Seeing Stars

by J. Sterling

  “Did you come here tonight for any other reason?”

  “No,” I answered, my gaze still locked on the table.

  “Tell me something then, Madison.” He practically sneered my name, as if saying it caused a bad taste to form in his mouth. I didn’t have to see him to imagine the disgusted look that must have been on his face. “If your boss hadn’t made you come here tonight, would you have come on your own?”

  I didn’t know if it was because his pointing at me had pissed me off, or if the way he practically spat my name did, but my answer was brutal in its simplicity. “No.”

  “Leave.”

  My gaze raised slowly from the table to meet his face, his expression anything but disgusted and angry like I had imagined. He honestly looked hurt, which confused my heart and made it flip-flop inside my chest. This entire day had been filled with nothing but drama, and I hated drama. Which was ironic considering the business I was in.

  “I said leave! Get out of here!” he shouted, and everyone in the restaurant turned to face our table. “And you can let your boss know that I wouldn’t sign with his company if it was the last agency on Earth.”

  You could have heard a breath being sucked in, if anyone was breathing at all anymore, which I was certain they weren’t. Mortified, I grabbed my black clutch and scooted out of the booth, practically sprinting for the exit as I prayed I wouldn’t stumble in my three-inch heels. Heat flared in my entire body as dozens of eyes burned holes in the back of my head.

  Only once I burst out of the restaurant doors and the cool evening air hit my face did I suck in a freeing breath.

  I had a reprieve.

  Little did I know how short that reprieve would prove to be.

  Cameras flashed all around me as the paparazzi screamed my name and asked where Walker was. The fact that they knew my name eluded me in that instant as I struggled to see my own hand in front of my face, the bright flashes blinding me with each burst of unnatural light. I practically threw the valet my ticket, partly because I couldn’t see him, but also because I was so desperate to be anywhere but there.

  How mortifying had this night been? Ugh. And all because my boss had threatened my job.

  “Madison! Madison, wait!” Walker called out as he burst through the restaurant doors behind me. I turned to face him, but it was pointless. I couldn’t see a damn thing.

  The paparazzi went nuts, shouting both Walker’s name and mine as flashes surrounded us.

  “Just leave me alone, Walker,” I spat. “I’m sure you can find someone in there to take home tonight. Try the hostess. She looks easy.”

  The men with the cameras all oohed and aahed at my comment before firing off their own questions and comments as Walker gritted his teeth.

  “Aw, don’t be mad at him, honey.”

  “Walker, what did you do to her?”

  “Why are you fighting?”

  “What did he do to you, sweet Madison, honey?”

  “Madison Myers, look this way!”

  “Did you meet her at your agent’s office?”

  That particular question almost stopped me in my tracks. How did they possibly know exactly who I was and where I worked?

  “She does work for your agent, right?”

  “How long have you two been dating under the radar?”

  “Does everyone in the office hate you, Madison?”

  “I bet they’re all jealous!”

  When the valet pulled my car up in front of the painted curb, I rushed toward the driver’s side as cameras continued to flash in my face. “Seriously?” I cried out. “I can’t see. Please.” I was practically begging, desperate to leave. This night couldn’t possibly get any worse.

  “Leave her alone. Let her get in her fucking car!” Walker’s voice boomed at the group of celebrity stalkers, and the ones nearest me took a step back.

  I slid into the driver’s seat and slammed the door just as my passenger door swung open and someone jumped inside. Glancing over, I saw Walker straightening his shirt as I tugged my seat belt around me.

  “What the hell? Get out of my car!” I shouted.

  “No. I’m not going anywhere,” he said stubbornly. “Now get us out of here and away from these cameras so I can talk to you.”

  “I don’t want to talk to you.” I closed my eyes, willing his body to magically eject from my car.

  “Why are you so goddamned difficult? I’m not the incredible asshole you seem to think I am. Just drive, please, so we can talk this out.” The sound of his seat belt clicking let me know he had no intention of leaving.

  Opening my eyes, I looked directly into his and decided to stop fighting the internal battle that raged within me. “Fine. But where am I supposed to go?”

  “We can go to your place.”

  I breathed out a half laugh. “Are you high? I’m not bringing all this chaos to my door. Hurry, Walker. Tell me where to go.”

  “My house is gated. They already know where I live. We can go there,” he offered with a small smile and I agreed, even though the last thing I wanted was to be alone with Walker Rhodes…in his house.

  I think.

  “Fine,” I said again, realizing that I’d said that word more times tonight than I’d ever said in my life.

  “It’s in Malibu, though. I hope that’s okay.”

  Malibu. Shit, that’s far.

  “Wait? Are you okay to drive?” He placed his hand on my thigh and gave me a gentle squeeze as I lurched the car forward. When I tightened my leg muscle and looked down at his hand, he quickly removed it.

  “I feel okay. I must have eaten a whole loaf of bread in there. If I feel the slightest bit off, I promise I’ll pull over and we can call a cab.”

  “Sorry,” he said and stared out the passenger window, although I wasn’t entirely sure what he was apologizing for.

  “Malibu’s kinda far, you know.” I had no intention of driving forty minutes to Malibu through the dark and winding roads of the Pacific Coast Highway, only to have to drive back home later. I glanced in the rearview mirror, taking note of cars racing to keep pace with us.

  He glanced back at me. “How far is your place?”

  I shook my head wildly. “It’s close. But I’m not taking them to my condo. I don’t have privacy gates. They’ll surround the place.”

  He nodded, tossing a glance over his shoulder and out my rear window. “They will. Shit.”

  “There’s gotta be a way we can lose them,” I said as I pounded on my steering wheel in frustration.

  The fact that Walker was in my car and that he’d left his at the restaurant hit me at that exact moment like a ton of bricks. I was suddenly worried that I’d have to drive back to the restaurant so he could pick up his car at some point. The last thing I wanted was to act like his personal driver. Hell, I didn’t even want him in my car right now.

  “How are you getting your car?” I asked. “You left it at the restaurant.”

  He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. We need to figure out how to lose these guys.”

  “You know that never works,” I said with a sigh. Our clients had recounted horror stories about how the paparazzi followed them relentlessly, almost causing accidents just to get a single picture that might or might not get sold. Their behavior was not only ridiculous, it was dangerous.

  “Think, Walker!” I demanded. “Come on, you deal with this every day. I don’t. You have to be somewhat prepared.”

  “They already know where I live,” he said with a shrug, “so I don’t try to lose them anymore. There’s no point. They usually follow me home and sit across the street until I go somewhere else.”

  “We could go to my office!” I glanced over at him, thrilled that I’d thought of it. “It has pass-only underground parking. They won’t be able to get in.”

  “No.” His voice was adamant. “I don’t want to go anywhere near your office, Madison.”

  How could I have already forgotten what I admitted to him at dinner? Was it stil
l considered dinner if you never actually got to the main course?

  “Screw it,” I said before suddenly making the next right.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going home. It’s not like they can get inside my building, and my condo doesn’t face the street.”

  His hand landed on my thigh again. I tensed immediately but he didn’t move it. “Are you sure?”

  I sighed. “Let’s just go before I change my mind.”

  Ten minutes later, I pulled my car into my designated parking space, then quickly shut off the engine and clicked off the lights. We both jumped out in a rush and headed toward the locked building entrance. Cars screeched to a stop behind mine, paparazzi jumping from their cars and snapping pictures in a frenzy as the tinted glass doors closed and locked behind us.

  Feeling unable to breathe until I was safely away from prying eyes, I punched the elevator button repeatedly and waited, shifting from one foot to the other. I peeked over at Walker, worried he’d be annoyed it was taking so long. “The stairs are all the way on the opposite side of the building and we’re on the fourth floor. This is usually quicker. Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Are you okay?” He shielded my body with his, making sure only his back was visible. It felt strangely intimate to be protected by him. And I liked it. But I didn’t want to.

  The elevator made a sound that was a mixture of a ding and a broken doorbell before the door shuddered open. He hesitated and I smiled. “It’s just old. Come on.”

  He stepped inside and the doors closed behind us, leaving us truly alone for the first time since we’d met. His body inched closer to mine, closing the space between us, and I struggled to catch my breath at his nearness.

  “What are you—”

  My question was cut off by the feel of his lips pressed against mine. Before I could get lost in his lips, I shoved at his body, breaking our contact. “What the hell?”

  He rested his palms on the wall behind me, trapping me as his body pressed against mine. “I need to kiss you. Not want. Need. And I’m going to do it again, right now. So don’t stop me.”

  His lips were back on mine and I lost the will to fight. All reason escaped me as I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him tightly against me. An overwhelming feeling of familiarity swept through my body and soul. The taste of beer still on his breath only served to fuel my arousal as his tongue teased my lips, begging for entry. I parted my mouth, allowing him in, and moaned as his tongue met mine for the first time.

  Walker bent his body, his hands reaching down to cup my ass in my skirt, and I fought against the urge to hop into his arms and wrap my legs around his waist. I suddenly wished I were wearing jeans. His hands moved from my ass to my hair, but his mouth never left mine. His actions were deliberate, every flick of his tongue against mine a calculated act. And I loved every second of it.

  No, no, no. I can’t do this with him.

  I pushed him away as visions of his past conquests came trotting through my mind. “Stop,” I managed to say as the elevator also came to an abrupt halt.

  “Madison.” He reached for my hand and gripped it tight. “Don’t be mad.”

  “God, Walker. We don’t even know each other. You can’t just do whatever you want with me.” I attempted to formulate a reasonable argument without admitting just how much I liked the way he did whatever he wanted with me.

  I didn’t want to be that girl, though. You know, the kind who fell for a celebrity simply because he was too hot to resist in real life. I was slowly becoming the type of girl I not only didn’t respect, but didn’t like. Walker Rhodes was ruining my life.

  Turning left after I exited the elevator, I walked past three dark blue doors before reaching mine. I tried the handle before reaching for my house key. It was unlocked and I led him into the entryway.

  Keri shouted from somewhere in the condo, “That better be you, Mads! I want to hear every fucking detail about your night with the hot—” She rounded the corner in her pajamas and her eyes went wide as she took in Walker’s tall frame standing in our living room.

  “Shit.” Keri normally had a good poker face in uncomfortable social situations, but this one must have been too much for her because her face turned bright red. I couldn’t wait to tease her about it later. “Um, hi.” She extended her hand, practically drooling at the sight of him. “I’m Keri, Madison’s roommate.”

  Walker shook her hand politely before releasing it. “I’m Walker. It’s nice to meet you.”

  She gave me the stink-eye before leaning over and hissing in my ear, “Thanks for the warning. I could have changed, you know.”

  “Sorry,” I whispered back.

  She then stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. “What the hell are you two doing here?”

  Walker shrugged and answered for both of us. “It’s a long story.”

  “Well, I have all kinds of time,” Keri offered and I shot her a death glare. “Um, just kidding. You two kids probably want to have some time alone, so I’ll be in my room.” She turned to walk away, then looked back. “But Walker, will you hate me if I go all fan girl on you right now and ask you to take a picture with me?”

  I groaned. “Keri!”

  Walker visibly relaxed and laughed. “It’s fine.”

  Keri practically shoved her phone at me and insisted I only take it from the “tits up” since she wasn’t properly dressed. After approving the picture, she tensed and made an odd face. “Can I ask you one more thing?” she said, directing her question at Walker.

  “Uh-huh,” he responded, before giving me a quick glance.

  “Will you please sign something for me?” She slapped her palms together so it looked like she was praying. “I’m sorry, Mads.”

  “Where’s my roommate and when is she coming back?” I teased.

  “I know! I swear I never act like this. And I meet celebrities all the time.” She slapped a palm against her forehead. “I’m such an idiot. Okay, I’m leaving you two alone. Promise.” And with that, she disappeared down the hall and closed her door.

  “She’s funny,” Walker said with a smile once she was out of sight.

  “I’ve literally never, and I mean ever, seen her act like that.”

  “You’re going to give her shit for it, aren’t you?”

  I let out a big grin. “Until the day I die.”

  After the whole elevator incident, I struggled with where to have this conversation Walker so desperately insisted we have. If I allowed him into my bedroom, I was convinced that absolutely no talking would occur. Unless you considered body parts being inserted into other body parts talking.

  Tonight had already gotten more out of hand than I ever intended, so my bedroom was definitely out. And that left the living room. Yes. The living room would be a safe zone. Keri could walk out at any moment, and the couch was large enough to put ten people between us.

  “Can I get you anything to drink? Or eat? Shit, Walker, you must be hungry. Do you want me to make us something?” I offered, feeling only half bad that we left the restaurant before eating dinner. My feelings wouldn’t allow me to take full blame for that debacle since he was the one who insisted I leave. I wanted to be angry at him for that, but I couldn’t be.

  “Do you cook?” His voice raised an octave, the idea clearly exciting to him.

  I chuckled. “I’m not sure you’d call what I do cooking, but I survive on it.”

  “How about you leave the cooking to the pros, and just grab us some snacks?” he suggested, and I wanted to kiss him for being so brilliant.

  “Sounds great. Do you want a water, a soda, or beer?”

  “Water sounds perfect, thanks.”

  I went into the kitchen and grabbed two bottles of water, a few pieces of fruit, chips, crackers, cheese, and napkins, then walked carefully into the living room, trying to juggle everything in my arms.

  Walker jumped up when he saw me. “Let me help.” H
e reached for the box of crackers and pulled it from my arms, causing the entire pile to crash to the floor.

  When I laughed at the mess, his cheeks flushed. “I’m sorry.” He swooped down to grab everything before I could. “Where should I put it all?” His glance darted between the sofa and the cluttered coffee table.

  Pushing all the knickknacks on the table to one corner, I motioned for him to place it on the empty space. He dropped everything into a heap and I busily set them up, arranging the snacks in an orderly manner. Or at least a manner that made sense to me.

  Walker reached for one of the bottles of water before sitting down on the couch, one foot tapping restlessly. He patted the cushion next to him and I kicked off my heels, then sat down and maneuvered myself a little farther away from him than necessary. His face scrunched up as his eyes narrowed. “Seriously?”

  “You’re the one who said we needed to talk, so I’m maintaining a safe distance from you and your magical eyes.”

  “My wh–what?” A laugh escaped from his lips, and I decided that those were magic too.

  “Nothing.” I rubbed my eyes with my hand, trying to break away from every part of him that called to me. “You said you wanted to talk?”

  “I did. I mean, I do.” He rolled his bottled water between his palms, staring at it for a moment before saying, “First of all, I want to apologize for losing it in the restaurant tonight. I’m so sorry about that, Madison.”

  When I raised my hand to stop him, he waved me off. “I shouldn’t have acted that way, but I just got so pissed off by what you said.” His head lowered like he was too ashamed to look at me. “It’s just that I didn’t want you to be there because you had to. I wanted you to want to be there.”

  Pulling in a deep breath, I waited to see if he would continue. When he didn’t, I jumped in. “I understand why you got upset. It was a shit move on my part and it was rude. If the roles were reversed, I would have been upset too.”

  His eyebrows drew together and he shook his head. “But I shouldn’t have yelled at you like that. There’s no excuse. My mom woulda kicked my ass.”