by Dee J. Adams
“What?” Cal asked. Her eyes narrowed at the obvious excitement on Julie’s face.
“I’ve got it! I can’t do the movie, but you can!”
The air in the room changed instantly. Cal sat forward in her seat, her head tilted to the side. “What? What are you saying?” She slipped her iPad into her bag.
“I’m saying that Ari’s going to tell me he can’t wait for me to shoot the film and you’ll be there and I’ll say, ‘You should talk to Carrie Ann. She’d be great for the role.’”
“You’d do that for me?” Cal asked, her tone full of shock and awe.
“Of course! There’s no reason not to. If I can’t have it, at least my best friend should get a shot at it. I mean, it’s up to him, of course, but he’s not going to tell you to your face that he won’t even give you a chance. He’ll be afraid he’s hurting his chances of getting me in the sack. He’ll agree to talk to you, maybe even screen-test you. You’ll be ready and blow him out of the water! It’ll be great!”
Julie still felt guilty for the Nowhere to Hide debacle. She’d been originally slated to do the role, but the script had changed at the last minute and she hadn’t liked the direction. Cal had auditioned, and because Julie had turned it down, Cal had booked the movie. It had been a disaster. Cal never blamed her for the fallout, but Julie had blamed herself. Yes, she’d told Cal her concerns over the new script and explained why she didn’t want to do the project, but Cal hadn’t cared. She’d thought the movie was going to be giant. It had been a giant flop. That single movie had shaped Cal’s career, and Julie had gone on to shoot one of the biggest blockbuster hits of that year.
Life worked in mysterious ways.
Still, Ari’s script was wonderful and Julie had wanted the part from the beginning. Her meetings with Ari were part of the process and she knew he was meeting with other A-list actresses in town. She understood the business. If sleeping with Ari sealed the part for her, then she just wouldn’t do the movie. She didn’t need the work that bad. If one of the other actresses Ari met with wanted the part bad enough to let little Ari under the sheets, then so be it. She couldn’t control it.
Ari had assured her the script wouldn’t change, and this movie had so much heart and emotion wrapped in a sexy package it was bound to get the critics’ attention. It was just what Cal needed to jump-start her career.
“It’s settled. You stay for dinner and before the night is out, you’ll be in the running for Meltdown. If Ari thinks he can invite himself over at the drop of the hat, he’s going to get a surprise of his own. You.”
Cal shot off her chair like a rocket, and only at the very last second did she slow down to envelope Julie in a close hug. “You are the bestest friend a girl could ask for.”
Julie rolled her eyes. “I know. I rock.”
Cal laughed and squeezed her too tight.
Pain zipped up and down her arm and exploded across her chest. “Ouch!” Julie said around a laugh.
Grinning, Cal pulled back. “Sorry. My bad.”
The doctor rounded the corner and Julie saw her day brightening up by the minute.
Chapter Six
Six weeks later
Troy opened the limo door for Ari as he scanned the neighborhood. It seemed as if a million cars crowded the narrow road in the small canyon. The sun had already set behind the hilltop and a cool breeze whispered through the trees. Giant stilt houses sat smashed together on the mountainside. No one could’ve paid him to live on a hill in Los Angeles. One good earthquake and any one of these stilt homes could go falling down in a matter of seconds. He’d pass.
Because Ari enjoyed making an entrance, they were arriving when the party was in full swing. Noise and music drifted in the light wind and proved the Hollywood party was a success.
This marked his first day back with Ari. It had been a great six-week reprieve when Ari’s movie had been postponed and he’d gone back to London to be with Sophia. Sophia had given Troy a retainer to ensure his help when Ari arrived back in the States. He’d had nothing for too many years so he’d never been good at saying no to free money.
Even though he knew no one was out to do Ari harm, Sophia had persuaded her husband otherwise, so Troy played the part of the watchful bodyguard. He hated the role. But a job was a job and aside from pretending to be someone he wasn’t, this proximity to Ari made finding the truth about his fidelity that much easier.
He walked with Ari into the swank high-tech house with its glass windows and steel beams, travertine tile and plush furniture. The decibel level doubled as people laughed and chatted in full party mode. He glanced around the crowded room and recognized a handful of famous faces. Some he could put names to and others just looked familiar. His gaze stopped on the honey-blond-haired woman near a grand piano in the corner. He couldn’t see her face, but he knew without a doubt whose back he was staring at. Hip-hugger black slacks outlined her perfect ass and gave her long legs a clean line. Black fuck-me stilettos gave her an extra four inches. Her black shirt crisscrossed to reveal lines of smooth, pale skin. Troy stood mesmerized, waiting for her to turn, waiting for the moment when he’d see her face again.
Like him, she’d been able to ditch the bandages and her left arm seemed to be working fine as she sipped her drink, then laughed at what someone said to her. Ari had moved deeper into the room and Troy stayed near the front door. He’d intended to go back to the car after checking out the interior, but instead, his feet wouldn’t budge.
Ari made a beeline to Julie. She shifted, saw him coming and Troy noticed the second of dread on her face before she covered it with a smile. She turned, hugged Ari and glanced around the room. She spotted Troy and couldn’t hide the shock. Her eyes widened and her lips parted in a small gasp.
Seeing her was like watching the sun rise after months of darkness. A warm glow settled in his gut and a half grin curved his lips. But she did he oddest thing. She scowled at him.
Ari pulled away and she focused on their conversation. They chatted and she actually shifted so that she wouldn’t see Troy over Ari’s shoulder. What was that about?
Now he refused to go back to the car. Not until he talked to her. Fifteen of the longest minutes of his life passed before Ari moved on and Julie went into another room. If she meant to get away from him, she’d have to do better than that.
Troy stayed to the edge of the room and made his way into the next, another large room full of partygoers. He saw her just as she eased through the sliding doors to the balcony.
Perfect.
* * *
Julie took a deep breath of the cool night air. She needed it to clear her head. House lights spotted the dark canyon as she gazed out. She hadn’t expected to see Ari and she really hadn’t expected to see Troy Mills. It had taken her this many weeks to stop thinking about him and now he’d shown up with Ari.
He’d never told her who employed him and like an idiot, she’d assumed wrong. Now she realized he wasn’t security for the Sporties. He worked for Ari.
The whoosh of the slider doors behind her made her sigh. She’d have liked a little time to herself, but at a party this crowded, it was virtually impossible.
“How’s the back and the arm feeling?”
She closed her eyes as Troy’s voice melted over her senses. Why did she have it so bad for this guy?
“Really?” she asked, turning to face him. “I’m a little surprised you want to know.” She sounded bitchier than she’d ever been in her life and she didn’t like it. The hurt she’d felt at him leaving without saying goodbye had turned into anger. “I’m sorry,” she said, slapping a muzzle on her irritation. “I’m doing much better. How are you?”
He studied her closely. Too closely. His scrutiny made her cheeks hot, and she set her elbows on the rail and leaned out, trying to enjoy the night and the view of all the homes across the canyon and wishing like hell she wasn’t so affected by this man’s attention.
“I’m doing okay. Although I am wondering what I
did to piss you off so badly.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and shook his head. “Nope. Can’t figure it out. You’ll have to tell me.”
Julie took another deep breath and tried to ignore the second wave of anger that crept up from inside. She couldn’t look at him, and a rough chuckle escaped her throat. “I’m not pissed off.” Except her denial rang false. Hurt described it better, but she didn’t plan on sharing that. “Honestly? You have no idea?” She shook her head. “I guess it’s true... Men are from Mars and women are from Venus.”
“Wow,” he muttered. “I guess I was wrong about you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean? Wrong about what?”
“I wasn’t sure what you’d be like and I never thought I’d find out. But then I did and I thought you were one of the nicest people I’d ever met.”
I was wrong about you. He didn’t need to repeat the words. They hung in the air from the first time he said them, like a battering ram ready to hit again.
Now she was pissed off. Fine. He wanted an answer, she’d give him one. “You know what?” She spun, ready to tell him exactly how she felt at discovering he’d gone without a simple goodbye, ready to admit he’d hurt her when he’d left so suddenly, but the sliding glass door shattered into a million pieces. The explosion of glass scared the crap out of her and she jumped a mile as people screamed from inside the house. A second later, Troy rammed into her, knocked the breath out of her as they fell flat onto the balcony floor. He’d turned her sideways and kept her weight on top of him, but once they landed he covered her fully as glass sprayed them from the second slider door.
Was it an earthquake? Couldn’t be. Nothing else moved besides the shattering glass. “What’s happening?” Julie shouted above the din. Each slider door along the back of the house systematically splintered into razor sharp shards that rained over them in a dangerous shower. Troy turned her away from the glass and protected her head with his hands as his weight kept her pinned down.
The noise finally stopped. Beige curtains riddled with rips and holes gently swung out onto the balcony. Bullet holes. At least an inch of shattered glass covered the balcony floor around them. Shouts and cries from inside the house punctuated the silence.
“What the hell?” Julie murmured. She tried to get up, but Troy didn’t budge.
“Are you hurt?” he asked. Looking into her eyes, he studied her face, lifted off her only enough to scan her body for any injuries.
Tremors shook her from head to toe. “N-no,” she stuttered. “I don’t think so.” Not physically, but being on the receiving end of more bullets was hell on her psyche. “I’m okay.” She moved her hand along his back and ran into more broken glass. “Oh, my God, are you okay?” Tons of glass shards stuck to her damp palm.
He nodded and gingerly shook out his hair. Glass sprinkled and tinkled around her. “Yeah. I’m good.”
Someone moved behind the curtain, then something shattered inside the house. Julie flinched and people screamed.
“Shit,” Troy hissed. He reached for his phone and called 911. “Busy,” he muttered. “Someone had to have called this in by now.” He tucked the phone away.
They were trapped out here. She tried to shake the glass off her hand with little luck. “What are we going to do?” she asked.
He shrugged and adjusted his weight over her so he wouldn’t completely crush her. “First, we can’t do anything but wait for the police. There’s a sniper out there. Second, this isn’t like the Sporties. We’ve got all night to wait this guy out because you’re not bleeding out.”
Her eyes widened even more and she forgot about the glass in her hand. “A sn-sniper? You mean like the same sniper who shot me—us—before?”
His eyes narrowed. “Yeah. Just like that.” He studied her carefully, his gaze searching hers. “Who wants you dead?”
Julie bristled. “No one wants me dead. I’m a nice person.” When he didn’t say anything and one eyebrow rose a fraction, she got nose-to-nose with him. “I am,” she insisted. “People love me! I’m America’s Sweetheart for God’s sake.” Now she was sounding ridiculous even to herself, especially under the circumstances. She deflated and lay back on the cement. “We don’t know that this is strictly because of me. A lot of people here were at the Sporties.”
“True,” he agreed with a shake of his head. “But none of them got shot.”
A fresh surge of panic washed through her. “You really think someone is out specifically for me?” Even she heard the hysteria in her tone.
“Easy there,” he said smoothing his thumbs over her ears. The movement felt intimate. Too intimate considering she was mad at him and flat on her back beneath him while someone continued to take random potshots into the house. Interesting how they couldn’t really hear the bullets until they crashed into something. “I think when we get out of this, you need to sit down with the police and figure out who could possibly be behind this.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t—”
“Shh,” he whispered. “Don’t worry about it now. Let’s talk about something else.”
“Are you nuts? Talk about something else while we’re trapped here for God knows how long?”
He shrugged and the motion caused her to feel every hard muscle in his chest and thighs. The man took care of himself. “We’ve got nothing better to do.”
Maybe not, but his position made Julie much too aware of how much time had passed since she’d been this close to a man, too aware of the fact that she missed this kind of intimacy with the opposite sex. “Do you think you could move off me a fraction?”
He grinned down at her, his face a combination of boyish mischief and sexy heartthrob. “I think you’re safer right where you are.”
“Said the fox to the hen.” She narrowed her eyes.
He had the audacity to laugh.
“Can’t we at least sit up? Our heads are well below the balcony.”
“I don’t know how many rounds went into the wall. I don’t know how sturdy it is. I do know I want you to stay as far down as possible. I don’t want to give this guy any chances. You’re safe just like this.” Maybe she was safe from bullets and falling bits of stucco from the house, but she didn’t feel safe from him and the feelings he sparked in her. “So... Now’s the perfect time to tell me what I did to piss you off so bad. C’mon, you know you want to. Get it off your chest.”
“I’d rather get you off my chest,” she grumbled.
He laughed again. Low and soft, it totally dissolved her anger. Of course the shooting had pretty much taken her mind right off of her annoyance. How could she be mad at him when he’d saved her a second time? If he hadn’t tackled her, she’d probably be bleeding out again.
“Truth?” she asked.
The grin faded as he looked down at her. “Truth.” His low voice rumbled through her and a streak of goose bumps chased down her arms.
“I was hurt because you never said goodbye when you left the hospital.” She couldn’t look at him. Didn’t want to see what might be in his eyes. Didn’t even want to guess at what he might be thinking. “I thought we were friends. I thought...” She didn’t bother finishing her sentence. Just because she had a crush on the guy didn’t mean he’d reciprocate.
“Shit,” he muttered. He dropped his chin to his chest and she could barely see his face. When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with remorse. “I went to your room. Honest to God. I looked for you. I even went to the PT room to see if you and Kelly were working out. I didn’t know where you were. I’m sorry.” He nodded his head. “I’m really sorry. You are the one person I wanted to see most before I left.” He shook his head. “We hadn’t exchanged numbers and I didn’t know if you’d even want me calling you, you know, to keep in touch. I didn’t know...” He trailed off again, closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”
Okay. It was official. She was a huge bitch. Her America’s Sweetheart crown could now be stripped from her
without cause for appeal. But because she was one of the best actresses in Hollywood and because she had no clue how long they might be trapped here, she let go her worries and tried to lighten up the only way she knew how. By acting.
* * *
Julie rolled her eyes and sighed as if forgiving him was one step farther than she wanted to go. “I was visiting the pediatric ward that morning. I had sent down a big bouquet of flowers and the nurses said the kids wanted to thank me.”
“Pediatrics.” Troy sighed. “I didn’t check there.” He should’ve waited to leave the hospital until he saw her again, but he’d been there too long as it was and ultimately, associating with her would have been—and continued to be—a very bad idea as long as he worked for Sophia.
“I forgive you,” Julie finally said. Sounding truly resigned, she looked a little put out. “I mean it’s hard to stay mad at you since you saved my life a minute ago.”
“For the second time,” he reminded her. Yeah, he should keep his distance, but he didn’t want her mad at him. He’d take any ground he could get.
She nodded and the perky shake of her head gave away the fact that not only was she busting him, she thoroughly enjoyed doing it. “True, the second time. I guess I can’t be mad at you after that.” Her lips quirked up in a half grin.
Son of a bitch. She’d been pulling his chain with the suffering tone and put-upon face. No wonder she’d been nominated for an Oscar. She might have been joking now, but she’d been truly hurt a few minutes ago. He narrowed his eyes as something occurred to him. “Of course, if you hadn’t spun around the way you did, that first bullet would have nailed you right in the chest, so actually, being mad at me is what saved your life this time.”
She blanched. Her smile disappeared faster than a cat on the run from a pit bull. Apparently he’d brought something to her attention that she hadn’t realized. A slight tremor shook her body.
Nice going, Mills. Scare the crap out of her while you’re at it.
