What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG)

by CJ Roberts

  “Yeah, well. I bet that’s only because it’s a crime to sell Rohypnol, and they want to know where Summer got it.”

  “I don’t think you realize how much pressure is on them from the press and your fans to solve this.”

  Nic turned to her. “Listen, chérie, I appreciate you wanting to help.” He paused and she was struck by the regret in his eyes. “But it would literally kill me if anything happened to you or Jason.”

  Lauren’s heart stalled. “Do you really think he’s in danger?”

  “Anyone associated with me is in danger.”

  She didn’t agree with him but she could at least reassure him about Jason’s safety. “Jason’s fine. School lets out tomorrow, and then he’ll be with my parents for a few weeks. My father’s a former policeman on Chicago’s South Side. Believe me, Jason couldn’t be any safer. My dad won’t let anything happen to his grandson.”

  Visibly relieved, Nic let out a long sigh. Hope sparked deep in Lauren’s chest. Maybe she’d misread his reaction to seeing her?

  Looking at her as if puzzled by something, Nic asked, “You said you arrived this afternoon? Have you been in my room before now?”

  Where was this going? “I was here when you woke up earlier.”

  “Did I see you?”

  “For a few minutes, yes.” Oh God. A thought hit her like a punch to the gut. What if he’d been acting affectionate because he’d still been under the influence of the Rohypnol? She was such an idiot.

  “And you weren’t here last night, right?”

  Nic’s question took her by surprise. Did he think she had something to do with his being drugged? “What’s this about, Nic?”

  “Nothing.” He turned away quickly.

  How she wished she could read his thoughts. “Come on, you can tell me.”

  “Everything’s all confused in my head. I don’t know what’s a memory and what’s a hallucination.”

  “If you tell me what you think you remember about me, I can tell you if it really happened.”

  He stared out into the dark expanse of the room’s single window for a full minute. Afraid to spook him, she remained silent, her expression carefully blank. He turned and peered at her.

  Lauren sank into the blue of his eyes, metal to his magnet. The doubt and confusion on his face compelled her to press her hand on top of his where it lay on the mattress.

  Turning his hand up so they were palm to palm, he held her fingers and raised them to his lips. While maintaining her gaze and his hold on her hand, he murmured, “In my mind, I see us making love.”

  Lauren blushed as her fantasies rushed through her mind. At the same time, she felt ridiculously pleased.

  Nic was attracted to her.

  His earlier words were a lie. He’d been putting on an act to protect her. Excitement thrummed in her veins. “In my mind, I’ve seen us making love many times.”

  Nic’s eyes widened and a grin spread across his face. Then all too quickly, his expression turned serious again. “But then, what? Was it a dream? A hallucination? Or did I actually…?” He shook his head and clamped his mouth shut.

  Reaching over, she cupped their entwined hands and raised them to her own lips. “It doesn’t matter. Just think about tomorrow, think about going home.” Nic groaned and pulled his hand from hers, leaving Lauren disappointed. “What is it?”

  “My loft. It’s going to smell like someone died in there. I’m not sure I can deal with that yet. Maybe I’ll stay with Vivian until I can get a service to clean the place up.”

  The thought of Nic staying with Vivian, even for a few days, made Lauren squirm. Vivian may have saved his life, and she was his best friend. But Lauren definitely wanted Nic for herself.

  “Don’t worry. I already cleaned it.”

  Nic’s brow wrinkled. “How did you get in? How did you even know where I live?”

  Uh-oh. Those weren’t exclamations of joy. “I suggested it to Kaden, and he went with me. I wanted to surprise you.”

  A flurry of expressions flashed across Nic’s face. Was his address some kind of state secret? For a few dollars you could get a tour passing by movie stars’ homes. Then again, his definitely hadn’t been the luxury Beverly Hills mansion she’d been expecting. Although large and well appointed, Nic’s loft was actually in one of the more industrial parts of town and probably not a stop on any tour.

  He let out a long ragged breath. “No one’s ever been to my home except Vivian and Kaden, and now… you.” And no doubt Summer had been there too, but Lauren wasn’t going to bring it up. Nic would come to that conclusion on his own, when he was ready to accept what had happened.

  Nic yawned and Lauren chuckled at his little-boy-well-past-his-bedtime look. “Why don’t you get some sleep?” She smiled and turned to leave.

  “Stay.” He held out his hand. “Until I fall asleep…” When she moved to sit down in the chair, he tugged on her fingers, pulling her to the bed. “Not there. Here.”

  Lauren wrapped her arm around his waist, holding him tight. The beat of his heart and the sound of his steady breathing soothed her. Once again, she was exactly where she wanted to be, where she needed to be.

  Even though their defiance put her in the stalker’s sights. Dead center.

  “Here’s your breakfast, Mr. Lamoureux.” The nurse set his tray on the bedside table. “Don’t you look handsome this morning.”

  “I always dress up for a pretty lady.” Nic winked at the round-faced, fifty-something nurse whose lips seemed permanently curved into a smile.

  Her cheeks colored. “My, my. What a charmer.” Nic chuckled when she added an extra bit of swing to her walk as she left the room. Over her shoulder, she added, “The doctor will be here in a few minutes to sign your release papers.”

  Thanks to Lauren, he could go straight home after the press conference. A smile tugged at his lips. He’d fallen asleep with her in his arms. Her warm body pressed against his and her head on his heart had felt right. Unbelievably right.

  Taking a sip of the bitter hospital coffee, he grimaced and remembered the strong, rich taste of the coffee he’d shared with Lauren. Was it only last weekend? Although he hadn’t known her long, he felt a sense of peace when she was around, a sense of belonging, as if he’d known her forever. He wanted to find out where this connection between them would lead.

  Fuck the stalker.

  Fuck the fear.

  Lauren had taken the first step; she’d come to L.A. despite the stalker’s threats. Now the puck was in his offensive zone. Since Jason was with his grandparents, maybe Lauren could stay with him for a few weeks. Between the two of them, he and Kaden could protect her. And they could finally spend some time together.

  Just then the object of his thoughts sauntered into the room, a cup of take-out coffee in each hand.

  “Tell me that’s Starbucks.”

  She smiled, turning the cup to show him the logo. “As a self-respecting Seattleite, I couldn’t let you start the day without a grande house blend, one sugar, one cream.”

  With one hand, he pushed away the hospital tray and with the other, eagerly reached for the coffee. And caught her eyeing his bottom half.

  “Like the pants?”

  She grinned. “Oh, yeah.”

  He grinned back. She’d like what was under the leather even better. But that would have to wait.

  Eyes closed, he inhaled the aroma of the full-bodied coffee, and took a sip. “This is so good.” When he opened his eyes, Lauren was staring at his face. Her eyes had gone soft, and the lust in her expression almost drove him to his knees. “I can’t wait to get out of here,” he groaned.

  She swallowed visibly then dropped into the chair beside his bed. He set his cup on the table and slid his gaze to her. “I was wondering. How long are you planning on staying in L.A.?”

  When she frowned, he rushed to add, “I was thinking if you were planning to stay a while… hotels are pretty expensive… and… umm… maybe you could stay with me?” Ch
rist, could he sound like more of a moron?

  Lauren tilted her head to the side, her brow slightly puckered. “Didn’t you tell me last night you liked to keep your place private?”

  “Yes, but you’ve already been there.”

  “I see,” she said, although it was clear she didn’t.

  “It’ll be easier to protect you if you’re staying with me. I can ask Kaden to watch us full time and…” He trailed off with a frustrated sigh. Leaning his head against the pillows, he closed his eyes and tried again. “What I’m trying to say is that I’d like you to stay with me for a few weeks. I do think it would be safer for you, but it’s not just that. I want to spend some time with you.” He opened his eyes. Something he’d said must have sounded good because she was smiling at him again.

  “I’ll stay. But only for a week. That’s all the vacation time I’ve got.”

  Good enough. With a wide grin, he tugged on her hand until she leaned over him. When their lips were almost touching, he looked deep into her gorgeous blue-green eyes and whispered, “I really like you.”

  He threaded the fingers of his free hand through her silky hair to cradle the back of her neck and closed the gap. Their lips met in a soft kiss. He yearned for more, so much more. A moan rose from deep in his chest as he let go of her hand to grasp her waist, pulling her completely on top of him. At last. This is where he wanted her to be, covering him, like a warm blanket.

  With a sigh of her own, Lauren began nibbling on his earlobe. Oh God, that felt so good. A quiver ran up his spine and his toes curled. He spread his thighs and pulled up his knees, pressing her more intimately against his cock, now almost painfully hard. Her hands, running through his hair and caressing his neck and shoulders, drove him crazy with want. She swirled her tongue around the folds of his ear, making him groan.

  Unable to stand the torture, he pulled her head back to his mouth and licked her lips. She opened up and their tongues met, dancing and curling around each other. His head was going to explode. Her jeans had to come off and she had to be under him. Now. He reached for her zipper as someone coughed in the doorway.

  Shit. Whenever he managed to get Lauren in his arms, the rest of the world faded away. He rested his forehead against hers, pleased she was breathing as hard as he was. After a final small kiss, he whispered against her ear, “We’ll continue this later.”

  He turned his head to see Detectives Anderson and Becker. “Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Lamoureux.” With an incline of his head toward Lauren, Anderson added, “Ms. James.” Nic laughed as she scampered off the bed, quickly adjusting her clothing. But his laughter died when the detectives’ grim expressions registered.

  Once they were all settled, Becker asked, “Have you seen the morning news?”

  Their poker faces revealed nothing. “What’s this about, Detective?”

  Becker reached into his sports jacket, pulled out a rolled up newspaper, and handed it to Nic. “This photograph was posted on CelebrityStalker late last night and then picked up by every rag in the country. All the entertainment channels are running it ad nauseum. You’re a very hot topic today, Mr. Lamoureux.”

  Nic laid the paper on his lap so Lauren could see it too. When he got a good look, he swore and slapped his hand over it. He appeared to be naked with Summer, in all her nude glory, straddling his lap.

  “It’s all right, Nic.” She nudged his hand out of the way. “Let me see.”

  When he reluctantly removed his hand, she gasped. “You shouldn’t have to see this,” he said.

  “No, no.” She waved away his apology. “Look at it. Your forehead’s bleeding, your eyes are closed, and she’s holding your hands.” She rubbed his shoulder. “This was taken while you were drugged.”

  Anderson nodded and put together the pieces for them. “Based on the evidence, she managed to get you home before you passed out. We found traces of blood on the headboard where you probably hit your forehead falling onto the bed. We believe she used a camera with a timer.”

  Looking at the photograph again, Nic replaced Summer’s face with Lauren’s. A sickening jolt hit him in the stomach. The picture matched the image he’d had of him and Lauren making love. He touched his forehead where the cut was almost healed. Had he hallucinated making love with Lauren while having sex with Summer? Christ. “Did I have sex with her?”

  “We can’t be certain, but we haven’t found any evidence of it. We lifted prints in your room, which we’ve identified as belonging to you, to Ms. Carmichael, and a third pair we expect will belong to Ms. Rayne, but we can’t confirm that until we find her.”

  Nic risked a glance at Lauren. She took his hand and sent him a small, shaky smile before turning to the detectives. “Don’t you think that’s odd? I mean, where is she?”

  He squeezed her hand, grateful for the support. “And who posted the picture?” he asked. Maybe Summer and NicsBitch were the same person.

  Anderson shook his head. “We don’t have all the answers yet. But let me assure you, we’re doing everything we can to find her and to track down the person who posted the photograph.”

  Becker took a notepad out of his pocket and flipped it open. “Mr. Lamoureux, are you in a relationship with Ms. Rayne? We know she accompanied you to the footprint ceremony.”

  Nic met the man’s gaze. “Vivian arranges dates for me when I need to go to publicity events. I’d never met Summer before that night.”

  “And since then?”

  “Nothing other than meeting her at Taylors.”

  “Can you think of any reason why she might have done this?” Anderson asked.

  Nic shot a surreptitious glance at Lauren and cupped her hand in his. Despite the paleness of her face and the tension around her mouth and eyes, she was still sitting in the chair. Most of the women he’d dated, the Hollywood starlets, would have run out of the room by now, afraid to be tainted by this scandal. But Lauren, single mom, department store photographer, remained by his side, even defending him. He owed it to her to be honest.

  “After the footprint ceremony, Summer made me an offer and I turned her down.”

  “What kind of offer, Mr. Lamoureux?” Becker pressed.

  Nic took a deep breath. “Sex.” Becker raised his eyebrows but didn’t otherwise react.

  “Did Ms. Rayne seem upset?” Anderson asked.

  “When I turned her down, she was pissed. But at Taylors, she seemed surprisingly friendly, now that I think about it.” He snorted in disgust. Christ, he’d been naïve. “I should have suspected she was up to something.”

  Lauren scoffed. “Why? You’re a good person Nic, and good people don’t go around expecting other people to do bad things.”

  Nic squirmed as doubt wormed up his spine. If she found out what had happened to Rachel, she wouldn’t think he was such a good person. Could he ever tell her what he’d done?

  The detectives stood, jolting him from his thoughts. After shaking hands with both him and Lauren, they left.

  A smile lit up Lauren’s face. “Cheer up. You’re going home.”

  Images of what he would do with her flashed in front of his eyes. He answered her smile with a wide grin. “And you’re coming with me.”

  Once he had her alone and naked, they’d both be coming.

  10

  Nic smiled as he spoke into the phone. “Rachel, I’m fine. The drugs have completely worn off.”

  “So, you’re going home today?”

  “After the press conference.”

  “You won’t be alone, will you?”

  “No.” Lauren was coming home with him. He almost couldn’t believe it. Since she’d agreed, his mind had been swirling—them in his bed, against the wall, in the shower…

  “Nic?”

  “Yes?”

  “You sound strangely happy for someone who was drugged against his will.”

  “Let’s just say, I got a visit from a friend.”

  “Oh! Lauren came to see you.”

  He couldn’t keep the
joy from his voice. “She’s staying in L.A. for a week.”

  “I have a good feeling about her.”

  Just then Vivian stormed in. “Rachel, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you tonight.”

  When he hung up, Vivian slapped a newspaper with the photo of him and Summer onto the bed. “Why are you so happy? Did you see this?”

  His good mood evaporated like ice on a hot day. “Unfortunately. The detectives were here earlier to discuss it.”

  She grabbed the paper up and tore it in two. After dropping the pieces in the trash, she crossed her arms and turned to face him. “The nerve of that woman! I can’t believe she did this to us… to you, I mean.”

  Nic ignored the slip. Vivian was hurting too. “She won’t get away with it.”

  “The police will find her.”

  “The police don’t give a shit. I’m going to find her, before things get any worse.”

  “Darling, I don’t think that’s safe.”

  “Why the fuck not? I can handle her.” Vivian arched a brow. “I won’t let my guard down again.”

  “The woman’s obviously crazy. Who knows what she’ll do next.”

  He shook his head. “There won’t be a next time.”

  She patted his arm. “At least make sure Kaden is with you.”

  He bit back a retort but couldn’t resist shrugging her hand off him. Did she think he was a freaking pansy? “He’s already agreed to stay at my place until we find Summer.”

  “Good. I’m glad you won’t be alone.”

  An image of Lauren sprawled across his bed came to mind. Nic barely suppressed a smile. “So,” he said, changing the subject. “What’s the plan for this press conference?” Answering questions about being drugged sounded like torture.

  “We’re going to present our side. People expect sex from you, but they don’t expect drugs. We need to make it clear she drugged you, and you’re not just some Hollywood celebrity indulging in a bit of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.”

  Message received. The press would be on him like rats on cheese if he didn’t give them something to chew on. He pointed to a garment bag draped across one of the guest chairs. “Is that a change of clothes? I can’t go to the conference in leather pants.”