes, and packed an overnight bag. Then they were off to Jace’s place.
When they approached his building, they saw several news crews set up outside. They swarmed his car as soon as he pulled up to the gated entrance of the parking garage. Camera flashes went off in several directions and some were filming, while others shouted questions at him. He pressed a button on his dash, allowing the gate to open.
“Won’t they follow us inside?” Maddie asked.
“They better not.”
He pulled in and waited for the gate to shut behind him, making sure no one stepped inside the private garage before it closed. Living in this area for nearly his entire life, the paparazzi knew they weren’t allowed to cross the gate or he would sue them for trespassing. It had rarely been an issue. Occasionally, someone new to the area would ignore the trespassing signs and try it. He had to make an example out of them, so no one else got the idea to try it. It usually worked to his benefit.
He sighed in relief, and Maddie visibly relaxed when the gate shut with no stragglers. Then he pulled away and circled around the enclosed garage until they were at his private parking spots. No natural light was visible in this area, which he had specifically designed to avoid being seen by the paparazzi. No one could see them unless they were inside the garage and had gotten through one of the emergency exits or the front gate.
Jace helped Maddie out of the car. Then he grabbed her duffel bag and threw it over his shoulder. Once they were inside his condo, he set her duffel on his bed and stepped into the bathroom to fill the tub. While the faucet was running, he stepped back into his room to find Maddie sitting on his bed and staring at her hands. Roxy sat near the doorway, looking between them nervously.
