Page 26 of Something New

She half turned to see Wyatt a few feet behind her, on the soft sand, firmly away from the rolling waves. His hands were buried in his pockets, and he studied her with a neutral expression. She wondered if she had misread the heat she had seen in his gaze earlier that evening, when they had shared the cotton candy. She shivered in the cool night air and wrapped her arms around her body, wishing she had brought a jacket with her.

She turned back to the gulf, staring at the stars in the sky. “You never can see the stars in LA, not even from my house. I even bought one in the hills, hoping to be above the lights and interference, but there’s too much. Too many people, too many lights, too many of everything. It’s overwhelming at times. Even when I want to get away, I just can’t. And despite all the people, I’ve never been so alone.”

She startled as a light jacket settled around her shoulders. Wyatt drew her away from the water and against him, her back to his front. He wrapped his arms around her, surrounding her in his warmth. She leaned back, letting herself accept his comfort, needing it, especially in the cold dark of night, when it felt like just the two of them out here.

Wyatt cleared his throat. “I thought you had friends, boyfriends. You always seemed so happy.”

She shifted in his embrace and tilted her head to see him better. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged, the movement felt more than seen. “In articles, television shows. You’re always smiling, laughing, with groups of people. It’s all fake?”

She laid the back of head against his chest, his heart beating against her. “Welcome to Hollywood. Maybe in the beginning, I wanted it to be real, wanted them to be my real friends. I was so alone out there. You had your team and everyone here. I had a roommate who was competing for the same gigs I was and so-called friends who would sell their mothers for a chance at more fame. You learn fast who to trust and who not to.”

He rested his chin on her head. “I see that with the kids at UT, especially once they get signed in the draft. Family and friends come out of the woodwork looking for a handout, a free ride, and so many of these kids fall for it, believing they owe these freeloaders. They don’t realize the money runs out and so do these people. We try to prepare them for those situations, guide them before they get to that point, but you can’t help everyone.”

“People can be stubborn. Sometimes they need to learn what they really want after they lose it.”

“Are you speaking from experience, Anna?” He murmured, an unknown quality in his voice, something she might describe as hopeful if she wasn’t careful.

She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down toward her. “I’m a real mess right now, while you have your life together.”

He lowered his head, his lips inches from hers. “It’s all an illusion. I’ve been in limbo, waiting for this moment for five years. Waiting for you.”

He gently brushed her lips with his, a light caress that took her breath away for all its sweetness and tenderness. Anna had experienced many kisses on the set ofBlazing Passionsfrom many men, most of whom had been coached on technique and style. They could all take lessons from Wyatt in the art of seduction.

She moaned and pressed against him, loving the feel of his body against hers. He took that as a sign and lowered his head, his lips claiming hers in a deeper kiss, more powerful and controlling, reminding her no one had ever kissed her like he did and no one ever would. His hands dropped and lifted her, hauling her up so she could feel the press of his erection against her stomach and heat flooded her. Thank goodness, he was holding her up as her knees could no longer support her.

His tongue slid along the seam of her mouth, slipping inside to tease her, the taste of beer and cotton candy mixing for a heady cocktail. Anna’s head spun with emotions she hadn’t let herself feel in years. She hadn’t trusted another man since him. Not that there hadn’t been others, but not as many as the tabloids alleged, and none ever made her feel on fire as Wyatt did, as if she were burning from the inside, flaming out from the sensations.

He trailed kisses along her jawline to the sensitive spot behind her ear. Her head fell back, and she shuddered as chills raced down her spine. She didn’t know where they were going, or even if they had gotten over the past, but nothing had ever felt more right than this moment in his arms.

Slowly, Wyatt pulled away, his breathing rough and harsh in the quiet night. He stared down at her, the intensity in his gaze pinning her in place, thrilling her. What were they doing? How could she walk away from him a second time? How could she survive it?

“Go to bed, Anna. Before we both do something stupid.”

She fled before she could second-guess or make an even bigger mistake than kissing Wyatt. Like begging him to stay with her.

Chapter Twelve

Anna was surprised to find she had slept later than usual, light streaming into her bedroom windows, the sun well above the horizon. When was the last time she had slept past six in the morning? She had to be on the set early every day, put in a full day, which often was over eight hours, plus exercise and any social media and business details that needed attention. She didn’t trust managers to handle her business, not without oversight. That was a surefire way to lose everything. No, she was hands on, to the point of being irritating. If people who worked with her didn’t like it, well, they didn’t work with her for long. If that made her a bitch, she’d been called worse.

Banging on her door startled her, and she flung off the covers, jumping out of bed before realizing she didn’t need to prove she was up to anyone. “I’m on vacation, dammit. I’ll sleep in if I want.”

“We have wedding stuff to do today. I have bear claws!” Caroline’s voice sing-songed from the hallway.

Damn. Bear claws. Another food item off her list, thanks to her food allergy. “Not tempting. Not one bit,” she sang back.

“Oh crap, forgot about that, Anna. For you, I have a fresh cinnamon roll that I guarantee does not have any nuts or nut products and has been made with your nut allergy in mind?”

Anna flung open the door, eyes narrowed on her friend. “You’re telling me Rise and Shine made a nut-free pastry and swears there’s no possible contamination?”

Caroline grinned. “Apparently, Maggie, the owner’s granddaughter, is highly allergic, so they’ve suddenly become sympathetic.”

Anna swooned against the door, the back of her hand against her forehead. “You’re telling me, after all these years pleading for a pastry from that famous bakery, I can now have one? Get the hell out of my way.”

Wyatt poked his head around Caroline and scanned her ratty Longhorns’ t-shirt that skimmed just below her butt and the boy shorts peeking out from underneath the hem. “Please, feel free to come on down, but first, how about some of that sexy lingerie like on your show? I have to say, Anna, I expected a big star like you to run around in lace and silk all the time.”

She grinned at him. “Who says I don’t?” She flipped him off and closed the door in his face. His laughter followed her inside.

---