L.A. Cinderella

by Amanda Berry

  She took a quick break to run and get something to eat at her desk. By then she figured Chase wasn’t coming in. She didn’t want to arouse anyone’s suspicions by asking the receptionist about him. Her nervous energy drained off as she spent the afternoon engrossed in an audit of another film that Mr. Morrison wanted her to do.

  “Good night, Natalie. That was a fine report you put together.”

  She broke away from the list of numbers she was adding to look up at Mr. Morrison blankly.

  “Chase and Robert have it on their desks now. Don’t worry about working late this week.” Mr. Morrison locked his door and left before Natalie could think of anything to say.

  Her head was spinning. Was Chase here? Why hadn’t she noticed him go by? Why hadn’t he said anything? She picked up her water bottle and headed down to the kitchen. She at least could check to see if his light was on.

  It wasn’t like they’d actually made any plans for today. Maybe he’d had time to think about it and really didn’t want to be with her anymore. Maybe it’d just been a line to make her feel better. Her stomach dropped. Well, it wasn’t like it was going to last.

  She slowed her pace as she reached the end of the hall near his office. His door was shut, but light peeked out from under the door. Was that the sun or his desk light?

  She sighed and went into the kitchen. Why did she care? They were just going to have an affair. It’s not like they’d decided to date. She had been the one to try to cut things off. The water ran over the top of her bottle.

  Maybe he’d decided that she was right. Her heart twisted but she ignored it. Maybe this was for the best. Not sparing his door another glance, she headed back to her desk. Putting it out of her mind, she filed what she was working on and pulled out the documents for Night Blooming. Chase wouldn’t hide from her. Obviously, he had to do stuff away from the office sometimes.

  She shoved her glasses up on her nose. She’d checked the shipping documents online for her contacts. They were supposed to be delivered today. Maybe she would call it an early night. After all, hadn’t Chase said they should work on it together?

  She heard the door close as the last person left. Well, she thought, the last one, except for her and potentially Chase, if he really was in his office. She sighed. She had it bad.

  Her computer fan shut down, leaving the office in silence. She glanced down the hallway. She could knock to see if he was there and tell him she was leaving for the night. If he wasn’t there, no one would know. If he was there…well, she could cross that bridge when it happened.

  As she moved to stand, her desk phone rang. It was almost six o’clock. Who would be calling her at work?

  “This is Natalie.”

  “Hi, Natalie. Jared Anderson. Before you hang up, let me apologize for the way I came off the other day. I’m just trying to show people the real Chase Booker.”

  She almost hung up the phone, but his last sentence stuck with her. “The real Chase Booker?”

  “You know, the man behind the legend. The real Chase Booker, not the public persona.”

  Actually she was very familiar with the real Chase Booker, or at least the Chase Booker he’d shown her. How could she really trust that was the real Chase? He was a great actor. Award winning. What made her think he wasn’t acting with her?

  “Hello? Are you still there?” Jared’s voice cut across the phone line.

  She cleared her thoughts. “I’m sorry. I really can’t help you.”

  “That’s fine. I’m going to send you an e-mail with my contact info in case you change your mind. Good night, Natalie.”

  She hung up the phone. Maybe he was right. Maybe no one knew the real Chase. Her mind wandered back to this weekend. Her pulse kicked up a notch and she released a breath. If that hadn’t been real, she didn’t know what was.

  Or maybe she just didn’t want to know if it was faked. Maybe she wanted to cling to those feelings for a little while longer.

  Chapter Twelve

  Chase set down the phone. All day it had been one disaster after another. He’d avoided going anywhere near Natalie today for fear he wouldn’t be able to resist pulling her into his arms.

  His life had always been filled with beautiful women willing to give him anything. Whenever he was available, another woman would slide effortlessly into the role of girlfriend. Natalie’s reluctance to be a part of his public life was something he’d never dealt with before. Even his high school girlfriend had loved the extra attention at first.

  Everything about Natalie felt different, and he was afraid of letting her slip through his fingers. For once in his life, he wasn’t sure what to do.

  He’d hoped to catch her before she left for the day, but at five a director had called him to work out some issues with their next production. An hour later, he’d worked through the details, but feared Natalie had already left the office.

  Pushing back from his desk, he strode to his door and yanked it open. Natalie stood there looking achingly uncertain. Her pale face bloomed red as she met his eyes.

  Quickly glancing down the hall and seeing no one, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into his office. He slammed the door and slipped his arms around her, gathering her close. He lowered his head and found her lips with his. The stress of the day fell away as her arms clung to his neck, and her lips responded to his.

  It’d only been a day since he’d seen her, but it felt like forever as his hands skimmed her backside. Her hands sank into his hair holding him close, but not close enough for him. He reached behind her and clicked the door lock into place before lifting her. Still rediscovering her sweet mouth, he set her on the edge of his desk. Her fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt while his worked on hers.

  His hands skimmed over the satin of her chemise. The softness eased the ache within him slightly. He took a breath and smiled down at her.

  “Hi.” He pushed her shirt down her arms and kissed her collar bone.

  “Hi.”

  He looked up in time to catch her smile, the one she only gave to him. Her cheeks and neck were flushed, but he knew it was due to arousal rather than embarrassment.

  He smoothed his hands up her thighs, raising her skirt as he went. “I missed you last night.”

  She scooted forward on the desk until her body was pressed against his. “I missed you, too.” Her voice trembled. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this here.” But she made no move to push him away.

  He pressed his mouth to hers and ran his hand up her inner thighs. “Do you have someplace better in mind?”

  Her sharp inhale was followed by a tightened grip on his arm. Her eyes unfocused as his hand reached the juncture of her thighs. Her lips parted.

  Unable to resist, he captured her mouth as his hand slipped beneath her underwear to the warm, wet flesh beneath. He caught her gasp in his mouth.

  His cell phone vibrated on the table. He ignored it, knowing it would go to voice mail, and nothing was more important than Natalie at this moment.

  He pulled away from her to slide her underwear down her legs and slid off her sandals. Her hands sought his chest, his shoulders, his back. Every touch branded him as hers.

  He made quick work of his jeans and a condom before drawing her into his arms. He tried to ease into her, but she linked her legs around his back and pulled him into her fully.

  The air escaped his lungs at the feeling of her surrounding him, her legs around his waist, her hands on his shoulders, her breasts crushed against his chest. He withdrew and sank into her again. His lips sought hers as they came together at a frantic pace.

  Had it only been a day since he’d been with her? Her sex clamped down on him as her body pulsated around him. He strained as he felt his own climax approaching, surrounding him, pulling him down with her. He held her to him as if she would slip away if he let go.

  He could feel her heart thundering along with his. Her panting echoed in his ear. Slowly, his pulse returned to normal and he eased away from her, holding her t
o keep her from falling.

  When she looked up at him, he smiled. “Hi.”

  “You definitely know how to greet a girl.” Her smile was shy and tentative, even after the weekend they’d shared and what they’d just done on his desk.

  “It was probably about time to break in the desk.” He brushed his lips across hers as he bent. He pulled up his pants and then picked up her discarded clothing. He held them out to her. Before she could take them, he snatched them out of her reach. “Come back to my place tonight.”

  A worried look crossed her face. “Do you think that’s smart? What about the paparazzi?” She reached out for her underwear and shirt.

  He held it out of her reach. There had to be a way. “I’ll follow you home, and you can ride there in my car.” He smiled, problem solved.

  “Then how do I get home? Can we discuss this with my underwear on?”

  He waggled his eyebrows at her. “I think some of our best discussions have been when you aren’t wearing underwear.”

  She laughed. “Usually there’s not a lot of talking at that point.”

  He waggled his eyebrows again. “I know.” He kissed her soft smile. “Come home with me.”

  She snatched her clothes from him. “Fine, but we better not get caught.”

  “That’s part of the fun.”

  It may be fun, but it definitely wasn’t comfortable. Sure the backseat of Chase’s car was plush, but Natalie had been right to worry. As they pulled up to the gate, she stared out the tinted back windows at three cars parked along the street with cameras in the windows waiting for the money shot. Butterflies flew haphazardly in her stomach.

  Fortunately, no one had followed Chase and her or they would have been caught. Chase had assured her the only reason paparazzi were on his street was the multiple homes that belonged to celebrities.

  But Natalie knew at least one reporter who wanted to find out what was going on with Chase. Though they were in the clear tonight, it couldn’t possibly last.

  She just couldn’t imagine not being with Chase every opportunity she had. As they pulled through the gates, her cell phone rang. Rachel.

  “Hello?”

  “Natalie, are you going to be late tonight?”

  She glanced at Chase’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Yeah, I probably won’t get in until you’re asleep.” From the look in Chase’s eyes, she probably wouldn’t be home until right before Rachel woke up. Her body tightened in anticipation at the promise in his eyes.

  “Could you pick up my dry cleaning when you pick up yours tomorrow?”

  “Yeah, sure, anything else?”

  “Nope that’s it. Did you hear that Alexis isn’t with your boss anymore? She was seen this weekend, but Chase was nowhere to be found. Do you think he’s found someone else?”

  Chase pulled into the garage and turned in his seat to look back at her. His eyes sent shivers down her spine.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Oh, well, keep me up on the dirt. Talk to you later.”

  Natalie clicked the End button.

  “We did it.” Chase opened his door and stepped out. He opened her door. “Not one photo snapped.”

  She took his offered hand, and he spun her in a circle into his arms. She laughed. She refused to think about tomorrow or next week. This sexy man wanted her now.

  But if he wasn’t being seen with Alexis… “How long before the press starts to wonder if you’re with someone?”

  His face turned thoughtful. “They’re always speculating. It will probably get intense around the Oscars as they wonder who I’m bringing or who I’m not bringing.”

  A month until the Oscars. Surely, they’d be out of each other’s system in a few weeks.

  He led her into the house. A buzzing sound went off in the kitchen. Natalie started and looked around, positive that someone had found them out.

  “It’s just the gate buzzer.” Chase dropped a kiss on her mouth, before moving over to a panel on the wall. He pressed a button. “Hello?”

  “Chase, I thought we were going to talk this weekend.” Alexis’s sultry voice blared through the intercom.

  “Alexis, now isn’t a good time. Can we talk later?”

  Natalie sank into a kitchen chair. Was he trying to juggle two women? Why was she one of them?

  “Well, maybe if you’d answered your cell phone when I’d called, I wouldn’t have driven all this way.”

  “Sorry to make you drive, but tonight isn’t a good time to talk.” Chase sent Natalie an apologetic look.

  She smiled tightly. She didn’t have the face or body that Alexis had, but Chase didn’t seem to care about that. After this weekend and the office… Her face flushed thinking about it. She clasped her hands tightly on the table.

  “Oh, I’m sure these nice photographers standing listening to our conversation would love to know why you aren’t inviting me up to the house. Wouldn’t you, guys?”

  Natalie could hear the smile in Alexis’s voice.

  “Fine, Alexis. Let me buzz you in.” Chase released the button and dropped into the chair next to Natalie. His hands covered hers.

  “Do you want me to go?” Natalie whispered.

  “No, I don’t, but I don’t want her to see you here.”

  Her lips tightened, and she tried to ignore the ache in her chest. She started to pull her hands out from under his.

  His hands tightened. “Natalie.” His voice was soothing. “It’s not like that. She would love to cause a scandal where she was the woman wronged, but that’s not what this is about. She’s trying to get ahead and using me as a stepping stone. She and I were never real. Do you understand that?”

  Not looking up, she nodded.

  “The only woman I want to be with is you. Why don’t you go upstairs and get tucked into bed? I’ll be up in a few moments after I get rid of Alexis, and I can show you what we have is real.” His finger brushed back a stray hair and then tipped up her chin. “I’ll even bring ice cream.”

  He seemed sincere, but the man acted for a living. She couldn’t lie worth a damn, but his career was to pretend and make people believe him. Something in his eyes drew her and reassured her. Maybe she just wanted to be reassured, and he was spewing crap, but she wanted him to be speaking from his heart, even if they were doomed.

  “Natalie?”

  She focused on his eyes again. Her heart clenched, but she wasn’t ready to face the truth. She didn’t want him to be using her.

  “Please.”

  She nodded. He brushed his lips over hers. She stood and strode across the kitchen. Without looking back she walked through the dining room and out into the entrance hall where the stairs were.

  Even though her eyes were on the marble tile beneath her feet, she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She stopped and looked through the glass door with horror. On the other side stood Alexis, her hand raised to press the doorbell.

  They stared at each other through the door. Oh, no.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chase had hung back in the kitchen for a few minutes before heading to the door. Alexis had probably stopped and made sure the photographers got a few key shots of her driving through his gate. Maybe even a few on his front porch.

  As he entered the foyer, his heart stopped. Natalie and Alexis stared at each other through the glass door. Chase cursed his stupid luck as he brushed past Natalie and jerked open the door.

  “Come in, Alexis.” He shut the door behind her and led her farther into the room, away from telephoto range, which fortunately Natalie was out of. “Ladies, I believe we need to have a discussion. Let’s go to the media room.”

  Alexis strutted through the door leading to the media room. Chase took Natalie’s hand. Her face registered shock and panic.

  “I’ll fix this.”

  Her eyes were wide. “How?”

  He had no idea how, but he couldn’t tell her that. She looked like her dog just died. “I’ll fix this.”

  Ta
king Natalie’s hand, he led her into the Media room and sat her in a chair before closing the door.

  “Alexis, I believe you remember Natalie from the office.” Chase stood beside Natalie’s chair while Alexis leaned against the bar with a satisfied grin.

  “From the office? Oh, yes, the little girl who does the books. Chase, this is worse than Jude’s nanny fiasco.”

  He could see the wheels turning in Alexis’s head. “This is nothing like that, Alexis. You and I aren’t dating.”

  “Yes, but you’re still screwing the hired help.”

  Natalie jerked in her chair as if Alexis had slapped her. Why hadn’t he asked Natalie to go upstairs and not subject her to Alexis? He rested his hand on her shoulder, and she winced under his hand. He squeezed her, hoping to reassure her. This night was going from bad to worse. “Look, Alexis, we’re adults here. You and I aren’t a couple anymore.”

  Alexis’s eyes narrowed and her famous lips tightened. “You’re right, we’re not, but they don’t know that.” She flung her arm out in an arc. “What they will see is that the Sexiest Man Alive prefers his bookkeeper over me. Do you know what that will do to my image?”

  “What do you want me to do, Alexis? Put my life on hold so you can try to make an even bigger name for yourself?”

  Her body curled down into a seat. “No, but I think we can find a mutually agreeable solution.”

  “I’m listening.” He didn’t need Alexis to start attacking Natalie again, and the quickest way to get Alexis out of here was to figure out what she wanted.

  Natalie tensed under his hand again. If he hadn’t driven her here, she probably would have already bolted, which would have been impossible to clean up after the entrance Alexis made.

  Alexis flashed her smile. “We’ve already been seen at the Golden Globes.”

  He waited for her to go on. He’d forgotten how melodramatic she was. Everything had been an act with her. He wondered if she even knew herself anymore.