by Trisha Grace
Table of Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Epilogue
Note to Reader
More Books
FREE Novella from Trisha
Acknowledgement
Connect With Author
About Author
Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Epilogue
Note to Reader
More Books
FREE Novella from Trisha
Acknowledgement
Connect With Author
About Author
To Jesus, who inspires me to write my books.
To my darling husband, who is always so supportive of my writing.
And to all my readers: thank you! For without you, I won’t be able to do what I so love.
Chapter One
Sarah Carter automatically tucked her chin in as she stepped out of the airport, toward the crowd of paparazzi that had gathered outside. Who would’ve thought an elementary school teacher would get used to having paparazzi hounding her?
Next to her, Keith Sutton, her superstar boyfriend and Hollywood’s most eligible bachelor—at least that was what he was named last year—and the man her mother was vehemently against her dating, tightened his hand around hers. He tugged at the black cap he had on, lowering it to cover more of his face, and pulled his hand from hers so he could put his arm around her shoulders and pull her closer against him.
They didn’t speak to each other throughout the walk to his car, made much longer and slower because of the paparazzi. He glanced over at her several times, and she gave him a reassuring smile each time, letting him know she was all right.
The sudden bout of muteness created a weird sensation in her ears the moment Keith closed the passenger door. Sarah felt as if she had bubbles in her ears, which burst when Keith opened the door on the driver side.
He grinned and winked at her, and she grinned at the man she’d fallen in love with. He returned to his serious mode in the next moment as he maneuvered the car away from the airport’s parking garage and the paparazzi.
When all seemed clear, Keith exhaled heavily. “We lost them.” He pulled off his cap, revealing his short black hair, then leaned over and gave her a peck on the lips. “I missed you so much,” he said, his alluring green eyes looking right at hers. “Welcome to L.A.”
“I missed you, too.” Sarah reached over to his broad shoulder to brush away the lint hanging on the edge of his black T-shirt. How was it that Keith could look so good in a plain black T-shirt and faded jeans? “Do you fly all your assistants in first-class?” she asked and pulled her hand back.
Keith shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. My assistants usually live wherever I’m filming.”
“Oh?” She dug out her phone from her purse.
He nodded.
She tipped her head back, then turned to him with a smile. “It was a great experience. They checked in for me at the airport, and I got to enjoy the first-class lounge. It was awesome.” She leaned over and gave him another peck on the cheek. “Thanks for the treat. I only wish you’d been there with me.”
“There’ll be another chance.”
She nodded.
“How was the visit with your mom?”
Sarah shrugged and scanned through the PDF on her phone. She wasn’t interested in talking about the visit now. “You have a scene later today.”
Keith grabbed her phone and threw it onto the back seat.
“What—”
“Don’t be in such a hurry to jump into assistant mode.” He flashed a boyish grin, but Sarah thought she caught a hint of concern. “I miss my girlfriend.”
Sarah laughed softly. “I do want to earn my keep.”
“You know you don’t have to do this.”
She didn’t want to get into this again. There had been many changes to her life since meeting Keith. For one, she probably would never have flown first-class anywhere if it weren’t for him. But she had to draw the line somewhere.
Keith had been asking her to come out and visit him on set before they even started dating. He’d thought she would be free during summer break since she didn’t have to be at school. But she still had to pay rent and all, so she usually got a temporary job during the summer.
That was when he offered her a position as his assistant.
Even after they began dating, she didn’t want to come out on an all-expense-paid trip and insisted on sticking to their original plan. She would still come out, but only if she came as Keith’s assistant.
She’d never been an assistant to a superstar before, but how much different could it be from being a receptionist? The paparazzi, perhaps. But she was already used to that.
Once news spread of Keith and Sarah dating, they had paparazzi popping up wherever they went. After a couple of months, she’d grown used to them. What amazed her was that even after Keith returned to L.A., a few paparazzi continued to follow her around, taking photographs of her boring, routine life. “Did you see how I was apparently so upset over our breakup that I brought six tubs of ice cream home to binge-eat and cry myself to sleep?”
Keith’s lips curled. “I’m glad you’re taking all that rubbish so lightly.”
“It amuses me. Don’t you think they’re creative? They can spin anything.”
A frown meant Keith’s and her relationship was on the rocks. A shared laugh with friends or colleagues meant Keith’s and her relationship was on the mend. A new piece of jewelry, even if it was actually five years old and had been worn countless times, prompted speculation of its meaning.
She always laughed it off whenever someone brought a magazine to her or showed her an article on their phone. Her mother hadn’t found any humor in them, though.
Why do you have to date someone like Keith? Men like him will only break your heart.
“Why did you buy so many tubs of ice cream anyway?” he asked.
“It was on sale. Buy one, get one free.” Was there any other reason to get six tubs of ice cream at one go?
Keith laughed and looked over at her. “I love you. It’s been too long since I could tell you that face-to-face.”
“We FaceTime almost every night.”
“That’s different. I can’t do this” —he lifted her hand to his lips— “on a FaceTime call.”
<
br /> The simple touch of his lips against the back of her hand sent a wave of warmth down her arm and right to her heart, melting away the insecurities that had built up over the last month, most of which were conceived during the week she’d visited her mom in Florida.
Despite his dashing good looks, Keith was always just Keith to her. Even when paparazzi surrounded them, even when their photos were plastered on celebrity-sightings websites and tabloid magazines, she’d never felt out of place while standing next to him. “I love you, too.”
“I know.” He laughed when she narrowed her eyes. “What’s not to love?”
She laughed as well.
“So, let’s head out for lunch, then I’ll take you down to the studio to have a look around, and you can meet Elena.”
Elena Pattison, one of Hollywood’s most popular stars and Keith’s co-star.
“Are you sure Elena’s all right with me staying at her place?”
“I’m sure.”
See, mom? There’s no reason for you to be worried. If Elena was interested in Keith, she would never have allowed Sarah to stay at her place.
“But before heading to the studio, I need to talk to you.”
The laid-back smile he had for her now seemed tight and forced, and Sarah couldn’t miss the dread dripping from Keith’s voice, which just made the words that much more ominous.
Keith handed the menu back to the waiter and reached for a glass of water while watching Sarah turn back to him. Her light brown hair had grown slightly longer since he first met her and was resting neatly against one of her shoulders, against her sleeveless black chiffon top.
Her lips curled, and his lips moved along.
Sarah’s smiles always seemed to have that effect on him.
At the airport, when he saw Sarah walking toward him, it took all of him to keep his feet rooted. He’d already noticed the paparazzi, and he didn’t want to give them a reason to take more photos of them.
Though he’d grown accustomed to having his photographs taken, either by paparazzi or random strangers, he didn’t want that for Sarah.
“Okay. Let’s hear it,” Sarah said.
He’d always loved how Sarah got straight to the point. He loved her simplicity, her honesty. Above all else, he loved her for seeing him beyond all the characters’ he’d played on screen, for seeing him as the person he was. With Sarah, he never had to pretend to be someone else.
Or, in Sarah’s words, he got to be him-him rather than actor-him.
So Elena was right. He should just be honest with Sarah. “I’m really excited that you’re here,” he said and set the glass of water down.
Sarah’s smile widened, but she said nothing, waiting for him to continue.
“But there’s something you need to know.”
“Okay.”
“I mean you already kind of know.” He paused and looked at Sarah.
“Whenever you’re ready,” she said with a patient smile.
He would’ve laughed if he wasn’t so nervous. “You know how I was before we met.”
Her head bobbed up and down. “Mr. Playboy?”
He winced. That was one of the less glamorous names given to him by the tabloids. “So …”
“So there are quite a few jealous women in L.A. who would kill me if they saw us together.”
He grinned then. “You’re not in mortal danger.”
She gasped. “The rest of my statement is right?” She made a disapproving noise.
He sighed, and she reached over and gave his hand a squeeze.
“I already knew who you were before we got together. I googled you, remember?” She cracked a small smile. “I’ll be fine.”
“Thing is, at the studio … this is the third movie in the franchise.”
“So you’ve slept with all the actresses on set.” She paused. “Please tell me you didn’t sleep with Elena. It’d be so weird to stay at her place if you did.”
He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I didn’t sleep with all the actresses.” Just half of them. “And I definitely didn’t sleep with Elena.” He didn’t have that kind of relationship with Elena, which was why it was rather strange for him to be taking her advice.
Sarah nodded slowly.
“There’s someone in particular who may be problematic: Miriam Ricci.”
“And for my own sake, I should avoid this Miriam at all costs.”
“Yes.” He shifted forward and tightened his grip on her hand. “I’m not joking, Sarah. I don’t want you knocking on her dressing room door or being alone with her.”
“Is she going to be like Staci Jones?”
The mention of Staci brought back memories of how he and Sarah had met. He shook his head. “She isn’t on drugs or anything, but she was suddenly in love with me when she heard I had a girlfriend and wasn’t interested in what she had to offer. So,” he said and gave her hand another squeeze. “If I have a scene, I want you to stay with Elena. If we’re both on scene, then stay close to her assistant, Gina.”
“So you’re making Elena Pattison and her assistant my babysitters?” The corner of her lips curled. “How did you get her to agree to it?”
“I’ve been her slave over the past month. I brought her and her assistant coffee, cupcakes … I even bought them this mini fan thing that they could carry around with them when we were filming outdoors.”
“Oh, you poor thing. How you’ve suffered.”
“Just promise you’ll try to stay away from Miriam.”
Sarah laughed softly. “What can she do to me?”
“I don’t know. I’m just worried,” he said and paused. “But the good thing is, she’s dying soon. So you won’t have to deal with her for too long.” He grinned at Sarah’s horrified expression. “I mean her character. Her character is dying in this movie, so we won’t have to suffer Miriam’s whims for too long.”
Sarah rolled her eyes.
“So, will you give me your word? Stay away from Miriam.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she studied him for a moment. “I’m not trying to be difficult, but—”
He groaned. He already knew she wouldn’t just agree to stay away from Miriam. When his brother and sister-in-law got into trouble, Sarah had no qualms about confronting the suspect, even when Staci Jones was clearly unstable. “Sarah …”
“I know she’ll be dying in this film, but I can’t be playing hide-and-seek with her the whole time I’m here.”
“Sarah.”
“I know I have a nice name, but you can stop repeating it.” She flashed a grin.
“Sarah.” He shifted his chair forward. “People in Hollywood don’t really behave the way normal people do.”
“So she’ll be just like Staci.”
“Maybe, or maybe worse.” He ran his thumb over the back of her knuckles. “I just don’t want you embroiled in whatever insanity she may dish out.”
“Or she may dish out none.”
It was all he could do to swallow the second groan.
“Okay. Maybe she will. But I’d rather just face her and deal with it. Besides, if you’ve really been with so many actresses, I may cross paths with more over-the-top actresses in the future, right? I can’t be forever hiding behind you or your friends.”
He clenched his jaws, because Sarah made sense, because he didn’t have a sensible rebuttal. Because he’d never hated or regretted his past more than at this moment, realizing the mess of a life he’d lived, the mess of a life Sarah would have to deal with.
“I do, however, promise to call you if things get out of hand.”
“Before things get out of hand.”
“I can’t really predict when things might get out of hand.” She raised her hand palm out to stop him from interrupting. “But if I feel something’s wrong, I’ll call you immediately.”
“Or Elena and Gina if you can’t get me.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Keith studied Sarah’s nonchalant expression. She had handl
ed Staci rather well, except for the time when she got suspended from work because of her. This time, Keith had control of the job that was on the line, so there was nothing to worry about.
And he must admit he kind of liked the idea of Sarah being around to cross paths with more over-the-top actresses. “Do you really have to head back before school reopens?”
“Teaching is my real job.”
He almost told her that she didn’t need a job, not with him around. But he doubted that would get her to stay, and it’d probably get him into trouble. “Anyway, I thought what you really wanted to do was to motivate children. Maybe you can explore that here.”
“I get to motivate my students all the time.” She gave him a half-hearted shrug. “Let’s not talk about that now. I have over a month here with you, and I don’t want to talk about leaving now.”
Neither did he. “You’re right.”
Chapter Two
Sarah cracked a smile at a woman wearing a plain black T-shirt and dark blue jeans, but the woman’s eyes darted away once their eyes met. The people around Sarah were moving about, some looking at the clipboards in their hands, some looking at their phones. Most of them were in casual ensembles of T-shirt and jeans.
She turned her attention to the set ahead. Several feet in front of a long table with plates and boxes of food were several director chairs scattered around, all behind the cameras, spotlights, and reflectors. The backdrop of the set was completely green. In fact, most of the set was green.
Three large pieces of green wall framed the back and sides of the set. Two rows of metal beams, with four lights spread across each beam, hung above, while rocks of various sizes were scattered across the floor
“There she is.” Keith tightened his grip on Sarah’s hand as his chin jerked forward toward a woman seated in one corner of the set. “Elena,” he said when they got closer to her.
Elena Pattison turned toward them, her green eyes as clear as Keith’s, but lighter.
Elena’s gaze glossed over Keith and turned to Sarah. She broke into a wide smile. “You must be Sarah.” She stood and set the stack of paper she was reading down on the black canvas of the director chair. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”