L.A. Cinderella

by Amanda Berry

  Papers covered Mr. Morrison’s desk. Boxes of files covered the floor in front of five gray filing cabinets. This was going to take hours. Natalie shoved the keys into her jacket pocket.

  Picking a drawer, she started methodically rummaging through the files. She was so absorbed in the files she tuned out the noises from down the hall. She didn’t care what those two were doing, anyway. It wasn’t any of her business.

  After an hour she stretched, trying to loosen her muscles before heading out to her desk.

  There had to be a better way. She keyed in her password but didn’t have access to the reports she wanted.

  Chase would have the access she needed. Her face grew warm. She didn’t want to interrupt whatever was happening with Alexis.

  But this would go a lot faster if she could look at the information in the computer first. If they were waiting for her to finish, this would get them out the door faster, too.

  Smiling, she stood and headed down the hall. She stopped when she noticed his office door was open. He wasn’t behind his desk. Had he left? Usually he stayed until she was finished, but it wasn’t unfathomable that he’d left because he had better things to do than wait for her.

  “Did you need something?” His voice came from behind her.

  She spun on her heel. “I thought you’d left.”

  “I was just walking Alexis to her car. Didn’t you hear us pass by the office?” He smiled, and his gaze roamed over her.

  “I was working.” Her words came out breathy. She cleared her throat and tried to tame the desire surging through her as his eyes settled on her lips.

  Breaking eye contact, he walked around her into his office. “Have you found anything?”

  Natalie took in a deep breath. She could do this. She could ignore this attraction and focus on work. She followed him into his office. “Do you have complete access to the computer system?”

  “I should. What do we need to look up?” He opened his laptop, logged in and looked up at her, expectantly.

  She stepped around the desk to stand behind him. Trying to ignore the smell of him, she leaned down to focus on the screen. She pointed to the icon of the reporting system. “Click there.”

  He followed her instructions until the report she was looking for came up.

  “Can you print that out?”

  “Sure. Is there anything else?” He leaned back, and his shoulder brushed her hip. She nearly leapt out of her skin. She’d been so focused on the computer. She hadn’t realized she’d gotten so close to him.

  “Um.” She stepped back.

  His chair swiveled toward her. “Natalie, it’s okay.” His eyes sparkled like emeralds. “People touch all the time in business. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  Unfortunately, no one told her body that. Every touch catapulted her rational thoughts out the window, leaving her a pool of desire. Just because he didn’t feel it, didn’t mean she could stop.

  “Of course.” Warmth surged to her cheeks as she realized she’d pressed herself against the wall as far from him as possible. Forcing herself to relax, she stepped forward again.

  “Is there anything else I can do for you?” His voice had a husky quality to it, but she ignored the corresponding push from her insides.

  “Bank account statements. Do you know where they would be in Mr. Morrison’s office?”

  He stood and she resisted the impulse to step back, but she couldn’t control the wince at the expected contact. When he didn’t brush against her, she raised her gaze to his face.

  “I’ll show you.”

  She couldn’t breathe, let alone move. What was he going to show her? Heat poured off his body, infusing her with a drowsy feeling. Her body wanted to sway into his to see if the heat would explode into flames.

  “Natalie?”

  “Hmm.”

  “Martin’s office?”

  “Oh, yeah. Sorry.” She turned and caught herself before she stumbled. He didn’t touch her, but she could feel him directly behind her, ready to help if needed. Straightening, she walked down the hall before him, silently chastising herself.

  “Here, I’ll show you the drawer,” Chase said.

  What was she doing here with this man? He was supposed to be condescending and overbearing. He’d been raised to be a Hollywood star, a highly publicized birth followed by a childhood in the limelight. Speculations about what features he’d get from each of his beyond-gorgeous parents had been rampant.

  Critically acclaimed performances had shot him beyond the shadows of his famous parents. He’d taken on risky performances and made them his own. Now he was kneeling in front of a filing cabinet, rooting through bank statements.

  And all she could think about was how soft his lips had been, how he’d tasted like a hint of mint and how his body had melded against hers. Why had she let his warm eyes and smooth words convince her she could work with him? She would die a little every time someone like Alexis strutted down the hallway to his office.

  She was halfway in love with this man, and if she stayed much longer, she could find herself hopelessly in love with him. Someone like him could never love someone like her. A burning sensation formed at the back of her eyes.

  “Found it.” Looking at the papers in the folder he was holding, he stood and walked toward her. “All the bank statements are in here. This should have the information you need.”

  When he met her eyes, he froze. A moment of panic flashed over his face and flowed into resignation.

  “I’ll come back in tomorrow to finish up.” She managed to speak without a single hitch. Even though her heart ached and she could barely breathe. She dug the keys out of her pocket and held them out to him.

  “Nata—”

  “Please. Don’t. I can’t.” She turned and ran out the door.

  Chapter Nine

  The rain started as soon as Natalie pulled out of the parking lot. Chase stood in the doorway and watched her drive away.

  He’d let her go for the good of the company. He’d done the right thing.

  He set the folder with the bank statements back on her desk and closed and locked Martin’s door. Her usually neat desk looked like a tornado had hit it. Every night before she left she straightened the piles. Tonight she couldn’t get away fast enough and had almost left her purse behind.

  Maybe he should ask Robert to come in tomorrow to help her out. His chest felt hollow. While he’d promised to back off, he couldn’t resist seeing her. He just wanted to be around her, smell her sweetness, touch her soft skin. Feel like he’d finally found something real.

  She could never fit into his world. She’d crumble under the pressure. He’d lose her before he ever had her, so he went back to his office and turned off the computer and lights. On his way past her desk, he noticed something sparkling under her desk.

  A cell phone lay on the floor under her desk where her purse usually was. He picked it up and flipped it open. The display showed a field of flowers and her name.

  He slid it into his pocket, knowing it was the wrong thing to do, but the crushing weight on his chest lifted as he opened Martin’s office again. This time to get Natalie’s address.

  The ice cream box was almost empty by the time the movie was at the halfway point. Elizabeth was telling Chase’s character, Tom, how they were meant to be together, but Tom was blowing her off, even though he loved her. Usually Natalie didn’t require a tissue box and way too much Chunky Monkey ice cream to get through her favorite film. But with every close-up of Chase’s face, she helped herself to a huge bite of ice cream.

  It didn’t help that she’d become way too familiar with his face. Seeing the expressions he’d given her on the television made her pulse pound and her heart ache.

  She’d cleaned the kitchen with a vengeance first thing when she got home. Then she’d changed into her comfiest pair of jammies and popped on If Only. She hadn’t bothered with dinner, figuring she’d get enough calories from the ice cream.

  Now tuck
ed under her blanket, she began questioning her sanity for picking the movie she’d always loved in the past. It only served to remind her of Chase’s larger-than-life world. That, coupled with the magazine Rachel had left open to pictures of Chase and Alexis last weekend. Natalie wondered what else she could do to sink the dagger further into her heart.

  She tried to find comfort by reminding herself she wouldn’t be able to handle watching him kiss other women onscreen if he were hers. She sighed. If he were hers… The words burned in her heart. A wish that could never come true, no matter how many stars she wished upon.

  Besides, she wasn’t ready for a man in her life. She’d been down that road in college, and it had always ended up with her hurt and crying on Rachel’s shoulder. She needed to focus on her career and worry about guys later.

  Chase flashed back on the screen.

  She’d have to see him in the morning. She had to finish the work before Monday. He’d said he’d be there as early as she wanted. If she could get some sleep, she might be able to deal with him in the morning.

  She didn’t move from the couch. She was wide awake, and though the movie made her sink further into misery, it was noise. She didn’t want to fantasize about emerald eyes that burned with desire and blond hair that would be silky to the touch. She didn’t want to run out to the store and find the cologne he used and wear it. She probably couldn’t afford it anyway.

  She shut her eyes as his image came back on the screen.

  “How do you know?” his character said to Elizabeth. “How can anyone know?” His voice trickled down her spine.

  She opened her eyes to see him lift his hand and caress Elizabeth’s face. She imagined Chase’s hand against her cheek. He didn’t kiss Elizabeth in this scene. The only kiss was the one at the end of the movie. Natalie couldn’t skip to the end. What made that kiss was the journey, the tangle of emotions that preceded it and made it the most beautiful kiss she’d ever seen.

  A knock at the door startled her out of the movie. She hit Pause on the remote. Who would be knocking on the door at eleven on a Friday night? She grabbed the aluminum bat they kept near the door and opened the peephole.

  The night was dark and rainy. Chase stood in front of her door, dripping wet. The bat slipped from her grip, and she yanked the door open.

  “What are you doing here?”

  His hair was plastered to his head. Rivers of rain flowed down his face and over his grin. “Can I drip on your floor?”

  She nodded, still stunned by his appearance on her doorstep, and stepped back to let him in. She closed the door and locked it automatically. Leaning against the door, she stared at him.

  He smiled down at her. “I don’t suppose I could use a towel?”

  “Uh, yeah. Just a moment.” She walked around him into the bathroom. Her brain couldn’t wrap around the fact that Chase was in her home. It was almost as if she’d conjured him from the movie. She grabbed two towels and headed out to the hallway again. He’d removed his shoes and put them on the mat near the door.

  She held the towels out at arm’s length for him.

  “Pink. Nice.”

  After he took them, she wrapped her arms around her middle, suddenly vulnerable in her own home. This wasn’t the office or a public restaurant, and she was in pajamas. She wondered if her overactive imagination had brought him here somehow.

  He rubbed the towel over his head, leaving his hair sticking up. Feeling her fingers tingle, she wanted to run her hands over his hair and smooth it back down.

  “Was there something you needed?” she bit out, having a hard time forgetting her fantasies of him, now that the reality of him stood before her. Her body throbbed with unfulfilled desire.

  He shouldered off his jacket and hung it on the doorknob. His shirt wasn’t quite as wet so it didn’t cling to the muscles hiding underneath, but she’d already seen that part of the movie and knew how sleek and rippled his body was under that dark shirt.

  After he dried off, he reached into a coat pocket and pulled out her cell phone. “I found this in the office.”

  “You didn’t have to bring this to me. I could have gotten it tomorrow.” Wishing she’d brought the ice cream to the door with her, she reached out her hand for the phone.

  When Chase lifted his gaze to hers, she inhaled. A thousand curses on the writer of If Only. A thousand curses on the director, who’d decided on those scenes. She’d seen that look before. The reason she watched If Only a million times was because of that look. But Chase was more than his performance, he was real and thoughtful and that scared her more than the desire racing through her.

  “I should go.” He pressed the phone in her hand. His touch coursed through her, and he didn’t lift his hand from hers.

  She couldn’t think as desire swelled within her. Nothing she’d experienced before compared to what Chase was making her feel. Her heart fluttered against the cage of her chest.

  He closed the distance between them slightly. “I should go.” His voice low and his eyes hooded.

  She nodded slightly, not trusting her voice, not really meaning it. She didn’t want him to go. His presence filled her vision. Her body shook with the need to be touched, but he was still holding back.

  His hand slid off hers, leaving the phone in her palm. A heartbeat separated them. Much as she wanted to, Natalie couldn’t drop her gaze from his. Never would she imagine Chase Booker looking at her this way. Never could she imagine Chase Booker being in her apartment. She could imagine losing her heart to him.

  Not because of the fabulous roles he played, but because of who he was. She didn’t see Tom from If Only in front of her. She saw the man who said he liked her smile. The man who picked up her glasses. The man who looked at her as if she were the only woman in the world.

  She saw Chase. Her hand shook as she set the phone on the counter next to her. Risking everything for that look, she lifted her hand slowly. Her shaking fingertips traced the rough scruff along his chin.

  His eyes sparked with her touch, but he didn’t close the last bit of distance between them. Her fingers wandered up into his slightly damp hair. She rubbed the strands between her fingers. So soft.

  “Natalie.”

  She pulled her gaze from his hair and met his eyes. She didn’t care why he was here, just that he was here. With her. Seeing her. Making her feel beautiful.

  His eyes shut, and he leaned into her hand for a moment. When he opened them, they were filled with regret. Covering her hand with his, he smiled softly. “I should go. We…we’re not from the same world.”

  The little piece of hope that had flared to life went out. Not from the same world. He was Mr. Popularity and she was the nerd. That may not be what he meant, but that’s how it felt.

  She slid her hand out from under his. His hand clung to hers until it was freed. He flexed his fingers as he dropped his hand to his side. He wasn’t unaffected by her, but she wasn’t enough to tempt him to stay.

  His fingers lifted her chin until she met his eyes again. “I…” He dropped his hand. “I’ve got to go.”

  Turning, he shrugged on his coat and stepped into his shoes. She leaned against the wall for support. She had nothing to add. She couldn’t have spoken if she wanted to.

  He didn’t look at her as he struggled with the locks and the doorknob. Stepping forward, she brushed his hands aside, undid the locks and pulled the door open. The scent of rain, fresh and clean, filled the small space.

  He stepped out. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Yeah,” she rasped as she eased the door shut. Before it closed fully, it stopped.

  Natalie stepped back from the door as it slowly opened.

  Chase stood in the doorway, hands braced on the door frame. Rain coursed over him. His head hung down. His fingers curved into the wood as if some invisible wall separated them.

  “Natalie, tell me to leave and I will.” Haunted green eyes rose to meet her eyes. “I don’t want to leave, but if you tell m
e to, I will.”

  Her heart struggled against her chest. “I…” She dropped her gaze to the puddle forming at his feet. What would it mean if she let Chase in again? Would they make love and then just forget about each other? Would it be enough?

  “Natalie?”

  She lifted her gaze to his. Could she resist this opportunity? Did she want to? God yes, she wanted him. She clamped her lips together to stop her doubts from emerging and held out her hand.

  He dropped his head again before pushing off the door frame and into the apartment. “To hell with right and wrong.” His foot kicked the door shut as his hand closed over hers.

  He yanked her into his arms, and his mouth crashed down on hers. Her jammies were soaked within seconds but she didn’t care. A flood of desire pooled in her core, and her body tingled where his warmth radiated through his clothes.

  The intensity of his kiss thrilled her down to her toes. He lifted her against him. His arousal pressed into her stomach as an answering pulse surged between her thighs. A sensuous fog of lust clouded her mind as his mouth trailed away to her neck. Her feet met the floor again and he released her. She whimpered.

  He smiled as he kicked off his shoes and dropped his jacket on the floor. He closed the distance between their bodies and tipped up her face to his. His mouth stopped above hers, and his eyes delved into hers. “I couldn’t leave you now. I need you, Natalie. You. Only you.”

  His mouth pressed against hers. Her hands sank into his wet locks and held him there. She wanted this moment more than she wanted to breathe. He gathered her in his arms and worked her backward down the hall.

  His head lifted and his forehead rested against hers as they both gulped down air. His heart raced against hers. “Which way do we go?”

  She opened her eyes to his deep green ones. His hand brushed over the back of her neck, and her eyelids slid shut. His chest rubbed against her breasts. Her lips parted. Had he asked something?