L. A. Cinderella

Chapter Fourteen

Chase’s head lolled back on the cab seat. He snapped it upright again. “Here, turn here.” He handed the man a hundred-dollar bill as he pulled to the curb. “Keep the change.”

His eyes weren’t working quite right, but he could still put one foot in front of the other. It had been Alexis’s idea to leave his car at her place for the night while they went clubbing. He was really too old to go clubbing. The stairs wavered before him as he climbed them.

He raised his hand and pressed the button. The chimes rang inside the apartment and he pressed it again. One more time. Why was he pressing this button again? Oh, well, press it again.

“I have a bat and I’ve called nine-one-one.” The sweet sound of Natalie’s voice reached his ears.

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your fair hair.”

The door snapped open and the light blinded him. “Chase?”

“Ah, my fair Rosalynn, let me slay a dragon for you, my fair maiden.” His grin felt like it would split his face.

He stumbled into the apartment and heard the door shut and the locks snick into place.

“What are you doing here, Chase?” Natalie was suddenly directly in front of him.

“Why, I’m here for you. To slay whatever needs to be slayed. To lay whatever needs to be laid.”

Her nose wrinkled, and she raised her eyebrow. “How did you get here, Chase? Please tell me you didn’t drive.”

“Of course not. I’m the spokesman for drunk driving. I mean, against drunk driving.”

Her image wavered before him, and he reached out to steady her. Maybe those shots hadn’t been the smartest move.

“Chase, you can’t stay here.”

“Why not? A bed is a bed. Your bed is serviceable if I recall. Of course, the floor is good, too. We could always try the wall.” He moved in close to her.

Her cheeks turned bright red, and she stepped back right into said wall.

His body flared to life as he noticed her kitten pajamas and a smudge of chocolate on the corner of her mouth.” Do you know I find kitten pajamas very sexy?” He tugged on the hem of her shirt.

“Chase, you should go home. Let me call you a cab.” She tried to slide along the wall, but he put his hands on either side of her head. “Chase?”

“What, Natalie? Are you afraid someone will find out? Are you afraid someone will snap a shot of us kissing inside your apartment?” He leaned into her until his mouth brushed against hers when he spoke. “Or are you afraid you’d like being watched?”

“Chase-”

His mouth covered hers, cutting off any protests she might have. He’d had an Altoid in the cab. She tasted like chocolate, smooth and creamy. The mint and chocolate blended perfectly. Her tongue was cold as it brushed against his. Ice cream. He smiled.

He lifted his head. “Did you want me to leave?”

“No.” Her voice was light and airy. “But maybe we should go to your place. Rachel will be home soon. And if we leave now maybe the shutterbugs will still be outside the clubs.”

Though Chase hadn’t always been friendly with the paparazzi, they were a part of his life. A part he had had to learn to live with and they weren’t going away anytime soon. It didn’t matter tonight. All he wanted was Natalie.

He brushed back a strand of brown hair and tucked it behind her ear. “Why don’t you drive us back?”

Her eyes fluttered as she leaned into his hand. She turned her head and kissed his open palm.

“How soon did you say your roommate would be home?” He rubbed his thumb across her lips.

“Too soon.”

He replaced his thumb with his lips. She opened beneath him. Her hands gripped his shirt and pulled him closer. He gathered her into his arms and backed her down the hallway.

He dragged in a breath. “Haven’t we been here before?” he said as he pushed through the living room door.

Her smile took his breath away. “I’m sure I have no idea what you mean.”

As he traced the sensual curve of her lower lip with his fingertip, he glanced over her shoulder and saw the credits rolling on If Only. “At least this time you got to finish.”

Her eyes sparkled up at him. “I always finish with you.” Wherever this playful woman had come from, he hoped she’d stick around for a while. His beautiful accountant seemed to be blooming all around him.

She took his hand and pulled him toward her bedroom. He went willingly. Even though he’d had a few shots, the effects were starting to fade, leaving behind that easy, relaxed feeling.

He sank on the edge of the bed and held his arms out to her. She stepped between his knees, and he wrapped his arms around her.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered as her hands stroked over his hair. Her heartbeat was strong beneath the cushion of her breasts.

“For what?” He never wanted to let her go, but knew it was coming. The pressure of a public relationship would kill this tender thing they had. His arms squeezed her tighter.

“For being so damned paranoid.” Her hand brushed the side of his face.

He closed his eyes and absorbed what she was making him feel. His heart filled his chest and he knew he wouldn’t be able to let her go. He lifted his head and took her face between his hands. “All I want is you, Natalie.”

Their lips met. He surrendered himself to whatever would happen in the future as he pulled her down to the bed with him.

“What was that?” Natalie put her hand against Chase’s glistening shoulder. “Chase?”

His head lifted from her breasts, and he looked at her with passion-laden eyes. His body brushed against hers, tantalizing all the fine nerve endings as he moved up to take possession of her mouth again. The sound receded in her mind as he slid into her, filling her.

The sound of the door slamming shocked Natalie. “Chase?”

He moved within her. “Hmmm.” His movements were slow and lazy. She got lost in the movements as her passion swirled higher and higher with each stroke.

“Natalie, why are all the lights on?” Rachel’s voice pierced through the wood of her door.

“Uh-oh.”

Rachel knew no boundaries. She could open the door and find them. Chase’s naked body completely covered hers. Not that Rachel hadn’t seen Chase’s butt before. Almost every woman in America and across the globe had seen Chase’s butt. Her body tensed at the combined approach of her orgasm and the footsteps outside the door.

“Chase?” she whispered. She groaned against his lips. He seemed determined to drive her out of her mind, and he was doing a great job of it, too. His lips moved over hers, capturing whatever she might have said. Her body exploded all around him.

He swallowed all the sounds she made. His body tensed over her, and he let go.

“Are you even here, Natalie?” Rachel’s voice was on the other side of the door.

Natalie started pushing on Chase. He had to get off her before Rachel opened the door. He cuddled against her body and a little snore escaped his mouth.

“I’m not dressed, Rachel.” That much was true. “Sorry, I…” I just had incredible sex with Chase Booker and can’t tell anyone. “I spilled ice cream all over myself.”

The arms around her tightened. Chase rolled until she was on top of his chest. Oh, yeah, this was a much better view for Rachel. She lifted her head to glare down at him and found his laughing green eyes open.

The urge to shove him off the bed almost overwhelmed her. She tried to scoot off his chest, but his arms held her still.

She turned her head to watch the doorknob. Her ear was next to his mouth and she about jumped when his quiet voice whispered, “I’d lick the ice cream off for you.”

“Oh, okay.” Rachel’s voice drifted away from the door. She must be walking away. “I’m going to head to bed. We have to talk in the morning. I can’t wait to tell you what I found out about Chase.”

“I bet you could tell her a thing or two.” He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, sending shivers of pleasure rippling through her.

The door to the other bedroom closed, and Natalie relaxed against Chase’s chest. Sure, she could tell Rachel that Chase was an unselfish lover. He snored. He was ticklish on his sides. His lips were as soft as velvet. He slept wrapped around her as if he never wanted to let her go. And she was hopelessly in love with him.

She rested her head against the steady beat of his heart. One of his hands stroked down her back while the other rested in her hair. She’d been wrong. She should have stopped earlier. She should have never gone to his house. She should have turned him away at her door. She should have stopped that first kiss.

She was too far gone now. When she thought of ending it, her lungs seized up, and she fought for air. She shivered as she thought of the long, lonely nights ahead of her. Lonely nights made worse because she knew what it was like to not be alone. To be made love to so thoroughly that no one would ever be able to replace him.

Her eyes burned, and she took short, quick breaths to stop the flood that threatened. He rolled them to the side and lifted her chin. Seeing the concern in his eyes broke her. The tears slipped out even as she fought to hold them back.

“What’s wrong, Natalie?” His thumb brushed aside the tears, smearing them on her cheeks.

“Nothing.” Everything. She tried to smile and blinked back the tears. Maybe it was worth the risk. Maybe he was worth the exposure. And maybe she could have a pony, too.

He tightened his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. “Let’s go home,” he whispered against her hair.

Not his house. Home. The place she belonged.