She tries to do that to me, and we're outta here, Elmer chittered. Not that I’m against a vigorous massage, mind you. I just prefer one without the bubbles.
Hale bit back a chuckle. To his way of thinking, Elmer was crazy. Being bathed by Tracy Tannin sounded like a little slice of heaven.
The dog jerked free, then shook vigorously, drenching Tracy in a shower of suds. She jumped back, still holding onto the dog’s leash, and Hale could see the stream of bubbles that festooned her forehead, as if she’d used a soapy hand to wipe her hair from her eyes.
All in all, she was a mess. Hale thought she looked completely adorable.
As he approached, Tracy looked up, her perfect green eyes bright and curious.
He could tell the instant she recognized him, because her mouth formed a little O and her eyes registered pure delight.
“You,” she said. Her gaze shifted to his shoulder and Elmer, and her head cocked slightly.
After a moment, a slow smile spread across her face. With each infinitesimal increase in the expression, a band around Hale’s heart burst. Just being the recipient of this glowing welcome was like winning a prize, and Hale found himself wondering how he could bottle the warm, happy moment and keep it forever.
With a quick shake of his head, he banished such foolish thoughts. Ridiculous. He was here on a mission. The fact that he was attracted to this mortal would help make her seduction easier, that’s all. He certainly didn’t need to lose himself to sentimentality.
“I don’t believe it. You’re the guy from the other day.”
“Guilty,” he said.
“And you’re the ferret guy, too?”
She wiped a hand on her jeans and took a small step toward him, keeping her other hand on her dog’s leash. “Mel left a message that someone was coming to audition, but I never expected it was you.” She shook her head. “Talk about a small world.”
“I’m just considering myself lucky to see you again.” He closed his fingers around hers. Despite all the work she surely did with her hands, her skin was warm and soft. He wondered if the rest of her was just as caressable. He intended to find out.
A tiny V appeared above her nose as her brow furrowed. She was still looking at him, still holding his hand.
He scowled, uncomfortable under her assessment, and strangely fearful that upon this second, closer inspection she would somehow find him lacking. “Problem?”
Immediately she dropped his hand and backed away, her eyes wide. “No. Not at all. Sorry.” The crease in her forehead reappeared. “It’s just that I thought you looked so familiar the other day. And you still do. Only I can’t place it. You almost look like... I mean, I think I’ve seen—“
She took a deep breath. “This may sound silly, but are you—”
“Hale!”
At the new voice, Tracy’s mouth fell open and she took a step backward, almost stumbling over her soapy dog as she looked from Hale to some spot over his shoulder, then back again.
Hale turned to look behind him. A tall, thin man with graying hair and a slight limp was making his way toward the trailer. As soon as he got there, he slapped Hale heartily on the back, almost dislodging Elmer, who squeaked in protest:
Watch it, buddy. Ferret hitching a ride here.
“Good to see you. So glad you’re here. I’m Burke Cunningham. I produce Mrs. Dolittle and direct most of the episodes.” He turned to Tracy, his face lighting up. “And this little gal here helps us a lot in that department. Couldn’t do it without her, could we, Trace?”
She looked mildly bewildered. “Uh, no, sir.”
“Excellent! Excellent, my dear.” He wrapped his arm around Tracy’s shoulders and gave her a fatherly squeeze. “Wonderful girl,” he said, looking at Hale. “Pleasure to work with. The utmost professional.”
Tracy’s brow furrowed, but she didn’t say anything—even though Burke still had her shoulders in a lock and she looked decidedly uncomfortable.
The producer flashed a Hollywood smile Hale’s way. “I’m so glad the ferret belongs to you.” He rubbed his hands together. “I have a little proposition for you,” he added. Hale swallowed, wondering what was coming.
“You really are Hale?” Tracy asked, worming her way out from under Burke’s arm. “As in the cover-model Hale? You’re the ferret guy?”
“One and the same,” he admitted, the fact that she knew who he was thrilling him more than it should.
“I’m hoping Hale will join us for a few weeks,” Burke said. “Celebrity guest appearances.” He rubbed his hands together. “Could be quite a ratings boost.”
Oh, no you don’t! Elmer squeaked.
“Guest appearance?” Hale asked at exactly the same time. Elmer would never speak to him again if he stole the ferret’s limelight.
“Well, yes. I got the idea when Marty called about the ferret. It’s a brilliant plan, if I do say so, myself.” Burke squinted at Hale. “So, how about it?”
For a second, Hale was tempted. Then he caught a glance of his furry friend’s little face, and he knew that he could never intentionally steal Elmer’s thunder. “Sorry. I’m on vacation. This is Elmer’s gig.”
Burke shot him a cross look and, for a moment, Hale thought the producer was going to argue. Then he cleared his throat and said, “I see. Well, we’re certainly glad to have the ferret.”
Hale flashed a cover-model smile. “And he’s glad he’s here.” He looked pointedly at Elmer.
I know, I know. Don’t say you never did me any favors.
Hale stifled his urge to smile, focusing on Burke, whose attention had turned back to Tracy. The man certainly seemed obsessed. No great mystery there, though. Not only was the girl damned appealing, she was wearing the belt. Clearly, the accessory lived up to its hype.
Not that Burke was fawning over her in a sexual way. It was more like he was reaffirming that she had a job. Tracy must have been wanting reassurance that her job was safe, and the belt was providing her that. He started to wonder what else she might want, then realized that Burke was staring at him, clearly waiting for some comment.
Hale cleared his throat. “Elmer and I appreciate the welcome. I’m sure he’ll enjoy the next couple of weeks.” Silently, he urged Burke to leave. He wanted time alone with Tracy.
“Elmer’s episodes start shooting late next week,” Burke said. “I sent a script to Marty, but I think Tracy here may have one she can show you if you’re interested.”
Tracy nodded, her eyes never leaving Hale. “Um, yeah. I have one in the trailer.”
“Well, there you go!” Burke walloped Hale on the back again. “I’ll leave you in Ms. Tannin’s good hands, then. Pleasure meeting you.” He aimed a huge smile Tracy’s way. “Until next week, my dear. And you’re doing a fabulous job.” Then he scurried off. Considering how much he’d been eyeing Tracy, Hale wasn’t sorry to see him go.
“Well,” Tracy said, wiping her palms on her damp jeans. “I guess it’s just you and me.”
With a smile, Hale turned to face her full on. He liked the sound of that.
* * *
HALE. THE HALE. Completely hunky object of her non-Leon fantasies. And he was standing right in front of her. Towering over her, actually, which was no small feat considering she was five feet nine in her stockings. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t recognized him the other day, but she supposed the fact that he was wearing clothes instead of an open, flowing silk shirt or chain mail made all the difference.
It was a miracle. It was fabulous.
She glanced down, quickly assessing how grungy she looked.
It was a nightmare.
Meeting Hale wearing damp jeans and soap suds and wrestling a soggy dachshund wasn’t exactly the scenario she’d played out in her head on those long weekends curled up with a steamy romance novel.
Especially when he looked so positively delicious. Tall and dark, he was just like some Greek god who’d just stepped off a Baywatch set. Right now he was wearing jeans, a black T-
shirt, and black sport coat, but Tracy knew well enough what his chest and arms looked like under all that pesky material. She imagined him flexing his muscles and bursting out of the tailored linen jacket. She’d seen enough of his skin on the covers of her novels to know just how he’d look, and one word pretty much summed that up. Yum.
He looked like a dream, and Tracy looked like something the dog dragged in. Life really wasn’t fair.
Not that there was anything she could do about it now. She’d just have to be polite and not melt at his feet.
“So.” She floundered, her hand twirling as she searched for something brilliant, witty, and utterly unforgettable to say. “Guess you didn’t have any trouble finding the place. I mean, since you’d already been here and everything.” So much for brilliant and unforgettable.
“No problem at all.” Amusement danced in his eyes. They were the oddest shade of blue: deep like the sea, but accented with flecks of green and gold. Magical eyes.
She shivered, unsettled by her reaction to him. Sure she’d lusted over his body, but now that he was here in front of her, it wasn’t his body at all that attracted her. Well, maybe a little. He was put together in the most amazing way. But more than that was the way he’d acted around her the other day. Like he genuinely liked her. Like he was interested in her. Really and truly interested.
She even saw it in his face. Not just his eyes, either—though his stormy eyes were fabulous-—but in an openness in the way he looked at her. Like he’d move mountains to protect her. Like she was his entire world.
No one had ever looked at her like that before. Not Leon when he was begging for a date, not Walter back when they were living together. Not anyone. And the longer he looked at her like that, the more under his spell she’d fall.
Blinking, she shook her head. Get a grip, girl! Jeesh, she’d been reading too many books with this man on the cover, and now she was falling for an image manufactured by those publishers. The truth was he barely knew her, and he certainly didn’t have any reason to be interested in her that way. For that matter, she didn’t really know him either. And she’d do well to tamp down on her raging hormones.
Taking a deep breath, she bent down and concentrated on Peanut, using a nearby towel to dry the dog. Sure, the dachshund would be just fine for a few more minutes, but Tracy needed an excuse not to look at Hale. Because if she looked, she’d simply stare. And if she stared, she’d drool. And drooling wasn’t on the Miss Manners top-ten list.
But turning away was impolite. Since staring was dangerous and turning away wasn’t a good option either, she stood back up, concentrating on the ferret on his shoulder. “So this is our new star.” She glanced to Hale’s face. “Is he trained?”
She met Hale’s eyes. Damn! Now she was in trouble.
For some reason, the question seemed to amuse him. “Trained? Oh, yeah. Elmer’s the Shamu of ferrets.” The corner of his mouth twitched, and the little guy on his shoulder started chattering away. “Will you be quiet?” Hale snapped.
Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry?”
“Not you. Elmer.”
Sure enough, the ferret’s little mouth was now clamped firmly closed.
“Not too shabby,” she said.
For a second, Hale looked confused. Then he laughed, the sound delighting her. “Right. Yes, well. I told you he was trained.”
“And smart, too.”
“Well, he knows the word ‘quiet.’ I use it around him a lot.” His gentle smile warmed her, and Tracy again had the distinct feeling that there was more than just politeness in his expression.
Mentally, she shook her head, more forcefully this time. Nonsense. She was rolling in nonsense. Guys like Hale weren’t interested in her. Then again, neither were guys like Leon, but he’d been quite the puppy dog just an hour ago.
Standing up a little straighter, she returned his smile. Maybe she didn’t have her grandmother’s charisma, but she hardly needed a paper bag over her head. And as for conjuring confidence when faced with gorgeous male specimens, that was why she’d worn her talisman. It seemed to be working.
Her fingers skimmed her waist and the cool metal of her good-luck-charm belt. So long as she was wearing it, she’d do just fine talking with these fabulous specimens of male-dom. All she had to do was keep telling herself that. Maybe eventually, she’d actually believe it.
“Well,” she said briskly. “Maybe we should get started.” She held out her hands. “Can I hold him?”
Curiously, the ferret squeaked and shimmied on Hale’s shoulder, then jumped straight into Tracy’s arms.
Surprised, she just held the little furball, then looked up at Hale. “I’ll take that as a yes?”
A wry grin crossed his face. “He also knows the word ‘hold.’”
“I guess you were right. He is well trained.”
“He’s got attitude, though.” Hale aimed a pointed look in the ferret’s direction. “Lots and lots of attitude.”
Elmer stretched out in Tracy’s arms, his belly up, a contented look on his furry little face. “I see what you mean,” she said, stroking his tummy.
He made a soft sound, half-squeak and half-sigh.
“No kidding,” Hale said.
“I’m sorry?” she said and frowned. She wasn’t following.
He shook his head. “Just agreeing with the ferret.”
“Agreeing with him?” She laughed. “What? Do you speak Ferret?”
“Of course.” He spoke perfectly straight-faced, but the laughter in his eyes gave him away. “He was talking about what ecstasy it was to have you stroking him like that.”
The twinkle in Hale’s eyes faded, his irises darkening as he took a step toward her, close enough that she could smell the subtle scent of his cologne. “I was just agreeing.” His low whisper tickled her ear.
“I... oh.” Heat curled through her body, starting at her toes and radiating up until she was sure her cheeks burned bright red. He was flirting with her again. Rather blatantly, for that matter. And despite the jolt of confidence she’d hoped for from the belt, she couldn’t think of a single thing to say.
So much for relying on fashion to see you through a crisis.
“No response?” His delicious grin teased her, but she wasn’t any closer to having anything intelligent or flirty to say.
She tried to catch his eye, tried to think of a snappy comeback, but couldn’t quite manage. “I’m working on it,” she mumbled.
The man was toying with her, that much was clear. Maybe he was truly attracted to her and maybe he wasn’t, but she supposed it didn’t matter. He’d grabbed the upper hand and she needed to get it back. No way was she going to dissolve into a puddle of feminine mush. That would hardly wow the man. Besides, considering Mel’s workload, Tracy would probably be the one in charge of training his ferret, and that meant she’d be working closely with Hale. Which meant she needed to at least keep up the pretense of being professional.
It might sound awfully appealing, but she’d read enough articles in Cosmo to know that lust and the working girl could be a very bad combination. At least until she could figure out how to be around Hale and not feel like she was teetering on a sensual precipice.
Lust was one thing. Out-of-control was something entirely different.
Determined, she pulled herself up, practicing the kind of posture that would make her grandmother proud. She was in control. Professional. That was her, all right. True, the effect might be slightly diminished by the fact that she was holding a writhing ferret, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that.
“Maybe we should head inside and take a look at that script.” There. That sounded in control.
“You lead. I’m happy to follow.”
There wasn’t anything suggestive about his words or his tone. But somehow Tracy just knew. It was in the way he looked at her. In that little light in his eyes, and in the way his gaze never left her face.
She swallowed. If Hale wasn’t truly interested
in her, he was doing a damn fine imitation. Turning away, she hid a secret smile. This had started out as one of the most bizarre days of her life. It looked like it was going to stay that way.
As she walked along, she cast a sideways glance at Hale. Yup. Definitely bizarre. But also very, very nice.
Chapter Ten
* * *
THE INSIDE OF the trailer smelled vaguely like wet fur, and Hale had to smile. Considering how much time he spent with Elmer, the smell reminded him of home.
Of course, his apartment was significantly bigger. The quarters inside the trailer were decidedly cramped, and the company intern left as they arrived—simply to give them more room. Not that Hale minded the tight quarters. At the moment, it put him in deliciously close contact with Tracy. He was content to simply stand there forever.
Unfortunately, Tracy wasn’t.
Without meeting his eyes, she cleared her throat, then shifted her weight from one foot to another, rocking Elmer, who was still in her arms. Hale got the impression that she wasn’t sure where to go or where to turn. He wanted to just open his arms and invite her in.
For just a moment, their eyes met, and he saw a glimmer of desire in her emerald-green irises. Excellent. That meant he was already halfway to seduction. In no time at all, the mission would be accomplished and he’d be on a beach finishing his vacation.
After a few seconds, the expression disappeared and her eyes were again aimed at the floor.
“So,” he said, trying for levity. “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” He wanted—no, needed—to seduce her. But coming on too strong might scare her away.
It worked; she laughed. A genuine laugh that burst out so fast she slapped a hand over her mouth, almost dropping Elmer in the process.
Watch it! Some of us can’t levitate, you know!
A flurry of movement near him caught Hale’s eye, and he turned to look into the sleepy eyes of a female ferret. “Well, hi, there. What’s your name?” he said.
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