Page 99 of Pursuing Desire

“Dax . . .”

“Yeah, what’s up?” he asks innocently.

“Could we maybe just call a truce? You know, we get along really well when we aren’t pissed off at each other.”

“Nah. I don’t see a reason to do that,” he says while leaning back in the chair.

“Fine,” I snap.

“Fine.” He pauses, and a slow smile spreads across his lips. “You know, you’re still cute when you’re mad.”

My hands are balled into fists at my side because I know what he’s trying to do. “You’re just saying that to irritate me. It’s not going to work.”

“It just did.”

And then he laughs, a grating sound that makes me want to hit him. He’s just sitting there, looking smug and sexy, and I want to hate everything about him. If only I could manage to dredge up that emotion, that would be great.

I’m saved from having to respond to his annoying ass when the door opens.

The lovely reporter who is interviewing us steps into the room, a wide smile on her face.

“Did you see all your fans out there?” she gushes. “After last night’s episode aired, the network’s blog blew up with comments and adoration from the viewers. Everyone is absolutely in love with you two. Word about our little show has spread and you should see the number of downloads we got for the previous episodes.”

My head is swimming, and there’s a buzzing in my ears. I hear her, but I don’t understand what she’s saying. I have to sit down before my legs give out on me.

“Damn it. What was last night’s episode about? What caused all this craziness?” Dax asks.

The buzzing stops when I hear his question. I can’t hide the shock from my face as I look at him. He didn’t even watch the show? I was glued to the TV, eating up every little bit of Dax I could. I couldn’t have torn my eyes away if I’d wanted to.

And he didn’t even watch.

I clamp down hard on my lower lip to prevent myself from saying anything. I’m miserable, and he’s over there living his best life. I bet he was out on a date last night with some hoochie. That’s probably why he didn’t watch the show.

Even the reporter is quiet for a moment. “The episode was the last one before the grand finale. It was the last stop on your trip. It was when you went to Massachusetts to visit Jess’s parents. The viewers commented about how sweet you were, Dax. They loved how you tried to protect her and stood up for her. And that scene outside her house, by the pond. I don’t even think you two knew the camera was there. Sooooo romantic.”

Dax smiles and winks at the reporter. “You know how it is when you’re in love. Can’t help but try to sneak away from prying eyes. Isn’t that right, Jess?”

There we go. He’s turning on the charm again. I guess it’s showtime.

“Yeah, sure,” I mumble. “Could we just go ahead and get started with the interview?”

The reporter’s smile freezes in place. “Of course. If you two want to get situated on the couch, I’ll start the camera.”

She walks over to the camera in the corner and clicks a button. The red light appears to show it’s recording.

Dax and I move over to the couch. He puts one arm around me and the other on my leg. Then, he leans down and kisses my cheek. It’s not my imagination that he lingers a little too long.

The reporter opens up her notes. “So, Dax and Jess. I have to ask. What do you think about all the attention you’re suddenly getting?”

Dax clears his throat. “Well, to be honest, we were shocked that so many people are interested in our story. We’re pretty private people, so I’m not quite sure how we feel about it yet.”

“Of course. That’s understandable. Now, I have to tell you. This interview is a little different than our past interviews together. Instead of me asking the questions, we’ve allowed our viewers to submit the questions. There’s been a lot of interest buzzing around about your relationship, and we thought it would be fun to let the public have a chance to get their most pressing questions answered.”

“Okay. Go for it,” Dax says.

His voice is carefully neutral, but I sense the change in him. He’s agitated. He’s probably come to the same conclusion I have. The questions we previously viewed and approved have now been altered. That means we have no idea what to expect.

The reporter grins. “Fantastic. The first few questions are for you, Jess.”