His expression impassive, Ross dropped a kiss to her forehead. The forehead. What did that mean? Was he just trying to cover his rage because Milton was there?
“But Ross. What—”
Ross strode off into the direction of his hotel. “I’ll see you later,” he called back over his shoulder, just before he rounded the corner and Mo lost sight of him.
Crêpe. She was about to demand an explanation from Leo, but saw him dragging Milton up the stairs to the agency offices as the door to the building swung shut.
Mo quickly followed behind, running to catch up with them.
“Leo, what are you doing?”
“He deserves to see these photos, Mo.” Leo stormed through the agency’s door, past an astonished Harry and into Mo’s tiny space. Milton ran gleefully behind.
“Hi, boss,” Mo said as she jogged through.
“Is that who I think it is?” Harry called.
“I’m afraid it is.”
Mo joined Leo behind her desk. “Frosted flakes. What are these?”
Leo held up a photo. Obviously taken by the security camera network at the convention center, the picture contained a mass of figures. Mo didn’t see the importance of the photo until Leo pointed to a portion of the glossy. Leo picked up two others and showed them to her. After the shots for a few moments, Mo understood their significance.
“See this photo?” Mo held out the first one to Milton.
“Yeah, what about it?”
“If you’ll look in the background behind the wookie, that’s you in the chipmunk outfit, right?”
“I’m not making any admissions." Milton pushed the glasses up his nose and then crossed his arms over his chest.
“Well, look at this second photo in the series.” Mo produced a glossy from her portfolio and thrust it toward Stewart. “Leo’s blown up a section of the first photo to show this part. You’re holding the ‘head’ of your costume. Looks like you’re taking a break for refreshments.” She pointed toward the center of the photo, which clearly showed Stewart pushing food into his mouth.
“Yeah, what of it? So I was there with a chipmunk outfit on." Milton's tone was confident, but his shifting from one foot to the other indicated something different. "I was doing some undercover investigating. You know that. You saw me there. We talked.”
“So you weren’t participating in any of the other— shall we say—activities?” Mo asked, not really trying to contain her gleeful tone.
“Certainly not!”
“Then I can’t imagine why we have this last photo in the series.” Mo withdrew another glossy and held it out.
Stewart avoided touching it as if it was tinged with ebola. In fact, it was just a photo of Stewart in his chipmunk outfit and a person in a poodle costume.
“Wow, Milton. It looks like you’re getting along really well with that poodle. I wonder how Mrs. Milton will feel about this?” Leo commented dryly.
“Mo,” Harry warned from the doorway.
Mo ignored her. “That’s pretty interesting behavior wouldn’t you say?”
“That dog was humping my leg. I had nothing to do with it. You can clearly see that here." Milton threw the photos on the desk. "So if that’s all you got, I’ll be leaving.”
“Oh, did I say that was the last photo? Oops, there’s one more photo after all.” Mo took yet another from the desk top and looked at it. “I see that you’re absolutely right. You weren’t making out with that poodle. You swing another way completely.”
She handed him the photo showing his chipmunk with a rabbit doing something Mr. Disney never envisioned.
“It looks like your interests go to wildlife, not to domesticated animals,” Leo said with a laugh.
The air seemed to go out of Milton.
“What do you want?” the formerly puffed-up twerp asked.
“I want every picture you have of Ross Grant. All negatives, digi-cards, anything. And I want all your notes.”
Milton nodded.
“By the end of today,” Mo finished.
He gave a resigned little salute.
“And, Milton, if any article appears, with or without your byline, in the National Star, the Savannah Tribune or, any other media outlet— even the Podunk Shopper—about Ross Grant and any of this mess, I’ll see that these interesting wildlife photos go directly to Mrs. Milton.”
The reporter pivoted on one heel and marched out. As he passed Harry, he gave her a hard glare.
When he was gone, Mo hugged Leo ferociously. “You are the best brother a girl could have. How did you know I would need those?”
“You told me to see if I could find something on the convention footage yesterday. Remember?”
“But you brilliantly ignored me when I said to forget it.” Mo grinned and stepped back to gather the photos into a folder.
“What have you done, Mo?” Harry’s expression was as harsh as her tone.
Mo glanced up, folder in hand. “I did what I had to do to protect Ross.”
Harry opened her mouth, but Mo interrupted before she could speak.
“I know, boss. You told me not to mess with him.”
“And didn’t I say I’d have to—” Harry began.
“You don’t have to fire me, I quit.” As Mo said the words, it was as if a ton of potatoes had been lifted from her chest. Even though it meant her financial problems would get even worse, Mo knew it was for the best.
Her boss blinked at the statement. “I didn’t mean I was actually firing you.”
“That’s okay, because I actually quit.” Mo marveled at the lightness she felt. She’d wanted to win Harry’s approval and get that bonus for so long. But now quitting felt great. “It’s okay, Harry. No hard feelings.”
“Mo—”
Not stopping to hear what she had to say, Mo strode to the door. “I gotta go see Ross.”
The only black cloud hanging in the horizon of her mind was the reaction Ross had to Milton’s planned article. She needed to get to him as soon as possible to tell him that the story was dead. His film financing was safe.
* * * * *
Just as he arrived at the hotel, his cell trilled.
“Aaron,” Ross said. “I’m glad you called. I have some news. I’m not sure whether it’s good or bad.”
“Tell me later because I know I have good news.” The agent’s voice was gleeful.
Plopping down on the sofa, Ross propped his feet on the coffee table. “Good news?”
“You’re performance in the parade is already the talk of Hollywood.”
“That was no performance—" Ross began, but Aaron cut him off.
“Whatever it was, boyo, it’s made you hot, hot, hot,” the agent said breathlessly. “I just talked to the producer of the SpyMatrix sequel and they are totally behind you as the star. Multi-million dollar payday too.”
“Really?” Ross asked. A thrill like a shot of adrenaline directly to the heart coursed through him. He'd been striving for this for the last ten years. He hadn't wanted to do a sequel but no one could deny the power it would give Ross in the industry. “No handing the torch off to someone younger?”
“Absolutely not,” Aaron answered. “I gotta hand it to you. For somebody who didn’t want to ride a parade float, you certainly did it with a genius touch.”
* * * * *
In the end, Mo couldn’t resist going home to shower and change before locating Ross. She had to feel sexy and attractive for this conversation. She might need every bit of feminine wiles in her arsenal.
Mo wiped nervously sweaty palms on her black skirt as she approached Ross’s hotel room door. Her bare legs were newly shaved. She’d topped the outfit with a silky cream-colored blouse with faux pearl buttons. Her hair was loose and curly around her shoulders.
Reaching the door to the room, she inhaled deeply before knocking. This was it.
Ross opened it almost immediately. His cell phone was to his ear and when he saw her he smiled. “I’ll call you back later, A
aron,” Ross said. “We’ll see about the sequel.” He cut off the call, jammed the cell in his pocket before tugging Mo inside. “I was just about to call you.”
“Really? What were you about to call me?” Mo asked wryly as the door shut behind her.
Ross laughed as he sat down on the sofa and pulled Mo into his lap.
“I have something to tell you,” Mo said.
Ross kissed her, stopping her words. “You don’t have to say anything.”
Reluctantly, she pulled back. “Ross. This is serious. I need to tell you something important. It’s about Milton.”
“Milton doesn’t matter. His story doesn’t matter,” he said, kissing her neck. His hand went to the buttons of her blouse and began unfastening each pearly button.
Mo couldn’t resist. She had to take a sip of his lips. She tugged at his hair to bring his head back up so she could put her mouth on his. She felt the sides of her blouse open. His hand found the strap of her bra and slipped it down her shoulder. She was quickly losing conscious thought to the sensations of the moment.
No. She jerked her head back. “No, Ross, we need to talk first.”
“It isn’t necessary. I don’t care about Milton,” he said, his eyes glazed. “I released the story about what happened in the last few days to a guy at People magazine. I just got off the phone with him before my agent called. He’s sending someone over for photos. The story will be national by next week. Let Milton put his version in the tabloids. It won’t matter.”
His head bent to take a nip at her breast and she tugged him back up. “What? I thought you’d feel humiliated.”
“Doesn’t matter. You matter,” he said seriously.
“Yesterday you said even an accurate version of events could ruin your financing.”
“If it does it does. There will be another film.”
“But People magazine?” Mo said. “That’s pretty public.”
Ross was quick to answer. “It was the only way I could think of to prove to you that you’re more important than any film. After the way I behaved the last time Milton pulled an ambush, you deserved it.” His eyes darkened. "As Stephen Dagger would say... 'You're my air. I can't breathe without you.'"
"Stop it," Mo said. "I can't take you seriously when you quote Dagger." But in her heart she gloried in his words. She'd thought no man could be this romantic.
"Okay," Ross said, dropping a kiss on her lips. “You’re like a cheeseburger with peanut butter and onions.”
“Like a what?” Mo laughed.
“A PBO cheeseburger.” The sincerity in his voice shot through her whole body like electricity. “I can’t resist you. You were hard to find. And life hasn’t been the same since you came along. I can’t give you up.” He stroked a hand through her hair. “I’m hooked.”
Tears welled in Mo’s eyes. A lump in the center of her chest exploded into a thousand pieces. She was finally someone’s PBO cheeseburger. Laughter bubbled up and turned a bit hysterical.
“What is so funny?”
“I stopped Milton’s story.”
“You what?”
“I stopped it. Milton’s story isn’t going to run in a tabloid or anywhere else.”
“What about your job?”
“I quit. No job is as important to me as you are,” she said.
Ross shook his head. “I can’t believe it. How did you do it?”
“Milton had a great website.”
Ross shook his head uncomprehendingly. “I don’t understand what that means but it doesn’t matter.” He rubbed himself against her. “With you in this position, I have more interesting things to think about than Milton.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“Like what was your choice of underwear for this little skirt.”
Ross’s hands delved up her calf, over to the inside of her thigh.
Mo groaned. “Well, I couldn’t wear panties. It would cause a panty-line,” she said breathlessly as his hand caused tingles to shoot up her leg.
“I’m just hoping I won’t encounter any resistance,” Ross growled, biting her ear as his hand continued upward.
“I’m not even wearing a thong,” she murmured.
“Hmmm, perfect,” he said, kissing the side of her neck.
She gasped as his hand delved inside her and found an interesting, sensitive, spot.
“More than perfect,” she said.
###
Author's Note
**Thank you for reading In Deep Shitake. If you enjoyed it, I hope you will post a review at Amazon.com. And if you would like to know more about me, please visit my websites at http://www.patriciamason.net and http://www.prmason.net. You just might find out about some freebies there.
More from Patricia Mason
If you enjoyed the hot humor of In Deep Shitake, you'll love these books by Patricia Mason:
"A Girl, A Guy and A Ghost" - Giselle has three days to find a ghost and save her job, will sexy private eye, Ry, help her or just provide a distraction that could cost her life. http://amzn.com/B0034KC3WG
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"Undisclosed Desires"- When circumstances conspire to force Grace to reveal her undisclosed desires, the result is carnal pleasure beyond her dreams…where wildly exquisite sex turns best friends into lovers. http://amzn.com/B00545BZ6E
"Entanglements"- Accidentally opening a vortex sucks!
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Amazon Edition, Licensing Notes
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or to actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
To Kim F. who was my inspiration for Imogene and is a lovely friend.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my excellent editor, Wendy Ely. My appreciation also goes to the designer of my beautiful cover, Kate Sterling. I also thank my friend George G. for his "one liner"...he knows which one. Thank you to my BFF, Paul S, for his counsel on the strip club scene. Special Thank you to Elena Gray for a new proofing of the manuscript.
Table of Contents
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Author's Note
More From Patricia Mason
Licensing Notes
Dedication
Acknowledgements
In Deep Shitake (A Humorous Romantic Suspense) Page 28