Stardust (The Starlight Trilogy #3) Read online

  STARDUST

  by

  Alexandra Richland

  Stardust/Alexandra Richland

  Copyright © 2015 by Alexandra Richland

  All rights reserved.

  Kindle ISBN: 978-0-9936135-7-9

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission of the author except where permitted by law.

  Stardust is a work of historical fiction. Apart from the well-known people, events, and locales that figure in the narrative, all names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to current events or locales, or to living persons is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Alexandra Richland

  Edited by MF

  Front cover images: Frame and ribbons © lionceau, 2011. Used under license by Dreamstime.com; Hollywood, California, circa 1930s © Everett Collection. Used under license by shutterstock.com

  Cover design by Morwenna Rakestraw, Rakestraw Book Design

  Other Stories by Alexandra Richland

  Starlight (Starlight Trilogy #1)

  Starbright (Starlight Trilogy #2)

  Frontline (Frontline Series #1)

  Gilded Cage

  Slip Away

  Table of Contents

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  About The Author

  Dedication

  Mike, thank you for accompanying me on this journey.

  Act well your part; there all the honour lies.

  — Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man, 1733-1734

  Chapter One

  Aidan Evans was a romantic hero. Yes, that Aidan. The surly Method actor who played juvenile delinquent Spike Rollins on the big screen. The notorious bad boy who refused to sign the standard Starlight Studios seven-year contract. The only person with the gall to confront ruthless studio boss, Luther Mertz. But this was not a role in a motion picture. This was the man he’d become since Elizabeth Sutton entered his life.

  Aidan made love to Beth last night. They didn’t have sex. It wasn’t a one-night stand, or a selfish act of physical gratification to detract from the emotional void of his existence like his previous experiences with intimacy during his bleakest days when he lived in New York City. It was true lovemaking. Beth had let loose yet carried herself with elegance, taming his darkness while coaxing out his best self—everything he never realized he was capable of being.

  Aidan toyed with the wisps of hair framing her face. After she’d fallen asleep in his arms, he’d stared at her in the moonlight, and now, as sunlight tumbled into his bedroom from the open window. He absorbed everything he could, grappling with the fact that this was his reality—that this beautiful, delicate creature loved him and had given him her virginity in spite of all of his faults and past mistakes. There was no greater gift than Beth, no greater purpose than caring for her with all the good she inspired in him.

  “Aidan?” Beth stirred and opened her eyes.

  He brushed his lips to her forehead. “I’m here, little dove.”

  She shifted in the bed and winced.

  Aidan frowned. “Are you sore?”

  “Yes, but it’s tolerable.” She peered at him with her big brown eyes. She looked so innocent, so trusting, so true.

  He held her tighter. “I’ll go to the local druggist and get you some pain medication.”

  “Please don’t. It’s a reminder of what we shared, so I’d rather bear it.” Beth hooked her leg over his hip and snuggled closer. “I love you.”

  Aidan’s erection pressed between her thighs. He smothered a curse. This was not the right time for his hormones to take over, but he couldn’t help it. “I love you, too.”

  Her forefinger traveled his bare chest in a languid, circular pattern. “Would you mind if I took a shower?”

  “Not at all.” He pulled back the covers. “I’ll set up everything for you. Wait here.”

  “Actually, I would like you to join me. If you want to, that is.” Beth slipped out of bed and stepped over their Academy Awards. In the doorway, she stopped and held out her hand.

  Aidan gaped at her, as if he was taking in her naked body for the first time. Her skin was flushed, well kissed. Her dark hair fell to just above her shoulders, sand-speckled from their visit to the beach yesterday. The swell of her breasts, the curve of her hips…everything about her was perfect.

  If he wanted to?

  Damn it. He wanted nothing more.

  Aidan left the bed and embraced her. Her lip caught between her teeth. A daring spark lit her eyes. He pictured what she would look like soaking wet with the same expression on her face and promptly led her into the bathroom to bring his fantasy to fruition.

  Under a pulsating spray from the showerhead, Beth wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his. Aidan kissed her, lapping up the water on her plump lips, reveling in the heat between them. Now there were no blankets to hide the physical effect she had on him.

  Without delay, Beth took his erection in her hand.

  He reached down and halted her first stroke. “No, baby. Not when I can’t reciprocate.”

  Beth blinked up at him. “Then reciprocate.” She broke free of his grasp and stroked him again.

  A growl rumbled in Aidan’s throat. His hand shot out to the wall so he wouldn’t fall over. “I don’t want to hurt you.” He sounded hoarse, his mind and body overcome with arousal.

  “You can let go, Aidan.” Beth batted her eyelashes as she continued her sweet caress below. “I know I was a virgin up until last night, but I’m not as fragile as you think I am.”

  Aidan’s desire skyrocketed. It was so tempting to give in.

  Beth moved her hand faster, working him into a state so maddening it became more and more difficult to resist her.

  “Your touch could never hurt me, Aidan.” Her lips met his collarbone. She sucked hard.

  Aidan closed his eyes and let out a hiss. She felt good. Too good. “Baby, it would be an honor to please you.” He slid his hand down her breasts to her stomach, ending at the warmth between her legs. Gently, so gently, he touched her. “Tell me if it hurts and I’ll stop.”

  Beth whimpered and writhed against him. “More.”

  She sounded so insistent, so certain.

  Who was he to deny her?

  Aidan dropped to his knees and spread her legs.

  “Oh!” She gasped and latched on to his shoulders while he soothed her with his mouth, tasting everything her body created.

  With all of his licking, flicking, circling, and rubbing, it didn’t take long. His name blasted from her lips as her orgasm tore through her. His name. Fuck. It was enough to usher him toward his own release without a single stroke.

  Aidan rose to his feet and kissed her. “Are you all right? I didn’t hurt you, di
d I?”

  She shook her head. “Not one bit. In fact, I’d say you cured me.”

  They shared a laugh.

  “I’m glad.” Aidan cupped her cheek and kissed her again.

  Beth’s hand reunited with his arousal. Aidan’s muscles tightened and his moans deepened as she moved along his shaft. With the memory of pleasuring her so fresh in his mind and heavy on his tongue, he hurled toward his release far faster than he’d ever traveled before.

  His orgasm slammed into him with such force he shook violently and cursed like he wasn’t in the presence of the classiest, most beautiful woman he’d ever known. He emptied all over her hand and stomach in long, vigorous spurts. Oh, man. There was nothing hotter than Beth all wide-eyed and smiling, dripping wet and coated in his essence.

  He hugged her close. “I love you so much.”

  “And I love you.” Beth rested her head against his chest and they stood under the beating water for a few moments, bathing in each other and their mutual devotion.

  After they washed up and exited the shower, Aidan secured his towel around his waist and stopped by his bedroom to grab a navy T-shirt for Beth, and a white T-shirt, a pair of black jeans, and black briefs for himself.

  When he returned to the bathroom, Beth had vetoed her towel and waited for him gloriously naked. He crept toward her. His arousal hadn’t waned even after his orgasm, but now…now it was out of control. The only thing keeping him from laying her on the bathroom floor and repeating what they did last night was his incessant self-reminder that she still hadn’t recovered completely. He’d rather die than bring harm to her.

  “I hope this is okay.” He held up the navy T-shirt.

  “I’m sure it will be.” She smiled and took the garment from him. “Thank you.”

  All Aidan could manage was a nod. Beth dressed in the T-shirt, which covered her to her knees. Her taut nipples pushed against the dark fabric. Although she acted like she didn’t know what she did to him, her demure glances in his direction proved otherwise.

  Well, two could play that game.

  Aidan dropped his towel. Beth’s breath hitched as she scanned his naked body unabashedly. He held back a smirk and put on his briefs and jeans. When he picked up his T-shirt, she tugged at his waistband, pulling him toward her.

  “Can you leave your shirt off?” She caressed his bare chest like she couldn’t get enough skin-to-skin contact.

  Aidan flung his T-shirt aside. She traced one finger down his stomach toward his jeans, stopping just shy of his arousal. He groaned, lost in the memory of being inside her last night, moving in and out slowly…how tight she was…hearing her moans, feeling her clench around him when she met her release.

  “There’s so much more I want to share with you, Beth. Once you’re feeling better, I’m gonna find new ways to pleasure you, to show you how much I love you.”

  “Promise?” She stood on her tiptoes and brought their lips together.

  Aidan fastened his heated gaze on hers. “Baby, you can count on it.”

  Beth insisted on making them breakfast. She instructed Aidan to sit at the kitchen table and refused help as she prepared their food. After they ate, she wouldn’t let him wash the dishes, either, no matter how much he protested.

  When everything was dried and put away, Aidan pulled her into his lap. “What do you want to do now?”

  She crossed her legs. The T-shirt he’d loaned her rode up, exposing her thighs. “How about we cuddle on the couch? If we go back to bed, the temptation will be too great to, you know…”

  Aidan nuzzled her neck. “You think it makes a difference if we’re in the bedroom or the living room? I would make love to you anywhere, baby.”

  Beth folded her arms across her chest. Her breasts swelled under the T-shirt. “That’s not fair. You know we can’t make love because I’m too sore, yet you’re making it as hard as possible for me to resist you.”

  Aidan scanned her barely-covered body. “I’m making it hard for you?”

  “Yes.” Her lips twitched as her smile tried to escape.

  Aidan chuckled. “Okay, little dove. Couch it is.”

  Beth stood. “Can you retrieve our Oscars first?”

  “Sure.” Aidan entered his bedroom and grabbed their awards off the floor and a blanket from the closet. He met Beth by the fireplace in the living room.

  “What do you want to do with these?” He tossed the blanket onto the couch and held up the Oscars.

  Beth took the statuettes and placed them in the center of the mantel. “They look great here. Don’t you agree?”

  Aidan stared at them—the inscriptions, the shiny gold finishes. The elation one would typically feel in his position evaded him. “Yeah, I guess.”

  Beth’s lips formed a pout. “I know awards don’t mean much to you, Aidan, but you should be very proud of yourself. You deserve the Best Actor Oscar for playing Spike Rollins. You were phenomenal.”

  “I am proud. I just…” He frowned. “Winning Academy Awards means we’ll be even more popular. The whole fame thing was overwhelming before, and now, well, more people will look up to you, Beth. More people will want to watch you, reach out to you, talk to you, and that’s what I have trouble with most. I don’t wanna share you. Not with your fans, the studio. Not with anyone.”

  Beth linked her hands behind his neck. “You have the real Beth. The public, our colleagues…they don’t know me like you do. Not even our friends do. So please look on the bright side of all this. In a week, the final Los Angeles scenes for Golden Gloves will be finished, and then we’ll be traveling to Chicago to complete the film. After that, our options are limitless. Our Oscar wins have opened new doors for us professionally. On a personal level, perhaps Nathan is right. We’ll be so popular that we might be able to announce our love to the world without Mr. Mertz’s approval, and I’ll incur zero punishment for it. Just think. We won’t have to hide anymore.”

  Aidan sighed. He didn’t like Beth under Mr. Mertz’s thumb in any capacity, but she was right. The benefits could very well outweigh the cons. “I’m sorry. The last thing I want is for my pessimism to detract from your joy over your win. Your performance in Sparkling Meadow was phenomenal as well, and you deserve this recognition from the Academy, too.”

  “You haven’t dampened my mood at all. There is no one else I’d rather share this moment with than you.” Beth smiled. Not just a happy smile, but a smile laced with seduction. It seemed his little dove had turned into quite the little vixen. “Now, just because we can’t make love today doesn’t mean you can’t kiss me, Mister Best Actor.”

  “With pleasure, Miss Best Actress.” Aidan captured her in his arms and closed the gap between their lips.

  Beth returned his kiss with a passion that made him reconsider his outlook on everything. For now, they owned this town, and he had to admit he really did feel like a winner—but not because The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences said so. Awarded the privilege of caring for Beth and loving her like she deserved meant a whole lot more to him than any accolade from the entertainment industry. He felt like he had conquered the entire world, never mind Hollywood.

  Chapter Two

  Beth and Aidan arranged to have dinner with their friends two days after the Academy Awards. On the way, they stopped by Beth’s house so she could change and then returned her Oscar jewelry to Harry Winston.

  During their drive, Beth smiled at her reflection in the side mirror. She always lit up in Aidan’s presence, but since she’d lost her virginity to him, she beamed even brighter.

  Intimacy did not refer to a woman allowing a man to touch her. Intimacy was sharing her dreams and fears with a trusted companion in the middle of the night. Intimacy was giving someone her undivided attention when hundreds of other people asked for it. Intimacy was having one person on her mind always, no matter how busy or distracted she was. The love she and Aidan shared was a true and rare gift. She was the luckiest woman in the world.

  Aidan pulled
up to the wrought-iron gates of Matthew McKenna’s house and announced their arrival into the intercom. The gates opened. They traveled up the driveway and parked behind Nathan Taggart’s Cadillac.

  It was the first time Beth had been to Matthew’s residence. The outside looked like a cross between the White House and a Greek palace—indicative of his Hollywood status, but a contradiction to his humble personality. At least it had an inviting quality to it, unlike Nathan’s mansion, which resembled a medieval castle.

  She shuddered. They had spent Christmas Day at Nathan’s house. While the mood amongst them had been warm and gay, the setting was dark, cold, and drafty. She still had no idea how he lived there comfortably, or why he’d purchased it in the first place.

  Aidan opened Beth’s door. He’d eschewed a suit jacket and tie tonight in favor of a black sports shirt and dark gray dress pants, which complemented her cream satin evening gown with a black lace overlay nicely. She couldn’t stop staring at him.

  “You look very handsome, Aidan.”

  He helped her out of the Porsche. “And you look ravishing.”

  Her face flushed. “You’ve said that already. Twice, in fact.”

  “And I’ll keep saying it, baby. Forever.” Aidan drew her in for a kiss. Her heart beat so wildly she could have danced to the sound of it.

  Hand in hand, they strolled up the front steps to the porch. As soon as Aidan used the brass knocker, an excited shriek erupted from inside the house. It was an Olivia Weston creation through and through.

  The front door flew open, and Beth’s dear friend and roommate lunged at her, nothing but a flash of black hair and blue taffeta.

  “I’m engaged! I’m engaged!” Olivia stuck out her left hand so Beth could inspect the ring. “I wanted to call to break the news but decided it was best to share in person.”