Clearing his throat, he then gazed out at the sea of cameras. “Yes, I just got engaged this afternoon.” He then repeated the story his father and Bernie had come up with. Of course, there was a wrench in the plan considering we were supposed to have the weekend to get acquainted, but damn if Barrett couldn’t perform on demand.

“After seeing Addison at a political function recently, I impulsively asked my father for my late grandmother’s ring. I carried it around with me, hoping I would run into her again. As fate would have it, I saw her today.” He smiled lovingly at me. “So, I popped the question, and she said yes.”

To seal the validity of our engagement for the virtual world, Barrett dipped his head to kiss me. Instead of a quick peck on the lips, Barrett was all about selling it. Even though reporters were shouting our names and flashbulbs were going off all around us, the world melted away. It was just the two of us. Two mouths fusing together. Two bodies molded against each other.

In the end, we were just one.

When Barrett finally pulled away, I remained as shell-shocked as after our first kiss. Bizarre didn’t even begin to describe what it was like making out with a strange guy who you sorta hated in front of an audience, but it wasn’t just the faking-the-relationship aspect. It seemed like everyone was way too close to me, like I was trapped by a wall of bodies. The circuits in my brain became so overwhelmed that they practically shut down. If I didn’t get out of there soon, I was going to lose it.

Sensing my panic, Barrett tightened his arm around me. He then flashed a megawatt smile at the reporters and photographers. “I hope that clears up the confusion. That’s all the questions we’re going to take tonight. You can contact my PR rep for any further interviews.” He then began leading me through the crowd to the front entrance of the hotel. The two bellmen at the front door were overwhelmed, and the crowd pushed past them to follow us.

Thankfully, an elevator was waiting, and Barrett rushed us inside. Ty and a member of the hotel’s security blocked the press from getting on with us. When the doors closed, my thin veil of composure snapped, and I sagged against one of the walls. I started gasping for air as a full-on panic attack enveloped me—at least I assumed it was a panic attack. I’d never really had one before.

“Take some deep breaths, and don’t lock your knees,” Barrett ordered.

After inhaling and exhaling several times, my anxiety slowly began dissipating. When I pulled my gaze from the floor, I found Barrett staring expectantly at me. “Better?”

“Yes. Thank you. The cameras and the questions…it was too intense.” I shook my head sheepishly. “I’m sorry for freaking out like that.”

“Don’t apologize. It was your first time. Everyone freaks out the first time.”

“Even you?”

He grinned. “I was five years old when I had my first paparazzi onslaught.

“I guess it isn’t quite the same.”

“Actually, you did far better than me.”

“But you were a kid.”

“I was a brat. Mom had just had Caroline, and Dad was taking me and Thorn into the hospital to see them. It was mostly local media and I stuck my tongue out before kicking one of the photographers in the shin when he asked me to smile.”

“You didn’t.”

“Oh yeah I did.”

I laughed. “What did your dad do?”

“He made me stay at home with my grandparents while he took Thorn to a Yankees game.”

“Ouch.” From our getting-to-know-you homework, I had learned what a huge baseball fan Barrett was, and more importantly, how his blood bled blue and white for the Yankees.

“Yeah, it would have been easier on me if he’d beaten the crap out of me.”

The elevator dinged on our floor. When the doors opened, James and Bernie stood waiting for us. “Guess you saw the news?” Barrett questioned as we stepped into the hallway.

“Yes we did.” James placed a hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Senator Callahan.”

“Please call me James.”

I nodded. “I just hope my first foray in front of the media wasn’t a total failure.”

“Now you just put that thought right out of your mind. You performed wonderfully given the circumstances.”

“Thank you.”

As he glanced between Barrett and me, James’s expression turned from one of comfort to frustration. “I do believe you both were instructed to stay here for the duration of the weekend, yet within a few hours, you already—”

“It was just dinner. It wasn’t like we were caught coming out of a bar, wasted at two in the morning,” Barrett protested.

“Something you’re more than familiar with from past experiences,” James bit back.

With a smirk, Barrett said, “Nice one, Dad.”

“Thankfully, it worked to our advantage this time, but I hope you both can now better comprehend the importance of following my instructions to the letter.”

“Yes sir, I do,” I replied while Barrett merely nodded.

The corners of James’s lips curved into a smile. “Now go to your room, and don’t come out until I tell you to.”

Barrett laughed. “Come on. I haven’t heard that line from you since I turned eighteen. Besides, the press already knows about us. What can it possibly hurt?”

“While I was just giving you two a hard time, I would like to be notified should you leave again, and make sure you do not go anywhere without Ty.”