Fiancée for Rent by Elizabeth Grey

Chapter 9

Kylie

I'd stepped into the elevator after I got back, mentally trying to shake off the face of the man who'd seemed to follow my best friend Lauren and me while running. As the doors closed, I told myself now, like then, that the man was no stalker, that his path had to be a coincidence. Yet, he seemed so intent, paying us too much attention. Lauren had said it was just because we looked so hot in our outfits. I'd laughed as I should, though I had not felt it.

The only other person in the elevator with me was a shorter, blond man. His body was wide for his height, more heavy, thick, solid than fat.He looked at me with the same look as the guy in the park. Is this man stalking me? God, I'm so paranoid.

From where I stared at the floor, his well-worn tennis shoe had crept into my line of vision. When I looked up, he froze, his hands gripped together in front of his chest. His blue eyes grew wide, his ruddy complexion reddened more, making his freckles more pronounced. A smile quivered on his lips. Then, with little steps, he backed into his original corner.

I forced a smile his way, glancing up at his eyes for a second before the wringing of his hands redirected my attention.

"I know who you are," he said, his voice fragile, stuttered over the words.

I smiled back. I believe I nodded my head.

"You are pretty, Kylie," he continued. Then, he stepped half an inch closer to me in three immeasurable steps like a jittery dance.

"Thank you," I managed, my throat dry both from running and burgeoning fear.

"I watch your movies every night," he stated. The words had been spit from his mouth, spoken faster, at a higher pitch as he did another small two-step my way.

The elevator closed in around me as his scent hit my nose. Sweat mixed with cheap cologne, the man required a shower rather than another spray. He gnawed on his lip for just a minute, wringing his hands into a bigger ball before he went on. "You can't marry Liam Hendrix. You have to marry me. I love you. He can't love you. I have to love you. You are so pretty on my TV. I watch your movies every night. Does he? You are so pretty, Kylie."

The words came from his mouth as he spat along with them. He didn't pause again to bite his lip or wipe it away. He just danced, one tiny step at a time my way, as his words sped up until I couldn't focus on them anymore. His drool hit my cheek. My hands went out in defense as he came to be an inch from my body. Fire coursed up through my veins. Then, before I could put a thought together or speak a word, I used my palms to push him away from me.

“No!” he screamed as he lunged at me.

His hands were on my arms, his fingers pressing in, as he called Liam's name, my name, jumbled on the ear-piercing noise of his mouth right by my ear. I clenched up, tucked my head to my chest. I closed my eyes and let loose a scream I didn't know I could accomplish. I didn’t realize the elevator had stopped and the door had opened.  When I opened my eyes, a man had pinned my attacker to the wall.

"Lady, are you okay?" a young man yelled in my direction over the screaming of the blond guy.

When the elevator door began to close again, I leaped up and hit first the door open button and second the emergency one. I couldn't be trapped inside of that metal box with that lunatic one more second.

"Are you okay?" the boy, no more than twenty or so, yelled again before he shook the screaming man trying to get away from him and gave him one good thump back against the wall. I heard his head hit. I watched his neck bobble before his eyes glazed over, and he grew silent and still.

"I'm okay," I said, gasping to control my breath.

“Do you have a phone? We’ve got to call the police to come to get this guy."

My shaky hands grabbed my phone from my pocket, blinking back the forming tears to see. After I managed to give some information as to where we were, I leaned against the wall.

“Thanks,” I said to the young man through soft, barely controlled sobs as others had come in the elevator and helped him keep my attacker restrained.

"No problem,” he smiled, letting the others deal with the crazy man. He studied me for a moment before continuing. “Hey, I know you,” his voice raised two octaves, his eyes bulging. “You’re that actress engaged to Liam Hendrix.”

I froze, holding my breath.

"Sorry, no, I'm not some psycho stalker. I won't hurt you.”

“It’s fine,” I replied, taking a deep sigh. “I’m just a little shaken.”

While I went through the motions with the police and made statements, all I could think of was locking myself in my apartment and scrubbing myself raw in the shower.

"Liam... Liam..." the press shouted in unison as one bodyguard opened the door for me and another two stood on either side of Liam, arms out to prevent microphones from coming close enough to hit one of us in the face.

I took a deep breath as I anchored myself by squeezing Liam's hand. I paused, posing for a picture before getting in the car.

"Liam, what’s it like being engaged to a beautiful actress," a voice came through, shouting over the others.

"I have no words. Kylie makes me a better man. She supports me in everything I do. What can I say? I’m in love."

I smiled for the cameras rather than roll my eyes at the rehearsed lines. Cynthia and Jake came up with answers to possible questions every time we went out. Liam had been saving that one all night for our exit from the film festival. I couldn't complain. Well, not much, since the press had been nothing but kind to me since we'd announced our engagement, as had Hollywood. I had everything from brand name offers to multiple roles to sift through these days. Of course, with the good came the ugly and invasive. I couldn't go anywhere without a media craze swarming around me like buzzing bees, likely to sting at any time. 

When the bodyguard shut us in the car, Liam kept hold of my hand.

"You're shaking. It's a warm night."

"Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry this has all been so hard on you. You shake every time we get mobbed since your attack."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I think you should. If not to me, then to someone else."

I sighed. I knew him right, though I didn't want to admit it. Glimpses of recent events flashed in my brain, though I fought them, tried to focus on the large hand that had continued to hold mine even though no one could see us. I accepted the friendly gesture for what it was and remained grateful.

Closing my eyes a moment, I saw the man who'd followed my best friend, Lauren, and me while out jogging. In another flash, I saw the stalker who'd attacked me in the elevator at my apartment.

"He's in a special facility, getting the help he needs. I saw to it. You're safe, Kylie," Liam soothed me with his words, his deep voice as smooth speaking as when singing.

"I know. Just the frantic way, he couldn't seem to control himself. Couldn't stop talking to me. Kept getting closer. Maybe I should've stayed still, ignored him. Maybe my pushing him away angered him. Maybe he wouldn't have grabbed me had I stayed calm, too," I mused, let guilt, anger, the weight of my body space being invaded be shaken off with a string of words.

"Nothing about that incident was your fault. The man has problems. How could you have known what to do in the face of a stalker?."

"I know that in my head. I just. I don't know. I don’t really like having security with me all the time. How long before I get used to all of this, take it all in stride like you do?"

"Sadly, it takes longer than our marriage is set to last."

"Great," I said, offering him a half-hearted smile as the brick in my stomach rolled over.

"I have a surprise for you to get your mind off of it all. And, to hopefully soften the blow."

"What blow? What surprise?" I said, rubbing at the brick.

"Good news or bad news first?"

"Oh, hit me with the bad and move to the good."

"Listen, it took a while to convince you to have a security team, and I don't want to do that again."

"Just hit me with it," I said.

"Tell your face to stop crinkling up like that first. It's adorable, but I hate being the one that adds to your stress."

"Was that in the contract?" I teased.

"If it wasn't, it should have been. Keep your eye on the prize, lady. Your movie."

"You're stalling."

"Okay. It's just, after all, that's happened, I want you to move in with me. Right away. Your cheap apartment isn't in the best neighborhood, to begin with, and security is non-existent."

"Move in with you?"

"Yeah. It's kind of in the contract, I'm just moving up the timeline. Please, don't fight me on this, too. Let me protect you."

"My entire life is being monitored twenty-four seven already."

"Kylie. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you because you're helping me."

"I'm being compensated in spades for my efforts. Besides, you're not such a bad guy to spend time with. It's just the crazy fans."

"Move in with me. Please."

"Geeze, a man begging?"

"Kylie."

His tone had deepened. In the headlights of the security car behind ours, I caught the squint of his eyes, the tight line of his jaw. I let out a huff of breath.

"Fine. Now move on to the good news."

"I reserved this amazing park," he said.

As if on cue, the car stopped, and seconds later, the door opened. Before me, lights covered the trees and ran along a path to make the scene into a magical forest. In the distance, I could see cop cars blocking it off from others. I wouldn't spoil a minute of this moment he'd manufactured by asking how he'd pulled such a thing off. 

"What do you think?" he asked.

"I don't know what to say. I mean, there are no words," I gushed as he helped me from the car.

"Good, because I have one thing to add to the bad news. Since my staff doesn’t know our marriage is fake, you have to sleep in my bedroom. No touching. No intimacy. Just like when we are married."

There were many odd particulars that looked one way on paper and felt another in real life.

"Starting tonight. I wasn't going to take no for an answer. So, while we're on our beautiful walk, I have people moving you out of your apartment."

I looked up into the face of the sexiest man alive, the billionaire rock star, Liam Hendrix, and it hit me, the full weight of the fact that no touching or not, tonight I'd sleep in his room.