L. A. Cinderella

Chapter Ten

Light peeked through the slightly parted curtain to torment Natalie. She squeezed her eyes shut and rolled straight into a solid, warm object. A very naked solid, warm object whose very naked arm was wrapped around her very naked body.

Cracking open her eyes, she stared at the slightly blurry image of Chase. His chest rose and fell gently. Her hand rested on his well-formed abs underneath her lavender sheets.

Her body ached pleasantly, and she smiled as she recalled gathering up the clothes strewn across the apartment and managing to make it to the bed for round three. Her comforter was half off the bed and pillows were scattered throughout the room.

She rested her cheek against his chest and listened to the rhythmic pace of his heart. She wished the sun would go away and leave her forever in the night with Chase. Morning meant responsibility. Morning meant work. Morning meant regret.

As she snuggled against him, she wondered if he’d regret last night. She couldn’t. Chase had wanted her. It still seemed unfathomable, but he wanted her.

His chest shifted under her, and his fingers lightly brushed down her hair. “Good morning.” His voice was satisfied and low. His lips touched her forehead.

“Morning.” Should she add more? What were the expectations when someone woke in the arms of the Sexiest Man Alive? But that’s not who she’d been with last night. She’d been with Chase, just Chase. The suave heartthrob from the screen had disappeared, leaving behind the man who made her feel beautiful. Who cared enough to give her a choice. Who was flesh and blood, not just a character on a show.

His arm tightened around her waist. “Relax. Everything will be fine.” His heartbeat increased under her ear, and she felt his growing arousal next to her thigh.

“We should get to work,” she whispered. Her sore body flooded with heat.

His hand slipped down to cup one of her breasts. “You’re right. We should.” His other hand reached over to the nightstand for a condom.

She gasped as he shifted her on top of him. His full arousal rested against the junction of her legs. “Chase.” His name came out on a breath as she lowered her hips to meet his.

They came together slowly. Bodies sliding against each other. His hands controlled the pace of her hips. Her core rippled with each slow withdrawal and excruciating slow return. Her mind melted with the fire of her arousal until she lived for the next caress, the next brush, the next penetration.

As she found climax, she arched and cried out. He sat up with her, drawing her body against his, and continued to raise and lower her hips until his climax took him. They fell back to the bed. Her thighs trembled as she lay on top of him.

She couldn’t remember a time she’d been so thoroughly sated. Her breathing returned to normal, and her heart slowed its frantic beat. It was time to get back to the real world, where he was larger than life, and she was happy being a flower on the wall.

Natalie sat on the floor of Mr. Morrison’s office surrounded by files. She stared out the window as her mind wandered back to the care and tenderness Chase had shown when they’d shared the shower. She’d been beet-red the entire time, but she’d enjoyed every moment.

They’d managed to get out of the apartment before Rachel came in, which had Natalie counting her blessings. Meeting Chase in the office was one thing, but finding he’d spent the night with Natalie would definitely blow Rachel’s mind.

Now, he sat down the hall in his office, while she picked through files. When she could get her mind to focus on them. Every time she heard a sound she’d jump. She didn’t think Mr. Morrison worked on the weekends, but she knew her luck couldn’t hold out. Then there was Chase. She just didn’t know what to expect or how to react to him today.

She’d been a permanent shade of pink this morning. He didn’t seem to want to let her out of his sight, though he did allow her some privacy in the bathroom. She’d also convinced him to let her drive her car instead of riding with him.

The kiss he’d given her before they left the apartment had ricocheted through her sore body. He didn’t just kiss with his mouth. He kissed with his whole body, drawing her so close.

She’d sagged against her car waiting for him to get in his, before shaking herself. Time to get on with it. Maybe she was just a fascination. Something different from what he usually went after. He’d cast her aside when a shiny new something passed by.

She returned her attention to the file in her lap. Whatever it was between them, it couldn’t last. Maybe she should end it now before she got too hurt. She rubbed the ache that began in her chest at the thought. Yeah, it was definitely too late to avoid pain, but she did enjoy the pleasure.

Chase stood in the doorway of Martin’s office and took in his little accountant surrounded by mounds of paper, an expression of intensity on her face. A soft smile teased the corner of her lips. He’d put that there.

He wanted to see where this thing between them could go, but the moment the press got ahold of it they’d latch on and shake it until it broke. He could protect her from that, if they were careful. Maybe this hadn’t been his best idea-the press was already sniffing around because of the breakup, and he needed the publicity for his upcoming film.

His thoughts flew out the window when she turned her face up to him and that crimson flush covered her cheeks. For a moment, he allowed himself to sink into her wide eyes and feel the wholesomeness of her. Her lips parted in a silent invitation he wasn’t sure she was aware of.

He cleared his throat. “How’s it going?”

Her eyes wandered over the folders. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to get through this today. I need more time.”

He longed to smooth his fingers over the creases in her forehead. “I think we can put Martin off for a few days, while you continue to investigate. You give him a report that doesn’t mention the expenses. Everything matched up, right? Receipts and expenses are all accounted for?”

“Yes, there are forms for everything, but when will I be able to work on it with him being here during the day?” Frustration poured off her.

He leaned against the doorway. “We’ll stay late and go through it together. I always thought Martin was a good man and want to make absolutely sure before I accuse him of anything.”

Her gaze flitted up to his. Her eyes spoke volumes as worry, fear and desire whipped through them. What did she fear? Him? “Together,” she said, resigned.

“Let’s clean up this mess and get out of here. We could pick up some takeout and go back to my place?” Suddenly, he was nervous, like a boy asking a girl out for the first time. After last night that was a ridiculous thought, but it was there, a tingle of anticipation and fear of rejection.

If he ended it now, they wouldn’t have to worry about the press. No one would ever find out, and Natalie would stay happy in her simple life. And he’d go back to dating the same women he’d always dated. But what if this was the only shot he had at something real?

She started stacking the files without looking up at him. “Do you think we should?” Her hands trembled as she set the papers down. “I mean, don’t you have plans with Alexis? It is Saturday night.”

He knelt beside her and used his finger under her chin to turn her face to his. A sadness lingered in her eyes. “The only person I want to be with tonight is right here.” He traced her lower lip with his thumb. “Please say yes.”

The warring factions continued for a moment within her eyes. Her face flushed, and her shy smile appeared, easing the tightness in his chest. “Yes.”

Chase’s house was bigger than Natalie had imagined. He lived in Hollywood Hills with the A-list celebrities. The houses lining the streets weren’t simple homes, but complexes with long, gated drives.

She followed in her car up the drive and around to the back of the house. Two garage doors opened along the huge building. She pulled her Honda Fit in next to an expensive-looking silver car.

The garage door closed behind her. She stepped out into a huge room with a high ceiling and painted concrete floors. A couple of the cars had shrouds over them, but she could tell by the shape that they were sport cars.

She’d been happy when she’d qualified for the loan on her Fit, which she would pay off in five years. She highly doubted there were loans on the six cars in this garage. Each one was probably at least five times the new price of hers.

Chase strode to her side. “Do you like cars?”

“Um, well, they get me from here to there, but not really.” She was lucky to have the old beater that got her through college. She hadn’t needed a car before that, since her mother had homeschooled her.

His fingers laced into hers. “C’mon. Let me show you my house.”

She tried to ignore the fizzle of awareness that coursed through her at his touch. His grip was strong and gentle as he pulled her through the door connecting the house to the garage.

The kitchen was enormous. Cream-colored tile swept across the floor. Dark wood cabinets and sparkling stainless steel appliances filled one end of the kitchen, while the other end had floor-to-ceiling windows and a simple kitchen table with chairs.

Chase set the bags of food down on the table and tugged her into his arms. Kissing him was like kissing an electrical socket. Her whole body sparked to life, aware of every inch of him pressed against every inch of her. His hand loosened the knot in her hair before cradling her head.

When he came up for air, she could barely stand. Her knees turned to jelly, and her core pulsed with need.

“Welcome to my home.” He smiled down at her and kissed the tip of her nose.

“Is that always part of the welcome?” She held on to his arms to brace herself.

“For you, it should be.” His smile was warm as he set her aside. “Now, if you’ll stop groping me-”

“I’m not the one grop-”

He brushed his lips over hers. “We can eat. Then I can show you around.” With his hand on her lower back, he guided her to one of the chairs surrounding the cherrywood table. He moved around the kitchen efficiently.

“Do you cook?” Natalie asked.

When he returned, he set the table with china, silverware and wine glasses. “I get by. My housekeeper keeps the kitchen stocked with essentials. I like to cook and don’t always order out if that’s what you’re asking.” He winked before heading to the fridge.

“It’s just…I suppose I thought…”

He uncorked a bottle of white wine.

“You thought that I wouldn’t want to?” he offered. As he sat, his thigh brushed hers, sending little ripples of desire racing through her. His eyes danced.

“Maybe.” She couldn’t think much of anything when he was near.

After he poured the wine, he pulled out a couple of containers. “I hope you like La Bouche Paisible.” His hand brushed hers as she took the glass.

“I’ve never eaten there before.” She didn’t think her paycheck would cover the dinner. Not to mention she’d need something better to wear than her current wardrobe could provide to get in the door. She shoved her glasses up her nose, wishing her contacts would magically appear.

“Well, you are in for an experience.”

She was already having an experience that was beyond belief. And she was more than willing to follow this golden brick road until she found her way back home.

After he dished out the contents of the containers, there was still one left.

“What’s that?”

He smiled mysteriously. “Dessert.”

Her plate overflowed with food. A filet steak with brown gravy, new potatoes with herbs, grilled asparagus and the scent-her stomach rumbled from the delicious smells emanating from her plate.

“Where’d you grow up?” he asked before taking a bite of steak.

“What makes you think I’m not from here?” she asked, trying to sound serious.

His eyebrow lifted, causing her to laugh.

“I’m from the Midwest. Illinois. We moved out to California my senior year when dad got a transfer. I’ve been here ever since.”

“Do you see your family much?”

“No, my older sister stayed in Illinois when we moved, and Dad got transferred again while I was in college. We see each other at holidays, of course.” Natalie bit into the steak and her mouth exploded with flavor. “Oh, wow.”

He smiled, pleased with himself. “Yeah.”

After she swallowed the small piece of heaven, she turned to him. “What about you?”

“For the most part, my birth and subsequent childhood are public record.”

“Assume I don’t know anything, because I wasn’t around when you were born.” She wanted to know how he felt about growing up with his family, not what the press reported.

“Well, I spent a lot of my time on movie sets or in foreign countries. I had a tutor and a nanny. My parents tried to keep me out of the tabloids, but when I started auditioning all bets were off.”

“How old were you?” she asked gently.

“I was eight.” He set down his fork and picked up his wineglass. Staring at the contents, he continued, “I was ten when I had my first crush. She was an actress, too. We made it into all the teeny-bop magazines.”

“I never read any of those.”

His gaze pivoted to her and gave her an assessing look. “I don’t suppose you would have. When it ended, I talked to my parents about going to a real high school. After all, I’d played a high schooler on TV, how hard could real life be?”

“I never went to high school. Mom homeschooled me, but I bet you were the coolest kid in school.” She pushed her plate away and picked up her wineglass.

His hand covered hers on the table. “Not really. Sure, I had all the toys boys like and the best clothes, but I’d never really socialized with kids my own age before.” He picked up her hand and turned it over. His finger traced the lines on her palm. “I found a group and dated a little, but they either resented me for who I was or wanted something from me.”

Something troubled him, but she didn’t press. The more she learned about him the more real he seemed. The harder it would be to let him go.

He pushed back from the table. “Come on. I want to show you my home. I’ll bring dessert.”

He grabbed a couple of spoons and the container before taking her hand and leading her across the kitchen.

The rest of his house was as amazing and intimidating as the kitchen. From the crystal chandeliers in the dining room to the antiques in the living room. From the extra-large-screen TV in the media room to the red-lined pool table in the recreation room. The splendor and richness made her head spin.

“How long have you lived here?” She knew the man was a multimillionaire. She knew he wore expensive clothes, even if they were casual, but it hadn’t really hit her. Now it slapped her across the face. Her apartment could fit into his media room.

“This was my parents’ home. I inherited it.” He seemed to choke up on the statement before it passed. “Besides, it’s small compared to the one I own in Italy.”

Her head still reeling, he opened a door and pulled her into a darkened room. She slammed into his back as he halted and flipped a switch. Soft lights lit the interior of the room.

She stepped around Chase and her mouth dropped open. Before her, tropical trees and flowers filled the room in bold colors, reds, yellows, greens and blues. The scent of the flowers and the leafy smell of the trees perfumed the air. A glass roof and walls enclosed the garden.

A stone path wound its way along the floor through the trees and disappeared into the foliage. She could hear the chirps of birds somewhere in the room.

“My favorite room.” Chase’s hand rested at her lower back.

“I can see why.” She gaped up at the large, colorful flowers as he led her farther into the room. The back was blocked off and filled with tropical birds of all colors. She stopped as a large toucan swept down to the ground where a bowl of fruit rested near a small pond. It was unbelievable. Almost like stepping through a doorway onto a tropical island.

“Here we are.” He led her into a small gazebo open to the sights and sounds of the room, but secluded from the door to the rest of the house.

“You could forget where you are in here.” She settled on the pillows covering the floor, still trying to absorb all the colors and scents.

“That’s the point. I can’t always make time to escape to a tropical location, but I can usually slip into this room. I’m pretty good at pretending.” He lowered himself down beside her and stretched out on his side. “Dessert?”

Tearing her gaze from a beautiful orange flower, she found herself captivated by his eyes, and her breathing hitched.

She knew why she’d agreed to come here to his house.

She wasn’t strong enough to walk away from Chase. She didn’t want to walk away from the attraction between them. When it was over, she was fairly certain it would be him doing the walking.

But that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy the ride. “What did you have in mind?”

His grin was positively wicked. He popped the lid off the last container. “Dark chocolate mousse.”

He handed her a spoon and dug his into the creamy mousse. He lifted the spoon to her mouth and waited.

Her gaze never left his as she leaned forward and took the spoon and chocolate into her mouth. The sweetness and the slight bitterness of the chocolate combined to form ecstasy in her mouth. She closed her eyes and savored the taste rolling around on her tongue.

Before she could open her eyes, soft lips pressed against hers. His mouth tasted like the wine they’d been drinking flavored with the chocolate of the mousse. She didn’t resist when his body shifted, pushing her back into the pillows.

His hands lifted her glasses from her face before his mouth returned to the gentle assault on her senses. She’d never experienced anything quite like Chase before. Every opportunity he could touch her, he did. Every chance to kiss her, he took.

As his lips caressed her neck, she wondered if this wasn’t a good idea. “Maybe… maybe we should stop.” Her fingers dug into his shoulders as he sucked her earlobe into his mouth.

“Mmm-hmm. You’re right. We haven’t finished dessert yet.” His mouth returned to hers. His tongue slid along her bottom lip. His hands caressed the sides of her body, pulling her firmly up into his body. Her flesh warmed beneath his, responding to his fire.

“Chase?” she murmured against his lips. He raised his head and she forgot what she was going to say at the gentle smile on his lips and the desire in his eyes. That was a look she’d never seen in his movies. Any protests she may have had died on her tongue. She hadn’t really meant them anyway.

“Would you like more dessert?” His finger lightly brushed over her nipple.

A shudder coursed through her. Resistance was futile. “Yes, please.”