by BETH KERY
Gia wondered furiously if the atmosphere inside the SUV could spawn lightning.
Nine
They stopped at a roadside gas station and restaurant for breakfast three hours past Oklahoma City. Gia was feeling prickly and edgy, but not for the same reason she had been in the early morning hours when she and Seth had argued. Well, not argued, really. Disagreed.
Heatedly.
Her edginess now came from what had happened before they got to the restaurant. In short, Seth had gotten her into full disguise again, and that process was always a trial on her senses.
“So when we get to this house, what are we going to do?” Gia asked him as she spread some jam on her toast. She paused in her actions when she met his stare. Instead of looking grubby and sweaty as she did—after nearly twenty-four hours without a shower, wearing a hot, itchy wig and constrictive binder—Seth looked rugged and a little dangerous. His jaw was shadowed with whiskers, and his amber eyes seemed to glow in his swarthy face. His longish, smooth hair was made for road trips, looking best when swept back from his face in finger-combed carelessness. She scowled at the appealing sight of him and shoved a corner of the toast into her mouth.
He shrugged and picked up his coffee. She’d learned already that he didn’t hold the handle of a coffee cup, but instead gripped the whole thing in his large hand. She found the habit extremely sexy, which only amplified her current annoyance.
“I think we should stay in as much as possible. And it’s not like there’s much to do around Vulture’s Canyon anyway. As long as you’re in full makeup and character, we can go out now and then. If that’s what you want,” he added very quietly.
She realized she was staring at him, thinking about what he’d said after they’d given in to their feverish libidos in that parking lot outside of Amarillo.
I can’t imagine not touching you, now that I have.
Ever since their disagreement on the road, Seth certainly hadn’t touched her. Gia wasn’t sure if he even wanted to proceed with his suggestion that they carry out a sexual affair while hiding out from the world in the forest. She wasn’t sure she wanted to. He took a sip of his coffee, holding her stare over the rim of the cup.
“Do you want to test out your role on someone?” he asked, setting down his coffee cup.
Gia blinked. “Who?”
“Rill and Katie Pierce live close by to where we’ll be staying. If Katie knows we’re there, she’ll probably extend an invitation.”
“And you think it would be okay for us to go?”
Something about his certainty when he nodded made her realize he’d thought about it. “Yeah. I trust Rill and Katie completely. I’d have to tell Katie not to say anything about this plan to Joy though. Joy and Everett are in Mexico right now. If they talked, I wouldn’t want Joy to actually believe she had a half brother.” He paused, his flickering gaze over her face made her go still in awareness. “You said that you’d seen Rill do a presentation at UCLA. Did you ever meet him in person then, or have you met him since?”
“No. His scholarship recipients were supposed to meet with him after he spoke, but he was called away on some emergency.”
“So it’ll be a good acting challenge for you, won’t it? To see if you can fool Rill and Katie?”
“Don’t you think they’ll be insulted when they eventually find out the truth about us tricking them?”
“I don’t think so. Not if we explain. But we don’t have to see them if you don’t want,” Seth shrugged. “It was just a thought. I can think of plenty of other things I’d rather do,” he said frankly. The sunglasses she wore didn’t provide any protection from the lancing quality of his stare. She felt herself going warm beneath it. Her chewing slowed. “I was just thinking about how you hate being confined. Have you been thinking about what I suggested?” he added so quietly, for a few seconds she thought she had misunderstood him.
“What?” she asked, although her prickling skin warned her of what he meant.
He didn’t respond, his answer clear in his heavy-lidded stare, despite his impassive expression. She looked unseeingly at her half-eaten bowl of oatmeal.
“I really didn’t mean to insult you earlier, Gia,” he said, his hoarse voice just above a whisper. “Do we have to agree on everything in order to—”
“Have meaningless sex?” she finished for him as calmly as she could muster, looking up.
They faced off, the din of the restaurant fading to distant background noise.
“I was just being honest by saying I’ve never met an actress I thought wouldn’t be more trouble than pleasure to get involved with.”
“Including me.”
“That’s the whole point, isn’t it? You are different. I clearly can’t abide by that rule when it comes to you.” He glanced around tensely, assuring himself no one was listening. “And don’t act like this is all on me, Gia.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like I said yesterday, you had my number two years ago. Why didn’t you call me? This isn’t the 1950s. Women call men all the time. Did your not calling have anything to do with the fact that starting a relationship would have broken your career focus at that point in time? You’ve skyrocketed to fame. I admire your single-minded ambition, but I don’t think having someone like me hanging on your arm at every turn would have served your purpose very well.”
“You would hardly hang on my arm,” she snapped, finding the idea of a clutching, insecure Seth ridiculous. She met his solemn stare and swallowed back her flash of irritation.
It wasn’t as cut-and-dried as he was making it sound, but there was some truth to what he said. Gia had always been a planner. If you didn’t set goals, it was hard to focus on the desired outcome. Things that didn’t blend with her goals—things like Sterling McClarin or her off-the-charts attraction to a gorgeous, blatantly independent man like Seth—tended to sidetrack that focus.
Still . . .
“It would have made a difference if you’d contacted me after that night. I wanted it,” she said honestly.
“Yeah. But not enough to potentially screw up your carefully made plans and call me yourself.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he held up a hand, stilling her. “I’m not mad about it. I understand. I’m just pointing out that we both have histories. We both have reasons to be wary about this. I’ve learned that a Hollywood relationship is a hell of a lot more complicated than most people could even begin to imagine. You learned early on from your mom that you were never going to let a man sidetrack your career.”
It was like he’d applied a mild shock to her skin. She stared at him, tingling, left stunned that he recalled that small detail from the night they’d spent together. His words replayed in her head.
“Is that what you really think? That I didn’t try to contact you, because I didn’t want to repeat my mother’s mistakes?” she breathed out, amazed. Unsettled.
Disturbed.
Was he right?
“When’s the last time you were in a serious relationship?” he asked quietly.
“I . . . I’ve been in plenty,” she sputtered.
“Really? The press isn’t doing its work for once? You’ve hidden that from your adoring public?”
“I assume that means you’re one who’s checking?” she challenged.
He threw her a dark look that somehow conveyed her attempt at sidetracking him was beneath her. Damn. She was a glass surface to him. It wasn’t as if she was lying or anything, it was just that she was a little worried he was right. Sort of. She’d had two involvements with men in the past couple of years that lasted more than six months, which was her record for relationship length. The problem for Gia was that she was always so busy. She seemed to match up with men who initially seemed comfortable and secure with her hectic schedule but in reality were just taking advantage of the fact that she wasn’t around enou
gh to interfere with their typical tomcatting activities.
God. She hadn’t matured a bit since catching that moronic rock star Tommy Valian in bed with another woman and whining about it to Seth.
She exhaled, feeling drained suddenly.
“Yeah,” he said, as if he’d noticed she had finally gotten what he was trying to convey. “It’s complicated,” he told her pointedly, reaching for his wallet. He dropped some bills on the check resting on the table and met her stare again, his gaze unflinching. “The fact that I want you, though? That’s as simple as it comes.”
* * *
Losing several hours because of the time zones, they reached the Shawnee National Forest in the afternoon of a cool, brilliantly sunny day. Seth drove the last leg of the trip with familiar ease. They passed St. Louis and finally were traversing a narrow, twisted country road that meandered through hills and forest. Gia didn’t speak for the whole forty-five minutes before they came to a halt, awed by the beauty of the rolling land and woods decked out in brilliant hues of yellow, orange and vivid red. It was a shock to her city eyes, but a wonderful one. She lowered her window all the way and inhaled deeply of the crisp, spicy air rushing across her face. It was like the cobwebs of the past several months—the anxiety of the McClarin trial, the hounding reporters, the worry of completing Interlude without creating a scar on her work record—slowly melted away. The road trip had succeeded in one thing; it made Los Angeles seem distant and small.
She glanced sideways at Seth’s bold presence behind the wheel of the SUV. He seemed even bigger and more vibrant since their cross-country escape. Her uncertainty about how she should proceed with Seth Hightower in a secluded forest home remained, but the lessening of her other anxieties at least made her feel clearer . . . lighter.
That incident in the parking lot had vividly brought back his dominant manner of making love. She’d found it intensely arousing, which had surprised her a little. Two years ago, she hadn’t had enough experience with men to know she would like having someone call the shots in bed. Certainly, she’d never been with a man—then or since—who was as physically powerful as Seth. He could so easily optimize her pleasure.
There had never been a doubt in her mind that Seth enjoyed sex. A lot. He was clearly practiced at getting it precisely the way he wanted it.
She shifted her hips restlessly in the seat, her thoughts arousing her more than was appropriate, given the circumstances. But where was the harm in giving in to her desire full throttle? She’d been banned to the forest for three weeks by circumstances beyond her control.
Why couldn’t she turn it into a sex-drenched, indulgent getaway with Seth Hightower? Most women would leap at the chance.
They traversed down a two-lane country road that was shrouded by trees on both sides and from above, creating the feeling of traveling down a sun-gilded, leafy tunnel. She leaned out the window slightly, curious when Seth turned off the road onto a long drive. In the distance, she saw a log home cozily situated on the side of a hill.
“Is that it?” Gia hoped. In her almost twenty-five years of existence, she’d never stayed in a forest retreat, so remote from the rest of the bustling world.
“Yep.”
“It’s lovely.”
A moment later, he brought the SUV to a halt. The forest crowded around the log home from the back. When she stepped onto the leaf-strewn driveway a moment later, she filled her lungs with fresh, cool air.
She slowly spun around in a complete circle, absorbing her surroundings. The trees blazed with color. The forest seemed alive with the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling and falling to the ground in the soft, cool breeze. The house looked new. The back of it and part of the sides nestled inside the hill, but the front was almost all windows, giving it an airy, modern feel.
“John had it built fairly small, better for security,” Seth said as he popped the trunk and began to haul out luggage and duffel bags. Gia hurried to help him. “Because of the way it’s dug into the hill, I only have to be worried about a few exposures as far as a potential security breach.”
Gia smiled but held back her teasing. He couldn’t help it if the lessons of security had been ground down into his bones. That’s why the FBI and Charles had been comfortable sending her away with him, after all, even if everyone agreed there was no likely threat.
“I’m just excited about a hot shower,” she said longingly. She glanced up at him. They hadn’t stood side by side much on the trip. When they did, she was always a little surprised at his height. The top of her head was only a few inches past his nipple line.
Excitement bubbled up in her. The trip had seemed so interminable, she hadn’t really allowed herself to dwell much on the bliss of arriving. It rushed her now, making her feel a little giddy. Maybe Joshua Cabot was right. As unlikely as it would have seemed just days ago, she suddenly found herself smack dab in the middle of a picturesque getaway with an extremely sexy, attractive man.
There were much worse things in the world.
She took her favorite suitcase from Seth—a small vintage leather steamer trunk that she’d had updated with roller wheels. He continued to rustle around in the back of the SUV, seemingly deciding what to grab now and what to take later. He’d packed a hell of a lot more than she had, she realized for the first time. She spotted some sketch pads, art supplies and his large makeup kit. He’d packed dry goods and groceries. She saw a case of bottled water. In a paper bag she saw coffee, paper towels and a loaf of bread.
“I can’t believe you brought so much stuff. Are you going to work on a project while you’re here?” she asked, nodding at his sketch pads.
“Nothing specific. Just messing around.”
She nodded and scratched hard under the wig before she reached for a grocery bag. “No more wearing this damn thing for hours on end. Heaven,” she mused to herself. The idea made her smile hugely. “I can let my hair down and live a little while I’m behind closed doors.”
Seth glanced at her and did a double take.
“What?” she asked, noticing his narrow-eyed gaze. A strange expression settled on his face, one she couldn’t quite read. He turned back to his task, his face averted from her.
“Nothing. Just . . . your smile.”
Gia opened her mouth, but nothing came out. It was hard to put a name to what she’d heard in his deep, gruff voice just then.
Whatever it was, it had struck her temporarily mute.
* * *
Seth deactivated an elaborate alarm system before they entered the snug, pretty house. They paused at the threshold of the vaulted living room. Gia removed her glasses, pleasure warming her. She set down her bag and walked into the large space with the vaulted timber ceilings and fieldstone floor-to-ceiling fireplace. The décor, bright, tree-dappled sunlight and a warm color scheme of golds and dark reds made the room extremely welcoming and comfortable.
“I love it,” she said, spinning around to look at Seth. He’d set down the bags and items he’d been carrying, too, and was watching her.
“We should talk about the sleeping arrangements,” he said.
Her mouth snapped shut. She’d been both dreading and excited for this moment. Now it had come.
“Okay,” she said, taking a step closer toward him.
He just quirked up an eyebrow. “Do you want to sleep with me while we’re here, or not?”
Leave it to Seth to get right to the point.
Not that he had much of a choice, she reasoned. He had to know where to put the suitcases. Her desperate gaze landed on the carton of water he’d carried in and set on an entryway table. “Do you think I could have one of those waters?” she asked.
“Sure.” He stepped over to the table and extricated one of the bottles from the plastic. He cracked open the lid and handed it to her. She drank, glancing furtively at his face while she did.
�
�No strings attached? We both walk away afterward?”
“It would be for the best. But God knows that while we’re here, I’ll want you,” he said, his simple, primal honesty sending a thrill through her. His gaze sunk over her face. “Again and again.”
She spilled some of the water on her chin, set off balance by his quiet, restrained intensity. “It’s like I told you in that parking lot. Now that it started, I can’t imagine stopping until this thing has played out.”
“What if I’m not fully convinced, like you are, that it’s ‘for the best’ to keep it to mere getaway sex?” she asked frankly, wiping her chin.
“You mean because you feel I’m unreasonable about thinking we wouldn’t work in the real world?”
She laughed. “In the unreal world, right? Hollywood? Yeah. That’s what I mean.”
“I told you we don’t have to agree on everything to enjoy each other. It’s up to you whether or not you want to explore this . . . heat between us. If you think it would be a bad idea, then we’ll sleep in separate bedrooms. I’d understand completely.” He paused, considering. “I wouldn’t like it though.”
Some of the heat he’d referred to seemed to rush through her now. Her cheeks burned. Her sex tingled.
Don’t agree. You know what might happen.
But what if that dreaded thing had already occurred, and she was just blinding herself to that fact? Her work wasn’t available here in these woods to distract her. It was just Seth and her.
She agreed with Seth though. She wasn’t a coward. If she left this “heat” between them unexplored, she’d regret it. A lot.
“It all seems a little mercenary, the way you talk about it.” She met his stare unflinchingly. “But maybe you’re right to be straightforward. What’s more honest than wanting someone? And I think we both know that applies to us, in spades,” she added wryly under her breath. She inhaled for courage. “So I guess that’s it. It would be stupid for us to sleep in separate rooms. Stupid and dishonest.”
He nodded once, unsmiling. He looked quite formidable.