Beck: Hollywood Hitman (18 page)

“I’m sorry . . . I . . . you’re right. Of course you’re right. I just . . . I like my privacy and I’ve had a hard time getting used to having a person with me all the time.”

“Ah, Beck. How do you like having him as a guard?”

“He’s good at what he does. He’s professional and knows what he’s doing and he’s dedicated—”

“Are you in love with him?”

A wave of melancholy mixed with want washed over Natalie. How to answer? Was she meant to be completely honest? Remi said that Estrella knew of her relationship with Beck.

“Yes,” Natalie said. “I am.” Her voice was soft.

A smile curved on half of Estrella’s face. “Love is a good thing. A beautiful thing. Love can keep you safe.”

Love
can
keep her safe, but it never has. “When I love people, they break my heart.”

“Not everyone is like your parents or Rico,” Estrella said. “Please forgive me for speaking so freely, but I see a great deal of myself in you. So many opportunities, so many people wanting a piece of you and your success. So many people telling you how fabulous you are.”

Natalie smiled. Sounded a little familiar.

“But when you find the one who still thinks you’re fabulous but is willing to also tell you what isn’t right? That’s a man worth keeping.”

“He definitely tells me all that.”

“Good. Then I still believe you’re safer with Beck by your side than without.” They walked up the back steps to the patio. Remi waited on the lanai. Estrella glanced from Remi’s grim-faced expression to Natalie. “If you’ll excuse me, it would seem I’m needed.” She walked quickly toward Remi and disappeared inside.

“You can go home this evening if you wish.”

Natalie spun around, and there stood Beck in jeans and a T-shirt, looking more relaxed than she’d seen him since before she’d left to see Rico.

“I’m . . . I’m sorry I snuck out that night.”

Beck nodded. “I know.”

“And I’m sorry . . . you know . . . I love you.” Natalie said, the tears filled her eyes.

“I love you too,” Beck said, and walked to her.

She wanted to lift her arms to his neck, but she couldn’t. They were standing on his employer’s back patio. She couldn’t begin to imagine how many cameras were pointed at them right now.

“Let’s get through the premiere. And then . . .”

“And then?” she asked with hope in her voice.

“And then . . . I’ll always love you, Natalie. I don’t think that can change. But I need to keep you safe. For you and for me. Do you want to go home?”

“I want to go wherever you’ll be.”

Chapter Twenty-two

Her home smelled of paint. After two days, Natalie could now walk by the living room and actually glance toward the giant wall where the horrible words had been painted. No hint of the wicked words remained. How many coats of paint did it take to cover a person’s hate?

She walked to the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the refrigerator. Her hair was in curlers and she wore a plush terrycloth robe. It was barely noon and already she was preparing for tonight. Her makeup artist had told her to drink up now, because once she started on Natalie’s face she didn’t want to have to keep doing touch-ups. Natalie grabbed a straw too. She could convince Tabby to let her sip her water.

Four Greystone guards leaned over the kitchen island. A bevy of male beauty, each of them pure muscled perfection. How many of Greystone’s finest would be at the
Shemax
premiere? She guessed at least a dozen.

The four in her kitchen stood around what looked like building plans.

“Is that the Worldwide Theater?”

Remi nodded. “We’re doing a final look and then three of us are taking our teams and clearing the building.”

The Worldwide Theater was a throwback from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and the studio only hosted huge blockbuster premieres in that theater.

“The fact that we’re on the Worldwide lot for the premiere adds another layer of security,” Remi said, and nodded to Jax, Beck, and Hudson. “After the film, the premiere party is on the patio outside the theater.” Remi ran his fingertips along the perimeter of the building. “Makes everything trickier. But if we can contain Miss Warner to the VIP area?”

Natalie upended her water bottle. Four pairs of eyes landed on her. She took a swallow. “What? Are you asking? You guys are actually
asking
me about something instead of just
ordering
me to do it your way? Wow, that’s a switch.”

“So.” Remi took a deep breath. “Can we count on you remaining contained in the VIP area for the premiere party?”

A small smile curled over Natalie’s lips. She looked from Remi to Beck, who had one brow raised, and then she returned her gaze to Remi. “Sure, no problem. I can do that.”

“The lady makes it so easy.” A smile slow and sweet like honey spread over Jax’s face. “Not sure why you fellas always think she’s hard to handle.”

Natalie tossed her head, smiled, and turned toward the door. “I mean, guys, all you ever needed to do was ask.”

***

Natalie’s hair and makeup team had packed up their brushes and wands and decamped for the kitchen to drink wine and gossip. They’d wait and do one final pass on hair and makeup before she exited the house. All she needed was to step into her gown, but Stacia was stuck on the 101 and absolutely forbade her from touching her dress until she arrived and could be there to zip Natalie up.

Natalie’d put on her bustier and hose and now wore an ice-blue slip of a robe. She pulled the sash tighter. The last few days had been hell. Beck had slept in his room and she’d slept alone in hers. Even though he’d explained to her why he was creating space between them, she felt like a little girl being punished.

She stood in the hallway between the door of her room and his. She wanted to see him . . . wanted to talk to him . . . hell, she just wanted to be near him. Should she . . . yes. She took three more steps and walked into Beck’s room. She didn’t knock. She walked right in. And stopped.

Her heart catapulted in her chest.

Holy hell.

Beck wore black tux pants and had yet to put on a shirt. His body . . . God, his body. He stood at an angle to her and the muscles of his arm were golden in the light from the window. His bare chest and belly were chiseled perfection. His scars simply made him more male, more masculine, more rugged.

She couldn’t speak. Her mouth failed to form words.

A week ago she’d had permission to touch that body whenever she wanted, feel the thick muscles beneath her fingertips, press her lips to that golden skin . . . but now? Now that privilege had been revoked.

A thick desire coiled in her gut. She wanted to walk forward and press her hand on that perfectly sculpted chest, to trace her fingertip over that angry red scar that crossed his chest, and though some might say they made the perfect imperfect, she simply thought of those scars as part of Beck. Part of this man that she’d grown to love and that she was desperately afraid to lose.

“So . . .” Her breath caught her words and she cleared her throat. “How are we handling tonight?” She crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to shield herself from the desires quivering across every centimeter of her flesh.

He moved to her with a fluid grace. An electrical pulse curved over her skin and shot out into the air between them. He was close now. So close that the naked flesh of his chest was right before her.

She took a deep breath. Beck. The strong smell of him, earthy and good and male . . . God. He made her dizzy. Especially after days and nights without him that had created a quivering longing within her body.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, how do we handle tonight? We’ve never done a premiere together and this is a huge public event and I . . .” She pulled her gaze from his chest back to his eyes. “I want to know details.”

“I’ll be close to you.” He lowered his voice and his breath caressed her. “Very close. But you won’t even notice I’m there.”

Impossible. She’d always be aware of Beck. His presence, his gaze. He called to her soul.

“Fine, okay, I just wanted to know.” She pulled her robe tighter and backed away from him. He was too close, she wanted him too much, she couldn’t be this close to him without—

“Natalie.” He reached out and grabbed her arm.

She stilled. Looked down at his giant powerful hand clasping her arm, the tight feeling on her skin. The desire that trailed through her body with his touch. She turned back, her mouth open and ready to shoot out the typical hot words that formed when someone grabbed her, but she couldn’t, she wouldn’t. This was Beck and his hand on her meant only protection and love and caring. His touch was never an attempt at control or to overpower her.

“Natalie, I—”

Her lips were on his lips. Her body pressed against his body. He grasped her shoulders and she expected him to push her back and for him to step away, but instead that wall of masculine muscle pulled her closer, and it took everything in her not to climb him like a tree. Days of pent-up want, nights of fears that she’d lost him no matter what he said to her, that he’d leave her, all of those misgivings were wrapped in her kiss.

Her mouth opened to his and his tongue slid into her mouth and caressed her, took the kiss deeper. Her hand stroked down over his bare muscles to the top of his pants and she clutched his cock. He gasped.

Yes, God yes, she had to have him. His hand slid under her robe and his fingers traced her belly. His lips pulled from hers and slid hot and wet down her neck and to her breasts. He pulled the lace edge of her bustier down and exposed her breast. He sucked her nipple deep into his mouth.

A surge of heat flew through her body. Molten and wet and filled with want. Her knees buckled and he grasped her with his other arm.

“Yes, Beck, oh my God, yes,” she whispered. Her hand in his hair. God, this was exactly where she wanted to be, needed to be, in his arms with his mouth on her. She longed for Beck’s touch more than anything she’d ever wanted in this world.

He pulled the edge of her panties aside and slid one finger deep into her wet core and pulsed her engorged nub with a fingertip. She clenched, longing to be filled with his sex. She pulled down the zipper of his tuxedo pants and clasped his cock. She stroked him, pulling her hand up and down the hot, hard flesh of his sex. His lips moved from one nipple to the other. God, but she wanted him to take her, to thrust deep and hard into her.

“Please, Beck, my God, I’ve missed you.”

He pulled away from her breast and his hand went to her chin and his gaze locked with hers. The want, the desire, the love was in his eyes.

“I can’t live without you, Natalie.”

His fingertips massaged her sex and with one quick twist of his wrist her G-string fell to the floor. He spun her around and bent her forward. His mouth on the back of her neck. His hands massaging her ass. He wrapped one arm around her and slid his fingers to her clit. She planted her hands on the bed.

Yes, fuck yes, she wanted this, she needed this.

His cock pressed up and deep into her sex, and his fingertip circled her engorged clit.

“Yes, oh my God, yes.” The tiny voice filled with want almost unrecognizable. With each deep thrust her body quivered and tightened.

He thrust up and her hips pressed back to meet his cock. “Oh Beck,” she moaned. On the edge of the precipice of pleasure.

A growl came from his lips and her sex tightened. Her sex tightened around him. He was deep in her center and his fingertips teased her clit.

“Baby, I’m going to come,” she wailed.

His control slipped and he grasped her. The sound of their skin slapping with both on the edge of pleasure.

“Natalie, oh my God, Natalie.”

“Come, baby, please.” Her voice was high and filled with need, and his body stiffened. She flew over the edge, her body shattering into brilliant bits of pleasure. Beck’s body tightened, and with one deep thrust heat pulsed deep into her body and a shout ripped from his lips. Panting he fell over her back and his lips were on her shoulder.

He stood up and pulled out of her. A longing took the place of his cock. He turned her to him and pressed his lips to hers. His eyes, God, his eyes—so filled with emotion and love and need.

“I’m sorry.” Her bottom lip quivered. “I know you want us to have space so you can do your job. I shouldn’t have kissed you.”

“Oh, baby, if you hadn’t kissed me, I would have kissed you.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I can’t do this.”

Natalie’s heart dropped from her chest.

He placed his hand under her chin. “I can’t live without you, Natalie. I can’t think, I’m not as focused. I’m better when I’m with you. The last few nights . . .” He shook his head. “Sleeping in this room without you has been hell.”

“Oh my God . . . I thought . . . I was so afraid.” She pressed her face to his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. Here, this place, in Beck’s arms, was where she was safe and where she wanted to spend the rest of her life.

“Don’t ever be afraid. You’re my whole world now, Natalie. You mean everything to me. I can’t live if I don’t have you.”

He bent forward and damn, she didn’t want to cry—she’d ruin her makeup—but she couldn’t help it. The emotion was so deep and she was finally sure she’d just gotten everything she’d ever wanted. He kissed her, and with Beck’s kiss she knew all her dreams had come true.

Chapter Twenty-three

“I’ve never been to a premiere like this.” Stacia leaned toward Natalie. They sat on a white banquette next to the bar in the VIP section of the premiere party. Natalie was sandwiched between Stacia and Lane MacAvoy, Dillon MacAvoy’s wife.

“This is amazing,” Lane said. “Steve Legend’s last premiere wasn’t nearly this swank.” Lane lowered her voice and leaned closer to Natalie. “And don’t tell Dillon I said this, but he’s
never
had a premiere like this for one of his films.” Lane smiled and glanced toward her superstar husband, who had a supporting role in Natalie’s film. He was chatting up Lydia Albright, one of the producers on
Shemax
.

Natalie glanced a little to her right. Off to the side stood Beck. He had his eyes on her, and yet every now and again his gaze would travel across the room. She released a long breath. When he was near, she felt safe. She’d seen plenty of other men who worked for Greystone tonight. They wove through the crowd, checking everyone and anyone, their gaze always traveling around the room. She’d even seen one woman with blonde hair who had the build and swagger of an operative.