by Tasha Black
She was that good.
He couldn’t mess that up for the company or for himself. He and Lucy were a fantastic team. And he wasn’t exactly one to keep a relationship going for very long.
There was also the fact that they’d developed a working relationship in which he was her mentor. He would not betray that trust just to satisfy a craving that could be whetted with one of a long list of other women clamoring for the opportunity.
So, no. Just, no.
William Howard Casting Company’s senior casting director was not going to seduce the junior casting director. And he certainly wasn’t in love with her. His heart was just getting confused because of the desires of his body and his beast.
Although he’d had glimpses over the last two years that his cravings might be requited, Lucy seemed to be as determined as he was to repress her attraction. It was probably just a fleeting infatuation for her. If she thought he was handsome, no one could blame her - after all, he’d been on last year’s In Vogue’s hottest singles list.
It didn’t mean she was in love with him.
It was only a crush.
4
Lucy
Lucy gazed at the misty scene out her own window.
The drive in the rental car seemed to go on forever, with Adrian staring pointedly out his window into the rain, silent as a statue.
The whitewashed buildings of the small downtown melted into endless palmetto trees and moss-hung maples before Lucy’s eyes.
She’d known South Carolina would be different from Pennsylvania, but this felt like another continent.
The road wound in aimless loops around hills and creeks, until at last there was an opening in the trees and they pulled into a sand parking lot in front of what looked more like a campsite than a motel.
A half-dozen small cabins were sprinkled throughout the clearing. A massive fallen tree rested against the roof of the furthest one, its muddy roots hanging like a wig over the front door.
“Wow,” she murmured, but Adrian made no comment.
They got out of the car and made their way to the cabin at the center with the Motel Office sign swinging from the portico.
Lucy stood in the small lobby, watching in disbelief as the scenario she’d dreamt of on so many lazy Saturdays played out before her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, sir,” the receptionist said, twisting the end of her blond ponytail around her finger winsomely.
Lucy hadn’t fantasized about the flirting clerk, but the rest was on the level.
“But, we had reservations,” Adrian said.
“Well, a tree fell,” the young woman said. “We can’t control that.”
“Why wasn’t I informed?” Adrian asked coldly.
“We sent an email to your office this morning,” the woman replied, looking at the screen. “A. Harkness at William Howard Casting, right?”
“Are there any other accommodations nearby?” Adrian asked.
“Um, no,” the girl half giggled. “Did you want to cancel Cottage #7?”
“No,” Adrian replied immediately. “We’ll take it.”
He turned to Lucy.
She tried desperately to ensure that her face was a blank slate.
“Looks like we’re bunking together, kid,” he told her.
“No problem,” she replied in what she hoped was a crisp tone. “I wanted to go over some of the choices with you before tomorrow anyway.”
Adrian finished checking them in.
“It’s the far cottage on the left,” the receptionist said helpfully, twisting her ponytail again flirtatiously.
“Thanks,” Adrian said, not noticing, or maybe just not caring.
Lucy hopped up and they went out the front door and into the misting rain.
It was hard not to look up at the ancient pines and wonder if another one might come crashing down on them at any moment.
“They’re fine,” Adrian said. He was facing forward, not even looking at her.
“Pardon?” she asked.
“The trees,” he clarified. “The one that fell was already dying. You can tell by the color of the inner branches.”
“Oh,” Lucy said, stunned that he knew so much about trees. Adrian was a city guy through and through. Or at least she’d always thought he was.
They reached the porch of the small white cottage. It had two rocking chairs, which faced out into the lush trees.
Adrian opened the door and Lucy followed him in.
It was really tiny. The room was barely big enough to hold a small table, one bed and a bathroom.
One bed.
Lucy felt the blood rushing to her cheeks again.
“I’m going to freshen up,” she said quickly, dropping her bag and dashing into the bathroom.
She closed the door behind her and surveyed her surroundings - a clawfoot tub with a view of the trees, a toilet, a sink with a storage vanity, a mirror. She briefly considered whether she could just sleep in the bathtub. It was certainly large enough, unlike the rest of the place.
Snap out of it, Lucy. You’re going to talk shop with Adrian and then go to sleep on one side of that bed, fully dressed. And you’re going to be an adult about it.
End of story.
By the time she returned to the room, she was feeling calm and in control. She grabbed her bag off the floor and headed over to the little table as Adrian went into the bathroom.
She opened her laptop and pulled up the head shots of the actors they were seeing tomorrow.
The client was big, really big. Horizon Greeting Cards spent a lot on advertising and their message was always the same - beautiful and wistful. Lucy cried all the time while watching their commercials.
Now she had to cast one.
The trouble was that Horizon was also extremely particular about their image, which meant doing social media searches on the actors in addition to looking at résumés.
If Lucy could find one image of the actor in question drinking alcohol or behaving improperly they were out for the count. Since actors weren’t exactly known to be an introverted bunch, about 80% of the talent she’d initially been interested in using had already been eliminated.
Making things even more interesting, Horizon was now insisting on completing the final callbacks here, near their national headquarters in the tiny town of Kingsbay, so that the company’s owner could stop in and express his preferences, if he had any. There was only one big hotel near the downtown of Kingsbay. Since Adrian and Lucy didn’t want to fraternize with the actors, that meant they were relegated to the cottages. Or in this case, the cottage.
“You like her,” Adrian observed softly. He had entered the room so quietly that Lucy hadn’t even heard him.
Lucy smiled and gazed at the black and white image in front of her. From the screen, Adelaide Collins seemed to smile back.
“I saw her do improv in Chicago,” Lucy said. “She was… phenomenal.”
“She’s not what they’re looking for,” Adrian warned.
Horizon was just one of the many companies who requested “all-American” actors, which Lucy had learned was industry code for Caucasian and Barbie doll-style beautiful.
Adelaide didn’t fit that physical description. But Lucy couldn’t imagine any other actress who could better fill the role in question than the stunning, full-figured, African American actress, whose initial audition had hit Lucy right in the heart.
“She is what they’re looking for,” Lucy amended. “They just don’t know it yet.”
He chuckled and sat down beside her.
“Who else do we have?” he asked.
Lucy clicked out and they both studied the page of thumbnails, so many smiling faces.
Lucy’s phone buzzed.
* * *
Text from Jeremy Hall
* * *
The client. Or at least the grandson of the client, and the man who had hired them on the client’s behalf. From her interactions with him so far, Jeremy seemed like a nice enough guy
.
* * *
Jeremy Hall:
You guys make it ok?
* * *
Lucy Wren:
Yes, thank you.
* * *
Jeremy Hall:
Sweet. I’m coming to pick you up for dinner in town. B ready in 10
* * *
Lucy smiled. She’d been a little worried about a whole night alone in here with Adrian, but Jeremy was a decent guy and he seemed super relaxed. Maybe his laid-back presence would melt Adrian’s ice. And though Lucy would rather curl up with her book than go out, a night out meant less time in the cabin.
Alone.
Together.
“Why are you smiling?” Adrian asked.
“We’re going out,” she told him.
5
Adrian
Adrian had jumped at the chance to get out of the tiny cottage where the proximity to Lucy was making his head spin.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t foreseen her ability to make him even crazier at the bar than he had been in the cottage.
Their companion, Jeremy Hall, was young - in his twenties, like Lucy. And though Adrian liked to think Lucy was an ageless twenty-something, Hall was every bit the hare-brained “bro” Adrian figured he must have been himself, ten years ago.
Hall was very pleasant and high-spirited. As a matter of fact, he was making Lucy laugh in a way Adrian hadn’t seen very often. And he was good looking in a wholesome way, with his blond hair, blue eyes and skinny jeans.
Still, Adrian couldn’t help feeling there was something off about the younger man.
Hall laughed and let his hand rest casually on the back of Lucy’s stool.
Yes, there was definitely something very unlikeable about this client.
Are you sure it’s not just that he’s flirting with Lucy?
Adrian squelched the unbecoming thought and turned his attention back to the conversation at hand.
“So you’re, like, young for this job, right?” Jeremy asked Lucy.
“I didn’t finish college,” Lucy admitted. “Adrian hired me anyway. He took me under his wing and taught me everything I know.”
“You didn’t need much from me.” Adrian couldn’t hold back a warm smile. “You’re a natural.”
She blushed and looked down and Adrian cursed inwardly. When would she learn to take credit for her own hard work and talent?
“I knew it,” Hall said. “You’re a prodigy, right?”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Lucy laughed.
“Don’t be modest,” Hall told her, his face earnest. “I’m a prodigy too. That’s why my grandfather put me in charge of this account.”
Adrian hid his smile. The grandfather had probably put Jeremy on the account to keep him out from underfoot in the office.
“Wow,” Lucy said, wide-eyed. “He must be really proud of you.”
Fire lashed Adrian’s chest and he felt sick. How could she fail to see through this goofball? You didn’t exactly need the heightened senses of a panther to smell bullshit this deep.
“Yeah,” Jeremy grinned. “I’m looking forward to blowing his mind with the commercial when it’s done. Hey, you want another one?” He indicated the glass in her hand.
A whole scenario played out before Adrian’s eyes, Lucy drinking too much, Hall escorting her back to his place…
But Lucy shook her head, sending her curls tumbling down her back and a wave of lush springtime to Adrian’s sensitive nose.
“This was so much fun, Jeremy, but I’m beat after the plane ride. I think it’s time to head back to the cottages and turn in.”
“Cool, cool, cool,” Jeremy said. “We’ll do this again another night then. How are the cottages? I wish we had more good places to stay in town.”
“Very comfortable,” Adrian put in quickly. The last thing he wanted, the very last thing, was for Hall to offer up his apartment as an alternative to Lucy sharing a room with Adrian. He preferred the torture of having her close to the torture of having her with a man he didn’t trust.
Lucy dimpled and nodded in agreement.
By the time they found themselves back in the cottage, it was nearly midnight.
Lucy disappeared into the bathroom and came out in yoga pants and a t-shirt. He tried hard not to notice how cuddly she looked.
Then it was his turn in the bathroom. Though he normally slept naked, Adrian kept on a t-shirt and boxers. He found himself rushing through his bedtime routine, eager to get back to her.
The room was small, but the entire back wall was taken up by a huge window looking out into the woods and the creek that rippled past.
When he emerged from the bathroom, he couldn’t help noticing that the moon was almost full. It looked enormous through the trees and reflecting back in the swollen creek.
Adrian felt the panther rising in him and he bit his lip until it nearly bled.
It was his three hundredth moon.
His foster brothers and sisters all had some close calls as their protective magic wore off. They had all guessed his would be easier, now that the portal back in Tarker’s hollow was open, but no one really knew for sure.
Whether he was ready or not, his animal was coming to the surface. He hadn’t been able to shift completely since childhood. And he’d expected to take time off, go to the woods and experience it with abandon this month.
But when the opportunity with Horizon Cards came up, Adrian jumped on it. It was a huge account. And after all, they were in the woods. When the moon was completely full in another few days, he would just have to get out of the cottage for a night.
Meanwhile, the more immediate problem was sleeping with Lucy, without… sleeping with her.
Her soft scent filled the room as he approached the bed. She had staked out a side and was lying on top of the blankets with an e-reader.
He was pleased to see she was reading. Most people would be watching TV or playing around on their phones.
“Do you read a lot?” he asked as he eased himself onto the bed beside her.
He glanced at the e-reader and she flushed.
“Most nights,” she replied. “How about you, do you read a lot?”
“Yeah,” he smiled. “Thrillers, crime dramas, that kind of thing. How about you?”
“Um, fantasy, romance,” she said softly.
Romance novels - he seemed to remember hearing that those were supposed to make women horny. Desperately, he tried not to think that tantalizing thought.
“Is that what you’re reading now?” he asked, trying not to sound hopeful.
“Yeah,” she said, “sort of.”
“What do you mean, ‘sort of’?” he asked, intrigued.
“This is a paranormal romance about a woman who falls in love with a man who can… change himself.”
“Change himself? Like a diaper?”
“Like a shapeshifter,” she said, looking embarrassed.
“A… shapeshifter,” he echoed, unable to process what he thought he was hearing.
“Yeah,” she said, chagrined. “I know it sounds dumb, but it’s actually sort of awesome. The guy is a werewolf.”
“No way,” Adrian said thinking of his foster siblings and wondering if they knew this was a thing. His sister Darcy was a wolf, and so was his brother, Will.
Lucy seemed surprised at his interest.
“Yeah, it’s neat. In the part I’m reading now, he’s going to prevent a heist. He knows who the bad guys are because of his superior sense of smell.”
Well that checked out.
“Do you…” he began and wasn’t sure how to finish. “Do you like the idea of a guy who could turn into an animal?”
“Well, sure,” she grinned. “It would be like having a superhero for a boyfriend.”
He nodded slowly.
She laughed.
“It’s just a book, but it’s nice to escape reality sometimes.”
She didn’t know the half of it.
He was half-tempted to ask
how she would feel about having a panther for a boyfriend but he had already pushed this weird conversation too far.
“I know what you mean about escaping,” he said.
“What do you do to escape?”
“I like being outside,” he replied.
“Is that why you knew about the trees?” she asked.
“What trees?”
“When we came in,” she said. “You knew that the tree that had fallen was dead already, and that the others were okay.”
“Oh,” he said. “Yeah, I grew up on a farm. It was mostly an apple orchard, but we also grew vegetables and Christmas trees.”
“No way,” Lucy breathed, placing her e-reader down on the bedside table. “I thought you were from Philadelphia.”
“I’m from the suburbs of Philadelphia,” he told her.
“So you’re… a farm boy?” she asked.
“I guess you could say that,” he chuckled. “Why are you so surprised?”
“I don’t know,” she said, looking a little embarrassed. “I guess you just seem like a city guy. Plus isn’t your brother a big shot in Glacier City?”
Ah, Derek. The rich brother. Well, the richest brother.
“Yeah, a lot of us strayed from the nest,” Adrian laughed. “Poor Mom.”
“How many of you are there?” Lucy asked. Her face wore an adorable expression of confusion.
“We’re foster siblings,” he explained. “So there are… a lot of us.
“Oh,” she said, her face taking on the sorrowful expression he’d seen so many times when he mentioned he’d grown up in foster care. “I didn’t know.” Somehow on her it looked sincere, like she actually cared.
“It wasn’t like that,” he said.
“Like what?”
“Like you’re thinking,” he chuckled. “Like the movie Annie or an after-school special or something. It was awesome. I was happy. I was an incredibly lucky kid.”
“You’re serious,” she said, a furrow in her brow.
“Of course I am,” he replied, mystified.