I yanked my head back and waited a few seconds till I thought he would’ve turned around again then peeked around the corner. Sure enough, he had his back to me. I didn’t have time to catch the elevator, so I went into the stairwell, instead. I waited for a moment, my pounding heart echoing in the concrete space, but no one came after me.
When I was sure I’d gone unnoticed, I climbed up to the second floor then headed over to the main elevator and rode it to top of the line. Then I took the stairs the last flight to the penthouse level. I grabbed the door handle and yanked on it, but instead of opening, it stayed shut. It had never been locked before. Had they increased the security to protect Beau since his secret had gotten out?
I used Emma’s keycard to unlock the door and pulled it open, but as soon as I did, my eyes landed on another security guard standing beside Beau’s doorway, a guy I knew from high school. I didn’t know if that was a plus or a minus.
“Hi Lance.” I gave him a nervous smile and wave.
“Hey Cara. What are you doing up here? This is the penthouse.”
Lance had never been known for his brains; maybe I could confuse him with the truth. “Right. That’s where I’m going.”
Lance shook his head and crossed his arms over his burly chest. “You can’t; it’s off limits. I’m not supposed to let anybody in.”
“You don’t have to let me in, I have a pass, see? I’m allowed.” I waved Emma’s keycard at him.
“Calvin said no press allowed.”
My eyes widened and my body froze, praying that Beau couldn’t hear us. “I’m not press. I’m a friend of Beau’s. He asked me to come.”
Lance snorted. “You’re not his friend. He’s a famous celebrity.”
“Then why would he give me a card?”
Lance made a face like he was thinking very hard about that. Finally, he huffed and said, “I don’t know.” But he didn’t budge.
I sighed. “Look, Lance. Why don’t you just ask him?”
I folded my arms over my chest and tapped my foot as I stared at him, making it obvious I wasn’t going away. Eventually, he turned around and knocked on the door.
“Mr. Bennett? There’s someone here to see you. She says you gave her a key,” he bellowed.
The door cracked open, and Beau looked curiously at Lance. “I didn’t give anyone a—”
I quickly stepped around Lance so Beau could see me. As soon as his eyes landed on me, he smiled and pulled the door open wider. “Cara. Come on in.”
Lance gave me a befuddled look as I walked into the suite and closed the door in his face.
“I was hoping you’d come back. I missed you.” He touched my cheek and smiled that killer smile that made me feel like he was the sun and I was the only person he was shining on.
My cheeks warmed at his hand and his words. “I wasn’t sure you’d still be here.”
His dark eyebrows pinched. “Why’d you think that? Did you hear about what happened at the hospital?”
I winced, kicking myself for saying anything. Maybe if he didn’t know how quickly the news was spreading he might stay a little longer. I took so long to respond, he took it as a yes.
He shook his head and scraped his fingers through his dark hair, tugging on it nervously. “I knew it was bound to spread like wildfire. Too many people heard.”
I wanted to promise him the town would keep his secret safe, but I doubted that was true. Gossip spread around Sweet Bay like warm butter. Even if everyone only told one person each, the whole town would know about it in a few hours. No one meant any harm by it; it was just the way things worked.
“Are you going to leave?”
He signed and plopped down on the sofa. “No, not yet. If they tell the press I was here, it won’t matter if I leave. Everyone will still know I lied about going to rehab. I guess I’ll just wait and see what happens.”
Hope bubbled up in me, and I sat down next to him, wanting to be close. If he wasn’t going to leave, that meant I could spend more time with him. I couldn’t understand my own motivations. Was I still hoping to find a skeleton in his closet that I could exploit? I didn’t think so. But if I knew he wasn’t interested in a relationship, why did I want to be with him? The simple truth was, I liked him. It gave me an idea.
“You know, the fact that you visited Mallory in the hospital and your offer to fund the pediatrics department was really sweet. Maybe if the people of Sweet Bay got to know you better, they’d realize what a great guy you are and they’d want to protect you.”
He turned towards me, a surprised look on his face. “You think I’m a great guy?”
“Yeah, I do.” I sighed.
“I think you’re pretty great, too.” He smiled and reached for me, cradling my head in his hands and tilting it so he could kiss me. All the reasons I shouldn’t let him flew out of my brain, and I leaned into him.
His lips met mine softly at first, but when I opened up for him, he moved them harder against me, letting out a little moan into my mouth that made my belly clench. His hands slipped down my neck and over my shoulders, then he moved them to my hips. I gasped as he wrapped them around my waist, his firm fingers pressing against my tender flesh, holding me tightly.
My own hands lifted to his chest and slid across the broad expanse of muscles then trailed down the ripples of his abdomen. He was wearing a tee shirt, but in my mind’s eye, I was picturing the bare chest I’d seen a few times but hadn’t had the nerve to touch, even though it had tempted me. I wanted to slip my fingers under his shirt to feel his skin, but I wasn’t brave enough.
I moaned when he dropped his lips to my neck and nuzzled me there. His hands moved up my back, his fingers spreading out like he wanted to touch every inch of me. When they got to my braid, he tugged the hairband off the end then dug his fingers into my braid, pulling it apart. He ran his fingers over and over through my hair, separating the strands. Then he draped it over my shoulder and pulled back to look at it.
“I’ve been dying to do that ever since the first day I met you,” he murmured.
“You don’t like my braid?”
He grinned. “I didn’t say that. It’s cute, it suits you.”
I rolled my eyes. Cute was not what a woman wanted to be called by a gorgeous guy. Cute was what they called their little sisters. “I’m not exactly the type of girl you usually go for.”
He looked at me thoughtfully. “No, you’re not. That’s what attracted me to you. I love that you let your natural beauty shine. But your hair’s too gorgeous to be stuck in a braid all the time. Plus, I wanted to touch it and see if it felt as soft and silky as it looked.”
He stroked my hair, his fingers dangerously close to my chest. He was probably used to sleeping with every girl he went out with and maybe some that he didn’t even bother to take out. Beau made me feel things I’d never felt before, and made me want to do things I never thought I’d do. But he made everyone feel that way.
Every woman in the world was in love with him, and he was used to getting what he wanted from them. He wasn’t in love with me; I was just convenient. When his time here was over, he’d go back to Hollywood and forget all about me. Was I willing to give myself to someone who would be gone in a few days?
I stood up and quickly redid my braid. “I’m not like those other girls, Beau. I’m not interested in being a fling.”
He opened his mouth, but there was nothing he could say. He couldn’t offer me any more than that, and we both knew it. I turned away and walked to the door.
“Goodbye, Beau.” I didn’t know if it was the last time I’d see him or not, but it felt like it.
Chapter 11
Beau
My eyes drifted back and forth between my phone and the liquor on the shelf in the corner, tempted to reach for one or the other — anything that would stop the endless loop of thoughts that plagued me. If I started drinking, I could numb myself for a few hours, but I always felt worse the next day. If I called Dave, I could be back in Holl
ywood by tomorrow night.
Here, there was nothing but the four walls that felt like they were closing in on me. The only thing that brought me any joy lately was Cara, but I’d scared her off, so my hotel room felt cold and empty, just like my life. I wished I’d asked for her phone number so I could call her, try to make amends. I’d just have to wait till the morning when she came back to clean my room.
Why were evenings always so long? Late at night, it was easy to find a party or a club where I could distract myself, and after a long night partying, I’d sleep half the day away. But that time when normal people were home, enjoying their family, always dragged for me when I wasn’t busy working.
I reached for my phone, but instead of calling Dave, I opened the TMZ app to see what they were saying about me. There was a story about a rap star making a scene at a bar and another about an actor having a fight with someone, but other than a small mention in a story about Tamara breaking up with AJ that hinted she was interested in me, my name was nowhere to be found. Was it possible that the people of Sweet Bay would keep my secret? It encouraged me enough to keep me from doing anything stupid.
I managed to make it through the evening without giving into the mind-numbing temptation of the minibar, if only to avoid the look of disapproval I knew would flash across Cara’s face if she saw a bunch of empty bottles. I went to bed hours before I usually did and woke up early, then showered, dressed, and ate breakfast so I’d be ready for the day as soon as Cara arrived.
I planned to convince her to give me another chance, if only as friends. I needed company, and I wanted it to be her, even if she wasn’t interested in anything more than that. Plus, she was a challenge I couldn’t resist. No one had ever turned me down before. I had to win her over. My ego couldn’t stand the rejection.
When the knock sounded on the door, I jumped up to open it, an irrepressible smile splitting my face. It fell when I pulled the door open and saw a stranger standing there behind Cara’s cleaning cart. The young girl’s eyes bulged when she recognized me.
“You’re Beau Bennett! I heard a rumor that you were in town, but I can’t believe it’s true! What are you doing here? I’m Emma; I’m a really big fan. I’ve seen all your movies—”
“Where’s Cara?” I interrupted her. I wasn’t interested in enduring her fan-girling or answering her questions. I had my own questions.
“Cara? Oh, uh, she quit.” The girl pushed her cleaning cart into the room, and I automatically stepped aside to let her in, my thoughts whirling.
I figured I might have to persuade Cara to give me another chance, but I never expected her to quit. Was it because of me, or was something else going on that I didn’t know about?
I grabbed ahold of the cleaning cart. “What’s wrong? Is she okay? Did she get another job?”
The girl’s face tensed up in an uncomfortable grimace. “I don’t know. I guess.”
I had to talk to her, find out what was going on, and fix it if it was my fault. “Listen—” What did she say her name was? Ella, maybe? It didn’t matter. “Do you know how I can reach Cara? I really need to talk to her.”
She shook her head, setting her ponytail swinging. “I don’t have her number.”
“But you know her, right?”
The look on her face told me she did.
“It’s a small town. I’m sure you do. Please, can you help me out? I really need to talk to her.” I gave the girl my most charming smile, the one that I gave the media. It made every girl who looked at a picture of me think I was smiling right at her. It worked just as well on this girl. She grinned back at me.
“She’s probably at home. She lives in the blue house on the corner of Elm and Oak.”
“Perfect. Thanks so much, Ella.” I touched her hand and gave her another hundred-watt smile.
“Emma,” she said, staring at me dreamily.
I grabbed my hat and sunglasses and slipped past Emma, out into the hall. The security guard outside my door yanked himself upright out of his slouch when he saw me. I started to ask him if I could get a chauffeur, but then I remembered how small the town was when Calvin and I drove through it the day before. I could probably find Cara’s house on foot quicker than I could get a driver.
Excited to be doing something, I hurried down the hall, took the elevator to the ground floor, then slipped out the side door. But as soon as I got to the street and saw the cars driving by, I second-guessed myself. What was I doing, going out in public like that? Was I crazy? In LA, I’d have cameras all over me. This place was nothing like Hollywood, though. There weren’t any paparazzi in Sweet Bay. Hopefully, with my hat and sunglasses on I wouldn’t draw any attention.
I hustled down the street, keeping my head down and walking fast, but I still garnered looks. I noticed the other people were strolling casually like they had nowhere important to go and greeting each other like they knew everyone. They probably did. And I was a curiosity simply because I was a stranger. They might not have even realized I was a celebrity. I let out a nervous breath and tried to act natural.
When I passed the retro diner, I glanced in the window and saw tables full of smiling people, chatting and laughing with each other. They seemed so happy and carefree. Was that what life was like for people in the real world? I’d been caught up in the drama of high society for so long, I had no idea how normal people lived. It seemed alluringly simple and charming.
Walking down Main Street, it didn’t take long to find one of the roads Emma mentioned. Elm Street branched off of Main, going in only one direction. I quickly turned down it, chuckling at the row of elm trees that lined the street. They took their street naming seriously. Would I find a row of oaks on Oak Street? Sure enough, a giant oak stood at the corner, hiding the street sign behind its branches.
But a little, blue, clapboard cottage with peeling, white shutters caught my eye. A white scooter sat in the driveway, a pink and white polkadot helmet hanging from the handlebars. Somehow, I knew it belonged to Cara. I could picture her riding it, her strawberry blonde braid flapping behind her as she tooled around town. I jogged up to the front door and rang the bell, grinning eagerly.
The door opened, and Cara stood behind the screen wearing cute, blue and white striped boxer shorts and a blue tank top. Her eyes bugged out when she saw me, and she wrapped her arms around her middle. She glanced over my shoulder like she was expecting cameras to be following me. “Beau! What are you doing here?”
“I was looking forward to seeing you this morning, but you didn’t come. The other girl said you quit. I hope that wasn’t because of me.” I tensed and held my breath. Would she tell me to leave, or could I salvage this?
Her eyes darted back and forth nervously. “How’d you find out where I lived?”
“Are you mad? Sorry, I talked the new maid into telling me. I would’ve called, but I didn’t have your number, and she didn’t either. I really wanted to talk to you, though.”
“It’s fine, but come in before someone sees you out here. How’d you get here?” She pushed open the screen door with a screech then dragged me into the house. The screen slammed behind me. I grinned, even though I still wasn’t sure how she was feeling. At least she hadn’t turned me away.
“I walked. I figured it couldn’t be far. I didn’t want to wait to get a driver.” I took a quick glance around the living room, noting the spartan decor, but then focused my eyes on her when she tensed up. Was she embarrassed? The house was small and unimpressive, but I’d expected as much. She was a maid, after all. I didn’t care about that. I had more money than anyone I knew, but I was also the most unhappy.
“Weren’t you worried that someone would recognize you?” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. It hung full and loose, tempting me to touch it.
“A little, but I was more worried about you. Is everything okay?”
Her tight face softened. “Yeah, I’m fine. You came here just to check on me?”
I wanted to press her for answers, but they wer
en’t important enough to risk pushing her away. All that really mattered was getting her to give me another chance. I couldn’t resist taking a step closer. “I like you. I’d like to spend more time with you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and stepped back. “I told you I’m not interested in being your girl of the week.”
I put my hand on her arm, hoping my touch could warm her like it did the other day, the way her touch warmed me. “Can you just be my friend? I could use one of those.”
She sighed and gave me a look halfway between sympathy and frustration. I wasn’t sure what it meant. “I’m busy today; I promised I’d help set up for the Harbor Festival.”
“What’s the Harbor Festival?”
“It’s a big celebration the town throws every year. We have games and food and music.” She grabbed a newspaper from a stack of papers and magazines next to a recliner, flipped through till she found an advertisement for the festival, then handed it to me.
I glanced at it, but I didn’t care about the festival. All I cared about was being with her. “Sounds nice. Maybe I could help you.”
She quirked an eyebrow. “You want to help me set up for the festival?”
“Yeah, why not? I’d like to be with you.”
She stared at me like I was crazy. “But everyone will see you.”
“So? They already know I’m here. I want to take your suggestion and give the town a chance to get to know me. Maybe if they see me doing something good like helping out, they’ll be more likely to keep my secret.” And I didn’t want to wait another day to spend time with her.
She shook her head like she wished she’d never suggested it. “Okay, fine.”
A grin gradually stretched my face. Maybe I hadn’t ruined things between us after all. I’d happily collect garbage all day if it meant I could be with her.
“But don’t tell anyone how me met, okay?”
“Why not?” I blurted out then instantly wished I hadn’t when Cara tensed up and scrambled for an answer. I didn’t want to do anything to risk the tentative truce we’d come to. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. I don’t care as long as I can go with you.”
Stalking the Billionaire Celebrity (Sweet Bay Billionaires Book 2) Page 9
