PROLOGUE
Victoria took the last turn onto her street, glad to finally be home. She was exhausted. In mind and body. The drive from Vegas to LA took a lot out of her, but it had been better than the alternative—LAX. Traffic in and around Los Angeles International Airport was never fun, and she avoided it at all costs.
Her trip to Vegas had been worth her fatigue, a calm oasis compared to the whirlwind her life had become the past six months. The visit had been just what she needed, spending time with the people she loved—her parents and her best friend, Alec. She especially enjoyed meeting Alec’s new girlfriend, River. Though, with the way those two had acted, girlfriend wouldn’t be River’s title for long. She had a feeling Alec would be putting a ring on her finger soon. Victoria sighed and felt a dreamy smile lift her lips. True love. The emotion looked good on Alec, and she couldn’t be happier for her friend.
Thinking of relationships had Victoria’s smile slipping as she laid a protective hand over her stomach. Sadly, her own love life was a complete mess and the reason she’d needed her mini vacation. With her emotions too tumultuous to sort through, in the cradle of her family had been where she’d wanted to be.
But like all good things, her reprieve had come to an end. She’d needed to get back to her life in LA. She had obligations to attend to and people who depended on her. Unfortunately, those same obligations would put her in contact with the one person she’d fled LA to avoid.
Nate.
Nathan Reed.
America’s Heartthrob.
Sexiest Man Alive.
Most Beautiful Man in America.
Most Eligible Bachelor.
One of the Top Ten Highest Paid Actors in Hollywood.
If she had known then what she knew now, she would have stayed far away from any romance with Nathan Reed. She had thought by the age of twenty-eight she’d be too smart to fall for a pretty face, some seductive moves, and a handful of heartfelt promises, but she’d been wrong.
So very wrong.
She’d fallen faster than the ratings for a bombing B-movie, and he’d gotten in her panties faster than a director could shout action.
She pulled into her parking spot and glanced around the deserted lot. Her eyes fell to the clock on her dashboard. It was late, well past ten on a Sunday night and not a soul was around. She should’ve left Vegas earlier, but she’d dilly-dallied—stretching out her goodbyes until she’d known she couldn’t procrastinate any longer. She had a meeting the next morning, and her attendance was mandatory.
With a tired sigh, she grabbed her heels off the passenger seat and slipped them on before stepping out onto the cold, dirty asphalt. Popping the trunk, she walked around the back and raised the lid to retrieve her suitcase. Her fatigue made it heavier than it had been when she’d placed it in the trunk, and she struggled with it on her way to her front door.
Key in hand, she slipped it in the deadbolt, unlocking it, before twisting the knob. She froze in the entry not hearing the beep of her alarm. Before she could freak out or panic, the lamp on the living room table clicked on, illuminating Nathan Reed lounging in an overstuffed armchair.
She blinked, taking in his appearance. Hair disheveled, bloodshot eyes, and more than a day’s worth of stubble, he looked as exhausted as she felt. His dress shirt was untucked from his slacks and unbuttoned down the front, the gap drawing her eyes to the defined ridges of his abs. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, and his forearms rested on the arms of the chair with his hands, bent at the wrist, dangling casually off the ends.
They stared at each other for several beats. Her body, completely still until he spoke, jerked as his words—so unexpected from his relaxed pose—angrily cracked through the silence of the room like a whip. Her eyes flew to his as his accusation shot out of his mouth like a bullet, piercing her heart.
“Where the fuck have you been, and why the hell haven’t you been answering my texts?”