Heartthrob (Hollywood Hearts, #1)

by Belinda Williams

  “He’s not here. He’s at the HBO after party.”

  I dropped my eyes to my drink. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  I heard Lena sigh. “He said he’d try to drop by later in the night if he got the chance. Not that you’re interested.”

  “Not really.”

  “What if I told you he was with Faith?”

  That got my attention. “I didn’t know they were a couple,” I stated casually, although my chest suddenly felt very tight.

  Lena waited until I met her eyes. “They’re not, but they’re good friends.”

  Well, wasn’t that wonderful news?

  Lena reached out and took my hand. “Why don’t you like her?”

  “Who? Faith?”

  Lena looked heavenward. “Of course, Faith. Come on, spill.”

  “I really don’t know what you’re talking about,” I lied. Lena had regarded Faith highly enough to invite her to our Christmas celebration, so the last thing I wanted to do was speak badly about one of her friends.

  “Ally, you are the world’s worst actress. Can you please just be honest with me?”

  I frowned, retracted my hand and played with the hem of my dress. “She was mean to me.” And I sounded like such a teenager.

  “What do you mean she was mean to you?”

  “She made a comment about my weight.”

  I watched Lena process the information, expecting to see at least the barest hint of outrage, but she only shrugged. “That’s just Faith. She has no tact.”

  “There’s no tact and then there’s mean,” I muttered, still feeling very adolescent but unable to help myself.

  “Ally, I’d bet my award tonight she didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just the way she is. She’s very honest.”

  My eyes widened. “Honest? She told me it looked like I enjoyed eating my own cooking!”

  “You do.”

  I felt my face redden and looked away, but that wasn’t a good idea because the room was filled with perfect people who obviously had far more restraint than me when it came to good food.

  “Ally, you are not overweight.”

  “I’m not thin either,” I murmured.

  “So? What’s wrong with being voluptuous?”

  I barely resisted howling in frustration. I hated that term with a passion. The word was normally used as a thinly veiled insult—not that Lena intended it that way.

  “This is a real issue for you, isn’t it?” she asked.

  “No, not usually.” I held off saying ‘not when I’m around normal people.’

  “Amy would be disappointed in you.”

  “Who?”

  “Amy Schumer. She’s making great inroads into breaking down the unrealistic image of women in Hollywood. You should take her lead.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Wanna introduce me?”

  “I can if you like,” Lena replied seriously.

  “Can we talk about something else?” I asked quickly.

  “Alright. How about what you’re going to say to Jake when you see him again?”

  I shot her an unimpressed look. “I think the award has gone to your head because you’re very annoying tonight.”

  Lena ignored my dig and gestured toward the crowd, not taking her eyes off me.

  “You’re twitching, Lena,” I said. “Is it time to restrict the alcohol?”

  “No,” she whispered, and indicated toward the crowd again, her blue eyes slightly panicked.

  “Oh,” I said, turning to look. “Shit.” Lena wasn’t being annoying, she was trying to warn me.

  Unfortunately, no amount of warning would be adequate to prepare me for Jacob Swan in a suit. Dear God. There had to be laws against tailoring that good. The suit molded to every inch of his muscled body like it had been sculpted on. It was a dusky blue and I knew without looking it matched the color of his eyes. Even as my heart stuttered in my chest, I recognized superb tailoring when I saw it.

  “Talk to me, Ally,” Lena suggested. “You’re staring.”

  “Can’t help it.”

  And I really couldn’t. His ensemble was perfect. Crisp white shirt, a simple matching blue tie, and brown boots. Most people would have worn a black tuxedo for an event like the Golden Globes, but not Jake. The brown boots were a perfect contrast to the blue suit and hinted at a man comfortable with himself. But I guess when you were considered the sexiest man in Hollywood, that kind of came with the territory.

  “Still staring,” Lena said in a singsong voice.

  “Don’t care,” I sang back.

  “Makes you seem desperate,” she continued the tune, her voice heightening to a soprano.

  Finally I turned to her. “I am. Desperate to know his stylist.”

  Lena’s expression morphed into one of disbelief. “Are you serious?”

  “Absolutely. I mean, look at the guy. Dressed to perfection.” I waved my hand in Jake's general direction, but my arm ended up hovering in mid-air as our eyes met through the crowd.

  My heart continued to thump erratically in my chest, feeling as though it was about to give out completely.

  Alright, so it wasn’t just his ensemble. It was him. One hundred percent pure Jake. It was those blue eyes of his. They were so alive, so expressive, a woman could drown in his gaze and enjoy the experience. They danced with amusement at me in the dim light.

  To ensure my demise, he flashed me a cocky grin.

  Then his eyes lowered to take in my dress. What I was certain was to be my very last breath got caught in my chest, prolonging my suffering. I swore it was like he was taking in every stitch, from the lacework to the carefully layered skirt that flared out at my waist.

  To my relief, he finally focused on Lena, offering her a showstopping smile as he continued walking toward us.

  “Congratulations on your win, Lena,” he said when he arrived in front of us. “You deserve it.” He leaned in and they shared a friendly kiss.

  “Thanks, Jake,” she replied, smiling warmly. “It still doesn’t feel quite real.”

  “Well, it is,” he promised, then turned to me. “And you. You look exquisite.”

  I started to protest—because it was Lena who had always been described as exquisite—but I was too late because he’d already leaned in to kiss me. His smooth cheek brushed mine, his lips barely touching my skin, but it was enough for me to go weak at the knees. Without thinking I grabbed his shoulders to steady myself and Jake paused, his face only inches from mine.

  “It’s one of yours, isn’t it?” he asked, the low bass note of his voice spreading through my fingers and toes.

  “I’m sorry?” I’d most definitely had too much to drink, but that wasn’t the reason for my lack of comprehension. The man was infiltrating my system. Sight, touch, sound, and now smell. I inhaled the intoxicating warm notes of something spicy mingled with a lighter, fresher scent.

  He nodded, his eyes laughing at me. “Your dress. It’s one of your creations, isn’t it?”

  I was finally able to grab hold of the thread of conversation and dropped my hands from his shoulders. “Yes, it’s one of mine.”

  “From her ready-to-wear collection,” Lena said, and I could have kissed her. Talk about lifesaver.

  Jake stepped back and I discovered I could breathe again.

  He grinned at me. “You’ll have the whole of Hollywood dressed in your designs before too long.”

  “That’s the plan,” said Lena.

  I contemplated excusing myself and leaving them to it. I desperately needed some time to get my head around my reaction to Jake. It was pathetic. The first time I’d met him I’d tackled him and then ordered him around, only slightly distracted by his good looks. Since then it seemed like at every subsequent meeting I’d become more and more affected by him. And then, of course, he’d kissed me. Stupid man. It was all his fault. If he’d just left me alone I wouldn’t be standing here subjected to this painful longing, which I badly needed to snap out of.

 
; I blinked when I realized both Lena and Jake were staring at me.

  I reddened then blurted, “Who’s your stylist?”

  Jake frowned. “What?”

  “Your stylist. Who dressed you tonight?”

  “I did.”

  “Not literally.” I waved a hand at him impatiently. “Who came up with your outfit?”

  “I did,” he repeated, and I stared at him.

  I saw Lena trying to hide a smile. “A man with good taste.”

  Jake grinned. “I like to think so.”

  “No way,” I said. “You did not put that outfit together, Jake. You can’t turn up to the Golden Globes and not have your ensemble put together by a stylist. What about your tailor? Did he give you some tips?”

  Jake's smile intensified and I forced myself to ignore the tightening in my belly.

  “Nope,” he said. “I asked to keep this suit from one of my earlier productions I liked it so much.”

  “So wardrobe showed you how to wear it,” I concluded, secretly relieved. Style like that didn’t just exist; it had to be taught.

  He shook his head. “No. In the movie they had it paired with a pink shirt and black boots. It suited the character but I wouldn’t be caught dead in that outfit. The suit’s a great fit though.”

  I looked around for my drink, and Lena, sensing my need, picked it up and handed it to me. Once I’d taken a long sip I met his eyes again. “How did you know to pair the suit with that shirt, tie and boots?”

  He shrugged. “It just worked.”

  “It just worked?” I gaped.

  He shrugged again. “Yeah.”

  I didn’t know whether to hate him or fall in love with the guy. His style came naturally, damn it.

  “But you’re a football player,” I said, then shut my mouth because I hadn’t meant to say that out loud.

  “Was a football player,” he corrected. “What’s that got to do with anything, anyway?”

  “It’s just surprising that you seem to have an innate sense of how to dress,” I admitted, recalling all the previous times his sense of style had distracted me. Turned out it was effortless. Beautiful and stylish. Some people had all the luck.

  “You’re not professionally trained, are you?” he asked. “How did you know to cut your dress to draw the eye to the waist, highlighting the curve of your hips? Or the way you’ve cleverly combined innocence with sexuality? Was that deliberate?”

  “Um . . . ” I’d kind of got stuck on the innocence and sexuality part. Oh hell, I’d kind of got lost on the part where he noticed.

  “Or how about Lena’s dress?” he continued. “I’d say the color choice was very deliberate but I’m guessing the rest of the choices were intuitive. Like the slit to reveal her leg or the excess fabric trailing off the back? You did that because it felt right, not because it was in any textbook.”

  I’d given up trying to join in the conversation. Silly me had gotten caught up in his gloss and good looks. I wasn’t prepared for the kick to the guts when he lost the good-guy act and actually conversed about something I was passionate about.

  “That’s what I’ve always thought,” Lena said, a thoughtful smile playing on her lips. “Ally has always known how to dress others. It’s like an instinct. She dresses the person, not just the body.”

  “The clothes don’t make the man, the designer does,” Jake quipped.

  Lena’s face lit up and she gave Jake a broad grin. “Exactly!”

  “I need to go to the restroom,” I announced then rushed off before either of them could stop me.

  *

  After a minute or so in the toilet cubicle I was breathing normally again.

  “Allegra? Are you in here?” Lena called out.

  “It’s Ally,” I muttered, then flushed the toilet and opened the door. At her expectant expression, I pushed gently past her and went to wash my hands. I tried to ignore the other women milling around the basins and waiting for the toilets. There were too many familiar faces.

  Lena joined me in front of the mirror. “Everything OK?” she asked quietly.

  “Fine.”

  “Doesn’t seem like it.”

  “No, I’m fine.” Our eyes met in the mirror and I sighed. “Really.”

  “Well, if that’s the case you won’t mind if I leave you with Jake for the rest of the night.”

  A sharp stab of something approaching pain shot through my chest and I steadied myself on the basin. “Why would you need to do that?” I asked casually, somehow sounding completely calm.

  “The Long Night cast are heading to another after party and I figured you’ve probably had enough for one night. Jake said he’s going soon and is happy to take you.”

  “Can’t Tim drive me?”

  “Tim’s driving me and some of the cast to the next party.”

  “Oh.”

  “Jake's happy to take you.”

  I turned to face her and found myself smiling at Jennifer Aniston as she swept past. She waved at Lena and called out her congratulations.

  “Well, tell him it’s a nice offer but not necessary. I’ll make my own way home.”

  Lena grabbed my arm and pulled me to the far end of the restroom in front of a full-length mirror. She pretended to fix her hair.

  “Ally, what’s going on?”

  “I like him,” I bit out.

  “You do?”

  At her hopeful tone of voice, I immediately wished I’d kept my mouth shut. “And I’ll be forced to like him even more if you make me spend time with him,” I said through a smile as more actresses waved at Lena.

  “What’s so wrong with that?” she asked, fake-smiling back.

  I chose not to answer and patted my hair to keep up the charade. “Please don’t make me spend any more time with him.”

  Lena’s smile softened. “Ally, he likes you. Really.”

  Her words couldn’t be true. Yes, I’d experienced a prolonged man-drought for the better part of a decade, unable to find at least one potential normal guy I’d be remotely interested in. Mama had said for years someone special would come along, but I seriously doubted the universe had suddenly decided to send me one of the hottest men alive. Things like that just didn’t happen to regular girls like me.

  “Ally?”

  “What?”

  “Can I ask you a favor then?”

  I held back a sigh. I didn’t like where this was going.

  “Spend the rest of the evening with Jake. If you decide it’s not a good idea after that, then I’ll leave you alone.”

  She didn’t know what she was asking. I’d meant what I’d said. I liked him. And on every occasion that I spent more time with him, I found myself liking him more and more. It was a dangerous situation and wasn’t going to lead anywhere good. However, the last thing I wanted to do was hold Lena back from celebrating her big award win, so I’d just agree and then somehow find a way to slip away from Jake after she’d gone.

  “Ally?”

  I dropped my hands to my sides and discreetly brushed them against the fabric of my dress because they felt damp. “Fine. Just this one time though.”

  “Excellent. You coming?” Lena offered me her arm.

  I linked my arm in hers and we headed for the door, my heartbeat pounding loudly in my ears.

  Please don’t let me like him more, I found myself wishing as we made our way back into the crowd.

  Chapter 17

  “Ready to go?” Jake asked upon our return.

  I looked quickly between Lena and Jake. “I thought you’d want to stay longer?”

  Jake shook his head. “Not really. It’s only the middle of the awards season. I need to pace myself, unlike the award-winner here.”

  My stomach clenched when he shot Lena a teasing grin. Oh, man. This was bad. My body reacted even when he wasn’t looking at me.

  “You go,” Lena said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Ally.”

  I gave her a weak smile and a half wave. Oh, shit. This wasn’t what I�
�d planned. I’d thought we’d mingle some more and that would give me the time I needed to slip away. I looked back at the restrooms. I couldn’t use that as an excuse again, not unless I wanted to give the impression of some sort of awkward bladder disorder.

  “OK?” Jake asked after Lena left, and reached over to touch my elbow.

  I whipped my arm away liked I’d been stung and then lamely tried to make it look as though I was smoothing my dress. Alright, I’d just have to accept a ride with him. The sooner it was over, the better. “Yep. Let’s go.”

  We wove our way through the crowd, lots of people waving to Jake as we went. Was this what it would have been like to be popular at school?

  Outside, there appeared to be a designated area where cars were picking up the actors and actresses. Jake made a brief call on his phone as we walked, then spoke to a valet. Or was he a bodyguard? The entire area was swarming with them, which was understandable given the amount of famous people milling around.

  “Oh my God,” I whispered. Stupid me. I was so worried about spending time with Jake I hadn’t considered what the public would make of the two of us getting into a car together. In my world, accepting a ride home didn’t warrant media attention.

  My heart racing in my chest, I took a step backward so my view of the street was obscured by one of the many bodyguards. At least the media weren’t allowed too close. After the red carpet, they’d been relegated to the street with the rest of the fans.

  The sound of some women squealing from across the sidewalk cut through the steady hum of other partygoers waiting for their ride.

  “Jake! Jake!”

  I winced and edged a little closer to the bodyguard’s back, praying he wouldn’t notice.

  Jake noticed the movement and frowned, stepping closer to me. “Ally? What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.”

  “It doesn’t look like nothing. You’re really pale.”

  “It’s just the light,” I lied.

  “Then why are you going all Bambi on me?”

  I jolted as he put a hand on my shoulder. “You’re shivering. Here.” With that, he tucked me into his side.

  I fought hard not to whimper. For a tantalizing moment I imagined what it would be like to rest my head against his sturdy chest, but somehow, with a strength of will I didn’t know I had, I stepped away.