Did he just suggest I move in with him? I laughed, but it quickly died. When it became obvious he wasn’t joking, my jaw fell open. “Are you serious?”
He pulled into my Dad’s small lane and parked in front of the gate to my house, but he didn’t open his window to punch in the security code. Instead, he turned in his seat to face me. “Hear me out.”
“Hear you out? Brian, you just asked me to move in with you. We’ve been together for a week.”
“I’ve been in love with you for three years, Ella. We’re more than a one-week-old couple.”
I opened my mouth to argue but couldn’t find any words. I had to settle for frowning. “No. I can’t. That’s crazy.”
Brian shook his head. “It’s more than just that I want you there. If you’re really going to move out of your dad’s house, then you should at least consider coming to live at my place. If you aren’t ready for it to be a live-together situation, it could be a roommate thing instead. You could have your own room, your own bathroom. You could even label your own food if you wanted, and I’d only steal it when you annoyed me.”
I laughed despite myself, but wariness quickly crept in. He was being awfully insistent. “Why?” When he hesitated, I knew my suspicions were founded. “What aren’t you telling me?”
He sighed. “I’m worried about you living at Vivian’s.”
I laughed. “What on earth for?” The notion was ridiculous. “Vivian and her dads love me. They’re excited to have me come. I’ll be much better off there than I am at my dad’s house.”
Brian cut me a serious look. “It’s not Vivian’s family I’m worried about. It’s the security at her apartment.”
Vivian lived in a typical LA-style apartment complex in West Hollywood. It was built back in the sixties and modeled after a two-story motel. There were only eight units in the complex—four downstairs and four up. Each of them had front doors that opened to the outside. The complex didn’t even have parking, much less a gate.
I frowned. “Her apartment building doesn’t have any security. Unless you count the dead bolt on her front door.”
Brian’s grim face seemed to say, That’s exactly my point.
I smiled when I realized what he was worried about. “It’s not a bad neighborhood. Maybe it’s not the Hollywood Hills, but Glen and Steffan assured my dad it’s completely safe. They’ve never had a problem. Vivian said it’s a great neighborhood, and she loves her neighbors.”
Brian sighed. “I’m sure it’s a great place for Vivian and her dads, Ella, but you’re different now.”
“What do you mean?”
Brian rubbed his hand over his face and then reached to take mine. He brought it to his lips, forcing a pained smile at me. “I told you dating me comes at a cost. It won’t take long for the media to realize you’ve moved, and it’ll take even less time for them to figure out where you’ve moved to. You’ll have no privacy at Vivian’s. You’ll be stalked all the time by everyone from paparazzi, to fans, to tourists.”
“Oh come on, the novelty of us will wear off soon. It won’t be that bad.”
Brian laced our fingers together and let our hands fall to his lap, but he didn’t return my smile. “You don’t understand. Celebrity hype like mine doesn’t wear off. I’ve had trouble this past year with obsessed fans. A lot of trouble. I’ve had to get a few restraining orders. I’ve had a number of people try to break into my home. That’s why I moved to the place I’m at now. The security is state-of-the-art.”
“Whoa. You seriously had people break in?”
Brian’s face was grave. “My level of fame is intense, Ella. Fans don’t see celebrities as real people. They won’t respect your privacy or your personal boundaries. I don’t want you to have to deal with that on your own.”
I began to think twice about staying at Vivian’s. Sinking back in my seat, I stared out the windshield at the gate to my father’s house. I’d always considered gated homes pretentious, a way for rich people to feel self-important. I never considered some of them might need the security. Or privacy.
But move in with Brian? That was a huge commitment. Yeah, he said we could live like roommates, but could we really? I wasn’t so sure. And I just wasn’t ready for a live-in relationship. Not even close.
“I see what you’re saying, and it’s really thoughtful of you. Thank you for being so concerned about me, but I don’t think moving in with you is necessary.”
When Brian frowned, I kept talking so that he couldn’t argue with me. “Things are just crazy right now because we created huge drama with the whole Cinderella thing. I’m sure it’ll die down soon. We’ll be old news by New Year’s.”
Brian searched my face. I detected disappointment in his gaze and tried not to let that sway me. I couldn’t accept his offer. Not if my current amount of anxiety was anything to go by. I tried to hide how panicked I was. I loved him, but the thought of moving in with him terrified me. It was also insanely appealing. And maybe that was what was so scary. It was too much, too fast.
Giving up for the moment, Brian finally rolled down his window to punch in the security code to my gate. As he pressed the buttons, a bright flash went off, and a dark figure jumped out from behind the trees.
Brian, of course, said nothing to the guy. He’d always encouraged me to do the same, but I wasn’t very good at it. “Seriously?” I asked, leaning around Brian to scowl at the man. He continued to click away, blinding me with his flash. “You don’t have anything better to do than stalk my house at one in the morning, hoping to get a picture of us?”
“Ella, don’t bother.” Brian sounded tired, and I knew it wasn’t because of the late hour.
I couldn’t see the man outside, but I could picture his smarmy smile as he laughed and said, “Are you kidding? Brian Oliver having to get his girlfriend home before curfew? That’s front-page news. You’re gonna earn me some serious cash tonight, sweetheart.”
The guy’s condescension irritated me so much I was tempted to jump out of the car and smash his camera. “It’s a self-imposed curfew, thank you very much.”
“Ella…”
“My father worries about me, so while I’m still living under his roof, I make sure to be home at a reasonable hour.”
“Ella…”
“I’m not a child.”
Okay, so maybe the guy’s comment stung because it hit a little too close to home. I may have been granted all of my legal rights as an adult now, but I hated that I’d lost them for a year. And I hated even more that the world knew it.
The first night Brian brought me home after the premiere of The Druid Prince, a couple of extra-crafty paparazzi managed to follow us back to my house, and my identity had been discovered. It had only taken hours after that for the papers to report all about my accident, my disabilities, the loss of my mother, and my unstable mental health. The custody thing with my father because of my attempted suicide had come out, too.
Brian rolled up his window and pulled through the gate, watching his rearview to make sure the paparazzi stayed off the property. Once his window was shut, I slammed my head back against my headrest and groaned. “That guy was being a jerk on purpose, trying to get a rise out of us. I hate that it worked.”
Brian squeezed my hand. “Learning to ignore them takes practice.”
“I know. It’s just embarrassing. I mean, the guy’s right. I’m coming home by curfew.”
“True. But you were right, too. You’re doing it out of respect for your father, which I think is beyond admirable.”
“Yeah, well, I doubt that bit of information is going to make it into his headline.”
“Who cares about his headline? You know the truth. I know the truth. Your dad knows the truth.”
I huffed in frustration, trying to let my anger go. Nothing was injured but my pride, and that only hurt if I let it. “You’re right. Sorry. I’ll get used to it.”
Brian gave me an apologetic smile. “Have I told you how grateful I am that you’re willing to deal with this for me?”
I gave him a wry smile. “Like you gave me much of a choice? Do you know what would have happened if Brian Oliver’s personal Cinderella didn’t show up to claim the glass slipper, or in our case a pair of gloves and an autographed book?”
“It was definitely an underhanded move.” He chuckled. “I don’t feel bad. Living without you was unacceptable, so I had to guarantee myself victory.”
I snorted, and after checking to make sure the gate was all the way closed behind us, opened my car door. Brian jumped out of the car and rounded it to help me stand. I waved him away. “It’s okay. I got it.”
“Ella—”
“Call me vain, but my ego is already bruised enough for the night. Let me at least stand up on my own.”
He backed up, not offended that I was grumbling at his offer of assistance. He knew me too well. He smiled at me and shook his head as I slowly pulled myself from the car. “Stubborn woman.”
“It’s a good thing, too, otherwise you’d be helping me into my wheelchair right now.”
“I know.” Brian shut the car for me like a gentleman and walked me to the front door. “I love that you push yourself to get stronger. But it also hurts my male ego when you won’t let me rescue my damsel in distress.”
He was teasing, but my heart still melted a little. “You’ve already rescued me plenty,” I said as we reached the front porch. “You’re my knight in shining armor. Literally, Prince Cinder.”
Brian’s grin turned goofy, and he stepped back to give me a courtly bow. I had no doubt it was authentic—something he’d learned in preparation for his role as the cherished Druid Prince. “M’lady,” he mumbled as he bent at the waist and dropped his lips to my hand. “Fair Priestess, I bid thee good night.”
I couldn’t help the giggle that escaped me. I loved it when his inner fantasy geek came to the surface. It was so utterly dorky, but he was my dork. I curtseyed as best as my body would allow. “And to you as well, Your Highness.”
Brian let go of my hand and snaked his arm around my waist, pulling me tight against him. “Screw the Old World manners. If you refuse to come live with me, then I need a real kiss to get me through the separation.”
Laughing, I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Who am I to deny a prince?”
“As the powerful mystic priestess, you’re the only one allowed to deny me anything, but I wouldn’t recommend it. I tend to get cranky when I don’t get what I want.”
“Mmm. That’s because you’re a celebrity. You’re a very spoiled lot, you know.”
Brian chuckled, pulling me just a little bit tighter to him. His hands started to glide up and down my back, as if he were attempting to memorize the feel of me before he had to let go. “Yes,” he agreed shamelessly. “Very spoiled, indeed. And self-centered. And needy. I’m afraid I’m going to be an extremely high-maintenance boyfriend. Are you sure you’re up for the task?”
I pretended to think about it. “It’ll be difficult, but you do drive a Ferrari, so…”
“Ah. So it’s the car you really love me for.”
Grinning, I glanced behind us at the fine Italian automobile Brian referred to as his Precious. It was ostentatious, but I couldn’t deny it was fun to ride in. “It’s definitely the car.”
“And the truth finally comes out.” Brian shook his head, and then his gaze landed on mine with a new look that was hard to label. “Say it again for me.”
I understood the look now. It was love. Pure and simple. The man standing in front of me, holding me in his arms, was head over heels in love with me. How in the world did I ever get so lucky?
I tried to suppress a smile as I rolled my eyes, but I was only half successful, and I couldn’t deny his request. “Car,” I said, throwing a little extra H into the word, exaggerating my Boston accent.
Brian’s face lit up with delight. “You are so cute.”
I was in the middle of rolling my eyes again when Brian finally captured my mouth with his. I forgot about everything the moment we connected. My only thoughts became of him. I would never get tired of the feel of his lips, the minty taste of his mouth, or the way he made me tingle all over from head to toe and left me lightheaded because he took my breath away. He could light a fire inside me with a single touch and make me weak in the knees with just one look. Kissing him was magical.
I must have had some of the same effect on him, because when he finally released me, he was panting, and his eyes looked feverish.
“Think that’ll get you through the night?” I teased.
Brian sucked in a long breath and licked his lips before answering. He looked as if he was considering dragging me back to his car and keeping me forever. If he’d tried it, I’m not sure I’d have stopped him. But he remained a gentleman and took a small step back. “Don’t be surprised if I show up at sunrise.”
“Don’t you dare. This Cinderella needs lots of beauty sleep.”
“Fine. After your test.” Brian sighed and leaned in for one more kiss. This one was soft and quick. A chaste good-bye kiss. The perfect farewell. “Goodnight, Ella. I love you.”
I quietly opened the front door and turned back to Brian with a smile. “I love you, too. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Brian hopped down off my front porch and slowly started walking backward to his car. “I miss you already.”
“Good-bye, you dork.”