Ani made a strangled sound. “Catie, darling, I love you. So let me make it clear—the public has Daniel Esera on a pedestal, so you’ll take the fall.”

“If Ani’s right,” Soraya said, “and I happen to agree with her, the fallout could impact your other sponsorships.”

“Bullshit. This isn’t the 1800s.”

“Kiddo, people suck,” her agent drawled. “And the patriarchy is alive and well. You’ll be the hoyden who broke his bright young heart. He’ll get aw-baby sweetie, what did that meanie Catie do to you while you’ll be cast as the villain. Think about it.”

Catie was still fuming ten minutes after the call ended.

When Danny finally emerged from his bedroom after taking care of all the admin, she said, “According to social media, we’re getting married any day now and our babies will be the cutest!” She said the last in her peppiest voice.

Mock horror on his face, he collapsed onto the other end of the sofa after patting the blanket to find out where her feet ended. “Matthew gave me the heads-up. Says he’s had calls from every possible media outlet.”

Catie scowled as a message popped up on her phone, sent through by a girlfriend. “Egad.” She turned the screen so Danny could see it. “We are not famous enough for this.” It was the online front page of one of the biggest tabloids in the world.

“Apparently, together, we are.” He looked a bit ill before suddenly brightening. “Hey, we’re snowed in. The assholes can’t stalk us!”

Catie stared out at the snow falling beyond the balcony, felt her eyes go wide… and started to cackle. Danny joined in, and the next thing she knew, they were both laughing so hard that she made him look away from her so she could catch her breath.

Of course, that only lasted until he looked back. They set each other off again.

Exhausted afterward, her stomach muscles aching, she thought about what Ani and Soraya had said. She wasn’t about to put that on Danny. Not when he was already dealing with shit. “Did you make a therapist appointment?”

“Do I have a mother named Alison Esera who will not stop calling me her baby boy?” Despite his grumpy words and the muscled arms folded across his equally muscled chest, there was love in every word. “I have a remote session this afternoon.”

“Good. Better to get it all out there straight off the bat. Don’t let it stew.”

“You sound like you know what you’re talking about.”