Free Hollywood Blackmail by Jackie Ashenden

until I’ve finished this article.”
    Lizzie battled the urge to pick up a cushion and hit him with it. The arrogant bastard. “Look, just because you’re a star—”
    “Shush.”
    “You can’t—”
    “If you don’t let me sit here and finish this article I’m going to come over there and kiss the life out of you.”
    Lizzie realized her mouth was open. Shut it. Would anyone notice if she killed him? Beat him to death slowly with a cushion? Surely they wouldn’t.
    Calm. Breathe deep. Do not think of kissing.
    What she needed was to find a new yoga studio, get back into it again. But some idiot had told her she looked familiar in some way and she’d had to quit the studio she’d been going to, and hadn’t had time to find another.
    She flexed her fingers. Resisted the urge to look at her watch. Tried not to think about what would happen if she kept talking and whether he’d actually make good on the threat.
    You want him to.
    Ha. No. Not in the slightest.
    Eventually Ash lowered the magazine and folded his arms, looked at her expectantly. “Okay, so what did you want to talk to me about?”
    “You’re really that interested in a nursing magazine?”
    “Why shouldn’t I be? I’m interested in a lot of things.”
    “Yes, but nursing?”
    There was a glint in his eyes. “I find I’m becoming more and more interested by the second.”
    Perhaps now would be a good time to change the subject. “So, I’ve been thinking about this staying at your house idea and I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s probably not in our best interests.”
    The glint did not go away. “I thought we discussed this.”
    “No, we did not discuss this. You told me what you wanted, then went ahead and made it happen regardless of my feelings on the subject.”
    He did not seem in the least bit sorry about this. “Too late to change your mind now, Lizzie girl. Remember what I said about contacting your boss? I can do that any time I want. In fact…” He began to dig into his pockets for his phone.
    Oh damn him to damning hell.
    “Fine, I’ll come. But what exactly am I supposed to do at your place?” She tried to make it sound like a perfectly reasonable question. “The treatment for your scar won’t take that long, which is going to leave me sitting around.”
    The glitter in his eyes became something hotter. “I could think of a few things.”
    “I’m being serious, Ash.”
    “So am I.” Abruptly he pushed himself off the couch, massive and muscular, and she had to fight the urge to take a few steps back from him just to give herself room to breathe.
    But he didn’t come any closer. Only stood there looking at her. “This is happening, Lizzie. Whether you like it or not. Or shall I call Helen?”
    She let out a breath. “No.”
    “Okay then. Now, I have a big house and there’s plenty of things in it to keep you occupied. I have a pool, a gym, a private cinema, a—”
    “Now you’re starting to sound like a condo salesman.”
    One corner of his mouth turned up. “Would it help to think of it like that?”
    “Not particularly, no.”
    “Yeah, it would. Think of it as a vacation. Some time out. You’ve only got one patient, no other responsibilities. And you don’t have to worry about whether anyone’s going to find out who you are because I know already. In fact, you won’t have to worry about anything at all while you’re with me.”
    He’s right, you won’t.
    The thought was insidious, sending a small dart of longing straight through her defenses. She couldn’t even remember the last time the nagging fear that lurked in the back of her mind hadn’t been there. The fear that sometime, somewhere, someone would find out who she was, would recognize her. And her bubble of normality would shatter. She’d lived with that fear for so long that she’d forgotten what it was like to live without it.
    What would it be like not to have it there? To be able to relax and not worry? The sheer relief of