L. A. Cinderella

Chapter Fifteen

Natalie sipped the hot tea Chase had made her. Wearing only his T-shirt, she sat on his kitchen counter while he cooked eggs for her on his industrial range.

The world seemed bright and cheery this morning like nothing could touch them. He worked on the stove like a pro, cooking an omelet without a spatula, showing off by sliding it around the pan before flipping it in the air and catching it.

“You wouldn’t do that if you had to clean up the mess.” She set the mug down and used her hands to brace herself while she leaned back.

He glanced up at her. “I don’t make messes that I don’t clean up.” His free hand roamed tantalizingly up her thigh toward the hem of the T-shirt.

She playfully swatted at his hand. “None of that. I need some food before another round.”

“Thankfully, food is done.” He eased the omelet onto a plate and turned off the stove. He grabbed her waist and lifted her down to the floor.

“My hero.” She grabbed her plate and went to the kitchen table.

Chase joined her with a wicked smile on his face. “Eat up.”

The man might be an Academy Award-winning actor, but he could cook one mean omelet. Of course, it helped that he had all the finest ingredients and fresh vegetables to pick from.

The shrill ring of the phone broke the amicable silence. Chase got up and left the room to pick it up.

A few seconds later “Glamorous” by Fergie sounded from the depths of her purse. Setting down her fork, she dug out her phone. A picture of Rachel showed on the screen.

She hit the Talk button. “You changed my ringtone.”

“Not now. Where are you?” Rachel’s voice was impatient.

Natalie leaned against the wall and looked down the hall to where Chase stood talking on the phone. She could feel the silly smile on her face and didn’t care. “Having breakfast.”

“Where?”

“Why?”

“Natalie, do you know what’s going on?” Rachel seemed upset by something.

“No, what’s happened? Are you okay?” She straightened from the wall. Chase’s eyes widened as his gaze met hers.

“That CFO Chase fired talked to some reporter and said that Chase was having an affair with someone at work.”

Natalie’s heart stopped. She almost dropped the phone. “Do they know who?” Her voice sounded distant to her own ears.

“They say whoever it is he’s been seeing her and Alexis. Do you want to tell me something, Natalie?” Rachel was her best friend. Natalie could hear the hurt in Rachel’s voice.

“Where do they say Chase is?”

Chase had set down the phone and was striding across the room toward her.

“They think he’s at Alexis’s. At least, that’s what one report says. But another report says an eyewitness saw him get into a cab and leave Alexis. They haven’t been able to talk to the cabby yet.”

Natalie broke out in a cold sweat. Thousands of cameras could be lined up all over the street just waiting for her to step out of his house. The delicious omelet sat like a lump in her stomach. Chase stopped in front of her.

“I’ve got to go.” She shut the phone on Rachel’s voice.

“They know,” she said. The illusion shattered around her. It was over. “I’ve got to go.”

Chase grabbed her shoulders before she could walk around him. “Why?”

What did he mean why? Didn’t he know? “They know, Chase. Martin leaked it to the press. They are probably out on the street, just waiting for me to walk out. Oh, God, they are going to take pictures of me.”

“Natalie?” His fingers tightened on her shoulders.

“What, Chase?” She glanced at the windows. Photographers might be lurking in the bushes, behind the trees. “Maybe they aren’t here yet. Maybe I can still get out.”

“I talked to Alexis.”

Her gaze shot to his. The look in his eyes didn’t alleviate her panic. This was worse than she thought.

“She’s leaked to the paparazzi that I spent the night at her house. They’re waiting over there to talk to me. She’s putting them off, but she has to go out sometime today.”

Relief flowed over her in a gush. “Then I can leave. I can get out before they realize you are here. No one’s going to think anything of my little Honda leaving. They’ll just think I’m the paid help.”

“You aren’t the hired help.” His voice was forceful. “Don’t go.”

“I can get dressed-what?” She refocused on him.

His face was drawn tight as if he was fighting with something. “Don’t go.”

“But if I don’t, they’ll find out.” Where was he going with this?

“So what? Let them find out.” A hardness filled his eyes.

She stared up at him. Her mouth parted to ask why, but no sound came out.

He closed his eyes and dropped his hands from her shoulders. “You’re right. Go get dressed. I’ll clean up down here.”

He turned his back on her and walked to the kitchen table. She didn’t want this to end, but the situation had spiraled out of her control. She wanted to go to him and wrap her arms around his waist and say everything would be okay, but he’d already closed himself off from her.

She drew in a breath. She had to go. There was nothing more to it. Their affair had been fun to Chase while it was hidden, but he’d realize she wasn’t what he wanted in the bright glare of the spotlight. The carefree days were over. She had to let Chase go.

Chase slammed the refrigerator door. He wanted to throw plates across the room. He wanted to tear something apart. Instead he leaned his forehead against the stainless steel door.

She was leaving. Damn it. He couldn’t stop her. She never wanted to be part of his world. His shrinking violet preferred the dark to the glare of the spotlight.

He’d known that from the start. They’d both known this would happen. This time would have come eventually; he’d just thought when it happened she’d want to stay, or he’d be ready to let her go.

He shoved away from the fridge and stormed through the house. He took the stairs two at a time until he reached the bedroom.

She sat on the bed looking forlorn. “I found my sock.” She held it up. “But I can’t find my other shoe.” Her lower lip trembled.

Scanning the room, his gaze fell upon the missing shoe. He scooped it up and knelt on the floor at her feet. She wouldn’t meet his eyes.

He snatched the sock out of her loose fingers. Lifting her foot, he pulled her sock over it and then slipped on her shoe. He stood, tugging her up with him.

She studied his chest. He tipped her face up so he could look into her brown eyes one last time. Tears swam over her eyes.

One more taste. His lips found hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck, holding him close. Desperation tainted the kiss.

She yanked her head away and dropped her arms. “Good-bye, Chase.” She hurried out the door.

A pain stabbed through his chest. What if…

He caught up to her at the bottom of the stairs. “Wait.”

She stopped and dropped her chin to her chest. “Don’t make this any harder than it already is.”

“How much harder can it get?” He could hear the tremor in his voice, but ignored it. All that mattered was that Natalie didn’t give up on him.

“Please, Chase. Let me go.” She moved in the direction of the kitchen, but he blocked her. She swung around toward the front door.

He grabbed her arm. “I love you.” The words slipped from his soul.

She stiffened as if he’d hit her, but she didn’t meet his eyes. The words lay like a gauntlet thrown down between them. He hadn’t meant to say them. He wasn’t even sure what those words meant, but it felt right with Natalie.

Her words were whispered to the door. “You pretend to be in love for a living.” Her arm shook under his touch. “How do you know what’s real?”

Her words cut him to the quick. He drew her away from the door and turned her. He tilted her face up. Tears streamed down from huge eyes. Her eyes were devoid of hope. It ripped through him.

“You’re real. What I feel is real.” How could he convince her? What more could he give her?

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Pretend. Make believe.” She jerked her arm from him and swiped at her cheeks. “Someone to play house with. Someone to pretend to have a normal life. You’ll never have a normal life. You’re Chase Booker, movie star, producer-”

“I’m a man, dammit.” Chase could feel the years slip away, and he was that teenage boy trying to explain to his girlfriend to ignore the cameras. They didn’t matter. Only the two of them did.

Natalie tried to walk past him to go to the garage again, but he blocked her way. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She jerked away with tears in her eyes, pressing her fingers to her lips.

“We can’t, Chase. We can’t be in love. We don’t live in the same world.” She spun and yanked open the front door.

“Fine.” He wouldn’t crucify himself anymore. If she wanted to leave, she’d leave. If his love wasn’t enough to keep her, she could go.

Her shoulders slumped and she nodded. She glanced back over her shoulder at him, but he maintained a look of indifference. He’d begged enough.

As she looked forward again, a flash went off.