Once again, Toni did an awesome job of Bianca’s hair and makeup. These were the only times she used Toni’s services because until Felix came along Bianca rarely even wore makeup. And if she did it didn’t warrant having it professionally applied. But knowing she’d be in the limelight she wanted it to look as nice as possible.

The car Felix sent for her was already waiting when she arrived back at her grandmother’s house. Her mother and Nana oohed and aahed about her makeup and hair which should’ve made her feel better. However the knot in her stomach from the news Toni had dropped on her was still firmly in place.

The ride back to Felix’s cabin felt longer than normal. She knew there had to be an acceptable explanation. Toni had given her a few more details about the photos. Apparently, they’d gone to dinner alone. And this time there was no other boyfriend or his agent around. It was just the two of them who’d been seen leaving the restaurant together and arriving at his hotel. The more Bianca thought about it the more uncertain she got that this one was explainable.

Felix walked out of the cabin onto the porch as the car came up the drive. He was down the stairs and ready to open her door when the car stopped. As soon as she got out, he pulled her to him and kissed her softly but deeply. “I would’ve gone with him to pick you up but I just got here myself.” He kissed her again then added, “You look beautiful.”

Bianca’s heart sped up. The thought of this being all one big lie—that he did this with a different girl everywhere he went was too overwhelming. Before he could kiss her again she placed her hand on his chest. “Who were you with the day you got stuck in Chicago?”

His reaction was anything but what she was expecting. She’d let it out that way because she needed immediate reassurance that she had it all wrong again—see it in his loving eyes. Instead, his troubled, almost fearful expression did just the opposite. She pulled away from him.

“I was gonna tell you about that as soon as I got a moment.” He reached out for her but she backed away.

“Tell me what?”

“It’s kind of a long story but I can explain it.”

Explain it? Bianca didn’t need any long explanations. There was only one thing she needed to know as her now pounding heart felt near ready to explode. “Did you sleep with her?”

“No!”

“But you took her to your hotel?” He’d made love to her last night and just a few nights prior he had another girl in his hotel with him? She wanted to scream now.

“That’s what I wanna talk to you about,” he said calmly. “But it’s cold out here. Let’s go inside.”

“I’m not stepping foot in there until you tell me what’s going on.” Bianca was trying hard not to lose it but she felt so close.

“Baby, relax. I promise you it’s not what you’re thinking.” He exhaled. “Okay. I went out with her a few times in the past. I hadn’t seen her in weeks.”

“Weeks?” Bianca yelled out, certain now that she was going to lose it for sure. “You saw her a few weeks ago, too?”

“Yes. Saw her.” She saw the panic in his eyes one moment then just like that it was gone. “That was it. It wasn’t planned. I ran into her is all.” He tried again in vain to reach for her hand but Bianca snatched it back taking another step away from him. “I never formally ended things with her. I just sort of stopped calling her once I started seeing you and I wanted to give her the closure I thought she deserved. She lives in Chicago so since I was in town I took her to dinner and I let her know I’m in a relationship now.”

“And then you took her back to your hotel.”

“To have a drink at the lounge downstairs but I swear to you that’s all that happened. And I had every intention of telling you about his. You have to believe me.”

He took another step toward her so Bianca took another one back. With every step she’d taken away from him she’d been that much closer to the car and her back now touched it making it impossible to get any further away. He placed his hands on either side of her against the car enclosing her in his arms. “I love you, Bianca. I know this is tough. You hearing about shit like this before I get a chance to explain sucks, but I promise you I won’t ever hurt you.”

“What’s her name?” She demanded making him frown. “I wanna know.”

“Shelley. She’s an intern at the Chicago Sun-Times. She co-interviewed me earlier last year and we went out a few times. Anytime there’s a press conference in Chicago she’s there so that’s why and how I run into her sometimes but it’s over now.” His face leaned into Bianca’s and he brushed his lips gently against hers. As unsure of this as she still felt, she wanted so badly to believe him. “I love you,” he whispered against her mouth. “Please tell me you believe me when I say I won’t ever hurt you.”

“I want to.” Bianca willed the relief to slowly trickle back into her suspicious heart.

He brought his hands up off the car and held her face in them. “You can. I swear to you.” He kissed her again but unlike she had in the past, or maybe just like she had in the past, only she’d been so deep in denial she didn’t feel the sincerity. She heard it in his voice loud and clear but something deep in her gut told her otherwise. No one could be this good at lying, could they?

Finally allowing herself to breathe easy she kissed him back, waiting for that sudden liberation from her fears. The exhilaration she’d felt so often in the past when her doubts were wiped away by his words—his touch. Only this time it never came.