Hiding Out in Hollywood (Celebrity Love)

Chapter Six

Beeeeeeeeep. Beeeeeeeeep. Beeeeeeeeep.

Emily pried one of her eyelids open. She shot a dirty look at her alarm clock, willing the time to magically set itself back two hours so she could keep sleeping.

It wasn't that she had been out late last night. The problem had been falling asleep after getting home, as she'd thought about her evening with Raine.

Once she and Raine had finished dinner and dessert, there weren't a lot of places where they could have gone and remained unnoticed, at least in her mind. They'd stayed at Imagine and had talked over after-dessert coffee for a while longer, until Paul had checked on them a few times and she had started to feel self-conscious about still being there. Raine had driven her home and had walked her to her door, and she'd asked him to come inside where they would have more privacy to say goodnight.

Emily closed her eyes again and laid back against her pillows, remembering how Raine's arm had felt around her waist as he had drawn her close, and the moment his lips had met hers. Their kiss had been soft at first, just like it had been at the restaurant. Then he'd pulled her even closer, his other hand tangling in her hair. She'd felt herself sink into him, losing track of time and anything around them.

Even the memory of their goodnight kiss sent butterflies swarming to Emily's stomach. Logic told her these feelings were dangerous, and the fact she was not only considering going out with him again, but looking forward to it, could only set her on a path straight back to tabloid chaos. Even so, Emily couldn't deny how much she had enjoyed her time with Raine last night, or how right kissing him had felt.

She'd expected Shelby to pounce the second Raine had left. Emily had stood in the foyer after closing the door behind him and had silently counted to five before turning around and giving herself up to the interrogation. Shelby hadn't been in the living room, though, and the kitchen had also been curiously silent. After grabbing a glass of water, Emily had tiptoed down the hallway to her bedroom, both perplexed and relieved that she had gotten away with making her escape for the night.

Now, Emily kept her eyes closed and listened. She didn't hear any noise from outside her bedroom door, which meant Shelby had already left for work.

Bet I have a text from her, she thought, forcing herself to sit up. She reached over to her bedside table and picked up her phone, then stopped. She and Raine had been careful last night, but if they'd been spotted, experience told her she would have messages from a lot more people than Shelby. That included Wally. While she could ignore some messages, it would be a lot more difficult to step around questions from him.

She chewed the inside of her lip, surveying the dark screen. Then she unlocked her phone.

There was nothing. No texts, no Facebook messages, and no Twitter notifications. Relief flooded her body. Could she and Raine really have gotten away with a private night out?

If Wally knew anything, he would have texted me and tried calling me five times by now, she thought. I have to be in the clear.

To prove it to herself, she opened her web browser app and scoured the Internet. There was nothing on Tinseltown Buzz or anywhere else she looked. And even though she was certain Wally would have grilled her about her night before posting anything on Wally Hood Goes Hollywood, she went to his site, too, just to make sure.

First headline—nope. Second headline—definitely not about her and Raine. She kept scrolling down the page until she got to the third headline.

Emily blinked and read the story. Then she scrolled back up and read it again.

C-Samp and Flameboy Get Bromantic in Hollywood

Well, well, well... this is an interesting pairing. Blistering Twilight singer Cory Sampson was spotted at El Compadre, breaking bread—or make that burritos and flaming margaritas—with former Ashes of Brooklyn guitar player Jesse Cinder.