Falling Star (Combustible Book 2) (28 page)

“I love you. I’m not letting you go. This asshole who’s tormented you for years better hope to God he never comes in contact with me because he’s not walking away in one piece.”

She blinked back tears. “Why?”

“You showed me who you are. You let me in, and I found my place behind your walls. I’m in love with the woman in my arms. The one who fought through hell and keeps struggling to find her steady ground. Let me be your rock… your foundation… your safe haven.”

Tears shimmered in her eyes when she leaned her head back to stare into his. “I love you too.”

He brushed her tears away. “Then why do you look so heartbroken?”

“I’m afraid all this will change once you see how bad the media storm can be.”

“Nothing is going to affect the way I feel. Tell me how to prove it.”

“Time.”

He gently turned her head back to face him, pressing his forehead to hers. “No, don’t shut me out.”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to. I’m saying that I’m not sure I can believe until all this other shit falls away and it’s finally just you and me.”

“I don’t see anyone else right now?” He placed a soft kiss on her lips.

She mimicked the move and wound her fingers through his hair as she rolled him onto his back and straddled his hips. She ground over him, making him hard all over again.

“Then I’ll take advantage of this time,” she purred, rising over him and dropping down in place, taking him in. He sat up, caressing up her sides as he meshed his mouth over hers.

Their tongues danced as she made love to him. This wasn’t hot sex, it wasn’t fucking. Every time they touched, it was so much more, even when they weren’t naked.

He pulled her hair gently, looking into her eyes. “This. Is. Real.”

Her arms wound around his neck, her forehead pressed against his. “Ella,” he whispered as they fell over the edge together. She kissed him again.

“Yes?”

“After dinner, I plan to make love to you all night long.”

She climbed off the bed, a mischievous smirk pasted on her face, and pulled on his t-shirt and nothing else. “Hope you’re ready for a long night.”

Chapter 34

Once breakfast was on the table, Ella hurried upstairs to wake Trent. Squirrels on the eaves had woken her up. Or something small, scuttling around outside. Since she was up, she decided to make breakfast.

When she returned to the bedroom, Trent lay curled where she’d slept. “Rise and shine, gorgeous.” She climbed behind him to shake his shoulder. “Come on, baby. Come eat breakfast. It’s ready.”

He rolled over, wrapping his arms around her waist, pushing her down on the bed.

“I would have done that,” he murmured in a sleepy voice as he rubbed his eyes.

“Too late. I couldn’t sleep anyway. Come on.”

He slipped his hand under her shirt to cover her core. “Shit, Ella, you keep wandering around like this and I’m taking you on every surface in this house.”

“You can start after breakfast.” She pushed at his chest in a playful gesture, and he rolled off the bed with a reluctant sigh.

Trent pulled on his jeans and started for the door. “You better be joining me.”

“I am. Just watching the view.” She winked.

“Get down there before I carry you myself.”

Jumping up, she smirked. “Go on.”

He swept her off her feet and hurried down the stairs. “Eat. Otherwise, I’m going to forget all about food.”

Someone’s phone buzzed on the counter. Ella found hers lit up with Mila’s number.

“Good morning,” Ella said with a nod at the table.

Trent rolled his eyes as he took his seat and scooped up a monstrous bite of the scramble she’d made.

“Media cleared out of town late last night. Oh, and your ex, Jackson Crabtree, was in an accident on his motorcycle. He’s hurt pretty bad, but he’s claiming he was chasing your abductor down. You’re all over the news again, though not here. They’re scouring LA to find you.”

“At least, they’re gone.” Ella sat down beside Trent and picked up her fork.

“I know things didn’t end well, but do you really hate him now?” Mila asked.

“No, but that kind of behavior is why I dumped him. So really, it’s no surprise he’s trying to capitalize on my disappearance and his injuries. He’s going to hog the spotlight, and I hope to God he keeps it.”

“Okay,” Mila blurted out.

“Sorry. If it were anyone else, I’d feel bad. I’m sorry he’s hurt, but I’m not surprised. He was probably high or drunk.”

Mila snorted. “Thought you’d like to know the local coast is clear.”

She groaned. “Hope so. Logan was in town last night. He’s the one who started the fire. A cameraman had pictures.”

“How do you know for sure?”

“Marissa did some digging. She confirmed Logan Poole moved to his uncle’s after the fire. His hands were severely burned and are still scarred. The whole story checks out.”

“At least, we know who’s after you.”

“Almost rather it was some random stalker.” She dropped her fork and leaned back in the chair. “Thanks for calling. I guess I can relax some now.”

“Yeah. Well, about one in the morning the vans that had parked outside of Trent’s house finally left. So I think you’re in the clear now.”

“I’ll call you later. All right?”

“Yeah. Enjoy your day with Trent.”

“I plan to.” She hung up and turned to Trent.

He was anxious to speak as soon as Mila was off the line. “Jackson Crabtree. Your first co-star?”

Ella groaned, expecting the worse. “How much did you hear?”

“Just caught the name. What’s going on?”

Ella pulled up the obvious gossip sites she had avoided like the devil and found her face plastered alongside pictures of Jackson, who was black and blue and in a cast. Ella handed Trent the phone.

Trent’s brow arched. “Jackson Crabtree injured in a crash, trying to save his first love, Raven Star.”

She rolled her eyes. “He never loved me. And I can’t feel too bad for someone who’s just trying to get some attention for himself.”

“And he’s why you never dated another co-star?”

“Yeah. It wasn’t worth the heartache.”

“So you loved him?”

Sighing, her gaze dropped to her plate. “I was young and stupid, and yeah, at least, I thought I did.”

He pulled her chin up, capturing her attention with a smirk. “Not like you love me?”

“No. So don’t be jealous. I can’t undo what I’ve done, but you’re the only one who makes me feel this way.”

“I’m not jealous. End of interrogation. Hey, on a brighter note, let’s go running after we eat, and take a quick shower? I’ll take you out of town to a trail. If we’re followed, we can figure something else out.”

“Sounds good.”

He nodded to her plate. “Eat.”

“Okay, okay.” Though she was still fairly certain Logan hadn’t left town. “Keep in mind, the media may not all have gone either. They might have left one or two reporters behind to make sure. Especially since they can’t confirm where I am. And who knows where Logan went after setting the fire in the dumpster.”

“Yeah, but are they going to believe some random picture from someone no one ever heard of? Or the big star who had dated you?”

“I hope they trust the star.”

“We’ll find out when we leave. We’ll bundle you up and no one will catch on.”

She didn’t bother to tell him that had rarely worked in LA.

* * * *

Trent and Ella rode in relative silence during a long trip out to the country, and into the woods. Finally, he turned off the road and stopped. Trent turned to Ella with a soft smile. “Our parents used to bring Tina and me out here when we were kids.”

That had stopped around the time he started drinking too much after being laid off. Dad had pulled himself out of a funk, and it seemed Tina was finally doing the same. Having Ella in this place made him realize he needed to do something.

Ella looked around slowly, her face lighting up. Finally, she turned to him. “It’s beautiful.”

“You like camping?”

“Use to. I haven’t been in forever, but I would go with you.”

He grinned. “As soon as Logan’s locked up, we’ll spend a weekend out here.”

Her smile faded as she dipped her head. “Wish we could now.”

Pulling her closer, he nuzzled her ear, hoping he could find a way to take away the fear. “Me too. In the meantime, I want you to meet my parents. Tomorrow night? Dinner?”

Her dazzling eyes sparkled as she leaned back. “Really?”

“You’re a part of my life now. It’s important for them to know you.”

“I’d like that.” She drew a breath and added, “And Trent… I don’t want you to lie to them. You can tell them who I am.”

“What about Blaze?”

“That goes for him and your sister. After all the recent events, you know it’s going to come out eventually anyway.”

“Tina gave me the riot act about lying to Blaze. This was after my picture made the rounds and the media had shown up.”

She glanced down. “I didn’t expect to fall in love with you. I wasn’t ready to tell you who I was. So you didn’t lie to Blaze, you just haven’t told him you learned the truth. You should.”

“You don’t care who knows now?”

“It’s not that. I can’t keep the secret forever though I want to hold onto it a little longer. But your family should know.”

He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her deeply.

Smiling, she pushed him back. “Are we making love or running?”

“Running. I still need to train for this marathon and we missed a couple of days.”

“After this is all over, I want you to meet my brother. And maybe Ryan, as long as he’s willing to share his secret.”

He frowned. “What secret? No, don’t answer that. Gut reaction.” He wanted to know, but at the same time, he understood he may have a damned good reason to keep a secret, much like Ella.

She laughed. “I wouldn’t, no matter how much I trust you. I’m sorry.”

“Ella, I trust
you
. That’s enough for me.”

She smiled. “So, dinner with your parents?”

He nodded. “Think I’ll ever meet yours?”

She shook her head. “Sorry. They died when I was in junior high. My grandmother took us in, and she’s no longer with us.”

“Shit, I wish I’d known,” He threaded his fingers into her hair and locked on her gaze. “I’m sorry.”

She gripped his hands. “Don’t be. It happened a long time ago.”

“So, your brother. What’s going on with him?”

“Don’t know really. He thought he was leading Logan away, I guess. Only Logan was here, so where’s my brother?”

“Why don’t you check your email?”

“I’ve been careful only doing that on my laptop from an account I don’t want tied to my phone. I’ll check when I get back.”

“If Logan was here, why don’t you try calling your brother?”

She shook her head. “Let me see if he emailed first.”

“Why?”

“The last time I talked to him wasn’t a happy conversation. I don’t know how it’s going to go. I’d rather not do that here. So let’s run.”

Chapter 35

Mila sat on Ella’s bed, bouncing Valor. “Tell me everything.”

Ella laughed. “About what?”

“Last night? You two making out on his porch in the middle of the afternoon. The giggling, and teasing in the store. Like nothing happened. Did it happen?”

Ella crossed her arms over her chest. “Did what happen?”

“The two of you finally admitting what’s been growing between you?”

“I wasn’t going to, in case it was all the shit going on, but then he said it and I couldn’t keep it in. We made love all night, most of the day. And in an hour, I’m going to meet his parents. So stop laughing at me and help me figure out what I should wear.”

“I’m not the one with fashion sense. You’re opening a boutique, remember?”

She sighed. “Yeah, but you’re a mom. You know the people in this town. I imagine you’ve at least run into one of his parents.”

Mila shrugged. “They’re nice. I don’t know a whole lot. But I doubt Trent would introduce you to his parents if he thought it was going to be a problem.”

“Maybe. But when they find out about my old life, then what?”

Her eyes widened. “You’re telling them?”

Ella groaned. “I told Trent to tell them beforehand and to explain why I’m attempting to keep the secret.”

“Seems with Jackson telling anyone with a camera how he was trying to save you the other night, no one is going to assume it’s you.”

Shrugging, she glanced away. “I don’t want Trent to lie to his parents. Or to Blaze.”

“He’s willing to.”

Ella put her hands up. “Yeah, but when the truth does come out, then what?”

“Stop worrying. And wear something pretty. It’s not like you to go for revealing. You wear tasteful clothes.”

She sighed. “I haven’t met a guy’s parents since high school and that was just a formality. This is totally different.”

Laughing, Mila shook her head. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this nervous.”

Ella stuck her tongue out and went back to the closet. She picked out a casual blue dress and slipped it on, with a pair of sandals. “This okay?”

“Perfect. Maybe tie your hair up, and with the glasses you don’t look like your onscreen persona.”

“Thank you. Really.”

“Well, I should get home. I’m happy for you. You deserve someone who loves you for
you
.”

* * * *

Trent stepped onto Ella’s porch and rang the doorbell. Mila stepped out with a grin. “Give her a minute. She’s trying to calm down.”

Trent reached for the door, concern dampening his smile. “Another attack?”

Laughing, she shook her head. “No. She’s nervous about meeting your parents.”

“They’re going to love her. How can they not?”

“She’s worried that when they find out who she was, they’ll make some crazy assumptions.”

Trent sighed. “Well, my mother asked a million questions, but only because she followed all that mess before Ella left Hollywood. She wanted to know that Ella was all right, and not missing acting.”