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“This is beyond friendliness. Did you feel the same chemistry with them as with us?”
This kind of talk was even more dangerous. “What chemistry?”
He stepped closer, storming her personal space. “You don’t feel it?”
“Nope.”Yes.Now she stepped closer, and then somehow they brushed against each other, as attraction flared, flamed and thenengulfedher. It beckoned her closer, closer, closer…
Excited chatter sounded from outside, the high-pitched voices of female cast members conversing about Julian. She reeled back as reality returned. Stark loss fired at the broken contact, illustrated by Julian’s expression, a painting of undeniable passion with brushstrokes of confusion. Her breath hissed loud as she cycled between him and the door, considering and recycling strategies to emerge unscathed. She was here to hit on as many guys as possible to discover a criminalmastermind, not go all the way with the one man who clearly wasn’t one.
She needed time to regain her focus and conduct her mission, and she couldn’t do it while staring at a body chiseled by a master artist. With no better plan and no time to formulate one, she chirped, “Well, gotta go.”
“You’re leaving?” Incredulity deepened his voice, set to the timbre of rampant suspicion. With every action, she fed his distrust. Yet she was a strong woman and would regain control of the situation. What excuse would he believe?
Fortunately, none were necessary. “You’re right.” Julian grimaced, stepping back. “I’m sorry. Despite what the tabloids say, I don’t usually move this fast. I’m simply not accustomed to women like you. Why don’t we just talk?”
The urge to accept his offer was nearly inescapable. Yet she needed to end their conversation before one wrong word outed her as an imposter.
“Unless you’re ready to practice more?”
Practice?Why yes, please. What a great idea. Plan: approved. Wait, no.Practice led to places she couldn’t afford. She had to extradite herself before she traveled back to those places, took the grand tour and set up a homestead. Garbled explanations hadn’t worked, time for some brains.
The window into the hallway revealed a few dozen extras −femaleextras – the source of the conversation, which had saved her earlier. Before he could say more, she pivoted. “Hi ladies,” she called out, hoping they could hear through the partially open door. “Today’s your lucky day. Mr. Starcroft loves helping aspiring actresses hone their acting skills. Whoever is interested can give an impromptu performance right now. He’ll critique each one personally.”
The women gasped, shrieked in excitement. One almost fainted.
Time to put the final nail in the coffin. “And by the way, he has brownies.”
Allof them came running toward Julian.
“I’m going to get you back for this,” he whispered.
No doubt.
Still he had no choice but to let her go as the hordes descended, as the women redeemed their once in a lifetime offer to audition in front of the mighty and great Julian Starcroft. Cheyenne immediately pivoted, cutting a path to the door. She refused to run − fleeing just wasn’t her style − but she needed to get away. She strode through the door and the set, passed the security gate and entered the open lot. She power walked through the busy walkway, barely hesitating as she passed several recognizable faces from television and screen.
A commotion sounded from behind her. Her breath lodged in her throat as Julian strode toward her with a determined expression and even more determined steps. How had he gotten away so quickly? Even in a lot filled with stars, he stood out, as people whispered and pointed, cell phone cameras playing a clicking symphony. He paid them little notice, however, instead catching her eye. He moved faster.
Cheyenne broke into a light jog. She wasn’t running away, of course. She really needed a little exercise. She dared a glance back. Julian was still walking, but with his longer stride he was catching up.
She jogged – okay ran – to the exit. Fortunately, leaving the set was far easier than entering with its multiple security checks and formidable guards, and she emerged into the sun-splashed pathway seconds later. She threaded through the swarming tourists, who hoped for a glimpse of an actor who would dare leave from the busy main entrance instead of one of the more hidden exits. Of course, no one noticed her, and she slowed to a walk as she joined the sidewalk crowd, to avoid drawingattention. She had travelled approximately twenty feet when a scream splintered the air.
Automatically she turned, once more reaching for a weapon that wasn’t there. She swore under her breath, but still pivoted towards the noise. Even without her weapon, she could help. Of course, heroics outside the studio would blow her cover, but if life and death were involved, she wouldn’t have a choice.
Several women screamed again as people clustered into a haphazard circle, surrounding something. Cheyenne broke into an all-out-run, but soon she slowed. No one was hysterically fleeing or screaming in terror, and instead of frowns and fear, excitement buzzed electricity through the air. She stopped as the source of the commotion became visible.
“It’s Julian Starcroft!”
“Julian, I love you!”
“Are you single?”
“Marry me!”
“Please sign my−”
Oh my. Was it legal to ask someone to signthere? A grin stretched her lips, as Cheyenne backed out of hearing range. How could they get so excited over a mere glimpse of another human being, a man they didn’t even know? He may be handsome, but he most certainly hailed from mortal roots.
Cheyenne walked away at a more relaxed pace, as her heart evened and her breathing slowed. Starcroft might have escaped a bevy of aspiring actresses, but no way would he extradite himself from the ever-growing mob. Yet as she glanced back, she hesitated. The circle had grown many layers thick, and he was no longer visible through the thickening crowd. Her smile faded. She had wanted to slow him down, not put him in danger.