First Take (Star-Taken) (6 page)

And if she was lucky
, the woman would be in a chatty mood so Rachel wouldn’t have to spend the drive convincing Nate that no matter what her mom said, a new relationship between him and her would never happen. She’d have to get her mother to stop feeding him false hope too. However, that would have to wait until Rachel wasn’t so stressed over her dad’s condition. She could only deal with one major stressor at a time.

The elevator opened and they stepped out. Rachel followed Nate to a black Land Rover
, yet another example that their paths had veered in different directions. Did he really need such a large vehicle in Houston? He didn’t have a big family, and how often did Mr. I’m-A-Partner-Now make it to the great outdoors these days? She shook her head. That thing was not environmentally friendly.

Excellent mass transportation, one of the many advantages New York had over Houston. Of course almost everything she
needed was within walking distance of her apartment, something else that was hard to find in Houston. Add New York winters to all that and it was why the Big Apple was her home. She couldn’t see Nate in New York, and she had no desire to leave the City. But no doubt, Nate would have counterarguments. He was a lawyer after all. Convincing her mother to stop matchmaking would be easier than talking to him. Maybe.

A
s Nate stored her luggage, she walked to the passenger side then opened the door and climbed into the monstrosity, her thighs aching at the action. Heat washed through her as she settled onto the leather seat. Her sensitive bits were still swollen and tender from her all-night sexathon with Stephen. She wouldn’t be able to forget him for a long time.

Actually, probably never, sinc
e he was a movie star with a regular release schedule. From this point forward, every six months or so, a new trailer blitz for another of his upcoming films would remind her of her thirtieth birthday present. A tingle zipped through her. Not a bad way to start a new decade. She sobered quickly, a chill chasing away any linger warmth. This thing with her dad was certainly no way to celebrate a new decade though.

D
rumming her fingers on her thigh, she waited for Nate to slide into the driver’s seat. Thankfully, he didn’t speak as he concentrated on clearing the parking structure. At the toll booth, she dialed her mother while he stopped to pay. “Hey, Mom,” she said as soon as the other end picked up. “Nate and I are on our way from the airport.”

“Wasn’t it nice
of him to offer?”

Rachel r
olled her eyes. He’d already admitted he’d been asked. “Yeah, so very nice of him to
offer
.”

Nate shot her a what-does-it-matter look and lifted a shoulder.

Rachel sighed. It really didn’t matter how he’d come to be at the airport. He didn’t have to go out of his way for her, but the kindness of the gesture didn’t change the trapped sensation she now suffered. She would’ve been better off catching the shuttle, but her mother hadn’t wanted Rachel in a “germ-infested van” right before visiting the hospital, not that she didn’t understand the woman’s reasoning. Still, she should’ve guessed who Mom would ask to pick her up.

“
Take the time to get caught up. He’s ready to start a family you know.”

“Yes, he mentioned that.”
Dread tightened her chest. Her mother wasn’t going to be any help. The woman wanted grandkids. Rachel wouldn’t hear the end of it now that she’d hit thirty. It didn’t help that Robert wasn’t any closer to delivering on their mom’s dream.

“Okay, good.
I’ll see you when you get here.”

Happiness had colored her mother’s tone. Given everything else going on, it looked like Rachel had no choice but to convince Nate to back off on her own. Blowing out a heavy breath,
she hit End.

“So, how’s the job? Did you have
any problems taking off?” Nate asked before she’d even put down the phone.

His question
s momentarily floored her. He’d never cared about her stuff before. One of the other points of contention in their relationship had been that she put her schooling and career before him. Heaven forbid. “No, no problems. I brought my laptop. I can do all of my work on it. Then all I need is an Internet connection to send files to my clients.”

He merged onto the Beltway then shot her a glance before returning his gaze to the freeway. “So, you could live anywhere really. That’s cool.”

She ground her molars together. And there it was, the first counterargument. She
could
live anywhere. It didn’t mean she wanted to. “Yes, but most of my clients are in New York City.” She wrote trading software for financial services companies, both small and large. “I like to meet with them in person on a fairly regular basis.” Her clients liked that as well. Who wanted to trust the making of millions to someone half a world or even half a continent away?

“But look how easy it is to catch a
flight from here to there.” He grumbled as an 18-wheeler passed on each side. As soon as the one on the right cleared, he jerked the wheel and cut off the car behind them, which then promptly honked. In typical Nate style, he gave the driver the bird.

“But not cheap, and I’d rather save my money for vacations.” The man still had anger-management issues. His poor future children were in for a rough ride. Thank God she w
asn’t going to be their mother.

When he slammed on the accelerator, s
he gripped the arm rest. As they merged onto I-45, he swore. Why he hadn’t gone down 59 instead was beyond her. It usually had way less traffic, and they could get to the Med Center either way.

“Yeah,
but Houston’s cheaper to live in than New York City. Think of all the money you’d save. Besides, if we were together, you wouldn’t even have to work.”

Her mouth fell open. He’d gone from hypothetical to specific faster than he accelerated onto the freeway. Why in the world did he think she’d consider starting a new relationship with him, much less giving up her independence
for him? The only things that saved Nate from her ripping into him were the fact that he was driving and the ringing of her phone. The display showed a New York City number, though not one she recognized.

“Sorry, I have
to take this. Could be a client.”
Or rather a potential one.
Not that she was in the right frame of mind to do business and she did have voice-mail, but any distraction was appreciated. “Hello. This is Rachel Harrington speaking.”

“Hey, is
this a bad time?” Stephen’s seductive voice rolled through the phone and her belly quivered while at the same time tears clogged her throat.

He’d called, but how the heck had he gotten her number? She could ask later. At the moment, she needed
to hear a friendly voice.

After swallowing
hard, she cleared her throat. “Hey.” She slid a glance toward Nate, who appeared to be concentrating more on her conversation than the road, but at least the man couldn’t talk to her while she was on the phone. “It’s fine.”

Nervous perspiration along her upper lip and under her arms surprised her. She hadn’t experienced it yesterday when confronted with the reality of
Stephen in person. Of course before yesterday she hadn’t experienced such amazing, mind-blowing sex and her dad hadn’t been in the hospital facing a dangerous surgery.

Stephen’s
breath blew into the phone. Had he been worried? “Okay, good. I’ve tried calling a couple of times, but it went straight to voice-mail. I didn’t want to leave any messages, thought it might be too stalkerish, though I guess confessing that negates it all.” His chuckle sounded forced to her ears.

Amazement
over his nervousness soothed her jitters. “My phone was off. I had to fly home. My dad’s in the hospital.” She squeezed her eyes shut tight to stave off tears. Why was she turning into a drippy water faucet now?

“Is he going
to be okay?” Concern laced Stephen’s tone.

She sniffed. “I’m on my way to the hospital now. They’re waiting on him to stabilize before they
operate.”

“Do I need to let you go? You’re not driving and talking are you?”

“No, no. An old, uh, family friend picked me up.”

“Should I be jealous?” Another forced chuckle.

He
had
to be teasing. If she wasn’t so close to tears, she would’ve laughed. “Not at all.”

“Good.” His voice dropped lower. “I meant what I wrote in the note. I was
really sorry I had to leave so early.”

Rachel
frowned. She hadn’t really given it much thought when she’d read the message, chalking the words up to platitudes.
But…
“Why didn’t you mention it last night?”

“Well
,” another heavy exhale, “I didn’t exactly plan that whole thing, and I certainly didn’t know how it was going to end or that I’d be addicted to your laugh, throaty moans, and screams before the evening was over. Then you looked so peaceful and,” he cleared his throat, “uh, exhausted. I couldn’t bear to wake you.”

As memories of
their sexcapades flashed through her mind, she squeezed her thighs together and shifted in the leather seat, which protested the movement. Conscious of Nate beside her, she said softly, “Thank you for being so thoughtful. At least you left a note.”

“And don’t forget
, I snagged one of your business cards from your desk so I’d have your number.”

“Ah, I was wondering
.” Why had he bothered though? Did he want someone to call on when he was in town, or was he looking for something more permanent? Her heart stuttered. Did it matter either way? She glanced at Nate, who was white-knuckling the steering wheel. With him here, it wasn’t like she could ask Stephen what his intentions were, though she wasn’t sure in the cold light of the day-after that she could be the bold woman of yesterday.

“Sorry, the news your dad’s in the hospital threw me.
” His voice had lost some of its huskiness and become more no-nonsense, but the raspiness of it still vibrated across. “I was calling because I should be back in New York Sunday and wanted to know how dinner sounded, but I guess you probably won’t be there.”

She stared at the approaching downtown skyline.
As long as traffic cooperated, they’d probably reach the Med Center in fifteen minutes or so. “Probably not, but I would have said yes.”

“Rain check?”

Another date with the movie star who would now star in the personal sex tapes stored in her head? That was a no-brainer. Who needed an imagination with those kinds of memories? “Definitely.”

No way would she pass up the possibility of adding more footage to the reels, but w
ould he forget her if she was gone too long? Not that she’d abandon her parents for a man, and given Stephen’s own past, she doubted he’d ask her to. She could only imagine the emotional toll for having to care for parents who’d abandoned him, but obviously, family meant something to him.

“Is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?”
Once again, concern colored his tone.

She chewed the inside of her cheek
. It had been…well, she couldn’t think of the last time anyone had asked
her
if she needed anything. Stephen Raymond was not only a sex-god movie star, but he was one of the most considerate people she’d ever encountered. A fresh wave of tears threatened, and she swallowed hard then sniffed.
Damn stress-induced emotional rollercoaster.
“Not that I can think of, but thanks.”

“Is it okay if I call
later?”

Considerate and persistent, like he was worried about her. S
he gave a watery laugh. “I’m sure you have better things to do than check on me.”

“No.
No, I don’t.” The seriousness in his voice sent a shiver down her spine.

Did that mean he was alone in LA, or that regardless of who he had for company, he’d rather
spend the time talking to her? At the last thought, warmth spread through her chest. “That would be nice. Thank you.” And if it turned out he was lonely, well, there was nothing wrong with being the person he turned to.

“Trust me. It’s no hardship.” His words echoed a brief conversation they’d had last night between bouts of bedcentric aerobics
, and she couldn’t hold back a tiny, contented sigh. He chuckled, and a thrill went through her at the shared moment. “I hope to follow that up with a kiss sometime in the near future.”

A
startled laugh escaped, and her voice was on the loud side when she said, “You’re outrageous.”
Though I wouldn’t say no to another luscious kiss from your delectable mouth.

“Yes, but I got you to laugh.”

“We’re almost there,” Nate said from between clenched teeth.

She picked at a worn thread on her jeans
. Stephen had gotten her to forget for a brief moment about the stressful events that lay in front of her. “We’re at the hospital. Why don’t I call you later? I’ve got your number now.”

“You certainly do.” The words sounded like a confession torn from him. The vehicle entered the garage and the phone cut in and out. The only other words she made out were, “Use it.” Then the line went completely dead.