Famously Engaged Read Online Free PDF Page B

gone.”
    “You’re not fine, Beth. Look at all of this food you’ve made in the middle of the night. And that feathery pink robe you were wearing earlier, that was hers, wasn’t it?”
    She tried to give him a dismissive once-over but a sense of awe swamped her. For a fleeting moment he was too famous and too gorgeous to argue with. Thankfully the moment passed, and she reached for the roulade.
    The heavy platter accentuated the shakiness of her hands, but she didn’t want to abandon her last line of defense. “It’s gooey and sticky. It’ll mess up your rock-god hair.”
    “Never mind that.” He took one step toward her and then a second one. “Your fluffy jacket will be at risk and it looks like another precious hand-me-down.”
    Was he being sarcastic? Her cardigan was the last gift her mother had given her and, until a moment ago, it’d brought great comfort. Unsure how to respond, she felt the platter waver in her hand, and she calculated the distance between the cake and his face, in case throwing it became necessary. 
    “I wasn’t expecting company tonight, let alone a rock god and fiancé all rolled into one. And having your own fashion label doesn’t give you the right to comment on how I dress.” His silent brooding made her fumble for something else to say. “You should probably take your impeccable taste and move out straightaway or I’ll never find time to have that pre-wedding affair with Brad.”
    “That’s no great loss.”
    “Or you could stay and we’ll chase some love triangle headlines. What do you think? Genius, or a touch too far?”
    An almost-smile flirted with the corners of his mouth, but the authority in his tone cancelled out the hint of levity. “There are two shifts of three men patrolling the perimeter. I can’t leave without further security, and I’m not convinced you’ll be safe here alone. Staying together gives us an advantage because no one knows I’m here.” The weight of his thoughts made him hesitate.
    “I’ve made your life public fodder at the worst possible time.”
    Not a question, a statement of fact. He was accepting responsibility for his actions in a way that seemed out of character for an arrogant rock god.
    “Right house. Wrong time,” he murmured, his voice so low she had to strain to hear him. 
    A rogue tear spilled over her lashes and slid down her cheek.
    Dammit, she couldn’t handle sympathy from strangers. She put the roulade down and snatched the industrial oven mitts off the counter, her hands scrunching the material tightly, then releasing it, as she tried to vent her frustration. “Your timing’s perfect. Four in the morning is likely to be the high point of my day.”
    “It’s bound to get worse.”
    She shot him a glare, then waved her hand at the counters loaded with food. “I think you’re wrong. We haven’t eaten yet and a day that starts with a breakfast like this can’t be all bad.”

Chapter Three
    Jake stared at the stubborn set of Beth’s shoulders as she stalked toward the twin ovens. Her back was turned but her green eyes, brilliant with tears, were etched on his memory. Weeping women were nothing new. Generally they wept in public, for hefty appearance fees, at the end of his acquaintance with them.
    Beth’s tears were genuine and heartfelt, and she was doing her level best to swallow them. Damn his manager for finding out everything about her except the one thing he had most needed to know.
    She slid another trio of fragrant, golden-brown apple cakes onto a wire rack and waved one hand in his direction. “Stop entertaining such heavy thoughts, famous man.”
    Famous man? Why did that make him smile?
    “Being engaged to me is a temporary nightmare,” she said.
    “You can call it off immediately or you can hide out here and relax for a few days, eating well, taking it easy, and soaking up some alternative fashion sense.”
    He studied the outfit she’d put together. “The media