She sighed and smirked at me. “Wait here. I’ll be ready in a minute.”
I watched as she hurried down the hallway, tugging on the hem of her tiny shorts. The living room didn’t seem to match her personality, so I wanted to follow her and see what her bedroom looked like, but I held back, trying to respect her privacy. I took the opportunity to snoop around, though, noticing how many tabloids were in the pile of magazines on the end table.
She didn’t strike me as the type who was interested in celebrity gossip. She hadn’t been the least bit impressed by me when we first met. Maybe that was because she’d read too many scathing articles about me. The tabloids exploited every indiscretion, turning it into a scandal.
There wasn’t much else to look at in the small living room, and I didn’t feel right exploring the rest of the house, so I flipped through the paper she’d handed me, curious what constituted as news in a small town like Sweet Bay. One headline caught my attention — “Hometown Billionaire Wants to Share the Wealth.”
There was a picture of Calvin next to the article, so I quickly skimmed over it, impressed by how complimentary it was. Instead of dragging him through the mud and turning the story into an exposé, the writer made Calvin seem like a generous, kindhearted man who wanted to help his hometown prosper like he had. That was the kind of article I needed someone to write about me.
I was almost to the end of it when Cara pulled the paper out of my hand. I whipped my head around to look at her. I caught a flash of fear on her face before she quickly smiled then folded the paper and shoved it under the stack of magazines. Was there something in there she didn’t want me to see?
“There’s nothing in there that you’d be interested in. It’s all pie recipes and letters to the editor and advertisements. Boring, small town stuff.”
“There was a really nice article in there about Calvin and his resort. The writer was Caroline something. I don’t remember the last name. Do you know her? If I end up in the paper, I hope she writes the story.”
Cara tensed again, making me curious. Was there already an article in there about me? “Yeah, she’s great. You ready to go?”
She hustled out the door, pulling me through it then yanking it shut behind us. Then she headed for the scooter but stopped abruptly, staring at it.
“Is this what you drive?”
Her face wrinkled up in embarrassment. “Yeah. It’s really good on gas. We can walk; it’s not that far.”
“Can it carry two people? I’d like to take it for a ride.” I grinned, imagining the two of us squished together on the tiny scooter. It would give me a chance to be close to her again.
She looked at me like I was nuts. “Yeah, I guess so. Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” I threw my leg over the scooter and perched on the back, leaving room for her in front of me.
“Do you want to drive?” She held out the keys, dangling from a fluffy, pink keychain.
I snorted out a laugh. “I’m good back here. I’m not sure I can handle this bad boy.”
She smirked and rolled her eyes then grabbed her helmet and held it out to me. “Do you want this?”
I shook my head, grinning at her. She pulled the polkadot helmet over her head and snapped the straps together under her chin then climbed on. I wrapped my arms and thighs around her like it was a Harley instead of a Vespa, practically swallowing her. I hoped our weight slowed down the engine so our ride could last longer; I never wanted to let go.
Cara started it up and backed out of the driveway, a little wobbly with the added weight on the back, but she quickly adapted, and soon we were cruising down her road as fast as the tiny engine could manage. But despite going barely faster than we could walk, it only took a few minutes to get downtown to the city park where a large white banner decorated with anchors stretched across the entrance, announcing the upcoming festival.
Cara swerved into a parking lot and killed the engine then pulled her helmet off. I reluctantly let go of her and climbed off. She led me through the festival grounds, past picnic tables decorated with nautical centerpieces, a large, white gazebo surrounded by folding chairs, and a row of tented booths with signs advertising different carnival games. It was so quaint, it looked like the set of a movie. I expected to see cameras and boom mics.
Cara waved at all the people we passed, but she didn’t stop to introduce me or make conversation, even though everyone stared at me in curiosity. She seemed nervous, like she was worried about what they would think or say. It made me realize that living in a small town was kind of like being a celebrity. Everyone knew who you were and thought they knew everything about you.
Cara stopped when she got to the last booth. A blonde woman pulling supplies out of a box looked up at her, glanced at me, then curled her lips in a wide smile. “Hi Cara. Who’s your friend?”
Did she really not know who I was? The sly grin on her face made it look like she knew more than she should.
“This is Beau. He offered to help out with the festival preparations.”
“Is that so? How generous. Hi Beau, I’m Lindsey.” She winked at Cara then wiped her dusty hand on her shorts and held it out to me. I shook it, appreciating the fact that she didn’t make a big deal about me, although it looked like she intended to twist Cara’s arm for gossip later.
“You guys can help set up the games, if you want. All the supplies are in the boxes.” She waved towards the other booths.
Cara and I walked over to the booth with a sign that said ring toss. A card table was set up in the middle of the booth, and several cardboard boxes sat next to it. Cara opened one, revealing a tablecloth and several dozen old-fashioned, glass soda bottles. She unfolded the tablecloth then tossed it over the card table and started setting up the bottles.
I worked beside her in silence for a few minutes, not sure what to say. I’d never tried to be just friends with a woman before. I was always trying to charm my way into their bed. This seemed like a bigger challenge. But if I wanted to be with her, this was the only way. Could I be satisfied with that, or should I give up and look for someone else? There were probably plenty of other women, even in a small town like Sweet Bay, who’d be happy to keep me company.
Chapter 12
Cara
My hands were shaking so much, the glass soda bottles rattled as I plucked them from the box and tried to line them up on the table. What on earth was I thinking, bringing Beau out in public with me? There were so many ways this could go badly, they marched through my head like a parade, waving banners and clanging cymbals.
I was a sucker for his gorgeous smile, his charming mannerisms, and the way he made me feel like the only person that mattered; that was the problem. He was so concerned when I didn’t show up that he’d tracked down where I lived and walked across town, out in plain sight, to find me, he’d offered to help out at the festival so he could spend time with me, he was willing to be just friends with me — how could I turn him down after all that?
Most people probably would’ve assumed he was so used to people fawning over him he couldn’t handle being rejected, but to me he seemed like a little boy, lonely and desperate for someone to love him. He had a ton of fans, but no one who really cared about him. I couldn’t help but empathize. The attention he gave me was just as alluring.
The problem was, I wasn’t sure I could keep my attraction from getting in the way. Even now, all I could do was stare at his toned arms as he pulled soda bottles out of the box. Arms that were wrapped around my middle not that long ago. I still felt the heat of him pressed up against me. His hair flopped into his eyes, and he raked his fingers through it in that way he had, flexing his biceps.
When he looked up and caught me staring at him, he lifted one corner of his lips in that cocky smile that made my stomach flutter. I wanted to drop what I was doing and throw myself at him, let him plunder my mouth with those lips. Memories of the kisses he’d given me flashed through my mind, making my breath ragged. I tore my gaze away
from him and forced myself to think about something other than the feel of his hands on my waist.
“So, your friend didn’t seem too surprised to see me with you.” Beau let the sentence dangle. It wasn’t exactly a question, but it felt like an accusation.
“Uh yeah, I told my friends we’d met after the story got out about you visiting the hospital.” I held my breath, wondering if he’d be upset about that.
“Are you going to introduce me to any more of your friends?” His tone was curious, not angry, but I wasn’t sure where he was going with the questions.
“Do you want me to?” I didn’t mind introducing him to my girlfriends who already knew about my charade, but the last thing I wanted to do was raise questions among the other townsfolk that might reveal the truth. Walking past everyone had felt like traversing a minefield. I’d been holding my breath the whole time, waiting for someone to say something that would expose my secrets.
What would Beau think if he found out I was pretending to be his maid? He’d definitely want to know my motives. And if he ever discovered I was actually a reporter, he’d go ballistic. All I could do was pray the subject wouldn’t come up.
He shrugged. “If we’re going to be friends, I thought it was only normal. Maybe we could all hang out.”
A relieved giggle bubbled out of me as I tried to picture a famous movie star like Beau hanging out with me and my girlfriends. It was crazy enough that he was here, setting up soda bottles for the ring toss game.
“What’s so funny?”
“You’re a super rich celebrity who parties at Malibu mansions with movie stars. You really want to hang out with me and my friends at the diner?”
“Why not? I like you. I’d probably like your friends. My friends are self-absorbed jerks who only care about their image. I like how real you are. You’re not putting on an act to impress other people.”
I choked on a gasp and tried to cover it up with a cough, waving my hand in front of my red face. He didn’t mean anything by that. He had no clue that everything he thought he knew about me was a lie. I hadn’t used my duplicity to take advantage of him like I had planned, but I still felt guilty about it. He thought I was the one person being real with him. How would he feel when he found out the truth?
If he stuck around, he’d find out eventually. Sweet Bay was too small to keep secrets. Maybe he’d go back to Hollywood before the truth got back to him. The thought of that made me sad, though. I knew as soon as he left, he’d forget all about me.
It was for the best, anyway. We lived in two totally different worlds. I thought I wanted to be part of his, but now I wasn’t so sure. After meeting Beau and finding out what he was really like, I realized I didn’t want to tear other people down just to make a name for myself. Celebrities were real people, with real feelings. Most of them probably didn’t deserve all the scandal that surrounded them.
Beau lined up the last soda bottle then piled the rings on the table in front of them. “So, what do you think? You said you guys go bowling sometimes. Why don’t we go after this?”
I pulled a plastic chain out of the second box and hung it across the back of the tent. “You like bowling?”
“I don’t know. Never been.”
I gawked at him as he clipped stuffed animal prizes to the chain. “You’ve never gone bowling? How is that even possible?”
“My parents weren’t around much when I was a kid, and when they were, they never would’ve done something so… common. It’s not real big with the celebrity crowd, either. But it looks fun. I’d like to try it.” He gave an adorable smirk.
How could I resist that? Of all the things a guy like Beau Bennett could do, he wanted to go bowling with me and my friends. I couldn’t deny him.
“Okay, why not? I’ll see if anyone else is up for it.” I pulled out my phone and sent a group text to the girls, inviting them to go bowling with Beau and me that evening. Of course, they were all dying to meet him. I suggested they bring their families so Beau wouldn’t be the only guy. By the time we’d hung the rest of the stuffed animals, everyone had responded.
I read the last text and stuck my phone back in my pocket. “Well, it looks like we have a big crowd for bowling tonight. Are you sure you can handle all the excitement?”
Beau grinned like a little kid about to go to Disneyland. “Can’t wait. Are we almost done here?”
I snorted. “Not even close. There are half a dozen more game booths to set up.”
They all went pretty quickly, though. We filled small bowls with water for the fishbowl game, blew up balloons and tacked them to a board for the dart throw, and set up corn hole tables. Beau wasn’t familiar with most of the games, so I showed him how they worked, and we played a few rounds for fun.
I felt sad for him that he’d missed out on simple pleasures like carnival games. My childhood wasn’t the greatest, with my dad gone and my mom absorbed with her own interests when she wasn’t busy working, but at least I had good friends and lots of fun memories.
“Aw man, I’m terrible at this! I’ve never been so bad at anything! I’m glad nobody’s watching.” He slapped his hands over his face when his corn hole beanbag landed a foot away from the target.
“I saw that,” a cheery, male voice said from behind us. I jerked around, praying it wasn’t who I thought it was. Of course, I would know that voice anywhere. He spoke at every Sweet Bay event.
He knew me, too. My body clenched, and adrenaline coursed through my veins, anticipating an attack. It was too late to run away.
“Mayor Blanchard,” I said for Beau’s benefit. Beau whipped around to look at the gray-haired man in a tan, summer suit.
“Caroline.” The mayor nodded at me then held out his hand to Beau. “Beau, is it? There’s always someone watching in a small town. The good people of Sweet Bay are happy to have you here, though. Your offer to help the pediatrics department was very generous.”
Like a true politician, the mayor’s words were carefully crafted. But Beau played the game just as well. They danced around the issue like schooled gentleman.
“I needed a little break from the Hollywood limelight, and my friend Calvin suggested that this would be a nice place to get away. Quiet, private.”
“Yes, of course. We feel the same way. The residents here prefer not to draw attention to themselves.”
“Sounds like I picked the right place, then.” Beau patted him on the upper arm and gave him his charming, movie star smile.
The mayor glanced at me, probably wondering why Beau was hanging out with a reporter if he wanted to fly under the radar. I spoke up, hoping to answer his question before he asked it. “Beau came by to see what was going on down here and offered to help set up for the festival. Wasn’t that nice?”
The mayor nodded. “Very kind. It was good to meet you. I hope you enjoy your visit.” When he walked away, I breathed a sigh of relief and so did Beau.
I giggled nervously and collected the beanbags that littered the grass then handed them back to Beau, changing the subject. “I have to warn you, bowling is not as easy as it looks, and my friends get pretty competitive. You might embarrass yourself.”
He tossed another beanbag a foot wide of his target then shook his head. “It’ll be good for my ego. Maybe we should get something to eat first, though. I need to build up my strength.”
I grinned when he flexed his thick bicep at me. I was tempted to see if I could wrap my hands around it, but I wasn’t brave enough to try. “Come on, I think we’re done here. Let’s reward ourselves with greasy diner food.”
As soon as the words left my mouth I wanted to reel them back in again, but it was too late. Beau was already looking at me eagerly. I couldn’t sit alone at a table with him at the diner; we’d get a million questions! Plus, my mother would be there. She’d go nuts if she saw me with Beau and have to introduce herself. She’d invariably say something that would blow my cover.
“You know what? Maybe it would be better if we went som
ewhere private. Would that be okay?”
Beau got a thoughtful look on his face. “That would be nice.”
I swallowed hard. Great! Now he thought I wanted to be alone with him. I mean, not that I didn’t, but I knew it was dangerous. My self control seemed to fly out the window when he got near me.
I was walking towards my scooter, racking my brain, trying to figure out where could we go that would be private but not too private, when Beau said, “Why don’t we go to your place?”
“My place? Why?”
Beau climbed on, sliding back to make room for me. “Well, I’d suggest my suite, but I’m getting cabin fever from being stuck in that hotel room.”
I pulled my helmet on. “But it’s so much nicer. And you have room service. The best I have to offer is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”
“I don’t care. I’d like to hang out at your place, get to know you better.” He patted the seat in front of him.
“As a friend.” I glared at him before climbing on, reminding him of our deal so he wouldn’t get too handsy. Of course, I secretly loved the way he wrapped his body around me. But the temptation wasn’t good for either one of us.
“Of course,” he murmured into my ear, his rumbly voice vibrating in my center.
I quickly started my scooter and peeled out of the parking lot, heading back for my house. I knew it was a bad idea, but I didn’t know how to stop, and my heart didn’t want to, even though my brain was screaming at me to put the brakes on.
Chapter 13
Beau
I wrapped my arms around Cara again, savoring the feel of her body pressed against mine as we made the short drive to her house. I knew I shouldn’t have those kinds of thoughts about someone who was supposedly just a “friend,” but the memo hadn’t gotten from my brain to my body yet. The problem was, I didn’t want to be her friend.
Stalking the Billionaire Celebrity (Sweet Bay Billionaires Book 2) Page 10