When I opened them up, I stood in front of a large oval mirror. The face staring back was flushed, eyes wide, and lips slightly swollen. And here I thought Jimmy's kiss last night had been passionate! It didn’t even come close to the knee weakening one I just shared with Ryan. What an amazing difference, especially when I knew Jimmy actually cared about me and Ryan was only acting.
I finally got my heartbeat under control and splashed water on my face. The scent of his musky cologne filled my nose as I splashed the warm water on my skin. I ran my hands through my hair and tried to focus on what I needed to do, and not on what I had just done.
When I was firmly back in control, I opened the door and heard voices down the hall and to the left. I followed them until I found the room that Ryan had called a study. It was a large open room with shelves of books lining one wall. I wondered if the books were just props. Ryan didn’t seem like the type to read much more than his scripts.
Like the family room I had been in last night, this one had various seating areas. Roseanne, Drew, and Robbie were already there, along with the guy named Bill who had shown up on the patio. He was checking me out, and I tried not to blush under his energetic scrutiny.
Troy entered behind me and pointed to a seat just off to the side. If he hadn’t pointed it out, I would’ve headed there anyway because it gave me a good view of everyone. Four other people joined the meeting, and Roseanne quickly introduced them to me.
Bill worked security around the trailers where Ryan got dressed and rested. He had others who worked with him. Markus was in charge of technology and took care of the headsets, computers, and cell phones everyone used. Brady was a crowd control guard and made sure he knew where crowds were and gave Ryan a heads up on when to avoid a certain area. The last one introduced was Brian; I wasn’t quite sure what Brian did. Roseanne never explained it to me.
Any one of these four could be involved in the threats against Ryan. They would start at the top of my list. It was Markus and Brian who seemed the most concerned with my presence.
Bill kept smirking at me, and Brady didn’t pay any attention to me after shaking my hand. I listened carefully while they talked with Robbie about the start of production tomorrow and what concerns they had, who else would be on the sets, what equipment they needed, and where the shooting was taking place. I didn’t ask any questions, although I had quite a few. I wanted to make it look like I was the dumb blond girlfriend who was just along for the ride.
It was easier to learn things if people didn’t suspect you were investigating them. The meeting was wrapping up when Ryan walked into the room.
He winked at me, and everyone saw it. I couldn’t help but blush as the memory of our kiss bounced back into my mind the minute his face came into view. He walked over and stood next to my chair.
“Are you guys done with her? My interviews are starting soon, and I’d like Jacquelyn with me now. It’s about time that everyone knows about us.” He chuckled huskily and rubbed the top of my shoulders. Everyone joined in with the laughter except Markus and Brian, who shared their own private glance.
Troy said I was good to go, and they had a few more things to talk about and he would fill me in later. I stood beside Ryan as he slid his warm arm around my waist and led me out of the room. I told myself that I put my arm around him only to make it look good. Yep, that was the only reason.
“So, what did you think?” Ryan questioned me as we meandered down the hallway and out of earshot. He still had his arm around me, and I tried to pull away from him. He held on tighter, though I wasn’t sure why since there was no one around to act for.
“It was…interesting,” I said as I peered up at him. He stopped moving and halted me by curving his fingers around my waist. His eyes were sparkling and shadowed, and his lashes were full and dark. I leaned back and realized it was because he was wearing makeup. It was strange to see a man who already had such a perfect face made up to look even more handsome.
“Interesting? That’s all you have?” He frowned as he focused on me.
I blinked. “Yes, it’s interesting to hear how it’s all done. How they coordinate everything for you.”
We were at the end of the hallway just inside the atrium, and the room was bright. The pupils of his eyes were small, making the blue even brighter and bolder since there was so much more of it to see. I knew he was going to kiss me before he started to move toward me, and I was torn between meeting him halfway or stepping back—my logic battling my hormones.
As he got closer, I saw his eyes flick to the side real quick, I heard footsteps on the marble floor. Okay, so we were back to acting. I wrapped my other arm around his neck and raised my face so that his lips brushed mine.
It would have been the perfect kiss, gentle and slow, if it wasn’t for the fact that my heart wanted to explode out of my chest. His left hand caressed my cheek while his right arm stayed around my waist holding me to him; our hips fit snuggly together, and my chest pushed against his hard ab muscles. His right hand slid up to the nape of my neck, holding my lips tightly to his. He wouldn’t have to worry; my hormones had no thought of ending this anytime soon on their own.
“Excuse me, Mr. Palmer, but you are going to ruin your makeup if you keep that up.” A female voice startled me back to reality, and logic began to crash in. His lips rose up in a smile, and he pulled away with a chuckle.
“It’s worth having it redone for a kiss like this, Marie.” Together we turned to face her, and I noticed she had a small strained smile on her older face.
“Marie, this is Jacquelyn. Jackie this is my makeup artist. She’s the one who makes me gorgeous.” He led me over to Marie, and we shook hands.
“Not hard to make you gorgeous, Mr. Palmer. I have a good palate to use.” She laughed kindly as she shook my hand.
Marie openly examined my features. “You'd be a perfect palate too.” Ryan still had his arm around me. “The newspaper photos didn't do you justice.”
I blushed, and she laughed. “Oh, and she blushes, too! That’s perfect.”
“She is a perfect palate, isn’t she?” Ryan gazed down at me with a little too much heat in his eyes. I rolled mine at Marie, trying to ignore the feelings that he awakened in my hormones. She laughed a husky sound.
Ryan turned and looked out the front door. Two vehicles pulled up in front of the house, and Troy walked in behind us.
“Ryan, where are we doing this interview?” Troy asked as he entered.
“Are you guys done in the study? We can do it in there.” Troy nodded and walked outside to speak with the people who were climbing out of the media vans.
“Jacquelyn, let’s go sit on the patio until they’re ready for us.” He began to lead me away, but Marie grabbed my arm.
“Do I need to do some makeup on her? Is she in the interview?” she asked Ryan.
He considered me for a moment. “No, she’s perfect just the way she is.” My breath caught in my throat at the sound of his voice and the sexy look in his eye. Damn, he wasn’t a good actor; he was freaking fantastic! No wonder he was one of the most popular film stars these days.
“It’s a pleasure to meet the woman who is not afraid of evil. Hopefully, you can keep this guy from finding anymore,” Marie chortled as Ryan pulled me away.
The whole fear no evil comment had been a constant source of comment since the incident at the airport. I didn’t understand why people couldn’t let that go. I ground my teeth when my back was to her.
Ryan led me to the patio, and I pulled away from him as soon as we walked out the door. I sighed.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as we made our way over to the table where we had eaten breakfast.
“Nothing.” I shook my head and sat down, resting my arms on the glass table. “Why did you tell reporters that I didn’t fear evil?”
He studied me for a minute and sat down crossing his left leg over his right at his knee. He contemplated the scenery for a few moments before turning back to me. “Tha
t day in the airport, it was all that I knew about you. You walked right in between that man and me. I could only see your back and the words that were written there. I couldn’t believe that someone would just walk in front of a man with a gun when it wasn’t part of a script.” He shook his head.
“How did you even know he was going to do that?” He uncrossed his legs and sat up closer to the table, laying both of his forearms down on the glass.
I shrugged. “I watch people. He was obviously up to something. I saw him when he came in; he was acting nervous and watching your group. The way he was moving and examining you told me something was up. I could tell there was something in his jacket, so when he started to move toward you, I did what I did.” I shrugged again and looked away, out toward the back of the property pasture.
“I never did thank you for that,” he said quietly.
I laughed. “Oh, yes you did! All the flowers, cards, and phone calls you sent, and then at the hospital.” I shook my head remembering all of the stuff I had received from everyone.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
I sighed and hung my head. “I told you before. There was no reason to call you. I knew you were grateful. I just wanted all the attention to go away.”
“I saw the press conference that you did. Would you really have done the same thing for him if the tables were reversed?”
I pushed away from the table and sat back against the seat. “Of course I would have. He’s a person, and I protect people. If you saw the interview, then you know that.”
He studied me for a minute before we both got lost in the beauty of the pasture beyond the house. A few minutes later, Troy walked out onto the patio.
“They want to take a few pictures of the property. Do you mind, Ryan?” Troy asked as he joined us.
“No, that’s fine,” Ryan said as he stood up.
“Why don’t you and Jackie take a little walk out that way? Hold hands; make it look good. Hopefully, they will get some shots of you two and help get the information out there,” Troy suggested as I stood up, too.
Wow, is this what normally happened? Staged romance to make the public think things were going on…was it always only for publicity?
Ryan reached over and took my hand silently. We didn’t say anything as we walked side by side down the four slate steps and out toward the pasture where the horses grazed.
It was a beautiful spring morning with fresh, clean air. A light breeze blew but the sun felt warm on my skin. Not quite as warm as my hand that was in Ryan’s, but warm enough.
As we wandered toward the fence, I thought about what was going on around him. “Tell me, Ryan, what kind of threats have you gotten?”
He surveyed the fields. “Mostly notes.” He shrugged. “The water bottle was the first thing that actually happened, although the notes have shown up in some pretty strange places.”
“Like where?”
“Restaurants I’ve dined at. I got one at the airport once, and then one at my parents’ house while I was visiting them."
I considered what he said for a few minutes. “Were these places that you went to often?”
“No, not really. I rarely go to my parents, they usually come visit me.” He stopped near the wooden fence on the edge of the pasture, pulling my hand so I was closer to him.
“Is that something that you announced you were doing? Something you told the press about?” I watched him closely.
“No. I try to keep my parents out of the spotlight.”
I thought for another moment. “When you make your plans and your reservations, how do you normally make them?”
“I either call, or Troy does.” He wrapped his arm around my waist and reeled me in.
“On a cell phone.” My heart thumped wildly as my body rested against his.
“Yeah, what else?” he said and laughed.
“Do you have your cell phone on you now?” I asked while I tried to put some distance between us. He made it hard to think when our bodies were touching. Now that we were actually discussing the real reason I was here, I wanted to concentrate.
“No. I don’t carry it around when I’m at home. Why?” He held me tighter, keeping me from putting the distance between us that I wanted.
“Good, I want you to stop using your cell phone. If you need to use one, use mine. I’d keep your cell phone off unless you absolutely need to have it on.” While our fingers were still laced together, he brought my arm up to the small of my back forcing me to arch my chest toward him. My hips made contact with his, and a wave of heat washed from my head to my pelvis. Damn hormones!
“Why? You want to know whom I’m talking to? I promise I won’t call any other women while you’re here.” His face was mere inches from mine. My other hand absently went to his hip while his other hand lightly caressed my face, his thumb gently rubbing over my bottom lip.
“I don’t care who you talk to. You can call all the women you want. I just want to make sure your phone isn’t compromised,” I whispered as he brought his face closer. His eyes flashed something for a brief moment, and I wondered if he would pull back.
“There is no other woman I want to talk to right now, only you.” He breathed out the words just before he put his lips to mine. His hand squeezed mine tightly behind me and then let go so that he could splay his hand across my lower back. Once he released that hand, it automatically came around and landed on his shoulder.
It was so easy to kiss him, and after only two kisses, my body craved his. He shuddered as my fingernails trailed lightly over his skin.
I heard the whistle, and I assumed Ryan heard it also, but we didn’t break off the kiss right away. A few moments later, another whistle came louder, and Ryan chuckled huskily as he pulled away.
I was breathless as I peered up at him and followed his line of sight to the back porch. There were five people standing on the patio, and one of them had a camera pointed at us. Troy waved his hand in the air to motion us back.
I rested my face on his chest, my eyes closed while I tried to regain what composure I could while still in his arms. I heard his heart beating, and his labored breath. I was glad to know that I wasn’t the only one who felt like they had just run a marathon.
Ryan took my hand and we began to walk back. “That probably gave them some good shots. They will be splashed all over the place by the end of today.” He sounded proud of himself, and I had to remind myself that he was only doing what he did best: acting.
This isn’t real, Jack, remember that. I let him lead us back to the house. It isn’t real; it’s just an act.
Chapter 11
Ryan
I watched her walk away from me as my heart raced. I had never met a woman who could make my heart beat as though adrenaline coursed through my veins non-stop. I followed her into the house and watched as she walked around the corner into the hallway. Roseanne smirked as I came closer.
“Do you need to excuse yourself to the bathroom, too?” she asked and chuckled. I grinned back at her and walked down the opposite hallway. I went into my personal study to read some of my lines for tomorrow’s filming. I still had a couple of hours until the interviews started.
When I walked into the study, my cell phone was ringing. I usually left it on the desk when I didn’t need it. I hated carrying it, and knew that people who really need to get in touch with me would call Troy. I looked down at the caller ID and saw that it was Kayla. I listened to another ring and debated whether or not to answer it. In the end, I let it go to voicemail and ignored it as I picked up my script for the scenes I would be working on tomorrow.
I heard a phone in the house ring. A few minutes later, there was a knock at my door; it opened before I told them to enter. I looked up to find Marie, my makeup artist and stylist.
“Mr. Palmer, Ms. Rainey is on the phone for you. She said it’s important.”
“Fine, I’ll take it in here.” I glanced at my watch. “You almost ready for me?”
“Yep. Whe
n you’re done with your phone call, you know where to find me.” She turned to leave and closed the door behind her.
I took a deep breath before I answered. “Hey, Kayla, what’s going on?” I was short with her because I didn’t feel like entertaining her today.
“How come you didn’t answer your cell phone?” She sounded pouty. “I haven’t talked to you in days. I thought we were going to rehearse a couple of the scenes?”
“I’ve been busy, Kayla.” And avoiding you. “We’ll have time to rehearse them later. Did you need something because I’m kind of busy right now.”
“I know you have those two interviews today. Did you want me to come over? I could help you out with them, be your moral support.” Her voice was all cheery as she spoke.
The only reason she wanted to be here was so that she could try and slip into the interview herself. Or, to make them think we were still seeing each other. I wasn’t interested in either of those options.
When I declined, she pressed on. “Are you sure?” She sounded pouty. How did a woman sound pouty on the phone?
“I’ll see you on the set, Kayla.” I said goodbye and hung up before she could say anything else. I wasn’t trying to be an ass but, as usual, it came out that way.
I left the study and made my way down the hallway to a room I had turned into a simple salon and makeup station. The set wasn’t too far from here, and I preferred to do most of my dressing at home. Besides, interviews were something that happened every day, so it was good to have an area like this at home. I sat down in the chair and talked with Marie while she worked.
Marie had been working for me for about a year, but she still continued to call me Mr. Palmer. She said it was a sign of respect.
After Marie styled my hair and put on enough makeup so that I wouldn’t look washed out in the interviews, I climbed out of the chair and made my way to the large study to find Jacquelyn. I wondered how she was fairing with the group.
I entered the room and found her sitting off to the side. I wasn’t happy that she was pushed off like that, and I would talk to Troy about that later.
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