Mending The Billionaire Movie Star (MacLachlan Brothers Romance Book 1)

by Bree Livingston

  He tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek, and as he did, she closed her eyes and sighed, pressing her face into his hand. This was it. This was the peace he’d been missing. Someone as lost in him as he was in them.

  Pressing his lips to her forehead, he held them there, reveling in the feel of her body so close. He’d nearly forgotten the cameras watching them in the distance, detailing every movement, but at this point, he didn’t even care.

  He leaned back and smiled at her. Peace. The one thing he’d didn’t realize he’d been searching for all this time. He was at peace.

  Penelope’s gaze roamed over his face, and the bubble they were in grew thicker, drowning out everything but the pounding of his heart. She reached a tentative hand toward him.

  Angus closed his eyes as she caressed his cheek with the back of her hand. Then her fingertips traveled from the side of his face to his lips, followed by the feathery touch of her lips until they hovered so near his mouth that it was torture.

  When she hesitated, he opened his eyes and found her staring at him, lips parted. The smell of her sweet breath mingled with the salty air, giving him goosebumps. The anticipation was creating such a need for her that he doubted she would ever be able to quench it.

  She combed her fingers through his hair, and then she brushed her lips across his twice before melting into him. The slow, intoxicating way she kissed him was unlike anything he’d ever experienced, and he couldn’t stop the low, throaty moan that escaped.

  It had been so long since a woman had made him feel wanted or needed. Cared for and treasured. And he did feel treasured by her. Not because of what he could give her, but because he was Angus, something he thought he’d never feel from anyone.

  Her soft, fiery kiss made his heart thrum in his ears, and he pulled her closer. Angus wanted all of her.

  Long before he was ready for it to end, Penelope pulled away, breathless, and whispered, “I kissed you again.”

  His lungs screamed for air as he touched his forehead to hers. “I’m not complaining.”

  “Just because I asked you a few questions doesn’t mean I know you.”

  Angus leaned back. “Then ask more.”

  She froze for a split second. “I can’t think of any more.”

  With a low chuckle, he said, “I believe that means it’s my turn.”

  “I guess so.”

  He wanted nothing more than to taste her again, and his mind headed in a direction that a cold shower would do little to fix. Angus mustered some self-control. “The day after tomorrow, we get to spend the day together. We’ll pick this back up then, okay?” He brushed his fingertips across her cheek, into her windblown hair, and tucked a piece of it behind her ear.

  Holding his gaze, she said, “Okay.” The breathless word made him regret calling an end to the evening.

  “I’ll walk you to your room if you’re ready to go back.”

  “That’s probably a good idea.”

  Taking her hand, Angus pulled her up with him. When he dropped her off at her room, she slipped behind the door, and he walked to his room with his heart racing and a smile on his face. When he’d decided to join her that first night on the beach, he had no idea he’d be standing on a slippery precipice in a matter of days. But he was. Penelope had tilted his world and was quickly changing his thoughts on how he wanted the show to end.

  He was falling for Penelope. All he wanted now was a soft landing.

  Chapter 31

  The alarm clock screamed, and Penelope slapped a hand over it to shut it up. Her late night—she had no idea what to call it—with Angus had messed with her routine. Tomorrow would be her date with Angus, and she didn’t know if she was looking forward to it or dreading it. Her heart sped up, making the decision even more confusing.

  She hoped Barb got Amber back, the horrible woman. Why would someone do that to another? Because of a show? A man? It made no sense to Penelope.

  Instead of fixing an omelet, she was going to scramble some eggs and head out to the beach while it was still dark. She hurried to the kitchen and started the coffee brewing while she quickly stirred the eggs. She’d make sure she left enough coffee for Jeff when he woke up.

  “Hey,” Jeff said as he stumbled into the kitchen.

  “Why are you up?”

  He shrugged. “There’s an alarm anytime a bedroom door opens. Remember?”

  “Oh yeah. I’m so sorry. I completely forgot.”

  He chuckled. “Now you really owe me an omelet when we get back.”

  With a laugh, she poured them both some coffee. Her plan to sit on the beach was busted, but she didn’t mind talking to Jeff. “I’ll make yours the best I’ve ever conjured up.” The freshly cooked eggs were hot, so she blew on them and took a few bites.

  Jeff blew on his black coffee and took a sip. “By the time we get back to the lodge, I’ll be so done with donuts and junk that an omelet will taste like the best thing in the world.”

  “Why not here?”

  “Eh, we’re so close to the end of this segment, we’ll just wait.”

  Penelope shrugged. “Okay,” said, dousing her coffee with a generous pour of creamer. She took a small sip, making sure she’d added enough cream and sugar substitute. It tasted weirdly herbal on her tongue, but coffee usually tasted funny to her when she drank it after eating eggs without washing them down with water first. As she stuck the creamer back in the fridge, she took a big drink and set the cup down.

  Jeff grinned as the steam billowed from his cup. “The crew is excited about the promise of omelets too. Most of the past week, we’ve talked about what we want in our omelets when we get back.”

  “Well, remember to tell Barb. I can’t cook what I don’t have. I’d make them now if I had the supplies.”

  He perched on a stool across from her. “Are you starting to feel more comfortable with all the filming?”

  “No, not really. I know you guys have been out there filming at night.”

  Jeff held up his hands. “Don’t hate me. I’m just doing my job.”

  “I don’t hate you. And I know it’s your job. It just feels weird being filmed. Everything I say and do caught on camera for the world to see.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Penelope was going to respond, but her breath caught in her throat. She braced herself against the island. “I don’t feel good all of a sudden.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  She held her midsection as her stomach roiled. “I feel sick to my stomach. I’m going back to my room.”

  “Sure. Do you want me to tell Angus?”

  She pursed her lips. “No.”

  Jeff tried to stifle a laugh and failed. “Okay.”

  Back in her room, Penelope crawled onto the bed and held her stomach. She’d been fine, and then wham. Now it wasn’t just her stomach, it was her whole midsection that hurt. Painful cramps laced down the sides of her torso and into her back.

  She rushed to the bathroom and threw up until there was nothing left. The cramps returned, even more painful, and she lay down on the cool tile of the bathroom. If she didn’t feel better by tomorrow, she’d miss her day with Angus, and she didn’t want to miss it. Not now. Not when there was a chance she could kiss him again.

  Oh, she was really sick.

  Again, the urge to vomit hit her, and she hurried off the floor and doubled over the toilet. She grabbed a towel and wiped her mouth as she poured herself a glass of water and took a gulp. The moment it hit her stomach, she threw up again. When she stopped, she slid down the wall and lay on the floor once more.

  The muscles in her stomach twitched and spasmed. It was becoming so painful that her eyes watered. Her mouth was dry, and she wanted another glass of water. But each time she threw up, it was more violent than the last.

  Penelope looked out through the bathroom door. The sun was just beginning to pour in through the window. She must have been in the bathroom longer than she realized.

 
A spasm hit her, and she curled into a ball, groaning. The coffee had tasted funny. She wondered if the creamer was bad. Once she could stand up straight, she’d go check it out.

  “Penelope?” Amber called from the open doorway of her bedroom.

  “Yes,” Penelope ground out.

  “Are you okay? I heard you throwing up.”

  “I think I drank bad creamer.” She whimpered and held her stomach.

  “What’s going on?” Angus asked as he walked in beside Amber.

  “She had some bad creamer. I think we should leave her alone.”

  Maybe Zora and Amber were playing a prank on her because they were sick of her being so temperamental. Or more likely because Angus actually seemed interested in her. Amber had already tried something, so it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. But would she stoop so low? No, it was more likely that the creamer was bad.

  The pain in her stomach eased, and as she groaned, she pushed herself into a sitting position, leaning her head against the wall. It still hurt, but the intensity had died down for the moment.

  Angus walked into the bathroom and squatted in front of her. His eyebrows knitted together, his gaze raking over her face. “Are you okay?”

  “I think so.”

  “See, she just needs some time to herself,” Amber said in an exasperated tone.

  “I’ll be fi—” Before she could finish the sentence, another cramp hit her. She braced one hand against the floor as she held her stomach with the other.

  “She’s in a lot of pain for bad creamer.” Angus swept her off the floor and into his arms. Putting his lips to her ear as he took her to her bed, he whispered, “Hold on, we’ll find out what’s going on.”

  Penelope rolled to her side as he laid her down, facing the door while she continued to hold her stomach.

  “What’s happening?” Barb briskly walked into the room. “Jeff said Penelope doesn’t feel good.”

  “I don’t know. Can you get a doctor?” Angus said as he sat beside her.

  Penelope grabbed his wrist. “No, I’ll be fine.”

  “What’s with all the noise?” Zora asked from Penelope’s open bedroom door. Jeanie stood next to her, looking concerned.

  Zora rolled her eyes and looked at Amber, who had her arms crossed over her chest. “Well, if it isn’t Penelope causing drama,” Zora said.

  Barb turned and addressed the three women. “Ladies, if you could give us some space, that’d be great.”

  “I’m sorry she’s not feeling well,” Jeanie said she stepped out of the room with Zora and Amber following, but still looking on.

  Angus hovered over her, his eyebrows drawn together. “When did you start feeling bad?”

  Penelope took a deep breath. “Just a bit ago. I felt fine when I woke up. Nothing out of the ordinary. I made coffee, and I’d taken a few bites of eggs.”

  “Did you eat or drink anything out of the ordinary? Any spices you don’t normally use?” asked Barb.

  “No, but my coffee tasted funny this morning. It had a weird herbal aftertaste, but I just thought it was from me leaving it open.”

  Angus looked at Barb and back to Penelope. He had looked worried, and now he looked fearful. “Wait. It was open? Did you leave it open?” he asked.

  Penelope shrugged and grimaced as the pain returned. Her stomach felt like it was being stabbed with knives. “Yeah. I probably left it open from yesterday, though.” Her voice was strained.

  “Do you remember if you did or not?” Barb asked as she put her phone to her ear. “Jeff, get me the doctor.”

  “I didn’t think I had, but I know some of the crew drink coffee too, and they use the creamer. It was probably just an acci—”

  Barb’s voice was muffled as the next spasm hit with such a force that it left her gasping for air. Penelope curled into a tight ball as tears poured down her cheeks.

  Angus leaned over her and again put his lips to her ears. “How can I help you? What can I do?”

  Her vision was cloudy, but she could see clear enough as Zora and Amber zeroed in on how attentive Angus was toward her. “They’re watching,” she said through clenched teeth.

  He glanced in their direction briefly. “Let them.”

  Penelope couldn’t let him do it. Not when his career was on the line. “Angus, no,” she said taking his hand and squeezing it. “This is good.”

  Leaning back, he clenched his jaw. He moved to shield her from the prying eyes and held her gaze. He covered her hand with his other. “Not good enough for me.”

  After treating him so terrible, calling him a liar, this was how he responded? Compassionate and sweet? She’d been so wrong about him.

  Whatever was causing her stomach to hurt needed to go away. Her day with Angus was tomorrow, and for the first time, she looked forward to being alone with him.

  Chapter 32

  The show’s doctor, Harold Yanko, sat on the edge of the bed beside Penelope. There’d been no need for him before now, and Angus was grateful Barb had been insistent on having him travel with them to Hawaii.

  When Doctor Yanko had arrived, he’d immediately started an IV on Penelope to help rehydrate her. He’d also given her something for the pain, and she was finally resting peacefully.

  “I don’t think that was bad creamer, Barb.” Angus had his arms crossed over his chest and chewed on his thumb as he stood in the hallway just outside Penelope’s room.

  “I gave the creamer to security. They took it to the police, and a lab is testing it. If it was poisoned, that means your stalker has changed things. We’re going to have to be extra careful.”

  “Why would someone who is stalking me go after Penelope?” he whispered.

  “Love, we’re filming, and it’s not a secret. They see the two of you together every episode,” Barb said. “Sweetheart, this show isn’t about you picking one of these women anymore. The feedback we’re getting, the things being said on social media, says they love you and Penelope.”

  “So you think the stalker…”

  “Is jealous and, this time, dangerous. Willing to go after anyone who might be the subject of your affection.”

  Angus’s heart dropped to the floor. Penelope was in the crosshairs of a lunatic because he had feelings for her.

  The doctor finished with his examination, took out her IV, and joined them in the hallway.

  “Is she okay?” asked Angus.

  “She seems fine now. At this point, she might have had a really bad stomachache.”

  Angus glanced at Barb. “That seemed like an abnormal amount of pain for a generic stomachache,” he said.

  The doctor nodded. “I’m wondering about that too, but with her history of allergic reactions, it’s possible it was just a bad reaction to the sugar substitute she put in her coffee. People have been known to develop an allergy to them, and they can come on pretty suddenly. I’ve got a blood sample, and I’m going to send it out for testing just to be on the safe side.”

  “Do you have any idea when you’ll get the results back?” asked Barb.

  “I don’t, but for the time being, keep her hydrated and make sure she rests.”

  “I’ll keep an eye on her,” Angus said.

  “If she continues to have pain or anything changes, take her to the emergency room. Call me, and I’ll meet you there so I can monitor her and do a full workup to find out what’s going on.”

  “Thank you, Doctor,” Barb said.

  Once the doctor was gone, Angus turned to Barb. “Could you give me some space for the day?”

  Barb smiled. “I could arrange a fabulous shopping trip and spa day.”

  “And no filming? It’s not right to film her when she’s sick. I know you’d get big ratings, but…”

  “I’ll tell Jeff to have a mishap with the film.”

  He took her hand and squeezed it. “Thank you, Barb.”

  She patted his cheek. “The only man in the world who could get me to do it.”

  A few moments later, Zo
ra, Jeanie, and Amber quietly joined them in the hallway. When the doctor arrived, Barb has asked them to wait in their rooms.

  “I’m so sorry,” Jeanie said.

  Shrugging, Amber said, “I thought she was overreacting.”

  “Yeah.” Zora nodded as she looked at Penelope. “I’ve never seen anything like that before. She was writhing in pain.”

  Angus caught the statement and glanced at Barb. That was interesting for someone who was a nurse. She lifted an eyebrow and pursed her lips, and he nodded in acknowledgment. For the moment, they both let it go like they hadn’t heard her.

  Penelope moaned and rolled onto her side, facing the wall.

  “Poor girl. I feel so bad.” Amber sighed. “I’m sorry I was a jerk to her. I’ll tell her when she wakes up. I was terrible.”

  “Did the doctor say what it was?” asked Jeanie, tilting her head. Of all of them, it seemed she actually cared.

  “No,” replied Angus.

  Barb shared a look with Angus. “I don’t know about you ladies, but I could use some retail therapy.”

  “What about Penelope?” asked Jeanie.

  “She needs rest, and a quiet house will go a long way to giving her that. Plus, I’m not comfortable filming her while she’s sick. I’m a lot of things, but heartless isn’t one of them. The film crew will be following you three while you spend the day shopping. No better way to bond than shopping.” Barb cast Angus a side-glance.

  And that was why he loved Barb. She did have a heart. One of the few people in his circle who did.

  “Is Angus coming?” Zora asked.

  Shopping? Even if Penelope wasn’t sick, that would be a fork in the eye.

  “He has a meeting he has to attend later this evening,” Barb said.

  Never had he been more grateful for her quick thinking.

  Zora eyed her. “A meeting, huh? What kind of meeting?” And she was back. Zora was the witch’s apple. Beautiful on the outside and nothing but poison on the inside.

  Barb smiled. “I’ve been holding off on this news, but he’s had studios calling. One, in particular, is in preliminary talks about a new movie in the pipeline. Angus is their first choice.”