by Dee J. Adams
“What do you say, Stella? Any words of wisdom? Because I could use a little good advice right now.” Leo’s words drifted from the kitchen, sounding very lost and they stopped her cold.
She was a bit lost herself. Maybe if they talked it out, Leo would understand where she was coming from. She hadn’t even had the chance to tell him all the things she wanted to tell him. She’d been too angry with his initial response to do anything but leave.
Entering the small galley kitchen, Kim saw Leo holding Stella as he gazed out to the terraced back yard. In a perfect world, she might glide into his arms, kiss him senseless and live happily ever after. Too bad they lived in the real world.
“You’re very stealthy without your heels,” he said, turning when he sensed her. The half grin kicking up his lips faded as he caught site of her. “You and Stella are in the running for most battered female in the house.” He stroked Stella’s head and her purring got louder. “The guest bed is made up if you want to lie down for a little while. Might be good to rest after the last few hours you’ve had.”
“I think we should talk first.”
His jaw ticked, but his serious gaze held steady as he nodded. “Okay. Talk.”
She exhaled a measured breath. “I just don’t think you heard me or didn’t believe me when I said I plan to take care of this baby. I’m not going to come to you for anything. I’m not looking for you to support either of us. If you’re worried about me going public for any reason then you shouldn’t. I won’t tell anyone.”
Those very blue eyes of his didn’t bat a lash. “What if it’s more than you can handle?” he asked quietly. “I know your parents are gone, but do you have any siblings? Any people around to help?”
“Not really,” she admitted, leaning on the tile counter to her right. “I have a cousin, but we don’t live in the same city. I just have me. But I just received an inheritance, so I can handle it.”
“Oh.” He blinked at that and seemed taken aback. “I guess that’s good and bad. Was this the aunt you mentioned in your email last month? The one in Arizona?”
“Yes.” She was a little surprised he remembered since she’d barely grazed the topic. She’d let all her clients know that a family emergency was taking her away from work. “It happened fast. Stage-four cancer. I got there quickly, but she only lived another few weeks. My cousin and I took shifts so we were both there at the end.”
“Sorry to hear that.” He watched her intently, almost as if he could see through to her very soul. Sometimes, she thought he could. “C’mon, let’s sit down before you fall down.” He gestured for her to go first and followed her into the den.
Kim gingerly sat on the sofa and Leo took the spot on the opposite end. Stella limped off of his lap and into hers. “She’s sweet,” Kim murmured, cuddling the cat.
“She’s a man eater,” Leo countered. “A couple of meows and a round of purring and I’m her fucking slave.”
Kim chuckled as Leo’s phone rang. He checked the screen and quickly stood up. “Be right back. I’ve been waiting for this call.” He punched the screen as he went into the kitchen. “Hey, Scotty. How are ya? Yeah, so I’m hoping you’re in the market to do a little investing. Remember the film I was making a couple of years ago.” He listened. “Yeah, the western.” He huffed a laugh. “Yeah, Carrie Ann Loughlin. I know. Hindsight is everything right? Who knew? So I’ve decided to finish it—mostly second unit stuff is left—so it shouldn’t be too expensive. You in?” He listened for a long time with an occasional Uh-huh and yeah dotted in the conversation.
Kim hated eavesdropping, but she didn’t have a choice if she stayed in the den. The kitchen was too close and she regretfully heard every word. She’d seen a few of Carrie Ann Laughlin’s movies, but had no idea Leo had done a film with her. A western? Kim couldn’t picture it.
Although she could picture Leo in a cowboy hat and chaps over faded denim. She could definitely picture him on horseback with a sun setting behind him outlining his square jaw and broad shoulders.
Stella’s claws dug into her thigh as she stretched and shook Kim out of her daydream. It was those kinds of thoughts that got her into trouble in the first place.
A few minutes later, Leo came back into the room. He tossed his phone on a stack of magazines on the worn oak coffee table and sat at the other end of the sofa.
“I didn’t know you’d made a film with Carrie Ann Laughlin.”
“No reason you would. We never finished it.”
“Really? A big budget film and the studio never finished it? Does that happen often?” She rubbed a hand over Stella’s soft head and the steady purr vibrated against her arm.
“It wasn’t a big studio film. I was trying my hand at producing so it was a small Indie film.”
That seemed weird.
“Why do you have that look on your face?” he asked.
“I guess I don’t understand why an actor used to making big money and getting awards for them would bother making an indie film. Seems counterproductive.”
He sighed. Seemed to debate his answer. “It’s not common knowledge, but I’ll tell you the truth. I wrote it. I used a pseudonym because I didn’t think anyone would take it seriously otherwise.”
“Can you get investors if no one knows who wrote it?” Stella nudged her hand when she stopped petting.
“That was my first mistake. I used most of my own money. Once I had a certain amount, a few other guys followed suit, but not nearly as much as I would’ve hoped. Then Carrie Ann went off the deep end. I didn’t have the money to reshoot her stuff and I still had a couple of scenes to go, but by that point, I didn’t want to sink more money into it because I didn’t know how Carrie Ann’s real life issues would affect my film.”
“You’re afraid her trip to a mental institution might affect your box office?”
“You have to admit, I run the risk of complete failure. The woman killed a man and nearly killed Julie Fraser. She’s certifiable.” He had a point, because Academy Award winning actresses usually weren’t in the public eye because someone tried to kill them. Repeatedly.
“But the curiosity might be a draw.”
“I thought of that.” Leo nodded and shrugged. “It just feels sleazy to try and make money off her misfortune.”
She learned more and more about him with every sit down. The same thing had happened two months ago. The man who started off so suave and callous had a conscience. He just rarely let people see it. “You’re not making money off her misfortune. You’re making money from a film you wrote. What she did after she shot your movie shouldn’t matter. The work she did for you should have no bearing on what she did in her real life.”
“You make it sound very reasonable.”
“Isn’t it?”
“I don’t know anymore.” He looked around the place, disappointment clear in his eyes. “This isn’t how I imagined my life.” And suddenly they were on a whole new topic. Clearly he meant the house and his surroundings, but he must have meant her pregnancy too.
“Tell me about it,” she muttered. She never dreamed she’d be a single mother.
Together they were pretty damn pitiful. A mega-famous movie star who’d lost everything, and a business owner and financial manager with no one who loved her and a baby on the way.
Leo’s phone kept ringing with calls about his movie. Since he needed to straighten out the details to get back on his feet financially, Kim let him handle business, which put their conversation on hold. At this point, they had a lot of time to talk and he liked the truce they’d come to. It beat having her walk out again. Not that she could go far without clothes. Or a wallet. Or a car.
She made the call to her credit card company. As Leo expected, it was going to take twenty-four to forty-eight hours before they could reissue and overnight a new credit card. Then she still had to worry about ID to fly back to Indiana. That was going to take even longer, but since she couldn’t get through to DMV before they closed, that conversation ha
d to wait.
Kim kept petting Stella’s soft head and the cat closed her eyes in a state of bliss. Shifting, Kim winced and Leo’s heart took a hit. He hated that the two sweetest things under his roof were both suffering.
“I forgot to get you some ibuprofen when we came in,” he said, moving into the kitchen. He came back a minute later with three pills in his palm and a glass of water. He wished he could do more.
Kim accepted the offering.
“You know you’re going to be sore as hell tomorrow.”
She nodded. “You mean more sore.”
It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep on the sofa. With Stella snoozing on her lap, the two of them made quite the battered pair. He quashed the urge to keep them both. He couldn’t. Wouldn’t. But he’d never forget either set of eyes as they’d looked at him for help the last two days.
Leo looked around the new—old—place he now called home. Kind of a dump if he wanted to be picky. Though it had the illusion of being upgraded, it was still small, too dark and not at all what he’d pick if given half a choice. But the two females sleeping on the couch seemed to soften the humiliation. They didn’t seem to care about the dim lighting or chipped floors. Not that it mattered what they thought. He wanted his life back. At least part of it. The part that afforded him the good things in life.
Fresh determination blossomed in his gut. He’d get his movie made if he had to shoot the damn thing himself. He felt bad for Carrie Ann, but she’d chosen her path, just like he needed to make his.
Right now he needed to think about Kim and her present state of wardrobe. She couldn’t wear his stuff during her whole stay and she’d probably balk if he offered her money. Not that he had much to offer. Avoiding the fight, Leo snagged his keys and snuck out of the house for a very rare appearance at the mall. In ninety minutes, he got a little bit of everything and hoped like hell it all fit. Back at the house, he placed all the bags in Kim’s room and waited for her to find them.
Four hours later, Kim was still sacked out on the couch curled under the navy chenille blanket Leo had used to cover her. He checked his watch and glanced again at Stella’s pitiful eyes.
Meow. Code for food. Or feed me. It was past her dinnertime.
The can opener was going to wake up Kim, but he felt bad for the cat. Hell, since when did he care so much about either one of them?
“C’mon, Stella. Let’s get you dinner.” Leo pulled a can of cat food from the pantry shelf and checked the label. “Duck and salmon.” He eyed the cat and stuck the can under the opener. “You’re eating better than me.” The instant hum of the appliance had Stella nearly bouncing on her toes. “Easy, girl,” Leo said as he spooned the smelly meal onto a plate. He set it down for her and she went to town, ignoring everything but the food.
“What time is it?”
Damn. He knew the stupid opener would wake up Kim. “It’s about eight.” He looked up from Stella and his heart took a solid hit. Her cuts and scratches looked absurdly pronounced in the bad kitchen lighting. Kim’s mussed blond hair framed her face in a come-hither sex-goddess do that hit straight below his belt. She’d washed off most of her makeup when she’d cleaned up, the soft smooth skin peeking out of his clothes begged to be touched. His brain might’ve decided that he had no future with her, but his hands wanted to touch, and his dick wanted to dive into all parts wet and warm.
“Eight? God, I can’t believe I fell asleep for so long. Can I use your phone? I need to make a couple of calls.”
“Sure.” He handed over the receiver to his landline, since living in the hills made cell phone reception spotty. “You hungry? I can make us some sandwiches or something.”
Her eyes widened. “Really? You cook now.”
He shook his head at her teasing tone. “No. But I can make sandwiches. That’s not cooking.”
She snorted. “It is in my book.” She lifted the phone. “Thanks.” And started punching numbers.
First she called her best friend and business partner. A woman he’d briefly met while shooting Dangerous Race. That movie had been one of his biggest box office successes. It killed him every time he thought about the fortune his accountant had embezzled from him. All the gorgeous property he’d purchased with that money now belonged to other people. Leo shook it off. No sense in mulling over old news. He had to move on.
Her next call went to her cousin in Arizona. That conversation sounded a little more cautious with her declining a lot of offers. No, it’s too far. No, you don’t need to. Yes, I’ll be fine. Sounded like someone cared a lot. I’m staying with a friend. No, I lost my cell phone too. His number? Is it really necessary? She covered the mouthpiece with her hand. “My cousin wants your number so he can reach me. It’s totally cool if you don’t want to share, but…”
“Will it get him off your back?” Leo asked. He’d already pulled bread and deli meat out of the fridge and plates from the cabinets.
She nodded.
“Give him the land line. I don’t care. He’s family, right?” He stuck bread in the toaster and heaped turkey and cheese slices on a plate.
She smirked at that question as Leo wiped his hands, wrote down his number and handed it to her.
“His name?” she said into the phone after relaying his number. “Uh… Leo. His name is Leo. He’s a client.” She glanced up and they locked gazes. “And a friend.”
The word hit him on a basic level. He didn’t have too many people he could call friends. Not the kind of friends that kept your secrets to the grave and went out of their way to help you. The kind that told it to you straight or offered an unconditional shoulder to lean on.
It took another couple of minutes for Kim to end the conversation. “God,” she breathed hanging up the phone.
“Some people just can’t take no for an answer.” The toaster popped and he slapped their sandwiches together.
“He’s just trying so hard to do the ‘right thing’ that he’s driving me crazy.” She hobbled into the kitchen and looked around. “Can I help you with anything?”
He pulled up the stool from the counter separating the kitchen and den. “Yes. You can sit your ass down. You’re moving around like an eighty-year-old woman.”
“Gee. Thanks.” When she tried to set her butt cheek on the stool, she winced, so Leo put his hands around her waist and helped her up. Big mistake. Kim yelped and grabbed onto his forearms and their gazes locked tight. Just like today when he’d been right behind her on the mountain, his body went into search mode. His dick searching for her hot, wet center.
Damn, he’d forgotten how much he liked her. Their two-month separation had been good, because he’d been able to focus on other things besides how much he wanted to be with her. Touching her set his blood on fire. She blinked a few times, fast, as if their contact was another shock to her system. And standing there, with his legs between hers, with their mouths so close together, the only thought in his brain was kiss her. Now.
“Leo,” she whispered. Her lips seemed to move in slow motion as he slowly bridged the gap between them.
“What?” he growled.
“I don’t think this is a—”
He kissed her before she finished the sentence, because she was right. It wasn’t a good idea. But damn if he could stop himself. She was his Achilles heel. His weak spot. The more distance she put between them, the more he wanted her. He started slow, worked his way into the kiss, waiting for her to push him away or move back. She did neither, so he took it farther and tasted her lower lip with a gentle brush of his tongue. A little moan vibrated from her throat as their lips stayed connected. She tasted different…she tasted like a luscious cinnamon stick, all hot and spicy. “You found my cinnamon gum in the shorts pocket, didn’t you?” he breathed against her mouth. The gum was her fault. Whatever perfume she wore smelled like cinnamon and he’d started to chew the gum. Whether to remind himself of her or not was something he purposely hadn’t analyzed.
She barely nodded, her wet li
ps brushing against his in an erotic glide. “I had nap breath,” she murmured.
He smiled against her lips before going in for more. Still slow, still sexy as hell, still doing his best to inhale her without scaring her off. They had history, yes, but her unpredictability always threw him off. He missed the softness of her hair under his fingertips. The way her pulse beat rapidly right before contact.
“Leo,” she murmured, her mouth still moving against his as his hands moved down her thighs.
“Mmm,” he managed.
“We should stop. This isn’t going to get either one of us anywhere.”
Just like last time, she was relying on his will power to stay away. Hadn’t he failed that test already? In a colossal way?
“But it feels good,” he said. “I thought after the day you had, it might be nice to feel good.”
She made that sound again and it about killed him. Her fingers twined around his neck and dove through the hair at his nape. Leo took that as a positive sign and slipped his tongue inside her mouth. The groan he heard was his own. The wet slide of her tongue against his was like the perfect homecoming.
The kiss stayed slow and molten hot. He wanted her closer…wanted her against the rock-hard erection straining the zipper of his jeans, then he wanted inside her tight heat. It didn’t matter that there’d been so many women before her, because he had no recollection of anyone but her. All he’d done the past two months was fantasize about Kim, about how good she’d feel if he managed to get her in his arms again. Holding her thighs apart, Leo leaned in.
Kim’s yelp coincided with Stella’s claws landing on his hands and Kim’s legs. He jumped back and lifted the cat off her at the same time.
Breathing hard, they stared at each other. What the hell? Why did he always do this to himself? Starting something with Kim was as stupid as washing his car before a rainstorm. He’d regret it when the storm passed. And that’s what Kim was. Her own category-five hurricane dressed to kill.
“Saved by the kitty,” she whispered. Her wet lips glistened, begged for another kiss.