by Sarah Curtis
Her eyes went wide, and she quickly nodded.
“I may not be perfect—I have a temper, and when it comes to you, I’m finding, I’m crazy jealous—but I’ll never lie, and I’ll never cheat. When I tell you, I love you, I mean it. They’re not just words. When I make love to you, I’m doing just that, loving and worshipping you. When I’m away from you, all I think of is you, and when we’re together, I know why that is. My heart beats for you. My lungs breathe for you. My mind is one-hundred percent focused on you.”
He untangled their fingers, and she felt the loss until his hands cupped her cheeks, bringing their faces close. “I love you, baby. It’s not any simpler or more complicated than that.”
Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to wash them away. Not because she didn’t want him to see them but because they blurred her view of the beautiful man before her. How did she get so lucky?
“I won’t screw this up. I won’t let my past have an influence over our future.” She pulled his hands from her face, holding them tightly, then asked, “Do you play poker?”
She noticed his slight frown from the sudden change in topic. “I know how.”
“What do you think? If I were a professional poker player and pushed my chips all-in, would I win the hand?”
“Sweetheart, not only would you win my hand, you’d win my body, heart, and soul.”
Leaning over, planting a fist on the bed and his other hand behind her neck, he captured her lips, deepening the kiss when she eagerly opened for him. She brought her hands to his hair, entwining her fingers into the thick, soft strands, pressing him even closer. The kiss was magical.
They were interrupted by a knock at the door. She groaned as Nate pulled away, her only consolation was Nate looked as equally irritated as she felt.
“Don’t worry, baby, there’s a lifetime more where that came from.” Standing from the bed, he barked, “Come in.”
The door pushed open, and a uniformed officer and a man in slacks and a button-down shirt with a badge hooked to his waist entered the room.
“What’s going on? Why are the police here?” She felt her heart rate pick up speed though she knew she’d done nothing wrong.
“I’ll explain in a minute.” Nate gave her hand a squeeze then walked across the room to meet the officers.
They spoke too low for her to hear properly, but soon were approaching the bed, Nate in the lead, followed by the two policemen. The one in plainclothes was older with dark hair and a large build wearing a stern expression. The other in uniform was shorter and younger with light hair and a boyish smile.
“Ms. Lee, I’m Detective Smith, and this is Officer Davis,” said the older, plain-clothed officer, tipping his head to his partner. “We have a few questions for you regarding the incident that occurred earlier today.”
“I don’t understand. Why were the police called?” Her attention flew back to Nate, and she followed him with her eyes as he moved around to the far side of the bed.
He took her hand before leaning down to speak. “I promise to explain it all to you when they leave, but first, let’s just answer their questions.”
She nodded in agreement though she hated to be left in the dark. But she did trust that Nate would fill her in later.
Detective Smith pulled out a notebook. “Before this last occasion, when was the last time you accessed the stairs leading to your trailer?”
“Um…” Victoria thought back. “Last Wednesday night.” The last day of filming and before leaving for the nightclub.
Smith nodded, jotting her answer in his notebook. Or she assumed it was her answer. He could be making a grocery list for all she knew.
“Have you been to the studio since last Wednesday?” Smith asked, looking up from his notepad.
Victoria shook her head. “No. Today was my first day back. We had a meeting this morning.”
“What about you Mr. Reed? When was the last time you’ve been to the studio?”
Victoria looked over at Nate. A frown marred his brow. “Same. Wednesday.”
Smith nodded and jotted again. Victoria was starting to feel a little peeved. She understood they were just doing their job, but it felt as if they were being interrogated.
“Notice anything suspicious lately?”
Victoria was confused. What did that have to do with her accident? “Suspicious?”
The young cop, Officer Davis, spoke up for the first time. “Any other strange events happen? Any unknown persons loitering around the area of your trailer?”
“No.” She turned to Nate. “What’s going on? Was it not an accident?”
Before Nate could reply, the older officer spoke again. “What about you, Mr. Reed. Anything out of the ordinary?”
“I’ve received two pieces of fan mail at my trailer.”
Davis interrupted Nate, “Isn’t that par for the course?”
She saw a hint of irritation enter Nate’s eyes, could feel the tension radiating off him and knew he was doing everything in his power to keep his response polite. As it was, his words came out clipped as he replied, “Getting fan mail, yes. Getting it delivered to my trailer, no.” Then he went on to explain. “I have only one public address that all fan mail should be delivered to. Not only that, the studio has high security. No one without clearance can enter. The fan mail I received had no postmark, so was hand delivered.”
Smith butted in. “Meaning, whoever delivered it had free access to the studio.”
Nate nodded. “Right. I wouldn’t have thought much of it, but with this latest event, the last package does seem suspicious.”
“What did it contain?” Smith asked before Victoria could.
“A magazine article I interviewed for. In it, I stated I was in a serious relationship. Someone clipped the article and slashed it with a knife.”
Smith did more jotting. “When did you receive it?”
Victoria looked over at Nate. A frown formed between his brows, and his jaw ticked. “Last Wednesday.”
“I’d like to see the article. Enter it as evidence.” Smith put his notebook back in his pocket.
“It’s back at my trailer. I can’t meet you there until Victoria’s cleared to go home.”
“I understand. Here’s my card. Call me, and we’ll set up a time that’s convenient for you.”
Victoria waited until the two officers left the room then let Nate have it. “Evidence? Nate, what the hell is going on?”
Nate tapped her legs, and she scooted them so he’d have room to sit. “The security guard called the police. When he was looking at the fallen railing, he thought it strange there was only one screw found at the scene, and I’d have to agree. Your trailer isn’t new, but it’s far from old. No way should so many screws be missing.”
Victoria thought before she spoke. “So, you think someone removed them hoping I’d fall?” She shook her head. That didn’t make sense. “To what end? It wasn’t a far enough drop to really hurt me.”
“I don’t know.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Maybe it’s just someone trying to scare us. A crazy fan trying to get you away from me.”
Victoria shook her head. “What? By trying to make me think you’re bad luck or something?” She tried to joke, though nothing about it was funny.
He scooted closer to her hip. “Crazy people are just that—crazy. Who knows how their minds work. But I do know this, both of us are going to be extra careful and watchful until we figure this shit out. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Good.” He gave her a cheeky smile. “Now, where were we before we were so rudely interrupted?”
“I think we were about here.” She took his hand and placed it behind her head, leaning in for a kiss.
“Ah, yes. I remember now.”
Soft lips, warm breath, and a very determined tongue followed his recollection, and Victoria gloried in each one until, again, they were interrupted by someone pushing through the door. Only this someone didn’t knock first.
Like a bull in a china shop, Byron plowed into the hospital room, red-faced and panting heavily. “What in the hell happened?”
Pulling away from her with a groan, Nate tipped his head back and spoke to the ceiling. “Fuck me!”
And that’s when Victoria lost it, laughter rolling up her throat and spilling from her lips.
CHAPTER TWENTY
“I’m fine mom, truly. It wasn’t that far of a fall, and Nate was there to help me,” Victoria spoke quietly into the phone because it was late and Nate was asleep, sprawled on the bed beside her.
She had downplayed the events, not wanting to cause her mom upset, but it seemed Shannon Lee was going to worry anyway. The nature of being a mother, Victoria supposed. She would know all about that soon, she thought, laying a protective hand over her stomach.
“I promise I’ll keep you in the loop, but honestly, the media knows things before I do half the time.” Victoria heard her mom’s laughter and smiled.
But what Victoria had stated was true. Shortly after dealing with Byron, the doctor had arrived, checking for concussion—which she didn’t have, thank goodness—and giving her clearance to leave the hospital. And, of course, members of the press had been camped out front, waiting. It would’ve been too much to hope their identity remained a secret. More than likely, someone on the hospital staff had leaked they were there.
After a few more minutes of chit-chat where Victoria, again, assured her mom she was fine, Victoria signed off. “I love you, too. Say hi to Dad for me.”
She hung up the phone and placed it on the nightstand beside the bed. Yawning, she rubbed her eyes, tired after such a stressful afternoon but strangely unable to fall asleep. She couldn’t turn her mind off, her thoughts drifting to her accident.
She replayed the events in a loop, trying to remember every detail in hopes of deducing whether it was an accident or if someone was really out to get her. She hoped for all their sakes, it wasn’t the latter. Victoria had heard some truly horrible horror stories involving stalkers and their prey.
Nate stirred, opening an eye, his sleepy, relaxed expression pulling into a frown. “You still awake?”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Come here.” He lifted the sheet, so she could slide flush against him.
Resting her head in the crook of his shoulder, his arm draped down her back with his hand settling on her hip. She sighed and closed her eyes, willing herself to relax.
Her right arm grew uncomfortable, wedged as it was half under her body. She wiggled, yanking her arm out and throwing it awkwardly over Nate’s chest.
A few minutes passed, and she sighed again. Now, her neck, twisted at a funny angle, was getting a cramp. Rolling more to her back, she untangled her feet from Nate’s legs, kicking out with her left leg as it got twisted in the sheet.
She felt Nate’s chest vibrating beside her and rolled her eyes to look at him. “Are you laughing?”
He raised a brow of inquiry. “Are you through?”
“Yes. No.” she sighed, again. “I can’t seem to get comfortable.”
Nate carefully dislodged his arm from under her and rolled from the bed.
“Where are you going?”
“To help you relax.”
She watched him pad to the bathroom, her eyes fixated on his bare ass until the light flicked on and he disappeared into its depths. Soon she heard water running.
He emerged a few minutes later, a towel wrapped around his waist. He strode to the bed, threw back the sheet, and scooped her up.
“What are you doing?” Her arms found his neck, holding on.
“We’re taking a bath.”
“We?” His tub was certainly large enough for the two of them, but she didn’t picture him as a bather. He was more a shower guy.
“Yes, we. I’m going to hold you in my arms, and you’re going to lie back and soak in the warm water until you’re so relaxed you won’t have the energy to get out to get back in bed.”
Victoria had to admit, his plan didn’t sound half bad.
Nate set her down, her toes curling under as her feet met the cold tile. “Lift your arms,” he commanded, grasping the hem of her long t-shirt and pulling it over her head when she complied. Her panties were next to go. Sliding them down her legs, he tapped her ankle, signaling for her to step out.
He dropped his towel, making quick work of turning off the water, stepping into the tub, and lying back.
He eyed her. “Your turn.”
Stepping over the side, he held her hand for balance as her foot met the water.
“What the fuck?”
“What?” Her head whipped to his. He was staring at her hip. She looked down. A large, black bruise about the size of her outstretched hand covered her hip and upper thigh. Her side had been sore and a little red earlier, but the bruise was a new development.
“It looks worse than it feels,” she tried to reassure him.
If his scowl were any indication, she hadn’t succeeded. She quickly submerged herself in the water, so he wouldn’t have to look at it. Out of sight, out of mind and all that jazz.
Alas, that didn’t work either. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” He pulled her back to his chest, wrapping his arms around her.
Victoria mentally rolled her eyes. “I fell from four feet and landed on my hip. What did you think was going to happen?”
“I don’t like that you’re injured.”
She relaxed against his chest rubbing a soothing hand along his forearm. “It doesn’t hurt.” She felt a twinge of guilt for lying—it was sore, just not enough to cause a stink over—but told herself little white lies were okay if they didn’t cause any harm and put Nate’s mind at ease.
He wasn’t falling for it. “There’s no way in hell a bruise like that doesn’t hurt.”
She grimaced. “Fine. But it didn’t hurt enough to make mention of it.”
“You get a hangnail on your pinky and I want to know about it. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
His lips skimmed her neck. “Your wiseassness is showing.”
She laughed. “That’s not a word.”
“It should be,” he murmured against her throat. “And your picture would be alongside the definition.”
Her head dropped back to his shoulder, giving his lips better access to her neck. His mouth sucked the spot where her neck met her shoulder before his teeth came into play, nipping at the sensitive flesh. She felt his hand move under the water, finding her leg, his fingers walking up the inside of her thigh.
“What are you doing? she asked, her lips fighting the urge to smile.
“Helping you relax.” His fingers traveled higher, reaching the apex of her thighs.
“I’m already relaxed.” Her lips lost the fight, a smile forming.
“I’m going to relax you more.” His finger slid through her folds, and she arched into his touch.
“I don’t think I can get more relaxed.” His finger entered her, did a few little flicks, then drew slowly back out before sliding up to play with her clit.
“You can, and you will.”
His other hand cupped her breast, squeezing, his palm causing friction against her already erect nipple. It felt good, sending waves of need to her core that was only intensified by the hard, swirling press of his finger.
Her legs fell open farther when he pinched her nipple, rolling it between his fingers. His mouth still sucked at her neck at the spot behind her ear.
“I want you to come,” he whispered gruffly.
She was close. But she wanted more. Dislodging his hands by flipping herself around, she grasped his shoulders, pulling herself up to straddle his lap. Their eyes met—his such a dark brown they were almost black—and held as she raised herself up on her knees. His hands at her waist, directed her hips as she slowly slid down his length. His thumbs dug into her pelvic bones and his fingers into her lower back as they moved in tandem. Neither said a word. Their eyes, never breaking
contact, doing all the talking.
Their movements sped, Nate’s grip on her tightened, and all too soon, she was exploding around him. His eyes glazed, and his jaw locked as he slammed her down one last time, holding her steady as his muscles stiffened. They stayed like that for a moment in time, not only connected in body but in soul.
≈≈≈
Breathing heavily, Victoria flopped against Nate’s chest. His arms came around her, rubbing along the smooth skin of her back. She was completely limp, and he couldn’t stop the small, satisfied smile that transformed his lips.
“More relaxed now?” His lips grazed the top of her head as he spoke.
“Mmm.”
“Should I take that as a yes?”
“Mm-hmm.”
He chuckled, his hand sliding down the gentle curve of her back to the plump globes of her ass. He gave one a squeeze. “We’d better get you up and out before you fall asleep.”
“Just a few more minutes. I promise not to fall asleep.” She nuzzled her face into his chest. “I’m so comfortable.”
He smacked her ass, water splashing into the air.
She jerked up, nearly clocking him in the chin. “Hey!”
He smirked. “Still comfortable?”
She scowled. Her lips formed a cute little pucker, her brow furrowed, and her eyes glared. “Not anymore.”
“Good. Then let’s get you dried off, and I promise to make you comfortable again.”
“Do you think it’s strange I don’t have morning sickness?” she questioned, out of the blue, after he’d gotten her back in bed and draped, once more, across his chest.
“I don’t really know. I’ve never had a baby before.”
She chuckled, the sound sultry and soothing and pleasant to his ears. Her laugh, in any of its shapes and forms, made him happy because it meant she was happy.
“I haven’t either, but the women on the expectant mothers’ baby forum make it sound awful.”
He tipped his head to the side but still could only see the top of her head. “I didn’t know you joined a forum.”