by CJ Roberts
“You know I think of everything.” He grabbed the bag, and as he passed by her, she stopped him with a touch. “Everything will be fine, darling.”
A glance in the bathroom mirror told him his appearance was not up to Nic The Lover standards. Quickly, he shaved, showered and dressed in his favorite Hugo Boss suit. Somehow Vivian had intuited this was the one he’d want to wear to the press conference. How well she knew him.
Shoving his things back into the dopp kit, he spotted the bottle of Armani. Lauren had burrowed her nose in his neck when he’d hugged her last night. Grinning widely, he spritzed the cologne below each ear, eager to see if she could resist the double dose of Hugo Boss and Armani. He shot his cuffs. Now he was ready to face the world. The bathroom door clanged shut behind him.
As Vivian flicked a speck of lint off his shoulder, Kaden popped his head into the room. “Hospital security called, sir. The press is assembled. We’re ready to start.”
When Vivian threaded her arm through his, Nic shook his head. “Lauren isn’t here yet.”
“Darling, we can’t keep the press waiting.”
“I need to call her.” This wasn’t like Lauren. He pulled out the phone Kaden had returned earlier and dialed her number. After several rings, the call went to voice mail. Odd. He left a message telling her to call Kaden or Vivian if she couldn’t reach him, and hung up. He pinned Vivian with a stare. “If she calls you, answer.”
Vivian blinked innocently. “Of course, darling.” Nic almost rolled his eyes.
What was keeping Lauren?
Unease slithered up his spine and made the short hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He tried to shrug it off. He’d feel so much better when they were both inside his home with Kaden guarding the door.
When they reached the lobby, a hospital security guard ushered them into a large conference room already filled to capacity. Flashes of light and a barrage of questions assaulted Nic. He pasted on a smile. Kaden and the guard made a path for him to a table at the front of the room where Dr. Jacob and the detectives were already seated. He took a seat beside Vivian.
Scanning the room, he spotted many familiar faces among the reporters. But he didn’t see Lauren. He should have insisted Kaden accompany her to the hotel.
A few minutes later, Vivian stood up to read their statement. “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here. We will take some questions at the end and will be limiting our comments to only the things we know for sure so as not to taint the ongoing investigation.”
She gave a short account of what had happened and concluded by saying, “Mr. Lamoureux will be taking a well-deserved break until shooting of his new romantic comedy At Last begins in two weeks. We fully expect him to be on set and ready for work. At this time, we will take questions.” She pointed to a reporter in the second row. “Mr. Jones, please go ahead.”
“Ms. Carmichael’s statements imply that foul play is suspected. Detectives, can you elaborate?”
Becker took the microphone. “Eyewitnesses place Mr. Lamoureux in the company of a woman in a bar on Thursday night. We have reason to suspect she deposited a drug in his drink without his knowledge.”
Another reporter called out, “What was the drug?”
“Rohypnol.”
“What are the side effects?”
Dr. Jacob shot Nic an apologetic look before answering. As he listened to the doctor discuss memory impairment, lack of judgment and sexual disinhibition, Nic tensed. This was the worst part of Hollywood, having your life discussed in such a cold, unemotional way. He’d been drugged for fuck’s sake. And then to have photos of his humiliation plastered all over the papers….
“Nic, is this how you’re spinning the photo of you having sex with Summer Rayne?”
Jesus Christ. These people were sharks. He was a person, not some fucking fictional character.
Before he could tamp down his anger and put together a response, Dr. Jacob continued. “Mr. Lamoureux has no memory of the events that took place, and there’s no medical evidence anything of a sexual nature occurred.”
Excited by the scent of scandal, the reporters fired off questions faster than they could be answered.
“Doesn’t the photo prove sex took place?”
“Did Ms. Rayne give Nic the drugs?”
“Is Ms. Rayne a suspect?”
Anderson held up his hands. “We cannot comment on an ongoing investigation. However, I will confirm that Ms. Rayne is a person of interest in this case.”
“Nic, do you know why Ms. Rayne would do this to you?” How many times had he asked himself this same question? All he knew for sure was she had to be one sick bitch.
As he opened his mouth to respond, Anderson spoke. “I’m advising Mr. Lamoureux not to respond to that question. Ms. Rayne has not been charged with anything, and it would be speculation on his part.” With a nod, Nic acknowledged the detective’s statement.
“Since the premiere of Bad Days, there’ve been many sightings of you posted to CelebrityStalker by someone calling themselves NicsBitch. Is this person stalking you?”
It had finally come. The question Nic had been dreading. How could he answer? Having the press involved could only make matters worse. He glanced toward the detectives. Becker shook his head, the slight movement indicating he’d field this question. Nic held his breath as he waited.
“No comment.”
Fuck. Becker flinched under the weight of Nic’s glare. Everyone knew that when a cop said no comment, that meant yes. Judging by the buzz in the room, the press knew it too.
Vivian stood up and ended the press conference. As Nic left, he ignored the questions the reporters continued to throw at him. Kaden led them to the limo parked outside.
A large crowd had gathered behind the security fences erected by the police. The stalker could be hiding here in plain sight. A shudder arrowed up his spine.
Nic looked around at the smiling faces surrounding him. These people, his fans, made his life bearable. Yesterday, as they’d waited for news of his condition, they’d held candles, and today, they shouted encouragement and held signs wishing him a speedy recovery. Without their support over the years, he’d have turned tail and gone back home. He couldn’t let fear take this moment away.
Buoyed by the cheers, he smiled and waved. “Thank you, everyone, for your kindness. As you may know, I will be attending a charity fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in two days. To show my appreciation of your support and to share it with others, I’ll match any private donations made to Make-A-Wish through my website within the next week. I’m blessed to have the best, most loyal fans in the world. Thank you!”
After one last wave for the crowd, he turned to Kaden, who opened the car door and winked at him. What the hell? While Vivian exchanged a few final words with members of the press, he climbed into the limo, scooting over to the far side to leave room on the seat for her. When he encountered a warm body, he lurched away, startled.
“Gotcha.” Lauren chuckled.
He relaxed against the seat back. “Where’ve you been?” he asked, pulling her into his arms. “I was getting worried.”
She shrugged. “I must have gotten the start time of the press conference mixed up. When I got here, it was already under way. Kaden suggested I wait in the car so as not to rile up the paparazzi.”
“How very thoughtful of him.” The man deserved a raise. His gaze slid along Lauren’s lush body and his hand followed. She’d changed into a white sleeveless blouse and a loose fitting blue skirt with little red flowers. “You look fantastic.” He couldn’t imagine her in the austere business suits Vivian favored.
“So do you.” She smoothed her hands along his shoulders then pressed her nose to his neck. “And, you smell delicious.”
Victory.
“A little late, are we?”
At the sound of Vivian’s voice, Nic released Lauren and she sank down beside him. After Vivian settled in the seat across from them, Lauren spo
ke. “I thought you said the press conference started at ten fifteen.”
Vivian shook her head. “My dear, I said ten. If you have any hope of making it in this business, you need to keep better track of your appointments.”
Nic almost laughed when Lauren turned to him and did an exaggerated eye roll. Clearly, she wasn’t accepting any responsibility for this latest mixup.
“Are we dropping you off at the airport, dear?”
Lauren’s pretty face turned puzzled. To avoid a confrontation, he hadn’t told Vivian. That had worked out real well. Not. “I’ve invited Lauren to stay in L.A. for a while.”
Vivian leaned forward and patted Lauren’s knee. “Perhaps we can employ your services to take some photos to go along with the press release. What hotel shall I instruct Kaden to drop you off at?”
Nic removed Vivian’s hand from Lauren’s knee and held it. “Lauren’s staying with me.”
Although Vivian snatched her hand back, her expression remained impassive. “Is that wise, darling? I know how you value your privacy.”
Nic struggled to keep his tone neutral. “It’s what I want.”
“Of course it is.” She pressed the call button to tell Kaden to take her to the office.
He smiled. Vivian would get used to the idea. He wrapped his arm around Lauren’s shoulders. Her beautiful blue-green eyes danced with happiness and her full pink lips curved in a sexy grin. All the blood in his body rushed south.
He wanted her. Now.
Everything paled in comparison to Lauren. She’d seen him, if not at his worst, certainly at a very low point, and still she wanted to stay. Maybe she could see beyond his past, see beyond his mistakes, see beyond the mask, and accept him, warts and all. He was tired of being alone.
Lauren leaned her head on his shoulder. He nuzzled her hair and inhaled the sweet scent of apple blossoms.
Need tore through him.
Oh, God. Could he wait two more blocks? All he could think of was pressing Lauren down onto the seat and—
Shit. Kaden had better hurry the fuck up if he wanted that raise.
As soon as the car door closed behind Vivian, Lauren let out a relieved breath. “That was uncomfortable.”
Nic’s gaze locked on hers, shooting her pulse into overdrive. “Who cares what Vivian thinks? I meant what I said. This is what I want.”
Oh, my. The fire in his eyes scorched her skin. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t look away. Her body overheated, lost in the swirling flames.
“I hope it’s what you want, too,” he added, tugging on one of her curls. “But no pressure. I do have a guest room….” One corner of his mouth curved up.
As she stared into the bluest eyes she’d ever seen, she wondered who was this man sitting beside her, telling her all the things she wanted to hear? Leaning forward until she could feel his breath on her lips, she whispered, “It’s what I want, too.” She brushed her mouth against his.
When she pulled back, Nic caught her off-guard, lifting her onto his lap. Laughing, she clutched his shoulders to steady herself. “Are you sure we should be doing this?”
“I assure you, chérie, I’m fully recovered.” He yanked her tight against him.
She moaned at the contact. “I can tell.” There was indeed no residual sedation. All of Nic’s body parts were in full working order. She motioned her head toward the front of the car. “Can he see us?”
“I raised the privacy window. Kaden can’t see or hear us. Although…” He hesitated playfully. “I’m pretty sure he can guess what we’re up to.”
“Oh? Do you do this often?” Blushing furiously, she pressed her fingers to his lips. “Don’t answer.” Be careful what you ask. You might not like what you hear. She’d read enough articles to know Nic The Lover had definitely earned his reputation as the ultimate Hollywood womanizer.
“Chérie, I’ve entertained women in my limo before, but I’ve never brought any of them home. I want you to know that.” Her heart melted at the sincerity in his voice. But could she trust it? After all, he was an Oscar-winning actor.
The limo stopped in front of the old warehouse where Nic lived. Although it wasn’t in one of the more sought-after zip codes in the Los Angeles area, the neighborhood had a lot of character. Rather like the man himself.
As they rode the key-controlled elevator up to Nic’s floor, he explained how he’d bought the three-story building and converted it into two lofts, keeping the top two floors for himself. Entrance to the building, lofts, and elevator all required a key and a code. Outside his door, Nic typed a code on the security keypad on the wall and inserted his key into the deadbolt.
Kaden put his hand on Nic’s arm, stopping him from opening the door. “Something wrong?” Nic asked.
“How did Summer get you in the building?”
Nic’s eyes hardened. “She had to have the key and the code.”
“And if she made a copy of the key, she can get in anytime she wants,” Lauren added.
“Stay here, sir. I’ll take a look around.” Kaden pulled a revolver from the holster under his arm and pushed open the door. A few minutes later, he returned. By the tightness of his jaw, Lauren knew he had bad news. “I found something in your bathroom.” He gestured for them to follow.
Nic entered the bathroom first, and stopped so abruptly Lauren ran into his back. “What is it?” she asked. When he didn’t reply, she moved around him and saw a message written on the mirror.
You’re mine, only mine.
Nic turned to Kaden. “Is that…?”
“Yes, sir. I believe it is.”
What were they were talking about? “Is it what?”
“Looks like blood to me, ma’am.”
Nic inhaled sharply and gripped the countertop, his face ashen. The blood. “Let’s get him out of here,” she said to Kaden.
“I’m fine. Was there anything about this in the police report?”
“No sir.”
Nic closed his eyes, took a deep breath and expelled it slowly, as if fighting off a dizzy spell. He then opened his eyes and turned to the mirror. What was he doing? Why was he forcing himself to look at the blood?
After staring at the message for almost a minute, Nic pulled his arm back and smashed his fist into the mirror. “Fucking bitch!” She jumped back as he continued to hit the glass, shattering it into hundreds of small pieces.
When he was done, he turned to her. “Sorry,” he muttered.
She raised her brows. “Feel better?”
“Yeah.” He grinned. “I do.”
Kaden laughed.
“Good.” She grabbed a towel and wound it around Nic’s hand before he could see the blood dripping from it. “Do you have a first aid kit somewhere?”
Kaden nodded. While he jogged off to get the kit, Nic and Lauren walked downstairs to the living room. When he flopped onto the couch, Lauren took a seat beside him and rubbed his shoulders. “Are you all right?”
His cheeks darkened and he turned his face.
“Don’t be embarrassed. Even big tough guys are allowed to have their quirks.”
“I bet Todd didn’t have any.”
“Are you kidding?” She laughed. “Todd was terrified of wasps. One time he actually jumped out of the car when one flew in. Good thing I was the one driving.”
Nic’s eyebrows shot up. “Was he hurt?”
“Nah, we were in a parking lot so I was going slow. But I’m almost sure he would have jumped even if I’d been going fast, or if he’d been driving.”
He shook his head. “I doubt he would have let you or Jason get hurt. He would’ve fought off his fears.”
“Like you did today.” She kept her tone soft and even. Nic smiled crookedly.
Kaden returned with the kit and handed it to her.
Nic grimaced. “I didn’t leave much evidence, but call the detectives. And run a check of the security system.”
Kaden nodded. “I’ll get right on it, sir.”
“
And Kaden?”
“Sir?”
“Stop calling me sir.” Kaden opened his eyes wide and angled his head in her direction. Nic laughed. “It’s okay. Lauren’s one of us now.”
Kaden grinned. “Glad to hear it.”
“Later today, I want the three of us to discuss a plan to find Summer.”
When Kaden left, she took Nic’s hand. “Lean back while I clean this.” He closed his eyes. Small stress lines had begun to curve around the edges of his mouth and between his eyebrows. Poor guy.
After everything that had happened to him in the last few weeks, it was a wonder he could still function. She’d have been a hysterical wreck by now. Quickly, she wiped off the blood and disinfected the cuts. Thank goodness none needed stitches. Even the hounds of hell snapping at his heels couldn’t have forced Nic back to the hospital.
As she put the kit on the coffee table, Nic opened his eyes. “You’re very good at this.”
She chuckled. “Jason has a tendency to leap before he looks.”
“Sounds like me.” He grinned.
Scooting over to the end of the couch, she patted her thighs. “Come here and relax for a bit.” Nic removed his tie and loosened the collar of his shirt before lying down with his head in her lap. As she began to massage his temples, he moaned and closed his eyes.
Fifteen minutes later, she shook Nic’s shoulder. He peered at her through one eye. “The cops are here.”
He rubbed his face with both hands, then sat up. While Kaden opened the door, letting Anderson and Becker in, Nic got up to greet them, and she followed.
“We were hoping not to see you again so soon,” Anderson said. “Your bodyguard mentioned something about a message?”
“Yes, but unfortunately, there was a problem with the evidence.”
“Does this problem have anything to do with your new accessory?” he asked, eyeing the bandage wrapped around Nic’s hand.
Kaden turned away from the detectives and smirked. “Sir, I’ll take care of this. Detectives, this way, please.”
After examining the bathroom, Anderson and Becker returned downstairs. Anderson took out his phone. “I’m going to get CSI over here to take some samples. I found a larger piece with some writing on it. Based on the smell, I’m certain it’s blood. We’ll run the DNA through our database and the team will dust for prints. I can confirm there was no message on the mirror when we searched your house yesterday.”
