A Starlit Summer by Kate Frost (best manga ereader txt) 📕

few weeks. She reached the trailer, the sign on the door – MILO BLAKE – as bold and as assertive as he was.

She knocked and waited.

The trailer door swung open and Milo stood there in his 1940s soldier’s uniform, his hair slicked back looking as delicious as he did in his normal clothes.

‘Can I come in? We need to talk.’

Milo moved back and ushered her into his trailer, his hand grazing her back as he closed the door behind her.

‘What’s up?’

‘You really need to ask?’

‘The magazine article.’ He shrugged. ‘Get used to it – you’re in the public eye. Comes with the territory.’

‘But none of it’s true, doesn’t that bother you?’

‘What’s the problem with being linked to someone as gorgeous as you? We’re both single.’

‘But we’re not having sex, we’ve not actually hooked up, and you’ve been flirting and leading me on ever since we met and all for what? A suggestive photo...’

‘Are you saying you’d actually prefer us to be having sex so what they’re writing about is true?’ He moved closer, his dark eyes boring into her, the smell of his aftershave strong.

She closed her eyes, drew in a breath and put her hands on her hips, determined to stand her ground. She opened her eyes. ‘Why do you feel the need to hide the truth?’

‘About what?’

‘That you’re gay.’

He held her gaze. ‘I’m not.’

‘You’re really going to do this? What’s the point lying to me? I know, Milo.’

He licked his lips as if buying time. ‘You know what?’

‘Oh for God’s sake, Milo.’ She glanced at the closed trailer door and lowered her voice. ‘You and Timothy were at it in the spare bedroom at the cottage.’

Milo folded his arms. ‘Huh. You weren’t asleep.’

‘No, I wasn’t. But it cleared up a lot of stuff for me, like the reason you flirted with me but never took it any further when you had the chance. So, you need to set the story straight and say those pictures were all taken out of context. We’re not together, we’re not having “hot sex”, we haven’t even kissed.’

‘I can’t do that.’

Jenna rubbed her fingers across her forehead. ‘Why the hell not?’

‘Why are you so bothered about it? Most actresses would kill to be in your position, shagging Milo Blake. How many more followers do you have on Instagram since this story broke?’

‘That’s what you think I’m worried about? I don’t care about that. My problem is that it’s not true.’

‘So what if it’s not true. I bet your agent loves it. All the attention you’re getting. Watch the offers roll in this week.’

‘You’re unbelievable.’

Milo shook his head. ‘I’m doing you a favour, Jenna.’

‘But you’re blatantly lying. How can you be okay with that?’

‘Seriously, why are you so upset?’ Milo stepped back, studied her and chuckled. ‘There’s someone else, isn’t there?’

‘Will that change things? Will you tell the truth?’

‘Who is he?’

‘What does it matter who he is? I want this non-story straightened out.’

‘It’s that builder isn’t it? He’s hot as hell. I can see why you’re with him.’

Jenna clenched her fists and breathed deeply. It was all a game to him, when actually he was messing with her life. She decided on a different tack.

‘Why are you worried about people knowing you’re gay? I mean, there are loads of gay actors. Why keep it a secret?’

Milo went over to the fridge and took out a bottle of water. ‘You don’t understand. I’m typecast, which actually is a really good thing because I get loads of work.’ He unscrewed the lid and took a gulp of water. ‘I’m the good looking guy next door, the leading man, the one the girl always falls for. I don’t want to risk my personal life getting in the way of my work. Risk losing out on roles because a shitty casting director passes because of who I’m with. This is my life, my career.’

‘I get that, but it’s my life and my career too. My relationship with Finn.’

‘Wow, Finn, that’s a proper Cornwall surfer kinda of name.’

‘Seriously, Milo, I need you to end this craziness.’

‘Jenna, hun, apart from the Finn thing, I’m doing you and your career a huge favour. You’ll thank me one day.’

Fuming, she left his trailer, ignoring the glances in her direction from some of the extras. Of course everyone would think they’d been having a quickie in his trailer, exactly as Milo wanted everyone to believe. He wanted to take the conversation away from anything he deemed negative. She wondered what Timothy thought about Milo being splashed across the media with her. She had no real idea about Timothy, he didn’t have the same level of fame as Milo. Was he openly gay? Maybe that’s why Milo was being extra careful that he wasn’t gossiped about in that way. In his mind it was much more palatable to be seen with a blue-eyed blonde woman. He was spinning a web of lies and Jenna was caught helpless at the centre.

Chapter Eighteen

Work was her escape and the cottage her refuge. Despite Lily and Amanda repeatedly asking her all week to come back to the hotel with them after they wrapped, she kept refusing. They were concerned about her cutting herself off from everyone but she wanted to be on her own. The cottage felt far removed from all the gossip and people she wanted to avoid. Although she’d talked to Milo, she still hadn’t got round to having that conversation with Heidi. Finn was definitely avoiding her. She’d only seen him once more during the week when she’d wrapped early and got back to the cottage before he’d left. He’d been working on the bathroom with his dad, which made it impossible for them to have a private conversation. He’d ignored her and she’d said little more to him than hello. It bothered her more than anything that she’d wrecked things between them by not being up front about the Milo situation to begin with.

At least the end of the week brought the promise of