“Oh, hey, great to meet you, buddy,” said Trev, smiling as he held out a hand.

Isaac didn’t speak, only stared at the offered hand, frozen in place.

I laughed softly and nudged Trev to make a bit more of an effort. “I think he might be a little star-struck.”

“No, no, I’m fine. Really,” said Isaac, finally finding some words. “I just . . . it’s an honour to meet you. I’ve followed your series since the very beginning.”

“The honour’s all mine. It’s a real treat to meet a fan. Can I get you anything? You want me to sign something?”

Isaac’s eyes widened again as he started to nod, “Yes, please,” but then he realised he had nothing for Trev to sign. I reached for some napkins and asked the bartender if he could spare a pen. He grabbed one from under the bar, and I handed both the napkins and the pen to Trev. As he was signing, I gave Isaac’s arm a light squeeze to reassure him. He shook his head, abashed, and I knew he thought he’d made a show of himself. He hadn’t. He was just shy. It happened to the best of us around famous people.

It was still surreal to think of Trev as a celebrity.

“Here ya go,” said Trev, handing the signed napkin to Isaac. I noticed he’d written a little note, too. Moments like these I saw the kind-hearted, struggling friend from years ago.

“Thank you so, so much. You don’t know what this means. I’m so happy I got to meet you.”

“Isaac’s a free runner, too,” I told Trev. “He’s pretty good,” I lied, hoping it might bolster his confidence.

“Oh yeah?” Trev asked, suddenly interested. “You ever think about going professional?”

Parkour was a growing sport, but it was difficult to find new people who were truly skilled. I knew this from all my time spent with Trev over the years. If Isaac had any talent, then I was sure Trev would be more than happy to connect him with the right people.

“No, I’m not sure I’m as good as Reya makes out,” said Isaac modestly, shooting me a questioning look.

“If Reya says you’re good then I believe her. How about you stop by tomorrow and we can go on a run? We’re filming at the Atomium all day.”

“Seriously?” Isaac breathed, like he couldn’t believe his luck.

“Sure,” said Trev with a kind smile.

“Okay, uh, yes, I’ll be there. Thank you again. I better go now. Mum likes me to be home before midnight.” And with that, he went. I pulled Trev’s arm from around my waist and turned to face the bar. He took the stool next to mine.

“Was I ever that innocent?” Trev asked, chuckling.

“Nope. I can say with one hundred per cent certainty that you weren’t. He’s cuter than a puppy. I think I might want to adopt him.”

“Don’t say that. You’ll make me jealous again,” he teased.

I glanced at him sideways and smirked.

“So,” he went on. “Exactly how good is he?”

Now I laughed. “I have no idea.”

“But you said—”

“I was lying so you’d take an interest in him and it worked.”

“Reya,” Trev scolded. “You probably just saddled me with a kid who’s gonna be afraid to jump off a four-foot wall.”

“Oh, don’t be so melodramatic. I’m sure he’s good. He’s probably only about eighteen and he’s already ripped to bits. You don’t get a body like that from not practicing.”

Trev arched a brow. “How do you now he’s ripped?”

I tapped the side of my temple. “I can just tell. A lady’s intuition.”

He grinned and leaned closer, his elbows resting on the bar top. “Oh yeah? And what else can you tell with your lady’s intuition?”

“Plenty.”

“Enlighten me,” he challenged. What was it about Trevor Cross’s challenges that I couldn’t seem to back away from? I went all in.

“Well, for one, I can tell whether or not a man will be good in bed.”

He smiled so wide it practically split his face. “Oh, now this I have to hear.”

“It’s all in the walk. A confident, sure walk indicates a confident, sure lover.”

Trev chuckled. “You crack me up, Reyrey.”

I smiled and tipped my glass to my lips as Trev asked, “So, what does my walk say?”

I shook my head fervently. “I’m not touching that one.”

He pouted. “You’re no fun.” A pause as he shot me a dark look and muttered low, “Guess you don’t need to examine my walk.”

I narrowed my gaze playfully. “I knew you’d sink to that level.”

“That’s because you know me best.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

He tilted his head, curious. “No?”

“Even in the days when I thought I knew everything there was to know about you, you were still a bit of a mystery.”

Our gazes locked as he replied, “Must be that poker face of mine.”

“Must be,” I agreed quietly.

A moment passed before he said, “You were amazing tonight, by the way. That song you opened with fucking killed me.” The husky tone of his voice had me glancing away. That was the Trevor Cross I first met so many years ago. A friendly joker who somehow sounded suggestive and provocative at the same time.

“You did always love it when I spoke Spanish,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual.

“I still do. It’s the sexiest thing in the world.”

“You’re so predictable.”

“You think?”

“Yep. All men love it when women speak Spanish. All women love it when men speak French. It’s written in the code of our DNA.”

Trev laughed softly. “Is that a fact?”

“Sure. I bet if you studied a double helix real close you’d find it somewhere,” I joked.

Trev reached out to run a finger down my neck and over the exposed curve of my shoulder. “You’re probably right, but I only love it when it’s you.”

His tender words somehow made the tequila hit my blood stream quicker. Or maybe it was all in my head. Either way, I felt slightly weaker than I had a moment before.

“Don’t,” I begged, my breathing choppy.