the room, staring at the floor, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked ticked as all heck, but who knew if it was just an act?
Still, her heart flip-flopped, watching him, despite the curse words rattling round in her head.
This man should have come with a warning label.
TEAGUE RAN HIS HAND through his hair. This was too much to take. The paparazzi weren’t just eating Kate alive; they were turning her into a five-course meal, much like the one he’d arranged outside. Curled up on the couch, she looked so vulnerable. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms and continue where they’d left off before dinner. Only, he wasn’t sure if he’d get a kiss or a slap in return.
He drew the curtain closed over the French doors leading to the patio. “Kate, I’m sorry. The press is more interested in you than I thought.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He set the champagne on the coffee table in front of her and knelt beside her. “You’re different from the typical actress or model I’m seen with. Not many Hollywood types do the Internet dating thing.” He softened his voice. “I didn’t anticipate all this. I’m sorry.” Of course she didn’t want anything to do with him. He was ruining her life. “Maybe things will die down tomorrow with the first premieres. They’ll have other people to stalk, other stories to follow.”
“I just want to sleep,” she said in a thick voice. She wouldn’t look at him. He couldn’t blame her.
Although he was desperate to feel her lips against his again, he knew the best thing now was to leave her alone. “Take the bed.”
She didn’t move off the couch, but he pulled back the bedcovers and fluffed the pillow, hoping she’d make herself comfortable. He went outside to give her some privacy. The bungalow was just one big room. There was no hiding from each other.
He closed the door quietly, sat down in the lounge chair, and stared at the foamy waves lapping the shore, the swooshing sound of the sea taking his mind far away. His plan to become a star and keep anyone from getting close had worked. It was working perfectly tonight, he thought. Never thought it would backfire like this.
When he had left home after high school, it was with zero regrets and one wish: to make sure he never loved someone more than they loved him. Somehow, the idea of being a star, of having so many people seeing him on TV or the big screen seemed like it might fill up his empty self-esteem.
It hadn’t, he’d learned, after hitting it big three years earlier with a supporting role on Big and Bad . The fans loved him, and the producers gave him a bigger role on the show. That led to his first movie deal, then another, until he realized films were the way to go. It turned out his habit of hopping from girl to girl left an impression in the tabloids. That was okay with him, too. He couldn’t pretend he hadn’t enjoyed it.
His agent and publicist encouraged it. “Once you settle down, fans can’t imagine themselves with you as easily. The last thing you want is to get serious with someone for too long.”
“Won’t be a problem,” he’d assured them. And it had been good fun. But never much more than that.
So what was happening to him now? He glanced back at the bungalow and frowned. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about the woman who was here for ‘strictly business’? He jumped up from his chair and eased the door open, just wanting to talk to her, to hear her laugh. But she was asleep on the couch, long blue shadows and moonlight stretched out across her.
After watching her sleep for a few moments, he slid his hands under her neck and thighs and lifted her, just like when he had carried her off the plane. The back of her legs were moist on his skin and he could only imagine how the rest of her would feel against him. She murmured in her sleep and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her fingers teased the nape of his neck as if they were searching for
Still, her heart flip-flopped, watching him, despite the curse words rattling round in her head.
This man should have come with a warning label.
TEAGUE RAN HIS HAND through his hair. This was too much to take. The paparazzi weren’t just eating Kate alive; they were turning her into a five-course meal, much like the one he’d arranged outside. Curled up on the couch, she looked so vulnerable. He wanted to scoop her up in his arms and continue where they’d left off before dinner. Only, he wasn’t sure if he’d get a kiss or a slap in return.
He drew the curtain closed over the French doors leading to the patio. “Kate, I’m sorry. The press is more interested in you than I thought.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He set the champagne on the coffee table in front of her and knelt beside her. “You’re different from the typical actress or model I’m seen with. Not many Hollywood types do the Internet dating thing.” He softened his voice. “I didn’t anticipate all this. I’m sorry.” Of course she didn’t want anything to do with him. He was ruining her life. “Maybe things will die down tomorrow with the first premieres. They’ll have other people to stalk, other stories to follow.”
“I just want to sleep,” she said in a thick voice. She wouldn’t look at him. He couldn’t blame her.
Although he was desperate to feel her lips against his again, he knew the best thing now was to leave her alone. “Take the bed.”
She didn’t move off the couch, but he pulled back the bedcovers and fluffed the pillow, hoping she’d make herself comfortable. He went outside to give her some privacy. The bungalow was just one big room. There was no hiding from each other.
He closed the door quietly, sat down in the lounge chair, and stared at the foamy waves lapping the shore, the swooshing sound of the sea taking his mind far away. His plan to become a star and keep anyone from getting close had worked. It was working perfectly tonight, he thought. Never thought it would backfire like this.
When he had left home after high school, it was with zero regrets and one wish: to make sure he never loved someone more than they loved him. Somehow, the idea of being a star, of having so many people seeing him on TV or the big screen seemed like it might fill up his empty self-esteem.
It hadn’t, he’d learned, after hitting it big three years earlier with a supporting role on Big and Bad . The fans loved him, and the producers gave him a bigger role on the show. That led to his first movie deal, then another, until he realized films were the way to go. It turned out his habit of hopping from girl to girl left an impression in the tabloids. That was okay with him, too. He couldn’t pretend he hadn’t enjoyed it.
His agent and publicist encouraged it. “Once you settle down, fans can’t imagine themselves with you as easily. The last thing you want is to get serious with someone for too long.”
“Won’t be a problem,” he’d assured them. And it had been good fun. But never much more than that.
So what was happening to him now? He glanced back at the bungalow and frowned. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about the woman who was here for ‘strictly business’? He jumped up from his chair and eased the door open, just wanting to talk to her, to hear her laugh. But she was asleep on the couch, long blue shadows and moonlight stretched out across her.
After watching her sleep for a few moments, he slid his hands under her neck and thighs and lifted her, just like when he had carried her off the plane. The back of her legs were moist on his skin and he could only imagine how the rest of her would feel against him. She murmured in her sleep and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her fingers teased the nape of his neck as if they were searching for
Similar Books
