Craving Cinderella: My Curvy Valentine Read online

  "What are you doing, asking out Tallie’s teacher?" she demands.

  "I couldn’t not ask her out," I admit. "I met her at the school – I was bringing in some stuff for Tallie and the Valentine’s party, and the two of us met, and it was just like... boom. Fireworks."

  "I thought you of all people could tell the difference between movies and real life," she scolds, but I can tell there is a part of her that is thoroughly enjoying all of this. "You asked her out? For what, a Valentine’s date?”

  "Yeah, that’s the plan," I agree. "I have a premiere anyway so it works out perfectly."

  "You’re not seriously telling me that you’re going to take an elementary school teacher to a Hollywood premiere for your first date, are you?” she asks me.

  I shrug. "Why not? Better that she sees what to expect as part of this life now rather than later."

  "Later? What, are you planning on this turning into something serious?”

  “Maybe? Aren’t you the one always saying I need to settle down?”

  Val laughs. “But did you tell her she was joining you on the red carpet?”

  “No.” I shrug. “We just texted and I said I’d pick her up at seven.”

  Val groans. “You are such a man. She’s probably expecting dinner and drinks, not a Hollywood premiere," she protests. "You need to tell her. At least give her some time to prepare. And get a dress..."

  "I guess you’re right," I reply, thinking that the last thing I want is for Ellie to feel out of place. I was just hinking of the fact I want her in my arms. "What else do you know? Anything that you think I should be aware of?”

  "Apart from the fact that she’s got nothing to do with your world and that if you do anything to mess up Tallie’s education, I’ll kill you?” she replies.

  I grin at her, toss an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, sis, you know I would never," I protest.

  She narrows her eyes, and I can tell that she doesn’t trust me. But she has no reason to worry.

  Ellie is different. And I plan on making her mine. One look and I knew I was smitten. One conversation and I felt like the world was suddenly brighter. I wasn’t exaggerating about seeing fireworks.

  "Just... be careful with her, all right?” she orders me.

  "What do you mean?"

  "She’s... there’s something about her that’s vulnerable," she explains. "Something... she came here because she lost her parents. She might not have the most solid grounding, even with all the time that’s passed. You want to make sure that you’re not going anything to make that worse, right?"

  "Of course," I say. And I will take Val’s advice to heart. The last thing I want is to do anything to make a mess of this. As soon as I laid eyes on her, something had shifted inside of me, and I’m not willing to let that slip through my fingers, not a chance in hell.

  "And you know, send her a dress," she tells me. "She’s not going to have anything to hand that’s going to do for a premiere like that. Least you can do is give her something pretty to wear."

  "Yeah, good idea," I agree. I can call my assistant, Tammy, and get her to sort something out; I know she’ll be able to find something amazing on short notice, and I don’t want Ellie to walk into this thing feeling anything other than her best. I want her to feel like a princess.

  "Thanks for the advice," I tell her, and I give her a quick hug and then go to say goodbye to Tallie, suddenly feeling like I have a lot to do before this evening.

  At least the premiere isn’t as huge as it would be for the Mandolin series; this is just a smaller drama piece, the kind that I still like to do every now and then just to prove that I am more than capable of it. I know some critics like to write me off as nothing more than some pretty boy who’s just good at throwing his muscle around, but I know that there is way more to me than that.

  Is it a strange way to start a first date? Maybe. I’m not sure how she’s going to react to it – I still haven’t told Ellie that I am sweeping her off to something this big, but I hope she’ll love it. The drinks, the good food, the schmoozing, the movie – holding hands in the dark, the way I used to when I was a teenager. Honestly, I can’t remember feeling this way about anyone since I was in my teens, and I am thoroughly enjoying how exciting it is to feel this buzzing want for someone again.

  I’m not sure what it is about her that has set me on fire like this. I’m around some of the women who are considered the hottest property in the world, and sure, I can get on with them well, and I can appreciate their charisma – but there’s something about Ellie that makes me feel alive in a way that I haven’t for such a long time.

  Her smile, bright, genuine, the way she giggles. The way she seems to tuck back strands of hair behind her ear as though she hardly even notices. The smattering of freckles over her nose, how much she seems to care about those kids that she looks after. All of it. All of it comes together into something that I am not sure I am going to be able to resist.

  Once I’m sure that Tammy will have something on the way for Ellie, I get ready for the premiere, taking my time, picking out a suit and taking a long shower before I get dressed. I feel like the steam is burning something away, something that I didn’t know I needed to be rid of until now. But, by the time I get out, I feel like a new man.

  Hopefully the kind of man that Ellie is going to like.

  Chapter Four

  Ellie

  "Holy shit," Carmen mutters as she paces around the dress that I’m holding up. She looks as stunned as I feel right now.

  "So this guy really is a genuine movie star, huh? Sure you’re not being catfished?" she remarks, and I nod and can’t keep the grin off my face.

  "Pretty sure, considering we already met," I say, laughing.

  I hold out the dress in front of me and look it up and down. How can this be real? I am holding a floor-length designer gown, a pale pink number with heavy fabric that falls into a luxurious full skirt against the ground below me. The bodice glitters with crystals and I can already tell it is going to fit perfectly, the sweetheart neckline accentuating my breasts and the tuck at the waist drawing an eye to my curvy hips.

  He texted me about an hour ago to let me know that the date we would be going on together was actually a premiere for his latest movie, and I had launched into full-blown panic mode. What the hell was I going to wear! I didn’t have anything that would pass for a particularly formal parent-teacher evening, let alone something for the red carpet. But then, a few moments after the text, the dress arrived, along with a pair of heels, and everything started to feel a little better.

  "You’re going to look so beautiful in this," Carmen, my roommate, sighs to me. I told her all about my date with Ethan the first chance I got, and I wasn’t sure that she actually believed me when I told her that it was real until this gorgeous gown arrived at our apartment.

  "I hope so," I reply. I’m still nervous as hell at the thought of actually being involved in this world of his. What if I make a fool of myself? I have no idea what I’m going to do at a party like the one he is going to take me to. My last major social event was the Valentine’s bash for the kids. Not exactly on the same level.

  "He wouldn’t have asked you out if he didn’t like you," she points out. "You have to remember that. He’s not just doing this to be polite..."

  "You sure about that?" I reply. I’m mostly joking. Mostly.

  Honestly, it’s been hard for me to believe that anything truly good would ever happen to me. It’s not that I don’t like my job, I do, and I love living with Carmen – the two of us started off as just roommates out of necessity, but we’ve become good friends since then – but I came here because I was running from something.

  And that something sometimes feels as though it is snapping just at my heels, and I am not sure that I will be able to get away from it until I turn around and face it for good.

  But right now, there is only one thing that I have to worry about, and that is not making a total idiot of myself in the midd
le of this movie premiere. This man has gone out on a limb to take a chance on me, and frankly, I don’t want him to spend the evening wishing he hadn’t.

  I spend the rest of the afternoon getting ready, trying on the dress, picking out the make-up to go with it – and I can’t stop staring at myself in the mirror. I know it is narcissistic, but I can’t remember the last time that I thought I looked this damn good.

  I slick on some lipstick and fluff my hair up, then take it down again, and then put it up again before I decide that I like the way it looks when it’s up best.

  "You ready to go?" Carmen asks once she is satisfied that I look my best. She’s a no-nonsense girl, but she’s always there for me when I need her, and I’m always going to love her for that.

  "I think so," I agree, but before I can say anything else, there’s a buzz at the door. I go to the window to look outside and see who it is. And I gasp when I see what is waiting for me.

  "Come look!" I tell her excitedly, and she joins me to see what has put me in such a good mood. She can’t help but grin when she sees it, too.

  Ethan is leaning up against a limo in the parking lot of the apartment complex. There’s a smile on his face, and he’s wearing this classic black tux that makes him look like even more of a movie star than he already is. I drop Carmen a kiss on the cheek to say goodbye and thank her for her help, then rush down the stairs to join him.

  As soon as he sees me, his eyebrows shoot up, and he lets out a long, low whistle.

  "Damn, Ellie,” he murmurs as I draw closer to him. "You look... incredible."

  "Thanks," I reply, feeling a little heat come to my cheeks. I’m hoping that he can’t tell. I never much believed in the princess moment before now, but standing here, with him looking at me with that expression on his face, it’s hard not to think that there might be something to it.

  He opens the door for me and helps me inside, offering me his hand so I don’t slip in my heels. And as soon as our skin touches, I feel a jolt of electricity run through me. It’s like something has given way inside of my heart. Any wariness that I might have been holding onto falters.

  "What movie is this, again?" I ask him. He leans towards me to answer, and I catch the scent of that aftershave of his once more. God, it smells so good. I just want to lean over and bury my face in his neck.

  "Only Chances," he replies. "It’s a romantic drama. Valentine’s Day release, right?"

  "Makes sense," I agree. So, I’m going to a movie where I get to watch him play the romantic lead, except I get the real thing beside me the whole time, too? I can’t think of much better than that...

  "You like the movies?" he asks, and I nod at once.

  "I love them," I reply. "I used to go every weekend with my dad. We’d go and see anything that was on, even if it was crappy."

  "Hopefully this will only remind you of happy times," he says softly. Our eyes meet and I know he must have heard something about my past. He keeps hold of my hand and it feels like the moment is suspended. I’m sitting right next to him and the energy is electric. Alive. I want to lose myself in it. In him.

  The drive lasts about an hour. Ethan and I sip on champagne and we ask one another questions, trying to get to know one another. But it seems like I’ve known him a long time. Our eyes keep meeting, our knees bump, my heart – it pounds.

  When the limo pulls to a halt, I can already hear people outside the car door, calling his name, shouting for him, cameras flashing in anticipation of him getting out of the car. I want to cower and hold back, but I know that I haven’t come this far to back out now.

  "You ready?" he asks, and I nod.

  "As I’ll ever be," I reply, and he takes my hand, and leads me from the limousine.

  It’s like nothing that I have ever seen before. There are photographers lining the red carpet that leads into the theater, and all of them seem focused on me, on him, on the two of us together.

  People call for my attention and I’m not sure where to look, so I just keep focused on the way Ethan’s fingers are wrapped around mine, the way he guides me forward with a comfortable smile on his face. It’s clear that he’s done this a million times before, and he is totally confident in this place. Thank goodness, because I’m not sure that I ever could be.

  Finally, we make it inside the theater, and Ethan smiles down at me.

  "You good?" he asks, his breath warm against my ear.

  I realize that I have been holding my breath this entire time, and I nod. "I’m good," I reply, and he slips an arm around my waist and guides me towards the bar so we can get a drink. I can feel people looking, eyes on the two of us, and I realize in that instant that I am going to be the focus of a whole hell of a lot of gossip tomorrow morning.

  But that’s for tomorrow-me to worry about. Right now, I just want to have fun. And with this gorgeous man on my arm, it’s not going to be difficult to do just that.

  He is the center of attention at this event – even his co-star, a beautiful young woman who looks like she could have just walked off a runway in Paris or Milan, is doting over him. They laugh together with ease and I try to push down any sense of jealousy that rises up in me. I have to remind myself he invited me to come to this thing with him – and the comforting pressure of his arm around my waist, steady and strong, grounds me once more.

  When the movie starts, he leads me to the back row of the cinema, flashing me a playful grin as he does. I have only had a couple of glasses of champagne, but I feel as though my feet are barely touching the ground. Is this what it’s like, being with him? I could get used to it.

  I lift my pink skirt so that it doesn’t touch the floor, and drape it over my knees as I tuck myself into the seat. I can’t believe that this is actually happening.

  His hand slides along the back of the seat as soon as we sit down, and I feel his fingers trace over my bare shoulder. I can feel my toes curling in the heels he bought me.

  God, does he have any idea just what he is doing to me right now? The want is almost more than I can take, though I do my best to push it down, pretend that I am in control.

  The movie starts, and I soon find myself engrossed in his performance; I’m surprised at how much range he has, given that I have mostly seen him in those action flicks that don’t demand much more from him than looking hot and being strong. But the way the camera closes in on his face, the way that it picks out the small details in his eyes, the way that his mouth creases as he fights for something he wants – it's hard to believe that this is the very same man who is sitting next to me right now.

  I am distinctly aware of how close we are. How warm his skin feels against my shoulder. I know that, if I was to just turn my head, we would almost be kissing. And, as I watch him lower his mouth against his co-star on the screen, I feel a want that I haven’t felt in a long time – a want that makes my body light up. I know that it is all aimed at him. And I know that I am not going to be able to get it out of my head until I get my hands on him the way I need to.

  The movie finishes, and people emerge back into the atrium once more; Ethan is surrounded by people offering him their congratulations, telling him how much they loved it. He sighs as soon as they walk away, and I cock an eyebrow at him.

  "You don’t like hearing that stuff?" I ask him.

  "I just know they’re saying it to make sure that they get an invite to the next one of these," he remarks. "I don’t take it seriously, not until I see their actual reviews."

  "Well, I thought it was really good," I tell him with a smile.

  "Really?" he asks.

  "Really," I reply. There is something sweet about seeing this man, who normally puts out such effort to exude total and utter confidence, a little nervous, second-guessing himself like this. His humility is so appealing to me, the sweetness under the movie-star mask that he wears. I can’t believe that I am actually getting a chance to see it.

  And I can’t believe how much I want to see more of it.

  "I could use a
break from all of this," he remarks, and his voice softens, his eyes meeting mine with a want that I recognize at once. I have to catch my breath. Can he feel it, too? Can he feel this? Can this man, who could have anyone in this country that he wanted, really be thinking about me the same way I’m thinking about him?

  "You want to come back to my place?" he asks, and I nod without a second thought. His thumb caresses the small of my back, the pressure of it enough to make my heart pound, and I know that this night is only just beginning.

  And that I am going to be getting way more of a performance from this movie star than the one that I just saw on the big screen.

  Chapter Five

  Ethan

  As the car pulls up in front of my house, I watch as her eyes widen with surprise.

  "I know that you’re rich," she blurts out. "But this is..."

  "Always good to have a base to come back to, huh?" I remark to her, and she smiles at me as we climb out of the car; I nod my thanks to Ian, my driver, and close the door behind us. The place that I have in this city is one that overlooks the ocean, a large, modern building with huge glass windows that let the light come pouring in every morning and allow me to see the shimmering darkness of the city lights on the ocean come night.

  We head inside together, and I can’t help but hang back for a moment to check her out. The dress that she is wearing makes her look like a downright goddess. I want to taste her so badly, but I’m not going to rush this. I’m going to make sure that I take my time, that I give this all the space it needs to bloom.

  I open the door for her, and she giggles as she slips inside under my arm.

  "You’re a real gentleman, you know that?" she tells me.

  "I know that my mom would kick my ass if I was anything but," I reply, and she laughs. I love hearing her laugh. She doesn’t seem to have any trouble sharing it with me. I hope that’s a good sign. It’s been so long since I’ve had someone all to myself like this that I can hardly remember exactly how it works, but I am sure that things are going just the way that they are meant to.