The Reclusive Top Star Has A Crush On Me

Ivory Murphy went looking for Ellis Murphy for one simple reason: she was starving, and lunch wasn’t getting served until Ellis got back.

Ellis was at his usual spot by the shoreline, supposedly fishing—though he always came back empty-handed. Most people assumed he was just bad at it and never asked about his catch, mostly to spare his feelings. The cameraman, however, knew the truth. Ellis was actually damn good at fishing. He just released every fish he caught, like he only did it for the thrill of it—or to kill time.

Today was no different. Since he’d gotten there, Ellis had reeled in nearly ten decent-sized fish. He let the first nine go, and he was about to release the last one when a bright voice cut through the quiet.

“Grill that one—don’t let it go!”

Ellis hesitated, fishhook still in hand, and glanced over. A girl stood there in a plain white T-shirt and green shorts. Her long, fair legs seemed to glow under the sun, all elegant lines and a subtle curve at the calves.

His gaze snagged on her legs before he caught himself. He smoothed his expression back into its usual calm and kept right on releasing the fish.

Ivory saw he hadn’t stopped. Panic flickered through her, and she scrambled across the uneven rocks toward him. In her rush, she missed a step and twisted her ankle.

“Ouch!” Her cry came out unexpectedly soft and sweet.

In one swift move—faster than he even registered—Ellis reached out and caught her before she fell.

“Careful.”

He glanced down at her legs to make sure she was okay, relieved when there wasn’t a scratch on her. The cameraman, watching, froze for a second, then kept filming on instinct. This was Ellis’s first moment of real physical closeness with a female guest. The livestream was off, but this footage? Perfect for the final edit.

Inside, the cameraman was buzzing. If they aired it, the scene would blow up.

Ivory, meanwhile, didn’t give a damn about the cameraman’s excitement. Her eyes tracked the fish Ellis had released as it slipped away with the current. She pouted, disappointment flickering across her face.

“A perfect fish for grilling, gone just like that…”

She’d never had grilled fish before. She’d heard it was delicious, though.

Ellis pulled his hand back, unfazed that Ivory’s attention was stuck on the fish and not on him. Everyone knew Ivory was into Braxton Reynolds. So even if her long legs happened to match Ellis’s secret type, he wouldn’t read into it. Maybe he’d just file her under “nice legs” and leave it at that.

“Thank you. If you hadn’t caught me, I probably would’ve bruised something,” Ivory said, her disappointment evaporating as fast as it had come. She flashed him a grateful smile.

Ellis packed up his fishing gear, his tone polite but distant. “Don’t mention it. Did you need something?”

Her enthusiasm came rushing back. Her eyes lit up. “Yes! I came to call you for lunch. We’re having shrimp linguine, braised calamari, garlic sautéed greens, and clam chowder!”

The excitement in her voice gave away exactly how ready she was for that menu. Ellis figured the meal was probably Braxton’s handiwork. Then, a second later, he heard Ivory murmur under her breath.

“I wonder if Keith can make fish. Fish for dinner would be perfect, too.”

So lunch was Keith’s doing? Ellis raised an eyebrow, curious but not about to pry. He and Ivory weren’t close—just a few words exchanged over the past few days. They weren’t exactly at the “ask personal questions” stage.

Ivory, however, clearly couldn’t let the fish go. Walking beside Ellis, she noticed just how tall he was. She barely reached his neck. His broad shoulders and strong arms had felt reassuringly solid when he’d caught her.

She turned her head and openly studied him. He really was the most handsome male guest in her eyes. Even from this angle—an angle that should’ve been unflattering—he looked perfect.

Having grown up in high society, subtlety wasn’t exactly Ivory’s strong suit. She stared so hard that Ellis couldn’t ignore it. He turned, brows furrowed, and met her eyes.

“Is there something on my face?”

Ivory shook her head.

Ellis raised an eyebrow, waiting. If there wasn’t, why was she staring?

Ivory answered like it was obvious. “I’m just admiring how handsome you are!”

Ellis fell silent.

Even his legendary composure slipped.

After a beat, he managed, “...Thank you.”

Ivory waved him off. “No thanks needed. It’s just the truth. Out of all the men I’ve seen, you’re the best-looking by far.”

“Not Braxton?” The question slipped out before Ellis could stop it.

Ivory wrinkled her nose like she’d smelled something bad. “Him? At best, he’s average.”

She couldn’t fathom what the previous Ivory had seen in him to fall head over heels. Honestly? Baffling.

Her reaction caught Ellis off guard. This conversation had already veered way past their usual small talk.

So they walked back to the villa in silence.

Keith’s lunch was ready, perfectly timed.

Seating wasn’t assigned, so everyone sat wherever they wanted. A long table fit four female guests on one side and four male guests on the other.

In the past, Ivory would make a beeline for the seat across from Braxton, hoping to get more face time with him during meals. Because of that, Braxton always wore a sour expression at lunch, never getting to enjoy a peaceful meal.