Center Stage
Page 25

“He’s not going to hurt Regan or the boys. Zach will see to that.”
“He’s going to try.”
John shook his head. “He’s not going to make it.”
The pounding at the back door had Arianna jumping back. John turned and opened the door to Curtis who nearly knocked him over as he rushed past him.
“What is with you?” Curtis grabbed her arms. “I’ve watched Regan come through the hospital twice. Once she nearly died at the hands of that monster and then again when you,” he turned and pointed at John, “fired that S.O.B. who tried to rape and kill her.”
She watched as John fisted his hands at his side.
Curtis turned back to her. “Now you’ve collected some maniac, too? What did you do in New York?”
Arianna’s jaw dropped as she stared at her brother. “I had nothing to do with Alexander Hamilton. I didn’t do this.”
“You had to have done something to have some guy stalking you.”
“Some guy? He’s after Regan.”
“No.” Curtis let go of her and shook his head. “Simone just got off the phone with her mother. Alexander Hamilton is in Paris.”
Chapter Thirteen
John paced the floor of his basement apartment—now his man cave.
Again, the police had nothing to offer. An untraceable prank phone call wasn’t their first priority.
Arianna had locked herself in her bedroom as soon as Curtis had left. The only thing left for him to do was to wait until she was ready to talk, but Curtis had brought up some points. Who had Arianna been involved with that would do this to her?
He heard her stomp down the stairs, and he waited. Soon the noises were coming from the kitchen. It was time to face her and ask his own questions.
John took the stairs slowly. It had been a long time since he had had to deal with a woman’s feelings. Truth was, he wasn’t great at it, and with lack of practice, he couldn’t expect that this was going to go well.
Arianna was wrapped in her robe, leaning against the counter, sipping from a bottle of water. He couldn’t read her so he just watched.
“Forrester, if you’re going to come up here on tip toe and stand quietly, you’re in for a world of hurt.”
He tucked his thumbs into his front pockets and rocked back on his heels. “How’s that?”
“I’m a screamer. When I’m mad, I have a tendency to scream, yell, and throw things. So this is your choice. You can disappear back into your cave, or you can see this very ugly side of me.”
He considered her words and then walked to the kitchen table. He pulled out a chair and sat down. “Considering you’ve been quietly upstairs for the last hour, I’m going to assume anything being broken over my head would have happened already. So here I am. Let the words fly.”
Her eyes widened. “That’s it? You’re just going to sit there and let me have at it?”
“Did I make you mad? Are you mad at me?”
“I…well, no.”
“You’re mad at Alexander Hamilton. You’re mad at Curtis. Hell, you’re probably mad at that inspector that made me change out that light switch. But, the point is, I haven’t done anything to warrant you walking out on me, so I’m here to let you do what you need to do.”
She stomped her bare foot against the floor. “You’re ruining what could be a real good fit.”
“I’m sorry. How can I help?”
She crossed her arms over her chest, but the smile she’d been trying to force away snuck through. “Damn you. I wanted to scream at you.”
“And I’m offering the opportunity for you to do that.”
She shook her head. “I think I have a better idea.” She let her arms drop to her sides as she walked right up to John. With just one finger, she pulled the ties apart on her robe and then shrugged it off of her shoulders.
He could smell the lavender scent from her skin. She’d soaked her worries away in a hot bath. Now she stood there before him naked and beautiful.
This was the part of the relationship that made the fits of anger and insecurity worth it. As he pulled her down on his lap and pressed his mouth against her, he knew it didn’t matter who she’d been with in the past. It didn’t matter who was messing with them and keeping them on edge. What mattered was they would be together forever.
Arianna lay in bed, her eyes wide open, the room dark. John breathed a steady rhythm next to her.
She didn’t care what Curtis said. There was no one she’d been with who would stalk her. She’d been the one who heard the words the man spoke. It didn’t matter that Simone’s mother said that Alexander Hamilton was in Paris. Arianna knew that he was the one trying to scare her and her family, and he was doing a good job.
She knew what he was capable of. And if Simone had been right about his wife leaving him and his loss of fortune, wouldn’t he be vengeful? After all, he’d tried to kill Regan and her baby. This wasn’t a man who had much fear.
On the other hand, he didn’t have what she had. She had a family that would fight to the very end, and if a fight was what he wanted, then that would be what he would get.
But until he showed his face, she’d carry her gun in her purse. She’d keep her sister close. And at night she’d sleep in the arms of the man she loved because, no matter what Alexander Hamilton said or did, she knew John Forrester would never leave her.
As always, Arianna stood at the steps which led up to the theater the next morning. Her grande, skinny caramel latte warmed her throat as she took a sip and looked up at the building her family had bought her. They might all have had a hand in owning it, but it was hers to make great.
John opened the front door and walked toward her. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw him. He wasn’t the man she had thought she’d spend the rest of her life with, but it had worked out that way.
His hair shimmered in the early morning sun which was filtered by the clouds. It was obvious he did most of his work inside during the winter as his tanned skin was paler.
She’d never tell him, but the creases around his eyes were one of his sexiest features.
“You know, I have coffee in my trailer at all times. You don’t have to spend good money on a fancy cup,” he said as he leaned in to kiss her.
“Let’s say it reminds me of New York.” She sipped her coffee again. “I’m meeting with a minister today.”