Thrill Me

by Susan Mallery

  He turned and looked into her green eyes. Ten years ago he would have sworn that he would never forgive her for what she’d said. For how she’d rejected him. For lying. Now he searched for residual anger or resentment and there wasn’t any. They’d both been gone too long for any of that to matter.

  She was a beautiful woman. Under other circumstances, he might have been tempted. But while he could forgive and move on, he wasn’t going to give her a second chance. Not when he knew she hadn’t told him the truth. She had said that she loved him and wanted to marry him, but it had all been a lie. Still, they were going to work together. It made sense to be friends.

  “Want to have dinner?” he asked.

  She blinked. “There’s a shift in topic. Now?”

  “Sure. We can go to the store and grab a couple of steaks. Barbecue them here. There’s a communal grill by the lake. You in?”

  She gave him a slow, sexy smile that hit him like a fist to the gut.

  “I’m in.”

  They rose and walked toward the front door.

  “Wait,” she said, and ran back for her tablet, then tucked it in her tote. “I can’t let my technology out of my sight.”

  He nodded, because it was still too difficult to breathe, let alone speak.

  He knew what that fist to the gut meant and he planned on completely ignoring the message. He was willing to forget the past, to work with Maya and even to be her friend. But he was never going to allow himself to be tempted by her. Not now, not ever.

  Been there, done that and bought the T-shirt. He was a guy who looked forward. To something new. And that didn’t include her. Once his mind was made up, Del refused to be swayed. There was no way he was going to let Maya get to him.

  * * *

  MAYA PUT THE green salad on the table Del had carried from the kitchen to the grassy area on the side of the cabin. From there they had a clear view of the lake. Because of how the other cabins were spaced, that side of his place was relatively private. They could hear the other families, but not see them or be seen.

  Under other circumstances, she would have thought the setting romantic, but she knew better. She and Del were collaborating together. This was a working relationship, which she appreciated. They were both professionals. They respected each other’s abilities. If she found him handsome and appealing, well, that was nice, but not helpful. Or useful. Friendship was much better. Or at the very least, safer.

  She returned to the kitchen for the bottle of red wine they’d purchased, along with the deli potato salad. She collected two glasses and went back out just as Del called that the steaks were done.

  They met at the table and each took a chair. He used the jumbo tongs to put her steak on her plate while she poured wine. Music drifted out from one of the cabins, and down by the water, several children shrieked and laughed.

  “There’s a lot of humanity around here,” she said as she passed him the green salad.

  “I like it. Being around kids is fun. They always have the most interesting questions and so much curiosity about what life is like everywhere. That’s what I got asked the most when I traveled. Is America really like the movies?” He grinned. “That and if Wolverine was real.”

  “What did you say?”

  “That he was one of the good guys.”

  She laughed. “I didn’t know the two of you were close.”

  “I don’t like to talk about it.”

  “Fool’s Gold must seem so small,” she murmured, and cut into her steak. “How do you stand being away from your bromance?”

  “He texts me all the time. Sometimes it gets annoying.”

  She nodded. “I can imagine. Speaking of famous people, have you seen your dad?”

  “Killjoy.”

  “Should I take that as a yes?”

  Del leaned back in his chair. “I stopped by the house and saw both my parents. My father wanted to talk about Nick wasting his talent.”

  Maya remembered how Ceallach had always preferred the three younger sons. The ones who took after him. “I suppose there’s some comfort in consistency.”

  “That’s the optimist in you. I prefer to think of my father as...” He reached for his glass. “No reason to go there.” He sipped. “Yes, I saw my father and he seems well.” He glanced at her. “Are you going to be helping my mom with the plans for my dad’s party?”

  “I’ve offered. Why?”

  “Because it’s a lot for her to do on her own.”

  “You could take care of some of it.”

  “I’ll do my best, but you know halfway through, she’ll take it all away from me and explain how she can do it better.”

  Maya sighed. “Yes, she will. Elaine does like to maintain control over every situation.”

  “So do you.”

  “I wish. I gave up control a long time ago. A hazard of the job. There are a million things that can go wrong on any given story and I’ve had to deal with them all.”

  “Is that why you left television?”

  “Partly. I left because I was tired of beating my head against a wall that was never going to give way.” She frowned. “Is that what’s supposed to happen? The wall gives way? You break through. Man, I hate it when I don’t think through a cliché.”

  He grinned at her. “Good to know you’re not perfect.”

  “I’m far from that.”

  Miles, she thought. Miles and miles. Although being with Del was nice. More comfortable than she would have thought. He’d always been easy on the eyes, but she’d thought there might be some tension between them. Because of how things had ended.

  Apparently not. Here they were, having dinner as if they were old friends. She took a bite of steak. Maybe they were. Maybe they’d both moved on enough that the past didn’t matter.

  “There’s no Mr. Farlow?” he asked, the question unexpected.

  “Uh, no. What about you?”

  “No Mr. Mitchell,” he said, his eyes bright with amusement.

  She groaned. “You know what I mean.”

  “Hey, my romantic life was public knowledge.”

  It had been, she thought. “That kind of comes with being semifamous and then dating a beautiful figure skater,” she said gently.

  “Semifamous.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “Way to go for the kill shot.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. You know what I mean. You were known, but not a tabloid regular. Plus, you’re not interested in fame.”

  “You sure about that?”

  She studied him for a second, then nodded. “Absolutely.”

  He picked up his wine. “You’re right. I never liked that part of dating Hyacinth. There were choices made to put us more in the public eye. I didn’t love those, either.” He shrugged. “Relationships are all about compromise.”

  There was something in his tone. “You say that like it’s not a good thing.”

  “Oh, it can be. Until one person needs the other to go too far.”

  Interesting, she thought. Not that she had a clue what it meant. She’d heard that Del and Hyacinth had broken up, then gotten back together for a short period of time before ending things a year or so back. What she didn’t know was why.

  There had been speculation that one or the other had cheated. She would put her money on Del staying faithful. Despite his traveling lifestyle, he was a traditionalist at heart. A one-man, one-woman kind of guy. She couldn’t say for sure how she knew that, but believed it down to her bones.

  “What about you?” he asked. “You had the luxury of a private life. Who do you want to trash over dinner?”

  “No one,” she said with a smile. “There were relationships and they didn’t work out.”

  “Or there’d be a Mr. Farlow?”

  “Exa
ctly.”

  She’d dated, but had never gotten serious with anyone. Not since Del. She’d figured out the reason. She’d learned early that she couldn’t trust anyone to rescue her. She was going to have to take care of herself. While that wasn’t inherently a bad thing, it had kept her at an emotional distance from the men in her life. The ones who had wanted more had been frustrated by her reluctance to risk getting more involved.

  Unfortunately, knowing the problem didn’t seem to make it easier to solve. As long as she wasn’t willing to take the chance, she would never have that elusive happily ever after ending. A part of her genuinely didn’t think she had it in her to love anyone, so why try? But without trying, she would never get there. An emotional paradox.

  “So what festival are you looking forward to the most, now that you’re back?” Del asked.

  “A tidy change of subject? Is this to ensure I don’t pry into your reasons for not being married?”

  “Something like that.”

  She laughed. “An honest man.”

  “I try.”

  She thought for a second. “I think the Book Fair is my favorite.”

  “An unexpected choice. I would have thought something at the holidays.”

  “No. The Book Fair.”

  Because that summer they’d spent together, Del had first told her he loved her during the Book Fair. They’d made love in her bedroom. She’d been a virgin and he couldn’t have been more considerate and careful. Not to mention quiet, what with everyone else in her family sleeping on the same floor.

  They’d been so young, she thought wistfully. So confident in their feelings for each other. So sure of their future. Even though she knew exactly what had happened and why, she couldn’t help wishing it had been different. That she had been different.

  Not that she regretted going to college. That had been the right choice, and Del had obviously needed to leave Fool’s Gold. She’d unexpectedly provided the catalyst. But if she could take back the words, she would.

  “I like the Tulip Festival best,” he said.

  She stared at him. “Seriously?”

  “Sure. They’re pretty. It’s a sign of spring coming. The changing of the season.”

  “Tulips?”

  “What? You’re saying a real man doesn’t like flowers?”

  “I’m saying you surprise me.”

  “That’s me. A constant mystery. Chicks dig mystery guys.”

  “If only you had a cool scar.”

  “I know. I kept hoping for some scar-inducing injury, but it never happened. I’m just that good.”

  She laughed, and the opportunity to discuss the past and maybe apologize was over. But she could get there, she told herself. This new version of Del might not need to hear the words, but they needed to be said.

  * * *

  “ACTION!”

  Del looked at the camera, knowing that while he might be uncomfortable staring directly at the lens, looking somewhere else didn’t translate well. His job was to engage with the viewer and that meant making eye contact.

  “In Fool’s Gold, you can taste wine,” he said, then raised a glass of local merlot. Despite the fact that it was only a few minutes after sunrise, he pretended to take a sip. When this was done, he was so getting more coffee.

  Day one of shooting had started at an ungodly hour and would go until sunset. They were starting with the tourist videos—showing all sides of the town. He and Maya had an aggressive filming schedule that would take them over much of Fool’s Gold. This morning they were focused on the wineries, followed by a couple of shots in town. The afternoon, with the harshest light of the day, would be spent by the wind turbines outside of town. If the sunset was cooperative, they would end with a view of the sun setting behind the town.

  “Again,” Maya said. “Wait a second.”

  She moved from behind the camera and got one of the equipment boxes, then dragged it toward him. When he started to move to help, she held up a hand.

  “Stay where you are. You’re framed perfectly. I don’t want to have to start over.” She pushed the trunk in front of him, then stared at him. “Okay, put your left foot on the trunk, like you’re doing a lunge. I want you leaning forward. The wine goes in your right hand.”

  He did as she asked. “This feels awkward.”

  “No one cares,” she said as she returned to her spot behind the tripod. “It looks great. Really great. The camera loves you. Love it back.”

  She turned and adjusted one of the lights, then stepped back to the camera. “Okay, leaning forward. You love the wine. You’re going to have sex with Scarlett Johansson later.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not a big fan of Scarlett.”

  Maya glared at him. “Del, it’s early days yet, but I can be forced into killing you. Just so we’re clear.”

  “You’re crabby.”

  “Yes. It would help to remember that. Wine and sex and action.”

  She picked up the clapperboard, changed take one to take two, then positioned it in front of the camera and snapped it shut.

  “Sound speeding,” she said. “And we have action.” She pointed at him.

  Del hesitated a second, feeling ridiculous, then obligingly thought about wine followed by sex. Only instead of the very pretty Ms. Johansson, he remembered what it had been like to kiss Maya.

  Her mouth had been soft. The kind of soft that gentled a man, despite how much he wanted the woman in question. Because a mouth that soft deserved attention. Slow attention and careful nurturing.

  Even though he and Maya had become lovers that summer, he’d made sure to spend a lot of time just kissing her. Because that had been its own reward. And if he’d known how rare a mouth like hers was, he would have done it even more.

  “Del?”

  He swore silently and pushed the memories away. “In Fool’s Gold, you can taste wine.”

  She motioned for him to do it again.

  He said the line three more times, using different inflections, sometimes smiling, sometimes not. When they were done, he glanced at the sunrise.

  “We should have that over my shoulder,” he said. “It would be a great shot.”

  She glanced to where he pointed, then shook her head. “Too much light. I can’t control it with the equipment I have with me. Plus, the way the sun is angled will mean shifting the picture so the eye line will be off.”

  “It’s a great shot,” he repeated. “We should try it.” When she didn’t answer, he added, “I’ve done some shooting of my own, Maya. I know what I’m talking about.”

  He waited for her to say something like his amateur shoots were nothing compared to her professional experience. He had a feeling that in her position, that was what he would have been saying.

  “Fine,” she said at last. “We’ll do it my way, then we’ll do it your way. Once we’re back in the studio and editing, we’ll see what’s what. Fair enough?”

  He nodded.

  They shifted the equipment so that the sun was over his shoulder, then he put his foot up on the trunk and raised his glass of wine.

  “I’m thinking about coffee this time,” he told her as she reached for the clapperboard. “Lots and lots of coffee.”

  She laughed and called for action.

  * * *

  MAYA WAS STILL tired when she walked into The Fox and Hound to meet Elaine for lunch. The previous day’s photo shoot had gone until sunset. They’d gotten some great footage, but today she was wiped out. She was sure Del was equally tired. Posing in front of a camera didn’t sound like work, but it required complete focus, not to mention a lot of standing. By the end of the day, her brain was fuzzy and her back hurting and she was sure he felt a lot of the same. Today she was playing catch-up and tomorrow would be all about the editing.
She was curious to see how their shooting styles would translate onto the screen.

  She wanted to say she knew her stuff would be better, but she’d been in the business long enough to know it wasn’t always possible to judge. Sometimes the unexpected jumped out at the viewer. Not often, of course, but sometimes. Del could surprise her.

  She smiled when she saw her friend had already been seated at a booth.

  “Hi,” she said as she sat across from Elaine. “How’s it going?”

  Before Elaine could answer, their waitress walked over. Maya studied the sixty-something woman and tried to hold in a grin. It seemed that in the past ten years, Wilma hadn’t changed a bit.

  She still wore her hair short, with glasses perched on her nose. She snapped gum and looked ready to take on the world.

  “You’re back,” she said to Maya, then nodded at Elaine. “We’re doing a new roast beef sandwich with a horseradish cream. The bread is from the bakery. Trust me, order that, or you’re an idiot. What would you like to drink?”

  They both ordered iced tea.

  “I’ll give you a minute to look over the menu,” Wilma said with a sigh. “Not everyone listens to me.”

  When she’d walked away, Maya leaned toward her friend. “I think I’m getting the roast beef sandwich.”

  “Me, too. How was the photo shoot yesterday?”

  “Good. Long.” Maya shook her head. “Your son can be stubborn. He seems to have forgotten I’m in the business. He had ideas about every location.”

  “Good ones?”

  “We’ll see when we start editing.”

  Elaine smiled. “I can tell by your tone, you’re thinking he’s made some bad choices.”

  “They’re his to make. As I said, we’ll see. Maybe he’s secretly brilliant.”

  “If he is, he wouldn’t make a secret of it. Trust me, none of my boys would.”

  Wilma returned with their iced teas. As Elaine ordered the sandwich, Maya noticed there were shadows under her eyes. She studied the other woman more closely and couldn’t help thinking she seemed tired. No, not tired. But there was something off.