Page 102 of Blood Stone

A smile tugged the corner of his mouth. “For what? For liking sex? I knew that about you before I met you, Kate. I’d be a fucking hypocrite if I got upset about it now.”

“But now it’s a bit different, isn’t it? You say you…care about me.”

His smile didn’t move. “I do. I care about all of you, the whole package. And that includes your adorable need to cool your artistic fervour with a man or two in the middle of a shoot. It’s like running an ice cube over your forehead to chill off when the sun is overhead. I don’t get worked up over a hot day. Why should I blow a gasket over a quick tumble or two if it helps you get your work done? And clearly, this is working for you.”

She looked him in the eye. “It was Garrett.”

He held her gaze for maybe thirty seconds. She could see him thinking it through. The ramifications.

Then he sat up.

Her heart sinking, Kate sat up, too. She put the salad on the side table. Her appetite had fled, anyway.

“That’s whyhephoned,” he said. “Something had already happened between you. You were fighting it and that’s why you were wound up tighter than a kettle-drum. He wanted me to come and sort it out for you. But I didn’t. I…” He closed his eyes. “I shoved you into his arms, instead.”

Kate sat silently. There was nothing she could say. The facts spoke for themselves.

Adrian took a deep breath and opened his eyes. His black gaze settled on her again. “Calum doesn’t indulge in casual affairs, Kate. He won’t be content with the sort of casual itch-scratching you need.”

Calum.

“You know him, don’t you? I mean, you’ve known him far longer than you pretend. Garrett said only—” She stopped, her mouth opening, as astonishing ideas, thoughts and possibilities occurred to her.

“Said what?” Adrian asked.

“He said that only those close enough to be considered family call him anything other than Garrett, but that hasn’t happened for a very long time. He knows you, and you know him.” She made herself shut up. Because the next thought that completed the logic leap was too tenuous and incredible. Garrett had spoken of having given up on love, years ago. Adrian and Garrett clearly knew each other, yet hadn’t been in contact for ages, perhaps years….

Adrian licked his lips. “Yes, I knew him once. But he lives in a different world than me, so our lives never connect. Until now.” His mouth turned down. “I do know him enough to know I’m right. He’s not a casual lover, Kate.”

She threaded her fingers together. “He told me that, too.”

He bent his knee and rested his elbow on it, then pressed his fingers to his temple. “But that’s not going to stop you from…what? What is this going to be? A second affair?”

“He’s my lucky charm, I think,” Kate replied. “Nothing has gone right on this shoot until Garrett let down his shield and I gave in. Then, magic! I have no intention of screwing with the formula while it’s working.”

“That’s superstitious bullshit and you know it.”

“You know very well that superstitions work to channel creative people into patterns of behaviour that increase their creativity. That’s why they work. It’s nothing to do with the supernatural. It’s all about behaviour. I don’t know what it is about Garrett and me that makes the production work, but something does. Maybe he just makes me happy. Or maybe I needyouand Garrett to make me happy and that means I end up being a better director. I won’t jeopardise that.”

Adrian massaged his temple again. “And what about your grand plans for revenge?”

“For holding my movie hostage? Oh, he still gets what’s coming,” she said as calmly as she could.

Adrian shook his head. “You’re one ballsy woman. I don’t know if I could do what you’re going to do to him.” He picked up her salad and passed it to her. “I don’t know if I feel sorry for Garrett or not, either. Eat some more. You haven’t had enough.” He kissed her cheek and slid off the bed. “I’ll get you some ice tea.”

Kate put her salad back on the table. Her appetite was even further away than before.

She had forgotten all about the revenge she had planned for Garrett. But if she spared Garrett she would be openly declaring that her feelings for him had changed.

Adrian would want to know what shedidfeel for Garrett. Right now, Kate had no idea. She just wanted him on her set and within reaching distance. The rest she would figure out when she had time. If Adrian and the universe gave her that time.

* * * * *

It was a day of transition and packing, for the camp was dismantling and everyone was returning to L.A. It was also a day when the media personnel were given a free schedule: They could interview anyone they wanted. Just name the name and that person would be called to the media tent.

So media people buzzed around the disassembling camp like flies to the honey-pot, with bus, car and van-loads arriving hourly. They were fuelled by the still growing swell of publicity and word-of-mouth spreading on-line and an endless demand for more from readers and viewers. Mary-Anne and the L.A. publicity office had strung together early footage and graphics as teaser flash trailers that were going viral on the internet, adding more fuel to the demand.

Movie blogs were having a field day with speculation about the script, the storyline and Patrick Sauvage’s pay cut to take the role. Kate had ensured that snippets of footage of Patrick’s action scenes had “leaked,” showing only his best angles. They had been snapped up by the hungry viewers, too.