Alex released her hand and stepped out of the car without a word. The driver opened her door and Katherine exited the car. She watched as Alex pulled the driver aside, handing him an envelope as well as speaking with him quietly. The large security guard had removed her bag from the trunk. Alex put a card up to the digital reader and the trio stepped inside the gate after a moment. His handsome face showed no emotion as he watched the car as it left.
When the car was finally out of sight, she watched Alex suddenly turn to her. He pulled her into his arms for a hug; a true greeting that held real personality. Her breath caught at the feeling of his body so quickly against hers. And then it was gone again.
“Sorry about the silence, Katherine. I don’t know that driver and sometimes they sell stuff to the media. I just didn’t want anything else leaked out. This here is Jonas Grigsby. Jonas has been with me for several years now and you can trust him with anything. Now, come with me and let me show you my home,” he said happily to her and put his arm around her waist.
Katherine was a bit surprised at the sudden change and openness of his features. It was like someone turned on a light switch. She had assumed he had to protect his privacy, hence the quiet ride in the car. Now, behind the gates, she was seeing a smiling, lively Alex.
Allowing herself to be pulled inside the large doorframe, she looked for others around the large house. There was no one else besides herself, Alex and Jonas. No landscapers or gardeners? It was a helluva long drive that was lined with pruned trees so she assumed there would be people here maintaining the grounds.
As she stepped inside the house, she saw that it had a cold feel to it. Entering into a long hallway that carried you back into the house was certainly odd. There were no paintings on the wall, just sconces to light the way down the cool stone floors. Where her condo was warm and inviting, even though it was sparse – his looked unlived in. Either that or he was never home. How sad to have such a beautiful place but no warmth to it.
“How long have you lived here? It’s beautiful,” Katherine asked as she looked at the marble floors. Again, beautiful but cold. Everything here was pristine and stark.
Her home was warm and inviting. She lived to have it comfort her when she walked in. The scents, the warm tones on the walls, the throw on the couch, everything led to a level of comfort. A haven.
“I have lived here about two years, off and on,” she heard him say lightly. Two years with no one else around, few personal affects and the crushing silence that was only broken by the clicking of their shoes on the flooring. As they turned a corner from the elongated hallway, Katherine gasped.
She knew why he bought it now. Floor to ceiling glass walls surrounded her. And below was a stunning view of the city as well as a pool. As Alex continued the “tour”, he showed her the guest room, again with massive glass walls overlooking the view. The kitchen was its own massive wing, complete with a small garden area and greenhouse. There was a small lake with a hedge wall for privacy. It was an odd layout but she could see why now. The long entrance hall carried you back to the reason the house was built: the stunning view and privacy.
“You have a gorgeous home. It’s a bit intimidating because it’s so modern, like a museum, but stunning to say the least.” Katherine didn’t want to insult him, especially when he had just invited her to visit! But it could use some warming up a bit, maybe a bit of cooking or something just to make it smell inviting or like a home. It was breathtaking in its starkness that was so different from the landscape surrounding the home.
Smiling, Alex nodded. “Thank you. Privacy was on the top of my list when I started looking and then I wanted greenery. After seeing desert and scrub brush, I wanted something to remind me of my time in Georgia. You won’t find any peach trees, save the one I have nursing in the greenhouse,” she heard him tease lightly.
Jonas, the large guard, carried her case back to her room and silently slipped away with a nod. “Is he leaving?” she asked, a bit alarmed. Katherine wasn’t sure she was quite ready to be alone with Alex, which seemed silly because the whole idea was to get to know each other better. That could not be done easily with company milling about. While the silent guard put her on edge, he also broke the tension in the room…or at least she felt a little less tense.
Alex was a bit surprised at the boldness she had displayed at accepting his offer to visit. Now, she was hesitant to be alone with him. Could she be changing her mind? His princess was even lovelier than he remembered and he wanted to grab her and hug her as she came off the plane. It took everything he had to hold back and only touch her hand in the car. She was here, though, and they had time on their side. He was not expected at the set to begin filming for a month.
“Jonas has his own small home on the property. If you need anything at all, just press one of the black buzzers on the wall. Each room has one and he will be here momentarily. You have nothing to fear here, Princess,” Alex said. He smiled and stepped away in order to give her a bit of room to ease some of her skittishness.
He hoped she understood that she controlled everything here for the next few weeks. If she wanted pizza, they would order it. If she wanted to swim, he would give her space and leave her to swim. If she wanted to be held, he would gladly oblige just to see the look of desire on her face, once again. He wanted to confess how many times he had looked at the photo of the two of them and dreamed of taking that moment further, but dared not say a word. She was strong and independent, where he felt lonely.
“I tell you what, how about I leave you to unpack and settle in for a bit? I’m sure you want to call Leslie as well as look around. I think I’m making you a bit nervous,” he said softly with a smile that did not reach his eyes. He hated to close the doors between them but he couldn’t understand the look in her eyes as she watched him. “I will make us dinner,” he offered gently.
Feeling at a loss, he had company from the woman who haunted him and he wasn’t sure how best to get her to open up. She was so quiet. Alex could smell her perfume in the car and the feelings it stirred were the same ones that caused him to reach out and caress her neck only a few days ago back in Chicago. He had to remember, they were literally strangers. He must be an impulsive idiot to open himself up like this. Sighing, he moved into the kitchen and prayed that the gorgeous stranger that intrigued him in the other room had no food allergies.
Katherine stared in awe at the beautiful room she had for the next several weeks. This was more than she could have ever wanted or expected from him. How had this all happened? She had literally fallen into the arms of a stranger who wanted to sweep her off her feet. Consider them swept!
She was in paradise with a man that she knew nothing about save the fact that the simplest touch made her body sing like a choir. Unfortunately, the entire world knew it, too, from that one single photo. The chemistry was there, no doubt, but who was the person? Was he as genuine as he seemed to be? He kept calling her princess, but the irony was she felt like one. Alex made her feel like she was his princess.
Katherine texted Leslie several photos of her room, the view, and her lavish bathroom as she unpacked her items. She was relieved she had thought to pack a robe, not that anyone could see up in the mountains. But was the glass tinted so someone couldn’t see in? She wasn’t taking any chances! On her flight over, she realized that if the media found out about her visit, it would confirm any suspicious or stories they had made up. Yet here she was regardless of the implications.
She had to be losing brain cell function for her to agree to meet up with a stranger. He was now in the kitchen preparing dinner for the two of them. Alone. He told her where the security buzzers were, but it was his security guard. Looking out for his best interest, not necessarily hers. She was here, alone, with a lone can of mace that she thought to throw inside her suitcase. Shaking her head, she laughed at the thought. She could no more spray a man with mace than she could injure one. It just wasn’t in her. Katherine took a deep breath and realized she w
as dawdling, hiding away in her room.
Thinking of the things that could go wrong was keeping her from thinking of what could go right. Give him a chance, give this a chance. He said he was lonely and wanted a friend. Be one, Katherine she thought. Cleaning herself up a bit, she brushed her hair and moved to rejoin him in the kitchen. She hoped he wasn’t done cooking because it would give her something to do as well as something to talk about. Katherine was nervous and grasping at straws.
“Hey there,” she said amicably as she entered the room. Her shoes clacked along the floors announcing her impending entrance, she was positive. Everything in the house was overwhelming to her senses when she compared it to her little condo. She planned on swimming in the massive bathtub later this evening to relax.
Alex smiled at her arrival. He had hoped that she was not regretting the visit. If need be, he would make arrangements to fly her back to Chicago. The last thing he wanted was to be cooped up with someone that didn’t want to be there. “Hello to you, too. Did you get settled in? Is there anything you are missing or need?” he asked politely.
“No, I’m good. Thank you,” she said nervously. Gorgeous and can cook, apparently! Win, win she thought and shook her head. Friends first, remember? “What are you fixing? Can I help?” Katherine offered politely.
“I’m fixing just a little something simple for us,” Alex smiled, not looking up from the chicken he was browning in the skillet. “Do you like chicken?” he asked as he realized that Katherine might be vegan and this might offend her. He liked a hearty meal, but several others he knew were into juicing or the raw lifestyle. Alex just couldn’t do it and worked out daily to cover the number of calories he enjoyed. He loved a good burger from the local chain as well as practiced cooking a lot while he was alone.
“Yes.” Katherine said hesitantly. No, but I’d never admit it. She preferred to eat beans, sprouts or eggs for her protein. There had been quite a change in her diet after she developed food poisoning from chicken. Alex was working diligently and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“Can I fix us a salad as well?” she offered as she spotted the greens and peppers on the counter behind him. She could definitely make a meal out of that and pick at the chicken politely. It wasn’t that she didn’t like meat, she just didn’t like the illness that came from the unknown if it wasn’t handled properly.
“Thanks, that would be great,” he responded politely and kept working. Alex wanted to put her at ease while he wanted to watch her endlessly. She was lovely to look at and he caught himself staring at her in the car and had to turn away when he saw the driver watching in the rearview mirror.
The silence stretched between the two of them as Katherine watched him work deboning the chicken and putting the shredded meat into a skillet. She found herself staring at his hands. She shifted her focus and marveled at how beautiful the concentration on his face was. No wonder he did so well in Hollywood, she thought. Alexander Weber was gorgeous to look upon.
“Talk to me,” she said, finally breaking the silence. “Tell me about yourself,” she asked. Anything to break the tension she felt as she kept watching him. If she didn’t pay attention, she would end up stitching her own finger from a knife wound as she cut the vegetables. She felt some of the tension ease from her as the silence was broken by Alex’s fondness for telling lame knock-knock jokes. Both were lost in fixing their dinner as well as laughing at some of his punchlines.
She liked the way he felt easy talking to her and it made her respond in kind without any effort. Where Katherine thought there might be an issue being able to hold a conversation due to her own body’s response to his nearness, she found there was not. Being around him, looking at him, she found herself holding her breath and could feel the signs of arousal course through her once again.
Alex was very careful to take things easy with getting to know Katherine. He didn’t share any private details of his life that he wouldn’t want public due to his own personal fears of it being leaked to the press. Doubting that she would do so, he was still hesitant after having been burnt in the past by people he thought he could trust. He liked that she seemed a bit nervous around him and he hoped that was because she was attracted to him as much as he was to her. He could still smell her perfume in his mind from their first meeting in Chicago and again in the car. Not able to resist, he had grabbed her hand in the car just needing to touch her regardless if there was no privacy.
She was different and she intrigued him. Strong but sensitive, independent but hesitant. Her lovely face was so expressive, whether or not she realized it. Alex had noticed the scars on Katherine’s hands as she chopped the salad as he talked and teased her out of her shell. It was surprising to see the faint signs of injury on her knuckles and palm. It seemed to be a continuous flow across her delicate skin. He wanted to ask what had happened but, now that she was relaxing her guard, he did not want her to put it back up for something so minor.
Once she was engaged in their conversation, Katherine had quite a lively personality. He found himself smiling at it quite a bit. The house had never been warm or inviting since he moved in. The scenery had been spectacular but the house was cold. Tonight was the first time he had found what was missing: companionship.
Katherine was surprised by some of the things the two of them discussed as they ate peacefully at the outdoor table on the concrete expanse that overlooked the breathtaking valley below. The sun was setting and the lights of the city were beginning to shine like stars scattered amongst a dusky sky. The location was amazing and soothing, she thought as they dined next to an enlarged infinity pool that bordered the veranda. Sighing contentedly, she smiled.
“I really can’t thank you enough for being so kind. I feel like I am finally starting to relax a bit and quit worrying about that chaos out there,” she said, waving her hands to describe the hysteria of the press and public surrounding the two strangers that were suddenly thrown together.
“You know,” she began, “I would typically never have taken a vacation or a leave – much less escape off to somewhere I had never been with someone I simply don’t know. But I feel like I can trust you. I can’t explain it. It sounds silly even to my own ears…” Katherine left off taking a sip of water, watching his face.
“I hope I don’t regret it,” she finally said after a moment. She gave him a pointed look. At seeing his easy smile, she grinned. “What?”
“Nothing. I’m glad you came and I hope you don’t regret it, either. I want you to be able to trust me and I’d like for us to be friends, or more.” Alex hesitated. “And with that? I believe I may turn in. I don’t want to cross any boundaries with my ‘roomie’,” he said with a wink as he stood politely.
“Katherine, it’s been a pleasure meeting you and having you here. May I show you the grounds tomorrow and the rest of the property? You have full access to everything. Maybe I shall take you out on the pond tomorrow,” he said with an old-fashioned bow. Then he gathered up the plates.
The sun was setting quickly and it was getting late. Besides, he needed some alone time to give himself a bit of relief from the arousal he had been sporting all night. He had prayed she wouldn’t notice. Every time he got a whiff of her perfume or saw that sweet, sideways smile, his body reacted like a randy teenager’s and it was a bit unnerving.
Surprised by the suddenly abrupt end to their evening, Katherine was startled to see that it was almost nine P.M. due to the time change. She was positive that there would be texts galore from Leslie asking for details and felt a bit guilty she had put her phone on silent. Once she got alone in her room, she would call and spill her guts to her about her flight in and their dinner.
Insisting on helping clean, she made the process much quicker. The two awkwardly parted ways for the night. Katherine wasn’t sure if he would hug her, kiss her or just say bye. From his expression, she gathered he was just as unsure of an appropriate exit. Alex had stammered a goodnight and ended up shaking her hand as he
set the alarm. Katherine was advised that the alarm was on all doors and windows. So if she woke early and attempted to go out, it would alert the security team as well as the police. Mental note, don’t go out until you check the keypad for the green light – not the red one! she thought. She hoped she didn’t set it off while she was here over the next few weeks.
Stepping into the palatial room, she shut the door firmly and locked it. Taking a deep breath, her mind raced over the conversations they had shared. He seemed to be very open and talkative… and incredibly sexy, she thought as she shut her eyes and allowed a groan to escape her. My goodness, the man was good-looking and it was extremely intimidating to have him interested in her. At least that was the impression she was certainly picking up from him.
Grabbing her phone and checking it, she grinned. Twenty-three text messages from Leslie as well as two missed calls. Seeing it wasn’t an emergency, just curiosity, she held the phone away from her ear as it rang, hearing the screeching come through the earpiece. Starting a bath, she relived the day and answered all of Leslie’s questions. Finishing the call, she climbed into the bed and stared at the dotted expanse that was the glittering city before her in the distance and drifted off to sleep.
12
The two strangers were now practically inseparable after several days. Katherine felt like quite the princess. Each morning, she would awake and take her time getting ready for her day with Alex. He was so very attentive and surprising. There was always a different vase of flowers in her room at night when she finally retired and he had kept her quite entertained through her visit so far. Katherine found that she was not into fishing as he was. However, she did enjoy sharing in his catch for their dinner that night as she praised his skills.
Romancing the Fangirl Page 8