“So, I got drunk. Woke up to what was my life and decided something had to change. That was only going to happen if I did something different. I bought a Jeep, and started driving. I drove as far as I could, and when the road ran out, I hopped this ferry and rode it until I ended up on Brees.”
Her eyes glistened. “You just ditched your Hollywood life to live in a camper all summer?” she questioned.
“I didn’t have a plan or even a reservation. I slept in the campground because the hotels were closed when I drove in. Carl suggested Silver Sand Dollar, and she was perfect. Something I didn’t even know I needed. No one knew where to find me.”
“But you told everyone you were here as a writer, or was start that lie just for me?”
I knew the writer cover hit her hard. It was a connection she thought we shared.
“I made it up as I went along. I didn’t know who I could trust. Who would sell me out. Who would take pictures of me on the beach or drinking a beer. As far as I knew, everyone was a photographer in tourist’s clothing,” I admitted.
I tried to smile. I wanted her to understand. But from the outside I knew it sounded ungrateful and selfish to slap the hand that helped build my fame and fortune. At one time, pictures of me were the thing that made me popular. The paparazzi pushed me to the pinnacle of fame.
“I don’t get it, though. Why did you take the job at the store? You didn’t need to do that. You didn’t have to take it that far,” she attacked.
“Because of you.” I kept my voice low. If she would just let me hold her, I could fix it. “You looked so miserable and I couldn’t stand to see a pretty girl like you with that look on your face. God, Chelsea, you are the most beautiful and amazing woman I have ever known.”
“But you didn’t even know me.” She sniffed. “Why would you stock boxes and waste your time in a stupid kayak stand?”
I had done a lot of things to impress girls before, but truly, a summer as a clerk had to be at the top of the list. I wished she could grasp the significance.
I grinned at her. “Come on. You know me. I like to make you smile.”
“I don’t know if I do know you.” Her voice was bitter.
“But you do. I swear, you know the real me that none of those people out there do.” I pointed to the door. “I was me when I was with you. I know you don’t believe it. I don’t deserve for you to believe it, but I was me with you. For the first time in a long time, I got to be the man I should be.”
Other than the hum from the ferry, the room was quiet. She was too quiet. I hoped it meant she was thinking through my words.
“Ben.” She said it calmly.
“Yes, it’s Ben.” I searched her eyes for any clue as to what she was feeling. I felt lost and desperate, knowing the time was ticking on the ride.
“Ben Baldwin.” The name whispered over her lips.
Patience wasn’t my strong suit. If she made me sit here one more second without telling me how she felt, I was afraid my fist would end up inside the wall of the ferry.
“Chelsea, please look at me.” Her eyes drifted to mine. “I will do anything and everything for another chance with you. I am so sorry.”
She stared, her eyes tearing at my soul. “Did you make me fall in love with you as part of the charade?”
It was as if she had pushed all the air from my body. “God, no. No.”
How could she think that? I couldn’t take it anymore. I reached for her neck, my hands tangling in her hair, and crushed my mouth against hers.
She pushed against my chest and her warm lips fought the kiss, but I wrapped my arm around her tighter. The pain in my chest eased as I inhaled her scent and took her mouth with deeper kisses.
She climbed into my lap, her hands tugging on me in all directions. Nothing had ever felt like this. My hand slid along her back. Our arms twisted and franticly grasped at any part of each other we could touch. I never wanted her this badly.
Chelsea sat forward, breaking the kiss and pushing against my chest.
“I-I— We can’t. We do this too quickly. It’s too easy to touch each other like everything’s normal. When I know it’s not normal. You are a movie star. This is not normal.” She pulled her leg from my waist, and braced herself to stand. “You can’t seduce me back to you.”
My chest heaved and my stomach tightened. I stood to catch her before she made it to the door. This wasn’t over.
“You don’t think that’s what this is, do you? We have something that goes way beyond sex.” The sex was fucking incredible, but I needed her.
She leaned against the door. “I thought we did. At least I did before Rebecca showed up.”
Damn it, Becs.
“How about the poem I wrote for you? Or the beach glass I saved from the hurricane? And seriously, I wore the ugliest apron on the planet for you. I wouldn’t have done any of those things for a summer hook up. You mean more than that. I didn’t have to do a damn thing, but I did. I choose you. I wanted you.”
I watched her biting her bottom lip, her resolve slipping. But she turned for the door, trying to wrestle the chair braced under the handle.
“Chelsea, stop.”
She twirled. “That power you had over me is gone. You don’t have that control now.” Her eyes burned into mine.
“But you do.” I reached for her wrist.
“What?” Her eyes darted back and forth.
“I am only on this damn ferry because I thought it was what you wanted. I don’t want to leave, but I will do anything to make you happy again. If that means leaving or if that means staying.” I tucked her hair behind her ear. “You, are the one in control.” I caressed the side of her throat.
Her eyes closed, and I didn’t know if she was fighting off the feeling or taking it all in. What else could I say? What else could I do to prove that I had fucked up, and if she would let me, I would make it up in every way possible.
“Say something.”
I was about to try to kiss her again, when her long lashes opened. I saw the fire in her blue eyes. The fire that kept me up at night. The one that distracted me when I least expected it.
Her hands reached behind my neck, and she drew me toward her, bringing my mouth on hers. I groaned as her tongue played with mine.
“I missed you.” I held her face between my hands.
“I know.” She fisted her hands in my hair, sighing against my cheek. “Me too.”
I growled, burying my head in her shoulder. I had missed everything about this part of her body—the way it felt on my lips and how her shampoo smelled as I nuzzled into the warmth of her neck. She was like the sun. My own summer surrender.
“Tell me,” she moaned.
“What?” I kissed her ear. I thought I had said everything. The truth was out.
She pressed her palms against my chest and rubbed the rigid muscles.
“You have to tell me.” She grinned wickedly.
I looked at the clock over the door, the closed blinds, and the chair under the door.
I pulled her against me and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Fuck me.”
She ran her fingertips along my stomach. “Right here? Right now?” she teased.
I nodded. My eyes urged her to do what she wanted. I was hers.
She shook her head. “Uh-uh. You have to tell me,” she purred as she dipped her hand below my waistband.
I sucked in sharply. She always had this effect on me—taking me to the edge with the things she could do.
“Chelsea, you can fuck me now. Here. Wherever you want.” I leaned back. “Just take me.” I had never given control up like that. Power and anxiousness coiled together as I realized how freeing it was to ask her for what I wanted.
My body come alive under her command. But I knew there was something else I had to tell her. I had waited until it was too late before, and I wasn’t going to make that mistake a second time. I would never risk losing her again. Maybe she hadn’t completely forgiven me, but this was her
way of saying there was still something there—it wasn’t over. I needed to take the next leap. I had to tell her.
“Chelsea?” I tried to focus. The burning in my belly was intense and her hands were all over my cock.
“Mmm-hmm?” She gripped my hands against her hips, shimming her skirt up around her waist. Her shoulders flattened against the wall, and I watched her breasts rise as her breath quickened.
My eyes met hers. I didn’t whisper. I didn’t want to make her guess. This was the fucking moment of truth.
“I am in love with you.”
The light I loved so much, the one I was afraid I had dimmed with my lies, glowed when she smiled.
“Ben,” she whispered.
My mouth descended on hers and everything else faded away.
Forty
Chelsea
“And why are we taking a private plane again? I had an airline ticket.” I tried to relax into the leather seat as a flight attendant handed me a glass of champagne. I had missed my scheduled flight.
“Because, I don’t want to put you on a plane alone, and I think you’ll like this much better.” Ben winked as he buckled in across from me.
One thing on a private jet is that there aren’t rows of seats. This one was set up like a living room. He was directly in front of me, where I could keep my eye on his perfect face. I couldn’t argue with him that the plane was beautiful. I’m sure it was a struggle for him to squeeze into regular airline seats. He looked comfortable on his mini-couch.
He raised his glass. “To first trips.”
“To first trips.” I tasted the bubbly. It was cold and smooth. “So, when we land in Austin, what are we going to do?” My meeting with Blue Steel Records was tomorrow afternoon, and except for that one, all of my other plans had gone right out the window the minute I let Ben kiss me again.
“We are driving to the ranch. I want you to see where I live. It’s no island, but I think you’ll like it.” He looked excited.
“Do they serve cowboy steak there?” I teased. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a fire pit. He loved building a fire with the driftwood he collected. I wondered what kind of wood they used on the ranch.
“Lenny will make anything you want.”
“Lenny?”
“Yeah, ranch chef.” He said it like it was well-known fact.
Of course he would have a ranch chef. That’s what famous rich people had, right? I didn’t have any idea how many people worked for Ben or how big his network was. What I had learned about his famous life took place over the week we spent apart. It was my crash course into Hollywood gossip. I searched for articles, pictures, and anything with his name on it. It wasn’t my best decision. I learned more than I wanted to about his bachelor status, and about the girls before me.
Today was a whirlwind. Ben had left his Jeep with one of the ferry attendants, paying him to drive it back to my house. Then he hopped behind the wheel of my car and drove us all the way north on Highway 12. True, there was a bit of a commotion when we emerged from the lounge, but we had to hope it wasn’t enough to make a blip on the social media radar.
None of it made sense, but what makes sense when you realize you’re in love with the one person who keeps you breathing, who simultaneously spins and stops your world. You don’t close the door on that person—not a second time.
“What are you thinking about over there, pretty girl?” He flashed his killer smile. I didn’t want to fall for it the first day I saw it on the docks, but I did—right into the creek.
“I’m thinking about my meeting with Brandon and Quinn tomorrow, and how I’m going to tell my parents I’m on a plane with you right now, and I’m wondering—”
He was out of his seat and his hands planted on either side of my head. “Am I going to have to kiss you all the way to Texas to keep you from worrying?” He brushed his lips against mine.
I couldn’t help but sigh and drink in the kiss that tasted like champagne. Private planes were even better than I thought. “No, but it’s a lot to sort through.” I raised my eyebrow.
He slid back into his seat. “Yes, it is.”
After he had started driving, we started talking. It was as if we were never apart. We fell back into our same dance moves, only this time it felt like they were stronger and sharper. We were going to Austin together. We were going to be together. There wasn’t a label or a promise tagged to the conversation, but our hearts understood.
The captain announced that we were about to take off. I watched as the runway peeled past us and we shot into the air, headed for the Lonestar State. The state responsible for creating Ben Baldwin.
Ben was reading something he had pulled from his bag. I bit on my lower lip. Just watching him made me happy. When he was gone, everything hurt. In only eight hours, all of the ache that had circled and clamped on my heart had removed its talons. It was beating again, wildly and hurriedly for him.
“What are you reading?” I asked, noticing his hands were stretched over the title.
He blushed and his fingers moved to the side.
“You’re reading Love & Bondage?” I giggled. It was a chick book. The kind that girls at school couldn’t stop talking about. It was popular, erotic, and hot. I had read it before graduation.
“Should I not read it?” He folded it in his lap.
“Oh no, read it. Definitely read it.” Ben didn’t need pointers, and he certainly didn’t need any creative suggestions in bed, but there was always the chance it might inspire him. My chest tingled with the idea.
The captain announced we were at a safe altitude to move about the cabin. I smiled as the flight attendant appeared to refill my champagne.
I wondered what Ben would be like in Texas. Could he be more cowboy than he already was? He had told me he didn’t want to make any more movies for a while, but he still had responsibilities with a staff, and he had loose ends to tie up with the latest press fiasco.
He had made it abundantly clear that he would do anything and everything I needed for my music. I loved that about him; he was filled with more good than I had ever seen. He helped everyone, and put him or her first—always.
I felt my shoulders relax. That protective nature kept him from telling me the truth. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done if I had known who he was from the beginning. I didn’t care that he was a celebrity, but it might have kept me from giving him a chance. It would have been too intimidating to know I was dating the World’s Sexiest Bachelor. I giggled, realizing I had caught the biggest fish of the summer.
I unbuckled the belt around my waist and moved next to Ben. He reached for a pillow, shoved it at the end of the loveseat, and laid down, giving me the perfect nook to cuddle into.
I nestled on his chest, settling into the rhythm of his breath. He held the book up with one hand. I loved the way he felt under my palms. I loved his cologne. I loved his hand resting on my hip. I loved everything about him.
He might have been cussing about something he read, I wasn’t sure. I closed my eyes and let my body melt into his. Nothing felt better in the world than sleeping next to my very own movie star. And he was mine.
Keep Reading to find out what happens next for Ben and Chelsea in a preview of
Bucking Bareback.
Can’t get enough of cowboy billionaire bad boys? Follow Maggie on Amazon!
CHAPTER ONE
Ben
The pilot called over the speaker to announce the plane was making its final approach into Austin. I folded my book and tossed it on the floor. Home. It had been four long months since I had been home. I had tried to outrun my life, but failed. I fought. I hid. I resisted. I lied. But now I was back, only this time I wasn’t alone.
Chelsea was tucked and curled against my side—where she fit perfectly. She had fallen asleep soon after takeoff. I studied her face, half-covered with her auburn locks. I envied the sleep she found. There was no way my mind would have done anything but cycle through everything that could go wro
ng. If I held on a little tighter, pulled her a little closer, maybe there was a way to protect her. I didn’t want to move my hand from her hip or shift to wake her.
There were certain moments that I knew I couldn’t get back. This was one of them. We were still us. Just Ben and Chelsea. The minute the plane landed, it would all change.
They would be waiting. They were always waiting.
The flight attendant hovered nearby and I waved her off. Her name tag said Ally. She was only trying to follow safety procedures for the landing, but we needed more than seat belts for what was ahead of us.
I wrapped my free arm across Chelsea and drew her against my chest as the wheels hit the pavement. If only keeping her safe was always this easy. The impact jostled us both and her eyes fluttered open.
“Hey.” She smiled.
“Hey.” I planted a kiss on her forehead before she stretched into an upright position.
“I slept the entire way?” She looked toward the window. Her nose wrinkled in disappointment.
I straightened my legs. They were cramping up, but it was worth it to let her sleep like that. “Yep. You seemed tired, so I let you nap.” I didn’t want to tell her all the selfish reasons I wanted her pressed against me.
“We’re in Texas?” She leaned closer to me, her eyes darting back and forth like she was trying to read my mood.
“Darlin’, we’re in Texas.” I couldn’t believe we were in my home state together.
Was it really this morning that I said goodbye to everyone at the campground and left Brees Island with a hole in my heart?
I was prepared to live with that heartache. After all, I was responsible for everything that had happened.
The lies.
The deceit.
Double Mountain Trouble Page 72
