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About as happy to see the dentist. For a root canal. After they’d run out of anesthesia.
Apparently, there was no avoiding the man, or his effect on her. Cheyenne turned, preparing to jump into the role of adoring fan, yet instead she stopped.
Whoa.
It was bad enough to compromise her investigation, but to look so attractive while doing so? Now that was just impolite. Julian had ditched the super-tight costume, yet the Armani tuxedo showed off his physique to an art. Midnight black, fit to perfection, it outlined every single muscle in the tall man. Celyon sapphire eyes sparkled above a chiseled jaw, defining gorgeous features and captivating allure. He was the richest, creamiest treat in the candy store, but that didn’t matter. He threatened everything. “What are you doing here?” she demanded.
Woops.
He laughed. “That’s an interesting question from someone who just called me her dream come true.”
“Of course, you are. I meant… I…” Cheyenne dug her fingernails into her palms as their audience watched with keen interest. “I thought you had an engagement tonight.”
“It got cancelled.”
“Oh, hell… I mean, hello, my dream man.” She cringed.Relax. So he sent you on a dozen ridiculous errands. You can arrest him later.
The thought made her feel better, until Julian smiled widely. “I’m glad I inspire such joy.”
The crowd tittered. “Does that mean you’ll be in the bachelor auction?” a woman in the back cried. A moment later, dozens of women asked the same.
He shook his head, eliciting sighs, moans and other assorted sounds of disappointment. “Sorry, ladies, not this year. But don’t worry.” He looked straight at her. “I’ll be here.”
She swallowed. Had he come for her? It seemed ridiculous. Perhaps he was just unaccustomed to women not falling over themselves for him. Her strange feelings for him? Obviously stress-induced.
A symphony of inhales came from the crowd, as a group of people walked toward them. Even for someone not prone to be starstruck, Cheyenne blinked at the approaching star power. The Billionaires of Miami, as the press famously dubbed them, sucked all the oxygen out of the room, leaving the others gasping. Of course, Julian Starcroft was a premier member. They were a mighty group, famous, talented and wealthy men with their equally famous, talented and wealthy women. She had met them once at a charity event the cast had attended.
Julian grinned as his friends approached. “Thank you for coming to support this charity. It means a lot.”
“Happy to do it.” A tall, striking man nearly as big as Julian slapped his back.
Another towering man, famous major league baseball player Jason Sterling, patted his arm. “I appreciate when you showed up at mine.”
They all supported each other – and numerous charities – at philanthropy events. They were kind, giving and fiercely intelligent. The last meant she would have to be very careful, lest they discover her true identity.
“Destiny, it’s good to see you again.” A lovely woman with a heart-shaped face and flowing locks stepped forward. “I’m not sure if you remember me. I’m Laura Bancroft, and this is my husband Aidan. These are our friends, Kaitlyn and Cameron Drake, Destiny and Jason Sterling and Adrianna and Dominick Knight.”
“It’s great to see you,” Cheyenne gave the half-truth, half-lie. They were an extraordinary group of people, and in another lifetime, she would have loved to be friends. Now, however, they only posed a risk.
“It’s the Billionaires of Miami!” A screech called from the end of the hall. The group frowned, cringed and grimaced as Stacy came racing down, heels clicking and cameraman in tow. “How lucky are we?”
A symphony of sighs sounded, but short of replicating the Olympic fifty yard dash, they couldn’t get away before the wily entertainment reporter was upon them. “I have so many questions. Who wants to go first? How about you?” She thrust the microphone between Adrianna and Dominick. “Adrianna, how did you feel when you learned the new office intern was actually the billionaire CEO in disguise? And did you actually invite him to come home as your fake boyfriend without knowing it?”
Before Adrianna could answer, Dominick placed a hand over the microphone. “No comment.”
The reporter gave a carefree grin and turned to the next couple. “What about you, Kaitlyn and Drake? There were rumors that you also were also an undercover billionaire. My sources said Kaitlyn believed you were an actor when she hired you to be her fake date. She had no idea you were a billionaire who ran one of the biggest law firms in the country. What did she say when she discovered the truth?”
The couple blinked surprised glances, then gave a shared, “No comment.”
“Oooh, we know what that means.” Stacy laughed into the camera. “Let’s hear from Jason Sterling, one of the biggest baseball stars in the country. We were all rocked by the recent revelations about your past. Did Destiny know the truth?”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to funnel questions through the Florida Dragons publicity department,” Jason rumbled. “Other than that, no comment.”
Even though Stacy was hitting 0-3, she seemed even more gleeful. “There’s definitely a story there. Well, what about you two, Laura and Aidan? Congratulations on the family, by the way. Tell me, why did we only recently learn about your beautiful daughter? There were rumors about some sort of mix-up at a fertility clinic.”
“Don’t tell me you believe rumors,” Aidan replied smoothly. “I’m afraid you won’t find my story, at least not here.” He gestured to the actors, then at the poster for Spy Heat. “After all, this story is about movie stars and spies. You’ll have to look elsewhere for other adventures.”
Before the wily reporter could respond, a loud voice boomed from the stage, “Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for the most exciting night of your lives?” The announcer paused for hoots, hollers and catcalls. “I have a big speech planned, but youlook ready to rush the stage, so let’s get started. Remember every single dime goes to the children’s hospital, so dig deep into your wallets. We’ll start with our stunning soap opera stars.”