He squeezed her breast, pulling at her nipple, keeping their rhythm hard and fast. She fell forward, catching herself on the edge of the tub, crying out.
Trent thrust twice more, following her into release. Bending down, he kissed her shoulder blade.
“Mmm, Trent.”
He pulled her back with him, settling against the other side. “Worth the wait?”
“Mmhmm. Hope you’re planning to stay put. I’m not ready to move. Not sure the muscles remember how.”
He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck. “Right here, for as long as you want.”
* * * *
After their fingers and toes had become pruny, Ella took one last kiss and climbed out of the tub, grabbing a towel. Trent pressed in behind her, taking charge of the towel and drying her body.
“Mmm, baths are better with you,” she murmured.
“A lot of things are better with you.”
She spun the towel away from him. “Hopefully everything.”
“I have no doubt. I told you, we’re an inferno.”
“So, what were you doing downstairs? Before joining me.”
“Setting up for the rest of the night.”
“That so?”
“Mmhmm, so come on down. We can eat chocolate and watch something.”
She froze, wondering what he’d done. One corner of his mouth tipped up and he kissed her nose.
“Don’t worry, Ella. No Raven Star movies. Not until you’re ready to give me a chance to prove I’m not going to act differently with you next to me.”
“Did you bring one?” she asked softly.
“The first Midnight Daughter.”
She winced. “Can I ask why?”
“The second is my favorite, but I figured we could start at the beginning when you’re ready.”
“Not because you think I had something with Ryan?”
He shook his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. “I trust you when you say things were never like that between you two.”
A small smile formed on her lips. “All right. We can watch it.”
He paused, watching her for a moment. “Are you going to enjoy watching your movie?”
She nodded. “I never accepted a part I wasn’t interested in playing. Watching my movies isn’t the problem. It’s men’s reactions. Sometimes even female friends, though that’s not as bad.”
“Why would women care?”
She sighed. “Because a lot of women want my co-stars.”
His lips quirked. “I’m in no rush to watch it. I recently watched the whole series. So you choose what you want to watch. I have several movies downstairs.”
She wanted to prove she could do it, and also allow him to show her he wouldn’t be the same as every man she’d been with. “All right.”
Trent reached into the basket and helped her into the silk robe. She hadn’t noticed the matching silk panties that went with it. “Now don’t expect me to keep my hands to myself.”
She grinned. “What are you wearing?”
He held up a single finger. “Why don’t you go down and pick a movie? You’ll see when I get there.”
Ella left him to go downstairs, shaking her head on the way. She put her movie in the machine and made herself comfortable on the pile of pillows and blankets.
Trent had created a movie den. He dropped down beside her and opened the box of chocolates, holding out a dark chocolate one for her. She opened her mouth and savored the piece, then hit play on the remote. His silk pajama-clad legs tangled with hers and she had to grin.
He turned to her with a smile as the title screen came up. “You didn’t have to pick this one.”
“I trust you.”
“Well, I do get the real thing, which is far superior to the movies.” He leaned in and took a kiss before offering another chocolate.
She let the morsel melt on her lips and groaned deep in her throat. “Are these from the chocolate shop on Main?”
“They are.” He sighed. “And before anyone can tell you, I did date the owner for a while. It ended amicably.”
“All spark, no flame?” she teased.
Trent laughed softly. “Yeah. We’re friends still. Not that I hang out with her.”
“Trent, stop. I trust you. I just wanted to know so I could get more if the mood strikes. Now let’s watch this movie.”
Chapter 28
For the first time in a long time, Trent wanted to call in and play hooky. But Ella had convinced him to go because she had work to do too. After the night they’d shared, he wanted to keep her in bed the rest of the day.
Trent walked into the firehouse. Before he had a chance to stow his gear, Kyle pulled him aside. Gavin followed. Both looked concerned.
Kyle said, barely above a whisper, “We might have a problem.”
“Why? What’s going on?” Trent asked.
Gavin ran a hand through his hair. “My sister is a fucking moron. She posted a picture of Ella last night. The damned thing is blowing up.”
Trent’s head whipped toward Gavin. “What do you mean?”
Gavin held up his phone, showing an Instablast picture of Trent and Ella. Her glasses were in place, her fingers dragging through her hair, and a smile on her lips. She did resemble a character she’d played in a romantic comedy. He’d seen the movie a dozen times with his sister, never admitting he wanted to watch Raven Star.
The caption said, OMG, she looks just like Raven Star. Could it be? #WheresRavenStar #IsRavenHiding #SmallTownRaven
Trent took a slow breath. “Call her, have her take it down.”
“First, what the hell is going on. I mean, Ella does look like Raven Star, but she’s so down to earth. Who the hell would believe she’s a movie star?”
Trent looked to Kyle for help.
“He’s not going to say a word. You know him as well as I do. His sister might be dumb as a rock, but Gavin wants to help.”
Gavin’s mouth fell open. “Wait, she’s really Raven?”
Nodding, Trent looked around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear. “This needs to stay quiet. She retired from acting and just wants a fresh start. Not to mention the asshole stalking her doesn’t know where she is. Can you get your sister to take it down? Maybe tell her she has a stalker, and tell her she’s not a famous movie star?”
Gavin nodded but didn’t look too hopeful. “I’ll try. She has 400,000 likes and thousands of comments. Not to mention shares. She’s going to hold onto her fifteen minutes of social media fame.”
“Please try. Some asshole ran her off the road. She had a concussion. He kept her for two days. Do you really think she needs to be found again?”
“Might be too late. It’s all over the place,” Gavin pointed out. He pressed a few more buttons and brought up a search engine full of brand new headlines saying things like Is Raven Star in Lakeridge, California, Raven Star Found in Small Town.
“This is fucking perfect,” Trent muttered.
Gavin shook his head. “I’ll call Rene, but I make no guarantees.” He walked outside.
Kyle patted his shoulder. “What are you going to do?”
“Shit, I don’t know. This is exactly what Ella was afraid of. She figured it was only a matter of time before someone found out.”
“I can’t imagine what she’s going through.”
“I hope she doesn’t decide to disappear again.”
“Mila can talk her down. She’s not going to run. Ella’s already invested in her shop, in you. Maybe she’ll contact the police now.”
“Is Isandro here? I thought maybe I could get his sister’s number for Ella. Figured maybe she’d be the best person for her to talk to.”
“Yeah, he’s in the weight room. I’ll find you when Gavin gets off the phone. We’ll keep an eye on her too.”
“I don’t know, man. Do you really want your wife and kids alone with her when this guy shows up?”
“No, but they’re both smart. They aren’t going to let a
nyone in. Especially if Ella is right about this guy’s identity.”
“Yeah, I hope so.” Trent made his way to the weight room. A couple of the guys gave him questioning looks. They all knew who he’d been spending all his time with. If they started asking shit, he was liable to lose it.
He pushed the door open and strode up to Isandro, who set down the barbells.
“Hey, can we talk?” Trent asked.
“Sure. What’s going on?”
“Outside, away from prying ears.”
“This have anything to do with that woman you’ve been seeing?”
“You already know?”
“Everyone knows what Rene posted. What does that have to do with me?”
Trent nodded toward the door and headed that direction. He glanced back once he stepped into the sunlight. Isandro wiped his face off with a towel and followed.
Once outside, Isandro asked, “Okay, so what’s going on?”
“I need to get your sister’s number. Ella’s been through some shit. She’s nervous around a lot of people and particularly about some guy who was stalking her before she moved out here.”
His brow wrinkled. “So what they’re saying is true?”
“Who’s saying what?” Trent ground out.
“Some of the guys think she’s really Raven Star. Something about an abduction, a fire, and then she disappeared.”
“This just keeps getting worse.”
“I’m just repeating what I heard. You know me, I’m not talking. Doesn’t matter if she is or not. Either way, give me your phone and I’ll add Marissa’s number. She’ll be happy to help. And if there’s anything I can do, let me know.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” He handed over the phone, choosing to trust Isandro. The guy was often quiet but always willing to help if a friend needed it. “And yeah, Ella is who they’re saying, but until Rene posted that picture, only my nephew suspected. But he’s seven, so who was going to believe that?”
Isandro shrugged. “In this little town, why would anyone think it was her?”
“Rene’s an idiot.”
“Give your girl a call. The sooner she talks to Marissa, the sooner they can figure out what to do about this guy.”
* * * *
On her morning jog through town, Ella noticed the extra attention and stares. She couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on. Her pulse raced when she jogged up her driveway and found Mila and a policewoman standing there at her front door.
Ella hurried to meet them, dread rolling through every nerve. Had someone learned her secret? “Morning. Is something wrong?”
Mila nodded. “Someone took a picture. Pretty sure it was innocent, but the woman is a moron.”
Ella’s mouth dropped open. It was so rare for Mila to say anything negative about anyone.
The woman next to her pushed her black hair behind her ear and offered her hand. “I’m Marissa Cortez. I believe Trent mentioned I could talk to you?”
“Yeah. Here, let’s go inside. Want some water or something?” she asked, digging her key out of her pocket and letting them inside. Several emotions warred within. What had Trent told Marissa? Once again, he’d talked to someone about her problem before checking with her. On the other hand, he saw the problem and was trying to help. She didn’t know what to think.
“No, thank you,” Marissa replied.
Mila squeezed Ella’s shoulder. “I’m fine, thanks though.”
Ella walked straight to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. After a long drink, she returned to the living room where the two women sat. “So, what happened? How worried should I be?”
Marissa pulled out her phone and turned it to show Ella the picture from the night before. She saw the similarity between a role she played and the picture and winced. Then she read the caption and started pacing.
“That’s not how I wanted my past to come out.”
Marissa frowned. “Slow down, Ella. Tell me what’s going on, from the beginning. Trent says you’re worried about a particular man finding you, as well as the media.”
Facing the policewoman, she nodded. “Yeah. That’s about it. More than a year ago, I decided to finish the movies I had contracts for, then walk away from acting. My brother thought I needed a break, but he’s my agent and doesn’t understand I was already having trouble dealing with the media every time I stepped outside. He tried to convince me to take a long vacation and reevaluate where I stood when I came back.” She shook her head with a sad laugh. “I was on my way to that vacation when everything went to shit.” Ella told Marissa everything that happened, and what she could remember of her stalker.
“Okay, and Mila says you may know who this guy was?”
“Yeah. It might sound crazy. He’s supposed to be dead. But there was this guy in high school. Logan Poole. He was…”
“Obsessed with you,” Mila filled in.
Ella winced “I don’t know, he showed up everywhere and followed me around. He finally got up the guts to ask me to prom, but I turned him down. Guy gave me the willies just by walking in a room. There was no way I would go on a date with him, much less be alone with him.”
“Then what?” Marissa asked.
“Well, the night of the dance, I went with the guy I’d been seeing on and off all senior year. Logan’s house burned down that night. Police said the fire started in his room.” Every time she told this part, a chill ran down her spine. “Everyone in the house died. His parents, his little brother, and him.” She rubbed her arm, looking Marissa in the eye. “I felt really guilty about turning him down after that. Somehow I wondered if he might have lived if he’d been at prom with me. He’s why I left for Hollywood the day after graduation.”
Marissa nodded. “Who said Logan died?”
“The newspaper. I didn’t know his family. He was already eighteen. I guess he could have left. But the guy who held me captive had the same steel gray eyes, and similar features. My captor wore a thick beard, but I recognized a resemblance. It’s been twelve years, though.”
Marissa wrote down a few things, then asked, “Anything else to go on?”
Ella shuddered. “Yeah, his hands had severe burn scars. I remember how wrong his touch felt. I hadn’t even thought about that factor until the other day. The guy who held me knew my name was Ella. Mila and my brother were the only ones who knew my real name. And with that post, the media may show up to investigate. Which means my stalker can follow them here, even if he isn’t Logan.”
“I take it they never found a body in the fire at the warehouse, and he managed to escape?” Marisa asked.
“I believe so. And the police never took it seriously, before or after the attack. Which made my decision to settle down in a quiet town easier. I want a normal life, out of the spotlight.” She rubbed at her head. “Doesn’t look like I’m going to get that.”
“Let me see what I can find. If he’s still alive, maybe I can find him. In the meantime, I’ll set up a patrol.”
Marissa’s solution didn’t make her feel any better, but she wasn’t going to argue. It was a start. “I’m going to be at the boutique a lot during the next few days, setting up. Chances are I’ll hide in there, curtains drawn and hope everyone leaves me alone.” Ella sighed and looked over at Mila. “I don’t want this to get crazy.”
Mila squeezed her hand. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it. Maybe we can convince the residents you aren’t her.”
“Yeah, I hope so,” Ella muttered. “At least for a little while.”
Marissa dipped her head. “Here’s my card. If you think of anything, call me. We’ll do our best to keep you safe.”
“Thank you.”
Marissa shook her hand before leaving.
Turning to Mila, Ella’s brow arched. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
“I’m still on maternity leave. Dee wanted to hang out with Valor. So I’m here for moral support, and to help you with Mon Armoire.”
“Mila, you don�
��t have to do that. I wasn’t lying. I’m planning to spend my day at the shop getting stuff ready. If people start swarming, I’m going to push back the store opening.”
“Can’t say I blame you. Though I want to come with you and help. You can buy me lunch if you insist.”
“How about breakfast too?”
Mila smiled. “I ate, but I could manage some tea.”
Ella smiled, relieved she wouldn’t be alone. “Let me grab a quick shower, then we can go.”
“Sounds good.”
Ella hurried up the stairs and picked up her phone. There were four missed calls from Trent and a slew of texts. Instead of looking or reading, she held her breath as she dialed.
He answered immediately. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah. About to hop in the shower.”
“Oh?” he asked, a bit breathless.
Smiling, she leaned against the wall. “Yeah. I went for a run. Then Mila and Marissa showed up. Thank you for calling her.”
He sighed. “I tried to call you first. I didn’t figure you’d want to wait with the amount of views Rene was getting off that damned post. I didn’t even consider you’d gone for a run. I was worried you were going to leave town.”
She smiled to herself. Thoughtful, sweet, and concerned about her. “I’m not letting some asshole drive me away from my new life. I just need to figure out how to stop him, and the media.”
“Sorry about that. I had no clue some idiot would post anything about you.”
“I knew it was a possibility, actually inevitable. Just a matter of time. Not your fault, and it sounds like nobody likes this woman much.”
“Ask Mila, she’ll explain why. But yeah. She’s not the sharpest tack in the box.”
Ella grinned. “To set your mind at ease, I’m not going anywhere, other than the shop. I’ll be in town all day. Mila’s coming with me. I guess she doesn’t want me alone so I won’t do anything dumb.”
“No one thinks you’re stupid. And with this guy out there, it’s best if you aren’t alone. If I wasn’t working. I’d be there with you right now.”
Falling Star (Combustible Book 2) Page 18