Cage opened the door when he heard a knock.

“Is the coast clear?” Stephen asked, his hands full of bags.

“Yeah. Katherine is taking a bubble bath.” To make the atmosphere romantic, he had been the one who draw up the bath and scent it. He had even found some candles and made sure they were lit once she entered the warm water. It was safe to say that he had an extremely hard time pulling himself away from her.

She needed the time alone and he needed to prepare for everything. He could run back to the bath and hopefully it would not be cold.

“Very sad circumstances,” Stephen snickered with a shake of his head.

“Bring the things in,” he said gruffly, leading Stephen to the table. Cage had actually set up candles and plates. The music was on and the ambiance perfect. All it needed was good food. Unfortunately, if he had cooked, he would have had zero time to prepare for the rest of the night.

Stephen helped him unload the food. “I brought steak, potatoes, salad, and dessert.” At the last bit, Stephen gave him a pointed look. “Dessert is the most important part of the meal.” Stephen actually sounded envious. Cage just couldn’t help himself as he tossed the salad in a bowl.

“You’ve not tasted dessert yet?” he asked with a smirk.

“No,” Stephen sighed. “Angelina is driving me insane. I know she wants me, she’s been provoking me since we arrived. One second she is sweet and the next I think she is going to jump me. Frankly? I am a bit confused.” And he did look confused.

“I’ve spoken to Katherine and I think she is not sure if she should let you in. You’ve touched her emotions but for a girl in her situation, it is hard to fully trust someone enough to involve them in her life. Especially when she is so vulnerable. She must be terrified.”

Stephen scoffed. “That girl doesn’t fear anything.”

Cage would have begged to differ. “That is an absurd thought. Her family has disowned her, she was recently catfished by a child and then you came prancing, fighting for her attention. It seems suspicious.” He shrugged.

“So, her parents are horrible and she is scared to love?” Stephen frowned.

“Judging from how happy she was when you offered to bring your mother and be her family, she wants the love and warmth of one. She’ll take time to trust you, but you did really well with communicating with her. Don’t shy away from it in the future.” Cage patted Stephen’s back.

Stephen grinned “You’ve become quite the guru yourself!” he praised. “So you are telling her that you love her, right?” Stephen asked, getting all excited.

Cage laughed. “I actually told her I loved her after a passionate exchange. Uh…” he trailed off. “We mutually decided that we would redo it.”

Stephen started to laugh. “Passionate exchange,” he snorted. “Of course. You couldn’t keep it in, could you?”

Cage slapped his manager, making the other smirk.

“And did she say she loved you?” Stephen asked. Cage vehemently nodded. He couldn’t contain his grin.

“We talked about going public and what it entails. I know I put some of her worries to rest, but I think we will need to revisit the conversation frequently so that she is at ease…” Cage placed the potatoes and sliced through them so that the steam rose. He slowly added the butter and cheese, knowing she enjoyed the taste of both. He repeated the process with the vegetables. His mom would scream if she saw how much cheese he had put on everything. Maybe, Katherine would freak, too.

“Did you decide on anything?” Stephen asked curiously, vying for any new information. Cage shook his head.

“It’s just like I said. If the topic of my relationship status comes up, I’ll let the world know I am off the market. I know its risky, but I also don’t want to hide that I have someone significant now. That will belittle her.” His voice was warm but Stephen clapped his hand on Cage’s shoulder.

“I’ll be with both of you and ensure the backlash is minimal but the moment you say anything about a relationship, the detectives and bloodhounds will come out. You will be tailed non-stop and there will be no chance that you will see her for a while.”

That irritated him. Cage didn’t doubt that Stephen would do everything in his power to protect Katherine but the fans would make it hard for him to meet her for a while. And he was leaving to shoot a week after they went back to H city. They might not see each other for a really long period of time.

“It’s not just the press, Cage,” Stephen continued. “Some teenagers at a restaurant. Grocery store sightings. Even your car will be tailed.” This is what Stephen hated about the industry. Fame and money were lovely but at what cost? What was the use when you couldn’t enjoy it in peace with the people you love?

“Well, good thing Katherine said she won’t run away,” Cage said with a sigh. He was beyond glad that she said that.

“Enjoy the cabin. Have fun. Once you are back to work, I will make sure you don’t have to hide Katherine. If I have my way, Katherine will be on your arm when you walk down the red carpet.” Stephen was so confident that Cage felt reassured.

“I’ll go romance my girl. You romance yours,” Cage huffed. He wanted to shoo Stephen out because the water was getting cold. His manager clutched at his chest, pretending to be offended.

“Well, I guess I’ll try to win Angelina over now.” Stephen wished himself luck and was ushered out. Closing the door behind Stephen, Cage finally grinned from ear to ear and hopped up the stairs.

“Lunch is ready!” he called as he entered the bedroom. The words got stuck in his throat and he made a choking noise. His lips trembled as he saw her shimmy into a pair of olive underwear that complimented her skin tone. She looked soft and barely covered. The devious smile on her face gave away her delight.