L.A. Cinderella (10 page)

Instead she’d go home to her empty apartment. Maybe she’d pop on a movie. She wasn’t going to see Chase any other way tonight.

It was Alexis’s turn. Her stomach clenched again, but there was nothing left. She definitely had to leave before Alexis came to retrieve her prize.

C
hase’s head lolled back on the cab seat. He snapped it upright again. “Here, turn here.” He handed the man a hundred-dollar bill as he pulled to the curb. “Keep the change.”

His eyes weren’t working quite right, but he could still put one foot in front of the other. It had been Alexis’s idea to leave his car at her place for the night while they went clubbing. He was really too old to go clubbing. The stairs wavered before him as he climbed them.

He raised his hand and pressed the button. The chimes rang inside the apartment and he pressed it again. One more time. Why was he pressing this button again? Oh, well, press it again.

“I have a bat and I’ve called nine-one-one.” The sweet sound of Natalie’s voice reached his ears.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your fair hair.”

The door snapped open and the light blinded him. “Chase?”

“Ah, my fair Rosalynn, let me slay a dragon for you, my fair maiden.” His grin felt like it would split his face.

He stumbled into the apartment and heard the door shut and the locks snick into place.

“What are you doing here, Chase?” Natalie was suddenly directly in front of him.

“Why, I’m here for you. To slay whatever needs to be slayed. To lay whatever needs to be laid.”

Her nose wrinkled, and she raised her eyebrow. “How did you get here, Chase? Please tell me you didn’t drive.”

“Of course not. I’m the spokesman for drunk driving. I mean, against drunk driving.”

Her image wavered before him, and he reached out to steady her. Maybe those shots hadn’t been the smartest move.

“Chase, you can’t stay here.”

“Why not? A bed is a bed. Your bed is serviceable if I recall. Of course, the floor is good, too. We could always try the wall.” He moved in close to her.

Her cheeks turned bright red, and she stepped back right into said wall.

His body flared to life as he noticed her kitten pajamas and a smudge of chocolate on the corner of her mouth.” Do you know I find kitten pajamas very sexy?” He tugged on the hem of her shirt.

“Chase, you should go home. Let me call you a cab.” She tried to slide along the wall, but he put his hands on either side of her head. “Chase?”

“What, Natalie? Are you afraid someone will find out? Are you afraid someone will snap a shot of us kissing inside your apartment?” He leaned into her until his mouth
brushed against hers when he spoke. “Or are you afraid you’d like being watched?”

“Chase—”

His mouth covered hers, cutting off any protests she might have. He’d had an Altoid in the cab. She tasted like chocolate, smooth and creamy. The mint and chocolate blended perfectly. Her tongue was cold as it brushed against his. Ice cream. He smiled.

He lifted his head. “Did you want me to leave?”

“No.” Her voice was light and airy. “But maybe we should go to your place. Rachel will be home soon. And if we leave now maybe the shutterbugs will still be outside the clubs.”

Though Chase hadn’t always been friendly with the paparazzi, they were a part of his life. A part he had had to learn to live with and they weren’t going away anytime soon. It didn’t matter tonight. All he wanted was Natalie.

He brushed back a strand of brown hair and tucked it behind her ear. “Why don’t you drive us back?”

Her eyes fluttered as she leaned into his hand. She turned her head and kissed his open palm.

“How soon did you say your roommate would be home?” He rubbed his thumb across her lips.

“Too soon.”

He replaced his thumb with his lips. She opened beneath him. Her hands gripped his shirt and pulled him closer. He gathered her into his arms and backed her down the hallway.

He dragged in a breath. “Haven’t we been here before?” he said as he pushed through the living room door.

Her smile took his breath away. “I’m sure I have no idea what you mean.”

As he traced the sensual curve of her lower lip with his fingertip, he glanced over her shoulder and saw the credits rolling on
If Only
. “At least this time you got to finish.”

Her eyes sparkled up at him. “I always finish with you.” Wherever this playful woman had come from, he hoped she’d stick around for a while. His beautiful accountant seemed to be blooming all around him.

She took his hand and pulled him toward her bedroom. He went willingly. Even though he’d had a few shots, the effects were starting to fade, leaving behind that easy, relaxed feeling.

He sank on the edge of the bed and held his arms out to her. She stepped between his knees, and he wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered as her hands stroked over his hair. Her heartbeat was strong beneath the cushion of her breasts.

“For what?” He never wanted to let her go, but knew it was coming. The pressure of a public relationship would kill this tender thing they had. His arms squeezed her tighter.

“For being so damned paranoid.” Her hand brushed the side of his face.

He closed his eyes and absorbed what she was making him feel. His heart filled his chest and he knew he wouldn’t be able to let her go. He lifted his head and took her face between his hands. “All I want is you, Natalie.”

Their lips met. He surrendered himself to whatever would happen in the future as he pulled her down to the bed with him.

“What was that?” Natalie put her hand against Chase’s glistening shoulder. “Chase?”

His head lifted from her breasts, and he looked at her with passion-laden eyes. His body brushed against hers, tantalizing all the fine nerve endings as he moved up to take possession of her mouth again. The sound receded in her mind as he slid into her, filling her.

The sound of the door slamming shocked Natalie. “Chase?”

He moved within her. “Hmmm.” His movements were slow and lazy. She got lost in the movements as her passion swirled higher and higher with each stroke.

“Natalie, why are all the lights on?” Rachel’s voice pierced through the wood of her door.

“Uh-oh.”

Rachel knew no boundaries. She could open the door and find them. Chase’s naked body completely covered hers. Not that Rachel hadn’t seen Chase’s butt before. Almost every woman in America and across the globe had seen Chase’s butt. Her body tensed at the combined approach of her orgasm and the footsteps outside the door.

“Chase?” she whispered. She groaned against his lips. He seemed determined to drive her out of her mind, and he was doing a great job of it, too. His lips moved over hers, capturing whatever she might have said. Her body exploded all around him.

He swallowed all the sounds she made. His body tensed over her, and he let go.

“Are you even here, Natalie?” Rachel’s voice was on the other side of the door.

Natalie started pushing on Chase. He had to get off her before Rachel opened the door. He cuddled against her body and a little snore escaped his mouth.

“I’m not dressed, Rachel.” That much was true. “Sorry, I…”
I just had incredible sex with Chase Booker and can’t tell anyone.
“I spilled ice cream all over myself.”

The arms around her tightened. Chase rolled until she was on top of his chest. Oh, yeah, this was a much better view for Rachel. She lifted her head to glare down at him and found his laughing green eyes open.

The urge to shove him off the bed almost overwhelmed her. She tried to scoot off his chest, but his arms held her still.

She turned her head to watch the doorknob. Her ear was next to his mouth and she about jumped when his quiet voice whispered, “I’d lick the ice cream off for you.”

“Oh, okay.” Rachel’s voice drifted away from the door. She must be walking away. “I’m going to head to bed. We have to talk in the morning. I can’t wait to tell you what I found out about Chase.”

“I bet you could tell her a thing or two.” He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, sending shivers of pleasure rippling through her.

The door to the other bedroom closed, and Natalie relaxed against Chase’s chest. Sure, she could tell Rachel that Chase was an unselfish lover. He snored. He was ticklish on his sides. His lips were as soft as velvet. He slept wrapped around her as if he never wanted to let her go. And she was hopelessly in love with him.

She rested her head against the steady beat of his heart. One of his hands stroked down her back while the other rested in her hair. She’d been wrong. She should have stopped earlier. She should have never gone to his house. She should have turned him away at her door. She should have stopped that first kiss.

She was too far gone now. When she thought of ending it, her lungs seized up, and she fought for air. She shivered as she thought of the long, lonely nights ahead of her. Lonely nights made worse because she knew what it was like to not be alone. To be made love to so thoroughly that no one would ever be able to replace him.

Her eyes burned, and she took short, quick breaths to stop the flood that threatened. He rolled them to the side and
lifted her chin. Seeing the concern in his eyes broke her. The tears slipped out even as she fought to hold them back.

“What’s wrong, Natalie?” His thumb brushed aside the tears, smearing them on her cheeks.

“Nothing.”
Everything.
She tried to smile and blinked back the tears. Maybe it was worth the risk. Maybe he was worth the exposure. And maybe she could have a pony, too.

He tightened his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. “Let’s go home,” he whispered against her hair.

Not his house. Home. The place she belonged.

N
atalie sipped the hot tea Chase had made her. Wearing only his T-shirt, she sat on his kitchen counter while he cooked eggs for her on his industrial range.

The world seemed bright and cheery this morning like nothing could touch them. He worked on the stove like a pro, cooking an omelet without a spatula, showing off by sliding it around the pan before flipping it in the air and catching it.

“You wouldn’t do that if you had to clean up the mess.” She set the mug down and used her hands to brace herself while she leaned back.

He glanced up at her. “I don’t make messes that I don’t clean up.” His free hand roamed tantalizingly up her thigh toward the hem of the T-shirt.

She playfully swatted at his hand. “None of that. I need some food before another round.”

“Thankfully, food is done.” He eased the omelet onto a plate and turned off the stove. He grabbed her waist and lifted her down to the floor.

“My hero.” She grabbed her plate and went to the kitchen table.

Chase joined her with a wicked smile on his face. “Eat up.”

The man might be an Academy Award-winning actor, but he could cook one mean omelet. Of course, it helped that he had all the finest ingredients and fresh vegetables to pick from.

The shrill ring of the phone broke the amicable silence. Chase got up and left the room to pick it up.

A few seconds later “Glamorous” by Fergie sounded from the depths of her purse. Setting down her fork, she dug out her phone. A picture of Rachel showed on the screen.

She hit the Talk button. “You changed my ringtone.”

“Not now. Where are you?” Rachel’s voice was impatient.

Natalie leaned against the wall and looked down the hall to where Chase stood talking on the phone. She could feel the silly smile on her face and didn’t care. “Having breakfast.”

“Where?”

“Why?”

“Natalie, do you know what’s going on?” Rachel seemed upset by something.

“No, what’s happened? Are you okay?” She straightened from the wall. Chase’s eyes widened as his gaze met hers.

“That CFO Chase fired talked to some reporter and said that Chase was having an affair with someone at work.”

Natalie’s heart stopped. She almost dropped the phone. “Do they know who?” Her voice sounded distant to her own ears.

“They say whoever it is he’s been seeing her and Alexis.
Do you want to tell me something, Natalie?” Rachel was her best friend. Natalie could hear the hurt in Rachel’s voice.

“Where do they say Chase is?”

Chase had set down the phone and was striding across the room toward her.

“They think he’s at Alexis’s. At least, that’s what one report says. But another report says an eyewitness saw him get into a cab and leave Alexis. They haven’t been able to talk to the cabby yet.”

Natalie broke out in a cold sweat. Thousands of cameras could be lined up all over the street just waiting for her to step out of his house. The delicious omelet sat like a lump in her stomach. Chase stopped in front of her.

“I’ve got to go.” She shut the phone on Rachel’s voice.

“They know,” she said. The illusion shattered around her. It was over. “I’ve got to go.”

Chase grabbed her shoulders before she could walk around him. “Why?”

What did he mean why? Didn’t he know? “They know, Chase. Martin leaked it to the press. They are probably out on the street, just waiting for me to walk out. Oh, God, they are going to take pictures of me.”

“Natalie?” His fingers tightened on her shoulders.

“What, Chase?” She glanced at the windows. Photographers might be lurking in the bushes, behind the trees. “Maybe they aren’t here yet. Maybe I can still get out.”

“I talked to Alexis.”

Her gaze shot to his. The look in his eyes didn’t alleviate her panic. This was worse than she thought.

“She’s leaked to the paparazzi that I spent the night at her house. They’re waiting over there to talk to me. She’s putting them off, but she has to go out sometime today.”

Relief flowed over her in a gush. “Then I can leave. I
can get out before they realize you are here. No one’s going to think anything of my little Honda leaving. They’ll just think I’m the paid help.”

“You aren’t the hired help.” His voice was forceful. “Don’t go.”

“I can get dressed—what?” She refocused on him.

His face was drawn tight as if he was fighting with something. “Don’t go.”

“But if I don’t, they’ll find out.” Where was he going with this?

“So what? Let them find out.” A hardness filled his eyes.

She stared up at him. Her mouth parted to ask why, but no sound came out.

He closed his eyes and dropped his hands from her shoulders. “You’re right. Go get dressed. I’ll clean up down here.”

He turned his back on her and walked to the kitchen table. She didn’t want this to end, but the situation had spiraled out of her control. She wanted to go to him and wrap her arms around his waist and say everything would be okay, but he’d already closed himself off from her.

She drew in a breath. She had to go. There was nothing more to it. Their affair had been fun to Chase while it was hidden, but he’d realize she wasn’t what he wanted in the bright glare of the spotlight. The carefree days were over. She had to let Chase go.

Chase slammed the refrigerator door. He wanted to throw plates across the room. He wanted to tear something apart. Instead he leaned his forehead against the stainless steel door.

She was leaving. Damn it. He couldn’t stop her. She never wanted to be part of his world. His shrinking violet preferred the dark to the glare of the spotlight.

He’d known that from the start. They’d both known this
would happen. This time would have come eventually; he’d just thought when it happened she’d want to stay, or he’d be ready to let her go.

He shoved away from the fridge and stormed through the house. He took the stairs two at a time until he reached the bedroom.

She sat on the bed looking forlorn. “I found my sock.” She held it up. “But I can’t find my other shoe.” Her lower lip trembled.

Scanning the room, his gaze fell upon the missing shoe. He scooped it up and knelt on the floor at her feet. She wouldn’t meet his eyes.

He snatched the sock out of her loose fingers. Lifting her foot, he pulled her sock over it and then slipped on her shoe. He stood, tugging her up with him.

She studied his chest. He tipped her face up so he could look into her brown eyes one last time. Tears swam over her eyes.

One more taste. His lips found hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him close. Desperation tainted the kiss.

She yanked her head away and dropped her arms. “Good-bye, Chase.” She hurried out the door.

A pain stabbed through his chest. What if…

He caught up to her at the bottom of the stairs. “Wait.”

She stopped and dropped her chin to her chest. “Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”

“How much harder can it get?” He could hear the tremor in his voice, but ignored it. All that mattered was that Natalie didn’t give up on him.

“Please, Chase. Let me go.” She moved in the direction of the kitchen, but he blocked her. She swung around toward the front door.

He grabbed her arm. “I love you.” The words slipped from his soul.

She stiffened as if he’d hit her, but she didn’t meet his eyes. The words lay like a gauntlet thrown down between them. He hadn’t meant to say them. He wasn’t even sure what those words meant, but it felt right with Natalie.

Her words were whispered to the door. “You pretend to be in love for a living.” Her arm shook under his touch. “How do you know what’s real?”

Her words cut him to the quick. He drew her away from the door and turned her. He tilted her face up. Tears streamed down from huge eyes. Her eyes were devoid of hope. It ripped through him.

“You’re real. What I feel is real.” How could he convince her? What more could he give her?

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Pretend. Make believe.” She jerked her arm from him and swiped at her cheeks. “Someone to play house with. Someone to pretend to have a normal life. You’ll never have a normal life. You’re Chase Booker, movie star, producer—”

“I’m a man, dammit.” Chase could feel the years slip away, and he was that teenage boy trying to explain to his girlfriend to ignore the cameras. They didn’t matter. Only the two of them did.

Natalie tried to walk past him to go to the garage again, but he blocked her way. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She jerked away with tears in her eyes, pressing her fingers to her lips.

“We can’t, Chase. We can’t be in love. We don’t live in the same world.” She spun and yanked open the front door.

“Fine.” He wouldn’t crucify himself anymore. If she wanted to leave, she’d leave. If his love wasn’t enough to keep her, she could go.

Her shoulders slumped and she nodded. She glanced back over her shoulder at him, but he maintained a look of indifference. He’d begged enough.

As she looked forward again, a flash went off.