Page 1 of A Little Bit Engaged
CHAPTER ONE
A loud noise woke Cara O’Neal. Bolting upright in bed, she blinked. Once, twice…
The time on the digital clock glowed a faint green.
11:28 p.m.
Clutching the comforter, she half-expected a tremor to roll through the condo—a disturbing thought given San Francisco’s Marina District was built on a landfill.
A buzz shattered the silence. It was her building’s security system. Not an earthquake.
Nothing to worry about.
She flexed her fingers, allowing her racing pulse to slow to a more normal rate.
The building’s front door was kept locked. An intercom system allowed visitors to buzz a resident’s unit, and then they had to wait to be let inside. Except…
No one she knew would drop by this late on a Monday night. Maybe Geoff, her friend from unit 301, had gone for a run and left his keys at home. That had happened before but never past bedtime.
Reaching toward the nightstand, she turned on the lamp.
Loki, the longhaired black cat she’d adopted years ago from a rescue group in Southern California, meowed from the pillow next to hers. He flicked his tail once before giving her the evil eye. Not his my-bowl-is-only-half-full-I’m-starving look, but his you-woke-me-up-now-rub-me-back-to-sleep-or-die green-eyed glare.
“Sorry to disturb His Royal Highness, but I can’t leave someone outside at this hour.” At least the weather in early March had been warmer than usual. Yawning, she crawled out of bed, padded across the floor, and then pressed the intercom button. “Hello?”
“It’s Brody. Let me in before someone recognizes me.”
Brody Simmons.
Her breath caught in her throat, her muscles tensing.
What is he doing here?
She pressed the button to unlock the front entrance.
Growing up, Brody had been her closest friend. She’d had a crush on him from high school through college. Okay, maybe a little longer than that. But no one knew, thank goodness. That would have been awkward when Brody and Caitlin, her twin sister, started dating.
Three years, one month, and four days ago.
Not that Cara was counting.
But his late-night visit with no warning concerned her. Running her thumbs across her fingertips, she thought about calling Caitlin. Maybe her sister would know what was going on. Except Caitlin hadn’t returned any calls or texts for over two weeks. Brody wasn’t much better. He rarely called, but he would occasionally text or video chat.
Cara hadn’t seen him in person since he’d taken her to the Academy Awards ceremony last year when Caitlin had been too sick to attend. Cara had loved the once-in-a-lifetime experience. Since then, Brody had been filming one movie after another. A week ago, she’d glimpsed him and her sister at the Oscars. They appeared fine, but something must have happened to bring him to San Francisco.
A fight with Caitlin? A problem on his latest movie set? A need to escape the rabid fans chasing after one of Hollywood’s sexiest leading men?
Loki rubbed against her leg.
“Brody will be here in two or three minutes,” she said to the furry love of her life.
She didn’t consider changing out of her tiger-striped footie pajamas. Sexy lingerie and sophisticated styles weren’t in Cara’s dresser or closet. She preferred footie, flannel, and fleece jammies. Not only did they keep her warm at night, but they were also comfy, cute, and fun.
After brushing her fingers through hair that was tangled and wavy from the braid she’d worn earlier, she gave up with a sigh. Brody wouldn’t care if she answered the door naked. The only woman he noticed, the only one he wanted, was Caitlin.
Their love emanates beyond the screen.
Cara winced. Three years later, the movie critic’s observation still stung. She’d never stood a chance with Brody except in her dreams, but Cara had almost convinced herself that he and Caitlin had simply nailed the roles of star-crossed lovers because of their acting abilities.
