L. A. Cinderella

Chapter Three

Chase smiled as Natalie leaned against the wall staring at her watch. Probably counting down the seconds. His little accountant had tried to leave without him. He justified walking her out every night because she left so late.

But in reality, he just wanted to be close to her. Even if he couldn’t think about being anything more than her boss, he couldn’t resist the calmness and sweetness she exuded in spite of her nervousness. Not to mention the gentle swaying of her hips, the curve of her calves. And he could feel like just a normal guy walking a girl to her car.

She was so focused on the watch she didn’t hear him slip up next to her.

“Ha.” She smiled and looked up. The smile disappeared and a look of chagrin crossed her face. “Oh.”

“You do know this neighborhood isn’t safe at night.”

She dropped her eyes and her fingers fiddled with her purse. “I guess.”

He leaned across her to push open the door. Awareness singed him where her body brushed against his. The clean scent of her floated in the air with just a touch of sweet, fruity scent, maybe strawberry, from her hair. Her gaze jerked to his. Had she felt the sizzle, too?

Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. His body tightened. He fought against the urge to drag her into his arms and find out if her lips tasted as sweet as she smelled. She was his employee, and he was her boss.

Clearing his throat, he said, “How was your day?”

She took his offer of escape and slipped out the door. “It was fine.”

Every night, it was “fine.” He wondered if she would ever just tell him about her day. He’d seen her working hard all day long. Strands of hair had escaped her usual ponytail and fell softly around her face. His fingers itched to push it behind her ears or release it all from the ponytail and sink into the rich strands.

He followed her out to her car. Her blue business suit and low heels were a refreshing change from the plunging necklines and stilettos Alexis wore. During the day every time he saw her, his imagination ran rampant wondering what Natalie wore under those clothes. The cut of her suit left a lot to the imagination, and he had a great one.

“Thank you,” she said, not turning. Her keys jingled.

“Natalie.” He wanted to see her wide brown eyes one more time to get him through his weekend spent with the privileged and the jaded.

The keys fell to the ground as she looked at him over her shoulder. Her eyes widened. He stooped down to pick up the keys, using the distraction to keep himself from kissing her until her eyes melted like chocolate.

He stood and handed her the keys.

“Thanks.” Her cheeks and neck were red. How far did the blush go?

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Have a good weekend.”

“You, too.” She stared up at him.

Her lips were barely parted. Mentally, he shook himself. She worked for him and he was mooning over her like a teenager. Move, you fool. He backed up a step, giving her room to open her door and slide into her car. He walked back to the building, pausing to watch as she sped off into the night.

When he entered his office, Alexis pounced from the chair. “There’s this new part that I’d be perfect for. The Golden Globes are Sunday. If we’re seen together there, it could help my chances. We can say we’re still friends. We are still friends, aren’t we?” She pouted her famous pout.

He sighed, thinking of the woman he’d just left who didn’t want anything from him. Not even for him to walk her out to her car.

Alexis continued to chatter about going and being seen, but he couldn’t concentrate on her prattle. What would Natalie do if he asked her out? What if like other stars he had a relationship that wasn’t broadcast over every available airwave?

Alexis would serve his purpose of getting the paparazzi to stop guessing who he was going after next. He could see if this spark between him and Natalie could be coaxed into a flame, which was a ridiculous thought. Maybe he just needed a break from dating. Alexis would keep the other women at bay without putting the pressure of a relationship on him.

“Are you even listening to me, Chase?”

He brought his attention back to the woman seated across from him. Every hot-blooded male wanted Alexis and would do anything to go out with her, but Chase wanted more than stunning good looks. Innocence and intelligence wrapped up in a small frame lingered in his mind.

“Sure, Alexis. We can go and be seen.”

“I have the perfect thing for this weekend.”

Natalie rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “I’m not going out. I just finished working an eleven-hour day.”

Rachel tended to be the life of the party and tried to drag Natalie with her. A habit that started when they’d roomed together in college and continued when they’d both decided to stay in L.A. after graduation. Rachel would just have to go without her this time.

Rachel came out of the kitchen holding a stack of DVDs and a bowl of popcorn. “Nope, we’re staying in. I’ve got ice cream in the freezer, too.”

“Chocolate?”

“Of course. Pick the first movie.” Rachel tossed the DVDs on the couch next to Natalie.

Picking up the first one, she groaned. She didn’t. Natalie spread out the three DVDs. Emerald eyes stared at her from the cover of every DVD. She did. Natalie sighed in resignation-so much for getting Chase Booker out of her mind this weekend. She picked up Into the Hereafter.

Rachel plopped down next to her. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief. “I couldn’t let you be the only one staring at that hot bod all day.” She reached across Natalie and snatched Riddle Beach. She turned over the DVD. “This one has nudity. I vote for this one first.”

“Fine.” Just what she needed-an image of what he looked like undressed for Monday morning. That wouldn’t be at all awkward. What’d you do over the weekend, Natalie? Oh, stared at your naked body on DVD.

She grabbed the burgundy throw from the arm of the couch and helped herself to a handful of popcorn. At least there wasn’t a chance of this Chase catching her looking at his hot bod.

The opening scene came on the TV. Alexis was the female lead in this movie. Her body flowed across the room with grace and elegance in her forties dress. Her outrageous red lips jumped from the screen.

Natalie’s hand formed a fist around her blanket. “Alexis Brandt came by the office tonight.” The words spewed from her mouth before she could stop herself.

“Oh, do tell. Dirt before it even hits the stands. How cool is that? Were they, you know, together?” Rachel tucked her legs under her. She couldn’t spend an hour without checking the entertainment blogs or news.

Tightness spread through Natalie’s chest. Maybe she was coming down with something. She reached over for her drink and took a sip before answering. “I don’t know. She did the air kiss, and I left them alone in the office.”

“A little office nookie.” Rachel’s voice quivered with excitement. “Oh, I bet they are having sorry-things-didn’t-work-out sex all over the office. I wonder if they’ll go to the Globes together.”

Natalie gagged on a piece of popcorn. Rachel thumped her hard on the back. Chase having sex in the office-yet another image Natalie didn’t want in her brain for Monday morning. Or any morning, for that matter.

On the TV, Chase walked on the screen. Dressed in a long trench coat and derby hat, he sat at a table to watch Alexis’s character sing a soulful version of “Fever.”

“That’s probably not even her voice,” Natalie murmured under her breath.

“Is he really that good-looking in person?” Rachel didn’t wait for her answer.

Of course, Natalie would have had to admit he looked better in real life. On screen he was larger than life, but in reality, he seemed like a normal guy. A gorgeous normal guy. She could feel the heat flood her cheeks from just thinking about him.

“We have to have lunch this week. I can come to the office to pick you up and try to snag a view of Mr. Sexiest Man Alive for myself.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea. I have a lot of work to do next week.” Natalie reached for another handful of popcorn.

Rachel was more Chase’s type than she was. Her dark hair never had a strand out of place. Rachel also had killer curves. Natalie knew from experience that men wanted Rachel.

Not that Natalie wanted Chase to want her.

“It’s just lunch. Nobody would fault you for going to lunch. Besides-” she shoved her hand out toward the TV, “-you can’t deny me my one opportunity to meet the man of my dreams.”

Natalie snorted. “I thought the man of your dreams was Matt Damon.”

“Well, normally, but since Matt isn’t available I’ll settle for Chase. C’mon, Natalie, you know you can’t say no.”

A fact her roommate used against her constantly. But one she wasn’t willing to fight about right now, or anytime, for that matter. Confrontation made her ill. The camera pulled in tight to Chase’s eyes, and she coughed to cover the sigh that tried to escape.

“You know I’ll just keep pestering…”

“Fine, we’ll do lunch, but I meet you at the door and if he isn’t around, we leave. Now, can we just watch the movie?”

Rachel squealed and shook Natalie’s arm, knocking popcorn all over the floor. “I get to meet Chase Booker. Oh, this is the scene where he walks across the room naked. Shhh.”

Natalie wanted to roll her eyes, but couldn’t take them off Chase’s body. It had to be touched up in editing or a body double. No one could look that good in real life.

Of course, Monday morning, Natalie found herself staring at Chase as he walked by. The images from the movies played in her head. She tried to detect a difference in the walk to see if they’d used a body double. But his swagger was definitely unique and the perfect butt was again outlined in jeans that should be a sin for him to wear.

“How’s the audit going?” Martin’s stern voice rang out behind her.

She jumped in her chair. Her face flushed from being caught watching the owner’s butt as he strolled down the hallway. Picking up a few papers, she turned. “I’ve been making progress. I’ve pulled all the expense reports and started itemizing them in a spreadsheet.”

His mouth tightened. “Good. I expect you to continue working late until we get this thing figured out.”

“Yes, Mr. Morrison.” Though it wasn’t really “we” working this out.

He nodded to her and returned to his office. Turning back to her desk, she lost herself in expense reports for all sorts of weird things: haircuts, manicures, massages, personal trainers. Not so weird for a Hollywood production, but really weird to her, especially the amounts for each one.

When she got to a claim for toilet paper, she stopped. Sliding off her glasses and setting them on the desk, she closed her eyes and rubbed them. The numbers had begun to swim on the page. In her business class, they’d gone over legitimate expenses. Even though this was a movie set, the expenses were ludicrous. Who needed twenty-four dollars’ worth of toilet paper for two days at a shoot? Maybe he had diarrhea. She smiled slightly.

“You look like you’re in a good mood.” Chase’s voice curled around her ear and slid down her back, leaving a pleasant shiver in its path.

Resisting the urge to groan, she uncovered her eyes to stare at the blurry blob of Chase Booker.

“Did Velma lose her glasses again?”

She could hear the smile in his voice. Patting the desk in front of her, she gripped her glasses and forced them back onto her face. Maybe she’d have been better off not wearing them. At least when he was a blob, the only thing seducing her was his voice.

“No, I was just…” Her gaze dropped down to the huge amount of paper on her desk.

“Trying to find your way out of the recycling bin?”

Her gaze met his. The smile on her face froze as the unbidden image of him naked on the TV screen flashed in front of her eyes. The heat crept up from her chest until she swore it was going to pop out of the top of her head.

“I like it when you do that.” His voice was soft and intimate.

Oh, God. What did he like? That she was visualizing him naked? Was she that obvious?

“There it goes.” His eyes sparkled.

“What?” she managed to get her thick tongue to say.

“Your smile.”

Seriously, flames should be bursting from her skull any moment. Her papers-she could look at her papers. Numbers didn’t make her heart race, her palms sweaty or her mouth dry. She couldn’t take her eyes from his, though.

“Have lunch with me.”

“What? Why?”

When he smiled, his eyes lit from within and crinkles formed at their corners. Why was he asking her? Did he do that with all the employees? Was she reading too much into his question? Was his interest in her only as an employee?

“There you are, Natalie. I waited up at the front like you said, but… Oh, hi.” Rachel stopped next to Natalie’s desk, turned on her hundred-watt smile and tossed her perfect black locks over her shoulder.

Natalie kept her eyes on Chase, trying to read his expression. Once men saw Rachel, Natalie became invisible. Or worse, they pretended to be interested in her to get close to Rachel.

She knew she shouldn’t have let Rachel talk her into lunch.

“I’m Rachel McAllister.” She stuck out her hand to Chase.

“Chase Booker.”

Rachel didn’t let go of his hand right away. Natalie’s stomach clenched. Even though she knew Chase couldn’t be interested in her as more than an employee, she didn’t want him to be interested in Rachel.

“You were in our apartment all weekend.” Rachel smiled as she released his hand.

Natalie choked back a groan and wished the paper would come alive and eat her whole right this minute.

“‘Our apartment’?” Chase raised an eyebrow.

“Natalie and I had a movie fest this weekend.” Rachel kept grinning. “We watched all your movies. Since it was newly released we watched Night Blooming, even though you weren’t in it. The award ceremony was spectacular. I loved your tux. Congrats on the wins.” She batted her eyelashes up at him.

Natalie pushed back her chair abruptly and stood. Her boss did not need to know that she’d ogled him all weekend. “We were just heading to lunch. We’d better hurry if you want to get back to work on time.”

Rachel turned bright blue eyes to her. “We don’t have to leave right now.”

Ugh. Natalie didn’t like the look on Rachel’s face as Rachel turned her smile back to Chase. Frustrated, Natalie blew her bangs out of her face and glanced at Chase. His teasing grin had returned.

“Thank you,” he said politely to Rachel before turning back to Natalie. “So, Natalie, which movie was your favorite?” His interest was far too intense. Was it because of Rachel or because he was interested in her?

Resisting the urge to shrink behind Rachel’s tall figure, Natalie quickly ran through the titles in her head, trying to remember which one he was completely clothed throughout the entire film. “Night Blooming.” Ha.

His eyes focused in on her lips and she realized she was smiling. His comment earlier froze the smile on her face. What if he really liked her?

“Don’t be silly, Natalie. Of course, she loves Riddle Beach. I mean who doesn’t.” Rachel’s eyes practically devoured Chase. “After all, how often does a woman get a feast for her eyes?”

Screw the papers; maybe the floor would swallow her whole. She tugged on Rachel’s arm, trying to get her to back off and just go, but Rachel jerked her arm back.

“I figured Natalie’s favorite would be If Only.”

Her eyes snapped up to Chase’s face in amazement. To be honest, it was her favorite. She loved the story. The love, the purity, it gave her body tingles just thinking of the kiss at the end. Such perfect buildup, such beautiful emotions. Such an unattainable love.

Her mouth opened, a thousand questions on her tongue tumbling over each other to find their way to the surface. She clamped her mouth shut before they spilled out.

She managed to get out, “We should go.”

“Natalie, stop being rude. Of course, Natalie loves that one, too. It never leaves the DVD player. That last scene…Natalie, what’s that last line?”

Natalie pressed her lips together. Not that Rachel would notice, as her full attention remained on Chase.

Rachel continued without even blinking an eye. “Oh, what is it? There’s that song going on in the background, and she’s almost out the door, but she stops when he says it? Natalie, you know what it is.”

“‘I can’t lose you.’”

Natalie’s head jerked up at Chase’s voice. He wasn’t looking at Rachel. He was looking at her. His green eyes touched her so deep. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Yeah, that’s it. But there’s more,” Rachel said.

Chase continued as if Rachel weren’t there. “‘I’d give up my entire world for one more moment in your arms. One more night by your side. I want it all. All of you. I want you to have it all. All my love, all my heart, all of me.’”

Her purse hit her foot, jerking her out of the moment. It felt like he was really saying it to her, not Elizabeth, the heroine in the movie. Which was ridiculous even to think. Actors acted. He was just acting. She pressed her glasses back up her nose and reached down to pick up her purse.

“Wow, you are good.” Rachel’s appreciation was too much for Natalie. This whole situation was too much for her.

“Let’s go, Rachel. Chase has more important things to do.” Again Natalie took hold of Rachel’s arm. “’Bye, Chase.”

“Okay, okay, I’m coming.” Rachel finally took the hint. “It was nice meeting you, Chase.”

“Natalie?”

She risked looking at him again. The flames engulfing her face hadn’t died down the entire time. “Yes?”

“Think about what I said.” He nodded to Rachel and headed down the hallway.