*Trisha*

Evan is JUST like Paul. I got to him so he made it a point to distance himself and decide to sleep on the couch. And even though I hooked up with Noah, Evan got to me too. The way he gazed down at me, the way his heart pounded against my hand.

That was why Evan was giving me the cold shoulder all night. He obviously knew I fooled around with the firefighter in Nate's dressing room. It bothered him. He's always been  flirty but never to the point I thought he had any interest in me. I was wrong.

And now I'm laying in the huge king sized bed while the muscular six foot bodyguard is curled up on the small sofa. Fully clothed by the way. The fucker is still fully clothed. I'm surprised he even took his shoes off!

"Evan." I whine, seeing him shift uncomfortably on the tiny sofa. "Come sleep in the bed. This is ridiculous."

"I'm good here, thank you though." He answers politely. Christ. I sit up in the dark and inhale sharply.

"For fucks sake, you are literally sleeping in your bodyguard uniform, get your ass in this bed right now, Scofield!" I scold.

"Ma'am..."

"Evan..... grow a set and sleep in the bed. I'm not fucking playing games." I purposely throw out the f-bomb with my trucker mouth knowing it always makes Evan smirk. But the man is disciplined. He doesn't budge.

"Jesus Christ." I twist the lamp on and swing my legs out of bed, walking over to the bodyguard. "Lets go mountain man." I tease and grab his hand to pull him up.

"Really, I'm fine here." Evan is a stubborn sonofabitch.

"I need you to have a good night's sleep. You are in charge of protecting my best friend out there tomorrow. AND ME! I need you fully alert and well rested. Now, get up." I demand again, pulling at his hand. Evan huffs and finally gives in, rising to his feet. 

But that's not the only thing that has risen. My eyes drop down and back up quickly.

"I told you...I'm fine on the couch." Evan's voice is lower now, rougher, his breathing uneven.

My hands lift, instinctively resting on his solid chest. He doesn't step back, but he also doesn't make a move. He keeps his arms at his sides, like he's willing himself to stay still.  There's this moment where we are both frozen. I keep my eyes lowered, but let my fingers trail down over his chest, down his abs, and feel his muscles tense beneath my touch.

He's holding his ground. But just barely.

"Miss Banks..." Evan's breath hitches when my fingers reach the buckle on his belt. 

"You're not sleeping on a fucking couch." I whisper and tug at his belt until it's unbuckled and on the floor. "And you're not sleeping in your fucking uniform." 

I untuck his black shirt and start unbuttoning it from the bottom up. Evan's self-control holds strong. He watches silently as my hands slip beneath his shirt, easing it off his shoulders with deliberate slowness. My fingers trace gently through the soft, light brown hair on his chest, then glide downward, skimming over his abs. A subtle shift, a tightening beneath my touch, his body reacts more. His breathing deepens, but he still keeps his hands at his sides. Controlled. Impressive, Evan.

I gaze up at the bodyguard at the same time my fingers work on the button then zipper of his black slacks, making sure my hands don't touch the protruding bulge beckoning me for attention. 

Evan swallows hard...audibly, like he's trying to steady himself. I pull down his pants and follow the motion downward, my body trailing his until I'm on my knees. When I glance up,  his eyes lock onto mine, intense and penetrating straight through me. Every muscle in his body flexed yet restrained. Ok that's fucking hot.

He steps out of his pants, standing before me now in only black boxer briefs, shoulders squared and eyes on me. The tension is thicker than I anticipated and I'm beginning to  lose at my own game. I rise and then stand on my tip-toes so I can reach his ear.

"Now, get into the fucking bed and go to sleep, Scofield." I hiss.

"Yes, Ma'am" Evan chokes out and I back away, sauntering to the bed. I smirk when I hear him say, "Christ," under his breath. He picks up his clothes, neatly folds everything and puts them on top of his suitcase. This time, he doesn't bother fetching his sweatpants. He climbs right into the bed and I turn off the light.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" I acknowledge my pun.

"No, Ma'am."

*******

Once again I wake up before Evan, tangled around his body while he remains sleeping. I carefully inch myself off him and back away to my side of the bed but gaze at the man's perfect body. The sheet is low on his waist but I can see the outline of him through the fabric. Jesus, I'm gonna need a cold shower just from the sight of him.

I have a sudden urge to kiss his lips, his neck, his chest, his everything, but the man is disciplined. He's not like Nate. He's like Paul. He has an enormous amount of self-control. And, If he wanted me he would have had me last night. I made that very clear with my little games. 

I grab the remote and turn the TV, making sure the volume is really low so I don't wake him.

"The first night of the U.S. leg of Nate Hollan's Around The World tour has everybody talking this morning." Noah the Fireman/reporter says. I smile, seeing how comfortable he is in front of the camera, even though he's so shy. He does a good job hiding it when he's on the screen. "Here's a clip from last night's show."

"Ok, ok settle down, I love you too. Listen, before we have the time of our lives tonight.... Before we start getting crazy... I need to do this. Please. If everyone can be quite for just a moment. Thank you."

I watch the bittersweet scene unfold, feeling proud of Nate's courage on stage and how he was able to get everyone to pause and think of James... while also feeling sad that it's necessary... and heartbroken over James's current condition.

"And there you have it, America's Heartthrob pays tribute to his friend, now a widely recognized household name, James Gallo, who remains in a coma in Los Angeles." Noah  concludes his temporary segment of the entertainment news. I can't help but think about the intimacy we shared yesterday in the dressing room. I also can't believe how into the guy I am seeing as he lives so far away, has baggage and two fucking kids.

I watch Noah show a clip from another reporter outside the venue as Nate and Mila leave together. They DO look like the perfect couple, both gorgeous, both smiling at the camera's and soaking in the limelight. I wonder if Nate is already starting to fall for her again or if he is still madly obsessed with Moretti.

"Mornin'." Evan mumbles through a yawn  and stretches his arms over his head.

"Sleep well, hotstuff?"

"Yeah, thanks for forcing me to sleep in the bed. I know I wouldn't have gotten a good night's rest on that sofa." Evan admits and sits up, pulling the covers over his waist.

"Seeee?" I point the remote at him. "I told ya... I know what I'm doing." 

God, I did NOT know what I was doing!!!

"The catering company is gonna deliver breakfast for everyone up in Nate's suite. We'll head up there in an hour and go over the day's agenda." 

"Sounds good." Evan climbs out of bed and heads to the bathroom.

*****

The catering company  went above and beyond with this morning's breakfast. Sherry is good like that. They set up a full buffet by the windows of Nate's massive penthouse suite and we all sit down to eat. 

Mila sits quietly, unfamiliar with our little village of people around her. She  appears shy and I can only imagine the language barrier doesn't help.

"Do you want some eggs?" Nate asks politely when he looks over at her empty plate.

"Si." She nods and holds up her plate. Nate scoops a good amount out and serves her.

"You don't have to wait to be asked, Mila. Help yourself to anything." I try to make her feel more at home. "You're part of our group, now, whether you like it or not."

Mila smiles. 

"Evan, you're not in bodyguard mode right now. Sit and eat." Nate demands when he sees Evan standing off to the side.

"Yes, sir." He pulls up a chair right next to me and begins plating food. I smirk at him then see Nate looking at his phone more than usual. Jonah must have noticed as well because the fucker actually put his fork down. Something Jonah just doesn't do.

"Are you feeling ok Nate?" Jonah studies Nate, making us all look his way.

"I'm fine. I think something is wrong back home though. Paul stopped texting me mid conversation and didn't return my call."

"That's unlike him." I raise my brows.

"I can call Jeremy after breakfast to get an update." Jonah offers.

"Do you think it's James?" Casey lifts her gaze from her plate and to Nate.

"No. Someone would call right away if it were James. I'm thinking Julia."

"She's where she needs to be. They'll take care of her at the Avalon."  I remind everyone and sip my tea. There is no reason to stress about something that is out of our control and I know Nate...this will consume his day.

"Lei e triste. Her friend, James." Mila chimes in but only I understood what she said. Mila is saying Julia is sad over James.

"We're all sad. Doesn't stop us from living life. She walks around half- dead, half- alive all the time." I blurt out and Nate squints his eyes at me.

"Really, Trisha?" He wipes his mouth with the white cloth napkin and throws it on his  plate, stands up and leaves the room. He walks out onto the balcony and closes the door behind him.

"For chrissakes." I mutter. "There is absolutely nothing we can do from here. I feel bad Julia is struggling but we're all fucking struggling.

"I think that's the problem, Trisha. Nate can't do anything from here. It's probably driving him nuts." Jonah explains.

"Well, Paul is there. Nate needs to let go. They aren't even together anymore and most likely never will be." I scoff and notice Mila tense up a little. She had to have known things are over with Nate and Julia, right? I mean, it can be confusing sometimes with their on again off again shit but I wonder if Mila only knows what the media tells her. I watch her quietly put her fork down and head outside to where Nate is, closing the door behind her.

"She has it bad for him." Casey giggles.

"She's had a crush on Nate forever." I roll my eyes.

"I think it's sweet though. Granted she's a little- touchy feely," Casey glances back out the sliders and frowns. She's such a romantic. "Look how cute she is with him. She's consoling him."

I knit my brows, turning to find Mila and Nate on the couch together. Nate sits hunched over, his head buried in his hands, while Mila murmurs something, her hand moving gently over his back. Huh. Interesting. This isn't just a fleeting crush or some calculated publicity stunt from Richard.

 Whatever's between them...it looks real.

******