Chapter 6

 

“This is the best meal I have had in a long time,” Rebecca said, closing her eyes and groaning over each bite.

The erotic sound had Chase shifting in his seat several times. Her tongue slipped out, swiping across her bottom lip. It was like torture, watching her, knowing that he couldn’t make a move. Well, he could… but he risked her kicking his ass out the door and he didn’t want that.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had such a good time with a girl he wasn’t related to or who wasn’t paired off with one of his friends. She was easy to talk to and, despite earlier opinions of her, as down to earth as they came.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t stop thinking about what Brooke had said to him—all those terrible tabloid stories. Were they true? He didn’t want to ask. How exactly would he ask her if she’d gotten arrested? It wasn’t something brought up in casual conversation.

Her private life was her business. It was bad enough that she had the world watching her under a microscope for every horrible moment. Chase had some rough patches as a kid, and he couldn’t imagine how he would react if those indiscretions were plastered all over the world for people to read about.

Privacy was important to him, especially after everything he’d been through. Sometimes the only way he’d get through a day was hiding out in the woods, alone, far from civilization. To think that Rebecca didn’t even have that made him sad for her but, at the same time, happy she’d found her way to Red Maple Falls. It might not have been some high-class resort, but it was private, and she could go about her days without having to worry about people harassing her.

“Where did you get this?” Rebecca asked, taking another bite and moaning over it.

Chase shifted again, trying to ignore the flutter of her eyelashes against the apple of her cheek. “Terry, the owner of The Happy Apple.”

“I saw that place in town today. I wondered if their food was good. Now I know it definitely is.”

Chase laughed. “You should stop in. I bet you’d love Terry. She brings my sisters and I leftovers from the day when she doesn’t want food to be wasted.”

“Wow, that’s nice of her.”

Chase ran a hand over his face, not wanting to reveal too much but finding it hard to hold back. “Yeah, it is.” He smiled, keeping the rest of the tragic story to himself. “Just be warned that stepping through the doors of The Happy Apple is like stepping into another dimension.”

Her nose scrunched and her head tilted. “What do you mean?”

“There are apples everywhere. On the plates, the curtains, the salt and pepper shakers, the napkin holders… There is not one thing in there that doesn’t have an apple on it.”

“Now I have to go there. I love places that have their own flair. I went to this one restaurant in Florida while I was on location and the place was filled with dolls. Dolls on the shelves, in the booths, sitting in the potted plants.”

“That sounds super creepy.”

Her lips parted, and a laugh slipped out. “It kind of was.”

“The Happy Apple is far from creepy, and it definitely has its own flair. So does Terry. You’ll know her as soon as you meet her. Seriously you don’t even need an introduction, but that doesn’t mean she won’t give you one.”

Chase finished his food and gathered his plate and napkin.

“What are you doing?” Rebecca asked.

“Cleaning up.”

“You brought the food; the least I can do is clean up.”

“Do you even know how to clean? Don’t all the big celebrities have people to do that for them?”

She snatched the plate from his hand. “Why pay someone to do something for you when you can do it yourself? I honestly never understood that.”

Chase sat back, admiring the woman in front of him. “I respect that.”

“Good,” she said, turning to the small sink. She cleared the rest of the table and filled the sink with water. “I’m going to let them soak. I’ll wash them later. Now, are you going to let me look at your shoulder?”

Chase had completely forgotten about the scratch on his shoulder. It didn’t even sting anymore. “I’m sure the bleeding has stopped by now. It’s no big deal.”

“I’ll buy you a new shirt.”

He laughed. “That won’t be necessary.”

“I feel bad. You came here rescued my cat, got blood drawn, and you bring me dinner.”

“What can I say? I’m a better person than you.”

She gasped, clutching a hand to her chest, mouth falling open in a perfect O. His mind thought of a million different things he wanted to do to that pretty mouth, but he shoved them away from his conscious thoughts.

“Where’d you get Willy?” he asked, needing to occupy his head with something other than how luscious and perfect her mouth was.

Her green eyes softened as she glanced over to the white ball of fur. “A shelter. I was doing a charity event, and there he was, amongst all these other cats that needed homes, but I was drawn to him. He wasn’t as fluffy as he is now. They had just found him roaming the streets of L.A.; a horrible infection caused him to lose his eye, and his skin around his face was covered in a red rash. He looked like a total mess. I just fell in love with him. I helped him heal and now…he reminds me that you don’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.”

Rebecca might have saved Willy, but Chase would wager to say that Willy saved Rebecca, too. It seemed they found each other at the time when they needed each other most.

“Why’d you name him Willy?”

“Have you ever seen the Goonies?” she asked.

“One-eyed Willy.” Chase smiled. “That’s one of my all-time favorite movies.”

“Mine too!”

“My older sister, Layla, used to watch it on repeat when we were growing up. You’d think I’d be sick of it with the amount of times I’ve seen it, but every time is just as good as the last.”

“It’s a true sign of a classic. It never gets old or boring—full of nostalgia and happy memories. For me, it reminds me of a time before I cared about what people thought about me. Back when everyday was carefree and fun.” There was a sadness in her eyes now that made Chase want to wrap her in his arms until it was gone.

“It can still be that way,” he said.

“No, it can’t. Not when you have people tracking your every move, waiting for you to slip up. Then next thing you know, that slip up is on every magazine cover and tabloid site across the world.” Her voice cracked, and a deep-seated pain that she hid so well flickered at the surface.

Chase brushed her hair behind her ear. She blinked up at him those two green eyes like emeralds in a dark cave, shining bright through the darkness.

“But you’re here, now,” he said. “And I don’t see any flashing cameras.”

She lifted up and pressed her lips to his in a sweet kiss. His body froze at the unexpected but pleasant surprise. A part of him told him to back away and not get involved but then her tongue swiped against the crease of his mouth and a carnal desire took over. He cupped both sides of her face and pulled her close, the tip of his tongue sliding past her teeth and into the damp heat of her mouth.

Her tongue met his thrust for thrust, taking as much as he would give and demanding more when he slowed down. Red hot desire ran through his veins—an unparalleled hunger taking over his every move. His hands slid up her back, holding her closer to him. He could feel her two perfect mounds of flesh pressing against his chest as her fingers curled into his back.

He had kissed many girls—tourists he knew he’d never see again—but this was different. He could feel this in his soul, breathing new life into his body. It wasn’t just a kiss, it was powerful and threw him off balance.

His control vanished the minute her lips touched his, but he reached down deep, grabbing hold of what was left of it, and pulled back. He rested his forehead against hers. She blinked up at him, lips swollen from his kisses, eyes wide and bright. “Is everything okay?” she asked.

“More than okay,” he said. “I just don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me.”

The way they were kissing he could have easily taken it to the next level, but he didn’t want just meaningless sex with her. He liked her too much to let that happen. Besides, it wasn’t exactly his MO. He preferred to take the time to get to know someone before they got intimate.

“You’re quite the gentleman,” Rebecca said, releasing her grip from his shoulder and stepping back in the small space.

“If you knew what was going through my head right now, you wouldn’t be thinking that,” he admitted.

“Honest, too. I like that.”

“I should probably go,” he said.

“No!” she blurted. She put her fist over her mouth as if she was embarrassed by the desperation in her tone, though he found it adorable. “I mean. Don’t go. Not yet at least. It’s early.”

“I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

“You’re not. Besides, it gets kind of lonely out here.” She shrugged. “I should be loving it really. I never get time to myself. Always have someone fussing with my hair or makeup, going over my schedule, and shoving scripts in my face. I mean it’s nice to have a break from all that, but when I have so many people around at all times I never have a chance to realize how lonely I actually am.” Her lips pursed together and she lifted her gaze to him. “I have no idea why I’m telling you all this.”

“I don’t mind.”

“See,” she said, pointing her finger at him. “A gentleman. Probably why I feel it’s okay to unload all my baggage on you.”

“If that’s baggage, I still have another arm and hand free.”

She smiled. “Does that mean you’ll stay?”

He nodded. “I’ll stay,” he said, knowing damn well that there was no way he could walk away now.