Amanda Berry - L A Cinderella

His head lifted from her breasts, and he looked at her with passion-laden eyes. His body brushed against hers, tantalizing all the fine nerve endings as he moved up to take possession of her mouth again. The sound receded in her mind as he slid into her, filling her.

The sound of the door slamming shocked Natalie. “Chase?”

He moved within her. “Hmmm.” His movements were slow and lazy. She got lost in the movements as her passion swirled higher and higher with each stroke.

“Natalie, why are all the lights on?” Rachel’s voice pierced through the wood of her door.

“Uh-oh.”

Rachel knew no boundaries. She could open the door and find them. Chase’s naked body completely covered hers. Not that Rachel hadn’t seen Chase’s butt before. Almost every woman in America and across the globe had seen Chase’s butt. Her body tensed at the combined approach of her orgasm and the footsteps outside the door.

“Chase?” she whispered. She groaned against his lips. He seemed determined to drive her out of her mind, and he was doing a great job of it, too. His lips moved over hers, capturing whatever she might have said. Her body exploded all around him.

He swallowed all the sounds she made. His body tensed over her, and he let go.

“Are you even here, Natalie?” Rachel’s voice was on the other side of the door.

Natalie started pushing on Chase. He had to get off her before Rachel opened the door. He cuddled against her body and a little snore escaped his mouth.

“I’m not dressed, Rachel.” That much was true. “Sorry, I…” I just had incredible sex with Chase Booker and can’t tell anyone. “I spilled ice cream all over myself.”

The arms around her tightened. Chase rolled until she was on top of his chest. Oh, yeah, this was a much better view for Rachel. She lifted her head to glare down at him and found his laughing green eyes open.

The urge to shove him off the bed almost overwhelmed her. She tried to scoot off his chest, but his arms held her still.

She turned her head to watch the doorknob. Her ear was next to his mouth and she about jumped when his quiet voice whispered, “I’d lick the ice cream off for you.”

“Oh, okay.” Rachel’s voice drifted away from the door. She must be walking away. “I’m going to head to bed. We have to talk in the morning. I can’t wait to tell you what I found out about Chase.”

“I bet you could tell her a thing or two.” He sucked her earlobe into his mouth, sending shivers of pleasure rippling through her.

The door to the other bedroom closed, and Natalie relaxed against Chase’s chest. Sure, she could tell Rachel that Chase was an unselfish lover. He snored. He was ticklish on his sides. His lips were as soft as velvet. He slept wrapped around her as if he never wanted to let her go. And she was hopelessly in love with him.

She rested her head against the steady beat of his heart. One of his hands stroked down her back while the other rested in her hair. She’d been wrong. She should have stopped earlier. She should have never gone to his house. She should have turned him away at her door. She should have stopped that first kiss.

She was too far gone now. When she thought of ending it, her lungs seized up, and she fought for air. She shivered as she thought of the long, lonely nights ahead of her. Lonely nights made worse because she knew what it was like to not be alone. To be made love to so thoroughly that no one would ever be able to replace him.

Her eyes burned, and she took short, quick breaths to stop the flood that threatened. He rolled them to the side and lifted her chin. Seeing the concern in his eyes broke her. The tears slipped out even as she fought to hold them back.

“What’s wrong, Natalie?” His thumb brushed aside the tears, smearing them on her cheeks.

“Nothing.” Everything. She tried to smile and blinked back the tears. Maybe it was worth the risk. Maybe he was worth the exposure. And maybe she could have a pony, too.

He tightened his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. “Let’s go home,” he whispered against her hair.

Not his house. Home. The place she belonged.

Natalie sipped the hot tea Chase had made her. Wearing only his T-shirt, she sat on his kitchen counter while he cooked eggs for her on his industrial range.

The world seemed bright and cheery this morning like nothing could touch them. He worked on the stove like a pro, cooking an omelet without a spatula, showing off by sliding it around the pan before flipping it in the air and catching it.

“You wouldn’t do that if you had to clean up the mess.” She set the mug down and used her hands to brace herself while she leaned back.

He glanced up at her. “I don’t make messes that I don’t clean up.” His free hand roamed tantalizingly up her thigh toward the hem of the T-shirt.

She playfully swatted at his hand. “None of that. I need some food before another round.”

“Thankfully, food is done.” He eased the omelet onto a plate and turned off the stove. He grabbed her waist and lifted her down to the floor.

“My hero.” She grabbed her plate and went to the kitchen table.

Chase joined her with a wicked smile on his face. “Eat up.”

The man might be an Academy Award-winning actor, but he could cook one mean omelet. Of course, it helped that he had all the finest ingredients and fresh vegetables to pick from.

The shrill ring of the phone broke the amicable silence. Chase got up and left the room to pick it up.

A few seconds later “Glamorous” by Fergie sounded from the depths of her purse. Setting down her fork, she dug out her phone. A picture of Rachel showed on the screen.

She hit the Talk button. “You changed my ringtone.”

“Not now. Where are you?” Rachel’s voice was impatient.

Natalie leaned against the wall and looked down the hall to where Chase stood talking on the phone. She could feel the silly smile on her face and didn’t care. “Having breakfast.”

“Where?”

“Why?”

“Natalie, do you know what’s going on?” Rachel seemed upset by something.

“No, what’s happened? Are you okay?” She straightened from the wall. Chase’s eyes widened as his gaze met hers.

“That CFO Chase fired talked to some reporter and said that Chase was having an affair with someone at work.”

Natalie’s heart stopped. She almost dropped the phone. “Do they know who?” Her voice sounded distant to her own ears.

“They say whoever it is he’s been seeing her and Alexis. Do you want to tell me something, Natalie?” Rachel was her best friend. Natalie could hear the hurt in Rachel’s voice.

“Where do they say Chase is?”

Chase had set down the phone and was striding across the room toward her.

“They think he’s at Alexis’s. At least, that’s what one report says. But another report says an eyewitness saw him get into a cab and leave Alexis. They haven’t been able to talk to the cabby yet.”

Natalie broke out in a cold sweat. Thousands of cameras could be lined up all over the street just waiting for her to step out of his house. The delicious omelet sat like a lump in her stomach. Chase stopped in front of her.

“I’ve got to go.” She shut the phone on Rachel’s voice.

“They know,” she said. The illusion shattered around her. It was over. “I’ve got to go.”

Chase grabbed her shoulders before she could walk around him. “Why?”

What did he mean why? Didn’t he know? “They know, Chase. Martin leaked it to the press. They are probably out on the street, just waiting for me to walk out. Oh, God, they are going to take pictures of me.”

“Natalie?” His fingers tightened on her shoulders.

“What, Chase?” She glanced at the windows. Photographers might be lurking in the bushes, behind the trees. “Maybe they aren’t here yet. Maybe I can still get out.”

“I talked to Alexis.”

Her gaze shot to his. The look in his eyes didn’t alleviate her panic. This was worse than she thought.

“She’s leaked to the paparazzi that I spent the night at her house. They’re waiting over there to talk to me. She’s putting them off, but she has to go out sometime today.”

Relief flowed over her in a gush. “Then I can leave. I can get out before they realize you are here. No one’s going to think anything of my little Honda leaving. They’ll just think I’m the paid help.”

“You aren’t the hired help.” His voice was forceful. “Don’t go.”

“I can get dressed-what?” She refocused on him.

His face was drawn tight as if he was fighting with something. “Don’t go.”

“But if I don’t, they’ll find out.” Where was he going with this?

“So what? Let them find out.” A hardness filled his eyes.

She stared up at him. Her mouth parted to ask why, but no sound came out.

He closed his eyes and dropped his hands from her shoulders. “You’re right. Go get dressed. I’ll clean up down here.”

He turned his back on her and walked to the kitchen table. She didn’t want this to end, but the situation had spiraled out of her control. She wanted to go to him and wrap her arms around his waist and say everything would be okay, but he’d already closed himself off from her.

She drew in a breath. She had to go. There was nothing more to it. Their affair had been fun to Chase while it was hidden, but he’d realize she wasn’t what he wanted in the bright glare of the spotlight. The carefree days were over. She had to let Chase go.

Chase slammed the refrigerator door. He wanted to throw plates across the room. He wanted to tear something apart. Instead he leaned his forehead against the stainless steel door.

She was leaving. Damn it. He couldn’t stop her. She never wanted to be part of his world. His shrinking violet preferred the dark to the glare of the spotlight.