L.A. Cinderella

by Amanda Berry

  “Chase?” she whispered. She groaned against his lips. He seemed determined to drive her out of her mind, and he was doing a great job of it, too. His lips moved over hers, capturing whatever she might have said. Her body exploded all around him.

  He swallowed all the sounds she made. His body tensed over her, and he let go.

  “Are you even here, Natalie?” Rachel’s voice was on the other side of the door.

  Natalie started pushing on Chase. He had to get off her before Rachel opened the door. He cuddled against her body and a little snore escaped his mouth.

  “I’m not dressed, Rachel.” That much was true. “Sorry, I…” I just had incredible sex with Chase Booker and can’t tell anyone. “I spilled ice cream all over myself.”

  The arms around her tightened. Chase rolled until she was on top of his chest. Oh, yeah, this was a much better view for Rachel. She lifted her head to glare down at him and found his laughing green eyes open.

  The urge to shove him off the bed almost overwhelmed her. She tried to scoot off his chest, but his arms held her still.

  She turned her head to watch the doorknob. Her ear was next to his mouth and she about jumped when his quiet voice whispered, “I’d lick the ice cream off for you.”

  “Oh, okay.” Rachel’s voice drifted away from the door. She must be walking away. “I’m going to head to bed. We have to talk in the morning. I can’t wait to tell you what I found out about Chase.”

  “I bet you could tell her a thing or two.” He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, sending shivers of pleasure rippling through her.

  The door to the other bedroom closed, and Natalie relaxed against Chase’s chest. Sure, she could tell Rachel that Chase was an unselfish lover. He snored. He was ticklish on his sides. His lips were as soft as velvet. He slept wrapped around her as if he never wanted to let her go. And she was hopelessly in love with him.

  She rested her head against the steady beat of his heart. One of his hands stroked down her back while the other rested in her hair. She’d been wrong. She should have stopped earlier. She should have never gone to his house. She should have turned him away at her door. She should have stopped that first kiss.

  She was too far gone now. When she thought of ending it, her lungs seized up, and she fought for air. She shivered as she thought of the long, lonely nights ahead of her. Lonely nights made worse because she knew what it was like to not be alone. To be made love to so thoroughly that no one would ever be able to replace him.

  Her eyes burned, and she took short, quick breaths to stop the flood that threatened. He rolled them to the side and lifted her chin. Seeing the concern in his eyes broke her. The tears slipped out even as she fought to hold them back.

  “What’s wrong, Natalie?” His thumb brushed aside the tears, smearing them on her cheeks.

  “Nothing.” Everything. She tried to smile and blinked back the tears. Maybe it was worth the risk. Maybe he was worth the exposure. And maybe she could have a pony, too.

  He tightened his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. “Let’s go home,” he whispered against her hair.

  Not his house. Home. The place she belonged.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Natalie sipped the hot tea Chase had made her. Wearing only his T-shirt, she sat on his kitchen counter while he cooked eggs for her on his industrial range.

  The world seemed bright and cheery this morning like nothing could touch them. He worked on the stove like a pro, cooking an omelet without a spatula, showing off by sliding it around the pan before flipping it in the air and catching it.

  “You wouldn’t do that if you had to clean up the mess.” She set the mug down and used her hands to brace herself while she leaned back.

  He glanced up at her. “I don’t make messes that I don’t clean up.” His free hand roamed tantalizingly up her thigh toward the hem of the T-shirt.

  She playfully swatted at his hand. “None of that. I need some food before another round.”

  “Thankfully, food is done.” He eased the omelet onto a plate and turned off the stove. He grabbed her waist and lifted her down to the floor.

  “My hero.” She grabbed her plate and went to the kitchen table.

  Chase joined her with a wicked smile on his face. “Eat up.”

  The man might be an Academy Award-winning actor, but he could cook one mean omelet. Of course, it helped that he had all the finest ingredients and fresh vegetables to pick from.

  The shrill ring of the phone broke the amicable silence. Chase got up and left the room to pick it up.

  A few seconds later “Glamorous” by Fergie sounded from the depths of her purse. Setting down her fork, she dug out her phone. A picture of Rachel showed on the screen.

  She hit the Talk button. “You changed my ringtone.”

  “Not now. Where are you?” Rachel’s voice was impatient.

  Natalie leaned against the wall and looked down the hall to where Chase stood talking on the phone. She could feel the silly smile on her face and didn’t care. “Having breakfast.”

  “Where?”

  “Why?”

  “Natalie, do you know what’s going on?” Rachel seemed upset by something.

  “No, what’s happened? Are you okay?” She straightened from the wall. Chase’s eyes widened as his gaze met hers.

  “That CFO Chase fired talked to some reporter and said that Chase was having an affair with someone at work.”

  Natalie’s heart stopped. She almost dropped the phone. “Do they know who?” Her voice sounded distant to her own ears.

  “They say whoever it is he’s been seeing her and Alexis. Do you want to tell me something, Natalie?” Rachel was her best friend. Natalie could hear the hurt in Rachel’s voice.

  “Where do they say Chase is?”

  Chase had set down the phone and was striding across the room toward her.

  “They think he’s at Alexis’s. At least, that’s what one report says. But another report says an eyewitness saw him get into a cab and leave Alexis. They haven’t been able to talk to the cabby yet.”

  Natalie broke out in a cold sweat. Thousands of cameras could be lined up all over the street just waiting for her to step out of his house. The delicious omelet sat like a lump in her stomach. Chase stopped in front of her.

  “I’ve got to go.” She shut the phone on Rachel’s voice.

  “They know,” she said. The illusion shattered around her. It was over. “I’ve got to go.”

  Chase grabbed her shoulders before she could walk around him. “Why?”

  What did he mean why? Didn’t he know? “They know, Chase. Martin leaked it to the press. They are probably out on the street, just waiting for me to walk out. Oh, God, they are going to take pictures of me.”

  “Natalie?” His fingers tightened on her shoulders.

  “What, Chase?” She glanced at the windows. Photographers might be lurking in the bushes, behind the trees. “Maybe they aren’t here yet. Maybe I can still get out.”

  “I talked to Alexis.”

  Her gaze shot to his. The look in his eyes didn’t alleviate her panic. This was worse than she thought.

  “She’s leaked to the paparazzi that I spent the night at her house. They’re waiting over there to talk to me. She’s putting them off, but she has to go out sometime today.”

  Relief flowed over her in a gush. “Then I can leave. I can get out before they realize you are here. No one’s going to think anything of my little Honda leaving. They’ll just think I’m the paid help.”

  “You aren’t the hired help.” His voice was forceful. “Don’t go.”

  “I can get dressed—what?” She refocused on him.

  His face was drawn tight as if he was fighting with something. “Don’t go.”

  “But if I don’t, they’ll find out.” Where was he going with this?

  “So what? Let them find out.” A hardness filled his eyes.

  She stared up at him. Her mouth parted to ask w
hy, but no sound came out.

  He closed his eyes and dropped his hands from her shoulders. “You’re right. Go get dressed. I’ll clean up down here.”

  He turned his back on her and walked to the kitchen table. She didn’t want this to end, but the situation had spiraled out of her control. She wanted to go to him and wrap her arms around his waist and say everything would be okay, but he’d already closed himself off from her.

  She drew in a breath. She had to go. There was nothing more to it. Their affair had been fun to Chase while it was hidden, but he’d realize she wasn’t what he wanted in the bright glare of the spotlight. The carefree days were over. She had to let Chase go.

  Chase slammed the refrigerator door. He wanted to throw plates across the room. He wanted to tear something apart. Instead he leaned his forehead against the stainless steel door.

  She was leaving. Damn it. He couldn’t stop her. She never wanted to be part of his world. His shrinking violet preferred the dark to the glare of the spotlight.

  He’d known that from the start. They’d both known this would happen. This time would have come eventually; he’d just thought when it happened she’d want to stay, or he’d be ready to let her go.

  He shoved away from the fridge and stormed through the house. He took the stairs two at a time until he reached the bedroom.

  She sat on the bed looking forlorn. “I found my sock.” She held it up. “But I can’t find my other shoe.” Her lower lip trembled.

  Scanning the room, his gaze fell upon the missing shoe. He scooped it up and knelt on the floor at her feet. She wouldn’t meet his eyes.

  He snatched the sock out of her loose fingers. Lifting her foot, he pulled her sock over it and then slipped on her shoe. He stood, tugging her up with him.

  She studied his chest. He tipped her face up so he could look into her brown eyes one last time. Tears swam over her eyes.

  One more taste. His lips found hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him close. Desperation tainted the kiss.

  She yanked her head away and dropped her arms. “Good-bye, Chase.” She hurried out the door.

  A pain stabbed through his chest. What if…

  He caught up to her at the bottom of the stairs. “Wait.”

  She stopped and dropped her chin to her chest. “Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”

  “How much harder can it get?” He could hear the tremor in his voice, but ignored it. All that mattered was that Natalie didn’t give up on him.

  “Please, Chase. Let me go.” She moved in the direction of the kitchen, but he blocked her. She swung around toward the front door.

  He grabbed her arm. “I love you.” The words slipped from his soul.

  She stiffened as if he’d hit her, but she didn’t meet his eyes. The words lay like a gauntlet thrown down between them. He hadn’t meant to say them. He wasn’t even sure what those words meant, but it felt right with Natalie.

  Her words were whispered to the door. “You pretend to be in love for a living.” Her arm shook under his touch. “How do you know what’s real?”

  Her words cut him to the quick. He drew her away from the door and turned her. He tilted her face up. Tears streamed down from huge eyes. Her eyes were devoid of hope. It ripped through him.

  “You’re real. What I feel is real.” How could he convince her? What more could he give her?

  She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Pretend. Make believe.” She jerked her arm from him and swiped at her cheeks. “Someone to play house with. Someone to pretend to have a normal life. You’ll never have a normal life. You’re Chase Booker, movie star, producer—”

  “I’m a man, dammit.” Chase could feel the years slip away, and he was that teenage boy trying to explain to his girlfriend to ignore the cameras. They didn’t matter. Only the two of them did.

  Natalie tried to walk past him to go to the garage again, but he blocked her way. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She jerked away with tears in her eyes, pressing her fingers to her lips.

  “We can’t, Chase. We can’t be in love. We don’t live in the same world.” She spun and yanked open the front door.

  “Fine.” He wouldn’t crucify himself anymore. If she wanted to leave, she’d leave. If his love wasn’t enough to keep her, she could go.

  Her shoulders slumped and she nodded. She glanced back over her shoulder at him, but he maintained a look of indifference. He’d begged enough.

  As she looked forward again, a flash went off.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Back to our catch of the day,” the television blared. “It would appear Alexis Brandt has been replaced by a younger woman. Photographers got these pictures of the young woman leaving Chase’s house earlier today. The woman hasn’t been identified yet. Friday, allegations of an office romance had been released by Pandora Productions’ ex-CFO, Martin Morrison.”

  The TV showed Natalie’s Honda Fit racing out of Chase’s driveway. What it didn’t show was that she’d managed to get away before anyone was able to hop into their cars. She’d driven around a little before returning home, just in case.

  Why had she gone out the front door? Because she couldn’t stand to walk around Chase and through his house to escape. Because if she’d walked through his house, he might have changed her mind, and she would have stayed.

  “We don’t have to watch.” Rachel plopped down on the couch next to her and handed her a bucket of Cherry Garcia ice cream and a spoon. Rachel swiped at the used tissues that littered the couch and the floor.

  “I know.” Her insides were hollow. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. Chase had told her he loved her, and she’d thrown it back in his face. Because she thought it was for the best.

  “Do you want to talk about it?” Rachel straightened the blanket over Natalie’s legs.

  “No.” The tears overflowed her eyes again. It hadn’t been for the best, because the paparazzi were going to figure out who she was. She couldn’t avoid work. She’d promised Chase she would carry the workload until they could hire a CFO.

  “Wanna watch a movie?”

  “No.” Her favorite movie that saw her through the bad times would never be the same again. She couldn’t watch Chase on the screen and not remember those same eyes staring into hers, that body pressed against hers, those words…. Those simple words that meant everything to her, but weren’t enough.

  Natalie and Rachel decided if she wore her glasses maybe the swarms of paparazzi wouldn’t be able to recognize her. She’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail. It had been down when she’d left Saturday morning and had obscured part of her face.

  Natalie could barely breathe let alone walk and talk. A sense of numbness surrounded her. She borrowed Rachel’s car to get to work.

  When she pulled up to Pandora Productions, it was worse than she’d imagined. A crew from E! stood outside recording an intro piece. The parking lot was filled with photographers leaning against their cars waiting.

  She hoped they wouldn’t realize she was the woman they were waiting for. She parked the car and steadied herself. Pushing her glasses up her nose, she walked toward the door.

  “Chase Booker and Robert Addler brought allegations of fraud against their CFO on Friday morning.”

  She breezed past the camera crew and made it through the door. The receptionist glanced up at her and went back to the computer screen.

  Shrugging her purse back over her shoulder, Natalie shuffled down the hallway to her desk. She flipped on the computer and glanced around. No one felt the urge to strut this morning, which suited Natalie just fine. She didn’t need to be reminded she wasn’t tall, thin and gorgeous on top of everything else.

  Her water bottle was empty, but there was no way she was going to pass by Chase’s office to get more water. What if he was in there? She had to pretend he didn’t matter.

  She opened her e-mail, and the computer downloaded two messages. Both were from Jared Anderson. Sighing, she
clicked on the first one. It was his contact information, along with a note of how they’d talked on the phone.

  She closed it and opened the second one, which had been sent this morning. If you need to talk, you know where to find me. She deleted the e-mail. It was inevitable that people would put two and two together and figure out she was the one Chase had been seeing.

  But she wasn’t going to help them along. She pulled a stack of invoices over and started to enter them into the computer. She needed to keep herself busy.

  Walking into Pandora had been a nightmare of saying “No comment” and “I have nothing to say.” His sunglasses helped to hide the rings under his eyes from his sleepless night.

  He’d already told his publicity director to give no comments. Alexis had agreed to keep Natalie’s name a secret as long as she could say that she dumped him and the office worker was a rebound. He hadn’t cared. Business as usual.

  The receptionist glanced up and gave him a wan smile before returning to her work. He walked up to her and waited for her to hang up the phone.

  “Hold all my calls. If anyone asks, Robert and I will have a press release this afternoon about Martin’s departure.” He’d been so wrapped up in Natalie that he hadn’t even thought about firing Martin, which had served to increase the number of reporters outside.

  “Yes, sir.” She dropped her eyes back to the computer screen and answered the line.

  He straightened his shoulders. Natalie would be here already. He had to keep her secret for as long as possible. The hallway was mostly empty as he walked toward his office.

  He glanced nonchalantly toward Natalie’s desk. Her head was bent over some papers and her glasses dangled on the tip of her nose. He almost stumbled, but ripped his gaze from her and continued forward.

  Taking a deep breath, he unlocked his office. Ten minutes after he settled behind his desk to read a script, Robert came in.