Living Dangerously

Chapter Six



Six weeks later

Troy opened the limo door for Ari as he scanned the neighborhood. It seemed as if a million cars crowded the narrow road in the small canyon. The sun had already set behind the hilltop and a cool breeze whispered through the trees. Giant stilt houses sat smashed together on the mountainside. No one could’ve paid him to live on a hill in Los Angeles. One good earthquake and any one of these stilt homes could go falling down in a matter of seconds. He’d pass.

Because Ari enjoyed making an entrance, they were arriving when the party was in full swing. Noise and music drifted in the light wind and proved the Hollywood party was a success.

This marked his first day back with Ari. It had been a great six-week reprieve when Ari’s movie had been postponed and he’d gone back to London to be with Sophia. Sophia had given Troy a retainer to ensure his help when Ari arrived back in the States. He’d had nothing for too many years so he’d never been good at saying no to free money.

Even though he knew no one was out to do Ari harm, Sophia had persuaded her husband otherwise, so Troy played the part of the watchful bodyguard. He hated the role. But a job was a job and aside from pretending to be someone he wasn’t, this proximity to Ari made finding the truth about his fidelity that much easier.

He walked with Ari into the swank high-tech house with its glass windows and steel beams, travertine tile and plush furniture. The decibel level doubled as people laughed and chatted in full party mode. He glanced around the crowded room and recognized a handful of famous faces. Some he could put names to and others just looked familiar. His gaze stopped on the honey-blond-haired woman near a grand piano in the corner. He couldn’t see her face, but he knew without a doubt whose back he was staring at. Hip-hugger black slacks outlined her perfect ass and gave her long legs a clean line. Black f*ck-me stilettos gave her an extra four inches. Her black shirt crisscrossed to reveal lines of smooth, pale skin. Troy stood mesmerized, waiting for her to turn, waiting for the moment when he’d see her face again.

Like him, she’d been able to ditch the bandages and her left arm seemed to be working fine as she sipped her drink, then laughed at what someone said to her. Ari had moved deeper into the room and Troy stayed near the front door. He’d intended to go back to the car after checking out the interior, but instead, his feet wouldn’t budge.

Ari made a beeline to Julie. She shifted, saw him coming and Troy noticed the second of dread on her face before she covered it with a smile. She turned, hugged Ari and glanced around the room. She spotted Troy and couldn’t hide the shock. Her eyes widened and her lips parted in a small gasp.

Seeing her was like watching the sun rise after months of darkness. A warm glow settled in his gut and a half grin curved his lips. But she did he oddest thing. She scowled at him.

Ari pulled away and she focused on their conversation. They chatted and she actually shifted so that she wouldn’t see Troy over Ari’s shoulder. What was that about?

Now he refused to go back to the car. Not until he talked to her. Fifteen of the longest minutes of his life passed before Ari moved on and Julie went into another room. If she meant to get away from him, she’d have to do better than that.

Troy stayed to the edge of the room and made his way into the next, another large room full of partygoers. He saw her just as she eased through the sliding doors to the balcony.

Perfect.

* * *

Julie took a deep breath of the cool night air. She needed it to clear her head. House lights spotted the dark canyon as she gazed out. She hadn’t expected to see Ari and she really hadn’t expected to see Troy Mills. It had taken her this many weeks to stop thinking about him and now he’d shown up with Ari.

He’d never told her who employed him and like an idiot, she’d assumed wrong. Now she realized he wasn’t security for the Sporties. He worked for Ari.

The whoosh of the slider doors behind her made her sigh. She’d have liked a little time to herself, but at a party this crowded, it was virtually impossible.

“How’s the back and the arm feeling?”

She closed her eyes as Troy’s voice melted over her senses. Why did she have it so bad for this guy?

“Really?” she asked, turning to face him. “I’m a little surprised you want to know.” She sounded bitchier than she’d ever been in her life and she didn’t like it. The hurt she’d felt at him leaving without saying goodbye had turned into anger. “I’m sorry,” she said, slapping a muzzle on her irritation. “I’m doing much better. How are you?”

He studied her closely. Too closely. His scrutiny made her cheeks hot, and she set her elbows on the rail and leaned out, trying to enjoy the night and the view of all the homes across the canyon and wishing like hell she wasn’t so affected by this man’s attention.

“I’m doing okay. Although I am wondering what I did to piss you off so badly.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully and shook his head. “Nope. Can’t figure it out. You’ll have to tell me.”

Julie took another deep breath and tried to ignore the second wave of anger that crept up from inside. She couldn’t look at him, and a rough chuckle escaped her throat. “I’m not pissed off.” Except her denial rang false. Hurt described it better, but she didn’t plan on sharing that. “Honestly? You have no idea?” She shook her head. “I guess it’s true... Men are from Mars and women are from Venus.”

“Wow,” he muttered. “I guess I was wrong about you.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean? Wrong about what?”

“I wasn’t sure what you’d be like and I never thought I’d find out. But then I did and I thought you were one of the nicest people I’d ever met.”

I was wrong about you. He didn’t need to repeat the words. They hung in the air from the first time he said them, like a battering ram ready to hit again.

Now she was pissed off. Fine. He wanted an answer, she’d give him one. “You know what?” She spun, ready to tell him exactly how she felt at discovering he’d gone without a simple goodbye, ready to admit he’d hurt her when he’d left so suddenly, but the sliding glass door shattered into a million pieces. The explosion of glass scared the crap out of her and she jumped a mile as people screamed from inside the house. A second later, Troy rammed into her, knocked the breath out of her as they fell flat onto the balcony floor. He’d turned her sideways and kept her weight on top of him, but once they landed he covered her fully as glass sprayed them from the second slider door.

Was it an earthquake? Couldn’t be. Nothing else moved besides the shattering glass. “What’s happening?” Julie shouted above the din. Each slider door along the back of the house systematically splintered into razor sharp shards that rained over them in a dangerous shower. Troy turned her away from the glass and protected her head with his hands as his weight kept her pinned down.

The noise finally stopped. Beige curtains riddled with rips and holes gently swung out onto the balcony. Bullet holes. At least an inch of shattered glass covered the balcony floor around them. Shouts and cries from inside the house punctuated the silence.

“What the hell?” Julie murmured. She tried to get up, but Troy didn’t budge.

“Are you hurt?” he asked. Looking into her eyes, he studied her face, lifted off her only enough to scan her body for any injuries.

Tremors shook her from head to toe. “N-no,” she stuttered. “I don’t think so.” Not physically, but being on the receiving end of more bullets was hell on her psyche. “I’m okay.” She moved her hand along his back and ran into more broken glass. “Oh, my God, are you okay?” Tons of glass shards stuck to her damp palm.

He nodded and gingerly shook out his hair. Glass sprinkled and tinkled around her. “Yeah. I’m good.”

Someone moved behind the curtain, then something shattered inside the house. Julie flinched and people screamed.

“Shit,” Troy hissed. He reached for his phone and called 911. “Busy,” he muttered. “Someone had to have called this in by now.” He tucked the phone away.

They were trapped out here. She tried to shake the glass off her hand with little luck. “What are we going to do?” she asked.

He shrugged and adjusted his weight over her so he wouldn’t completely crush her. “First, we can’t do anything but wait for the police. There’s a sniper out there. Second, this isn’t like the Sporties. We’ve got all night to wait this guy out because you’re not bleeding out.”

Her eyes widened even more and she forgot about the glass in her hand. “A sn-sniper? You mean like the same sniper who shot me—us—before?”

His eyes narrowed. “Yeah. Just like that.” He studied her carefully, his gaze searching hers. “Who wants you dead?”

Julie bristled. “No one wants me dead. I’m a nice person.” When he didn’t say anything and one eyebrow rose a fraction, she got nose-to-nose with him. “I am,” she insisted. “People love me! I’m America’s Sweetheart for God’s sake.” Now she was sounding ridiculous even to herself, especially under the circumstances. She deflated and lay back on the cement. “We don’t know that this is strictly because of me. A lot of people here were at the Sporties.”

“True,” he agreed with a shake of his head. “But none of them got shot.”

A fresh surge of panic washed through her. “You really think someone is out specifically for me?” Even she heard the hysteria in her tone.

“Easy there,” he said smoothing his thumbs over her ears. The movement felt intimate. Too intimate considering she was mad at him and flat on her back beneath him while someone continued to take random potshots into the house. Interesting how they couldn’t really hear the bullets until they crashed into something. “I think when we get out of this, you need to sit down with the police and figure out who could possibly be behind this.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t—”

“Shh,” he whispered. “Don’t worry about it now. Let’s talk about something else.”

“Are you nuts? Talk about something else while we’re trapped here for God knows how long?”

He shrugged and the motion caused her to feel every hard muscle in his chest and thighs. The man took care of himself. “We’ve got nothing better to do.”

Maybe not, but his position made Julie much too aware of how much time had passed since she’d been this close to a man, too aware of the fact that she missed this kind of intimacy with the opposite sex. “Do you think you could move off me a fraction?”

He grinned down at her, his face a combination of boyish mischief and sexy heartthrob. “I think you’re safer right where you are.”

“Said the fox to the hen.” She narrowed her eyes.

He had the audacity to laugh.

“Can’t we at least sit up? Our heads are well below the balcony.”

“I don’t know how many rounds went into the wall. I don’t know how sturdy it is. I do know I want you to stay as far down as possible. I don’t want to give this guy any chances. You’re safe just like this.” Maybe she was safe from bullets and falling bits of stucco from the house, but she didn’t feel safe from him and the feelings he sparked in her. “So... Now’s the perfect time to tell me what I did to piss you off so bad. C’mon, you know you want to. Get it off your chest.”

“I’d rather get you off my chest,” she grumbled.

He laughed again. Low and soft, it totally dissolved her anger. Of course the shooting had pretty much taken her mind right off of her annoyance. How could she be mad at him when he’d saved her a second time? If he hadn’t tackled her, she’d probably be bleeding out again.

“Truth?” she asked.

The grin faded as he looked down at her. “Truth.” His low voice rumbled through her and a streak of goose bumps chased down her arms.

“I was hurt because you never said goodbye when you left the hospital.” She couldn’t look at him. Didn’t want to see what might be in his eyes. Didn’t even want to guess at what he might be thinking. “I thought we were friends. I thought...” She didn’t bother finishing her sentence. Just because she had a crush on the guy didn’t mean he’d reciprocate.

“Shit,” he muttered. He dropped his chin to his chest and she could barely see his face. When he looked at her, his eyes were filled with remorse. “I went to your room. Honest to God. I looked for you. I even went to the PT room to see if you and Kelly were working out. I didn’t know where you were. I’m sorry.” He nodded his head. “I’m really sorry. You are the one person I wanted to see most before I left.” He shook his head. “We hadn’t exchanged numbers and I didn’t know if you’d even want me calling you, you know, to keep in touch. I didn’t know...” He trailed off again, closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?”

Okay. It was official. She was a huge bitch. Her America’s Sweetheart crown could now be stripped from her without cause for appeal. But because she was one of the best actresses in Hollywood and because she had no clue how long they might be trapped here, she let go her worries and tried to lighten up the only way she knew how. By acting.

* * *

Julie rolled her eyes and sighed as if forgiving him was one step farther than she wanted to go. “I was visiting the pediatric ward that morning. I had sent down a big bouquet of flowers and the nurses said the kids wanted to thank me.”

“Pediatrics.” Troy sighed. “I didn’t check there.” He should’ve waited to leave the hospital until he saw her again, but he’d been there too long as it was and ultimately, associating with her would have been—and continued to be—a very bad idea as long as he worked for Sophia.

“I forgive you,” Julie finally said. Sounding truly resigned, she looked a little put out. “I mean it’s hard to stay mad at you since you saved my life a minute ago.”

“For the second time,” he reminded her. Yeah, he should keep his distance, but he didn’t want her mad at him. He’d take any ground he could get.

She nodded and the perky shake of her head gave away the fact that not only was she busting him, she thoroughly enjoyed doing it. “True, the second time. I guess I can’t be mad at you after that.” Her lips quirked up in a half grin.

Son of a bitch. She’d been pulling his chain with the suffering tone and put-upon face. No wonder she’d been nominated for an Oscar. She might have been joking now, but she’d been truly hurt a few minutes ago. He narrowed his eyes as something occurred to him. “Of course, if you hadn’t spun around the way you did, that first bullet would have nailed you right in the chest, so actually, being mad at me is what saved your life this time.”

She blanched. Her smile disappeared faster than a cat on the run from a pit bull. Apparently he’d brought something to her attention that she hadn’t realized. A slight tremor shook her body.

Nice going, Mills. Scare the crap out of her while you’re at it.

“Hey. You’re okay,” he told her softly. “We’re not moving from this spot until a SWAT team has cleared the area.”

“How the hell are they going to do that? There are a million places the shooter could be, at any one of those houses across the canyon or just at a spot in the mountain. It’s impossible to tell.”

She had a point, but SWAT could pinpoint the location easier than she thought. Already, Troy heard the familiar whap, whap, whap of a helicopter. The shooter would have to move on eventually. A police chopper would have a spotlight scanning the area, looking for the suspect. If he fired again, the cops could close in in seconds. In the meantime, Troy had no problem with his current position.

“It’s not impossible. It may take some time, but I’ll bet as soon as they show up, the shooter will leave.” Wailing sirens got progressively louder.

“Why do you think that? Maybe he’s waiting for the second I walk inside.”

The conversation cracked him up. Here he was lying on top of the most famous actress in Hollywood and they were talking about snipers. He could think of a dozen other things he’d like to be doing. None of them required words. At least no words other than yes, more, and harder.

Speaking of harder, the longer he stayed on top of her, the more his body recognized exactly who he covered and the fact that it had been way too long since he’d been with a woman.

Her pretty blue eyes scanned his for an answer.

“I think the shooter will realize the game is over for the night and pack it in. We haven’t raised our heads, so he can’t be sure if he got you or not. Either way, he’ll find out on the news tomorrow and he’ll go from there.”

“Yeah. Okay. Thanks.” Her brows pulled together. “Didn’t need to hear that last part.”

He didn’t want to worry her, but this incident made it crystal clear that the shooting at the Sporties was no random event. Lying about her safety wouldn’t do her any good when someone wanted her dead. “Sorry, but I think you need to take this threat seriously.”

“Yeah. I think I figured that part out.” Her delivery had just the right amount of sarcasm. Troy didn’t blame her. “Besides, like we said before about truth. I’m a firm believer in truth.”

But did she believe in fidelity? In vows? In the sanctity of marriage, be it hers or someone else’s? That little tidbit was still to be determined. “Oh yeah?” he asked.

“Definitely. I’m probably honest to a fault.” Sirens blared from directly in front of the house, then shut off.

“I’ll bet you are,” he said. She seemed as wholesome as the press had made her out to be. But was it real?

“If we’re being honest, can I tell you I really hate that America’s Sweetheart label? I could strangle the reporter who gave me that. Of all the things they’ve called me over the years, why did that one have to stick?”

Interesting. Was that a little confession to let him know she wasn’t as sweet as she came off? “It’s not so bad.” His lips curled into a half smile. “You could’ve been stuck with ‘America’s Princess.’”

“Ugh.” She rolled her eyes. “That is worse.” She locked her gaze onto his, brought her hand to his face and stroked her thumb along his cheek and jaw. “Thank you. Again,” she whispered. Her hand felt so damn good as she caressed him. He lost the grin as the blood rushed south. She had to feel how much he wanted her. Every touch got his dick harder and harder against her thigh. He could kiss her now, do what he’d wanted to do since talking with her in the hospital. A scant three inches separated their lips. He might have been on top of her for her safety, but her response as she subtly shifted her legs to accommodate his weight between them and the soft touch of her fingers on his face all led to all systems go. He leaned his head down a fraction.

“Police!” a man yelled from inside the house.

Troy froze an inch from her lips and felt her heart thump hard beneath his. “Looks like the cavalry is here.”

She shook her head. “The cavalry’s been here all along.”

A primal shot of lust and heat zinged straight to his dick. He wanted her. Bad. Right now. Right here. And that just couldn’t happen. Mainly because she was under his surveillance. How the hell could he fall for the woman he was supposed to be watching? What the f*ck had he been thinking a few minutes ago? Talk about divine intervention.

Only now he had a definite itch that needed scratching. He was long past the time he should’ve let off some sexual steam with one of the several—very willing—ladies from the gym, but at this point he couldn’t imagine f*cking one of them without thinking of Julie, and the sleaze factor in that scenario made him shudder.

Troy heard people slowly clearing out one by one, crawling safely out the front behind police barricades. He gazed into her pretty blue eyes and he didn’t give a shit about divine intervention. The way she looked up, the very clear sign she gave him as she licked her luscious lips had every cell in his body screaming go for it. There was simply no way he could. He had a very clear line when it came to his work. No getting involved with the clients or suspected cheaters or home wreckers. Not that he’d ever been in the position before, but this couldn’t happen no matter how much he wanted it.

Why did it have to be Julie Fraser sleeping with Ari? Why couldn’t it have been a different Hollywood starlet? Some diva with an attitude who Troy didn’t admire. Someone who hadn’t faced death with a joke and an introduction.

Still, she looked up at him with a combination of humor and certainty in her expressive blue eyes. A grin curved her lips. “You like me,” she said.

The evidence was as clear as the erection in his pants. He couldn’t do much other than nod his agreement.

“I like you too,” she whispered.

Maybe if he stood up, the shooter would put him out of his misery. He didn’t see any way around it. Yeah, okay, Hollywood must have rubbed off on him in the months he’d been here, because that seemed a little overboard, but he’d never been so tempted in his life to toss his rules.

“I guess now I can get your number,” he said. He’d call too, if she turned out to be innocent in this whole mess. At the moment, there was nothing he wanted more. Just the idea of one date with her took his happy meter off the charts.

She smiled and nodded. She wanted him to kiss her. Didn’t matter that glass or cops surrounded them, or that a serious threat still lingered. The police were in no rush to get people out of the house. Their mission was to do it safely no matter how much time it took. He was stuck here with her looking up at him like he owned the world.

“Do you think the shooter left yet?” she asked.

He shrugged and shouldn’t have, because even that small movement rubbed him against her thigh and sent a missile of lust crashing in his gut. A little gasp sounded in her throat as her wide eyes looked up at him. Yeah, she knew exactly what she did to him.

“Good thing this balcony is made of adobe and not glass,” she said softly, working hard to keep the conversation going. She laughed. “Unless he has a grenade launcher. That would be bad.”

Troy nodded his agreement. “Very bad. But I think we can rule that out.”

“God, I was kidding. You make it sound like—”

“Hey, folks. You two okay?” an officer asked from inside. Dressed in all black and covered in body armor, he looked like he’d entered a war zone. Maybe he had.

Julie barely glanced at him. “Just dandy.”

Troy couldn’t help but smile at the deadpan delivery.

“Good deal. Then it’s time to get you outta there.” He tossed protective gear and a large bulletproof shield that landed next to them.

“Use that to cover yourself and move backward into the house. We’ll get you out safely from there.” He tossed out a blanket to cover the glass that littered the whole balcony. “Let her go first.”

Troy lifted an insulted eyebrow and looked down at Julie. “Did he think I’d go first?”

She let loose a long-suffering sigh. “He clearly doesn’t know you the way I do.” Her smile lit him up. Damn.

* * *

Two days later, the shooting was still the major talk of the nation because nothing newsworthy had happened since. Julie flipped off the television, tired of watching the footage. She inspected the scabs on her hands and knees from crawling though broken glass. The paramedics on the scene had fixed her up, and she’d thankfully avoided another hospital visit. Her cuts and scrapes would heal and be long forgotten before she’d get Troy Mills out of her mind. The man was gorgeous and funny and he’d saved her life twice. If he hadn’t tackled her onto the balcony floor, she’d probably be buried by now. A big believer in signs, she took his presence as a door the universe wanted her to knock on.

This time they’d exchanged numbers. So why hadn’t he called? Because of her personality, her looks or her life? All of the above or none of the above?

She paced the house nervously and kept an eye on the clock. The sun had sunk over the mountaintop a while ago. Ari had asked to come over again because he’d wanted to avoid the prying eyes of people at a restaurant. The night she’d been discharged from the hospital, he’d canceled at the last minute, leaving Cal feeling dejected after losing her chance to talk to him about the movie. Julie had sent him an email about Cal auditioning for the role, and Ari had actually met with her. Had he made a decision? Was that why he wanted to see her in person?

Until this morning, her place had been ground zero for news vans and paparazzi. Maybe it was time to find a more secure home. She had no gate, no walls or fence to keep people out. She was in the same home she’d bought after the second season of The Only Way. She’d fallen in love with her ranch house in Fryman Canyon. The downside came with the house’s location. She had practically no front yard, and anyone could walk up and ring her bell.

Her show had been doing well enough, but it hadn’t become a major television hit until its third season. By then, she’d had the house and had made it her dream home. She couldn’t imagine building a wall or a fence and no one had seemed to care that she lived here. But she’d be an idiot not to consider more security or protection after the recent events.

It was one thing to be shot by a sniper when other people had been hit too, but it was another to be the victim of two shootings. Someone was out to kill her.

But why?

No matter how hard she wracked her brain, she couldn’t come up with someone she knew who’d want her dead. It was probably someone she didn’t know, a psycho fan maybe, but so far the police didn’t have a lot to go on. No fingerprints, no shell casings, and a person dressed in black. Just f*cking dandy.

She paced the living room and glanced at the clock. She wished she’d put her foot down with Ari. She didn’t want him to think that because they’d decided to meet at her house, it gave him permission to make a move.

Why had she even agreed to meet with him? She ran her hands through her hair and took a few calming breaths. Because Ari’s script was one of the best she’d ever read. After the shooting had forced her to back out of the running weeks ago, and after her email to Ari, Cal had actually been on the short list for the job. But the director of photography had pulled out completely, causing Ari to postpone the filming. The new DP’s schedule had fit right in with Julie’s availability to start back to work.

Yes, this town constantly surprised her. She hadn’t thought she’d be in the running again so now she was up against Cal and hated it. Shades of Nowhere to Hide. Except Julie had no problems with this script. She just had problems if Ari thought she was going to sleep with him to get the part. Allowing him to come to her place would only encourage him to believe she was that kind of girl, and she categorically was not. The last thing she wanted to see was a story in a rag magazine that said she was seeing a married man. If getting this role meant putting up with Ari sitting on her sofa for a few minutes, then she’d deal with it. And if she had to toss him out because he wanted more—and lost the role because of it—then so be it.

Someone rapped at the door. Julie checked the peephole. Ari stood bathed in the white light of her front porch.

“Querida,” Ari said in his faint Spanish accent as she opened the door. “How are you?” He stepped in and kissed each cheek. The distinct scent of patchouli had her breathing through her mouth. It seemed a little stronger than usual. Did Ari think it would draw her to him? The man’s cluelessness astounded her.

“Fine. I’m fine.” She pulled away but not before she glanced outside. Ari’s limo sat right across the street, but she saw no sign of Troy. She closed the door and led Ari to her large living room. He sat on the sofa and she kept her distance by sitting in the overstuffed chair across from him.

“Julie,” he crooned. “Why so far away?” He patted the space next to him.

“Ari,” Julie warned. “We’ve talked about this. You’re a married man. You know my feelings on that.” She’d wanted him to believe it was his marital status that kept her at arm’s length. A tiny bud of fear inside her said to hold off on rejecting him for any other reason because it could mean the difference in her getting the role and not getting it. She’d learned to tread very lightly when it came to Hollywood.

He sighed. “I’ve told you my wife and I have an arrangement that is very comfortable for us.”

“It’s not comfortable for me,” she told him with a wry smile.

He grinned and leaned back on the sofa, propping his ankle over his knee. “You know why I’m here, yes?”

“I hope it’s to tell me you’ve decided I should play Elizabeth in Meltdown.”

“You’ve always been my first choice.” His eyebrows lifted. “But how will your friend Carrie Ann take the news if I say I want you to have the lead role?”

Was this a trick question? Was this Ari pretending to care about her friendship with Cal? Good God, what if Cal had slept with him in hopes of securing the role and Ari thought he could play one of them against the other? Could he be that sleazy? Would Cal have kept that sort of news from her since Ari had considered Julie for the role originally? A small part of her felt as if she might be betraying Cal. But things like this happened all the time. Start dates got pushed. Schedules changed. Financing fell through. The whole town was one gigantic crapshoot of luck and timing.

“Carrie Ann and I have been through a lot. We both understand the business. Besides, she works all the time. If she doesn’t do your film, she’ll work on someone else’s.”

“But we both know the Academy will love my film. It has everything they look for in a best picture.”

Ari did love to toot his own horn. She imagined Ari and Leo Frost duking it out in the ring for least humble. And the winner is...

“You’re right. It is a great script. Look, it’s just us, Ari. Either tell me I got it or tell me I didn’t. I can take whatever you have to dish out.”

“You’ve hit on my dilemma,” he said, leaning forward. “I had some trouble with the financing and had to do some last minute—how you say—finagling. My new partners are not sold that you are the one to play Elizabeth.”

Julie tried not to let the news depress her too much. Her mother was definitely right. She’d grown a big head in the last few years. She hadn’t even hit thirty and already her star was beginning to sputter out.

She inwardly rolled her eyes. Her mother would’ve smacked her for that last thought, especially since Julie hadn’t gone into this business for the fame.

“I can’t control what your new investors want so I guess I’ll have to wait for the decision like everyone else.” She got up from her chair. “Can I get you something to eat or drink or did you have to be going?”

Her mother would’ve smacked her again for the rudeness. But Julie wanted him out of her house. Hell, maybe she’d be better off pulling her name out of the hat completely. But she really did want to sink her teeth into this amazing character.

Ari checked his watch. “I do have to leave, but thank you for meeting with me.”

Julie had no idea what he’d accomplished in person that he couldn’t have told her over the phone, which only led her back to her original assessment. Ari was coming over for a quick f*ck as he dangled the coveted role in front of her and since she’d given him a resounding no, he had nothing to do but make up an excuse to leave.

She opened her front door and instead of walking through, Ari stopped right in front of her. Too closely in front of her. He put his hands on her arms and leaned close. Julie stiffened and pulled back slightly at her loss of personal space. He stood only a few inches taller than her, but she’d never felt more cornered.

“You and I,” Ari began. “We are much alike. We have standards and principles.”

Julie held back her snort of laughter and just watched him.

“You make me consider things I don’t normally consider,” he told her.

Like being faithful? But she couldn’t say it out loud.

Ari caught her by surprise and kissed her on the lips. Not a passionate kiss, but he planted one and kept his lips on hers for two seconds too long. He pulled back just as she was about to push him away.

“I’ll call you as soon as I know anything.”

“You do that.” She forced a smile before closing the door behind him with a hard thud, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.