Star Crossed

by Laurel, Rhonda

  Everyone laughed.

  “My darling Clara, thank you for loving me all the years of my life. Without you I would have been half the man I became. It was your dedication, faith, love, and loyalty that endeared you to me long before we married. You are and always will be the greatest love of my life. As I promised, you will keep living in the lifestyle you are accustomed to and will retain all of our homes. I leave all my personal property and assets to you.”

  Clara started crying.

  “Many of you know I am a man of many faces. From my time in Hollywood I have been able to take advantage of unique opportunities that left me a very wealthy man. I always regretted that I wouldn’t have anyone to step in my place and continue what I started. As you all know my son Henry has struggled with a lot of things most of his life, and I hope that one day my son will be the kind of man he was meant to be. But I have to be more prudent about my legacy. I am happy to say that one day strolling on the beach I met her. I leave my friend and neighbor, Kate Garrison, Blue Vinyl Records, the buildings in Los Angeles that holds the Blue Vinyl offices, my thirty-seven percent share in Pinnacle Studios, and all of my commercial real estate and business ventures. I have confidence that Kate will make good business decisions. And keep practicing the piano, kid.”

  Kate couldn’t breathe and suddenly felt as though she were under a microscope. Blue Vinyl had a net worth of five hundred million dollars. She couldn’t fathom how much his shares in Pinnacle were worth.

  Henry Weismann threw down his scotch glass so hard it shattered and left the house. Clara didn’t follow him.

  People were coming up to her congratulating her and telling her that after she’d had some time to mourn Marvin, they’d love to have lunch with her. Kate looked for Chris only to find he was right by her side. She reached out and held his hand.

  * * *

  Kate stood out on the deck, watching the ocean. It had been a month since Marvin’s funeral. She’d kept a low profile, opting to stay home with Chris, checking in on Clara daily. Merlot seemed to be a bit sad, but Chris kept him busy. Life had changed so much in such a short time. The Knock-Around Boys was a box-office hit. She would have been happy to revel in the joy for Chris and even Jack, but now she had to view their success from a business angle as well.

  Marvin’s will was ironclad, but rumors were circulating that Henry was trying to find a lawyer who could help reverse the decision to give her all that power. No one in the state of California was foolish enough to challenge Marvin Weismann, dead or alive. She knew it wasn’t the end of Henry, so she needed to be prepared. She had a chat with Andre and asked him to keep tabs on Henry. She assured John that her life wouldn’t change because of all that transpired, but he assured her it would. He told her people had been calling Atlantis for a week, hoping to do an interview with her. The magazine that caught his attention as Sabrina rattled them off at a staff meeting was Jetlag, a premier entertainment magazine that wouldn’t give them the time of day before. They wanted to do a feature on her, and John thought it was a good idea. John even admitted that he broke up with Siobhan, citing irreconcilable interests. He didn’t want to go into it any further, but she knew she’d get the scoop from Sabrina.

  She called Billie and talked to her cousin about this crazy turn of events. Billie assured her that everything would be all right and if she needed her all she had to do was call.

  “How’s the most powerful woman in Hollywood?” Chris came onto the deck with a plate in his hand and kissed her.

  “How’s the toast of the town?” Kate put her arm around his waist.

  “I woke up this morning with you. I’m just fine.”

  “I was watching the news, and there’s already Oscar buzz about your performance. I knew you would kick ass in that part.” Kate smiled and put her head on Chris’s shoulder. “You just needed the right creative vehicle coupled with the right amount of personal scandal. Timing is everything in this town.”

  “It sure is. Do you know how happy I am to have run into you in the men’s room at Coriander?”

  “Happier than getting eight figures for your next movie role?”

  Stan had called him yesterday and to tell him he’d brokered a deal for a new movie. Malediction was due to bring Chris even greater acclaim than he was receiving for The Knock-Around Boys.

  “Much happier than an eight-figure movie deal.”

  “I know you have range and all, but you were born to be an action hero. You have it, as they say.”

  “So do you. Finally signing Lana?”

  “John says it’s a controllable situation. I hope so.”

  “Kingston behaving?”

  “He’s a little melancholy over Marvin, but he’s getting back to his old Hell Cats sound. He still has a lot of energy for someone supposedly in his twilight years.”

  “I think rocker twilight years are a bit different than that of the average person.”

  “I suppose he still has some swivel left in those boney hips of his.” She laughed.

  “Well he better keep those hips pointed out of your line of sight.”

  “I have enough crazy overprotective people in my life.”

  “Well, you have one more. I don’t want some sleazy rock legend hitting on my woman.”

  “Kingston only looks at me with respect. Well, after the benefit he does.”

  The wind was blowing, and the sun was shining bright. Kate felt as though she were getting back to her old self. She wished she didn’t miss Marvin and the music lessons so much.

  “I love you, Chris. If nothing else seems real in my life, you are.”

  “I love you too. When you’re feeling better about it, I’d still like to take you to paradise.”

  “A vacation does sound nice, but paradise is with you.”

  “We have to do something to celebrate your divorce being final.” He kissed her temple. “How did the interview go?”

  Spinner magazine had asked to do a feature article on Kate. The world was waiting to see how she integrated two record companies, oversaw controlling interest in a movie studio, and lived with the studio’s most bankable actor. The scandal with Jack and Brianna seemed like small peanuts compared to the new arena she was thrust into. When she finally sat down with Marvin’s attorney, she understood his quip about Blue Vinyl and Pinnacle being the tip of the iceberg. Marvin Weismann was a brilliant man whose Hollywood branches were far reaching, even beyond the scope of Kate’s comprehension. Things were going to change quickly.

  “I think it went well. They said they were sending over a copy of the cover.”

  “I think the whole world is curious about you.”

  The doorbell rang. Chris and Merlot went for the door. “Your cover is here.”

  Chris handed her the envelope, but she didn’t want to open it. “I can’t. You open it.”

  Chris opened it and smiled.

  “Well?”

  “Well…I think it speaks for itself. Sexy.” He turned the cover around.

  Kate posed leaning against a wall, wearing a black double-breasted suit. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and a fedora topped her head on a slant. The pièce de résistance was one of Marvin’s trademark unlit cigars dangling out of her mouth. The caption read: The New Queen of Hollywood.

  “Now that the ink is finally dry on your divorce papers and we’re pretty sure Jack didn’t sign them with invisible ink, there’s something I want to ask you.”

  Kate’s heart started racing when he pulled out the biggest rock she’d ever seen in her life.

  “Kate Mitchel Garrison, will you do me the honor of being my wife? To surf with me, ride on the back of my motorcycle, do crazy yoga poses that sound dirty, and take long walks on the beach with our Havanese toy dog named after a red wine?”

  Kate giggled. She’d never get enough of this man. “Yes. After all, you fixed my deck.”

  “I had to. I threw your husband through it.” Chris smiled and kissed her.

  “So how much
time have we got?”

  “The new movie starts shooting in three months.”

  “And I haven’t even begun to sort out of all this business stuff of Marvin’s. How about we—”

  “Don’t say go to Vegas. That didn’t work out so well for you before.”

  “Well…something quick. I don’t want to wait forever to marry you.”

  “And I don’t want to sneak away. I want to have a huge wedding. I want the whole world to know how much I love you.”

  “So we’re agreed. Wedding of the century in two months?”

  “Deal.”

  Kate never imagined that she would find happiness in the middle of her pity party that night at Coriander. She was right when she told her mother she needed to feel the pain of the betrayal with Jack. How else could she have realized what she had with Chris? She wasn’t in danger of being number one on some wretched breakup countdown show now, but she was pretty sure she’d appear on some shocking Hollywood power play list. For a moment she just wanted to take a walk on the beach with Chris and remember this day as one of the last quiet ones they would have for a while. When the news of their wedding broke, they wouldn’t get a moment’s peace.

  The price one paid for being a star.

  ~ About the Author ~

  Rhonda Laurel is a contemporary romance writer whose two great loves are writing and landscape photography. She uses both as a vehicle to convey the complexity of the human spirit and the beauty of the world around her. Her writing career has spanned two decades but has recently gained momentum in 2012 with her debut novella Ebb Tide. Contemporary, interracial/multicultural romance that is “A little heat mixed with sassy and sweet” is her writing style in the form of novellas and novels, but the author also writes poetry, inspirational quotes, designs greeting cards and the occasional essay. For the Love of the Game, Masquerade was released in 2012 as well. Shutter and Star Crossed are tentatively scheduled to be released this year and 2013. She is happily working on building her backlist.

  Discover more about Rhonda Laurel here

  Musings of Dreamer…

  http://www.rhondalaurel.com

  www.facebook.com/authorrhondalaurel

  http://www.twitter.com/rhondalaurel

  http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/RhondaLaurel

  ~ Also by Rhonda Laurel ~

  For the Love of the Game

  This quarterback is making the greatest play of his life…

  Quiet bookstore owner Morgan Reed can’t wait to lie on the beach on her much-needed tropical vacation, but getting tackled by a tall, green-eyed stranger playing touch football isn’t exactly what she had in mind. Neither is falling for said stranger, or going along with the eccentric islander who sends them off with a mock wedding. But all’s fair when it comes to vacation romance, and Morgan has plenty of time to get back to reality when she gets home.

  When he slams into the beautiful Morgan on the beach and sends her to the infirmary, superstar quarterback Seth Blake insists on helping her recover—if she agrees to share his bungalow with him. Seth is nothing less than smitten, and the best part is that the beauty has no idea who he is.

  But when he finds out that their little “wedding” was the real thing, Seth finds himself in a sticky situation. Especially when Morgan finds out the man she fell for isn’t at all who he made himself out to be…

  Buy For the Love of the Game here

  http://www.amazon.com/Love-Game-ebook/dp/B00A3X2NS6/

  Ebb Tide

  Simmering passion at play.

  Natalie Griffin is an attorney who is practical, smart and good at her job. Legalese is the least of her worries, for much of her time is spent keeping her employer, playboy extraordinaire Evan Darchon, out of trouble. Natalie has managed organize everything for him--his company, his home, and his women--but if she could teach him to control some of his wilder impulses, her job would be a heck of a lot easier.

  But what about her impulses? Her cool, controlled demeanor is the perfect complement to Evan’s wild side, but she craves the carefree way he makes her feel. His attraction is obvious, but can either of them afford to rock the boat of their professional relationship?

  Buy Ebb Tide here

  http://www.amazon.com/Ebb-Tide-ebook/dp/B008HQEIZC/

  Shutter

  Photographer Antonio De Soto’s life is out of focus. Everyone in his family thinks it’s time for him to settle down. He doesn’t want to be strong-armed into domesticity, even if he does feel the bachelor lifestyle is starting to wear thin. So when his friend invites him to do a pictorial on the community theater, Antonio’s prepared to do his thing and follow his normal womanizing M. O. Instead, he finds himself sparring with the resident artist, Lucy Marceloni. Lucy’s dime-store analysis of his love life—and him—leaves him angry and shaken, but it’s too close to the truth to dismiss. The quirky artist is not his type, but their passionate fights generate a deeper heat between them he can’t ignore…

  Lucy wants a man who’s sensitive and intellectual, the exact opposite of Antonio De Soto. The moment she meets the handsome photographer she pegs him as arrogant and self-centered, but that doesn’t protect her from the sizzling chemistry between the two of them. Being drawn to the rogue’s charm and subtle seduction tactics is the last thing she wants. Working with him on the community theater fairytale production could prove to be more than she can handle...

  Buy Shutter here

  http://www.amazon.com/Shutter-ebook/dp/B00BJ8M4SI/

  ~ More Romance from Etopia Press ~

  Let Angels Fly

  Noelle Clark

  Life’s full of surprises the second time around.

  Arriving in Cambodia to volunteer at an orphanage, Abbie finds a warm welcome with the owner of her hotel, the handsome Craig Nelson. Craig is everything her ex-husband wasn’t—warm, compassionate, and a generous humanitarian dedicated to helping the local people. But after raising a family and being devastated by the end of her bad marriage, the last thing Abbie needs is complications. She’s on her own for the first time in many years, and it’s time for her to spread her wings and fly free amid the people and culture that have always fascinated her.

  But while exploring the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, Abbie overhears odd noises and sinister conversation that raise her hackles. Turning to the only person she thinks may be able to help—Craig—she realizes she’s witnessed tomb raiders—art thieves stealing frescoes to sell on the black market. Unable to let the pillaging of the beloved temple continue, Abbie goes back to investigate and finds evidence that proves her theory. And in the mean time, she finds herself falling for Craig.

  Yet change isn’t easy for either of them. Both carry scars, and neither is ready to let go of the past. When Abbie is attacked in the market place, it’s clear her presence in the temple wasn’t overlooked. When Abbie agrees to help the police stage a sting operation to catch the thieves, things go from bad to worse. And Craig might be powerless to help…

  Buy Let Angels Fly here

  http://www.amazon.com/Let-Angels-Fly-ebook/dp/B00C75P05G/

  Party Crasher

  April Angel

  She crashed his party and became his prize…

  According to one annoying Drex Callum, Chris is a “nosy reporter.” And maybe she is. She’s heard of the super secretive event known as the Seduction Party, and she won’t be content until she finds a way in. The last thing she expects to find is that Drex is the host. She’ll never get an invitation from her nemesis—unless she finds a way to get one herself. And breaking into his house is nothing if it means getting the scoop. But what she gets instead is an eye-full of the man himself, half-naked and more than she’d ever dreamed he could be in all her teenage fantasies.

  Drex has been fantasizing about Chris forever, and now that she’s a grown woman, he still has a hard time treating her like one. So when she shows up at the Seduction Party—on the auction chair!—he’s got no other choice but to teach that nosey woman a lesson. He never d
reamed sex could be like this, with Chris in his room, tied to a bed, asking him for stuff that blows his mind…

  But when things turn ugly, it becomes clear that someone wants the nosey reporter dead. And Drex will have his hands full trying to keep his prize safe…

  Buy Party Crasher here

  http://www.amazon.com/Party-Crasher-ebook/dp/B00BJ8ERFQ/

  Secret Desire

  Susan D. Taylor

  The problem with twins is that they look so much alike…

  By day, Claire Robertson is a staff writer for a small publication in Seattle. But when the lights go down, she writes sizzling and oh-so-naughty erotica. She keeps these stories safely tucked away, hiding her secret fantasies of her hero, Dustin Murray. The man who stole her heart six years ago. And then jumped into bed with her twin sister.

  Dustin never forgot Claire, or her twin sister’s lies that tricked him into sleeping with her. Nor has he forgotten that her sister’s threats have kept him silent for six years and cost him the woman he loved. Now that Claire’s returned home, Dustin isn’t about to lose her again. But it’ll be another thing to convince Claire he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to win her back.

  When Claire accidentally sends the wrong story to her editor, things really heat up. With hot the new black in publishing, her editor thinks he’s struck gold and queues the story for publication. The last thing Claire needs is for everyone to learn that she’s got secrets of her own…