Reluctantly Famous by Heather Leigh Read Free Book Online

behavior towards Declan
springs forward in my mind. “Dex, I’m so sorry that my brother was
such an asshole to you. He promised to stop acting like a
jerk.”
    Dex smiles, his previous vulnerability
replaced by pure joy. “He wasn’t so bad.”
    Then Dex makes a face, as if he tasted
something sour.
    That’s all it takes to crack me up. I laugh,
hard and long until Dex joins me. When I’m finally able to stop to
catch my breath, I pat his leg. “Thanks for that. God it feels good
to laugh after all that other shit. You don’t have to sugar coat my
brother’s behavior, I’m used to it. He was an ass, but he means
well.”
    “ Glad I could help you
feel better.” His beautiful grin draws me straight in. He really is
stunning, but if those books are a glimpse into his mind, he’s way
more than a pretty face.
    Our gazes lock, the mood quickly shifting
from jovial to intense in the span of one heartbeat. I break eye
contact first, dropping my eyes to his chest. He’s wearing another
massive shirt, a button up at least a size, maybe two larger than
he needs.
    “ You should fire your
stylist,” I say without thinking. “Your clothes are always too
big.” What the hell is wrong with me and my stupid mouth? “God, Dex. I’m sorry. That was so rude.”
    “ You have to stop
apologizing, Allie. It’s fine. Say whatever you want, you can be
comfortable around me.”
    “ I am.” Our eyes meet
again, this time the blush is undoubtedly on my face, not his.
“Comfortable around you, that is. Actually, you’re the first guy
I’ve been relaxed around since…” I snap my mouth shut, realizing
that I’m blabbering on without thinking again.
    Dex tilts his head and looks at me, studies
me. It’s as if he can see right through my bravado, peeling away
all the layers to find the infected wounds hidden deep inside. He
shifts on the couch, moving closer until we’re pressed together
from our shoulders to our knees.
    “ Tell me when you’re
ready, Allie. I’ll be here. I won’t hurt you.” He puts his hand
over mine, warm and comforting. I thread our fingers together,
loving the contact, the feeling that Dex is someone I can rely on.
I can literally count the number of people in my life that are
there for me unconditionally on one hand.
    “ I know.” And somehow, I
do. I’m just afraid to pick that scab, to see what’s been festering
under it all these years. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to find
out.
     

Chapter 6
     
     
    Declan – now
     
    After a long night of filming on location,
all I want to do is crash in my trailer. I’m too tired to even wait
for a cab to take me back to the hotel. I stumble up the stairs,
almost tripping on my own feet in the dark. As quickly as possible,
I strip down to my briefs. The tiny bedroom at one end of the
trailer might be small, but right now it may as well be a king
sized pillow top at the Ritz. That’s how fucking tired I am.
    I brush my teeth and use the bathroom before
making my way to the bedroom. It’s so dark out I can hardly see,
but I know where the bed is. I pull down the covers and slide into
bed… and right into a warm body.
    “ What the hell?” I leap
out of bed, tumbling to the floor with a loud thump .
    “ Dex?”
    “ Allie?”
    “ Yeah. I was so tired
waiting for you and your couch is so small. I hope this is okay. I
can’t face everything yet, the reporters, the spying… I just
can’t.”
    Her voice is low and raspy from sleep. All I
can see is an inky shadow moving over the white pillowcase as she
shifts over in the bed.
    “ I made room for you,
Dex.”
    “ Al,” I whisper,
swallowing down the arousal that starts to build. “I’m not
dressed.”
    “ S’okay. Can you just hold
me? I’m so worn-out from being scared and alone.”
    I grit my teeth, determined to do the right
thing and somehow give Allie the comfort that she needs. No way
will I take advantage of a vulnerable girl who trusts me. “I can do
that, Allie.”