Here All Along

by Crista McHugh

  The thought comforted her enough to keep her on course with Operation Independence.

  She found Gideon sitting in a chair on the fringes of the set, reading over the script. He didn’t look up as she approached, but Gabe waved at her from ten feet away. She hesitated and returned the greeting with an awkward yet cautious wave of her own. She didn’t want to piss him off and have him blab her identity to everyone on the set. At least, not until she had a chance to confront him first.

  She tapped Gideon on the shoulder and set the soft insulated cooler on his lap. “Lunch time, Kid.”

  “Thank you, Red.” He stood to place a kiss on her cheek and opened the zipper. “What kind of salad did you make for me today?”

  The base of the salad was almost always the same: a mix of lettuces, spinach, and kale. It was topped off by lean steak, chicken breast, or fish. Then she was allowed to add in extras to enhance the flavor as long as she stayed within the designated ratios. “Grilled salmon, mixed berries, low-fat goat cheese, toasted almonds, and champagne vinaigrette.”

  “Sounds awesome!” He found the salad container and dug in. “And tastes even better than it looks.”

  “How’s shooting going?”

  “Good.” Gideon swallowed the mouthful of food before continuing. “You came at a good time. We’re on hold until Mackinzie gets here.”

  “Poor girl,” Sarah said with extra sarcasm. “You kept her out too late last night, didn’t you?”

  He looked up at her, a hint of anger simmering in his eyes. “Don’t start, Red.”

  “Fine, I won’t.” She opened up her water bottle and took a sip, her attention wandering to his co-star. “Did you have a chance to speak to Gabe yet?”

  “Nope. Too busy trying to get these scenes done.” He stuffed another bite of salad into his mouth and chewed it. “What’s for dinner?”

  “I made reservations for Guy Savoy.”

  The famous French restaurant always held a special place in her heart. She’d taken Gideon there for his twenty-first birthday and gotten them the famed Krug Chef’s table near the kitchen.

  He made a moan of ecstasy. “I love that place. And you made it for two, right?”

  His hopeful smile eased some of her guilt. “Of course. Eight o’clock.”

  A shrill female voice sliced through her warm happy thoughts of sharing an elegant French dinner with Gideon. Mackinzie Donavan wedged herself between them and threw her arms around Gideon’s neck. “Sounds perfect! I can’t wait to have a nice, romantic dinner with you tonight.”

  It was times like these when Sarah wished her manicurist had left her nails longer. She stood back, inwardly seething as the actress ran her fingers through Gideon’s hair.

  To his credit, he appeared genuinely mortified. He gathered Mackinzie’s hands in his and created some distance between them. “I think there’s a misunderstanding. I’m not having dinner with you tonight.”

  “Of course you are. Who else would you be taking to Restaurant Guy Savoy?”

  Sarah cringed when Mackinzie mispronounced the famous French chef’s name.

  Gideon looked to her for help, but she shook her head. There were some battles worth fighting, and then there were airhead bimbos who would make Gideon’s life miserable if she overstepped her bounds as his assistant. He was a big boy, and he needed to handle this for himself.

  “I’m sorry, Mackinzie, but I’m taking someone else.”

  The actress jutted out her lip in an exaggerated pout. “But who could be more important than me?”

  Sarah rolled her eyes and turned away before she told Mackinzie exactly what she thought.

  Gabe beckoned her with his finger.

  She squared her shoulders and marched toward him with every intention of silencing him about her past.

  But before she could get a word in, he said, “I’m surprised at you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Letting her have him without a fight.” He leaned forward, his elbows resting on the arms of his chair. “Or am I reading your piss off and die expression wrong?”

  “How do you know it’s not directed toward you?”

  Gabe threw his head back and laughed. “Because if it was, I would’ve borne the full force of your wrath last night. So what is the story between you two?”

  She glanced over her shoulder and noticed with a twinge of ire that Gideon still hadn’t managed to get rid of Mackinzie. Yet her voice sounded flat and emotionless as she replied, “It’s like he said last night. I’m his assistant. Nothing more.”

  “Right.” He drawled out the word like he knew she was lying. “Then I don’t suppose you’ll mind if he takes her to a nice, romantic dinner at Guy Savoy instead of you.”

  Her heart pounded, and blood rushed to her muscles as she glared at the overly sexified actress. If he took Mackinzie to their restaurant…

  “Yep, just as I suspected. Nothing at all going on between you two.”

  She snapped her attention back to Gabe, who was watching everything unfold with an amused grin. “Not in the way that you’re implying. And second, I wanted to talk to you about something you said last night.”

  He laced his fingers behind his head and reclined in his chair. “What?”

  “You called me by the wrong name as I got on the elevator.”

  “Did I?” he asked with mock innocence.

  Damn him! She fought the urge to stomp her foot or shove her finger into the center of his chest and tell him to shut up. Next to Gideon, Gabe Harrison was the most frustrating man she’d ever had to deal with. “Why?”

  “Why what?”

  “Why did you call me by that name?”

  Both brows rose in sarcastic surprise. “You mean that’s not your name?”

  “You know it’s not, especially after you called me by my proper name all evening.”

  “My mistake. I blame the wine.” His features settled into a teasing smirk. “For a moment, I could’ve sworn you were—”

  Sarah silenced him by placing her hand over his mouth. “Don’t you dare say that name here.”

  She was so busy checking to make sure no one was listening in on the conversation that she didn’t noticed Gabe was rising from his chair until he stood mere inches away from her. He removed her hand and whispered, “Scared I’ll reveal your secret identity, Batgirl?”

  Terrified would be more accurate. Her mouth went dry, and she struggled for a flippant response that would conceal her anxiety, but his grin widened as he lowered his mouth to her ear.

  “Don’t worry, Sage. Your secret is safe with me.”

  He strolled away as though he was going to fetch the morning paper, which was in direct contrast to the purposeful way Gideon zeroed in on her.

  Her boss took her by the arm and led her to a slightly less crowded place on the set that offered some reprieve from the activity around them. “Holy crap, I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it through this film without telling her off.”

  “What happened?”

  “She wouldn’t take a hint. I was on the verge of telling her that we’re married.”

  A new wave of panic overtook her, and her stomach dropped. “You wouldn’t.”

  “It’s either that or tell her I’m gay. But then I realized either lie would come back to bite me on the ass, so I tried to reason with her.”

  A snort of laughter broke through her anxiety. “She’d have to have a brain, first.”

  “No kidding.” He pressed his palm to his forehead, taking care not to smudge his makeup. “Thank God someone from makeup came to drag her away, or I might have been forced to embarrass her.”

  “She’d just consider it free publicity.” Sarah brushed any traces of Mackinzie off his shirt and wrinkled her nose at the coarse material. “These costumes suck.”

  “Too bad they don’t have Red Sage as the designer.” He smiled and rested his hands on her waist, pulling her closer until their foreheads touched. “I’ll gladly wear anything she design
s.”

  “Stop it.” She waved him off with a laugh, but his comment soothed her anger. “Just get through today’s scenes, and then change into your suit for dinner.”

  “Dinner with you.” He patted the tip of her nose with his finger before he joined the director on the set.

  “Oh, yes,” a deep voice said from behind her. “Nothing at all between you two.” Gabe Harrison winked and brushed past her to join Gideon.

  But unlike last night, she didn’t experience the same cold dread in her veins. Yes, Gabe knew who she was, but at least he seemed trustworthy. The only thing that unsettled her was his continued insinuation that she was romantically involved with Gideon.

  After all, they were just friends.

  Right?

  Chapter Six

  Although Sarah had seen Gideon dressed up in a dark suit plenty of times, her heart never ceased to initially flutter when she saw him in one. Tonight was no exception. The navy blazer hugged his broad shoulders and highlighted his athletic physique while making his eyes appear brighter and even more engaging.

  And those eyes were completely focused on her as she emerged from her bedroom. “Wow, Red.”

  Her cheeks flushed, and she couldn’t help but grin. She’d decided to be a little bold and wear one of the dresses she’d designed. The white silk dress was accented with clear crystals and was inspired by the elegant evening gowns of the 1930s. The loose drape of the fabric over her bust offered just a glimpse of her cleavage while the waistband pulled the folds of fabric together in such a way as to accent her modest curves. A pair of white opera gloves and a vintage barrette completed the ensemble. The overall effect was one of old-fashioned glamour. “Do you like it?”

  “You look…” His breath caught, and his gaze swept over her. “Divine.”

  “I’ll settle for nice enough for dinner.”

  “And I’ll say I’m one lucky man.” He tucked her arm through his. “Think we can make it there without the entourage?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at Jason and Raul, who both stood ready to escort them to the restaurant. “Yeah, I think we’ll be okay.”

  “Hear that?” Gideon asked his bodyguards. “You’re off duty tonight. Sarah and I wish to be alone.”

  Jason snickered and nudged Raul before they both retreated to their command central.

  “Keep that up, and it won’t be hard for folks to believe we are a couple.” The words fell out before she could stop herself, but once they were said, she wished she could take them back.

  Especially when she caught the flicker of desire in his eyes. He ran his thumb along her bottom lip. “You won’t hear any protests from me, Red.”

  Her insides trembled, and she almost forgot how to breathe. A rebellious part of her wanted to surrender and stop fighting the secret yearnings of her heart. How had he managed to go from her best friend to a man she wanted to drag off to bed for the rest of her life?

  She pushed those feelings aside long enough to remind him of their dinner reservation.

  It seemed to shake him from his daze. “Then let’s not linger here.”

  The journey from the villa to the restaurant was as uneventful as the previous night’s, but just like last night, they had an unexpected guest waiting for them.

  Mackinzie’s dress was a tasteless concoction of sequins and slits. The neckline plunged to her waist with only two thin strips of material that concealed the centers of her breasts and offered an extensive view of everything else. Similar slits rose all the way up to her hips to reveal the long, slender legs underneath. She sashayed to them and looped her arm through Gideon’s with a seductive smile. “I was wondering when you were going to show up. They refused to show me to our table until you arrived.”

  “That’s because I wasn’t having dinner with you,” he replied through clenched teeth. He tried to untangle himself from her, but Mackinzie seemed to have more arms than a Hindu goddess.

  She giggled. “Oh, stop playing hard to get, Gideon. We both know your assistant’s only here to cover for you in case I stood you up.”

  If you slap her, it will only embarrass Gideon. Sarah kept repeating that warning over and over again in her mind. But it still didn’t cool the fire rushing through her veins.

  “No, I made it very clear on the set that I was not having dinner with you.” Gideon managed to free himself once the actress went limp with shock.

  “You’re standing me up?” she asked, her voice rising both in volume and pitch with each word until it bordered on screeching.

  “It’s hard to stand someone up when they were never invited in the first place.”

  Sarah covered her grin with her gloved hand. Gideon was making her proud by putting Mackinzie in her place. But her amusement quickly faded into unease once she noticed all the eyes fixed on the scene they were making. The last thing she wanted was to be the center of attention.

  Mackinzie hyperventilated until she appeared to be on the verge of passing out. A raw sob broke free from her bright red lips, and to her credit, a tear rolled down her cheek. Maybe she was a better actress than they gave her credit for. “I can’t believe you would publicly embarrass me like this, Gideon Kelly.”

  Sarah cursed under her breath and pulled Gideon aside. “Shut her up before she drags you into tabloid hell.”

  “By what? Having dinner with her instead of you? No way, Red. This is our night.”

  The sobs morphed into bawling that would rival a two-year-old’s temper tantrum, and one thing became very clear: Mackinzie Donavan was an ugly crier.

  “You can make it up to me later.” She waved him toward Mackinzie. “Just go, before the gossip rags label you ‘America’s Asshole.’ ”

  He squinted at her as though he were gauging her intellect before heaving a sigh. “I’ll keep this as short as possible and make reservations for a makeup dinner some other night.”

  “That sounds lovely.” She squeezed his hand before stepping back. Her stomach curled at the idea of him having dinner with that bitch instead of her, but she knew firsthand how one event could be blown out of proportion by the media and how quickly public perceptions could nosedive in the aftermath. She’d give up her seat at the dinner table if it meant salvaging Gideon’s career.

  He cast one more wistful glance at her before turning to deal with the former model with mascara-covered cheeks. “Why don’t we sit down at a table and talk about this, Mackinzie?”

  Like flipping a switch, she turned from a sobbing mess to an ecstatic Barbie doll. “Really?” she asked, batting her eyes.

  Gideon winced before nodding. At least he wasn’t going to enjoy dinner with another woman. He took Mackinzie by the elbow and steered her inside. “Yes, but I want to make a few things very clear.”

  They disappeared from view, and Sarah finally released the chuckle she’d been holding back since she’d convinced Gideon to have dinner with his co-star. She turned and ran into a tux-covered wall of muscle.

  “I thought I’d find you here,” Gabe Harrison said with a slow, easy smile. “Sacrificed your place at the dinner table for her, huh?”

  “It was better than seeing her smear Gideon’s name all over the Internet.” Sarah lifted her skirt to step past him, but he blocked her path.

  “Perhaps I can make it up to you.”

  “Unless you’re willing to take Mackinzie out to dinner…”

  Gabe grimaced. “I was thinking more along the lines of taking you out to dinner. After all, you did get dressed up for the evening. Seems a waste to let a pretty woman dine alone.”

  “First, let me send some reinforcements to rescue the Kid.” She pulled out her phone and paused for a moment. It would be so easy to send Raul to fetch him, but it would be even funnier if she called on Maureen. She sent a text message to Gideon’s mom, saying he really wanted to talk to her. Once she called him, he would be able to politely excuse himself from the meal. “Done.”

  He offered her his arm. “Do you like Nobu?”


  “Never been there.” She dropped her phone in her clutch and looped her arm through his, intrigued enough to play along.

  “Then you are in for a treat.”

  But instead of leading her to the restaurant downstairs, he diverted her back to the Octavius Tower elevators. A hint of warning crawled along her skin until the elevator opened on the top floor.

  “I hope you don’t mind, but I arranged to have one of the chefs prepare dinner in my place. I figured it was safer than dining downstairs.” Gabe pulled out a room key and opened the door to the famed Nobu Villa.

  The scents of lemon and ginger and the serene sounds of soft music enveloped her from the second he opened the door. She stepped inside and drew in a deep breath, letting her tension fade away as she exhaled. The clean, open lines of the villa made Gideon’s seem crowded and fussy. “So you’re the one who beat us to the Nobu Villa?”

  “What can I say? I like the best.” He motioned for her to follow him out onto the rooftop deck. “Come see the view.”

  From up high, the crowded chaos of the street below seemed to be little more than an intricate dance of lights and movement. The fountains at the Bellagio were just wrapping up their elegant choreographed show to a song she couldn’t hear, and the volcano at the Mirage was spewing red lava. The concrete exterior still radiated the heat of the day, but the dry desert breeze prickled gooseflesh on her arms. “It’s nice up here.”

  “I agree.” Gabe leaned on the balcony and stared out at the Strip. “Do you want to dine inside or out?”

  “Inside, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course.” He opened the door for her. “Shall we give our order to the chef?”

  After they’d made their selections from the menu, a chef disappeared into the private kitchen, leaving them alone at the semicircular table.

  Gabe held out a chair for her and sat in the one beside it. “I’m glad I bumped into you tonight.”

  “There is nothing random about us meeting, especially since you happened to be waiting for me outside the restaurant and you happened to have a chef making dinner for two up here.”