Maxie Duncan Box Set

by Webb, Melissa L.

  My instincts were telling me all of this from that one brief glimpse. I also knew something else. Something that I could totally relate to. Despite all his wealth and fame, Ryan was a very, very lonely guy. And even though I knew I should stay away, (my gut was screaming that this could only end in heartache) I wanted to fix that. Desperately!

  I leaned closer, smiling up at him. “You surprise me, Ryan Everheart. Most movie stars don’t have real passion for anything other than themselves.”

  “Oh,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “You’ll come to find I’m full of unexpected surprises.” He closed the space between us, brushing his lips softly against mine.

  It was as if I had stuck my finger in a light socket. My body shuddered at the flash of electricity running through me at his touch. I pulled back instantly, not even realizing I had.

  Ryan looked down at me, slight disappointment in his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  I raised my fingers to my lips, making sure they hadn’t been scorched off. What was that? Nothing like that had ever happened when I kissed a guy before. And I’ve had my fair share of kisses.

  I looked at him, curiosity burning deep within me. What could that have meant? Had he felt it too? Considering I was the only one who pulled away, I seriously doubted it.

  Ryan took in my silence and then started to move. “I should get you home.”

  “No,” I said immediately, with such force I shocked us both. I was with Ryan, alone, and I wasn’t going to ruin it. No matter what. Even if all my skin smoldered off at his touch. “I don’t want to go.”

  He moved close again, looking into my eyes. “What do you want?” he breathed.

  “This,” I said, my fingers digging into his shirt as I pulled him into me. Our lips found each other and I kissed him softly, making it perfectly clear I wasn’t going anywhere.

  Lightning struck my senses again as he moved his lips against mine, but this time I was prepared for it. I mentally swatted the sensation away, shoving it deep into the back of my mind. I didn’t care what it meant. I wanted this and nothing was going to stop me.

  The bolt of electricity died down as our kisses deepened. It became a dull buzzing, seeming to dance across my skin as my whole body flushed from the contact. It almost became pleasant as I melted into Ryan, becoming aware of nothing but his lips and tongue as they told me things only a body could.

  Maybe everyone felt that searing rush of electricity burn through their bodies when they kissed that special someone for the first time. Maybe I had finally found where I was meant to be and this was my sign. My sit-up-and-take-notice moment when I was supposed to cut through all the mundaneness and realize that I was with the one.

  My heart stopped for a moment as I felt that sink in. Maybe it was an early warning system and I was falling in love with Ryan Everheart. But…I couldn’t be. I was smarter than that.

  Wasn’t I?

  Fifteen

  Ryan and I walked down the hall to my apartment. My lips still tingled from the kisses we had shared. That strange sensation had indeed wilted into almost nothing as he held me on that hilltop. Now only a warm pulse ran through me any time his skin came in contact with mine.

  I couldn’t believe it, even as I could still feel the phantom caress of his hands as he had held me close to him. I had made out with Ryan Everheart. Wouldn’t the girls back home just die if they knew? And Stephen! I bet he’d regret tossing me a side.

  No, it had been more than that. We weren’t two hormone-ridden teenagers frantically making out in the back of a borrowed car. It was experiencing the first kiss with that someone special. It was the stuff of movies. It would rival even the greatest kisses in history. It had been filled with passion, magic, and romance. And I really, really hoped there would be more of it.

  We stopped in front of my door. Ryan looked down at our entangled fingers, a look of sadness passing through his eyes as he realized he would soon have to separate them. “I had a great time, Maxie,” he finally spoke.

  “I did, too,” I told him, smiling as his fingers caressed mine at the confession.

  He leaned close, brushing a strand of hair from my cheek. His fingers were cold and I shivered even as I wanted more. “When can I see you again?” he asked me softly.

  I giggled at his question, feeling heady, as if I had drunk a whole bottle of wine. What was wrong with me? I was drunk on the feelings which tried bubbling up with such force, I thought I’d explode. Was this normal? Could I really be falling head over heels for this guy? It didn’t matter. All that mattered was Ryan wanting to see me again. How could someone not feel giddy after something like that?

  “As soon as you want to,” I told him. So much for playing hard to get!

  He smiled…and not the movie star smile. It was the same honestly sweet smile he’d been wearing since we left Jaden Park. “In that case, there’s a movie premiere I have to attend tonight. Come with me?” he asked. “I’d love to have you by my side.”

  I felt dizzy. I couldn’t help wondering if I was already in bed dreaming. That’s what it had to be, right? Me on the red carpet? On the arm of someone who wanted me there? It didn’t get any better than that. “Are you kidding me? I’d love to,” I squealed, throwing my arms around his neck.

  He laughed softly as he held me to him. “Then it’s a date,” he whispered into my hair before pulling back. “I’ll pick you up at seven.” He leaned forward, closing the gap between our lips.

  My hands instantly found themselves in his hair as I kissed him back, taking my time, wanting to draw it out for as long as I could. I wasn’t ready for this date to be over. Not after it had gone so well.

  After a few minutes, he pulled back and smiled down at me, almost apologetically. “I have to go,” he spoke, his voice calm and collected, totally opposite of what I was feeling. “I’ll see you later today.” He squeezed my hand gently and stepped back, heading down the hall.

  “Good night,” I called after him, before digging in my purse for my keys. I couldn’t believe my luck. Just when I thought I was at the lowest point in my life, I stumbled into a fairytale. Tonight I would be walking the red carpet with Ryan Everheart.

  I suppressed another squeal as I let myself into the apartment, heading through the parlor into the kitchen. Tossing my purse on the counter, I sighed, letting out some of the excitement bubbling in me.

  “What was all that squealing about?” Van’s voice asked, cutting the silence around me.

  Startled, I practically jumped out of my heels as my eyes came to rest on her. She was seated at the table, hidden by shadows.

  I reached over and flicked on the light switch, filling the room with a brightness that chased all the shadows away but one. It looked like the shadow of anger in Van’s eyes was there to stay. Oh, goody.

  I wasn’t going to let her mood get to me. It had been the best night of my life and I wasn’t going to let her jealousy ruin it.

  She sat there waiting for an answer, chocolate ice cream dripping from the spoon in her hand; splattering back into the carton in front of her. Oh boy, I was just in time for the pity party.

  I turned away from her, not wanting to get into it. “It was nothing,” I said, dismissing it as I floated across the floor, snagging a bottle of water from the fridge.

  “Come on, Maxie,” she said, licking the chocolate mess off the spoon. “I don’t buy that.”

  I grabbed my purse and turned to look at her, apprehension in my eyes. I wanted to tell her. I wanted her to be happy for me. She was the first real friend I had made here, and I didn’t want to think that a little jealousy could get in the way of that.

  Sighing, I pulled out the chair across from her, setting my purse and bottle of water between us like a mini protective barrier. I was going to tell her. Everything, if she’d let me. I just hoped it wouldn’t blow up in my face.

  She took another bite of ice cream, silently waiting for my confession.

 
“Ryan asked me to go with him to a movie premiere tonight.”

  She stared at me for a moment, frozen in some thought I couldn’t read. She suddenly frowned, letting the spoon fall from her fingers back into the soupy mess in the carton. It splashed and I jerked my purse back, hoping none of the fleeing chocolate droplets had leeched onto it. I waited patiently, clutching my Louis Vuitton to my chest, out of death-by-chocolate’s way, while she decided what to say.

  Finally, leaning forward, with a squint to her eyes, she spoke, “I suppose you said yes?”

  I gave her a frown to match her own, as I looked at my friend, dumbfounded. “Of course, I said I’d go. Why shouldn’t I?”

  She stood up from the table, grabbing the carton of ice cream as she did. She dumped it into the sink, brown ooze splashing across clean steel, and turned back to me. “Everything’s back to normal in your perfect world, isn’t it?” she asked softly. “This is where you think the great Maxie Duncan should be. Dating a movie star. You really don’t know a thing about yourself, do you?” She turned around, heading out of the kitchen and into the back hall. “You’re way over your head, Max,” her voice drifted back to me, challenging me. “I just hope we’re around to pick up the pieces in the end.” The sound of her bedroom door slamming punctuated her words.

  I sat there, my jaw practically to my knees. How could she not be happy for me? Was she really that jealous of my sudden luck? I stood up, trying to shake the slight cloud of guilt suddenly trickling through my stomach. I had nothing to feel guilty for. It wasn’t my fault Ryan picked me. I shouldn’t have to apologize because Ryan liked me.

  My mind drifted back to Ryan and those shared kisses by the beach. My lips tingled as I remembered the feel of those kisses. Those perfect moonlit smooches and the feel of his hands on me swirled in my mind, causing instant giddiness to overtake me once again.

  This was what life was about. Who cared what Evangeline thought? This was about Ryan and me, and it didn’t matter what anyone else thought.

  I drifted into my room, still on cloud nine. How perfect the night had been. Ryan was an absolute dream come true. This was what my instincts had been leading me to. A chance at a fairytale ending. Is that not what all girls were entitled to?

  Smiling, I started to slide my heels off, my mind still dreamily on Ryan and his lips. I froze as I stared at my feet, my smile fading in shock. My feet weren’t touching the ground! I was floating, really floating, above the floor.

  “Help,” I squeaked, too soft for Van to actually hear me. How was this possible? People can’t hover off the ground. Why was I doing it? I turned my body, pivoting for the door. I felt like a fish, trying to swim upstream. I needed help and I needed it right away.

  After what seemed like hours, I managed to hook my fingers around my doorknob. Heart racing, I pulled the door open and I stepped into the hall.

  I looked down, dazed, when I realized that’s exactly what I had done. Stepped. I felt the hardwood floor creak as I shifted my weight, verifying the fact my feet were indeed planted solidly on the floor.

  I looked around me, trying to figure out what had happened. Standing in the hallway, I couldn’t be sure anymore. I took in a deep breath, trying to calm my frantic heart. I was fine. My feet were on the ground. There was no reason to panic.

  Turning around, I hesitantly stepped through my doorway. My feet behaved just fine. Just like they should. I tried to shake it off as I got ready for bed. Too much to drink. Way too much excitement. That’s all it had been. I kept repeating that like a mantra as I drifted off to sleep.

  Because if it had been real, it meant something was very wrong with me. And that just had no place in my perfect world.

  Sixteen

  I opened my eyes, squinting at the sunlight suddenly invading my room. Rolling over, I offered my back to the offending rays, instead. I laid there for a moment, letting the silence of the apartment surround me, pacifying my mind.

  The sudden thought of Ryan’s lips against mine shattered any thoughts of returned slumber. I bolted up in bed, a smile no doubt plastered across my sleep-swollen face. I had kissed Ryan Everheart. And I would be on his arm at a movie premiere tonight.

  Pulling my blankets back, I bounced out of bed with all the joy of a child on Christmas morning. I had so much to do today. I had to find something to wear. And a trip to the salon was definitely in order.

  I slid my feet into my pink fuzzy slippers. (One of the best things my mom ever gave me. What? I know how to appreciate the simple things in life, too.) After a quick trip to the bathroom, I headed towards the kitchen as fast as my slippers could carry me. I desperately needed coffee. I had a big day ahead of me which required massive amounts of caffeine.

  The pot was still warm from Van’s morning indulgence. I filled a mug with the delightful offering from the breakfast gods and brought it to my lips, inhaling deeply as I did. Yeah, coffee really did make all the difference in the morning.

  As I enjoyed my liquid breakfast, my eyes wandered to a garment bag lying on the counter. Ohh! Van had gone shopping. She must still be upset. Retail therapy was the best way for a girl to work out her emotions.

  I sat the mug down next to the sink and scooted closer, wondering what kind of delectable ensemble Van happened to snag. I suppressed a slight gasp of wonder when I saw my name scrawled across the top of a note lying on the bag. I reached for it, gently unfolding the crisp, white stationary. I smiled as I recognized Evangeline’s elegant handwriting.

  Ryan had this dropped off for you this morning. Sorry about last night. We need to talk. Van.

  Wow, an apology and a gift? If that was any indication at all, the day was going to rock. Setting the note aside, I immediately set my sights on the garment bag. The smooth off-white glossiness called to me. I could only imagine what might be held inside.

  As my fingers clasped the cool metal zipper, anticipation swelled inside of me. What had Ryan picked out for me? Who did he want me to be as we walked down the red carpet together? Unzipping the bag, I looked at the offered gift before me. It was beautiful. Long white silk shimmering iridescently in the light. I pulled it from its plastic confines and couldn’t help but stare in awe.

  It was a simple enough dress. Strappy top, empire waist, flowing skirt which fell about knee length. But I knew I would look amazing in it. Nothing short of a Greek goddess come to life. And I bet Ryan knew it, too.

  I squealed in delight as I put the dress back in its bag. I had the perfect cream wedges to go with it. Open toe, though. Hmmm, looked like I was getting a mani-pedi today as well. I called Kisten, my L.A. stylist, and asked if there was any way he could fit me in. I must be one of his favorite customers, because he had no problem freeing up his day for me, especially if it was for a date with Ryan Everheart.

  With that settled, I quickly showered and dressed, hoping I could do some accessory shopping downtown before my appointment with Kisten. Grabbing my purse, I quickly headed out the door and to the elevator. Riding down, my excitement built with each floor I passed. Here I was, starting my new life the way I wanted to. I actually mattered. I was someone important. Not just Stephen’s old garbage, but someone special.

  I was feeling better about life and who I was. Nothing was going to bring me down. At least that’s what I thought until I stepped out of the elevator. And practically ran right into Jensen.

  “Oh, hi,” I said quickly, trying to keep the heat from rising in my cheeks.

  “Hi, Maxie,” he said softly, standing there with his hands in his jean pockets. He looked good standing there, and a weak feeling trickled into my knees.

  What was wrong with me? I had Ryan Everheart sending me gifts, and this bookstore owner still made me lightheaded? Focus, Maxie. Eyes on the prize. Ryan was who I wanted. Who I had.

  “How are you?” I asked, throwing small talk at him as I tried to walk on by.

  “Okay,” he said, never taking his eyes off me. “I was just on my way out.”

  “So am I,�
� I said. I know. Witty repartee. Even for a girl trying to kill the conversation.

  “I’ll walk with you,” Jensen said, falling in step next to me.

  Great. Now I’d have to make more small talk. And feel guilty the whole time I was doing it. But I smiled up at him anyway. “Great.”

  We headed through the lobby. Jensen stopped and held the tall glass entrance doors for me. “After you,” he said, his smile making my heart flutter.

  I slipped out the doors, my eyes going everywhere but to the man next to me. What was I doing to myself? The one evening we shared on the couch hadn’t meant anything. I had been lonely…and he had been a warm body to cuddle with. We were both grown adults and things like that happened. It didn’t mean I owed him anything. Not even if the sight of him still sent my heart racing. I was a girl who recently had her heart broken. Any attention from a decent guy would have caused the same reaction. Right?

  “So…how’s the bookstore?” I asked, trying to shut off my inner monologue. I didn’t want to reflect on anything right then.

  He shrugged as we stepped out onto the sidewalk. “As good as ever. There’s always people looking for a vacation from their lives for a while. Words in books have a magical way of doing that.” He stopped and looked at me. “You should really stop by. You might find exactly what you’re looking for.”

  I glanced away. That remark could be taken so many different ways and I wasn’t ready to deal with it. This wasn’t a day for misunderstandings and hurt feelings. This was the day I took my place in the world. Even if it only lasted one more night.

  “I don’t know. I’m kind of busy,” I said, avoiding his gaze as I stepped into the parking lot.

  “I know,” he said as he followed me. “So where are you running off to today?”

  I glanced back at him. Wow, spend one evening watching movies with a guy and he thinks he’s entitled to know your every move. “I thought I’d do a little shopping down town.”