“Natalie…”

What was going on in his head? Was he going to thank her for calling it quits because he hadn’t wanted to hurt her? An unchecked tear slipped down her cheek. She drew in a deep breath and waited for his reply.

“This is who I am. It won’t go away. The Alexises will always be there. The cameras will always be there. The speculation will always be there.” His fingers fell from her shoulder, leaving her cold. “I thought you trusted me.”

Another tear escaped down her cheek. She had moments before the floodgates opened. “I can-” Her eyes connected with the paparazzi outside the window. A small crowd had gathered. Nothing was private, nothing was sacred. Life with Chase was life in a fishbowl. If she walked away now, her life would go back to what it had been before, quiet, unassuming, boring, safe.

He could go back to his fabulous women who wouldn’t feel like hurling on the red carpet. Who wouldn’t need so much reassurance to get through one evening.

His finger caught one of her tears.

She took another deep breath and stepped back. Her heart shuddered. “I wish I could, but I can’t, Chase.” Her voice trembled and the words barely left her lips. “I just can’t.” The tears welled unbearably. Before he could say anything, she spun on her heels and raced toward the beckoning exit sign.

She almost wished she’d fall, but when she reached the door, she turned for one last look. He stood where she’d left him. She couldn’t let him hurt her. She had to be the one to leave. The door slid shut behind her.


Chase let her go. What else could he do? He couldn’t force her to stay. He couldn’t change who he was, who he had become. The box in his pocket weighed heavily on his mind.

He’d wanted to share forever with her, but it looked like their fifteen minutes were up.

A hand clapped over his shoulder. “Tough break.” Robert moved to stand beside him. “We’ve got pictures to take.”

Chase watched the door she’d vanished behind. Every second it stayed closed, the hollowness in his chest grew. He’d known better. He’d known it would end this way.

Knowing didn’t ease the tightness. “I’m going to take that role.”

Robert nodded. “The last-minute replacement.”

It had sat on his desk for the past two days as he debated whether their relationship was strong enough for him to leave for a few months. Apparently, it hadn’t been strong enough.

“Yeah, I’ll fly out Monday morning.” Chase turned back toward the theater doors. He’d do what he did best, lose himself in a part.

“Do what you need to do, my friend.”


“What are you going to do?” Rachel tucked her feet up on the couch.

“I can’t quit my job. I haven’t even been there two months. We can’t afford not to have my paycheck.” Natalie swept through the room with a pile of pillows and sheets. She’d remade the bed, but his scent still stubbornly clung to a few things. A trip through the washer should solve that problem.

It was well past midnight, but she didn’t think she’d ever be able to sleep again. Rachel had waited up for her when she used the phone in the limo to call and blubbered in Rachel’s ear. The tears were gone now. Just an emptiness remained, and no amount of crying or ice cream was going to fill that hole.

“He probably won’t be at work tomorrow. All the after parties last well into the morning.” Rachel clicked on E! and hit mute.

Natalie headed for the DVD player and hit the eject key. “You’re right. It’s not like he’s around that much. I’m sure he’ll start work on something soon, and I don’t have to work late anymore since the new CFO starts Monday. I’ll just sit at my desk and do my work.”

She lifted If Only out of the player and pushed it back into its case. She’d walked away from Chase Booker, and even though her heart was broken, she felt like she could do anything. She opened the freezer.

Rachel glanced over her shoulder. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

“Yes, I’m sure.” Natalie put the DVD case with Chase’s face in the freezer and took out a carton of chocolate ice cream. Even though she’d gone back to her boring life, not everything could stay the same. She dropped the ice cream in the trash and rubbed her hands on the back of her sweats. “I’ll get by.”

“You’ll do fine. Even if you see him, I’m sure everything will be okay.”


For a week, Natalie’s heart jumped every time someone walked past her desk. No one really talked to her, which was par for the course. Robert had called her into his office to make sure she wasn’t quitting and restated that they both thought she was good to have on their team and would hate to lose her.

She’d reassured him that she wasn’t going anywhere. After all, where could she go? She had two months of experience, right out of college. She sighed and tabbed back over to the spreadsheet. Chase was in London for the next month or so, which should give her plenty of time to get over their short affair.

Why did it feel like more than just a month had passed? Why did her bed feel empty? And her heart ached for what? A month? She shook her head. There was no room for such thoughts anymore. She’d get over Chase Booker and act as if nothing happened.

Her phone had been turned off to external calls, which had been a blessing. Everyone wanted to know what happened to the flash affair between Chase Booker and his lowly accountant. She brought her lunch and only left with Robert walking her to her car.

An e-mail pinged in the background. Natalie automatically flipped over to the e-mail. It was from Jared Anderson. Her mouse hovered over the delete key, but curiosity got the better of her.

If you need to talk to someone, off the record, give me a call. I’ve been following Chase for years and have some information that might help.

Might help what? Make him not famous? Make her not shy? Make her trust in him beyond the tabloids? The dull ache stayed in her chest, constantly reminding her that she’d lost the only man she’d loved. Not because of who he was, but because of who he was.

The reporter couldn’t tell her anything that would change her mind. This was the life she’d chosen. She hit the delete key.


Chase guided Amanda Rogers into the dining room.

“It really has been a pleasure working on this film with you, Chase.” Her finely manicured nails pawed at his suit jacket.

“It’s a great movie. I was glad the lead dropped out.” He smiled down at her. After years of acting, he would have thought he’d learned to hide his true feelings, but he could feel the cracks on the edge of his smile. Hopefully no one else could tell.

He held out her chair and took the one beside her. The rest of the cast and crew were already seated around the table at the old castle where they were filming. The period piece wasn’t exactly helping him get over his relationship with Natalie.

He played a hero trying to save the heroine from the clutches of an evil sorcerer. Every time he stared down into Amanda’s beautifully overdrawn face, he saw Natalie’s pert nose, wide brown eyes and constant blush.

“Do you think you’ll stay in London after the filming ends?” Amanda had been dropping hints all week about starting an affair or a flirtation or anything.

He was confident Natalie was probably hearing that he and his costar were involved in a tawdry love affair. When in reality, he lay in bed at night staring up at the ceiling knowing Natalie was awake and wondering what she was doing. Robert had told him that Natalie had decided to stay on at Pandora Productions.

“I’m not sure what my next move will be.” Chase waited for the wine to be poured. “We still have a few months of filming.” A few months for him to get over Natalie. Then he could get back to dating women who were used to fame.

“To getting to know each other better.” Amanda’s red lips curved into an inviting smile. She held up her glass of white wine.

He wished Natalie were here as he tapped his glass against Amanda’s. He would have loved to show her England and Europe. They could have escaped up to Scotland for a weekend. Maybe he should take what Amanda was offering. Maybe then he could get Natalie out of his head.

“Chase?”

He lifted his eyes to Amanda’s bright blue ones.

“You aren’t over her, are you?” Her usually plastic face was soft and knowing. “It’s okay, you know. If you want to talk about it?”

Chase glanced around the table. Everyone was involved in their own conversations, enjoying the wine and the food.

“Look, Chase, we need to stick together here. You can’t go all moony-eyed on me every time someone mentions her.”

“I don’t go all-” He turned to catch Amanda’s teasing smile.

“I’m not above stealing a man from another woman, but not when he’s desperately in love with her. So why don’t you tell me about it?” She stabbed a piece of carrot and chewed on it with her attention completely on him.

“She’s not one of us.” Chase took a swallow of wine.

“You mean she’s an alien or something.” Amanda’s eyebrow rose.

“No, she’s not used to being in the spotlight.”

“Oh.” Amanda chewed another piece of carrot before responding. “So, she’s like me before I became an actress.”

“I highly doubt that. You probably loved attention. She’d prefer to stay in the background.” Chase smiled softly, remembering Natalie’s shyness.

“True. I was made for Hollywood. But so what? Why should she adore the spotlight? What’s wrong with having someone in the background cheering you on? Instead of having to manage two careers?”

“Because it’s part of my life, it’s part of who I am. If she can’t be in the light with me, when else am I going to see her?” Chase’s fork clattered on the plate.

“My God, Chase. What a snob you are.” Her eyes twinkled in the candlelight. “You’d give up a chance at happiness because she didn’t want to be in front of the silver screen. Do you know how many actors and actresses would kill to find a relationship where they knew the person was after them and not using them to get a leg up in the business?”