Idolized (Hollywood Stardust Book 3) (11 page)

I don’t want to live on your coattails.

WILLIAM

We’re married, we’re together, you let me realize my dream, now I want you to do the same.

ROXY

(Pauses, runs her finger along the rim of the glass)

Do you really think I have a chance?

WILLIAM

Years ago, I didn’t think we had a chance and we found our way back to each other, and look at us now.

(He leans in and kisses her)

I think there’s always a chance.

ROXY

Thank you.  I’m going to try one more time.

(She gives him a deeper kiss.)

Chapter Five

FOR THE SECOND TIME in two days, Cora shoved herself into a dress that though it technically fit still felt like some sort of strange torture device. She supposed breathing was optional when having to go to these events.

After she sent Ryder on his way with Viktor as an insurance policy, she assigned the Rodger the task of going back to her place and retrieving her dress while she got some actual work done.

“You look perfect.” As she headed out of her office, Rodger handed her a bejeweled evening bag.

“Thank you.” She forced out the words.

Rodger ran ahead and pressed the button for the elevator. “I cleared your schedule for the morning so you are not due in until ten.”

Both she and Rodger slipped into the elevator. “Why did you do that?” Rodger really was an excellent assistant, or secretary as he preferred to be called. Actually, the man was magic. Somehow he always seemed one step ahead of her. She opened her bag, where he had supplied everything she needed from her phone to business cards to mints. Wait, there was an extra thing inside. She narrowed her eyes and pulled out a condom.

“Well in case…” The elevator doors slid closed and before she could reach it, Rodger pushed the button. “You know in case…”

“In case of what?” She held the condom up between two fingers and stepped in front of her secretary.

“In case you need to use that.” Rodger lifted his chin. “It’s my job to anticipate your needs and if last night was any indication, you may need that. In fact, if you don’t mind me saying, you do need that.”

“I have this aspect of my life handled.” She shoved the condom into his hand.

The elevator doors opened. She pushed ahead of Rodger and stomped through the building lobby. In the daytime, the space was jammed and alive, but in the evening, it took on a soothing silence as the energy of the workday dissipated, leaving the area calm and serene.

Without hesitation, she shoved the door leading to the street open and nearly tripped on her own two feet at the sight before her.

Her car was exactly where it should be awaiting her arrival.

However, Ryder wasn’t where he should be.

Rather than staying in the car, he was outside in the cool night air leaning against the vehicle with a slight smirk on his face and twirling a single daisy between his fingers.

The scene could almost be one out of a musical. In a perfect world, he would start a song about nothing and everything, and she willed the flutters in her stomach away. There was no doubt about it, the man was truly beautiful.

She turned back to Rodger.

Without looking her in the eye, he passed the condom back to her. “You should have got two.” She snuck the now critical accessory back into her purse and went toward the car.

As she approached, Ryder held up one finger.

She stopped and raised her eyebrows, waiting to figure out why they were being detained. Honestly, she simply needed to sit down.

He held out the daisy for her. “I heard this would match your dress perfectly. I picked it myself.”

She glanced down to her form fitting yellow dress with silver accents and the flower and took the token, or maybe in Ryder’s case, the prop. “Thank you.”

“Take a feel.” He leaned in and pressed their cheeks together.

Beyond her control, she gasped as his skin grazed against hers.

“Nice and smooth, no scruff,” he whispered in her ear. “You’ll also notice that I’m early.”

At the moment all she noticed was the way shivers coursed through her body.

“Shall we go?” He skimmed his hand down her side and took her hand.

“All right?” Yes, they should go or perhaps they should go to her place and use the tool Rodger gave her. She tugged him toward the car and lunged for the door.

He pulled her back and opened the door for her. “Allow me.”

No wonder the man was an actor, since the show he put on was utterly incredible. Finally, she sat down and took a breath, only to have Ryder shimmy in next to her. His cologne swirled around her and she clutched her purse to try to ground herself in some sort of reality with the king of make believe.

Ryder kept hold of her hand, and Viktor gave her a wave. Her mind reeling, she leaned her head back on the headrest and tried to figure out all that happened from yesterday until this second.

“Hard day at the office?” Ryder put his head near hers and faced her.

“Different day at the office.” Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at him. That might be a better way to take him all in.

“So, tell me what my role is tonight.”

Role, yes, of course. Fine, she turned and looked at him head on. Big mistake, he was way too gorgeous. Instead of asking what he meant and sounding as if she expected something more than a role, she remained silent.

“You can choose.” With his free hand, he moved an errant curl off her forehead. “Is our relationship new? Are we deeply involved? How long have we been together?”

Her mouth opened but she had no words. The fact these thoughts flowed so freely from him concerned her, but of greater concern was the fact she wasn’t shocked or horrified. In fact, she was actually considering his questions. Nowadays this was how things worked. There weren’t any grand gestures of love, no breathless romance, songs of love and devotion, only deals and orgasms.

“According to all the major news outlets, including your site, we had a little tiff yesterday. Well, I made it look like that.” He shrugged. “I think we should go for lovey dovey. We don’t want people to think we argue too much.”

Seriously, she had nothing to say. Nothing. She barely managed to blink her acknowledgement. At least he thought things through.

“As you know, I have my method. So let me get into character.” He licked his lips and without pause curled his free hand around the back of her head and pulled her in for a kiss.

Her strength gone, she didn’t even try to resist. The way his lips brushed against hers for a soft kiss left her tingling by the time he pulled back. “You look delectable tonight. I can hardly wait to ravish you later.”

And there they had it. The definition of this evening. Some role play for work with the expectation of sex tonight, and hell if she wasn’t thinking the same thing.

If nothing else, this beat her other so-called relationships. Those pretended to be something they weren’t, and at least she and Ryder had things mapped out and planned, the way she liked it.

Before the whole situation fully sunk in, Viktor pulled up in front of yet another hotel for yet another event. Thankfully, this one didn’t have a step and repeat and fanfare. She huffed and reached for the door.

“No.” Ryder caught her hand. “Viktor will get it and let me help you out.”

She ground her teeth together, but waited for Viktor to put the car in park, get out, come around the car, and open the door on Ryder’s side.

“I can get out of a car.”

“Well, I beg to differ, since you’re doing it all wrong.” Ryder got out of the car then reached his hand inside for her. “No more touching doors, Miss Caine.”

She dropped her hand in his and let him quote unquote assist her out of the car.

“Smile.” He put his arm around her waist and led her toward the hotel entrance.

“There’s no one even here except for the hotel staff.” Of course, the hotel staff and some other passersby stopped to look at them the second they spotted Ryder. “And gawkers.”

He nodded at the people and continued on his trek inside the hotel. “It doesn’t matter if there are people around or not, now that we’re together and you’re up for your big mondo job, always assume there is someone around every corner with a camera.”

As she considered his words, she nodded.

“Do you know the charity for tonight’s function?”

At his question, she glanced up at him, but didn’t speak.

“We’re at the California Animal Partners.” He guided her around. “Always know the name of the charity, you never know who will ask.”

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. The man was right.

“And get rid of your resting bitch face. You’re with me, and you should be thrilled or euphoric.” He glanced down at her and winked. “Just envision the orgasm you are going to have later.”

Her cheeks heated, and she stared straight ahead.

“Ah, resting orgasm face, much better.” He whipped the invitation out of his tuxedo pocket, put his hand on the small of her back, and handed it to the woman at the doors to the ballroom. “Cora Caine and Ryder Scott.”

“You certainly are.” The older woman beamed at him, giggled and stepped closer to them. “May I tell you what a huge fan I am?”

“I give you my permission.” Ryder chuckled.

Cora swallowed back the sour taste forming in her mouth.

The woman let out another giggle. “I’m a huge fan, and I can hardly wait to see you as William again.”

“Both William and I thank you.”

The woman went into another round of nervous laughter and held out the invitation. “Do you mind?”

Though Cora wanted to grind her teeth or tap her foot, she made sure not to move. She didn’t want to have any bitchy face or whatever Ryder called it.

“It would be my honor, Mrs….” He drew out the word, giving the woman a place to fill in the blank.

“Mrs. Laura Parson.” The woman shifted her weight from one foot to the other as if she needed to go to the restroom.

Ryder swiped a pen out of his magic tuxedo pocket, signed the back of the invitation, including personalizing it, and gave it back to the lady. “I think we should head in now.”

“Thank you, of course.” The woman hugged the invitation. “Table thirty-one.”

Without missing a beat, he kept his arm around her and entered, glided toward table thirty-one, doing his nodding thing, shaking a couple of hands along the way, and finally pulling out her chair for her.

The rumbles around their table started the second Ryder took his seat. He signed a couple more autographs and made a little small talk before settling down with his arm around the back of her chair. The man was nothing, if not personable. In fact, one of the best things about being with Ryder, aside from the orgasms, was she didn’t have to do any of the things he was doing, like talk or be nice. This was great.

With newfound time on her hands, she opened her purse and reached in for her phone. Might as well check her email and such.