Never Say Never (The Price of Fame Series) (10 page)

She’d managed to keep calm for a while, as polite as possible, not wanting to embarrass him. But Cassidy’s comment about Sienna pushed her over the edge. She saw Sander struggle with his rising temper, and she lost control of her own. But the comment Cassidy threw back stung. She was a nobody, and knew deep down she wasn’t good enough for someone as amazing as him, but to have it said out loud made her wonder what she was doing there.

Now, with Cassidy Chase looking at her like a bug that should be squished, she found it very hard to keep her expression cool and calm.

“Sander, this is ridiculous.” Cassidy rose, and even though Chloe was a similar height to the woman, Cassidy seemed to tower over both her and Sander. “Sit back down. You’re causing a scene.”

“I don’t give a fuck,
Mother
. You have no right to speak to Chloe like you did, and I won’t let it happen again.”

“I’m only looking out for you,” Cassidy said, her voice steely. “Gold diggers usually come in pretty packages. Don’t be a—”

“So that’s why you’re here? You’re worried Chloe cares more about our family name? The wealth?” He laughed.

Chloe looked at him, her face burning, hoping he didn’t think she was like that.

“What else would a coffee shop worker be after?” Cassidy threw back.

He almost growled. “Enough.” Sander’s voice was hard, his expression one not to be argued with.

Cassidy’s lips parted and her eyebrows rose as if the way he spoke to her was offensive.

This was the woman who had left her son to fend for himself while she traveled the world making movies and, by the look of it, turned her hard earned cash into an illusion of youth. Despite Chloe’s discomfort, anger heated her blood. She clenched her teeth against the torrent of bitchy words waiting to burst free. Sander was getting her out of there, and that’s all that mattered.

“Don’t speak to your mother like that,” Royce said as he rose.

Sander stared his father down. She could feel his arm stiffen around her back and noticed everyone in the restaurant had stopped talking and turned to the spectacle they caused. She didn’t want to make matters worse for him in case he ended up all over the papers tomorrow. She tugged on his tie.

Sander’s gaze dropped to hers and her breath caught at the fierce intensity burning in his eyes. As he stared at her, the hard lines of his face softened and worry creased his brow.

She smiled, half-heartedly. “Let’s go.”

Before his parents could protest further, he snared Chloe’s hand in his and marched her through the restaurant.

She glanced back over her shoulder, wondering if she should feel guilty for their rude departure, but the angry glare his parents aimed at her back solidified the fact she was glad to be away from them.

A twinge of anger sparked at Cassidy for interrupting this night. Chloe was supposed to be celebrating her dream job, not being put down by a selfish witch who had abandoned her son in favor of fame and riches.

Heads turned to stare in open curiosity as he marched her toward the door. Sander let her precede him and when they reached the street he released her hand. She watched the tight muscles in his back ripple as he ran a hand through his hair.

Pain sliced her heart as she wondered if he’d ever been shown love in his life. He certainly hadn’t from Sienna or the poisonous couple they just left behind.

And she hoped he knew her well enough to know she didn’t care about his money or status.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said, and his tortured gaze met hers.

She darted a glance around the darkening street. When she didn’t spot a photographer or nosey pedestrian, she stepped toward him, then reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“You’ve nothing to be sorry for, Sander. They’re—” Chloe snapped her mouth shut. It was one thing thinking his parents were horrible people, another thing entirely to tell him that.

“Arrogant, snobby, poisonous,” he finished for her.

Turning, he gazed down at her with an expression showing none of his inner turmoil, if he felt any. No, Chloe assured herself, he must just be used to hiding his emotions. How could someone not care when their parents told them they were a disappointment? She couldn’t remember her mum ever saying anything like that. Even during a fight.

“They’re your parents.” Who also happened to be all those things he’d accused them of being, but it wasn’t her place to say.

Sander shook his head, a wry grin on his face. With the strain around his eyes, she thought it took an effort to put it there.

Reaching out his arm, he asked, “Is there somewhere else you want to go for dinner? I’m not sure we’ll get in anywhere as fancy without a reservation.”

She placed her hand in his and glanced down at her dress. “Erm, I think this is a bit over-the-top for a pub dinner.”

When she looked up his gaze had dropped to her cleavage, exposed by the deep ‘v’ of the dress. Heat zipped across her skin, boiling her blood, and she could have sworn where her hand held his a humming current ran between their bodies. Chloe swallowed as the heat moved lower, right to the pit of her stomach, and flooded between her thighs. When his gaze rose, she could see his pupils had dilated beneath his hooded lids.

“Why don’t we get take-out?” he asked.

The electric current zipped through her body and made her heart beat wild and erratic. She tried to steady her breathing, willed the silly reaction to subside, but it didn’t. If he could get her as hot and bothered as this without touching more than her hand, Chloe wondered how crazy he could make her when his hands roamed over her naked flesh.

“No.” She shook her head, avoided his gaze and turned away. “I should get home.”

“Chloe.” Sander’s free hand slipped around her waist and he pulled her against his chest. Her heart beat so hard she thought it might go into failure any second. “Don’t tell me you can’t feel this too.”

His hands slid onto her bottom, and he pulled her hips forward so the hard length of his erection pressed into her stomach. All the air whooshed out of her lungs, and if she could have ripped her gaze away from Sander’s, she would have checked to see if she was on fire.

Never mind the fact they were on a busy street in front of one of the most exclusive restaurants in London, Chloe was more worried about pushing him against the side of the building and wrapping her legs around his waist.

She swallowed. “We said this would just be pretend.” Her protest sounded as weak as her resolve.

“You want me, and I want you. There’s nothing pretend about it.” He pulled her closer, but she kept her spine straight.

Planting her hands on his muscled chest, she tilted her chin to see his face. The chiseled jaw, the dark hunger in his eyes, and those deliciously soft lips didn’t help convince her this was the wrong thing to do.

“You said you don’t want a relationship, and I can’t date another celebrity, Sander. I promised myself I’d never get involved with someone in the spotlight again. It’s too…”
Horrible.

But he’s not like Dane
, a voice whispered inside her head.

Rage burned his blue eyes. “I’ll never hurt you like that bastard.”

He inhaled and shut his eyes tight. His hold on her loosened enough for her to move back an inch, but he didn’t release her. A lump formed in her throat as she realized the rage he felt was because someone had hurt her.

When he opened his eyes, the anger had vanished, and his jaw relaxed. He grinned. “But that doesn’t mean to say we can’t enjoy this arrangement. After all, we’ll be spending a lot of time together, why not take full advantage of this attraction?” He slid his hand up to the nape of her neck and rubbed the soft spot that made her want to growl. She tried her best to keep her attention focused on his face, but her eyes rolled to the back of her sockets. “I can’t give you a relationship and in a few weeks I’ll have to go on tour with
Do You Have What It Takes?
but until then, I’m all yours if you want me.”

The sound of traffic whirring by snapped her to her senses. She darted a glance around and saw a few nosey teens with their mobiles pointed right at them. She stepped out of his hold and smoothed her hands over the material at her hips.

“We can’t do this here.” She tilted her head in the direction of the silent snippers. God, the public could be as bad as the press. “Can we go somewhere private to talk?”

She just hoped she remembered to talk and not jump his bones the minute she had him alone.

Sander stepped to the edge of the road and held a hand out into the traffic. She wondered what he was doing when a black cab pulled to his side and he gestured to the back door with his free hand.

“We can go to my place, phone in something to eat, and have a couple of drinks. How does that sound?”

Her skin tingled, her heart stopped for a second, and her knickers soaked through. She could tell from the hot come-to-bed gaze that if she agreed they’d be doing a lot more than eating dinner and having a few drinks.

She chewed the inside of her mouth. She wanted him, she couldn’t deny that, but the little voice of reason in the back of her mind kept screaming out warnings.

He held up two fingers to the taxi driver, indicating they would be there soon, then turned to her. Stepping back onto the pavement, he pulled her into his arms without another word. Chloe’s breath gushed out in a rush, and she grabbed his bulging biceps for support. His mouth crashed down on hers before she could recover, and he lifted her off her platform pumps.

The sound of cars drained away as her brain melted to mush. His lips weren’t soft and coaxing like before. Sander kissed her with a force that set the fire inside ablaze, melting her from the inside out. She slid her hands up his neck and into the cropped golden waves that reminded her of the silky gowns she used to wear.

She knew then there was no resistance against him. Her need for him overpowered common sense, overwhelmed her senses.

When he broke the kiss, he didn’t release her, only stared at her like she was a three course meal and he was starved. Their breaths came in short pants and their hearts seemed to thud in sync where their bodies pressed together.

“Get in the taxi, Chloe.”

His commanding tone sparked an urge deep inside her to obey, to please. Chloe knew then without a doubt she was ready to throw herself on the seat and let him take her wherever he wanted to go, bugger the consequences.

Chapter 7

Sander’s body ached with a hunger he had never experienced before. The short ride to his apartment seemed to take forever. All the while, he’d kept Chloe’s hand firmly gripped in his, making sure she couldn’t escape. Reassuring himself she was really there.

He didn’t know what the fuck was wrong with him.

Seeing his parents again must have triggered the need to feel. Either that or seeing Chloe in that dress so self-conscious but mind-blowingly sexy must have fucked with his brain. All he knew was when his parents called her a nobody it pissed him off more than anything they’d ever said to him.

It was no secret he’d disappointed them by joining a band instead of going to acting school like his mother had insisted, and once he’d made his decision they’d cut him off.

And his mother’s comment that she was only looking out for him made him want to laugh. He couldn’t remember a time she’d ever been there for him.

His block came into view and he turned to Chloe. Her expression was hidden in the shadows of the taxi, but he could see her jaw working. Guilt cracked through everything else and he tried to push away the anger and lust.

“You’re going to hurt yourself.” He reached out and stroked his finger down the indent of her cheek.

She released the inside of her mouth and turned to him with huge eyes. “Sander…”

“Shhh.” He slid closer on the seat. Picking up their linked hands, he brushed his lips against the silky skin on the back of her hand. He wondered if her skin would be that soft all over and his good intentions wavered. “Look, let’s get something to eat, have a few drinks, and you can tell me what you want out of this.”

The car came to a halt outside the main entrance. She turned to gaze up at the block and he saw her throat bob. Turning back to him, she said, “Let’s go.”

She slid her hand into her bag and pulled out a purse, but he tossed a note to the driver before she could attempt to pay. Pursing her lips, she opened the door. Sander grinned and was surprised that he still wanted to. He’d never had any one of his dates meet his parents, and the night had went worse than he could have ever imagined. But Chloe was coming around to embracing what they had. He took that as a positive result. If she was up for it, they could celebrate her new job in a different kind of way.

He followed her out and led the way into the building, typed the code into the front door, and then led her into the foyer.

“How long have you lived here?” she asked.

He didn’t miss the note of wonder in her voice. Turning back to her, he saw it in her amber eyes, burning with curiosity and appreciation as she took in the Victorian style entrance vestibule with a double staircase curving to the second floor.

“A few years. I live in the upstairs apartment.” He held out his hand and she linked her fingers through his. “Are you ready?”

Her smile slipped and she gazed into his eyes. He could see her pupils dilate and hear her breathing speed. His whole body ran hot and throbbed with the desire to pull her into his arms. But he would take this at the pace she wanted. After promising her he would never hurt her like the asshole ex, he had to make sure she understood they could only have a temporary fling.

At her nod he turned and led her up the marble staircase. By the time they reached the top his heart was pounding like the speakers in the club when he was on set. After releasing her hand, he slipped the keys out of his pocket and opened the door. He waited for her to go first.

Chloe hesitated by the door, and he sighed.

“I’m not going to jump you the second you cross the threshold.” He tried for light, but drilled the statement into his head. Hell, he didn’t want to scare her off. He had to keep his hands to himself. For now.