Mr. Hollywood (Celebrity #1) (13 page)

“The Red Carpet
is Set and the Show is Ready to Roll. The Only Question is will Z McCartney
Show Up?”

 ~Scoop
It! Teen Magazine~

Chapter Nine

Z

I couldn
’
t take my eyes off her. Part of it
was because she was a vision of loveliness, and part of it was the fact that I
couldn
’
t believe she was actually here
with me.

To be honest, I wasn
’
t
expecting her to agree to this whole shenanigan. The fact that she
’
d said yes offered me some hope
that maybe I could get her to warm up to me a little more. Not that she
appeared too relaxed right now. In fact, she seemed downright skittish.

Glancing at my watch, I knew we
’
d have a while in the car together,
first going through traffic and then maneuvering through the limo mess at the
Red Carpet outside the Kodak Theater. Besides, I always liked to arrive toward
the end and make a grand entrance. For now, though, I had this beauty
completely to myself and I intended to take complete advantage of it.

“
It
feels good having you here,
”
I said truthfully.
“
It
’
s
.
 
.
 
. right, somehow.
”

She smothered an uneasy grin.
“
You think so?
”

“
I
do. Of course, life was always better when you were around.
”
That wasn
’
t me schmoozing her, it was one
hundred percent true.

“
I
hardly think I compare to all this,
”
she said, waving her arm
around us.

“
You
’
re right. You
’
re much better.
”
This time she couldn
’
t quite keep her pleasure at my
comment from showing. Even though a slight smile appeared, it was her eyes that
twinkled as she stared at me and I continued on, wanting to take advantage of
that tiny crack she was showing in her armor.
“
I
’
m not just blowing smoke. I
’
ve really missed you, Aubrey.
”
It was a crime that I
’
d ever let her slip away. What the
hell had I been thinking?

Quietly she toyed with the small, sparkly clutch in
her lap.
“
I
’
ve
missed you, too,
”
she finally said, softly.

“
Then
please, will you let me talk to you? I can
’
t help but feel like you
’
re determined to avoid me
completely.
”
My breath caught, awaiting
her answer.

She let out an unladylike snort.
“
I
’
m
here, aren
’
t I?
”

“
Yes,
but it would mean so much more if you actually wanted to be here.
”

Again there was a moment of silence before she spoke.
“
I do want to be here .
 
.
 
. well, not necessarily here. I
’
m anxious about tonight, but I like
being with you, I mean.
”

That brought a smile to my lips and I did nothing to
try and hide it.
“
Then try to relax. I
’
ll take care of you.
”

Something hardened in her features, telling me right
away that had been the wrong thing to say.
“
It
’
s hard for me to trust you. You
’
ve given me your word before and
then you went back on it. I may still want to be around you, but it doesn
’
t mean you
’
re good for me. There
’
s so much water under the bridge
with us. I don
’
t know how to get past it.
”

Her words slammed into me like daggers straight to my
core. It was obvious the wounds I
’
d left her with were deep. And even
though I didn
’
t like remembering how badly I
’
d hurt her, it gave me hope that if
our past still affected her this strongly, maybe there was some possibility for
us.

“
So
let
’
s not think about that and try to
find some common ground again. Tell me some more about yourself.
”
I was desperate to steer her away
from anger.

“
Like
what?
”
Her hazel colored eyes held my
attention, and I remembered how I used to get lost staring into them. Damn, she
was so gorgeous.

I went straight for what I really wanted to know.
“
Have there been .
 
.
 
. others in your life? Other men, I
mean.
”
I braced myself for the answer. She
was a catch and there was no way they were all dumb enough to pass on
perfection. Just thinking about guys sniffing around her made my fists clench.
Not that I could complain. I was the one who
’
d
ditched her after all. I was a shit-faced motherfucker.

“
Not
really.
”
She seemed hesitant to proceed.
“
After I decided to stay here, I
spent all my time trying to secure a job and make ends meet to survive. Once my
parents realized I wasn
’
t coming back home, they decided to
sell the farm and move out here next to me. We actually own houses side by side
now, in a very nice family oriented neighborhood.
”

“
They
sold the farm?
”
I couldn
’
t believe it. Brent and Daphne
loved that farm more than anything.

Instantly, I was back in Montana, wearing a pair of
cowboy boots, jeans, and a t-shirt, stacking bags of feed in the Hart
’
s barn. I could even smell the straw
of the hayloft and hear the sounds of the animals.

It was funny how my memories always returned first to
that day
—
the only day in my life I
’
d felt truly complete
—
the day I
’
d lain with Aubrey. I could still
remember the way it felt to be inside her, to hear her moans fill the air as I
made her come over and over again. After the barn, I
’
d followed her into the house. We
’
d showered together, and then gone
into her room to get dressed. I
’
d taken her one more time, in her
own bed, slowly worshipping her. I couldn
’
t get enough of her.

It was funny, too. I
’
d
always felt that once I took her, it would ease some of my need for her, but
no. It was exactly the opposite. Each time only made me want her more.

She was my true addiction. It didn
’
t matter how long I lived, I
’
d never be able to get enough of
Aubrey Hart.

We
’
d snuggled after that last time
together, and I relished holding her naked body in my arms. Afterward, we
showered together again, and then she came outside to help me catch up on the
chores before her parents got home.

They invited me for dinner that night and I said yes,
even though I knew it would postpone my dad getting his dinner. I simply wanted
to stare at Aubrey a while longer and think about all the incredible things we
’
d done together that day.

Absently, I replied to conversation that her parents
drew me in to, unable to keep my thoughts off the beauty sitting across the
table from me.

“
I
love your daughter,
”
I blurted out during a quiet
moment, and Daphne laughed.

“
We
’
ve been wondering how long it would
take you to admit it,
”
she said.

“
It
’
s about damn time,
”
Brent grumbled, flashing me an
amused glance before taking another bite of his steak.

“
You
knew?
”
I asked, surprised.

“
We
aren
’
t blind, son. I
’
d wager you
’
ve been in love with her for a long,
long time.
”

I had been. And looking back, I realized it was the
reason my relationships before her had failed. I hadn
’
t really wanted any of those girls.
I
’
d only wanted Aubrey, but I was
afraid to pursue her. If she turned me down it would ruin everything we had
between us. I couldn
’
t risk that. She was too precious
to me.

“
I
want to come back for her when I
’
m all settled in and know what
’
s going on. I want her to come live
in LA with me.
”

Aubrey knew all of this already, of course. We
’
d been planning it ever since I
’
d won this contract. We
’
d never discussed it with her
parents, though.

“
I
think that sounds so romantic,
”
her mom said with a dreamy
smile.

Brent, however, seemed less enthusiastic.
“
She
’
s
my little girl, Zane. I may love you like a son, but I
’
d sooner shoot you than look at you
if you ever hurt my baby.
”

Grinning, I nodded, not the least bit worried.
“
I
’
d
never hurt, Aubrey. She
’
s my world.
”
I stared across the table and she
smiled at me, radiantly.

“
Then
come talk to me when you get all settled. We will see about things then.
”

Nodding, I felt joy surge through me. We were both
eighteen, so legally I knew they couldn
’
t stop us, but I still wanted their
approval. Brent and Daphne had been like parents to me, when I didn
’
t have any. I wanted them to trust
me. And when the time was right, I hoped they
’
d
welcome me into their family for real
—
as their son-in-law.

I couldn
’
t believe how everything I
’
d always wanted was falling into
place. It was as if even the universe desired me to have my every wish. My life
was perfect. My girl was perfect. Nothing could derail me now.

How wrong I
’
d been. I didn
’
t know when I hugged them all
goodbye, and whispered sweet words of comfort to my tear stained girl, that it
would be the last time I saw any of them.

I didn
’
t know I was trading in my Heaven
for pure Hell. Had I known what was about to happen, I would
’
ve never been able to get in my
truck and drive away.