Never Say Never (The Price of Fame Series) (13 page)

Chloe nodded, a trickle of the agitation leaving her face, and turned back to the machine. She poked the metal bar into a slot and it seemed to stick. “I’m fine. We’re run off our feet this morning.”

He looked around and saw her friend Rachel running from table to table with a pad, jotting down orders. “Do you two need a hand?”

“Yes.” The machine fired steam into a hot jug of milk in her hands, making so much noise he couldn’t hear himself think. When it finished, she continued, “But the boss doesn’t believe we’re so busy on a Thursday morning.”

Chloe poured the steaming milk into two cups on a tray, stirred, and then moved the tray to the front counter. Rachel appeared quickly and whipped them away, Sander’s head spun. Chloe turned to him and he could tell by the wild light in her eyes she didn’t have the patience for more teasing.

“I could help,” he offered.

Chloe frowned. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”

Nodding, he said, “But I don’t
have
to be there for an hour. I could…” Sander eyed the disaster area behind the counter, seeing used cups, scattered dishes, and coffee stains. He shuddered. “Clean up,” he finished.

Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes widened. He wondered why him offering to help would shock her, and couldn’t help feeling a bit pissed that it did. Before he could voice his irritation, Chloe grinned.

“Thank you, but we can manage. Just.”

She picked up one of the slips Rachel had ripped from the pad and placed it on the counter. After pulling out several sizes of cups, she turned her back on him again. He couldn’t complain, not when he had a great view of her subtle curves covered by skintight, black leggings. He remembered those long, silky legs, toned right up to the apex of her thighs, and just then his body reacted like it had the other night. Closing his eyes, he tried to turn his thoughts away from the erotic image of Chloe on her back, red silk crumpled at her waist, pinning her arms to her side.

He cleared his throat. “I thought you might have regretted the other night.”

She threw him a smile over her shoulder. “I only regret having to leave so early.” The smile slid off her face. “But I couldn’t leave her.”

“I know, Chloe. It’s okay.”

And it was, even though no amount of cold showers had cooled the burn of desire running through him. He couldn’t wait until he could have her in his bed. For a whole night. Maybe it was time he asked Freda to do an all-nighter. He had to speak to her to make sure she never left Joyce alone again, not without calling him or Chloe first.

A plan started to form and anticipation coursed through his veins.

He watched as she expertly filled the cups with different variations of beverages, placed them on a tray with a couple of scones, butter, and jam, then spun and placed it on the counter. Again, Rachel appeared at his side immediately, threw Chloe a wink and a knowing smile, then whipped the order away. Chloe picked up the next slip.

After glancing at the order, she looked at him. The polite mask was back and something in him rebelled against it. He knew she used it as a shield, and Sander didn’t want her using shields with him. She didn’t need one.

“My mum and I are making homemade meatballs tonight. We always make far too much, so you’re welcome to join us.”

It was Sander’s turn to school his features into a mask. Her face remained the same, but her amber eyes almost burned with something she was trying to hide. Dammit, he wished he could read her mind. Just this once. She’d said the other night she knew there couldn’t be more between them, and he believed her when she said she didn’t want a relationship with him, but spending a night with her and her mother felt a bit too close to one.

Chloe’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Of course you’re busy, it was just a thought. Mum usually goes to bed early on a Thursday, straight after her telly programs, and I thought we could…erm…continue where we left off.” Her voice trailed off to a whisper and her high cheekbones flushed pink.

The stiffness holding his body rigid dissolved. He grinned and cocked an eyebrow. “We’ll have to be very quiet.”

Her skin flared from pink to scarlet. “The walls are made of concrete, and my mum sleeps downstairs.”

He glanced at the clock behind her and realized, with a shred of regret, he didn’t have long to haul ass across London to the studio. With the morning commuters, he would be cutting it close.

Sander rose from the stool and leaned across the counter. Her eyes darkened beautifully. Blood pounded through him in response. “What time do you want me?”

“Six, but if that’s too early—”

Sander reached out, grabbed her slim waist, and pulled her against the opposite side of the counter. “Six is great.”

He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. What was intended to be a brief kiss goodbye quickly turned into more. Chloe’s lips parted with a sigh, and he couldn’t resist plunging his tongue in to taste her. Her hands fisted in his hair, and his heart beat a little faster. Sliding his hands down further, he groaned in protest when he realized his exploration of her curves was impended by the damn counter.

A woman cleared her throat and Chloe jumped back from his hold. Her chest rose and fell, and a faint blush scored her high cheekbones. He smiled at the sight, even though his body was screaming out for more.

“Pretend, my arse. You two need to get a room.” Rachel glared at each of them in turn, dumped a slip on the counter, then turned back to the swarm of customers.

Chloe pressed her lips together, but the corners turned up like she was fighting a smile. Amusement danced in her eyes.

“You told her?” he asked, wondering if he should be annoyed at the revelation. But he wasn’t, if Chloe trusted her friend, Sander trusted her too.

The amusement vanished. “Not everything. But I didn’t want her to jump to the wrong conclusion when she saw us pictured at the club.”

“Relax.” He reached for her hand, brought it to his lips, and dropped a kiss on the back. “As long as she doesn’t spill the beans it doesn’t bother me.”

She smiled, but the sound of the door opening made her smile slip. “I’m going to have to sit people outside in a minute.”

Sander guessed that was his cue to leave. “I’ll see you tonight.”

She nodded, scooped up another order, then turned to prepare it. Sander felt the glances of all the customers on him as he made his way outside. He wondered if his being there, or at least being with Chloe, was the reason for the sudden increase in customers. As planned, pictures of the two of them had made their way into all the glossy mags and newspapers.

But none of the customers appeared to be bothering her, just curious enough to fill the coffee shop. Shrugging it off, he slid into his car and pulled out into the traffic. His mind was consumed with the promised night with Chloe, and he couldn’t wait. Tonight they’d finish what they’d started, and then some. The only problem now was making sure they kept quiet when all night he had fantasized about hearing her scream his name when they were finally joined together.

* * * *

The doorbell rang at exactly six, and Chloe could only be thankful her mum seemed to be lucid today. Joyce puttered around the kitchen table, placing down cutlery and the wedding china she kept for special occasions. Chloe fought the urge to roll her eyes. When she told her mum Sander was coming over, Joyce had gone into a full-scale panic, cleaning the house and digging out the best silverware, despite Chloe’s protests that it wasn’t the queen she’d invited to dinner.

Leaving her mum to fuss over non-existent water marks on the silverware, Chloe made her way through the house and opened the front door. The cloudy backdrop to Sander’s hulking figure didn’t dim the effect of the vibrant color of his tan or his golden blond waves. Her breath caught in her throat and she itched to throw herself against him. Even dressed in ratty looking dark jeans and a black Gaultier t-shirt, he looked every bit the sex god he had last night. Only tonight she would get to sample more than just a teasing tryst which had left her weak and desperate. Tonight she would find out what would happen when his mouth was on her, when the hard length of him was lodged inside her.

The thought made blood rush into her cheeks. “Come in.”

He caught her before she could step to the side and pulled her against him. She planted her hands on his chiseled chest, wishing it was his naked skin instead. For a minute she was distracted, wondering whether he had blond, silky hair there too or whether it would be bare and smooth.

Leaning down so his lips were a breath away, he whispered, “Today has been the longest day of my life.”

Chloe couldn’t help beaming at his words. “For me too.”

His lips crashed down on hers, zapping a jolt of need straight to her core. Unable to help herself, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him back. The hard ridge in his jeans spurred on the madness, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, using the ridge to try and alleviate some of the pressure, but it wasn’t enough.

Sander groaned low in his throat. His hands slid down to cup her bottom and then pulled her tighter against him. Shifting her hips, her clit met his erection through his jeans and the thin cotton of her leggings. A jolt of heat reverberated through her from the contact, and she ground her hips into him harder. Quicker. Until she was seeing stars.

A shriek pierced through her lust fogged brain and she pulled her lips away from Sander. They both panted for a second, and Chloe turned to look over her shoulder. “Mum, are you okay?”

She slid her legs to the ground, and he let her, but his hands stayed firmly on her bottom. The sound of water rushing from the tap drifted through to them.

“I burned myself, but I’m okay.”

Shaking with need and with knickers dampened, guilt sliced through her and her cheeks burned with shame. She threw Sander an apologetic glance and hurried to the kitchen. Joyce held her hand under the flow of cool water, and as Chloe approached, she made an effort to calm her breathing.

“Let me see.”

She took hold of her mum’s wrist and lifted it for closer inspection. An angry, red blemish had formed on the palm of Joyce’s hand, and Chloe’s stomach dipped. She had been so busy trying to get her jollies she’d completely forgotten about her mum.

“It’s just a little burn. I’ll be fine. Will you fix the spaghetti?”

Chloe turned to the stove and to her horror saw the pot boiling over. Before she could react, Sander stepped in and lifted the pot off the hob. The bubbling water immediately receded into safer territory. He turned to her and grinned.

“Thanks.” Her gaze dipped down to the front of his jeans, and she was relieved to see he’d masked his arousal, though his eyes looked as hot and hungry as ever.

“Chloe, he’s a guest.” Joyce pulled her hand from under the current of water and turned the tap off. “You shouldn’t have the man doing all the work.”

Sander chuckled. “I don’t mind, Mrs. Butler. Thank you for having me.” He eyed the kitchen table, complete with the over-the-top dinner set, but thankfully didn’t comment.

“It’s our pleasure. It’s not every day we get to entertain for a celebrity.”

Chloe cringed at the note of awe in her mum’s voice. Anyone on the telly might as well be royalty when they arrived at the Butler residence. Chloe relieved Sander of the pot, picked up the colander, then tipped the contents in when she reached the sink. After picking up a dish towel, Joyce bent down to the open oven and removed the meatballs in the tomato and origami sauce. The scent of herbs and homemade meatballs filled the air, and Chloe’s stomach growled.

“This smells amazing,” Sander said, and she couldn’t believe it when she saw her mum’s cheeks pinken.

After helping her mum dish out the meal and removing the garlic bread from the oven, Chloe slid into the chair next to Sander and dug in. Joyce kept the conversation focused solely on
Do You Have What It Takes?
and Chloe wanted to interrupt, but he didn’t seem to mind. He answered all her questions with enthusiasm.

“Do you remember Annabelle MacIntosh from this year’s show?” he asked.

“We voted for her, didn’t we, Chloe?” Joyce’s beam made her look so much younger.

A pang of sadness hit her heart. Tomorrow, or maybe even later that evening, her mum might forget about that altogether. She nodded, not able to trust her voice to speak.

“She’s on my show tomorrow,” he informed them. “And she’ll be hanging out at the studio all day. You’re off work tomorrow, aren’t you, Chloe?”

She was about to take a bite of the meatball, but placed her fork back on the table. “Yes.” She didn’t see why that was relevant to the conversation.

“Why don’t you come along? You’ll love Anna.”

Chloe’s eyes grew huge as Joyce dropped her cutlery onto her precious china plate. “Oh, that will be lovely, sweetheart. Would you get me her autograph?”

Her head spun. All this was so new, and crazy. Dane hadn’t introduced her to a soul. All the famous people she’d met had been during work. This would be different, this would be like meeting his friends, the kind of thing a proper girlfriend would do. Her stomach swarmed with butterflies thinking about it.

“Chloe?”

She turned to see anxious blue eyes filled with concern. Sander had stopped eating, and he focused on her face. She stopped chewing the inside of her mouth and offered a half smile. “Thank you for asking, but I’m sure I would only get in the way.”

“That’s not true.” He snared her hand and her face burned. What would Joyce think, especially since Chloe had yet to tell her that she and Sander weren’t really together? “Say you’ll come. We can hit the shops after and pick up something for tomorrow night.”

Oh God, she’d forgotten tomorrow was the engagement party. Her heart thrummed hard against her ribs and a cool sheen of sweat broke out across her brow. She’d thought she would have more time with him, but she’d only had forty-eight hours or so.

There was only one answer really. “Of course, it sounds great.”

Now that she had agreed, her mum fired a hundred questions at Sander about Annabelle, her marriage to the music mogul, Miles Oliver, and past contestants. But Chloe didn’t hear a word. Her mind was whirring and her chest hurt, like her heart was breaking all over again. Surely not, she thought. There was no way she could have fallen for Sander already. She’d just started to get to know him, and she knew they couldn’t be anything more. Still, Chloe knew two more days with him were never going to be enough.