Playing the Part

by Darcy Daniel

  Playing the Part

  By Darcy Daniel

  Anthea Cane is a successful actress—well, action star. Her films are mostly about how hot she looks silhouetted by fiery explosions. But Anthea is determined to prove she’s more than just a body. With the role of a lifetime up for grabs—a serious adaptation of her favorite novel—Anthea sets off to her small hometown in the name of research.

  Cole Daniel is a blind farmer with no patience for divas, especially one who mercilessly teased him as a young boy. When Anthea shows up using a fake name and pestering him into letting her stay, he can’t pass up the opportunity to torment her just a little.

  But Anthea won’t let the stubborn farmer deter her from her goal, even if he is hotter than any man she’s ever met. Cole finds his form of payback less than satisfying when Anthea keeps turning the tables on him, proving her mettle and gaining his respect. Will Anthea’s research land her a man, as well as the part?

  65,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  This February, we decided that we would do something a little different for the month that usually celebrates Valentine’s Day. Not everything always needs to be hearts and roses—sometimes it can be swords, mayhem and spaceships as well—so we’re using this month to not only debut new science fiction and fantasy authors and series, but also to reintroduce some returning authors in these genres. And, of course, since we’re a publisher of variety, we have even more genres on offer this month.

  Debut author Steve Vera brings us Drynn, book one in his Last of the Shardyn urban fantasy trilogy. The heroes of two worlds reluctantly join forces to fight the Lord of the Underworld. Joining Steve in the urban fantasy category is David Bridger, returning with his sequel to Quarter Square. Golden Triangle is the story of a golden man, werewolf bikers and two nemeses.

  How Beauty Saved the Beast is the second book in Jax Garren’s continuing science fiction romance trilogy, and the sexual tension is ramping up! A burlesque dancer and a scarred soldier defend a colony of anarchists as friends and fellow agents, but when a new weapon threatens to rip them apart, sparks fly as the dancer must take the lead in a fight for the soldier’s life. Don’t miss the trilogy’s conclusion in May.

  Returning authors Stacy Gail, Inez Kelley, Shona Husk and Christopher Beats all deliver their respective book twos this month, all in four different genres. Don’t miss paranormal romance Savage Angel, fantasy romance Time Dancer, Western fantasy romance Dark Secrets and steampunk mystery Vacant Graves.

  Also in February, author Shawna Thomas launches her newest fantasy series with Journey of Awakening. Trained from birth for one purpose, Sara must reunite three ancient stones to restore balance to the land, but one of the stone keepers has other plans.

  Longing for a heroine who’s not your typical heroine? Have an interest in a unique fairy tale retelling? Tia Nevitt delivers both in her latest Accidental Enchantments offering, The Magic Mirror and the Seventh Dwarf, a Snow White retelling where the seventh dwarf is a young woman who walks into adventure with a runaway princess, a prince cursed by a magic mirror, and a romance of her own.

  Last, but definitely not least, are our February offerings for those of you who want to read outside of science fiction, fantasy and paranormal. Mystery author Monique Domovitch joins Carina Press with Getting Skinny, the first in her Chef Landry Mystery series. Charlie Cochrane delivers another heart-wrenching tale of love in male/male historical Promises Made Under Fire. And cool Southern belle Althea Grant’s subdued life as an art gallery owner burns out of control when a seductive bad-boy metal sculptor pushes her to explore her deepest, most thrilling desires in Platinum, Jeffe Kennedy’s newest BDSM erotic romance book.

  We’re pleased to introduce debut author Darcy Daniel with her contemporary romance Playing the Part. Famous actress Anthea Cane meets her match when she encounters an enigmatic blind farmer…but has she also met the man of her dreams?

  And despite my claim that not everything has to be hearts and roses, I’m still a die-hard romantic, so I hope all of you discover an amazing happily ever after this Valentine’s Day, whether between the pages of a Carina Press book or channel surfing on the couch next to you.

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to generalinquiries@carinapress.com. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

  www.facebook.com/carinapress

  Dedication

  To my wonderful mother, for her amazingly generous support and constant encouragement, without which, my dream of becoming a writer would never have become a reality. And to Roxie and Georgina—I am grateful for your friendship every day.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  “And how’s my beautiful star holding up?”

  Anthea Cane froze as Marshall Brand jostled in beside her at the crowded bar, his strong aftershave engulfing her in an invisible cloud of eye-watering fumes. Blinking, she fought the urge to shy away when he placed a hand on her lower back. As the producer of the three movies she’d starred in, Anthea refused to let Marshall’s sleaziness get in the way of their professional relationship. Tonight, she wanted to bask in the glow of success, not deal with his oily come-ons.

  Avoiding eye contact, she glanced around the crowded cinema foyer. Ten minutes earlier, the VIP guests had watched her star as Alex Stark in the Australian premiere of A Kick to the Heart. A Kick to the Head, the first film in the action-parody franchise, had done great box-office business, as had the sequel, A Kick to the Guts. How successful this third and final installment would prove to be was anyone’s guess.

  Thinking about all three ridiculous titles brought an embarrassed flush to her cheeks. Although grateful to the Kick movies for shooting her to instant fame, what she wanted more than anything was a serious, meaty role. Something more than Alex Stark’s cold assassin could offer. Something with meaning.

  Marshall Brand’s clammy fingers drifted down her back. Eager to escape the unwanted attention, she leaned in close to be heard over the crowd. “Would you excuse me?”

  “Don’t tell me you’re leaving already?” he said, moving in even closer.

  “I just need to use the little girls’ room.”

  Marshall’s eyes brightened, no doubt believing she wanted to freshen up for him. Right.

  “By all means,” he said, and gave her a wi
nk that made her skin crawl.

  Was it any wonder she no longer dated? After the success of the first Kick movie, she soon discovered men only wanted one thing: To bed her screen persona, Alex Stark. No one seemed interested in getting to know Anthea Cane. And so had begun the habit of accompanying her brother Ethan, who also acted as her manager, to these events with the hope of warding off any unwanted advances.

  She squeezed through the throng of producers, studio executives and agents, and scanned the crowd for Ethan. As usual, he’d managed to disappear when she needed him most. Though how could she blame him? Being seen with his little sister probably didn’t do much for him in the dating department.

  Safely ensconced in a ladies’ stall, Anthea fished her cell phone from her purse. With the intention of asking Ethan’s help in escaping Marshall Brand, she navigated to the contacts screen. Just as she was about to press the dial button, two sets of stilettos clicked across the bathroom tiles.

  A high-pitched woman’s voice said, “That was even more absurd than the second one.”

  Anthea frowned as their stall doors banged shut.

  A deeper female voice responded, “Marshall intends to screw her tonight. If you ask me, she’d better leap at the chance. After the dismal performance we just witnessed, no one in their right mind would ever hire her again.”

  Anthea’s mouth dropped open. Not because of Marshall Brand’s intentions—which came as no surprise—but because of the brutal critique of her performance.

  “I agree,” said the high-pitched voice. “But really, Marshall shouldn’t waste his time with an absolute D-grader like her.” Both women chuckled as their toilets flushed.

  Anthea’s grip tightened on her cell phone. She’d starred in three movies, for heaven’s sake. Okay, they were parodies, but the box-office takings didn’t lie.

  Blood roared through her ears as her heart accelerated. She wanted to burst from the stall and confront them. That’s what Alex Stark would do. But she wasn’t Alex Stark. This was the real world, and the real world liked to put people in their place with a solid thud.

  And somewhere deep inside, she thought that maybe, just maybe, those women were right.

  * * *

  Still riled up by the comments she’d overheard last night, Anthea ignored the spectacular view from her high-rise Sydney apartment as she pounded out her aggression on the treadmill. Switching on the attached iPad, she checked her e-mails. Most she deleted, but her finger hovered over one. Mayfield, the country town where she’d spent the first eight years of her life, was planning its annual fundraiser.

  With a stab of guilt, she scanned the e-mail from her childhood friend. Even though Anthea had been so young when her family left Mayfield, after all these years, Karin remained the only true friend she’d ever had, the only person who truly liked her because of who she was, not what she was.

  And how had she repaid that friendship? By cutting off ties. By ignoring the annual invitation to return to Mayfield and make a special guest appearance to help raise money for the school they’d once attended. Of course, in previous years Anthea had had a legitimate excuse to avoid the event, considering all the on-location shooting and press tours.

  But not this year. With the premiere of the third and final Kick movie completed, she didn’t have a single job offer in the wings.

  Which truly scared her, but not as much as the thought of returning to Mayfield and all the memories that little town held.

  As she went through a list of reasons to decline the invitation, a new e-mail arrived.

  The subject line read: Casting call for The Farmer’s Wife.

  Anthea froze…and shot off the end of the treadmill with a scream. Getting to her feet, she tried to catch her breath as the possibilities whirled through her head.

  The Farmer’s Wife? Could it be that easy?

  With a burst of energy, she sprinted into the master bedroom, leaped onto the bed, bounded across the mattress and landed on the other side with a thump. Heart thundering, she stared at the tattered novel on her nightstand. The Farmer’s Wife. She picked it up and opened the soft, worn cover. Her mother’s cursive script hadn’t changed, but now the words seemed to take on a whole new meaning.

  To my precious daughter,

  I hope this story fills your heart with hope, just as it did mine.

  Love Mum.

  Anthea didn’t believe in signs, but found it hard to ignore this one. Right when she needed a new role—a career-changing role—her late mother’s favorite book was being adapted for the screen here in Australia. And lo and behold, she just happened to be twenty-nine, the same age as the novel’s heroine. If the universe was trying to tell her something, it couldn’t have spoken at a better time.

  As her fingers traced over her mother’s inscription, tears spiked the corners of her eyes. How she wished Matilda—Mattie to everyone who knew her—was still here. In Mayfield, she used to curl up in bed with Mattie and listen to her read The Farmer’s Wife until she fell asleep. The novel and a pair of jade earrings were the only personal possessions remaining of the woman who brought Anthea into the world. Anthea always kept the two items close.

  She looked at the movie posters for A Kick to the Head and A Kick to the Gut, which hung on either side of her bed.

  In both, she posed as Alex Stark. Long, blond hair streamed behind her while she held an M16 rifle in her hands. Clothed in a tight T-shirt and shorts that left little to the imagination, her toned body glistened with faux sweat. Below the shorts, her slim legs dipped into knee-high leather boots with lethal steel-capped toes.

  As Anthea studied herself, a shiver passed through her. Staring from the posters, Alex Stark’s green eyes blazed with emptiness, as if she lacked a soul.

  For the first time, she saw what others must see: a woman who relied solely on her looks to get ahead.

  Who could blame them? Rampant rumors about a fling with the casting director had dogged her just before the release of the first Kick film, and although she’d denied them, that wasn’t what sold magazines. A story about an actress who landed a role through sheer talent, that was no story at all.

  It wasn’t her fault she’d blossomed from a cute child star into a leggy beauty producers suddenly made time for in their busy schedules. But she did have real acting talent to offer. And the empty, pointless Kick movies didn’t seem enough anymore, not compared to something like The Farmer’s Wife. She wanted to stretch herself emotionally, to portray someone real, rather than an object to be ogled by men. She wanted to do something that would make her mother proud.

  Hugging the book to her chest, she looked at the ceiling. “Wish me luck.”

  * * *

  After a fruitless effort to get Ethan on the phone to arrange an audition, Anthea took matters into her own hands.

  All the way to the offices of Jason Trent, the producer of The Farmer’s Wife, jolts of excitement sparked in her stomach. Until the moment she took a seat in front of the producer’s large oak desk. He looked decidedly unhappy as he ran a hand through his silver hair.

  “Miss Cane, I simply don’t believe you’re right for the part.”

  Her heart sank. “You don’t understand. I know the story better than any—”

  “Look, I give you credit for making a successful transition from child star to adult actress. Quite an achievement. Many before you have tried and failed. You should be proud of that…though the means of your transition are…questionable.”

  Anthea stared at him, skillfully hiding the hurt that shot through her heart. Although she couldn’t explain that mentioning those rumors hurt her deeply—her current performance was proof she could handle a serious role.

  Straightening her posture, she said, “That’s a completely untrue and unfair assumption.”

  Jason shrugged. “Maybe so, but public percep
tion is everything in this business.” He sighed heavily. “My point is, to go from parodies to a serious drama… You know as well as I do that dramas rarely get the greenlight unless an A-list star is attached, so—”

  “There are always exceptions.”

  Jason shook his head. “The role requires a woman of depth, of substance. From what I’ve seen of your performances… Well, I suggest you stick to parodies.”

  It wasn’t bad enough that Jason Trent had to bring up those dreadful tabloid rumors from over a decade ago, rumors that always seemed to come back and bite her at the worst possible times. He also had the nerve to call her shallow and a bad actress all in one breath? Heat rose to her face, but the insult only made her more determined than ever to prove him wrong.

  “But I have depth and substance. I just haven’t been given the chance to show it.”

  Jason slumped in his seat, removed his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes.

  “I’m sorry, Miss Cane. You’re just not at the level this film requires.”

  “All I’m asking for is the chance to audition. What could it hurt?”

  “It would be a waste of everyone’s time. I’m sorry, but the answer’s—”

  “Please,” she interrupted as she pulled the battered novel from her purse. “Look at this.” She slid the book across the desk.

  Jason raised an eyebrow, but made no move to pick it up.

  “As you can see, I’ve read that book more times than I can count. And before that, my mother read it to me…before she passed away. Can’t you see how much this role means to me? If my audition is no good, then fair enough. But please, just give me a shot.”

  Jason studied her, glanced at the book and released a heavy sigh.

  “Auditions are being held in three weeks. My assistant will give you the details. But please understand, Miss Cane, you really don’t stand a chance.”

  * * *

  Sprawled in bed, Anthea watched the glowing blue numbers on her digital clock change from 4:59 to 5:00 a.m. She closed her eyes, opened them again. The possibility of sleep had run away and hidden somewhere far from her, no doubt seeking shelter in the same place as her confidence.