Page 46 of Such a Good Girl

“You don’t think it’s unethical?”

Her laughter echoed in the air. “You’re doing it for the murdered women, Kaylee. Take one for the team!”

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. She had a fair point.

Taking one for the team never sounded so enticing.

ChapterFourteen

KAYLEE

West’s Porsche hummed smoothly as he sped down the Pacific Coast Highway. He was going easily a hundred miles an hour, weaving in and out of traffic as I held on for dear life.

I was freaking out a little, recognizing the danger of the situation, of course. But I had to admit he handled the car with expert precision and seemed to enjoy every minute. The smile on his face was unmatched. His eyes gleamed with excitement.

“I went to stunt driving school for one of my movies,” he said, his eyes trained on the road as we flew past the other cars. “I love this shit.”

The top was down and my hair flew wildly around my face. It was exhilarating. My heart raced, and I tried as best as I could to tamp down my fear and lean into the adventure. It wasn’t easy to do.

“Um, could you please slow down a little?” I finally asked when he’d almost sideswiped a truck.

He looked over at me and saw the fear on my face. He immediately looked apologetic.

“God, I’m so sorry, what an asshole I am,” he said, slowing the car to a normal speed.

“No, it was fun, I just…you know, anything could happen. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Of course,” he said. “I have a bit of an addiction to adrenaline.”

“I get it. Maybe we can get our thrills some other way.”

His eyes lit up as he looked over at me. He’d been looking at me like that all night.

The first time was when he’d picked me up — showing up at my place with a bouquet of pink tiger lilies and looking as handsome as ever. Violet had met thousands of celebrities in her work, so when I introduced him to her, she took it all in stride.

I’d worn one of Violet’s nicest dresses — a red halter-top Gucci babydoll dress with a black belt and black stilettos — and I was so glad I’d listened to her because when he pulled up in front of Catch LA, my eyes widened.

“I’ve heard of this place,” I said.

“A friend owns it.” West pulled the car to a stop outside of the valet’s station. “They have amazing seafood.”

“My goodness, it’s so beautiful,” I said, as I took it all in, while West guided me inside. “Violet told me about it.”

“That’s quite a roommate you have.” He laughed. “I thought you didn’t know famous people.”

“Well, besides her. Although, I do now, I guess.” I flashed him a smile.

“I like that you aren’t in the industry, Rosie. It’s nice to hang out with someone that’s not always hustling, you know?”

“I get it. I was just never interested in being famous. I’m more of an introvert.”

The hostess did a poor job of not noticing West. Her eyes widened with glee as she led us to our table. West was charming and gracious as always, once again reminding me of how he’d become so successful.

It turned out our table wasn’t just a table at all — but one entire section of the rooftop that he’d reserved for us. It was discreetly tucked away from the rest of the rooftop seating and enclosed in a beautiful little alcove. A black, wrought-iron table sat against a rustic brick wall, surrounded with the most charming collection of terra cotta pots, filled with bright pink bougainvillea, tiny white star jasmine and pastel pink hydrangeas. Fragrant pink roses climbed the wall above us.

“This is stunning,” I said, once the hostess left us alone. We sank into the red velvet couches that flanked the table, the soft candlelight flickering on West’s face. Behind him, the lights on the Hollywood hills sparkled beautifully.

He studied me for a while in silence. When he spoke, he surprised me.

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