by Wendi Zwaduk
Maggie looked up. Her smile was cold and thin. “Thank you. You did well.” Her words sounded trite. Logan’s shoulders sank. Maggie wasn’t impressed, which meant Cass wouldn’t be either. Strike one.
Nikita rubbed his arm with the case of the DVD. “You did very well,” she purred a little too close to his ear for comfort. Logan forced a tight-lipped smile. An icy chill skated up his spine. Great. Nikita was impressed for all the wrong reasons. Strike two.
Slowly Cass met his gaze as she brushed another pesky lock of hair away from her face. The nervous but very sexy gesture sent blood rushing below his belt at warp speed. Holy shit, he had an erection. Fuck. He needed to hide the boner. He moved his backpack in front of his groin.
When Cass smiled, his insides melted. He liked her lips—full, but not too full, with a hint of coral―and her dark lashes framed her eyes perfectly. He tried to think about baseball stats, the president, the economy and anything else that would derail his growing lust. Too late. His erection pressed tight against his zipper. Thank God for the backpack.
“You don’t look like my vision for Jonathan, but I think you’ve got the heart for it,” Cass said.
Nikita laughed and covered her mouth with her hand. “He has no heart.”
Cass forced a tight-lipped smile and glared at Nikita before returning her attention to Logan. “My guts tell me you’ll do the best job. I think I’ve found my Jonathan,” she announced. “Are you available for filming on Monday? I know it’s extremely short notice. We had an issue with our previous choice and problems with the production staff, so to speak.”
Logan stepped close, ignoring the fact that he wasn’t their first choice. He knew that already. Alan Gottfried had turned the project down when he landed the role of Anderson in Myra Kelly’s action blockbuster. Thank God for his foresight to grovel and the poor planning on Alan’s part.
He took her hand in his. A spark shot through his body. It felt like the air surged out of the room. Heat engorged his dick to damn near painful proportions.
His ears burned. Would she notice his predicament? Would she care? He didn’t. He needed the part more than his next breath. Correction, he needed Cass more than his next breath. Whoa, better tamp that down. He didn’t deal in feelings like that.
“Thank you, Ms. Jensen. My calendar’s free if you want me.” Wow. Talk about babbling. He sounded like a green actor indeed!
Logan caressed the back of her hand with his thumb. Cass’s skin reminded him of silk. His mouth watered. How did she turn him inside out with just a touch? Enough, enough! This was crazy—and so sexy. Someone grabbed his arm and Cass’s gaze fell.
No, no, no! Wait…
Nikita dragged him away from the table. “We’ll get back to you.” He nearly stumbled on the uneven tile floor. Strike three! End of game. Erection deflated. He wriggled free from Nikita and waved before exiting the room.
“I’ll tell you what I think, later,” Nikita hissed and slammed the door in his face.
Logan stood dumbfounded on the other side of the thick wooden barrier. He’d never thought of himself as a man with a heart, especially not with Nikita acting as she did. Romeo Malone never let women take him for a ride. Cass was just another meaningless encounter, right? Her words rang in his ears. She had faith in him. She wanted him—well, for the movie.
In the brightly lit hallway, he slung the backpack over his shoulder. Mark Lanigan shoved forward, knocking Logan into the rough brick wall. “My turn. I’ll show them what real acting looks like.”
Logan stood stiff and glared. “Asshole number two.” He’d turned to exit the foyer when a voice halted him.
“Mr. Malone?”
Cass Jensen, in the flesh. Her lips curled into a slight but pleasant smile. Her eyes sparkled with an intensity he felt throughout his body. The bounce of her ample breasts caught his attention, bringing the erection right back and then some. Standing, she wasn’t much more than five-two, which put her at least six inches shorter than he stood and exactly chin level—perfect for kissing. Nice.
Logan nodded and stuttered. “Ummm, yeah.” He wasn’t a stuffy Mr. Malone. He was just Logan. “That’s me.” He felt clumsy. Not at all the Romeo façade his agent worked so hard to cultivate. “How can I help you?”
She licked her lips. He wondered what she tasted like. He’d have to masturbate tonight to get her out of his system. Cass’s perfume tickled his nose.
Her smile grew. “I want you to play Jonathan. I don’t care what Nikita says and I can convince Mags. You are Jonathan.”
“I’m glad we agree.”
Her soft expression faltered to a slight frown. “Maybe I made a mistake in selecting you.” She massaged her forehead with her left hand. “I knew Nikita would cause trouble. Mags tried to warn me that you two were something and it would be a problem. Okay. I just thought…”
He shook his head. “No mistake. I thought I left a lot on the table, but not now.”
Cass’s gaze met his once more. Her blue-gray eyes calmed his jittery nerves and heated his body. She brushed her hair away and covered her growing smile with her petite fingers. Logan wished he was that hand pressed to her lips. Oh man, he had it bad for Cass Jensen.
She cocked her head. “I thought you looked like Jonathan felt. You’re stuck in a tricky situation and unsure of the outcome. I was touched. You portray edgy quite well.”
Logan needed her to stop explaining. She touched him in places he thought were dead, like his heart. “Well, Ms. Jensen, I’m honored that you want me and hope our relationship continues.”
Cass arched one brow. A playful smile curled the corner of her mouth. “Oh?”
He clasped his hands together and dipped his head. “I mean, I’m glad I’m your choice for the part—in the movie.”
Cass pursed her lips, stuck her hand out. “Well, congratulations. I’ll let Nikita and Mags know. And you can call me Cass. Everyone does.”
Logan couldn’t help but smile. “And you can forget all that Nikita nonsense. We dated for a couple of weeks, but I didn’t want her attention.” Why did he tell her that? It wasn’t like she demanded a dating history.
Cass raised both brows. Pink tinged her cheeks, bringing out the blue in her eyes. “I see. Thanks.” She withdrew her hand and tucked her hair behind her ears, revealing three hoops in each lobe, plus one in her cartilage. “Well, then come back tomorrow at eight and sign the contracts.”
Instinctively, he pulled her into an embrace. “No—thank you.” Bank account back in the black, ego intact, and Cass in his arms. Damn she felt good there. Despite the upswing in outlook, inwardly he cursed. Money wouldn’t bring her affection. Unlike the other women who floated in and out of his life, she cared about character. His ego wasn’t important to her. He had to be himself. She held the power to make him a better man. Could he handle it? For her, he’d try.
Her body relaxed. Her sigh, like the mew of a kitten, thrust him into a new dimension. He wanted more, way more. He rubbed her back and trailed his fingers up her soft body to cup her jaw. His eyelids drooped. He wanted to kiss her.
Cass tilted her face to look at him. “What do you think you’re doing?” Her no-nonsense tone jarred his common sense back into play. What was he doing? “Just because I liked you for the part Logan doesn’t mean I like you.” She wriggled out of his grasp. “I’m not a notch on your belt. If that’s your inclination, then I’ll give the role to Mr. Speedle.”
He felt like she punched him in the stomach. She should’ve. “Cass, I’m not used to women walking away.”
Cass straightened her spine and squared her shoulders. “Then turn around so you don’t see me leave.” With that, she spun on her heel and left.
Logan pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn’t want her to go. Quite the opposite. Should he shout? No. He decided to run. “Cass?” He hurried to catch her. “Cass?”
She slipped silently into the meeting room. Too late.
Logan stared at the cream-colored drop
ceiling tiles. “I’ll get you to change your mind before this is over. You’ll see.”
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About the Author
I always dreamed of writing the stories in my head. Tall, dark, and handsome heroes are my favourites, as long as he has an independent woman keeping him in line.
I earned a BA in education at Kent State University and currently hold a Masters in Education with Nova Southeastern University.
I love NASCAR, romance, books in general, Ohio farmland, dirt racing, and my menagerie of animals.
Email: [email protected]
Wendi loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.totallybound.com.
Also by Wendi Zwaduk
Learning How to Bend
Must Be Doing Something Right
My Immortal
You’ll Think of Me
Tangled Up
Careless Whisper
Please Remember Me
What Might Have Been
Ever Fallen In Love
Someone Like You
Love Remembers
When You’re With Me
Sunshine of Your Love
Firelit Magic
Her Man
Clandestine Classics: The Phantom of the Opera
Treble: Savin’ Me
Switch: Still the One
Bound to the Billionaire: Play to Him
Whip It Up: Honey and Decadence
Lasso Lovin’: Tying One On
Wild After Dark: Taken In
Over the Knee: Silk and Decadence
Boots, Chaps and Cowboy Hats: Between Us
Heart Attack: Over My Head
Haunted By You: Miss Me Baby
Wanton Witches: Candlelit Magic
Jolly Rogered: Ruined by the Pirate
