“Tell me something I don’t know.”
Not long later, I left the bathroom showered, dried, and fully dressed. I half expected Theo to give me shit for making him wait while I showered again, but I found my friend waiting, scowling, with a sheet of paper folded between his fingers. He gestured with it and then turned to point at a pile of letters on the writing desk.
My mood soured.
“What the hell is this?” he demanded.
I snatched the letter out of his hand. “You’re a nosy bastard, Cavendish. What? So bored with your own life, you need to get to the arsehole of mine?”
“Oh, fuck off, you insolent prick. I was looking for a pen.” Theo stabbed a finger at the papers I was now pushing back into the drawer they’d been in. “I was joking about the stalker. Apparently, it isn’t a joke. How long have you been receiving threats?”
“Years.” I slammed the drawer shut and straightened. “They’ve been coming to my P.O. box since the first movie I was a lead in. Police can’t do anything about it, and frankly think the threat is benign because I’ve had a few different ones over the years.”
“These are clearly from the same person.”
“Aye, I know. But I stopped looking at my fan mail years ago until this happened. My management forwarded everything here for me to go through on my downtime.” That was the word they’d used. Downtime.
What a joke.
“Is this why you were so eager for Ironside to work for you?”
I glanced back at the drawer. The truth was, I’d be lying if I said the threats didn’t play on my mind. That they didn’t bother me. Especially as it seemed they’d escalated this year. The author had gone from wishing bad things would happen to threatening to kill me. They were all typewritten in the same format, font, and font size but were usually only a few sentences. The last one read:
It isn’t enough that they all know WHO YOU really ARE. I still want to see you DEAD DEAD DEAD.
Theo looked surprisingly concerned. “North—”
“It doesn’t matter.” I waved them off, not wanting to think about them. “I’m safe here.”
“And when you return to the real world?”
“Why, Theo”—I patted him on the shoulder—“a person might think you cared.”
He grimaced. “I’m just afraid if I spend any more time with you, I’ll find myself in your stalker’s crosshairs.”
“Aye, aye, keep telling yourself that.” I chuckled and strode toward the door. “Let’s eat. I’m starving.”
Thankfully, Theo didn’t mention the threats again as we strode downstairs. Instead, I asked what was causing the block in his script and suggested he talk it over. Before I became an actor, I was convinced I’d be a musician. I’d borrowed guitars from the music room at school and spent hours composing songs and writing lyrics. Even now, I wrote songs in those previously sparse moments of free time. Maybe I should have one of my guitars shipped to Ardnoch.
Theo was describing the journey he wanted his leading lady to take as we turned the corner toward the dining room and almost walked into Aria.
We halted as she drew up short.
Guilt from what I’d said earlier sat uneasily on my shoulders.
She pursed her lips as her gaze darted between us. “If you’ll excuse me.”
Theo made to move, but I didn’t. I held up a palm to stop her. “About earlier … I apologize for my behavior.”
“Accepted,” she replied coolly and moved to walk past me.
Irritated at her dismissal, I jabbed, “My balls are fine, though. Thanks for asking.”
Aria flicked me a look beneath those thick dark lashes as her perfume tickled my senses. “I was surprised you had any to hurt.”
I turned as she strolled away. “Charming as always, Ms. Howard.”
She waved a manicured, ring-bedecked hand without looking back. “Enjoy lunch, gentlemen.”
Aria was totally unaffected by me.
And I couldn’t drag my eyes off her curvy arse as her hips swayed from side to side in her tight skirt. My skin felt too hot, my mouth dry.
“Yes.” Theo stepped beside me. “She is rather luscious, that one, isn’t she? Frigid around men, though. I’d bet my fortune she’s gay.”
Despite having implied the same thing earlier, Theo’s words pissed me off. He would also lose that bet. I’d already googled the estate manager, and her last few relationships had been with male actors. “Just because Aria doesn’t fall at your feet doesn’t mean she’s frigid or gay, Theodore.”
He cut me a dark look for full-naming him. “No woman is immune to my charm unless they’re gay. I’m a spectacular lover, and everyone knows it.”
“That’s because you’ve slept with everyone.”
Theo narrowed his eyes. “Some of us don’t attach feelings to the sexual act like infatuated teenage girls.”
“I’m never fucking telling you anything ever again.” I marched toward the dining room.
“Oh, don’t be sore, old boy. Your serial monogamy is adorable. Really.”
He was such a prick. “You’re wrong about Aria.” I changed the subject as a waiter stepped forward to lead us to a table.
“What? That she doesn’t have a trail of gorgeous girlfriends in her past? God, there’s fantastic masturbatory imagery.”
Seeing the waiter flush at Theo’s comment, I shot the young bloke an apologetic look.
“We’ll have water for the table, with fresh-cut lime,” Theo directed.
As soon as the boy left, I replied, “She doesn’t have a trail of girlfriends in her past and if you even think about wanking off to her, I’ll cut off your dick.”
His grin widened. “Did you fuck her? Is that why she hates you?”
I wanted to punch him in the balls. Hard. “No.”
“Shame.” Theo perused the short menu the waiter had placed in front of him. “That woman needs a decent fucking. Maybe I should offer to bed her. Like I said, I’ve had no complaints.”
Something like fury clawed at my gut, but my tone was quiet as I looked over the menu and warned, “Try anything with Aria Howard, Theo, and I’ll break that pretty fucking face of yours.”
Silence fell over the table and then my friend murmured silkily, “We are territorial, aren’t we?”
I glared at him.
Theo chuckled and raised his palms in surrender. “I hereby promise to stay away from Aria Howard. And I’ll even be a good friend and not press you about why you’re so protective of a woman who punched your balls only a few hours ago.”
Good.
Because I honestly wouldn’t know how to answer that question.
Four
ARIA
Someone else could have gone to the main gates to receive the delivery. Wakefield. Jock. But no, I had to go. And Walker insisted on escorting me when he could have gone himself.
Why was I such a nosy parker when it came to North Hunter?
The delivery was for him and since he was still lying low, we’d agreed to sign the package. I’d agreed.
He was waiting up at the castle for it and …
I should have just let Walker handle this.