by Alexa Aston
“Irving Stromberg. He’s absolutely one of the best in the industry. Left Dilberg Associates to help start Merriman Smith. I think this will be the agency by next summer. You’ll see stars left and right ditch their agents to come on board to be repped by Merriman Smith.” She bent and removed her remaining shoe so she stood on balanced feet.
Rhett made an instant decision. He reached over and pushed the stop button.
“How about coming to work as my personal assistant?”
Cassie’s eyes widened. “What?”
“Surely, you’ve heard of those. Big movie stars pay people to make their lives easier. You know, book their appointments, walk their dogs, do the general go-fer thing.”
“You’re joking. You—”
“I’m not. My sister’s been my assistant for a long time, but she’s too busy right now. I need someone for several months. Maybe even longer, depending upon Carreen’s situation. She does everything for me from making dental appointments to setting up photo shoots and interviews. You would plan every aspect of my life to make things simple for me. Tell me where to be and what to do. I’ll be yours.”
Cassie’s eyes lit up. “What does it pay?”
Rhett grinned, knowing she was hooked. “Does it matter?”
She beamed at him. ”Not really. When can I start?”
“This afternoon?”
Cassie gulped. “Okay—but I need to let Merriman Smith know I’m no longer available. And get cleaned up. Go see Manny. He won’t need any notice. We’re all over the news by now. He knows exactly where I’ve been. He can just fire my butt.”
Rhett laughed. “That’s okay, I was teasing. Starting tomorrow morning will be fine.” He hesitated a moment. “You’ll really do it?”
The smile she gave him let him see into her heart.
“I will be the best personal assistant you ever had for however long you need me. Your sister loves you and probably has indulged you. I, on the other hand, will always tell you the rock-solid truth. And I’m bossy as hell. You’ll have to toe the line, Corrigan. No star tantrums, no star behavior. Save that for all non-assistant personnel. We’ll have a courteous yet professional relationship. You won’t be sorry.”
Cassie hit the panel, and the car began moving again. The doors opened, and she started out the doors. Rhett hooked her arm and pulled her back in.
“You ride back down.”
She frowned. “I need to explain things. Remember, part of my honest, follow-through personality.”
“You’re my employee now. Do as I say. I’ll handle Irv. You go quit Manny. Or get fired. Got any paper since your phone’s on the blink?”
Cassie dug through her purse and found paper and pen. Rhett scrawled his address and gate code.
She eyed him. “You seriously don’t want my resume? You don’t want to check my references?”
“Call me foolish but I trust you.”
Cassie eyed him speculatively. “I could be a stalker. I could’ve deliberately rammed your car to meet you. Or now I could sell your address and code on eBay to the highest bidder. Even offer tours to tourists.”
He grinned. “Nah. You’re too honest. You have an open face. Besides, I have three sisters. I read women well.”
Cassie cocked her head and studied him a moment. “I’ll bet you do.”
Rhett stepped out of the elevator. He couldn’t seem to stop smiling as he walked down the hall and interrupted Julie’s typing.
“Back so soon, Handsome?”
“I just hired Cassie Carroll to be my personal assistant. She was on her way up to her interview with Irv.”
Julie chuckled. “Stole her from under his nose, huh? She must be good.”
“I think she will be.” Rhett laughed as he pulled out his cell. “All I need to do now is call an Uber to get home since Cassie just totaled my car.”
Julie burst out laughing.
◆◆◆
Cassie nervously pulled into Rhett’s Brentwood neighborhood. She was driving a standard, which had been a disaster in the making. She didn’t even know rental companies had standards anymore. The car was a loaner from her insurance company, which probably wouldn’t stay her insurance company much longer. After she talked to her agent and told him she’d totaled Rhett Corrigan’s car, she thought the man would turn her in as some domestic terrorist sent to prey on America’s Most Beloved Sex Symbol.
She circled the block for the third time. She didn’t want to be too early. Finally, she pulled up to the iron gates. Cassie could barely glimpse the house from the road. She rolled the window down and punched in the code Rhett provided yesterday. The gates slowly folded back and the rental lurched through after stalling twice.
Her stomach had an entire Olympic gymnastics team holding practice there. The flips and flops almost had her nauseous. Her grip on the wheel slipped thanks to sweating palms. Cassie sighed. She was on Rhett Corrigan’s estate. He would be her boss—if he hadn’t changed his mind.
Manny had accepted a verbal resignation yesterday. His TV was on when she arrived but he was pretty far gone. She doubted the agent understood she was actually leaving. After cleaning out the few personal items in her desk, she celebrated with two In-N-Out burgers, animal style. Jolene hadn’t been home when she got back to their apartment and had probably gone straight from her server’s shift to the comedy club. Her roommate hadn’t come home last night or bothered to call. It wasn’t the first time, but Cassie worried about Jo all the same.
She sputtered up the long drive, parking in the circular driveway. Three other cars sat out front—a dark Mercedes, a midnight blue Porsche, and a candy red Corvette. Her dirty Toyota was a total misfit.
Cassie hoped she wouldn’t be a misfit, too.
She glanced down at her black slacks and crisp white blouse that she’d ironed the hell out of last night. She had no idea what an assistant wore. Rhett hadn’t given her specific hours. She’d decided to show up at nine, hoping that was a good time to report. If he wasn’t awake, surely a housekeeper could let her in. Would he trust her enough to give her a key?
The new job had her both curious and excited. Cassie could imagine the people she would meet. She would see behind-the-scenes Hollywood as few ever did. She reminded herself not to look starstruck. It wouldn’t be wise to embarrass herself or Rhett. Already, she felt protective of him and his brand.
She gathered her courage and walked to the door. Rhett would probably make her sign a non-disclosure agreement so she couldn’t write some nasty tell-all book. Cassie didn’t mind. The fact that the famous Rhett Corrigan was taking a chance on her already assured him of her loyalty. Her finger hesitated, hovering above the doorbell. She was about to cross a bridge from her old life into a new one. She closed her eyes and pressed the button.
The door opened almost immediately. Standing there was a man who was almost as hot as Rhett Corrigan.
“You’re not the housekeeper,” Cassie blurted out. “Are you Mr. Corrigan’s bodyguard?”
The stranger smiled, amusement sparkling in his eyes. “Nope. But I am six-three, all 220 pounds of muscle and good looks at your service, Cassie Carroll.”
Cassie gawked at him. “You know who I am?”
His smile widened. “I believe you’re the little lady who made the Beemer history.”
She sensed the heat rising up her neck.
“Come on in. No need to turn red to your red roots.” He pulled her inside the foyer and closed the door. “I’m Breck O’Dell. Rhett’s best friend and stuntman extraordinaire. We’ll be seeing each other quite a bit.”
Cassie drank in the sun-kissed hair, ice-blue eyes, and golden California tan. “You’re part of his entourage.”
He laughed. “I guess you’d say I am the entourage. Just me. Sometimes Carreen, his sister.” Breck’s face clouded. “She’s sick now. Cancer.”
Cassie’s heart caught in her throat. Her dad died of lung cancer when she was seven and she still missed him after twenty years. “I’m so sorry.”
Cassie felt relief swirl through her. “I hope she makes it. I don’t care if it puts me out of a job.”
Breck squeezed her shoulder. “You’re all right, Cassie Carroll. Come on in, and I’ll show you the place. Rhett’s tied up right now so I’ll give you the lay of the land.”
He gave her the grand tour. She guessed the house had between fifteen and twenty thousand square feet. Breck also took her outside to the pool, the pool house, and a bungalow behind it.
“I’m finding all this hard to take in,” she admitted to him almost an hour later. “My entire apartment would fit into Rhett’s kitchen—twice.”
He laughed. “I know what you mean. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to realize what’s happened to Rhett since I’ve known him forever.”
“So how do you know Hollywood’s biggest heartthrob?”
Breck burst out laughing. “You wouldn’t have thought that if you’d seen him in kindergarten. He hates that title hung around his neck like an albatross. People judge him by it all the time.”
He indicated two chairs under an umbrella by the pool and they sat.
“Rhett’s a great guy. Solid as they come. We grew up together. The Corrigans lived in a tiny, three-bedroom bungalow in Costa Mesa. Just a stone’s throw from Disneyland. We’d mow yards to get a season pass and spend every summer day there as kids. Best baby-sitter in the world, Uncle Walt.”
“I didn’t know about his humble beginnings. I did know he was a top model for Ralph Lauren before he started acting.”
Breck ran a hand through his thick hair. “He won a football scholarship to USC first. Went from sharing one bathroom with three sisters and his mother to being among the ultra-wealthy in college.”
“And a big strapping guy like you? Did you also get a sports scholarship?”
“No way. Too much of a hell raiser in high school to be disciplined enough to have some potbellied, balding coach tell me what to do. Besides, school wasn’t for me.” He grinned mischievously. “So, what did I go do? Join the army—where I had lean and mean sons of bitches boss me around instead.”
Cassie laughed. “Then you got into stunt work? You mentioned being a stuntman.”
“After a while. Left the army. Bummed around in Europe. Found Rhett modeling in Milan and stayed with him awhile. When he decided to give acting a shot, we both came back to the states. The Dynamic Duo taking Hollywood by storm.”
“Do you work on his movies? With that much stuff getting blown up and all the car crashes, I’d think you’d keep plenty busy.”
“Yeah. I can’t double for Rhett and his stunts. Tried a wig once to cover my blond hair, but it looked pitiful on camera. I coordinate and drive during most of the car chases and step in to do the stunts for the bad guys. This last movie, Fireball, I broke two ribs, my collarbone, and lost a tooth.”
Cassie touched his arm in sympathy. Breck smiled. “I’m all better now. Of course, I probably could find a place or two you could kiss and make feel better.”
She burst out laughing at his puppy dog eyes. “I already like you too much to kiss you, O’Dell.”
Restless now, she stood. “I need to find where my boss is and start earning a living.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s after ten. Is he up yet?”
Breck laughed. “Only for about four hours.” His words shocked her.
“You’re kidding. I thought you were covering for him when you said he was busy. I figured he was still in bed. I assume he’s up early on days he shoots but—”
“No buts. Rhett never sleeps in. Ever.” Breck smiled widely. “And Randi totally hates it, down to her hot pink toenails.”
“Randi? Randal James? He’s sleeping with the blonde that makes Christina Hendricks look flatter than a pancake? Why haven’t I heard this? I read all the trades and every Internet entertainment website. I even scan the National Enquirer when I’m waiting at the check-out line. There hasn’t been a hint of their relationship anywhere!”
Breck’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Yeah. Ms. James is pretty pissed about that. Rhett’s really private. He doesn’t want to go public with the relationship yet. He’s a workhorse, though. Gets up every day to work out at six. Lifts weights, runs on the beach with Shep, does tai chi. You name it, Rhett does it.”
Cassie’s respect for her new boss grew, despite the fact he was sleeping with a former Playmate of the Year.
“Speak of the devil,” Breck murmured.
Cassie looked up to see Randi James in the smallest bikini ever sold making her way down the steps to the pool. Large sunglasses covered most of her face and she carried a small tote bag.
“Hey, Randi. How’re you doing?”
The model gave Breck a disdainful look. “Still here, Breck? Oh, that’s right. You never seem to leave.”
Randi eyed Cassie suspiciously. “And now you’re inviting your little playmates over to sponge off Rhett?”
“This is Cassie Carroll. Rhett’s new assistant.”
Randi’s eyebrows arched. “Oh, really? Well, I forgot to get a drink. Bring me one. Something cool. Not too much ice.”
The model slid onto a lounge chair and stretched out lazily like a jungle cat. In one graceful move, she unhooked her top and tossed it onto a nearby table.
Cassie wondered if she had made a mistake accepting Rhett’s job offer.
CHAPTER 5
Rhett glanced out the window and saw Cassie talking with Breck. She seemed so animated. Of course, Breck was as charming as they came. He could kill a woman with kindness as easily as snap her neck with his bare hands. His Delta Force training was something Breck rarely talked about. Only late at night and in Rhett’s company alone had his best friend shared some of the horrors he’d lived through on different missions. Even then, it had been long ago, in the days before Rhett hit it big in Killjoy.
He watched Randi slink toward them. The model was beautiful, stormy, and way too smart for her own good. Randi James spelled Trouble. She was high maintenance in every way imaginable. He wondered why he’d even been attracted to her in the first place. Rhett thought it might be wise to ease out of the relationship before things grew serious between them. As it was, Randi was staying over more often than not. He valued his privacy and found her company a little overbearing.
Rhett decided to make one more phone call before going downstairs to brief Cassie. He hit speed dial and waited for his sister to answer. His mother picked up instead.
“Hey, Mom. How’s Carreen doing today?”
The silence caused his gut to clench.
“Sorry, Rhett,” his mother apologized a few seconds later. “I wanted to slip out of the bedroom and let Carreen sleep. She was restless last night and Bob asked me to come over today. He got the kids ready for school so I could pamper Carreen a little.”
Rhett relaxed a little. “Is today better?”
Nadine Corrigan sighed. “Better is a relative term, Rhett. She’s better than the first round of chemo, but she’s not as good as last time. She's resting now.”
“Do you think I could stop by this afternoon?”
“That would be sweet of you, dear. Why don’t you call first to see if she’s up to seeing you?”
“I’ll do that, Mom. I’m glad you’re there.”
“Well, she didn’t want that private nurse you hired. You know Carreen. She’s only half as stubborn as you are and that can be lethal.”
He chuckled. He’d gotten his famous stubborn streak from Nadine herself.
“I’ll talk to you later then.” Rhett hung up and sat for a while.
◆◆◆
Cassie gritted her teeth as she walked back out with Randi’s drink. The first time she’d brought back a glass of Coke over crushed ice. Randi took one sip and snarled, “Why would I drink all these empty sugar calories? Get me something diet
. Now.”
Cassie returned inside the mansion, muttering under her breath that if Randi had wanted a diet drink, she should’ve asked for one in the first place.
The next trip the model whined, “It needs a slice of fresh lime in it,” and handed it back.
Cassie trekked to the spacious kitchen, her blood pressure rising by the second.
Now, she returned for the third time, slices of lime on a saucer. This was it. No more. Cassie walked toward Randi and forced a pleasant look on her face despite being jealous of the long, tanned legs. As long as Randi didn’t ask her for a pedicure or an eyebrow plucking or for her clothes to be ironed, Cassie would grin and bear it.
For now.
She stopped dead in her tracks as Randi reached for a bottle of tanning oil. Please, no. She could not oil that satin skin. She would refuse. She would simply quit.
Wouldn’t that look great on a resume? One day on the job as Rhett Corrigan’s personal assistant.
Instead, Randi smoothed the oil over her bare breasts and shocked Cassie by saying, “I need a birthday present for my mother. Pick a gift up today, Callie. Just a little something. Not too flashy. Classy, instead.”
Randi continued slathering on tanning oil, focusing on evenly distributing it, never bothering to look Cassie in the eyes.
Cassie grabbed the bottle from the model’s hand and slammed it onto the table.
“I’m not Callie. It’s Cassie. Cassie Carroll. And no, I draw the line. Presents are personal, especially when it’s your mom we’re talking about, and you should put some thought into buying her a gift that comes from your heart. I’m not your assistant. I’m Rhett’s. He’s paying me to work for him. Not you. Go buy your own present.”
Randi glared daggers at her. “We’ll see about that. You are so fired.”
She hated herself for blowing an ideal job on day one yet she was proud she’d stood up to this horrid woman.
Cassie turned and ran smack into her new boss.
◆◆◆
Rhett caught her elbows and steadied her. “I need to see you right away, Cassie. Come inside, please.”
