Dreaming Of Your Love (Hollywood Legends #3) (16 page)

“Mmm.
You never forget your first. And if you’re lucky, it’s worth remembering.”

Colt
waited, his eyes locked on hers. Finally, Sable shook her head and gave in.

“Behind
the barracks in North Carolina. The mosquitoes were fierce but Jubal Crowe was
sweet. We dated for a few months. And yes, it was worth remembering.”

“I’m
glad.” Colt squeezed her hand.

Sable
lightly kissed Colt. “Our experiences have been very different.”

“Yet
they brought us here.”

“In
the front seat of a Maserati?”

“Together,”
Colt added.

He
pulled her close, deepening the kiss. And bright lights went off in Sable’s
head.

“Shit.”

The
lights weren’t clicking in her head. They were from the flash of a camera.
Three men surrounded the car, furiously taking pictures. One caught Sable just
as she turned toward the windshield, making her blink in surprise as the flash
momentarily blinded her.

Colt
started to get out, but Sable stopped him. It only took a second for her to
shake off her role of girlfriend. Bodyguard mode kicked in and she was all
business.

“No,
Colt. Stay there until I get around the car.”

“Hell
no. I’m not sitting here while you wrestle your way through a sea of paparazzi.”

“Three
men isn’t a sea. But it doesn’t matter. I’m here to protect you.”

“You’re
my girlfriend. Or so they think,” Colt added when she would have argued. “How
will it look if you open my door and shield me with your body?”

“Like
I’m doing my job.” But she understood what he meant. “You’re right. The chances
of this happening were always there. I’ll drop my cover. From now on, I’m your
bodyguard. Period.”

“Fuck
that. Buckle up.”

Colt
started the car and laid his hand on the horn. Startled, the men jumped back,
opening a clear path and he took it, quickly merging into traffic. Sable
watched in silence as Colt turned down a side street, cut down an alley, then
headed back the way they came—toward the loft.

“Lost
your appetite?”

“We’ll
order in.”

Colt
had a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel and his jaw was clenched so
tightly Sable worried about his teeth. Sable had never seen him react this way.
Colt was so easy going, so laid back. This was such a complete one-eighty, it
was almost shocking.

“Relax.”

Colt
took the turn into the garage. He was traveling way too fast and he missed
clipping the corner of the building by mere inches. They approached his parking
spot at the same pace. She couldn’t stop him. And jumping wasn’t an option.
Taking a deep breath, Sable closed her eyes, gripped the seat, and prepared for
impact.

“You
can open your eyes.

“Nope.”

“The
car is stopped. We didn’t hit anything. And here.” The engine died. “Hold the
key. I promise we aren’t moving another inch.”

Colt
pried her fingers loose and put the key in her palm. Carefully, Sable opened
her eyes. She looked at the key, then at Colt. His jaw was relaxed but he still
vibrated with tension. They were safe.

“What
the hell?” Sable slapped the key onto Colt’s lap, barely missing the bulge.

“That
was too close for comfort.”

“If
I’d wanted to hit your dick, I would have. Asshole.”

Sable
unbuckled herself and threw open the door.

“And
if I had wanted to hit the wall, I would have.” Colt was by her side before she
was out of the car. “I was in complete control.”

“No,
you weren’t.” Sable shoved him aside. When he grabbed her arm, she froze. “That’s
a bad idea.”

“I’ll
take my chances.”

Amazed
at his gall and curious to see how far he would take it, Sable let Colt pull
her toward the elevator. That was fine. As soon as they were in the loft, she
planned on locking herself in her room. If he wanted to apologize, he would
have to do it through the door.

However,
Colt didn’t stop at the security panel. Instead, he went around the corner to a
secluded area out of sight from the rest of the garage. It was dark and dusty
and smelled slightly of gasoline.

“I
don’t know this game, Colt, but I don’t want to play. Let go of my arm before you
force me to hurt you.”

“No
games. And nobody gets hurt.”

Colt
took her mouth with his, pushing her until her back was flush with the wall.
This kiss was savage. Primal. Completely different than the sweet, teasing ones
they shared in the car less than twenty minutes earlier. Colt put his hand
behind her head, cushioning it from the hard brick. The other trapped her
wrists, holding them high and out of the way.

For
a brief moment, Sable thought about breaking the hold. Colt was strong and he
had her at a disadvantage. But it wouldn’t take much to have him on his knees.
She could grind her heel into his foot. Bite his lip. Knock her forehead
against his. Or simply knee him in the groin. They were effective weapons and
she was proficient at administering all of them.

But
the brief moment passed and all she wanted was to kiss him back.

Colt
wasn’t thinking about Sable retaliating. His blood pounded and he wanted one
thing. To screw her brains out. He felt her body relax. When she began to
return his kiss, he let go of her wrists, freeing his hand. Colt reached under
her skirt to rip off her panties, but Sable was already there. She slipped them
down her legs, kicking them away.

He
took care of his belt while Sable unbuttoned his pants. She had his zipper down
and his dick out while Colt dug a condom out of his wallet.

“Are
you ready?” he panted against her lips.

“Shut
up and fuck me.”

Sable
wrapped one leg around his hip, opening to him. With one clean stroke, Colt
buried himself deep. He groaned. She gasped. Their rhythm was awkward, their
pace fast—almost desperate. Neither cared about making it last. This was about
achieving release, not technique.

It
didn’t take long. Sable grabbed Colt’s butt, urging him on. Their breath was
harsh and ragged. A few thrusts of his hips and she soared over the edge, the
orgasm hitting her hard and fast. A second later he joined her.

Colt
straightened his clothing, watching as Sable smoothed her skirt.

“Are
you okay?”

“Yes.”

She
looked for something. Colt saw what it was and picked up her discarded panties.

“I’m
not going to apologize,” he said, handing her the garment.

“I’d
punch you if you did.”

Colt
grinned. Damn, she was something. He held out his hand.

“Hungry?”

“Starving.”

They
walked to the elevator. When the doors opened, they entered, fingers laced. And
as they began the ascent, they burst out laughing.

“I COULDN’T EAT another bite.”

Sable
pushed her plate away.

“I
could.” Colt took the rest of the sandwich and downed it in one bite. “I love
corned beef.”

“I
never would have guessed.”

Colt
picked up her plate on his way to the sink. Sable toyed with her napkin,
pleating and unpleating the edges. One bare foot swung back and forth. They had
eaten at the counter, sitting on the barstools that lined the far side.

They
had showered before ordering from the deli just down the street. This time, the
sex had been slow—unrushed. But just as passionate. Colt’s soap-slickened hand
touched every inch of her body. He lingered when he found a spot that he
particularly enjoyed. Her breast received most of his attention.

When
Sable’s breath would catch, telling him he’d found a spot that gave her
pleasure, he was just as thorough.

Sable
happily took her turn. She stood behind Colt, exploring his strong back, the
curve of his spine. The slope of his ass. Then, staying where she was, she ran
her hands over his chest and down the hard planes of his stomach. Colt’s palms
flattened on the wet tile, his head falling back as her fingers gripped his
erection.

Slowly,
she slid up and down, loving the feel of him. His hard, smooth heat. Sable
kissed Colt’s shoulder blade. And as he reached his peak, she bit down, leaving
her mark as he shot his seed onto the wall.

Without
a word, Colt turned and dropped to his knees. His mouth tasted her as water ran
over him, making his skin glisten like molten gold. Sable held him close,
letting her fingers run through his hair, massaging his scalp as his tongue
urged her higher. She came, calling out his name and sinking next to him, her
legs no longer able to support her weight.

Colt
kissed her cheek, reaching around her to turn off the water. Helping her to her
feet, he grabbed a towel and quickly dried her skin. He set the towel on the
counter before settling her on it.

Then
he did the sexiest thing of all. He took a jar of cream and applied it over her
body. When he was finished, Sable felt warm and utterly relaxed.

“Would
you like a cup of tea?”

“Please.”

Sable
smiled. She couldn’t fault the view. Colt wore nothing but a pair of Snoopy
pajama bottoms that rode low on his hips.

“Where’s
the top?” she asked.

“There
isn’t one. I bought these in Aspen. The gift shop at the hotel had all kinds of
Peanuts merchandise. Snoopy is my favorite so I couldn’t resist.”

Colt
carried their cups to the sofa. Sable had on a nightshirt made of silk. It was
the color of amber honey. She sat, curling her legs underneath her and took a
sip of the hot liquid. When Colt was settled beside her, she finally addressed
the elephant in the room.

“Want
to tell me what happened earlier?”

“I
was hoping you would let that slide.”

“You
frightened me, Colt.”

He
took her hand. “I never would have hurt you.”

“I
know that, you fool. You acted completely out of character. I was worried about
you, not me.”

“I’m
sorry.” Colt sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I wish I had an answer
because, to be honest, my reaction took me by surprise, too.

“Was
it the paparazzi?”

“No.
I’ve dealt with them most of my life. They’re parasites, but for the most part,
harmless. At first, I was angry for letting them find us. As much as I enjoy
playing with you in the car, I know better. I should have taken you inside the
restaurant as soon as we arrived. Instead, I made us sitting ducks.”

“I’m
the one who fell down on the job, Colt.”

“That’s
another thing. I didn’t like the idea of you putting yourself at risk.”

“You
said yourself, the photographers were harmless.”

“Okay.
God.” Colt groaned. “I’m not proud of it but my ego got in the way.”

Sable
frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“When
you were about to get out of the car, I had this flash of how the headlines
would read.
Girlfriend shields movie star.
”

“You’re
kidding.”

“I
know. I make a big deal of how erroneous publicity doesn’t bother me. It turns
out I’m not completely immune.”

“It
was your idea to have a woman bodyguard. What did you think would happen if I
actually had to guard your body?”

“I
didn’t think that far ahead.”

Colt
looked so distraught. She couldn’t help herself. Sable burst out laughing.

“I’m
glad you find my feet of clay amusing.”

“Please.”
Sable wiped the moisture from her eyes. “Your feet are fine. You’re human,
Colton. There’s nothing wrong with that. And,” she laid a hand on his thigh, “the
sex was smoking hot.”

“It
was,” Colt chuckled ruefully. “I can’t believe you let me get away with the
caveman routine.”

“It
won’t fly very often,” Sable warned. Then she grinned. “I guess I was in the
mood.”

“You
certainly were.” Colt took her cup and set in on the coffee table. “Think you
might be in the mood again?”

“Maybe.
But let’s use the bed this time.”

“Sounds
good.”

“Colt.”
Sable held out a hand when he reached for her. “A situation could arise where I
have to protect you.”

“I
know.”

“Can
you handle it?”

“Honestly?
I don’t know.” Colt shook his head. “I’m sorry. I know it’s your job. I know
you’re trained to put yourself at risk for your client. But in the heat of the
moment, I can’t guarantee that instinct won’t take over. I’m a man.”

“Oh,
please.”

“Evolution
only goes so far, Sable. In the heat of the moment, I don’t think I could let
you shield me.”

“You
wouldn’t have a choice.”

“It’s
a moot point. Nothing is going to happen.”

“Colt.”
Sable sighed.

“Can
we let it go?”

“Yes.”

Colt
took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

Sable
would let it go. Not because he was right. But because there wasn’t any point
in arguing. Her job was to protect Colton Landis. The world thought she was his
girlfriend and chances were excellent that when she headed back to Harper
Falls, her cover would be intact. However, if the day came that she had to take
a punch or a bullet, to keep him safe, she would. Without hesitation.

SABLE HAD NEVER been grocery shopping in Beverly Hills. If it
had been up to her, she never would. Colt decided it would be fun, and no
amount of persuasion would sway him. Since she went where Colt went, Sable had
no choice.

“I
have a list of people who will do this for you. They were vetted and approved.
Pick one and let them do their job.”

They
hadn’t arrived at the store. There was no harm in making one more attempt at
getting Colt to see reason.

“This
will be fun.” Colt pulled into the parking lot.

“Have
you ever been grocery shopping?”

“Once.
Lorena took me when I was a little boy.”

“And
the experience was so life changing it’s taken over twenty years for you to do
it again.”

Colt
found a spot near the store entrance. It seemed the parking Gods were with him
today.

“Why
are you so opposed to buying a few essentials?”

“Call
it bodyguard intuition. You can’t go anyplace without drawing a crowd. I have
images dancing in my head of me peeling women off you in the middle of the
produce department.”

“You
heard what Mom said. The Beverly Hills
Custom Foods
gets celebrities all
the time. No one will give me a second look.”

That
wasn’t exactly what Callie had said. She told them that she shopped at the
store. As did several of her friends. The regulars were used to her stopping in
for a loaf of bread or a jar of Caleb’s favorite olives. No matter how blasé
the Beverly Hills consumer, they were not accustomed to glancing up and seeing
Colton Landis testing the ripeness of a cantaloupe.

Even
in his faded jeans and dark blue t-shirt, Colt did not look like your average
shopper. Unless that shopper was over six feet tall with dark wavy hair, bright
blue eyes, and had a body that would tempt saints to turn in their halos. If
men like that walked the aisles on a regular basis, then yes, they might breeze
in and out of the store without incident. Somehow, Sable had her doubts.

“If
you fill all of those, where are we going to put it all?”

Colt
had borrowed some reusable, environmentally friendly grocery bags from his
mother. Sable thought two or three would be plenty. Colt took eight. Just in
case.

“The
trunk is surprisingly roomy.”

Sable
couldn’t help but grin. He had the enthusiasm of a little boy and it was
contagious. If this was how he wanted to spend part of his day off, she would
play along. But she wouldn’t let her guard down in case a rabid fan hid behind
a box of cereal or under the random bag of potatoes.

Fifteen
minutes later, Sable realized Colt’s fans were not the problem. He had no
self-control. Every item was irresistible. Twinkies. Frosted Flakes. Spam.

“What
are you going to do with that?” Sable asked when he added a dozen cans to the
cart.

“Eat
it.”

“Have
you ever tasted Spam?”

“No.”
For good measure, he added another can. “Did you know that Hawaii is the number
one consumer of Spam? There must be thousands of recipes. I’ll look some up
when we get home.”

Colt
wasn’t shopping, he was storing up for the apocalypse.

Sable
gave him an indulgent smile. Then, while he read the back of a can of Chef
Boyardee, she put all but one can back on the shelf. Six boxes of Cap’n Crunch
turned into two.

This
continued aisle after aisle.

“You
will weigh three hundred pounds if you eat all this junk.”

“I
have a stellar metabolism.”

Colt
leaned over to get something on the bottom shelf.

“That
isn’t the only thing that’s stellar.”

“Are
you checking out my ass, Ms. Ford?”

“Of
course not.” Sable sent him an innocent smile. “And when you put that jar of pigs’
feet back, I promise not to check you out again.”

“I
thought I might get them.”

“No.
It’s like someone was trying to cover up the smell of spoiled meat by splashing
it with vinegar.”

Colt
cringed. He replaced the jar.

“How
do you know that?”

“My
mother loves them. Grandma Freed sends some every year for Christmas.”

“You
didn’t acquire a taste for them?”

“No,”
Sable said emphatically. “Mom says it’s a southern thing.”

“Where
was she born?”

“Treetop,
Tennessee.” Sable shook her head when Colt offered her a sample of apple pie
from the bakery counter. “Mom is a walking, talking contradiction. She’ll go on
for days about how much she hated Treetop. Her goal was to get as far away as
possible. She didn’t want anything to do with it ever again.”

“That’s
kind of sad.”

“I
agree. She lost her accent and tells people that she was born in Georgia.”

“Why
is that better than Tennessee?” Colt took another bite of pie.

“Beats
me. Dad calls it Iris logic. Meaning there is no logic at all. And those pigs’
feet? She hides them in the back of the cupboard and eats them when she’s
certain no one will see her. I only know about them because late one night when
I was eight, I wandered into the kitchen to get a glass of water. She was at
the table stuffing these gelatinous globs into her mouth as fast as possible.”

Colt
tossed the rest of the pie into a nearby trash can.

“Full?”

“No.
You paint quite the picture, Sable. Gelatinous globs?” Colt shuddered. “I’ve
lost my appetite.”

“Sorry.”
Sable hid her smile. That hadn’t been her intent when she started the story,
but it was a nice bonus. “Are you ready to hit the checkout line?”

“Are
you tired of emptying the basket as soon as I fill it?”

“You
stinker!” Sable recognized that particular twinkle in Colt’s eyes. “You were
doing that on purpose.”

“Not
at first.” Laughing, Colt blocked her playful punch to his midsection. He held
onto her hand. “After the first few times, I couldn’t resist.”

“I
followed you around for an hour.” Sable shook her head. Instead of hitting him,
she slid her arms around his waist and squeezed. Hard.

“You
should have caught on sooner. Geez, Sable. I’m not a little boy who can’t
control my impulses.”

Sable
kissed his neck, breathing in his spicy scent.

“No,
you aren’t a little boy. Thank you, God. But I’ll argue the impulse bit. Your
control,” she lowered her voice, “outside of sex, is questionable.”

“Sable,
honey, this is not the place to tease. Let’s hit the produce department and
head home. I’ll give you a sample of my infinite control.”

“Sounds
like a plan I can get behind.”

“I
thought I would get behind you.”

“And?”
She loved when Colt explained in great detail what he was going to do to her.
Mental foreplay. It drove her crazy.

“I’ll
go into detail in the car. Now, tomatoes.”

“And
apples. You are completely out of apples. What?” Sable asked when she noticed
his frown.

“Why
do you always make a point of saying
you
instead of
we
?”

“Do
I?” Sable wasn’t going to pretend she didn’t understand. Nor was she going to
explain that, for her own piece of mind, she needed to remind herself that she
wasn’t a permanent part of his life. “It
is
your place.”

“Not
at the moment.”

“It’s
yours.” Sable wouldn’t waver. Not on this point. “I’m your employee. And your
guest.”

“Okay.”
Colt began pushing the cart. “Come on. Tomatoes and apples.” He winked. “And
anything else that looks good.”

Sable
followed, not certain what just happened. Colt never gave in that easily when
it mattered to him. Which meant, her status wasn’t important. Bodyguard?
Friend? Lover? She kept reminding herself that she didn’t belong. And it was
obvious that Colt agreed.

Wasn’t
that what she wanted? When it was time to leave, didn’t she want the break to
be clean, easy, and as painless as possible? Sable felt a lump form in her
stomach. Funny how getting her way wasn’t always as satisfying as she would
think.

Sable
saw the movement out of the corner of her eye, followed by a sharp, high-pitched
squeal. Both were directed at Colton. Without thought, she positioned herself
to ward off the threat. Automatically, her hand reached for the gun in her
purse.

“Colton
Landis. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh.”

A
woman in her fifties reached out to touch Colt, then pulled back her hand at
the last second, blushing like a teenager. She shuffled from one foot to the
other, her breath coming in large gulps. Dressed in khaki pedal pushers and a
bright lime green shirt, she had tourist written all over her. She probably
came to Beverly Hills to see some movie stars. Boy, she hit the jackpot.

A
fan. Sable relaxed and zipped her purse. She didn’t think pointing a gun at a
woman whose only weapon was a ballpoint pen would go over well with the store
management, the press, or Colt.

From
the moment they entered the store, Sable had known a fan attack was a
possibility. One quivering, exuberant woman wasn’t bad. It could have been
worse. As she soon found out.

“Denise.
Denise.” The woman frantically waved her hand in the air. “Over here. It’s
Colton Landis.”

“OMG!”

Sable
cringed. Fan number one’s squeal was nothing compared to Denise and her high-pitched
screech.

“Dolly!
Where did you find him?”

Twins.
It had to be. Dolly wore the same pedal pushers and shirt though instead of
green, it was an eye-searing neon pink. The women had the same short, round
figures and teased out blonde hair. They even bounced from foot to foot with the
same disarming twitchy rhythm. Sable hoped it was because they were excited. If
they needed to pee, things might get messy.

“Sisters?”
Colt asked, giving them his best movie star smile.

“Twins,”
they answered jointly.

“You
don’t say? My older brothers are twins.”

“We
know.”

Sable
wondered if they always spoke in stereo. Probably. A lifetime habit she doubted
they noticed.

With
easy grace, Colt accepted the pad and pen that Denise shoved in front of his
face.

“Where
are you from, Denise?” Colt’s smile went from heart pounding to dazzling.

When
Colt said her name, it was almost too much for Denise. She fanned herself
furiously and giggled.

Sable
couldn’t blame her. She knew how it felt to be the focus of Colt’s attention.
She was just an observer and her heartbeat had kicked up a couple of notches.

“Birmingham,
Alabama,” Dolly answered. Denise tried to roll her tongue back into her mouth.

“Beautiful
area. Most of
Sinner’s Paradise
was filmed there. What was it? Three
years ago?”

“Four.
We watched you film the duel.”

Colt
handed them the autographed pad.

“Did
you enjoy the movie?”

“We
love all your movies. Colt.” Dolly drew out his name, savoring the moment. “Especially
your nude scenes. May we get a picture?”

“I
insist.” Colt took Dolly’s phone. “But I’m keeping my clothes on.”

As
jokes went, it was lame, but Dolly and Denise laughed as if it were the
funniest thing they had ever heard. Colt put an arm around each woman and
somehow managed to take a selfie at the same time. He handed Dolly the phone.
The sisters, still giggling, scampered off. They would have quite a tale to
tell when they got home. All because Colt took the time to be charming and
kind.

It
wasn’t an act. Sable watched Colt as he dealt with the sisters. He loved every
second. Not because his ego needed petting. Because he liked people. He loved
his fans. He didn’t hurry them along. He took the time to make them feel
special. They adored him before. Now, if Sable was any judge, they worshiped
him.

The
sisters started the ball rolling. It wasn’t a flood. More like a constant
trickle. For the next hour, Colt greeted his fans. Signed autographs and posed
for pictures.

Sable
watched with growing admiration. Colt’s enthusiasm never flagged. He didn’t
hurry them along or count heads, anticipating when he could get away. Each
person was treated with the same courtesy and respect. She didn’t know how he
did it.

“Miss?”

Sable
turned. A man wearing a shirt with the store’s logo on the front stood to her
left. The badge clipped to his shirt pocket read Ben Freedman, Manager.

“Yes?”

“I
noticed you earlier. Aren’t you with Mr. Landis?”

“That’s
right. Is this a problem?”

Sable
motioned to Colt. There were three people still waiting for autographs. At one
point, the line circled around the produce department and the canned foods aisle.

“Not
for me.” Ben seemed a little uncomfortable. He gripped his hands together,
squeezing tightly. “I should have broken it up right away. We get a lot of
celebrities. We pride ourselves on giving them a stress-free shopping experience.
A place where they can buy their groceries without being mobbed.”

“I
can see why that would be appealing.”

“I
was out for lunch when this started. I—”

“Mr.
Freedman. Relax.” Sable gave the man a reassuring smile. “Look at him. Colt
enjoys meeting his fans. No harm done.”

“I
don’t want his mother to be upset.”

“What
does she have to do with this?”

“I,
well,” he fidgeted. “She shops here and I wouldn’t want to jeopardize that.”

Sable
hid her smile. Now, she understood. The manager had a crush on Callie Flynn. It
was hard to hide and Ben Freedman had all the signs. The telltale flush. The
way he stammered. He wasn’t worried about losing Callie’s business. He was
worried he would miss out on seeing her, in the flesh, on a regular basis.

It
didn’t matter if the name was Landis or Flynn. This family was like catnip to
everyone they met.