Page 241 of Promise Not to Fall for the Rich & Famous

Ellie watched Nash scroll through his phone while reading his family’s text thread aloud. Sitting across from her at the breakfast bar, he turned the screen so it faced her, eyes wide with shock. “That was fast! I mean, the photos are from two days ago."

Ellie eyed the tabloid covers as Nash scrolled down with his thumb for her to see. Yes, they were from just two days ago, taken by a drone, most likely, while she and Nash role-played on the rooftop. The headings on each magazine varied in title, yet all stuck to one common theme:

Look Who's Gone Country!

Ellie, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys!

A little Bit of Country, and a Whole Lot of Cowboy Stud.

And her least favorite,Save a Horse…

Each image featured Nash in all his cowboy glory, broad shoulders, weathered jeans, and his cowboy hat and boots.

"How’d they all get such similar pictures?” he asked. “And was someone flying overhead in a helicopter, and we didn't even hear it?"

"Drones,” Ellie said, sure he was familiar with them.

Nash tipped his head back. "Of course."

"It was probably someone hired by Geneva,” she explained. “You’ve got to get the perfect shot for that big reveal. And then, of course, you’ve got to make sure it,” she put up finger quotes, “gets leaked to the media."

Nash scrolled some more. "Holy crap! It's on the front ofPeople? Wait… That's not us. I wonder why Grandma sent that one.”

Ellie motioned for him to turn the screen back toward her. "Oh, yeah, they just mentioned it in the upcoming features. See?” She pointed to the line where it read, ‘Ellie Blaire and Her New Country Flair. Find out how she's going country in more ways than one.’

“I have a feature coming up with them next month," she explained. "They'll come to the set to interview me, do a photo shoot, that type of thing."

She watched his expression shift as he took that in, feeling oddly vulnerable. He hadn’t seen this side of things yet, the side that separated her from most of the world’s population, and she didn’t want it to scare him away.

"Man,” he said, “it's like, I kind of forget that you’re famous."

"Yeah,” Ellie said wryly. “I wish I could." She hoped that last comment wouldn't provoke the topic she'd been dodging since they left Wyatt and Wade’s place. Nash had managed to bring it up briefly the following morning at this very breakfast bar. ‘When Wade asked you about the crazy fans thing,’ he’d said, ‘you seemed…affected. If you were dealing with something like that, you’d tell me, wouldn’t you?’

Ellie had played it off easily enough, saying he must have just noticed her increasing concern about being prepared for production. But the fact was, over the last few days, Ellie had started to see the whole thing from a different light. Nothing horrible had happened. So she found out that Wolf was the onesending the roses this whole time instead of her mom—big deal. It was disconcerting, yes, but that didn't mean the situation was dangerous.

The flower thing was creepy, and Wolf had been creepy when she met him, but he hadn’t hurt Ellie or even threatened to do so. And though he could have rightfully retaliated against her dad, he hadn't done that either.

Of course, shedidstill worry about her public posts in response to the bouquets. Ellie had snapped a photo of them each time and acknowledged the sender in an intimate way, thinking all along that it was her mom. That added to her discomfort, too, but chances were, guys like Wolf weren’t even on social media.

"I don't know," Nash said. “This is all just starting to feel real, I guess."

Ellie closed her lips around a question that threatened to escape—a question that had come to her so instinctively, she had to wonder why.

Perhaps sheshouldlet it loose and see what Nash's answer might be. "You’re kind of regretting this, aren’t you?" The instant the words were out, a rash of fear rumbled through her.

Nash furrowed his brow. “Regretting what?"

"The contract," she said, but the fact that he had to ask made her add another possibility to it. "Or getting involved with me at all. This could really change your life, and not for the better."

The truth of that statement hit her hard. Perhaps it wasn’t right of her to get him involved in her life, as public as it was. Whether there was real danger behind the situation with Wolf or not, Nash and his family would be affected.

In fact, at this very moment, media reporters were digging deep, trying to find anything and everything they could about the cowboy on the roof with Ellie Blaire. Chances were, whoever leaked the images would also be “leaking” information in thedays to come. That’s always how it went. The new boyfriend started out as a mystery, and the hungry media couldn’t wait to unravel it.

It’d be a race to see who could scout the most details and release them first.

Nash got out of his seat and circled the breakfast bar. "Ellie, no, I’m not regretting it. Never!" He cupped her shoulder and fixed his gaze on hers, his warm, hazel eyes wide and pleading. "Never think that. The best thing that's ever happened in my life is you."

Ellie grinned as a wave of warmth rushed over her. "Thank you. I feel the same way about you." She reached in and pressed a kiss to his lips, wishing they didn’t have to leave the hotel today. Wishing she’d already crossed this production off the list.