Both men had pestered her with questions, but all she could remember was a short and stocky man who acted like he had something to prove. He had cut her off and talked down to her. When she had met Maxwell, she’d thought his hard sell was the source of her discomfort. But thinking back on it, maybe her instinct had flared because her Maxwell and Asher’s Maxwell were one and the same. That jerk had been trying too hard to get her alone.

Forget about Maxwell. She mentally rehearsed her favorite lines from Tassels and Tangos until her phone rang. She fished it out of her purse—Asher—and her stomach flipped. Maybe they were really happening. She touched the screen to answer. “Hi.”

“Hey, sweetheart. How was your trip?”

“Easy enough.” She shivered. Asher’s chiseled face had been stuck in her head. She replayed every kiss and touch from the night before. “We were on time.”

“Good.” He took a long breath. “Did I mention waking up next to you made my day? We should do that again soon.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t swallow. “No. You didn’t.”

“Ouch, but you’re not signing up to do it again?” He laughed.

“No, wait. Of course.” She rolled her eyes, snapping out of her fog. “Don’t tease me. This is all a little surreal to me.”

“Why?”

She stood at the crosswalk next to a newspaper stand. Facing her was a slew of New York daily rags. More than half of them had his picture above the fold. “Hold on.” She snapped a picture and texted it to him. “Because I’m a nobody, and you’re a little like a modern-day Prince Charming. Check your text messages.” She waited until he came back to the phone. “See what I mean?”

“Ignore it. I do.”

“Ignoring.” Yeah, right.

“So, I made arrangements for a protective detail for Molly while she traveled. And you too.”

She crossed the sidewalk with a gaggle of people, eyeing each one for Maxwell. “What’s that mean?”

“A friend is former FBI, does private security and undercover work. I think he’d fit in, and he can work with you until the Maxwell situation is wrapped.”

“You’re assuming I’ll get the part?”

“Of course I am.”

The audition building was straight ahead, and adrenaline shot through her system. “That’s confident of you.”

“Sweetheart, you should assume the same thing. Anyway, his name is Ricky, and he’ll play your acting or choreography coach. Something like that. I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about, but he knows theatre, and he’ll find you. He’s hard to explain. Never what he seems, so just go with it.”

“You didn’t need to do that, Ash.”

“Of course I did. I would’ve done it even if last night didn’t happen the way it did.”

“All right. I’m here. Talk to you later.” Because we chat on the phone now. That’s your new normal. Own it.