"Noah," Hailey said as she slid off of her father's bed. Noah strode into the room. He still had manners so he extended his hand to Hailey's father. "I'm Noah Magellan."Judd took his hand and the grip was firm. He looked a lot better than the last time Noah had been here. Judd had been unconscious. Noah had done his best to give Hailey and her father space while he was recuperating. "Judd Johnson.""I've heard a lot about you," Noah said. His gaze strayed to Hailey who hadn't moved away from her father. Her mouth hung up as if she'd been surprised to see him. "I've heard a lot about you, too.""Thank you for that note, sir. It has made a difference in my life," Noah said. That was why he was here. Life was too short to be away from the woman he wanted by his side. "I'm glad. It's important to remember that," Judd said.Noah now couldn't take his gaze off Hailey. "Can we go somewhere and talk?" Noah asked. "If you don't mind."Judd waved a hand. "I think it's time for my morning
"Sir?" a voice from the cockpit said.Noah Magellan, rock star and reluctant actor, had been perusing the script for his latest movie. He hated everything about it, but his agent had convinced him to take it on. Noah sighed and he suspected that he would be doing that a lot. The film was a superhero film and Noah didn't consider himself capable of that genre, but they were hot right now so his agent had strong-armed him into signing the contract. Noah suspected it was the giant paycheck that his agent would receive from the movie whether it did well or not. "We're going to land in a few minutes, but out your window, you'll get a great view of Philadelphia," the pilot said.He'd recently opened the door to talk to Noah and hadn't closed it. No need for the intercom when they were only a few feet apart. The plane had been his agent's idea to stop Noah from getting mobbed at the airport. Noah had to admit he liked traveling like this. "Thanks."He glanced in the direction the pilot had
Gossip Reporter Hailey Johnson answered her phone as she was stuck behind a garbage truck on a tiny back road. She was on that road because the main route had been full of rush hour traffic. She'd hoped to get around it, but then she'd happened upon this big green truck collecting the neighborhood refuse. A squeal came through the phone, forcing Hailey to hold it away from her ear. She knew who it was by that sound. "Jana?""Yes. I have a tip."Jana had given her some of the best celebrity tips in her career so Hailey perked up. "What do you have for me?""Noah Magellan."No way. She knew the singer-turned-actor was coming to town to film a movie, but she hadn't been able to get a line on where he was staying. How he was going to get along with his ex was the hottest story going. If Hailey could get an interview with him, this would cement her next raise at the gossip magazine she worked at. Her job wasn't in jeopardy, but it could easily be. A scoop on Noah Magellan would be a prize
"The coast is clear," the pilot said.Noah unbuckled his seatbelt, a little unsettled from his call with Cassandra. He'd been all in with her, but she'd only been playing a game. Cassandra was in life for Cassandra alone. He should have seen that, but he knew now and he'd steel his heart against anyone wanting something from him. That was the worst part of all of this. The betrayal. He'd never encountered women like her. Yes, he had fans who wanted a piece of him, but those interactions were superficial. "Thanks, gentleman, for a great flight," Noah said. He shook the pilot's hand then the co-pilot's. They seemed surprised, but he was raised with manners, and no time in Hollywood or anywhere else would remove them from him. "You have a good day, sir. Thank you for flying with us," the pilot said. "Where do you go next?" Noah asked as the pilot fiddled with the airstairs. They were stuck partway down, but the man didn't seem to be concerned. "This was our last flight of the week.
The paparazzi had caught up with Noah. And even though Hailey had been here first, she wasn't going to get the scoop. She had to find a way to make this exclusive or something. Her editor wouldn't be happy if they had the same pictures or interview.Noah had knocked her off her game, but she had to get back on it. He was even more handsome in person. His hand had been warm in hers and she'd been momentarily taken aback by his demeanor. He didn't know who she was obviously. She wasn't a big name in the gossip world, but he could still know who she was. He'd taken away her breath with his niceness. And the t-shirt he wore did nothing to hide his body. She'd almost forgotten why she was here. "Paparazzi," Noah said with a hint of disdain. "They were supposed to be gone."The flashes continued as they stood there on the stairs to the airplane. Hailey wasn't backing down, so retreat wasn't an option. The only way was forward unless Noah planned on wading into the crowd of reporters and ph
If Noah's jaw could have hit the floor it would have. The person he'd assumed was just an airport worker was actually his worst nightmare. He looked around frantically as if someone else was there pranking him, but no one was there. He was all alone in the cabin with a reporter. Not only was this woman a reporter, but she was also from one of the largest gossip rags on the planet. He'd done his best to avoid them, but here was one of them sitting next to him. Could the day get any worse? "You stole it?"That wasn't the most important question, but it was the first one he could form. "Borrowed. I'll give it back," she said. As if that made her deception okay. "Borrowed?""I needed a scoop. I needed to get close to you or lose my job."She finished her words and then bit her lower lip. He couldn't stop staring at it. She had nice lips, but he shouldn't be concentrating on that. "Why not make an appointment with my publicist or my agent?""That would get me a sanitized version. My
"What?" Noah said.As if his day wasn't going downhill. Yes, he was on a plane with a beautiful woman, but the beautiful woman wanted something from him. They always did. She wanted an interview and he wanted peace of mind. Neither of those things was going to happen. Noah took the phone from her as the pilot came onto the intercom. "We're about to take off. Please put your phones in airplane mode.""I can connect to the Wifi as soon as the plane is in the air," Noah said. "Where is this? What social media?""Instagram," she said as he handed her phone back to her. She did as the pilot instructed and then tucked her phone away. Noah had seen the picture long enough to know what it looked like. They looked as if they were having an intimate moment. From the outside, he could see how reporters thought he'd dropped into the airport to pick up his love. He'd been holding her hand and looking down at her with a curious, but a delighted expression. That hadn't been what he'd been feeling
Hailey blinked. "What?""You heard me. Neither of us wants a relationship. You pretend to be my girlfriend," Noah said. "This is nuts, Noah."But then again, was it? She shook her head. No. No one would believe that she was Noah's girlfriend. "What reservations are you having?" he asked. "I don't even know where to begin. We don't even know each other.""We can figure that part out," Noah said. He looked at her with earnestness in his eyes. He reminded her of a puppy dog looking for a treat. He was more handsome than she'd originally thought. He had eyes that were ice blue with dark lashes fringing them. Women would kill for those lashes. Women would kill to be in this position. This close to a celebrity and it was her job. "Noah. This is crazy.""I know, but it's a crazy world and this could be the answer to many problems."She wanted to believe him as she searched his face. Was he pranking her? No one would believe this. He seemed serious. "Are you kidding me?"He shook his head