Twice Tempted (Holland Springs)

by Marquita Valentine

  “Of course it was.” He barked out a laugh. “Go sleep, love. It’s almost three-thirty and we need to be out of this town by seven to get you back in time for your book signing.”

  “How did you know?”

  “Brennen told me. How do you think I found out about your helicopter tour?” He tucked her against him, falling asleep in what seemed like minutes while she remained completely awake.

  ***

  The next morning, after dressing in silence, he took her back to the diner where Angel waited on them. It was the fastest and quietest meal of her life.

  On the drive back, Zoe tried engaging Christian in conversation but his answers were limited to grunts and yes or no.

  In her experience (and she had four brothers to confirm this), most men were cranky when they were hungry or lacked sex. Judging by what happened last night and the hearty meal he’d scarfed down at breakfast, she knew which one was making him cranky.

  With that in mind, she gave up, closed her eyes and slept the rest of the way back to the hotel until Christian woke her up. “We’re here, Zoe.”

  She yawned and stretched, giving him a funny look when he sat there and stared at her. “What?”

  “Are you punishing me for trying to do the right thing?” His eyes flicked down to her chest. The material of her turquoise shirt strained against her breasts.

  “No.” Flustered, she picked up her purse, then opened the car door. His hand on her arm stopped her from getting out.

  “Aren’t you going to kiss me good-bye?” he asked when she turned to face him. “Well, not good-bye exactly. How about kiss me until later?”

  “Um, well, I figured you didn’t want to, ah, I’m no good at this,” she said, hiking her purse higher. “I can’t be all sophisticated and glib about the whole about last night conversation we may or may not need to continue.”

  He smiled. “And that is one of the very lovely qualities you posses that makes me want to be with you.”

  Stunned, she couldn’t close her eyes when his lips found hers, kissing her softly.

  “Forgive me for being a horrible riding companion?” He batted his baby blues at her.

  She was such a sucker. “I forgive you.”

  “I’ll come by your room later,” he promised.

  As Zoe got out of the car, she could feel his eyes on her, but she didn’t dare turn around. The paparazzi were already buzzing around her and it would only grow worse if she did.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Christian heard them before he saw them. Hundreds of fans had lined up to get one of Zoe’s autographed books, but they weren’t the only ones there. Reporters from major gossip channels and magazines jostled for their turn to ask Zoe personal questions about him.

  This was no ordinary book signing.

  In fact, it was supposed to have taken place in the bookstore in shopping wing of The Oasis. Apparently, the crowd wanted more than a signed book. They wanted gossip and for him to show up. Which he had and now regretted it, only because he didn’t want to cause problems or draw attention away from Zoe on her day.

  “Ms. Ambrose, is it true that you’re dating Ian Romanov strictly for the press it would bring your books and upcoming movie?”

  Zoe smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Christian wanted to run up there to save her, but he knew his presence would most likely cause pandemonium. It was why he stood in a corner, wearing a baseball hat and keeping his head down.

  “O.M.G! It’s you,” a woman squealed.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets. “And who would that be?” he asked, affecting a mid-western accent. “Oh, you think I’m… Man, I get this all the time. I hate to burst your bubble, but I am not that guy.” Hopefully, she would leave so he could concentrate on Zoe’s book signing turned press conference.

  Bright pink lips made a moue as her glittery lashes fluttered at him. “That really bites.” She tossed hair streaked with purple highlights. Harajuku girls had nothing on this Hello Kitty lover. Too bad Brennen wasn’t with him. “You’re better looking than he is anyway. I’m A.J. and totally want to buy you a drink.”

  He listened to her with half an ear as Zoe’s answer drifted over to him.

  “Have you actually seen Ian Romanov? Who would date him for strictly business reasons?” Zoe asked with a crooked smile. That remark had some in the crowd laughing, but a few weren’t entirely convinced.

  “So maybe you’re mixing business with pleasure. It’s rather convenient he’s the male lead and you had a major say in casting.”

  “Being photographed with him hardly makes us a couple. I was also photographed with the McGowan brothers and no one’s asking me if I’m dating either of them.”

  “Maybe you haven’t gotten around to it.” Another journalist piped up. “We’ll be sure to check out casting for any sequels that might be made.”

  Christian clenched his fists.

  Ed Willis was the worst sort of journalist. Actually, using the term journalist to describe Willis stretched the definition to its breaking point. The fox-faced man made Christian’s skin crawl.

  “Hel-lo, I’m trying to pick you up.” A.J.’s breasts brushed against his arm.

  He stepped back to avoid another “accidental” bump. A.J. was very attractive. He would go as far as saying she was a head turner. Normally, this kind of attention would be very much welcomed and completely thanked in the manner in which he excelled.

  But she wasn’t Zoe.

  And he wasn’t interested in the least.

  “Thanks, but I’m otherwise engaged,” he replied, focusing his attention on the sable haired woman behind the table.

  A.J whirled away. “Asshole.”

  “Well, bless your heart,” Zoe said.

  He supposed that was code for ‘screw you, buddy’, but he wasn’t sure.

  “Wouldn’t life be all dull if we didn’t have pleasure? That’s why I write my books-for my pleasure and hopefully my fans. Now, who can I make this out to?” Zoe’s smile stayed firmly in place as she gripped the book in front of her.

  So damned impressed by her, he wanted to clap and whistle. Hell, he was in awe of the way she had handled the situation.

  To his immediate left, a group of guys argued over who was next in line at a nearby slot machine. The next thing he knew, one had thrown a punch. A woman screamed as chairs went flying through the air. Chairs from the book signing. He craned his head, looking through the crowd for Zoe.

  He found her behind the table, face white as she searched the area. For him? It didn’t matter; he had to get to her. Plunging through the mass of bodies, he ducked a fist and shoved men out of the way in his hurry. A sharp jab to his side had him grimacing and cursing. Hands grabbed at his shirt, trying to pull him into the center of the brawl.

  A potted plant narrowly missed hitting Zoe’s shoulder. He punched the asshole touching him and jumped over chairs and the ropes that had contained the crowd.

  People swarmed her table, knocking it over and sending her books to the floor. She tripped trying to get out of the way and a man twice her size fell on top of her. She staggered to her feet, clutching her purse.

  What he saw had icy fear clawing at him. Her dress had been torn and half her hair hung in her eyes. “Zoe,” he shouted, but the crashing furniture and yelling drowned him out.

  Security flooded the area, obscuring his view of her for only a minute, but it was enough time for her to disappear.

  A flash of her orange dress caught his eye and he followed, watching as a tall man in a dark suit guided Zoe by the elbow. He hoped the guy was security.

  Zoe’s flushed face appeared, catching his eye as he neared and her body seemed to visibly relax. “Christian.” She pushed at her escort as she tried to get away from him. “Stop, please. It’s my… He’s my… Christian.”

  The man in a three-piece suit bent closer, his mouth moving, but Christian was too far away to hear him.

  “Zoe, I’m coming,” he shouted, not givin
g a damn who recognized him. “Stay right there.”

  The couple rounded a corner and he panicked. His panic turned to unmitigated rage. When he caught up with them, he didn’t think. He grabbed the guy’s fingers from around Zoe’s shoulder and shoved him away from her. Christian didn’t stop until he had him pressed against the wall.

  “Christian, no. Don’t hurt him,” she implored, but he ignored her, pressing his forearm against the dark-haired man’s throat.

  “He kept you from me,” Christian snarled, black and red dots of rage filling his vision.

  “Get the hell off of me, Romanov,” his prisoner bit out, but he ignored him, shoving his knee below the guy’s groin and pushing up.

  Christian looked around to make sure they were alone. He wanted to break every bone in the man’s body.

  “Mr. Matthews was protecting me.” Zoe’s soft drawl pierced the haze of fury.

  “Son of a bitch.” Jordan Matthews was among the top security for celebrities. Hell, he heard he was the top of the pile. Christian mentally counted to twenty before he released Matthews. He took a step back and ran shaky hands through his hair then grabbed Zoe’s elbow, walking away with her.

  “Wait.” She stopped, nearly making him stumble. “Shouldn’t you apologize to Mr. Matthews?

  Christian glanced back. Leaning against the wall, Jordan flipped him off.

  “Don’t think it’s necessary,” Christian said through clenched teeth. “He should have stopped when you asked.” Actually, Matthews had done exactly the right thing, but he was in no mood to acknowledge that fact. Later when things and heads cooled, he would send the man an apology in the form of the man’s favorite vice.

  “Where are you taking me?”

  “Some place where men won’t manhandle you.”

  “Does that include you?”

  Instead of answering, he pulled her into an unlocked supply closet and secured the door.

  “Christian?” Zoe shook as he backed her up against the tall shelves, but not because she thought he would hurt her. The reality of what had happened sank in, making her remember what would most likely become the most talked about book signing ever. Flashes of tables overturning, chairs flying, people shouting. A man falling on top of her, his weight crushing. Hands grabbing at her, ripping her dress and pulling at her hair.

  “It’s okay, love.”

  Before she knew what was happening, he caged her within his arms and his mouth was on hers. The kiss was savage, his tongue stabbing inside her mouth. She gave him the control he seemed to crave, kissing him back with the same amount of urgency.

  She wound her arms around his neck. Passion and profound relief intermingled as they kissed. Christian had tried to save her from a rowdy crowd. From Jordan Matthews.

  All too soon, his lips found the side of her face. He gently pulled the remaining pins out of her hair and ran his fingers through it. “Are you okay? I didn’t scare you, did I?”

  “Yes, no… Maybe. But not as much as what happened during my book signing.”

  “I’m so sorry. All I could think of was getting to you and Matthews was in my way,” he said, massaging her scalp. “I’d stop the world from spinning if gravity was causing you pain. There is nothing I wouldn’t do. Not a damn thing.”

  She moaned as fingers worked their magic. “Where did you learn to use your body like that?”

  “Let’s just say I do really well when I train for a role that calls for street fighting or hand to hand combat. I rarely require a stunt double.” He leaned back and stared down at her, his expression intense. “Growing up, I was a bit of a brawler.”

  “Oh,” was all she could manage to say.

  “Today has been, without a doubt, the scariest one of my life.”

  Her heart beat loudly in her ears at his admission. “Why?”

  He tilted her chin up. “You can’t be serious. I thought my feelings for you were— are obvious.” Flushed cheeks made his eyes seem a brighter blue. “I care about you. This makes sense. We make sense. You know more about me than any other person on this planet.”

  “I-I don’t know what to say.” His admission touched her heart. Her soul. However, the sensible part of her, the part of her that she still kept to herself and knew what Christian was capable of doing expected the worst.

  He nipped at her bottom lip, then his tongue rubbed against it to soothe the sting. “Say you feel the same way, but if you don’t…” His fingers lightly caressed the side of her face. “I’ll change your mind somehow.”

  She leaned into him, his touch so calming yet seductive that her heart couldn’t keep pace with her emotions. “I do, but—”

  “No buts. No ifs.” Christian’s hand fell to his side, clenching and unclenching. “Tell me what to do…what to say to assure you I’m serious.” He leaned against the metal shelves, the tips of his fingers pressing against his bottom lip as he studied her. She became hyper-aware of the rip in her dress, the throb at her temple and that her hair was completely undone.

  Closing her eyes, she breathed in the familiar heartbreaking scent of him, then opened her eyes. “I don’t know.”

  His lips pressed together. For a moment he looked as if he wanted to argue. “I want you to stay in your room for the rest of the afternoon. I need to make sure this wasn’t planned, that it was only drunken idiots with an excess of testosterone. I’ve had threats in the past from stalkers.”

  “Most recently from those who want to blackmail me,” he added with a resigned look on his face.

  The pictures. She hated that he was in this position. He had so much to give, and already gave so much, without anyone knowing.

  “Okay, I’ll stay in my room until you find out who was behind it.” She tucked a large chunk of hair behind her ear. It fell forward, covering one eye. “I need to call my family, anyway. I’d rather they hear about what happened from me than the news.”

  “Let them know that I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe.” His arms came around her, gently squeezing her. All she wanted him to do was hold her like this and never let go.

  ***

  Arriving at her room, he turned to face her. “Don’t unlock it for anyone but me.” Taking her key to the room, he swiped the card and opened the door. He held up his hand, indicating for her to wait. “You’ve eaten lunch?”

  “Yes and I have snacks.” Chocolate sounded good right about now. Lots and lots of chocolate.

  “Good.”

  He entered first, checking the closet and bathroom before returning to the bedroom. “I’m sending security to stand at your door. Men on my payroll. Ones I trust and you can, too.”

  “B-but I don’t need security now. “Or maybe she did. “All right.”

  “Did your phone make it through?”

  “I don’t know.” Frowning, she pulled her phone out of her skirt pocket and examined it. “Still works.”

  Plucking it out of her hand, he began typing. “Here’s my number.” He slipped into the pocket of her skirt. “Text me if you need anything or if you just want to talk.”

  “Is this your sneaky way of getting my number?” she asked, trying to lighten his mood.

  “Maybe. I’ll be back soon, yes?” He kissed her again, hard and quick. “How about dinner at a restaurant without a reputation?”

  She nodded in agreement, despite the need for him to stay. Only she didn’t know how to ask, without coming across as needy. Why couldn’t she woman-up and tell him exactly what she wanted?

  “What am I thinking?” He scrubbed his hand across his face, then turned to lock the door behind them. “I can’t leave you like this: alone and waiting on me. I’ll make my phone calls from here, if that’s okay?”

  Smiling as he faced her again, she said, “Staying is exactly what you do to begin convincing me.”

  ***

  Christian posed for another picture and signed a napkin. He craned his neck, looking for Zoe. She sat on a nearby bench, playing with her phone. Mostly likely she was t
rying to beat his score at ‘Angry Birds’.

  After making the decision to not leave her alone, he’d spent rest of the afternoon with her lying in his arms as she drifted in and out of sleep. Inquiries had been made about the fight and the Oasis employee while he’d held her. The fight had turned out to be spontaneous. Unfortunately, Mr. Fulner didn’t exist and all signs pointed to his father hiring the man to make Christian look bad.

  He had become so furious at the news that he’d left Zoe (and a note) asleep in bed and a security guard at her door to go workout in the gym. Thank God she’d understood.

  “Would you sign here?” A woman with a pouty red mouth pointed to her breasts.

  “Uh.” He glanced at Zoe again. Her eyes met his, a grin playing on her lips. “How about here instead?” He wrote his name on the woman’s arm and nodded to security.

  Quickly and efficiently, they cleared the area as he ambled over to Zoe, propping one foot on the bench and leaning over her. “Ready for the show?”

  “Isn’t the main attraction already here?”

  “Very funny, but I mean the one I told you about—the flash mob.” Grinning, he stepped back and gently pulled her to her feet. She tucked her phone in her purse and smoothed her dress down.

  “Aren’t flash mobs supposed to be planned spontaneity?” She regarded him skeptically.

  He brushed back the dark fall of silky hair gleaming on her shoulder. “Insider information.” Brennen had told him the dancers would be performing a mash-up of some old Bruno Mars and Train songs. Brennen had also assured him the lyrics would be considered romantic by a woman like Zoe. To ensure his friend was telling the truth, Christian had promised Brennen severe bodily harm if the words ‘smack that’ left anyone’s mouth.

  “Did your informer say what kind of songs they’d be performing?”

  “Something romantic.”