Dreaming With My Eyes Wide Open (Hollywood Legends #2)

by Mary J. Williams

  “I don’t give a shit what the guards are doing.” He threw the expensive crystal glass across the room, spilling the precious liquid in every direction. “Tell me what is going on inside.”

  “My ears are down.” He referred to the remote listening device he had used during the first few hours after the security crew’s arrival. “Something is blocking the signal.”

  “Then unblock it.”

  “It will take some time.”

  “You have until tomorrow. Understood?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He sat back in his chair. Opening the top drawer of his desk, he took out a framed picture. Paige Chamberlin. The moment he saw her, he knew she was what he had been looking for.

  Beautiful. Elusive. Her blond hair gleamed in the sunlight. Natural. He made certain she didn’t get those highlights from a bottle. Everything about her called to him. Refined and wild at the same time. Educated. Well spoken.

  Paige hadn’t been spoiled like so many attractive women were. Women like her friend who used her looks to get what she wanted. Paige worked hard, never asking for handouts. He admired that.

  Soon she would have anything she wanted. He would see to that.

  He ran a finger across the glass, imagining it was her skin. He wouldn’t grow tired of Paige. She would amuse him for months. Perhaps years.

  When the time came for him to find a new toy, he would regret getting rid of her.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “GREAT JOB. THAT is a wrap for the day.”

  Eight solid hours. Nate considered that a triumph. All the drama hadn’t slowed them down or disrupted their rhythm. If anything, everyone seemed more focused and intent on making the best movie possible.

  “Same time tomorrow?” Wilt asked.

  “I want to get some exterior shots.” Nate walked the man to his car. “The forecast is calling for rain next week so Homer and I are going to take advantage of the sunshine while it lasts.”

  “Need any help?”

  “Enjoy the time off,” Nate said. “You and Edith have some heavy scenes coming up. I want to tackle the plate throwing fight on Monday.”

  “Think you can churn up the rage?” Edith teased Wilt. “When was the last time you were mad? Really mad?”

  “That’s easy. The time you deliberately dropped a bowling ball on my foot. The memory of two broken toes should do the trick.”

  “Dare I ask?” Nate enjoyed the banter between Wilt and Edith. It was done with the ease of long-time friends. “Why did you drop a bowling ball on Wilt’s foot?”

  “To rile him up, naturally.” Edith had the good grace to look contrite. “It was an impulsive decision. I didn’t take the time to think it out.”

  “It was two weeks before I could walk without a limp. Luckily, we were doing a production of The Man Who Came to Dinner. That wheelchair was more than just a prop.”

  “Now you can thank me.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  Edith gave Wilt a big, innocent smile. “I was preparing you for this part. If I hadn’t broken your toes, you wouldn’t have anything to draw upon for our fight scene.”

  “Thank you? Thank you?”

  “You’re welcome.”

  Nate laughed as his leading man and lady continued to argue as they got into his car and drove off.

  “They could take that act on the road.”

  “No need. They have a standing room only crowd every time they perform in Basic,” Nate told Travis.

  The man had acted as his shadow all day. Not an ideal situation. When Nate sent for reinforcements, he wasn’t thinking about himself, but after speaking with his parents that morning, Nate was resigned to it. Callie had given her enthusiastic seal of approval. She felt better knowing someone had his back.

  His mother would worry. She said it was part of the job. Therefore, if it relieved her mind to have him saddled with a glorified babysitter, so be it.

  “Small towns can be the best. And the worst.” Travis shrugged. “I left Mississippi behind because I wanted to see the world. I thought the Army was my fastest way out. What I saw I wouldn’t wish on anyone.”

  Nate couldn’t begin to understand what Travis had been through. He seemed well adjusted, but he learned from his brother’s fiancée that outward appearances could be deceiving. You never knew what another person was going through.

  Between Garrett and a professional counselor, Jade said when she was able to talk about what happened to her, she finally began to heal. Nate hoped that Travis had someone to confide in.

  “I can’t imagine going back to Tupelo. It’s been ten years. I’m not the same kid who left looking for adventure. Excuse me.”

  Nate waited while Travis listened as one of his men checked in. The Bluetooth headset kept the men connected no matter where they were on the ranch. Now, Chuck had an escort while he checked fences. Paige worked with one of her horses. She was in the corral by the barn, making it easy for Nate to keep an eye on her. Two men from the crew had her in their sights at all times, but he liked checking for himself that she was safe.

  The sun gleamed off her long, honey-blond hair. Nate knew that it was as soft as it appeared. Waking up with Paige in his arms, he had run his fingers through the thick, silky tresses. Having her so close, warm, and sweet, it had taken all his willpower not to make love to her. She was temptation personified and he had never been a man to turn away from a willing woman.

  Surprisingly, he found there was something to be said for simply holding someone as the first ray of sunlight streamed through the bedroom window. No. Not someone. Paige. The moment was special because she was the woman. Because she was special.

  As though she sensed his scrutiny, Paige looked his way. Her smile was slow, followed by a wink before she returned to brushing the dappled horse’s coat.

  “She’s amazing.”

  “I can’t fault you for noticing.” Nate turned his head, giving the other man an even stare.

  “Impressive,” Travis said with a grin. “I had a drill sergeant who could knock a recruit down to size with one look. You could give him a run for his money.”

  “Just making sure you know that Paige is not available.”

  As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Nate knew it was the truth. Paige was his. Simple as that. He waited for his stomach to clench with panic. It didn’t happen. He felt calm even though his heart raced. He felt grounded and light at the same time.

  “Ah,” Travis nodded. “You’ve staked your claim.”

  “I guess I have.”

  “Does Paige know that?”

  “No. But she will,” Nate said emphatically.

  “Maybe she won’t want you. Maybe she would like another option.”

  “You?”

  “Maybe.”

  Nate couldn’t believe the nerve of the man. He had the nerve to stand there, practically throwing a challenge in his face. Was he crazy or suicidal? Luckily, Nate caught the twitching of Travis’ lips.

  “You have a dangerous sense of humor.” Nate shook his head. “Try grinning with a broken jaw. I could have hurt you.”

  “You could have tried.” Travis gave Nate a measuring look. “I’d say your chances would be fifty-fifty.”

  “Idiot.”

  “Hey,” Travis shrugged. He was still smiling, but his eyes were serious. “I have a younger sister. I wouldn’t want a guy fooling with her if his intentions weren’t honorable.”

  “Honorable?” Nate laughed. “Jesus, do people still talk like that?”

  “They do in Tupelo. I doubt that Basic is much different.” Travis tapped the device in his ear. “Copy that. I’ll be right there.”

  “Trouble?”

  “Probably nothing.” Seeing the worried frown on Nate’s face, Travis patted his shoulder. “Colin, our tech geek, found a hiccup.”

  “What does that translate to in non-geek speak?”

  “Every morning, Colin does a check of the monitoring from the previous day. The sys
tem is set up to alert us when there is any kind of breach. Most of the time it turns out to be nothing.”

  “Breach?” Nate didn’t like the sound of that.

  “Come with me.” Travis headed toward the van that housed the monitoring equipment. The vehicle was parked by the side of the barn where the satellite feed was the strongest. “Colin can explain it to us at the same time.”

  Nate had been inside the van. Travis showed him the setup yesterday when it arrived. It wasn’t what he had expected. Instead of banks of flashing lights and multiple computer screens, the equipment only took up one wall. The rest of the interior looked like a luxurious dorm room. A coffee pot, a microwave oven, and a mid-sized built-in refrigerator on one side. A bed on the other. Colin spent a lot of time cooped up in here, Travis had told him. H&W wanted him to be comfortable.

  “What’s up?” Travis hopped in the back. Nate stayed outside by the door. The van was luxurious, but it wasn’t meant to accommodate three adult males.

  “Could be nothing.”

  “But…” Travis prompted. He knew how Colin operated. Under the gun, the man was the fastest tech he knew. However, he loved to draw out moments like this one.

  “We are still in catch-up mode so I was late doing the usual morning run-through. Man, there are a lot of deer in this area. If Jack and Drew hadn’t given the system that wildlife upgrade, the alarms would be going off constantly.”

  “Colin, you’re wandering.” Travis rolled his eyes at Nate. “Circle back to the point.”

  “Right.”

  Colin’s fingers moved over the keyboard at sonic speed. For someone who spent much of his time in a small, enclosed space, he had the look of a man in prime condition. It was a requirement when you worked at H&W Security. No matter what your job was, you stayed field fit.

  “There,” Colin pointed to the screen.

  Nate leaned closer. “What are we looking at?” All he could see were a bunch of lines.

  “Right there.” When Nate shook his head, Colin hit two keys, increasing the size of the lines. “There is a jump — it looks like a little wave.”

  Reaching between the men, Nate tapped the screen. “That?”

  “I wouldn’t have called you in for one jump. They happen. Even with beyond state of the art equipment like this.” Colin moved the line along. “This is what got my attention.”

  “Another jump.” Travis frowned at the screen.

  “One I can justify. Two means an attempted breach.”

  “Someone tried to listen in,” Travis explained to Nate. “A long range device. They can be effective. But it would easily be blocked by our stuff.”

  “They wouldn’t get anything but static. They tried at eight o’clock and again at nine.”

  “That was it? Just a second.” Travis tapped his earphone. “Go.” He listened then turned to Nate. “There is a Dr. Mount at the first checkpoint. She’s on the approved list, but we like to double check first-time visitors.”

  “Irene is a friend of the family. Let her in.”

  “Roger that.”

  “I can’t trace this after the fact,” Colin sat back in his chair. He took a drink of coffee before continuing. “If I caught the person in the act, I could pinpoint where the signal came from. I have set up an internal watchdog. I’ll be alerted if it happens again.”

  “They know they’re being blocked,” Nate said. “It would be stupid to try again.”

  “Luckily for us, stupid is more common than you think.” Travis hopped out of the van. “We make a lot of hay on the stupidity of would-be criminals.”

  “I don’t want to keep Chuck and Paige out of the loop. Is this something we should be worried about?”

  “It’s worrisome,” Travis admitted. “On a scale of one to ten, I’d call it a three. We have the advantage because we know it happened. The who and the why is still up in the air. Maybe it was a reporter trying to get a scoop. You’re hot news right now.”

  “That makes sense.” Nate’s gaze automatically wandered to Paige. “If it hadn’t been for the explosion, it would be the only logical explanation. Of course, if it weren’t for the explosion, you and your crew wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t know about the would-be eavesdropper.”

  “I would tell you to relax and let us handle it, but I don’t suppose you can do that.”

  “Not in the DNA.”

  “Mmm. It’s a common trait in my circle of acquaintances.” Travis slapped Nate on the back. “If worrying keeps you on your toes, that’s a good thing. Don’t let it consume you.” He nodded toward Paige. “Let yourself enjoy the first blush of love.”

  “When did I mention love?” Nate hadn’t used the word. Not yet. He found it disconcerting to hear it from Travis before he admitted it to himself.

  “Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.” Travis walked away, laughing at his witticisms.

  “That one is as old as the trees,” Nate called out.

  “Old but accurate,” Travis replied, not turning around.

  Nate opened his mouth, but the retort he had planned didn’t materialize. He wasn’t in denial. He was being… cautious. Yes, he thought of Paige as his. Yes, he began to envision a future beyond his time in Montana.

  Nate always pictured himself finding what his parents had. He wanted to be in love. He wanted a woman to share his life — have his children. Someone who was a friend. A lover. A mate in the truest sense of the word.

  He had been fortunate to see firsthand what that looked like. It was a hard standard to match, but Nate knew the right woman was out there.

  “Hi.” Paige appeared before him, her smile bright as sunshine. “I’m done for the day.”

  “Me too.”

  Nate took her hand, carrying it to his lips. Beautiful Paige. The right woman. After all his travels, who could have guessed that he would find her on a ranch just outside a place called Basic, Montana.

  “I like when you do that.” Paige’s eyes were a warm, chocolate brown.

  “You like my lips on your hand?” Nate kissed her again, lingering on her soft skin. “Where else do you like them?”

  “I like them everywhere. Anywhere. If we weren’t in plain sight with I don’t know how many eyes watching, we could play show and tell.” Paige’s voice lowered. “I tell you where to kiss me…”

  “And I show you how good I can make you feel.”

  Paige closed her eyes. Looking at Nate made her want things. Hot, sexy things that right now, weren’t possible.

  “We need to be alone.”

  Nate’s mouth was close to her ear, the touch of his breath on her sensitive skin sent a shiver down Paige’s spine.

  “Yes.” Her mind raced. “The tack room. It’s private and you won’t be breaking the ‘no sex in the house’ rule.”

  “You go first.” Nate moved away, trying to look like a man who wasn’t arranging a sexual rendezvous. “I’ll follow in a few minutes. Wait.” Nate fished the key out of his pocket. Since the smashed camera incident, he and Chuck were the only ones with keys.

  “Crap,” Paige’s attention moved to something over Nate’s right shoulder. “Keep the key. It was a nice thought.”

  “What?” Nate frowned, turning to see what Paige was looking at. He sighed. Irene Mount was getting out of her car.

  “Irene,” Paige called out.

  Nate saw the frustration he felt mirrored in Paige’s eyes as she turned to greet her friend. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair. He was pushing thirty. At this point in his life, sex wasn’t supposed to be this complicated. Between Paige’s father, exploding trucks, and friends who dropped by without notice, getting her naked was more of a challenge than he liked.

  The sound of laughter drifted over him. Sweet and sexy at the same time. The happy sound reached into Nate’s heart. It was difficult to hold onto any resentment when Irene was responsible for putting a smile like that on Paige’s face.

  “Nate.” Paige beckoned him over. “Come see the picture of
the foal Irene delivered.”

  “Starlight’s Promise. His mother was a champion in her day.”

  Irene beamed like a proud parent as she passed her phone to Nate. The gangly newborn stood by his mother. If a horse could look arrogant, this one found a way. He seemed to know his place was rarefied. He would be pampered and catered to. And if his genes held true, he would run like the wind. In time, he would be put out to stud. The circle of life.

  “Is your father around?”

  Irene looked around, feeling a bit nervous. After their last encounter, she wasn’t sure what to expect. On the drive from the airport, she tried to give herself a pep talk. Yes, she had put her cards on the table. Yes, when she drove off after suggesting that she and Chuck become lovers, his expression had been one of shock, not pleasure. And yes, she knew it had been the right thing to do.

  Irene wondered if being right was worth the risk of losing a good friend.

  “Dad should be back soon,” Paige said, blissfully unaware of what was going on in Irene’s head. “Come in and tell me about the Sheik. What was your room like? Did he pay you a midnight visit?”

  “That’s a good question. Did he?”

  “Hello, Chuck.” Irene was amazed that her voice sounded so normal. Her mouth was so dry the words should have stuck to her tongue on the way out.

  “I didn’t know you were back,” Paige said with a smile. “Isn’t this a wonderful surprise? The foal didn’t want to wait. He arrived only a few hours after Irene got there so her trip took less time than expected.”

  “I…” Irene swallowed, trying to find the right words. There weren’t any that seemed to fit the situation, so she winged it. “Basic made the national news.”

  “According to Lottie, there has been an influx of new blood.” Paige understood that Nate’s last name drew a lot of attention. He drew attention. Still, it was hard to imagine why anyone would travel so far out of their way on the off chance they might catch a glimpse of a celebrity.

  “Reporters and looky-loos from what I hear,” Chuck said.