Free Malibu Betrayals by M.K. Meredith Page A

lifted the lid. There inside was a decadent peanut butter truffle from The Chocolate Box—perks of being a celebrity with a whole crew at his fingertips, she was sure. But the thought was just the same, and her heart took a little stumble. Biting into the chocolate, she didn’t care, and she didn’t have to fake the look of pleasure on her face, either. She always felt this way with him. “Delicious. Peanut butter’s my favorite. Thank you.”
    “I remember.”
    She looked at him. He’d remembered from the night they’d met, the night he’d made her see everything she hadn’t been getting from her marriage. It mattered. She couldn’t put a finger on exactly why, but he’d listened to her then and listened to her now. And it mattered. Old insecurities released their grip one finger at a time with each word he’d spoken.
    She bit into her chocolate again.
    As far as the magazine went, he’d been on a walk with his sister, and the paparazzi jumped on the photo op. Any time spent with Gage came with the risk of paparazzi, rumors, and gaudy headlines. What she didn’t know was how it made its way to her table. She watched as Gage pushed it from him, and she cursed the damn paparazzi.
    The gossip they’d spread about Ethan and her marriage before the accident had made her look like a fool, and now that she knew there’d been some truth behind it, she was a fool. What had come after his death had been even worse.
    The pictures with his sister reinforced Sam’s reasons why she’d never be serious with a celebrity, but it also reminded her that she and Gage needed to keep their fun a secret if they didn’t want their pictures plastered everywhere as well. The tabloids were cruel and unusual punishment.
    “Her name is Belina, which she hates, but it means Goddess, so of course our mother had to have it.” Gage looked at the picture on the pages of the magazine.
    Goddess? Of course? Sam didn’t know anything about his mother to understand that comment. Nothing beyond the rumors that floated about connecting him to Cecilia Lombardi, but no one really believed that nasty tale. Besides, the woman was adamant about the fact she didn’t even know Gage, and he was nothing if not consistent when it came to commenting on rumors.
    He didn’t.
    “My dad and I call her Bel.”
    Sam smiled and looked down at the photo. They were obviously siblings and close ones at that. It explained the freedom she’d seen on his face. Their coloring alone—and not to mention their body language—practically screamed brother and sister. At least it did now that she knew they were. She shook her head. “She’s very pretty. I’m sorry, but I had to ask.”
    Dang it, don’t apologize, Sam. You are allowed to ask questions.
    He picked up her hand, staring at the two together, and then pressed his lips against her knuckles. Heat seeped in and snaked up her arm. He lingered there and she let him.
    “I’m not going to see anyone else while we’re seeing each other, Sam.”
    “It’s not like I have any right to ask, but—”
    Pressing his lips into a thin line, he looked away and then back to her eyes. “You’re right, but I can offer it.”
    Her phone buzzed, and she peeked at it, distracted by the honest intensity in his eyes.
    What in the hell is wrong with you?! We want what’s ours.
    Her hands went numb, hurt pounding in her chest, and she pulled in a breath to try and ease the discomfort. It didn’t work. Tapping the screen, she closed the text and slid her phone into her pocket.
    “What’s wrong? Something happen?”
    The concern tugged at her. It wasn’t a common experience for her, from a man. Uncharted territory. She wished she’d met Gage years ago. She’d have written a different story for herself then, but then again he’d still be a celebrity.
    Sam shook her head and forced a smile on her lips. Standing, she said, “No, no. Everything’s fine. We need to get back to the set.”
    He nodded as he pushed up from