“Lawrence.”
Harley is the first to narrow her eyes at me. “Lawrence? Like Katie Lawrence, the actress she kind of looks like? Is she related to Katie Lawrence? Are they like cousins or something?”
I shake my head and Harley frowns. “I don’t understand.”
Riley and Cooper both eye each other. They’re both sharp enough to figure it out.
Then Gracie turns to Harley and says, “She’s not related to Katie Lawrence. She is Katie Lawrence.”
Harley laughs so hard I think she’s going to hurt herself. When she finally calms down she looks at me with a strange expression on her face. “You’re telling me that Hunter Wilde, an Old Town cop, a guy who’s such a saint he never even dated in high school, somehow got together with Katie Lawrence, the movie star? You’re telling me that this guy…” She points a finger in my face. “Fucked America’s Sweetheart?” She looks around the table at everyone’s surprised faces. “Does anyone else find this hard to believe?”
Tucker puts down his fork and raises his hand. “I do.”
Harley takes a swig of her orange juice and continues. “I can’t believe she waited tables at Haymakers. And she was pretty good at it too. She’s like unbelievably cool. And obviously a really good actress.”
“She did win an Academy Award,” Cooper chimes in.
“Two,” Riley corrects.
“So what’s the deal with you two?” Jake asks.
“It sounds like she wants to come back out to New Jersey to see me again. But you guys can’t let on that you know, okay. We’re trying to keep this really low key in order to avoid the paparazzi.”
“You know I won’t say anything,” Tucker agrees. “Not that I even know who Katie Lawrence is.”
Gracie whispers something into Tuckers ear and he gives her one of his half smiles.
“Okay, maybe I do know who she is. But it’s not like I have anyone to tell anyway.”
I glare at Harley. “You can’t tell any of your friends.” I glance at Jake. “And you can’t tell any of your…um…friends either.”
Jake pantomimes a lip zip. “My lips are sealed.”
“I will try,” Harley says. “But you know sometimes things just slip out. I apologize in advance if that happens.”
“She really just wants people to treat her like Kat. She doesn’t want to be Katie Lawrence the movie star when she’s here. Okay?”
Riley pats my arm. “It’s okay. We’ve all got it.”
I try to take in a breath, but I’m already nervous. I really want to be excited, but I can’t help feeling like something is going to go terribly wrong.
Twelve
Katie
“Are you sure about this?” Elsie asks for what seems like the hundredth time.
“Very,” I assure her.
“And this is what you’re taking?”
We both stare into my suitcase that’s nearly empty except for a few pairs of jeans, sweatshirts and sneakers.
“I’m going to be hanging out in a country bar in rural New Jersey. It’s not like I need the latest fashions from Rodeo Drive. I’ll stick out if I’m wearing anything too fancy and the last thing I want to do is draw attention to myself.”
She holds up a pair of the jeans I packed. “You definitely won’t be drawing any attention in these mom jeans. Don’t you want to at least be attractive to your cop boyfriend?”
I give her the stink eye. “He’s not my boyfriend. I’m not even sure we have a relationship.” I hold up some sexy lingerie I purchased. “But that’s what this is for.”
“Just be careful, okay? The media hound dogs have already had a feeding frenzy with the Devon break-up. I don’t want to see them also feasting on your carcass if they get wind of you and Hunter.”
“The paparazzi are not going to follow me to Old Town. It’s the middle of nowhere.”
She lifts an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “They’re everywhere, Kat. You should know that by now.
“It’ll be fine,” I promise.
***
I decide to take a flight to Allentown, PA rather that one of the major airports. I guess because I am a little scared of Elsie’s ominous warnings. I also decided to wear a very large sunhat that completely hides my face and dark sunglasses. I can barely see where I’m going but it makes me feel better about remaining incognito.
For the most part I’m completely ignored by my fellow passengers. One little boy a few seats away from me seems to be obsessed with my floppy hat. He keeps reaching his hand out to touch it. Either that or he’s just a grabby child.
Whenever I think about seeing Hunter my heart starts to race. I can’t wait to be in his strong arms again. I feel like time completely stops when he holds me. It’s like we’re in our own little world where no one can touch us.
I spot Hunter immediately as the few passengers from my flight head toward the waiting area. I can’t help but smile when I see he’s holding a small bouquet for me. They aren’t roses or any kind of typical arrangement made by a florist. He’s got a small handful of fresh-picked sunflowers tied with a yellow ribbon.
The smile on his face when he spots me is almost as bright as the flowers he’s holding.
“Love the hat,” he teases as he hands me the flowers.
“It’s my latest disguise and it seems to be working. Not one person on the flight gave me a second look.”
“It could be those dark sunglasses too. You kind of look like a hit woman.”
He removes the sunglasses. “That’s better.” Then gives me a kiss.
My entire body heats in response.
“There’s someplace I want to take you. I don’t think there’s any danger of anyone finding us there and we can be completely alone.”
I raise an eyebrow. “We can’t be alone in your bedroom?”
He grins. “We can definitely be alone in my bedroom a little later. I want to wait until everyone else goes to work at Haymakers. Then we can have the whole house to ourselves.”
“Are you hungry?” I ask. “I didn’t eat anything before I left and it was a long plane ride.”
“I’ve already have a picnic lunch packed. There’s a cooler in the back of the truck.”
“I guess you’ve thought of everything.”
“I’m a cop. If you don’t think of everything you risk getting shot.”
I throw up my hands playfully. “I’m not armed. I swear. I may look like a hit woman, but it’s just a disguise.”
He grabs my hand and laces our fingers together. “It’s great to see you again. I haven’t really smiled much since you left.”
“And now you’ve got a grin plastered on your face.”
He laughs. “See what you do to me? I’m supposed to be a badass cop but I’m reduced to a romantic sap around you.”
“So where exactly are you taking me?” I ask as he pulls me through the airport.
“It’s a surprise.”
“I don’t really like surprises,” I admit.
“I think you’ll like this one.”
***
Hunter was right. The surprise is a good one. As he spreads out a blanket for the two of us to sit on I take in the majestic beauty of the waterfall cascading next to us.
I can’t get over how spectacular the site is. It’s peaceful and serene. The only sound I can hear in the heavily wooded area is the water as it flows down the mountain.
“How did you know this would be the perfect spot?” I ask.
“This is a place I like to visit when I need to get away from it all. You seem like you need to get away for a little while.”
“I love it. There aren’t many places like this in LA.”
Hunter takes my hand and places a soft kiss on my knuckles. We look into each other’s eyes for a few moments before he leans over and kisses me.
I’ve never had a more perfect kiss in a more perfect place in my entire life.
“I’d better get you fed,” Hunter says as he opens the large cooler he c
arried from the truck.
“What have you got in there?” My mouth is already watering.
“All kinds of goodies.” He proceeds to remove cheese and crackers, grapes, and even a spinach quiche from the cooler. When my stomach growls in response we both laugh.
“Somehow I can’t image a cop liking quiche,” I quip.
“Not only do I like quiche, I made it from scratch. This is no store bought imitation. This is the real thing.”
As we munch on the lunch that Hunter prepared he tells me all about his experiences at the police academy.
“It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I knew that going in and I was mentally and physically prepared for it.”
“Was that always a dream of yours? To be a cop?”
He nods. “The first time anyone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I was about five years old. I actually remember getting so angry at the question because in my mind it was so obvious. I felt like I was born to be a cop.”
“That’s how I’ve always felt about acting,” I admit. “Although I never anticipated the celebrity part. Some people thrive on being in the spotlight. That’s why they decide to become actors in the first place. I’m the opposite. I put up with the fame to do what I love. But, frankly, I’d rather be here with you than in LA at one of the celebrity functions that my manager tells me I absolutely have to attend.”
Hunter narrows his eyes at me like he doesn’t quite believe me.
“It’s true,” I assure him.
“You’d rather be in the woods of rural New Jersey with a small town cop than schmoozing with other celebrities?”
I smile. “Any day of the week.”
His face grows more serious. “I hope you always say that.”
“You think I’m fickle?”
“Hollywood stars are not known for their long-term commitments. How long does the average marriage last in Hollywood? Five minutes?”
I shake my head. “Probably a little longer than that.”
“Not too much longer.”
“My parents have been married for twenty-five years,” I explain. “They’ve had their ups and downs but they’re still together and still love each other.”
Hunter looks deep in thought. “I don’t think my dad could face life without my mom. Honestly my brothers and I were surprised he lasted six months without her. I don’t think they would have ever considered the idea of getting divorced.”
“I guess you know you’ve found the right person when you can’t imagine not having them in your life.”
He gives a slow, contemplative nod. When he captures my gaze I’m a little taken aback by the fire in his eyes. “Do you think you just know when you’ve found the right person?”
Now I’m the one who is slowly nodding. I try to swallow, but there’s a big lump in my throat.
“And what do you do if the right person is way, way out of your league? So far out of your league that people would laugh when they saw the two of you together?”
“What are you saying?” I manage to squeak out.
“A movie star can’t possibly be the right person for a guy like me. I’m a cop. I’m supposed to fall in love with a kindergarten teacher at the local elementary school or with a nurse who works the night shift at our town hospital. I’m not supposed to fall for America’s Sweetheart.”
My heart is thumping so wildly I have a hard time believing it won’t thump right out of my chest. I try to absorb everything Hunter is saying. Did he just tell me, in a roundabout way, that he was falling in love with me?
“Does that mean I have to beat some poor kindergarten teacher’s ass?” I tease in an attempt to lighten the mood. Or maybe I’m trying to deflect us from the real conversation that I know is inevitable. “The tabloids would have a field day with something like that.”
He gives me a half smile. “You don’t need to kick any ass. There’s no one but you.”
I like that idea way more than I know I should. Being Hunter’s…belonging to him. Why does that idea appeal to me so much?
He glances at his watch. “Everyone should be on their way to Haymaker’s for the lunch crowd.” He raises an eyebrow. “Want to go back to my place?”
I smile. “Are you propositioning me?”
“Maybe. You can’t blame a guy for trying to get lucky. Although right now I kind of feel like the luckiest guy on the planet.”
“And why is that?” I know I’m milking it but you can’t blame a girl for fishing for compliments. Especially from a guy she really cares about.
“I think you already know the answer to that question.”
“There’s no place I’d rather be right now than back at your place,” I urge.
“Great. Let’s go.”
***
This time Hunter takes me right to his bedroom instead of the guestroom. I notice that he’s gotten rid of most of the books although the posters are all still in place, as are the drums.
He doesn’t waste any time pulling me into his arms. I immediately release all of the tension I have been holding for what seems like a really long time, probably since the last time I was in his arms.
I enjoy the feeling of just being held. Taking in the strength and warmth that radiate from his body.
“I’m glad you came back.” As he whispers in my ear, I breathe in his scent. I missed it. I missed everything about Hunter.
As we glance into each other’s eyes it’s like a stampede of horses through my body. I’m completely overcome with emotion.
Hunter kisses me. He’s gentle at first as our lips and tongues get reacquainted with each other. But it doesn’t take long for a spark to ignite between us and for us to completely devour each other.
When I starred in Chasing Summer there was a line my character said that I think I sold to the audience, but I certainly didn’t completely understand at it the time. The character said that she longed to be with her boyfriend. I finally understand what true longing is when I’m away from Hunter. I long to be with him on a daily basis.
“I’m not sure how long I’ll be able to last,” he whispers. “I just want you to be prepared. I already feel like I’m going to explode and I’m not even inside of you yet.”
I grab at his clothes. Just the thought of having him back inside of me again has me completely turned on.
Without another word we’re both unbuttoning and unzipping and clothes are flying about the room in a near frenzy until we’re both naked.
Hunter is hard as a rock and I lick my bottom lip in response. Without even bothering to make our way to the bed he pushes me against the closed door and slips inside of me. I’m already slick with desire as he pushes into me hard and deep.
He’s not the only one who is ready to explode. It only takes a few more quick thrusts before I feel like I’m flying. Hunter pushes his mouth against mine as we both moan with pleasure.
I’m surprised when he doesn’t withdraw. Instead he carries me over to the bed and we lay there, still connected, wrapped in each other’s arms.
“It’s going to get messy,” I remind him.
“I don’t care. I just want to stay here, inside of you, for as long as humanly possible.”
***
“What time is it?” I yawn and quickly cover my mouth.
“I can’t believe we fell asleep.” Hunter looks a little disoriented as he wipes the sleep from his eyes.
“That was a bit intense.” I’d seen movies where people had sex standing up, usually against a wall, but I’d never experienced anything like that before.
“Do you want to go to Haymakers? We could get some dinner there.”
“As long as I don’t have to wait tables again,” I tease.
“But you were so good at it. At least that’s what Harley said.”
I raise an eyebrow. “She did?”
He nods. “Getting a compliment from her is really saying something.”
“They had no idea who I really was?”
Hunter suddenly looks uncomfortable and I feel like he’s holding something back. I narrow my eyes at him.
He heaves a sigh. “They didn’t know you were Katie Lawrence, but they do now.”
“What?” I can feel my heart start to thump wildly in my chest. “Why did you tell them?”
He takes me into his arms and holds me for a moment and I immediately feel calm again.
“I couldn’t lie to my family. They were asking a lot of pointed questions about you and I just felt like I had to tell them the truth. It’s really not a big deal.”
I frown. It feels like a much bigger deal than he’s letting on. “I just don’t want them to treat me any different now that they know the truth.”
He laughs. “You obviously don’t know the Wilde boys that well yet. They’ll give you just as much shit as they did before, maybe even more so. Don’t worry. You’ll still be teased mercilessly just like before.”
“They’re not that bad. I think part of the reason they gave me a hard time is because they care about you and they don’t want to see you get hurt. Harley actually threated me and told me I’d better not break your heart. She actually scared me a little bit.”
He laughs. “She scares me too. Even when I carry a gun. And just remember the more shit my family gives me the more they like you. If they didn’t like you they’d just ignore you.”
I smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Should we get another disguise ready? Ponytail and glasses?”
“What about that big, floppy hat I was wearing when you picked me up?”
“That may be a little much for Haymakers. Better just to stick with jeans, sneakers, sweatshirt, the ponytail and glasses.”
“Yes, Officer,” I tease.
He rolls his eyes. “When I’m not in uniform just forget I’m a cop, okay?”
“Whatever you say, Officer.”
He leans down and kisses me. “Do you like kissing cops?”
“Just one in particular.”
“Is there anything else you like to do with this one cop in particular?”
I nod. “Do we have a few minutes before we have to get ready? I can show you exactly what I like to do.”
A Wilde Night (Old Town Country Romance Book 3) Page 11