Home Bound (8 page)

“But still—” I began.

“You were just telling me that you didn’t get much sleep, so you’re hardly a model of healthy living.”

As always, his dry tone only served to rile me up. “Well, these are unusual circumstances for me. I went to bed at a reasonable time, but everything going on makes me too nervous to sleep. I usually get plenty of sleep. And I try to eat mostly healthy and I do yoga and I don’t binge drink or anything. I guarantee I’m healthier than you.”

There was no good reason for me to feel so defensive, except it always felt like he was judging and attacking me.

“Yeah, right. Getting so high you dance half-naked on a table in a nightclub is healthy.”

I stiffened, realizing he’d seen that notorious video of me from when I’d been nineteen.

I hated that video—taken on someone’s phone—and I’d never be able to live it down.

I’d gone a little wild that year, trying to shake my childhood star reputation. I’d done some stupid things. But that video made it look a lot worse than it really was, and it had been shown all over the news and internet.

I controlled my reaction—made up of anger and something like betrayal—and narrowed my eyes at him. “That was one night. It happened to be documented. Are you really going to tell me you’ve never had a night that would look just as bad if it had been caught on camera?”

He met my eyes for a minute, and there was momentarily something like understanding in his gaze. Then he glanced away and muttered, “I’ve had hundreds of those nights.”

The words actually made me feel better.

How we’d gotten into this conversation, I didn’t know. We’d just been talking about how we’d slept the night before. But it was the best conversation we’d had in a week. He felt like a human again—and not some cold, dangerous, sexy stranger.

I let out a breath. “Everyone has.”

He turned his head to meet my gaze again, as if in response to the softness in my tone. Our backgrounds might have been light years apart, but we still understood each other. Knew each other somehow. Were similar in ways neither one of us could have predicted.

“Not everyone,” he said in a different tone, with almost a smile on his mobile mouth. “You should meet my buddy’s girlfriend, Kristin. I don’t think she’s had a wild night in her life.”

I laughed. “Maybe she’s had nights you don’t about.”

“Maybe. But I doubt it.”

“Don’t you like her?”

“Sure. I like her fine. I’m just not sure what she sees in Declan, since he had nothing but wild nights until he met her.”

“Well, love changes people. And sometimes we’re drawn to people who are completely opposite from us.” I’d come over to sit on a stool beside him as we talked, but I flushed a little as I realized what I’d just said.

It was true. It was absolutely true—since Cole was as different from me as possible, and I was ridiculously drawn to him—but I didn’t mean to say it. What if he thought I was talking about us?

He didn’t react to the words. Just gave another half-shrug. “Yeah. I suppose that’s what it is. They’re happy, so why should I question it? It’s all a mystery to me anyway.”

“What is?”

“Love. The way people couple up. It never makes sense, and it always comes out of the blue, and I never expect it to last.”

I’d always felt the same way—like love was some sort of magic that happened to everyone but me. I’d sometimes watch couples and wonder in bewilderment how they’d gotten together and what they saw in each other and why something like that had never happened to me.

I’d dated plenty, but I didn’t think I’d ever really been in love. Whenever I dated someone, even if I really liked him, it always felt like I was going through the motions, like I was pretending to be someone other than me.

I couldn’t imagine what it was like to be with someone for real and just be me.

“Yeah,” I said at last, looking away from him since I suddenly wanted to reach out and touch him. “I’ve never gotten it either.”

We sat side-by-side, drinking coffee, lost in our own thoughts. But it felt like we were together somehow.

When I was feeling too vulnerable, I realized I needed to start thinking about something else. “So what are we going to do today?”

“Just hang out here, if it’s all right with you. I’d rather you not go out, since you might be recognized, and then the news might get out about where you are.”

“Okay,” I said, realizing he was right and it would be better to just catch this stalker as quickly as possible. I wasn’t thrilled about being cooped up, but at least I felt safe here—in this anonymous, impersonal hotel suite. With Cole.

“They’ll be reporting to me about what happens on set and if this guy makes a mistake or reveals himself.”

“Okay. You’ll let me know if you learn anything?”

“Of course.”

I nodded and let out a long breath. The stalker must be in Baltimore, which felt very far away from me now. If nothing else, at least I’d have a break from the constant fear for a few days.

I’d take whatever I could get.

On that thought, the phone rang. I reached for my phone, which I’d carried with me into the kitchen area, but it wasn’t my phone ringing. It was Cole’s.

He glanced at it and picked up. “Yeah.” After a minute, he said, “Okay. Bring it up.”

I gasped, startled by the words. “What is it?” I demanded, when he hung up.

“Delivery.”

“What?” I jumped to my feet. “No one knows I’m here. I shouldn’t be getting a delivery.”

“It’s from—“

I suddenly felt naked, completely vulnerable, as if there was nowhere in the world I could be safe. I kept reliving that sickening moment of finding the mouse in with the muffins. “How did he find me? How could he possibly find me here?” My voice grew shrill on the last words.

Cole reached out to hold my upper arms. “Evangeline, calm down. Calm down.”

I tried to shake off his strong hands. “I’m not going to calm down. How the hell did the stalker find me here? Who is doing this to me?”

One little part of my mind recognized I was overreacting, but I simply couldn’t help it. I’d been feeling safe just a minute ago, but now it was all blown away.

Cole wouldn’t let go of me. “Evangeline, stop,” he said, his voice low and slightly hoarse. “Stop. It’s from Sebastian. It’s from
Sebastian
.”

The words finally broke through my panicked brain, and I froze, trying to process what he’d just said. “What?”

“The delivery is from Sebastian. He was just trying to be nice. It’s not the stalker.”

I was shaking helplessly as I finally understood what he was telling me.

“It’s not the stalker,” he said again, as a knock sounded on the door.

The noise made me jump, and Cole’s fingers were still wrapped around my upper-arms.

“Are you okay?” he asked, looking tense and concerned.

I nodded mutely.

“Can I get the door?”

I nodded again, unable to say anything.

Shit, I was an idiot. A fool. A silly, embarrassing nervous wreck. There was no justification for my breakdown, and I couldn’t believe I’d actually reacted that way.

I wasn’t normally so melodramatic and ridiculous.

Cole let go of me at least and walked to the door, where he accepted a potted orchid from the hotel staff member who’d carried it up.

It was a beautiful plant—a lovely, exotic violet color—but I stared at it suspiciously. “It’s really from Sebastian?” I managed to ask.

Cole nodded. “He said he was sending it over.” He put the orchid down, carefully inspecting the plant and the card and even the soil it was planted in.

“It’s okay?” I asked, forcing myself to step over, even though I was still shaking.

“It’s fine, Evangeline,” Cole murmured. He put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me against him in a comforting gesture. “I promise it’s fine. The stalker hasn’t found you.”

I nodded, staring down at the lovely, delicate blooms. It was really nice of Sebastian. He was trying to be a friend, make me feel better.

And I jumped to the conclusion that it was an attack.

What the hell was wrong with me?

“Shit, princess,” Cole said hoarsely, pulling me into a full hug. “It’s okay. It’s really okay.”

For some reason, his obvious concern and the tenderness in his touch and voice completely broke me. I shook against him in silent sobs—not really crying but feeling completely broken.

I wasn’t much of a crier under normal circumstances. I had no idea what was happening to me.

Cole’s arms were tight and strong and protective, and they felt better than anything in the world. He wasn’t saying anything now, but he didn’t need to.

He was trying to make me feel better.

He did.

After a minute, I was able to control myself and straighten up. His arms loosened but not all the way. He gazed down at me, something soft and intense in his expression. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah.” I sniffed a little, although there were only a few tears. “I’m sorry about that. I have no idea what happened.”

“You were scared.”

“Yeah, but there was no reason for it. It was the epitome of an overreaction.”

“It’s normal,” he said. “You’ve been a trooper this whole time, but the stress and fear eventually catches up to you. It doesn’t matter how much protection you have. The threat of a stalker always does that. It keeps you from ever feeling safe.”

I nodded, feeling understood and much less stupid. “It’s been nothing but little things, but...”

“They add up. He wants you to feel this way.”

I took a few deep breaths, flattening my hands on Cole’s firm chest.

“I’m going to catch him. I promise.” His eyes were still intense and protective, but now they were something more, something hot again.

I suddenly felt hot too, and I slid my hands up toward his shoulders. “Thank you,” I whispered, leaning toward him.

I wanted nothing in the world more than to touch him, kiss him, be with him all the way.

I knew he wanted it too. It was clear in his eyes, in his touch, in the way his hand slid up toward the back of my head.

But then he suddenly dropped his hands, and I realized what was about to happen.

I ducked my head, my heart racing and my body shaking again—this time for an entirely different reason.

Cole was so tense he was frozen, and I could see from a quick glance that he was aroused. It was strangely exciting but also terrifying.

I wasn’t sure what I would have done, but I didn’t have the chance. Cole gave himself a quick shake and said, “If you’re all right, I’m going to call in and get a report from Baltimore.”

I knew the words were intended to put us back into a professional dynamic, and they worked. Kissing Cole would have been a huge mistake—for both of us—so it was just as well to get some distance.

“Yeah,” I said, steadying my breath. “I’m fine. That’s fine.”

He walked out of the room quickly, a little stiffly—probably just to stand outside the door in the hall—and I tried to shake off the intensity of the moment before.

That was easier said than done, though. I kept thinking about it for the rest of the day.

***

C
ole kept his distance for most of the morning and afternoon, but he finally loosened up again after I ordered room service for dinner and invited him to have some.

I didn’t want him to think I was angry or awkward about our moment. I’d much prefer for him to believe it was no big deal to me at all. So I made a point of being friendly with him and asking him to join me for dinner.

He did, and we had a conversation about his time in the Marines. I asked him some about his upbringing, but he evidently didn’t want to talk about that.

That was my fault. I never should have said I wanted to hear more about his childhood for research purposes. It hadn’t been true even then—I’d just gotten scared about how close I felt to him and had to do something to cover it—but I realized he wasn’t going to forget it.

As we were finishing up, I said, “I guess I should do some work this evening.” I hadn’t done much of anything all day, and I was starting to feel guilty about it—since this movie was important to my career.

“What work?” he asked.

“Go over a few of my scenes,” I explained. “There are a few that I’m not sure I’ve really got yet.”

“Okay,” he said, looking interested. “Do you just read them out loud then?”

“Yeah, although usually Cali reads them with me, since it’s kind of hard by myself. I wish she could have come with us.”

I knew why Cole hadn’t let my assistant come. He didn’t trust anyone, not even her. She was as clueless as everyone else about where I was right now.

“Well, she can’t, so you’ll have to figure something else out.” His words were as clipped as always, but he didn’t seem rude or annoyed. I assumed this was a friendly conversation for him.

Then I had an idea. “Maybe you can go over them with me,” I suggested, almost smiling at the reaction I imagined he’d have to this idea.

I wasn’t disappointed. His mouth dropped open. “What?”

“Maybe you can do the scenes with me. Just read the lines for the other characters so I have someone to respond to.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Well, why not? You’re not doing anything but hanging out here this evening. How hard can it be to read a few lines?”

“I’m no actor.”

“Don’t act. Just read. Please?” I gave him an over-the-top, beseeching look, knowing instinctively that teasing him into it would be more effective than trying to make a rational argument to get him to agree to the proposal.

He rolled his eyes.

“Pretty please,” I cooed. “It won’t take very long. And the quicker I can get a handle on the scenes, the quicker the filming can take place, and the quicker we can wrap things up.”

The logic of this plea was rather shaky, but I was batting my eyelashes very prettily, so I didn’t think it would matter.

He obviously knew what I was trying to do, and he rolled his eyes again, muttering under his breath. But he said, “Fine. I’ll stand here and read lines. But don’t expect anything else.”

“Thank you!” I jumped up to grab the script, turning to the first scene I needed to work on. It was a good one, since there was just one other character in it.