It was too bad she didn’t figure on meeting her father’s neighbor, Sebastian Sullivan, the sexy firefighter next door who, in an ironic twist, turned out to be gay, and had the hots for Alex Roberts. Still, she couldn’t even regret that part. Bash saved her and Dad last night from what could have been disaster, and now she was staying in his house to avoid a hotel stay that would surely bring her presence in Tucson to light.
There was only one downside to her charade. Coming clean would also mean she was sure to break Bash’s heart and lose the trust of someone who had become a good friend.
Well, maybe two downsides, because she had fallen for Bash, and Alexandra Storme almost definitely wasn’t his type.
Chapter 30
“Fuck my life,” Alexandra whined to Eva over the replacement phone she snuck out and bought the night before. Thank goodness all her contacts were securely stored with an online service. Eva was the first person she’d texted with the new number.
Her best friend had phoned her back via video call just after her shower, and now, on the other end of the line, she was chortling. Alexandra was in the middle of complaining about her dilemma, and Eva had the nerve to laugh in her face.
“This isn’t funny, Eva! This is a disaster,” she said, pouting.
“I’m sorry,” Eva answered. She struggled to get her fits of laughter under control, forcing a twitch of a smile out of Alexandra at her lack of success. “I know this is a big deal for you, but it’s a little hard to take you seriously when you’re, with you…wait, where in bloody hell are you, anyway?”
Alexandra began to giggle too at how ridiculous she probably looked, hiding under the covers this way. Morning sunlight speared through the blinds and penetrated the blanket where she camped out since waking up from that unnerving dream.
She sheepishly admitted, “I’m not ready to face him yet. Go ahead and call me a coward.”
“I’ll do no such thing. As much as I enjoy witnessing a good bitch fit, darling, you need to stop your whining and count your lucky stars,” she replied, with a soft British clip to her playful tone. “You say he has a fully stocked bar, right?”
“I think so.”
“Well, have you ever heard of a dry state? Because I’m filming in the bloody middle of one right now.”
“Where are you? Have you changed sets?”
“Yes, love. I’m in the town of Sibley, Louisiana. Oh, wait, parish—not town—it’s a dry parish. This place is so confusing. I’ve put the coordinates into my phone to be sure I never, ever stop here again. Anyway, you should just get sloshed and tell him, or you can just get sloshed and try again tomorrow. Just be sure to drink enough for me while you’re at it. There are plenty of tomorrows for the determined procrastinator, which you, my lovely, are mastering in at the moment.”
“Evangeline Heatherly Reese, you’re supposed to boost my confidence to get this confession underway, not talk me down from doing what I need to do! Gosh, you’re such a bad bestie right now. Is giving me the easy way out part of the contract? If it is, you’re definitely on your mark.”
They laughed together while Alexandra tried to add a weak protest. Suddenly, she had a brilliant idea.
“You know what? It would be so much easier to pull this off if you were here! I think you should fly out here and help me salvage my integrity, best friend. Please?”
“You have got to be joking, love.”
“Nope. I think I’m dead serious. I want to tell him before I leave Tucson. He specifically stated he has a problem with liars, and I am leading him on in one of the worst ways possible. I need you, Eva. Pleeeaassse! I know this is probably one of the most childish things I’ve done in ages, but I need a wingwoman. I’m begging you.”
Alexandra pushed back the covers and peeked at the locked guestroom door, cocking an ear to listen out for Sebastian. It sounded like he was somewhere downstairs, doing whatever it was he did on the weekend. She hoped he was blissfully unaware of the fact that she was avoiding him at all costs this morning. She sat up in bed and surveyed her surroundings now that it was daytime. Sebastian’s house showed his style everywhere, little masculine touches that made it clear this place belonged to a bachelor.
Her guest bedroom was decorated in a neutral palette of browns and beige. It was clean and comfortable. For the briefest second, she wondered what things would be like if he was straight and they were dating. What were the tastes and interests he might not share with one of his boys but would expose to his girl? What was his bedroom like? She gnawed on her bottom lip, eyebrows furrowing at the thought.
“Sweet Mary mother of God! You’re falling in love with him, aren’t you, Lexxi?” Eva whispered scandalously.
The face cam displayed Eva’s flashing eyes and impish smile, her familiar brown face. Only then did Alexandra remember Eva could see her daydreaming over here. She snapped out of the fantasy with a vicious shake of her head, denying Eva’s comment. This was the woman she had shared all her deepest secrets with for the past four years. Alexandra could barely admit to herself how she felt about Bash, so confessing to Eva was out of the question. It couldn’t be love.
“Love is such a dirty, dirty word, Eva. For the sake of the friendship between Bash and me, I just don’t want to burn any bridges, which is exactly what will happen if this isn’t handled well.”
“Right. Because friends get the feels for each other, naturally.” Sarcasm dripped from her every syllable.
“Dammit, I hate it when you’re right. I have no idea why I agreed to stay here at all.”
“You and me both, darling.”
“Well I know why, logically, but in hindsight I wasn’t being practical. Before I ended up here in his house I had already damn near given myself away at every turn. I have to be crazy, trying to pull this off with my hormones on alert every time I get anywhere near the guy.”
“Why couldn’t you just stay at a hotel or something?”
“You know I would end up having to use my Lexxi Rock ID. I couldn’t say I’m Alex Roberts. Even that might be enough for some of the hellhound paparazzi to sniff me out. My mother’s maiden name is no secret and neither is my real first name.”
“What about Rosa’s place?”
“Not possible, hun. She lives across town, and travels a lot more now that Dad is ill. Besides, I didn’t want to impose.”
“Yet you’re fine imposing on Sebastian?”
“That’s different.”
“Different how, honey?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because he’s become a friend.”
“Friends don’t dress in drag and leave friends in the dark, honey.”
“Fuck. I really screwed this up, didn’t I?”
“What can I say, Lex? Well, maybe it will all work out. I have a funny feeling that it will. Either that, or your conscience will come alive and straighten it all out. There’s no going around it. At this point, the only way out of this problem is through…the direct approach. The hotel would have at least given you a bit of time, but clearly you’re ready to confess you’re a girl. Why else would you go and shack up at his place? Anyhow, at least this way you can do it fast, and find out which way the river really bends with Bash Sullivan.”
Alexandra rolled her eyes, laughing slightly. “I’m pretty convinced, as far as that’s concerned. I’m not the boy of his dreams. He’s such a sweet guy, but anyone would be livid in his situation. Don’t you see? Having you here will mean I have someone to vouch for my character and show him I didn’t intentionally manipulate him. That was never my plan. That’s not too farfetched, is it? Dressing up the way I did to avoid the media?”
“Not at all, darling. Haven’t you seen Annette in the brown bag, or Ralph in his famous gas mask? We’ve all done it, honey. Going in disguise was more than reasonable. It’s the part where you kept it up for over a month that’s unusual…and it’s not that I don’t understand, honey, but you like this guy. For the love of God, just tell him. You don’t need me there to do that
.”
“I hear you, Eva. Really I do. I just can’t do it. Maybe if I can convince him I meant to tell him right away, he won’t be so upset. If he’s still mad after that…well, at least you’ll be here…you know, for me.”
“In my experience, a lie for a lie doesn’t solve anything.” Eva stared at her for a moment until Alexandra gave her the hands down, all-out, pouty lipped and puppy dog stare. “Stop that, Lex. Don’t look so bloody stressed. Oh, all right, dammit. I’ll come! Last day on set is a week away. Finally this infernal movie will be finished filming, and if you’re still in Tucson and haven’t made your big reveal yet, I’ll fly to your rescue.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Alexandra gushed, hoping that by laying it on thick, Eva wouldn’t change her mind before the week was out.
“What are friends for?” Eva looked away from the screen for a moment. “Bloody hell, there’s someone at my trailer door. It’s time for me to play badass superspy chick for the cameras, honey. You can rest your pretty nerves until I get there, darling. If you can manage your little charade of the past few weeks, I guess I can handle this.”
Eva giggled and quickly said goodbye. Alexandra beamed down at the smartphone screen, grateful to have a plan in the works.
“Talk to you later, Eva.”
She hung up the phone and let out a long, relieved breath.
For better or worse, Sebastian will know who I am and why I did what I had to do…well, more or less.
The smell of something delicious cooking downstairs wafted into the bedroom a few minutes later. Alexandra heard her stomach growl insistently.
“I guess I can’t camp out in here indefinitely,” she muttered. “I’ll starve.”
She needed to get ready for Rosa to take her to the hospital, anyway. Rosa was probably on her way from a business meeting. Alexandra quickly made the bed and yanked out something to wear from the two shopping bags of clothes she now owned. After the chaos of the fire at Dad’s house, she had run out in a robe, with very little on underneath. No one would get access to Dad’s house until the fire department eventually cleared it, so she had no way of salvaging any of her clothes yet. Luckily, Rosa lent her some cash, and Bash was gracious enough to stop at a nearby department store to pick up a few other essentials.
Now, in slacks and a button-down shirt, she looked at herself in the mirror hanging from the back of the guestroom door. Deep down, she knew she couldn’t try this crazy ruse under the same roof with Bash. Not now when she felt this attraction to him. Her torrid midmorning dream was evidence enough.
I can’t be alone with Sebastian Sullivan.
Not until I tell him the truth.
Unfortunately, there was nothing she could do right this minute. Trying to confess to Bash had left her paralyzed at the hospital. She had dug herself deeper by coming to stay with him and for now, she had to live with it.
“Here goes nothing.” She opened the door and tentatively walked down the stairs.
Chapter 31
SEBASTIAN found it was way too easy to forget he was sharing a house with someone after living on his own for so many years. He remembered Alexandra was here when he woke up, but there were moments during his morning routine where it had slipped his mind.
He stepped out of his bathroom after a quick shower, and after wrapping a towel around his hips he thumped downstairs just like that, without a second thought. He only factored her in again after turning on the stereo to kick off the morning with a squeal of guitars. By then he had to live with it. His knee was still sore from last night, so he decided he would make the trip upstairs after breakfast.
Humming to the music, he headed into the kitchen to get breakfast ready. He was in a good mood today, and planned to relax in the living room until it was time for physical therapy that afternoon. After whisking together eggs, chopped peppers and diced onions, he started on some omelets. He stood at the stove with wet hair swooped back from his face, bare-chested, taking in the mouth-watering smells as it cooked. A kickass rock tune was playing in the background when Alexandra walked into the kitchen behind him. She let out a yelp that was so unexpected, he almost tipped the saucepan.
“Whoa. What the hell.” Sebastian spun around in surprise to see her with a hand to her mouth, eyes wide open and her face blushing as red as rose petals. He instinctively clutched the towel that started to slip from his hips at the sudden jerk. They both stood there, frozen. Under normal circumstances, it would be appropriate to respond this way.
She’s a woman, I’m a near naked man, and we have so much chemistry between us, safety goggles might be required.
This particular circumstance wasn’t even in the same realm as normal. She stood there, still fully engulfed in her game, wearing manly slacks with suspenders over a seersucker button-down shirt, seeming pleased that she could still pass for the lead singer in a boy band. Had he not been crushing on her since he was a teenager, long before she became a rock star and moved away to Los Angeles, then maybe he would be fooled. Nothing about it could fool Sebastian, not even her short, black hair. Everything about her gave her away, as far as he was concerned.
Alexandra Storme grew up next door to me.
She was my high school fantasy.
Christ, when will she give this up?
With the split second panic of almost losing his towel now behind him, Sebastian shrugged. As long as Alexandra was putting on her act, he wasn’t going to call her on it. Fully aware that she was keeping it up to avoid the media attention while her father was convalescing, he left it alone. He wasn’t about to mess with that.
I almost don’t care anymore that she thinks I’m gay.
Almost.
The thought flashed through his mind, and he resigned himself to let it all be. He relaxed his guard and shot her a laid-back smile.
“For a minute, I forgot you were here, Alex. Do you want some breakfast?”
He turned back to the omelet and hurriedly flipped it out of the pan onto a plate. He faced her again, dusting off his hands, waiting for her to say something.
“Oh, um…no thanks, man. I’m not hungry,” she said, backing toward the door closest to the hallway.
The flush still reddened her face, and he noticed her gaze had dropped to his abs. He put his hands on his hips to let her take a good look.
“Are you sure you don’t want anything?” he teased.
There were definite perks to knowing her secret and her not clueing in to the fact that he knew. He looked on as her eyes darted back to his face and the blush deepened.
“Yeah…no. I’m good.”
She dashed from the room, and Sebastian turned toward the stove again, trying not to laugh too loudly.
She’s not going to give this up.
If he were a betting man, he would put money on it.
If this was what it would be like to have Alexandra as a guest for the next few weeks, he was ready to let the shenanigans begin.
Chapter 32
ALEXANDRA was relieved when Rosa finally arrived to pick her up. It wasn’t long after seeing so much of Sebastian in the kitchen, and the incident had sent her right back up to the guestroom, starving.
I’m such an idiot.
Alex Roberts probably shouldn’t have been all that bothered by seeing a man wrapped in a towel, but to Alexandra, seeing Bash nearly naked, he was too damned sexy to ignore. She decided that for the rest of the day, avoidance was best. Thus, with a little coaxing, Rosa had spent the better part of the day hanging out with her at the hospital so Alexandra wouldn’t have to hurry back to Bash’s place.
This can work.
All I have to do is stay away from Bash until Dad is released, or when Eva gets here.
Holy crap, I’m such a coward.
Now, after leaving the hospital where Dad was recuperating, Alexandra grimaced. She leaped up into Rosa’s car and stared at her in disbelief. The woman didn’t bat an eyelid as she stared back at her.
“What do you mean I
don’t need to be at the hospital all day, every day? I’ve spent the better part of my trip here looking after Dad. This is where I want to be.”
Rosa had been right there with her through the whole traumatic ordeal of Dad being hospitalized the first time, getting better and then being readmitted after suffering from smoke inhalation during the fire. She had never once tried to overstep Alexandra or to make her feel unwelcome. Today was a different story.
What the hell is going on?
Rosa reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “Alexandra, I wouldn’t dare ask you not to come and see your own father. You know me better than that. Your being here is what helped him improve when he was admitted the last time.”
“So what are you telling me, Rosa?”
“I’m reminding you of this. Before you were aware that Maxwell was ill, you were already making plans to come to Tucson…to relax. This was supposed to be your vacation, wasn’t it?”
“Well…yes, but that was before.”
“You’ve been by his side every day since you got here. Honey, you need a break.”
Alexandra looked out the window, embarrassed for almost blowing up, now that she realized Rosa was only looking out for her well-being. “I’m sorry, Rosa. I’m worried about Dad. That’s no excuse, but I guess I’m just tired and cranky over this whole situation.”
“It’s all the more reason to take advantage of some downtime during your last few weeks here. The doctor said he will keep Maxwell hospitalized for observation, and to make sure the smoke he inhaled doesn’t worsen his condition. You heard him yourself. I have every faith that your father will be back to his former health in no time.”
She faced the steering wheel and turned the key in the ignition.
Alexandra sulked a bit, but agreed. Rosa was right. She didn’t have to camp out at the hospital like this. While they were there today, Dad was lucid, upbeat, and only coughed once or twice. All he could talk about was how relieved he was that this hospital stay wouldn’t be as long as the last one. He was almost back to his old self.
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