Free A Beautiful Star (Beautiful Series, Book 5) by Lilliana Anderson

hate them enough to throw them at people.”
    Dropping my eyes, I feel my cheeks heat in a blush. I find it odd that a man like Jonathan has picked up on a characteristic about me that is really quite insignificant and generally something people don’t pick up on unless I tell them. Most people think I’m crazy for not liking strawberries, but then, here’s a man with a similar aversion who picked up on my distaste simply by noticing that I didn’t eat any part of the one I threw at him in anger. I don’t know if I’m flattered, or slightly creeped out, but I certainly get the feeling that perhaps there’s a little more to Jonathan than meets the eye.
    When our coffees arrive, a man who appears to be the manager carries them. I assume that our waitress has been taken off our table for asking Jonathan for the photo, which is a little sad for me because it didn’t seem that Jonathan minded her excitement at all.
    We thank the manager and I watch, dumbfounded as Jonathan picks up four packets of sugar and holds them together, ripping off their tops and pouring all four of them into his tiny cup.
    “You’ll get diabetes doing that.”
    “Thanks, mum,” he smiles, stirring the sugar through with his spoon.
    ***
    For a while, we make small talk, and slowly, I relax and we begin to have a proper conversation. I even eat my pancakes, and order a second coffee as our conversation continues.
    We get along so well, finding conversation in the simplest of things, along with a multitude of shared interests. If I really wanted to, I could pretend that Jonathan was just a regular guy and not some movie star with a reputation for bedding as many women as he pleased, despite being in a committed relationship. But that's something I can't look past. No matter how much I like him, or enjoy his company, Jonathan would have the power to destroy me. I mean, what if I allow myself to get caught in his charm and let him become a part of my life? Knowing what I know about him would mean that I’d be forever looking for the moment when he strays, or at the very least, I’d enter into a relationship with him, knowing it was nothing more than a fling that would end the moment he leaves town.
    And I don't want that. I don't want that at all.
    No. I need to remember who he is, what he’s inclined to do, and why I need to stay away. He’s a heart breaker and I’m a woman who doesn’t share. It’s as simple as that.
    Downing the last my coffee, I dig my wallet out of my handbag and place some money on the table. "I better get going," I say.
    "Put your money away, they’re already charging the bill to my room."
    "No, let me pay. I didn't properly thank you for organising someone to fix my window.”
    He pushes my money back to me. "You're very welcome but I'm still not letting you pay.”
    Relenting I take the money and put it back in my bag, saying, "Well, this was nice. I actually had a nice time."
    "Nice enough to do it again?" he asks hopefully.
    "Oh, no. I don’t think so.”
    "Come on, you know you want to. There's no pressure or anything. Let's just, hang out, and see where things go. At the very least I think we could be really good friends. And everyone needs a good friend in their life."
    “No. They don’t,” I argue.
    "Will you at least think about it?"
    “I really don’t–” I start but he holds up his hand and stops me.
    "Listen, we both know how this is going to go, I’m going to keep texting you and asking you to hang out. And you’re going to keep saying no until one day you say yes. So let’s just skip all that bullshit, admit that we get along like wild fire–and yes, I just called us wild fire–and hang out. It doesn’t have to mean anything unless you want it to. I can promise you that much."
    I grin in response, shaking my head as I pull my lip between my teeth. "Something tells me that arguing with you will get me nowhere. You just don’t seem to understand the concept of ‘no’."
    "Then we’re on