Wow.
When they finally fell asleep, they were wrapped around each other so closely that she wasn’t sure where one ended and the other began. And it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that one of them was famous, and the other not. It didn’t matter that one was from a small town, and the other not. All the barriers and differences between them melted away like sugar dissolving in water. They were just two people who felt right together.
* * *
For the second day in a row, Starly woke up happy. Hunter lay sprawled facedown next to her. His strong back—with its rugged V shape—rose and fell with his deep breaths. The top sheet was twisted around his butt. She actually lifted the edge and peeked under it at the chiseled perfection of his rear end. Then, biting her lip in laughter at her own stalker-ish behavior, she let it drop back into place.
Stretching her body, she felt a pleasant soreness tweaking various parts of her body that she wasn’t normally aware of. Now that was some high-octane, blow-your-skirts-up S.E.X. That’s what all the fuss was about.
She smiled to herself. Great sex wasn’t hard to find. You just had to find someone amazing, lust after him for a solid year, pine after him in silence, then jump his bones when you couldn’t stand it anymore.
Piece of cake.
Which reminded her—she hadn’t told Hunter that he was Number Two on her “make amends” mission. She had a big apology to make to him. But there hadn’t been a chance, what with all the sex and the drama with Karina. As soon as he woke up, she’d tell him how she’d stood in the way of his career advancement for her own selfish purposes.
And she’d tell him why.
Because she hadn’t known what love was.
She’d known only that she didn’t want him to get promoted to head of security for all of PopZilla. He wouldn’t have been guarding her anymore, and she couldn’t bear the thought of that.
But now—now she understood that loving Hunter meant wanting the best for him. If he wanted to go back to Jupiter Point, she wanted that too. Well, she didn’t exactly want that, because she had no idea what it meant for her...for them...for the future...
Cold fear shot through her like a bolt of lightning. What future? She had no idea what was in store for her, let alone the two of them. After everyone knew that she’d stolen Karina’s song, no one would respect her anymore. She’d be a disgrace in the industry. A joke. Her label would drop her. So would her manager, her agent, her publicist. She’d be lucky if she could get a gig playing her guitar in a coffee shop.
Which actually sounded pretty appealing, in a way.
As a child raised in show business, she’d never really had a chance to simply play music. Key word: PLAY. Long before her first starring role in Annie, her life had been about her career. The business. What if she could just drop out of sight and play? Try to remember what had first inspired her to tap dance across the living room singing an old Michael Jackson song?
Yes, that felt right. She needed some time off. No one, seeing all the recent headlines, would argue with that. Fatigue. Exhaustion. That’s what her publicist would announce, and of course everyone would translate that to “rehab,” but whatever. She could live with that.
But still...that didn’t answer the question about her and Hunter. His plans were clear. He was going back to Jupiter Point to check out a wildfire crew. He’d probably settle down there. Meet a local girl, or reunite with someone from his past. He’d never said one word about any feelings for Starly other than lust.
To be fair, neither had she.
But she had a good reason.
She loved him.
If she told him how she really felt, he might drop dead of shock. At the very least, he’d beeline it out the door so fast she’d barely get one last glimpse of his spectacular butt. As her bodyguard, Hunter knew better than anyone that a pop star like Starly could never have an ordinary life. Simple things like strolling down to the corner store required a disguise and an escape plan. How would her crazy lifestyle ever mesh with his?
She snuggled closer to his warm, sleeping body. Simply being with him felt like the sweetest luxury in the world. But how could it possibly ever work out?
And then she remembered Karina. Karina and Ryan. They were stars too—Karina was a megastar and Ryan more of an up-and-comer. But despite their celebrity status, they lived right here in Hope Falls just like any other couple. They went to the café for breakfast. Karina went to Book Club. Sometimes they went on tour, but when they were home, they did ordinary stuff.
Their situation wasn’t exactly the same, since Hunter wasn’t in the music industry at all. But he was familiar with it, having worked for PopZilla for a year.
A tiny kernel of hope snuck into her heart. If Karina could have a somewhat-kinda-sorta normal life, maybe there was a chance that she and Hunter could too.
If Hunter wanted to.
Big if.
Just because he looked at her like the Wolf meeting Little Red Riding Hood, just because he made love to her like she was Venus and he was Mars, didn’t mean he wanted to take on “Starly Minx” and all the crap that came with her.
She pressed a kiss to the spot between his shoulder blades. She ran her lips along the smooth swell of the muscles along his spine and inhaled his masculine scent. She and Hunter had more chemistry than an entire pharmaceutical lab. That was a good starting point. Maybe they could figure out the rest. Maybe she could run away to Jupiter Point and let the world forget all about “Starly.”
Sliding out of bed, she hopped naked to the bathroom. After taking care of business, she glanced at herself in the mirror and pulled back in shock. Was that a blond fright wig on her head? How had her hair gotten that snarled?
Oh right. Rolling around with Hunter as he tangled his hands in her hair and ravaged her senseless.
Those marks on her neck? Riiiiighht. She flushed, remembering the feel of his stubbly cheek rubbing against her skin.
Oh, and her lips, as pouty as if she’d gotten a month of collagen injections in one night.
And the shine in her eyes, the way a light seemed to glow from deep within her—that was definitely Hunter’s doing. A night of rockin’, rollin’, amazing sex did wonders for a girl’s confidence.
She poked a few times at her hair. Maybe a better idea would be to wake Hunter so he could mess it up even more. With that happy thought, she sauntered back to the bedroom, already planning the sexy pose she’d greet him with.
A flash of light from outside made her blink and reel backwards.
Could that be a camera flash? Here at the B&B? Not possible. No one knew she was still here.
Just in case, she darted back into the bathroom and wrapped a towel around herself. Then she dropped to the floor and crawled on her hands and knees toward the window. When she reached it, she carefully rose on her knees to peer outside.
A storm of camera flashes went off like fireworks. She ducked back down.
Voices from outside shouted things like, “Starly! Is your feud with Karina Black back on?” “Are you here to steal Karina’s husband?” “Who’s in the room with you? Are you getting married?” “Will you ban Karina from the wedding?”
At least twenty paparazzi were out there. Maybe more. A whole herd of them. They’d made the story even juicier than it was. Now it wasn’t just “The Disappearance of Starly Minx.” Now it was “Karina and Starly Feuding Again.”
Oh my God, oh my God.
“Hunter!” she hissed. She didn’t want to say anything too loudly—sometimes the photographers had boom mikes or other audio-enhancing equipment that let them eavesdrop on private conversations. “Hunter, please wake up!”
He stirred, then sat bolt upright. “Starly?”
He swung his legs over the side of the bed.
“Don’t stand up!”
“What?”
Too late. He was already halfway to his feet. The entire horde of reporters was about to get an eyeful of Hunter’s chiseled body and...oh yeah..
.the part that had rocked her world all night long.
Forgetting her own almost-nudity, she sprang to her feet to block the line of sight from the window. She’d signed on for this craziness, but Hunter shouldn’t have to put up with it.
With one hand holding her towel in place, she used the other to yank the curtains closed.
“What the fuck?” Hunter was wide awake now. He wrapped a sheet around his middle. “Cameras?”
“Tons of them. They’re all saying my feud with Karina is back on.” She fled to him as if he were the only safe haven in the world. He pulled her into his arms and swung her into a corner. “They almost saw you n-naked.”
“I don’t give a fuck about that. Are you okay?” He tilted her head up and searched her face.
“Fine.”
His eyes darkened and he tightened his grip around her. “You’re not fine.”
“They surprised me.” She sniffed, still shaken. “Usually I’m prepared, but I thought I was safe here.”
He scrubbed a hand across his face. “No place is a hundred percent safe. I should have been prepared. We didn’t even close the damn curtains last night. I should have checked in the middle of the night, scoped around for anything suspicious. Damn. I hate that you had to wake up to that.”
“Hunter, stop that. It’s not your fault.”
“My job is to protect you.” With his jaw set in a grim line, he set her aside and went to gather some clothes together.
“But you quit,” she pointed out. “It’s not your job anymore. Your job is to…”
She trailed off. What was his job? The record label had sent him to find her. He’d explained how someone had spotted her and the Lexus at a red light. That person had called the police, who’d called PopZilla, because runaway pop stars weren’t really a police matter. Dan Coyle had given Hunter the information about her Lexus and sent him after her.
A horrible sinking feeling took hold of her. Hunter had found her, all right. And now so had the rest of the world. Coincidence?
Of course it was. It had to be. Hunter wouldn’t notify the press.
But what if he’d told Dan Coyle?
She glanced at him. He was busy pulling on his jeans, oblivious. Should she ask him if he’d called PopZilla? But what if he lied? She couldn’t bear it if he did. But she had to know. His cell phone. Right there on the nightstand next to the bed. Giving herself no time for second thoughts, she snatched it up. A text message flashed on the screen—one he probably hadn’t even seen yet. It was from Dan Coyle.
Way to go, it said. Nice work.
The phone dropped from her suddenly numb fingers.
Hunter, in the midst of pulling on his shirt, didn’t even notice. When his head popped out, he was already halfway out the door. “I’m going to see if I can find a back entrance to get you out of here. Hang tight, okay? I’ll be right back. Go ahead and get dressed in case we want to make a quick escape.”
“Okay,” she said dully. She felt like a balloon that had snagged on an electric line and popped. Every single bit of hope and happiness had leaked out of her.
Hunter had sold her out?
Hunter had been in contact with Dan Coyle all this time. He was the one who had alerted the press. Maybe he’d even stashed her in the B&B overnight to give them time to catch up with her. Maybe he’d used his incredible bedroom skills to make her forget basic rules like close the fucking curtains. Never assume you’re safe. Never let down your guard.
What an idiot she was.
8
Hunter was already downstairs in the kitchen when he realized he’d left his phone behind. The B&B owner, Levi, was scowling over the coffee machine and talking into his cell phone.
“There’s about twenty, twenty-five, and they’re trampling my rosebushes,” he was telling someone. “I want them arrested.”
Hunter gave himself one second to appreciate the fact that the tattooed, muscled bar owner was concerned for his flowerbeds.
He slammed down the phone and turned to Hunter.
“Police?” Hunter guessed.
“Chief Maguire. I called the fire chief too. They’re brothers, and they’ll be here as soon as they can. Man, what a scene. You and Starly okay?”
“Starly’s upset. We didn’t think anyone recognized her last night.”
“I heard some whispers. I tried to shut them down, but once a rumor gets started …” He shrugged. “Problem is, the land those clowns are standing on is a right-of-way. Eric will do what he can, but legally, the most he can do is keep order.”
“Shit. Is there a back exit? Any way I can sneak her out of here?”
“Not without being spotted. Man, I’m sorry.”
“Nah, it’s not your fault. I’m sorry we brought this circus into your backyard. I can pay for your rose bushes.”
“No need for that. Just take care of Starly Minx. We have about ten songs of hers in the jukebox. They always get everyone on their feet dancing.”
Hunter smiled, despite his anger at the paparazzi. He could listen to praise for Starly all day long. “She’s pretty amazing.”
A gleam appeared in Levi’s eyes. “You going to do something about that?”
“About what?”
“About the fact that you’re in love with her.”
“What?” Hunter took a step backwards, nearly knocking over a garbage can. First of all, who was this dude? Second, the hell if he was in love with Starly. Just because he’d do anything for her, just because he loved every second he spent with her, just because he’d never experienced anything close to last night’s bliss-fest, none of that meant that he was in love with her. “No. You got it all wrong. I...uh...I appreciate her.”
“You appreciate her?” Levi raised an eyebrow as he checked on the coffee.
“You know, I admire her. I know how hard she works. I know what a caring person she is. I know how exhausted she gets, but keeps on going. I know how much her music means to people. I know how people try to use her. I know what a rotten childhood she had and how much she wants to change her life. And she’ll do it, too, because she’s a determined person. Although the way I see it, she’s already pretty frickin’ incredible.”
Levi was staring at him with a smile playing across his mouth. Hunter let out a wry laugh. It must be the dude’s bartender skills that made him so good at prying confessions out of people.
“Fuck it. Fine. I love her. But it doesn’t matter how I feel about her. She’s up there and I’m down here.” He waved his hand from up to down. And he didn’t mean upstairs in the bedroom and downstairs in this kitchen. Levi seemed to understand.
“I saw the way she looked at you. I don’t think she’s worried about up and down.”
Levi’s phone rang and he snatched it up. “Yeah. Okay, good. I’ll let him know.” He ended the call. “Eric says to sit tight up there. They have a plan.”
“What kind of plan?”
“I’m not sure. But he wants you to stick close to Starly.”
“All right. Thanks man.”
After a fist bump, he dashed back up the stairs. He turned the knob, but the door was locked. Smart girl, locking the door just in case one of the vultures got inside the building. He knocked lightly. “Starly. It’s Hunter. Let me in.”
No answer. Maybe she was in the shower. He knocked again, more loudly. “Starly …”
Still no answer. And he couldn’t even call her because his phone was inside. “Shit.” He rattled the doorknob. What if something had happened to her? What if one of those creeps had come into her room or she’d tried to climb out the window or—
The door flung open.
“Starly! Thank God.” Then he saw that her eyes were bloodshot and her skin puffy. “What happened? Did those assholes—”
She threw up a hand to stop him. “Don’t bother, Hunter. Just get out of here.”
“What?” His jaw fell open. Her words didn’t register at first, the shock was too great.
“This was never goi
ng to work anyway so we should just face facts.”
“Facts?” For some reason he couldn’t get out more than one word at a time.
“Yes. Facts. Very clear facts.” She waved her hand toward the window. “Paparazzi facts.”
This time he didn’t even manage a single word. What “paparazzi facts” was she talking about? Paparazzi were a fact of life for people in her position, which was the whole reason for his presence in her life.
“You should go,” she said again, her eyes downcast. His heart wrenched. “But first, I have to do one more thing. Just let me say this, because no matter what you did, I have to apologize.”
He shook his head, completely mystified. Nothing out of her mouth made sense to him.
“Dan Coyle wanted to promote you to head of security for of all PopZilla, but I told them I needed you on my detail. I stood in the way of your promotion. I wanted you with me, but that was no excuse. I’d like to apologize for my selfish behavior.”
Her violet eyes flashed to his for just a second, and it felt as if a bolt of lightning came down from the sky. The pain he saw in her eyes broke his heart. He couldn’t bear it. He’d rather rip off his own arm than let her suffer like that.
“You shouldn’t apologize for that. As a matter of fact, Coyle—”
Her chin shot up in the air. “You found your own promotion. Maybe even a bonus. I get it. Bye, Hunter.”
He took a frantic step forward but she swung the door closed—right in his face.
What the hell?
He pounded on the door again, over and over, but not only did she not answer, she started blasting music from her iPod. Starly Minx music. A female empowerment ballad that featured the chorus “kick him to the curb.”
Not a good sign.
Eventually he let his arm drop to his side. He had no idea what had changed during the short time he’d been talking to Levi. But he wasn’t going to leave. Even if Starly wanted him gone—even if she hated him—he wasn’t going to walk away.
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