Книга - A New York Kind Of Love

A New York Kind Of Love
Synithia Williams


Bright lights, big passion…Winning an all-expenses-paid weekend in New York with Hollywood’s sexiest heartthrob makes Faith Logan the envy of women everywhere. This small-town nurse has too many responsibilities, including caring for her aging parents, to be interested in fame or status. But as the sensual celebrity escorts her to exclusive Manhattan night clubs and glitzy movie premieres, Faith is falling fast for the genuine, charismatic man behind the slick media image.More used to fanatics and groupies, Irvin Freeman is surprised and intrigued by Faith’s down-to-earth personality. One impulsive kiss turns their private flirtation into public news. But paparazzi and crazed admirers are making her doubt their potential as a couple. Will the pressures of fame cause their love to fade before he can convince her they’ve found their own real-life happy ending?







Bright lights, big passion...

Winning an all-expenses-paid weekend in New York with Hollywood’s sexiest heartthrob makes Faith Logan the envy of women everywhere. This small-town nurse has too many responsibilities, including caring for her aging parents, to be interested in fame or status. But as the sensual celebrity escorts her to exclusive Manhattan nightclubs and glitzy movie premieres, Faith is falling fast for the genuine, charismatic man behind the slick media image.

More used to fanatics and groupies, Irvin Freeman is surprised and intrigued by Faith’s down-to-earth personality. One impulsive kiss turns their private flirtation into public news. But paparazzi and crazed admirers are making her doubt their potential as a couple. Will the pressures of fame cause their love to fade before he can convince her they’ve found their own real-life happy ending?


“What I do with my leading ladies is acting. I’m not acting right now. What I’m thinking and feeling is all real.”

She shifted in her seat. “I don’t believe you.”

“Then believe this.”

He lowered his head and pressed his lips against hers with enough firmness to let her know he was serious but light enough for her to pull away if she didn’t want the kiss. Her body shook, and her lips parted with a gasp. He wasn’t a man to pass up an opportunity, and took the chance to deepen the kiss.

He never believed in electricity or sparks igniting when a man kissed a woman, but something he’d never felt before happened as he kissed her. His skin tingled, the blood rushed through his veins, his senses heightened to everything around them. The sweet scent of her perfume, the softness of her lips, the way she tasted of champagne, all seemed amplified. And like a man who’d gotten a taste of something he really liked, he dove in for more.

He put his own glass down on the tray and brought his hand up to feel the softness of her hair. She made a sexy whimpering noise before her own hands came up to clutch his arms.


Dear Reader (#ulink_81823e11-b741-5d08-aa69-ab1b3e8142e8),

Ever watch your favorite celebrity in a movie or television show and wonder how it would be to hang out with them? Well, that was the what-if question that sparked my idea for A New York Kind of Love. And since I write romance, I used my favorite British actor as the inspiration for the romantic hero in the story.

My heroine, Faith Logan, has spent so much time taking care of others that she deserves a romantic Hollywood ending. Once Irvin Freeman felt the sparks between himself and Faith, he had to be the man who gave her the world.

I had so much fun writing Faith and Irvin’s happily-ever-after. I hope you enjoy reading their story. I’d love to hear your thoughts via Facebook (facebook.com/synithiarwilliams (https://facebook.com/synithiarwilliams)), Twitter (@SynithiaW (https://twitter.com/SynithiaW)) or shoot me an email at synithiaw@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Synithia W.


A New York Kind of Love

Synithia Williams






www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


SYNITHIA WILLIAMS has been an avid romance novel lover since picking up her first at the age of thirteen. It was only natural that she would begin penning her own romances soon after—much to the chagrin of her high school math teachers. She’s a native of South Carolina and now writes romances as hot as their southern settings. Outside of writing she works on water quality and sustainability issues for local government. She’s married to her own personal hero and they have two sons who’ve convinced her that professional wrestling and superheroes are supreme entertainment. When she isn’t working, writing or being a wife and mother, she’s usually bingeing on TV series, playing around on social media or planning her next girls’ night out with friends. You can learn more about Synithia by visiting her website, synithiawilliams.com (http://www.synithiawilliams.com), where she blogs about writing, life and relationships.


For my aunt, Annie Mae “Duke.”

I miss you.


Acknowledgments (#ulink_64e9b91b-f8fc-571b-bd2a-933b258429bd)

Many thanks to Sharon Cooper for pointing out a certain pitch contest that resulted in the publishing of this book. Thank you to Danita, my blurb whisperer, for always answering my frantic emails when I need quick feedback. Also, thanks to Tia Kelly for the virtual support as I wondered if this story would see the light of day. And, as always, many thanks to my fantastic husband, Eric. Your support of my writing career makes every book possible.


Contents

Cover (#uad09f6b3-4524-56b1-933f-bcab657a981c)

Back Cover Text (#u3acd2fee-04cb-5dc3-8602-91d00b8025f5)

Introduction (#u7e450580-65d9-50f7-a8f6-4e6fdcf7f58e)

Dear Reader (#uc10dd59f-5d71-565e-8914-976d1d4ba1df)

Title Page (#uf9177226-827c-5781-8eb2-7f16d74b9eac)

About the Author (#u129b26fe-09eb-5074-825b-4baac81a6597)

Dedication (#u2773ab7f-970c-5e36-877b-9389334f782c)

Acknowledgments (#u84b1819c-44d0-5a86-aac5-f54ef6885900)

Chapter 1 (#ue6f14c59-5a19-56d7-af34-8bc8f4b90e64)

Chapter 2 (#u52fac2cd-9ba4-5cf0-93eb-9b77e7d60ab3)

Chapter 3 (#u8c20ed89-bce9-59b0-9348-547d7507f4e0)

Chapter 4 (#u0732f7c8-760a-53b6-b96c-2eb8e943447b)

Chapter 5 (#u6eb74bc3-0340-5459-b16b-03338e05555e)

Chapter 6 (#u51b62d54-3add-5b7f-8683-ef8290efc1a2)

Chapter 7 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 8 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 9 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 10 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 11 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 12 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 13 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 14 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 15 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 16 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 17 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 18 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 19 (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter 20 (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)


Chapter 1 (#ulink_f1314345-e5f3-51ff-b991-9025d1c2bd87)

“Congratulations, Faith Logan. You’re the lucky winner of a weekend in New York with Irvin Freeman!”

Faith jerked her cell phone away from her face, frowning at the unfamiliar number on the screen. This had to be a joke. Her eyes darted to the two other nurses sitting around the nurses’ station. Neither appeared to be concealing a smile. There were no covert glances her way to see if they’d duped her with some elaborate prank. She looked up and down the hall, but as usual for a Wednesday in Laurel County, South Carolina, the labor-and-delivery ward of the hospital wasn’t very busy. Only one mother who’d had a baby earlier that day was walking down the hall. Dorothy, the older nurse, even stood and left the station to check on the mother, instead of sticking around to hear if Faith fell for the joke.

She put the phone back to her ear. “Excuse me?”

“You heard correctly,” said the overly bright voice on the other end. “You won the grand prize in the contest held by Starting Over, Irvin Freeman’s foundation to raise alcohol awareness. Out of the thousands of entries accompanying donations to the foundation, your name was drawn. You are the lucky woman chosen to spend a fabulous, all-expenses-paid weekend in New York City with Irvin Freeman. Your prize includes a makeover, and you will be Irvin’s date for the premiere of his new movie, Running from Murder!”

The woman’s voice rose with each word until she sounded like a speaker on the stage at a “gee, life is great” high school prom.

“Is this a joke? I’m at work, and I really don’t have time for jokes.”

There was a pause before the voice continued in its prom-queen tone. “This is no joke, Ms. Logan. Don’t you remember entering online?”

Faith frowned and tried to remember entering a contest. All her money went to her parents’ medical bills and household expenses. She didn’t have extra money to donate to the foundation or extra time to enter a contest.

Except for that one time...

She spun around to glare at the nurse closest to her. Marie, her best friend since she’d moved home two years ago and the person who’d helped her land the job at Laurel County Hospital, flipped through a magazine. Faith nudged Marie with her foot. When Marie looked up, she nailed her with a “this is your fault” look. She’d known it was a bad idea when Marie urged her to enter. At the time it had seemed like a good idea to contribute a few dollars to a worthy cause. Never in a gazillion years had she expected her name to be chosen.

Marie held out her hands. “What’s wrong?”

Instead of answering Marie, Faith responded to the woman on the phone. “Yeah, I remember entering that contest. I just didn’t expect to win. What weekend is that? I don’t even know if I can go to New York.”

Marie’s dark eyes widened, and she jumped from the chair to bounce on the balls of her feet next to Faith. Even without her Tweety Bird scrubs, Marie would look like a woman far younger than her thirty-three years. Her pixie cut and always-smiling features in a dark brown heart-shaped face made her instantly likable.

“Can’t go?” The voice lost some of its peppiness. “Ms. Logan, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. You will be the envy of all women. A five-star hotel near Times Square...”

Faith tuned out as the caller went through all of the reasons—some of them valid—why she should go. Excitement tickled her insides, and she felt the urge to bounce around like Marie. But the cold, hard reality of her life tamped it down. Reality had smacked her in the face when she’d given up her fantastic job, lost what she’d thought was the guy she’d one day marry and moved from Houston back home to take care of her parents.

She wasn’t bitter—that particular emotion was a drain on energy she couldn’t afford to waste. She’d give it all up again if she had to. But going out of town right now was out of the question. Her mind raced with all the reasons this wouldn’t work: Who would watch her parents while she was gone? What if it was a weekend she was scheduled to work? All of her leave was used up from taking her mama to doctors’ appointments. What would she wear? Her “new” clothes were two years old and were the complete opposite of stylish or trendy. Unless scrub chic suddenly became the fashion rage.

Then there was the biggest reason not to go. Irvin Freeman: dark eyes, mahogany skin and a swagger that would put Shaft to shame, topped off with a British accent. The man oozed sex with every breath he took, and he probably expected the winner of this thing to fall into a gooey puddle of estrogen at his feet.

“I appreciate the offer.” Faith cut in on the prom queen’s stream of reasons why she should be falling over herself to get to New York. “But I’m not sure—”

Marie snatched the phone out of Faith’s hand. “Hello, this is Marie, Faith’s, um, personal assistant. We’ll do some maneuvering with her schedule and make sure she’s there.”

Faith tried to grab the phone back, but Marie skipped away to the other side of the nurses’ station. “What weekend is it, again?” Marie nodded at whatever the caller said and flipped to the calendar with the work schedule. “Perfect! She’s available for that weekend. You have her email address from the entry form, correct? Just send the details and copy me, and I’ll get her to the airport on time.”

Marie rattled off her email address and said a few more words. When she hung up the phone, she squealed as if she’d won the prize herself. The screech got the attention of the other nurse and the mother walking down the hall.

“You are the luckiest woman alive!” Marie rushed over and gave Faith a hug, surrounding her with exuberance and the smell of her strawberry body spray.

“That depends on your definition of lucky. Marie, I can’t go.”

Marie leaned back and gave her a hand wave that said “Whatever.” “Oh, yes, you can. And you will. Even if I have to knock you out and drive you to New York myself. Girl, you just won a date with Irvin Freeman. How are you not excited about this?”

Dorothy and the mother walking in the hall quickly caught on and chanted their agreement. Faith visualized a weekend listening to Irvin brag about how great it was to be him. Sure, he always appeared down-to-earth and approachable in television interviews, but a man who had half the women in the world drooling over him couldn’t be that centered. All his apparent humbleness probably hid a mountain of arrogance.

“My parents,” Faith said, not wanting to get into what would surely be a debate with Marie if she dissed her friend’s favorite actor. “Who’s going to help them?”

“They’ll be okay for one weekend. I’ll look in on them personally every day you’re gone.”

“Do I work that weekend?” Faith crossed the station and picked up the schedule book.

“No, you’re off.”

Faith dropped the book and crossed her arms. “If I’m off, you’re working. You won’t be able to check on them.”

Dorothy came over to stand before Faith, looking just like the surrogate grandmother she was to every baby born on the floor. “Your mom is doing so much better than she was when you first came home. If you prepare meals before you leave, she can heat them up for herself and your dad. Don’t forget, you’re not in a large city anymore. Your friends and neighbors are happy to help out.”

Dorothy was right, but Faith had done everything for her parents on her own. It was her way of making up for not being there when the bottom fell out of their lives. She wasn’t used to accepting help from neighbors. Besides, doing so would only increase her regret. The thought tightened the knot of guilt that had made its home in her gut since she got the call that her mama was unconscious in the hospital after suffering a stroke.

“I don’t want to be a burden,” she said.

“Burden, shmurden,” Marie said. “You won’t be. You going on this trip will be the highlight of the year for half of Laurel County. The newspaper will probably do a write-up about you before and after. Do you know how many people will be happy to say they helped out while you went away for an all-expenses-paid weekend with a Hollywood movie star?”

Faith did chuckle at that, because it was true. Nothing this exciting had happened since Tamara Blake from Laurel High School won Ms. Laurel County and was first runner-up in the Ms. Patriot pageant back in 2001. People still bragged about their part in her win, from selling her a pair of earrings to bringing over fried chicken the night the family had a watch party.

“I get that,” Faith said, “but I just don’t feel right asking other people to look after my parents. And this thing is just a few weekends away. I don’t have anything to wear to something like that.”

“You get a thousand dollars of spending money. Buy what you need while you’re there.”

“A thousand dollars in New York is probably like five dollars here. It won’t go far,” Faith said.

“If it’ll buy you a sexy dress that’ll make it impossible for Irvin Freeman to keep his eyes off you, that’s far enough.”

Faith couldn’t help but visualize the eyes referred to on a recent list as “most likely to send a woman into cardiac arrest.” The guy did have a way of looking at his leading ladies with such heat you could practically hear the sizzle on-screen. To think he would turn them on her was laughable. Yet her heart did do a disloyal skip against her ribs.

“The man dates models and Oscar winners,” Faith said. “Even if I were naked, he wouldn’t be interested.”

“Every man is interested in a naked woman,” Dorothy said, laughing. Marie nodded. The idea of being naked in front of Irvin only increased Faith’s body heat.

Nope. Stop. Don’t go there.

Even if she were to travel to New York—which she really doubted she could—she wouldn’t be sleeping with Irvin Freeman. She loved the guy’s movies and thought he was a great actor, but in his charming TV interviews, there were always questions about his love life. He was constantly linked with his frequent costar Selena Jones and photographed with a string of other actresses and models between his on-screen hookups with Selena. Faith would be setting herself up to look like America’s biggest fool if she went to the city with even the slightest intention of landing in bed with him. He’d laugh at her attempts, or worse, take her up on it, and she’d be the latest groupie with her name attached to his. Something she’d never live down here in Laurel County. She couldn’t afford that, not with all the work she’d done to keep the Logan name free of scandal over the past two years.

A more chilling thought crept across her mind. Going on this weekend trip would put her in the spotlight even if she wasn’t attached to Irvin for more than a few days. People might want to know more about her. Which could lead to questions about her family—and her twin. She wanted to go on pretending her twin had magically disappeared into thin air.

“I won’t be naked with Irvin Freeman. I won’t be anything, because I’m not going. They can pick another name. I have too much to do here.”

“Stop it,” Marie said. “You don’t have too much to do, and you aren’t a horrible daughter if you take one weekend to enjoy yourself. It’s been two years. Go and have a great time. Your parents would agree with me.”

“I know they will, because I’m going to call them now and tell them the good news,” Dorothy said, picking up the phone.

“Dorothy, no. Don’t bother them,” Faith said. Her mama had been urging her to do something fun for the past month. If she got wind of this, she’d knock Faith out and lend Marie her wheelchair to roll Faith to the airport.

“Too late. It’s ringing. Get ready to pack your bags, girlie, because you’re going,” Dorothy said. “Hey, Virginia, guess what? Your daughter just won the trip of a lifetime.”

Marie did a little dance. Dorothy grinned and gave her a thumbs-up. Faith’s palms sweated. This was not a good thing. Fate had a way of hitting her in the gut when she least expected it. And once again, it was ready to give her a sucker punch.


Chapter 2 (#ulink_d5113840-e06a-5b8f-bdf0-ff8dcc9f0d8d)

“Well, she could have sounded a bit more enthusiastic.”

Irvin looked up from the script he was reading. Kitty Brown, the head of his publicity team, stood staring at her cell phone. He’d barely heard her over the various conversations of the members of his entourage. A word that made him cringe inwardly—and at times outwardly—whenever he said it. The entourage was Kitty’s idea; he would be perfectly fine without the lot of them. It was days like this he missed the anonymity that came with being a poor kid from the dodgy end of London. Now, thanks to Kitty, all his appearances were preplanned and scheduled for potential photo ops.

“What’s wrong, Kitty? She didn’t scream until her voice gave out before breaking down in tears?” He was only partly teasing. He still couldn’t get over the dramatics some women went through when they met him.

“What screaming? The woman didn’t scream, sigh, cry or show the least bit of gratitude that her name was selected.”

Kitty crossed his crowded living room, the night sky and twinkling lights of the New York skyline visible behind her through the wall of windows in his flat. Her jet-black hair had one bright red streak in the front, which stood out against her sienna skin and the all-black suit she wore.

“Hopefully, she’ll be more excited once it sinks in what she’s won. I can’t have the winner of your first charity contest frowning in every picture.”

“How do you know she’ll be frowning?” Irvin asked, glancing at his watch. It had been ten hours since the entourage had arrived to prepare for his appearance on The Tonight Show that afternoon and decided to stick around afterward. He was ready for all of them to leave and give him a moment of peace.

“I can hear frowns,” Kitty said, waving her hand. “This woman was frowning.”

“I don’t care if she smiles or not,” Irvin said. “I did this to raise money for the foundation. The money we raised will do a hell of a lot more than having the winner smile in your photographs.”

“True, but I expected more. I didn’t make you the country’s most desired man only to get some lackluster response.”

“I’d prefer a lackluster response every now and then.”

“Don’t tease,” Kitty said. “You’d be bored without all this.” She held out her arms to encompass the ten other people milling around the flat, each one either talking on the phone or making connections via social media. All in an effort to keep his name in front of people and build his image.

Some days—days like today, actually—he wanted to tell the lot of them to sod off. But he couldn’t deny that being Hollywood’s biggest celebrity had its perks, the best one being the money. Money brought safety and security. Two things he’d gone without for most of his childhood. And the money kept rolling in with every action film or dramatic role he churned out. Telling Kitty to bugger off wasn’t worth losing the security blanket his celebrity afforded.

He must be tired, or he wouldn’t be so annoyed with his normal routine. The New York premiere and contest weekend would be the end of a whirlwind of promotions and premieres for the film.

“Bored, maybe,” he said, “but I wouldn’t regret a slight decrease in all of the attention that comes with being a celebrity.”

“No one likes a hermit, Irvin. You’re approachable, which makes America love you all the more. Stuck-up celebrities aren’t bankable.”

He’d argue that some celebrities who shied away from the limelight were, but his mobile phone chimed. His heart rate revved up like the sports car he’d driven in his last film, as it had done every time the phone rang since the day he’d sent his screenplay to Kevin Lipinski a week ago. Kevin was one of the most sought-after and successful producers out there. Every film he touched turned to box-office gold, and if he liked Irvin’s screenplay and agreed to produce the film, he might be Irvin’s ticket out of the camera’s glare and right behind it. Irvin wanted to direct.

The mobile’s chime indicated a new email, which sent anticipation and dread flowing through his bloodstream. There were only two answers he could get. Kevin would either love it or hate it. Both answers scared him.

He pressed the email icon on the phone and held his breath. Then released it in a sigh of disappointment. The new message was a party invitation. He unsuccessfully tried to tamp down his frustration. How long did it take to look at a script?

Kitty rambled on in the background about plans for the premiere. A member of the entourage let out a loud laugh at whatever the person on the phone with him had said. And another flipped the channels on his sixty-inch television with the volume turned up to high. It was information and annoyance overload. Irvin was done.

“Now that you’ve informed the lucky winner, we can call it a day,” he said, cutting off Kitty’s speech. He held up the script he’d been trying to read ever since they got back. “I’ve got to get through this.” Another action movie. Not bad, really, but he knew the drill. The formula for his success didn’t change much: he’d save a beautiful young woman, run through traffic in a big city with no shirt and haul around a big gun.

“No, we can’t call it a day,” Kitty said in a rush. “We need to go over the itinerary. Every moment of the premiere weekend has to be planned perfectly.”

“Something that you can do without my direct input. Just tell me where to go and when to be there. The only thing I care about is when we present the check to the head of the foundation. Make sure there is plenty of time before and afterward for me to talk with him and the staff. I want to know if there is anything they need me to do to help the cause.”

Alcohol awareness wasn’t the sexiest issue for a celebrity to pick up. Kitty thought he should be kissing kids in third-world countries or building playgrounds for at-risk youth, where the photo ops were. He did contribute some to those causes, but preventing and stopping alcohol abuse were his passions. He’d witnessed the damages of alcohol abuse firsthand.

“Now I’d like my flat back,” he said, looking at the people buzzing around. He used his normal charming tone of voice, but there was no mistaking the underlying steel beneath.

Kitty huffed but didn’t argue. She was good at reading when he was tired of the show.

“Fine, but at least go over the itinerary before the end of the week.” She grabbed her bag and pulled out a thick folder, which she handed over to him. “It took a while, but I managed to dig up a picture of the winner.”

He flipped open the folder to find the photo. A woman with thick, dark hair and clear reddish-brown skin, wearing a conservative navy suit, stared back. Her lips were curved in a cool smile that didn’t reach her eyes. Kitty should have known better than to expect this woman to scream. She didn’t look the type. He frowned and studied her professional demeanor; he wouldn’t have expected her even to enter the contest.

“Where did you get this picture?”

“She used to be the chief nursing officer at East Houston Regional Medical Center. It was her employee ID photo.”

“She’s no longer there?”

“No, left two years ago. Something about an illness in the family. I couldn’t dig up a more current picture. Can you believe she doesn’t have a profile anywhere?” Kitty said it as if the idea of going without an online presence was akin to going without electricity.

“Some people prefer their privacy.” He looked away from the picture to eye Kitty. “If she’s not online, how did you dig this up?”

“I can’t have you going out with a person with a rap sheet, Irvin, really. Before we called and confirmed her as the winner, I did some digging.”

He glanced at the pinned-together woman in the picture. He doubted she would appreciate the probe into her life before being confirmed as the winner. He smirked. Well, she’d better get used to it. She’d be a pseudo celebrity while spending the weekend with him. Still, he felt a pang of regret for the digging, no matter how necessary it might have been.

“If you’ve got enough information to know she’s not a criminal, no more researching into her past.”

“For now,” she said. She turned to the group. “Okay, people, let’s get out of Irvin’s way.”

The lot of them packed up their phones, tablets and other gadgets. With waves, well wishes and another reminder from Kitty to review the itinerary, they were gone. He relished the silence for a few minutes. It seemed like a hundred years since he’d had an entire day of silence. He couldn’t imagine a day in the future when he would.

“Full mouths shouldn’t complain,” he could hear his mother saying. It had been her way of telling him to shut up whenever he tried to say something about the beating she would take for stealing money from his dad just to put food on the table.

He pushed the uncomfortable memories aside. His mouth was full. If the lack of quiet or personal time was a side effect, then he wouldn’t complain. His mother had endured far worse. She might not be around to enjoy the perks of his celebrity anymore, but childhood lessons died hard.

He flipped through the script and found the standard love scene. It had a full back shot. Kitty would love that. If she had her way, her number one client would go shirtless in every scene and have at least one back shot in every movie. It made her job of promoting him so much easier.

He tossed down the script in disgust. Full mouth. Full mouth. Don’t complain.

Still, he checked his phone and silently hoped for a call from Kevin about his script.

There was a knock on the door. If it was Kitty returning to tell him another thing for the premiere weekend, he would lose his mind.

He checked the peephole, relaxed and opened the door with a smile. “What on earth are you doing here?”

Dante Wilson, the R & B star with a fan base as big as Irvin’s, grinned from the other side. “I’ve got time before my concert tour and decided to come early for your promotional weekend.”

Irvin shook his head and stepped back so his friend could walk in. “Why do you need to be here for my weekend?”

“Kitty thought it would be good to show off your high-profile connections as you become the highlight of this woman’s life,” Dante said. “Her words, not mine. Jacobe is coming up from Florida.”

“Brilliant. I haven’t seen Jacobe in weeks,” Irvin said.

Jacobe Jenkins was the starting center for the Jacksonville Gators. The twenty-eight-year-old had been drafted at the end of his freshman year of college, let the easy money and women go to his head and started his professional basketball career as a wild party boy. Irvin and Dante had met him about a year ago at a party and become mentors for the young man. He still partied, but he wasn’t getting into any foolish trouble anymore.

“But you didn’t have to come early.”

“It wasn’t just for you. I met this model who’s doing a show here this week.”

That made more sense to Irvin. “Can I get you a drink?”

“You know you can.” Dante shut the door behind him. “You drinking?”

Irvin shook his head. “I’ve had my one for the day.”

“Kitty didn’t push you to have two?”

Irvin laughed. “Kitty always tempts me to have two. But two leads to three and...”

He went to the bar to fix a whiskey for Dante and a cola for himself.

Dante crossed the living area to stare out over the skyline. The living definition of a pretty boy, he looked younger than his thirty-two years in designer jeans, white shirt and tie with a gray vest. Whereas Irvin was growing weary with the celebrity life, it was all Dante knew. He was the son of music legends, had grown up in front of the camera and enjoyed the fame that came with being a star.

“You should sell me this apartment,” Dante said when Irvin came over and handed him his drink.

“You shouldn’t get your hopes up,” Irvin said and took a sip of the cola.

“One day I’ll convince you.”

“I doubt it.”

Dante chuckled and lifted the glass. “Are you going to bring her here?”

“Who?”

“The winner of the contest.” Dante gave him a sly look. “Are you going to show her all that New York has to offer?”

“You know I don’t bring women back here. It’s the one place where I can escape, when Kitty’s not around, at least.” They both chuckled at that. “Besides, I doubt I’ll get a half hour alone with the woman. Kitty will have every appearance scheduled and I’ll just show up, do my charming smile, sign an autograph and then come back here to blessed silence.”

“Pity.”

“Not at all. This isn’t a sleazy way to shag some woman. I can go for a ride without going through this much trouble. It’s to raise money for the foundation.”

“I’m just saying it wouldn’t hurt to have a little fun out of it. Obviously if she entered, she’s interested in you.”

“I’m not taking advantage of a fan just to get my kicks. Besides, I have more important things to worry about than showing her a good time.”

As if summoned, his phone chimed again. He rushed across the room to where he’d left it on the bar. Disappointment stooped his shoulders as he read the email from Kitty, reminding him to check the itinerary. With a swear, he dropped the phone back onto the bar.

“What’s got you so worked up?” Dante asked.

“I’m waiting on a response about my screenplay.”

“You finally sent it off. Good for you. You know it’ll get picked up.”

“I don’t want it picked up because of who I am. I want it picked up because it’s a good story.”

“Who cares why it’s picked up as long as it is? You worked on it for over a year. Push your weight around in Hollywood and get it made.”

“That’s not the way.”

“It is the way. What’s the point of all this fame if we don’t put it to good use?” Dante spread his arms to encompass the spacious area.

“I’ll wait and hear before I make a decision about pushing my weight around.”

“Who did you send it to?”

“Kevin Lipinski.”

Dante cringed. “He’s the toughest producer out there. And he hates screenplays from superstars. Are you trying to kill your writing career before it starts?”

“If he says yes, then I’ll know it’s good. If he says no...he’ll at least give me a reason why he doesn’t like it.”

“And tear you to pieces in the meantime. There’s nothing that guy likes better than to put celebrities with inflated egos in their place.”

Which was exactly why Irvin had sent it to him. If he had any chance of getting behind the camera, this was the test. If Kevin liked his script, Irvin planned to barter and plead to direct it. He’d earned his money and his fame, repaid his mother the debt he owed before she passed away, and now he was ready to move behind the camera. He loved Hollywood, loved the satisfaction of bringing a story to life and the pride when it was done well. But he could experience all those things without being the half-naked guy on-screen. It was his one shot to keep the security he had now without many of the headaches.

“I don’t have an inflated ego to burst,” Irvin said.

“You say that now, but wait until his comments come back.”

Irvin drank his cola to swallow the sinking feeling that Dante might be right.


Chapter 3 (#ulink_2bf2a8cc-ad0f-56fa-bc97-b659d9ff00a5)

“I don’t have to go,” Faith said, twisting a pair of underwear in her hands.

Virginia Logan rolled her wheelchair across the threshold into Faith’s room. She shot Faith the same “are you crazy” look she’d given her when Faith was a girl and asked to stay out past her curfew. Except now the left side of her scowl drooped a little. It was still a vast improvement from the complete loss of motion and feeling Virginia had had on that side right after the stroke.

“Have you lost your mind, child?” Virginia asked in the softly slurred voice that still held a lot of her old spunk. “You deserve this vacation and a dozen more like it.”

Faith tossed the underwear in the bag. “I don’t deserve anything. I should stay. I could have filled in for one of the nurses who needed off this weekend. I’m so close to paying off the credit card, it seems foolish to lose twenty-four hours of overtime to hang out with an actor and party.”

“There’s nothing wrong with enjoying yourself when the opportunity arises.” Her mama wheeled closer and reached out her hand. Faith took it and squeezed. “You gave up a lot moving back here from Houston to take care of me and your dad. As much as I hate that you had to sacrifice so much, I’m also grateful.”

“It was nothing. Especially after what Love did to you two.”

Virginia sighed and let go of Faith’s hand. “It’s time for you to stop feeling guilty over what your sister did.”

“I know, Mama, but we’re twins. I should have sensed that she was capable of taking advantage of you.”

Virginia laughed and patted Faith’s arm. “This is real life, not some sci-fi movie. Just because you’re her twin doesn’t mean you can read her mind. There was no way any of us would have sensed that Love would get caught up in drugs or steal our money and skip town while I was in the hospital.”

“But shouldn’t I have realized that something was wrong with her? Heard it in her voice, or had some clue that she could be so heartless?”

“Your sister isn’t heartless, Faith. She’s sick. Thank the good Lord she finally agreed to go to rehab.”

Faith turned away from her mama. She walked over to the closet and calmly took down a few sundresses for the trip. She wanted to scream at her mama’s insistence on trying to find the good in Love. Despite years of dealing with Love’s fight against addiction, when she’d wiped out their parents’ savings the day after her mama suffered a stroke, Faith considered that the end of her relationship with her sister. Her parents had worked hard to build up their nest egg for retirement. Her mama had worked as a schoolteacher and principal for twenty years. Her dad had been a superintendent at a delivery company for years until he was flung from his delivery truck four years ago in an accident and broke his back in three places. Thankfully he could walk, but the injury prevented him from working. Her mama had taken care of him before her stroke.

Faith couldn’t forgive Love for stealing from their parents. Who were already struggling after her dad’s injury. From what her mama said, Love had got away with all of their savings. Savings that would have gone a long way toward helping pay the ongoing medical bills and retrofit the house to accommodate her disabled parents. All things she’d depleted her savings to pay for and worked hard to continue to pay for.

“Love isn’t sick, Mama. She’s a junkie,” she said, not bothering to hide the contempt in her voice. She walked back to her suitcase and tossed the dresses inside.

Virginia took out the dresses and started folding each of them. “Don’t hate your sister.”

“After what she did, it’s hard not to.”

“Family is family, and she’ll always be your sister. I know it’s hard for you to understand how she let drugs take over her life, but she wants to get better.” Virginia placed the folded dresses in the suitcase. Then she gave Faith a direct stare. “And when she’s out, we’ll do what we can to help her. Right?”

Faith looked away to zip her bag. That was a promise she couldn’t make. This wasn’t Love’s first stint in rehab. She’d believed her sister once before, and less than a year later, her sister had betrayed their parents.

“If you’re not going to talk me out of going, then I guess I’d better go catch that plane,” Faith said instead.

Virginia sighed but didn’t push.

Faith took her overnight bag from the bed. “I’ve made dinners for every night and they’re in the freezer,” she said.

Virginia shook her head and chuckled. “I know, Faith.”

“And Marie said she’ll check in on both of you every day. I’ll keep my cell phone with me the entire time. If anything happens—”

“Nothing is going to happen, and there isn’t much you can do from New York anyway,” Virginia said.

“You’re right. I should stay.”

“Child, come on and quit fussing. Everything will be fine.” Virginia turned her wheelchair around and left the room.

Faith followed her mama to the front of the house. It had taken most of the past two years to retrofit the house with wider doorways, bathroom handrails and other changes to make life easier for her parents. After Love’s grand theft, Faith had offered to move her parents to Houston, where she had the salary to take better care of them, but they’d refused. They’d both lived in Laurel County all their lives and didn’t want to move. If they insisted on staying, then Faith insisted on making sure their house was worth staying in.

At the front of the house, they went out into morning air, already warm and humid for early June. Marie sat on a white porch rocker, talking with Faith’s dad. Jimmy Logan and Marie were both laughing, probably at a joke that Marie had made. Her friend was always good at making her parents laugh.

“Well, I guess I’m set,” Faith said.

The smile on Marie’s face fell. “You’re going wearing that?”

Faith ran a hand across the sleeveless lavender top and jean shorts. “What’s wrong with my outfit?” Faith asked. “I’m going to be on a plane all morning.”

“And when you get off, you’re meeting Irvin Freeman. I knew I should have come over and picked out your outfit.”

Jimmy placed his hands on the walker in front of him and stood. “She looks beautiful just as she is.” He shuffled over to her. “You have a good time up there. Don’t worry a bit, and take dozens of pictures for me and your mom, okay?”

She smiled and leaned over to give him a hug. “I will, Daddy.”

“Let’s get you to the airport,” Marie said.

“Did I tell you where the spare key is?” she asked Marie. “And don’t forget that I called in my daddy’s prescription and it’ll be ready later today. I left the money—”

“On the kitchen table,” Marie cut in, rolling her eyes. “I know. You’ve told me and your parents a dozen times. Just go and have fun and quit worrying about things here.”

“But I just want to make sure—”

Marie took her arm and pulled her toward the steps. “We got it. Wave goodbye to your parents.”

Faith couldn’t wave because she had to grab her bag as Marie dragged her by her other arm down the porch. Her parents waved and grinned as if they enjoyed watching Marie pull her away.

“Call me if you need something,” she said to them.

“You just have a great time, child,” her mama called back.

Her parents looked so happy for her, she thought as Marie drove off. She’d have to try to enjoy herself for their sake, at least. Truthfully, a small part of her was excited about going to New York and not having to worry about how much an item cost or how much the meal was before ordering it. She missed that part of her old life, but she didn’t reflect on it too often. She’d done what she had to do, and there was no need to relive memories of a past that wasn’t coming back.

As they pulled away, she couldn’t help but take in the wheelchair ramp that needed replacing and the patch on the porch roof that leaked during hard storms. There was still so much to do, so much to fix. Since Love had robbed them blind, fate had kicked in to make sure everything that could go wrong did, including the house. She should stay at home, tending to those items, not travel to New York to party. No telling what bad luck fate had in store for her for going on this trip.

* * *

Hours later, Faith rolled her overnight bag off the plane, into LaGuardia Airport. She moved with the crowd toward the exit, anticipation and nervousness making her hands slick on the handle. She’d traveled around the South and West a lot, but she’d never been to New York. Even though she hated leaving her parents, this trip was giving her the opportunity to see the city, something she wouldn’t have ever done on her own.

On the plane ride, she’d convinced herself to find the silver lining in winning the contest. Since she’d got the call that her mama had had a stroke and arrived to find out that her sister had stolen all of their money, she didn’t put a lot of trust in luck.

But she refused to become one of those angry, bitter women who couldn’t appreciate things. Since her family had practically pushed her out the door to come, she would make an effort to enjoy herself and the city. She even admitted that it might be slightly cool to meet Irvin Freeman. However, she doubted the star wanted to spend the entire weekend playing tour guide. She could definitely suppress any eye rolls or sarcastic remarks if he did turn out to be a stuck-up snob during the few limited interactions she was likely to have with him.

She hoped.

She found her way to the pickup area of the airport. The instructions she’d been given said a car would be waiting for her. She only hoped she could find it in all of the activity.

A cameraman, a photographer and a guy holding a large sign with her name on it were the first people she saw. No problem recognizing her ride.

A woman with a bright red streak in her black hair stood next to the sign guy. She was dressed in a black suit that hugged her body so closely it had to have been custom-made for her. She fired off directions to the men. She must be the one in charge.

“Hi, I’m Faith Logan,” Faith said, walking over to the group that was getting the attention of everyone in the departure area. “I guess you’re my ride.”

The woman in the suit stopped talking and spun to face her. The smile on her face flickered for a second, about the same amount of time it took to do a quick inventory of Faith’s hair and outfit, before she got her features back in order. Faith wasn’t sure what that was about, but this woman probably made her living sizing people up in one look.

“Faith Logan, welcome and congratulations! I’m Kitty Brown, Irvin’s publicist and your host for this weekend,” she said in the cheerful voice Faith recognized from the phone call.

The photographer lifted his camera and pointed it in Faith’s direction. Kitty shook her head and motioned with a finger for him to lower it. “Not now. We’ll get a shot of her meeting Irvin instead of coming off the plane.” She turned to Faith with another big smile. “And we’ll get you just right for the introduction.”

“I really don’t need anything extra just to meet him,” Faith said, not liking the implication that she was somehow not ready to see the guy. Granted, she had hoped to put on a little makeup—lip gloss and some mascara—and even change into one of her dresses. But the way Kitty came across, it was as if Faith hadn’t spent the past few hours on a plane with an hour layover thanks to engine problems.

“Nothing extra,” Kitty said, “but we can...freshen you up a bit. We don’t have a lot of time. Your plane was delayed, you know.” Kitty said it as if Faith had some part in that. “So instead of the elaborate wardrobe, hair and makeup session we planned, we can go with a few changes for the photo shoot. We’ll save the major makeover for before the club tonight.”

“If the photo shoot is me meeting him for the first time, why do I need to change clothes?”

Kitty stopped in the middle of turning to the rest of the crew to raise her eyebrow at Faith. “Well, we can’t shoot you in that outfit.”

Faith bet that eyebrow and disdainful tone made people quake, but she had worked for one of the meanest hospital administrators in Houston. She’d been raised in the South, where an older woman could throw shade so fast and easy you wouldn’t realize she’d called you a bitch until two weeks later. Kitty didn’t intimidate her.

“What’s wrong with my outfit? Look, I’m willing to go with the flow, but I will not be insulted. Not my clothes, hair or anything else. If you wanted a starlet type, you probably could have picked one, but you didn’t. You chose me. So you’re getting me.”

The corner of Kitty’s mouth rose in a cynical smile. “A random-number generator chose you, not me. But I know how to make do with what I’m given. The offer wasn’t given as an insult—it’s part of the weekend. Makeover and photo shoot with Irvin. Don’t you remember that in the itinerary?”

“I haven’t read the itinerary,” she admitted.

Something very close to relief came across Kitty’s face. “No wonder you aren’t very enthusiastic. Just wait until you hear about all the fun I have in store for you. Prepare to be pleasantly surprised.”

Kitty slid her arm through Faith’s, as if they were old friends, and headed for the door. With a wave of her hand she indicated that the rest of the crew should follow, before diving headfirst into a speech on how lucky Faith was.

Faith tried to summon up the small amount of enthusiasm she’d felt on the plane, but Kitty barely gave her a chance to think, much less absorb it all. Plus, the woman wouldn’t take a breather so Faith could call her parents and let them know she’d arrived. It was unlikely that anything catastrophic had happened since that morning, but she would have felt better checking in. However, as Kitty kept up the chatter out to the limo and on the ride to the city, Faith gave up hope of calling until they reached their destination. She couldn’t help wondering if Kitty’s constant chatter was her punishment for going on this trip.


Chapter 4 (#ulink_7ebd0749-0e5b-54ee-aa41-91597da4da14)

Irvin flipped through the pages of the latest Men’s Health magazine as he lounged on a sofa in the Manhattan studio of photographer Rafael Sims. Kitty was late, which was very unusual for her, but he wasn’t in a rush. The photo shoot with him and the winner should take about an hour, and his only afternoon plans were to not check his emails every six minutes. He wasn’t doing too well with that. Rafael had helped distract him for a few minutes with idle conversation until the photographer had got a call. Irvin glanced at his watch; five minutes had passed since he’d last looked. Which meant he might as well check his phone again.

He put down the magazine and picked up his mobile. As expected, there were no emails from Kevin Lipinski. He would have been better served leaving his mobile at home. He tossed it back onto the glass table in front of him and picked up the magazine.

“Is there anything I can get you while you wait?” Rafael’s young assistant came over and asked. Her smile indicated she offered a lot more than water or juice. She’d checked on him every five minutes since he’d arrived. He knew, because it was how often he’d checked his mobile.

He gave her a smile but shook his head. “No, thank you, Tina. I’m fine.”

“I don’t mean to be a bother. I just know that I hate waiting. Sometimes it helps to have a distraction,” she said, emphasizing the last word.

Inwardly he groaned. If he wasn’t the Irvin Freeman and was just a plain bloke walking down the street, would she even give him a passing glance? He doubted it. When he was growing up, his looks were considered average at best. Amazing how swagger, money and fame had taken him from regular guy to sex symbol.

He held up the magazine. “I have a distraction,” he said, not letting the smile drop from his face. He might get annoyed with the groupies, but he was never rude. Full mouths couldn’t complain, after all.

“Oh, well, if you need anything, just call me.”

She turned to walk away, and he did watch her stride across the room. She was beautiful—he’d give her that. Nice bum, small waist and tan skin. When he’d first started in the business, he would have accepted her offer. Back when being desired by a multitude of women was new, not annoying.

Tina glanced at him over her shoulder and caught him watching. The light in her eye nearly made him cringe for real. Now he’d have to convince her that he might have looked, but he had no intention of touching.

The moment was interrupted when Kitty and the rest of the group burst into the room with a wave of conversation and laughter. Though he’d known they were coming, the arrival of Kitty and the entourage came with the anxious feeling he had back when he’d started out in some small off-Broadway play. Every move he made while they were around would be watched, scrutinized and reported on some social-media site if deemed interesting enough to boost his celebrity status.

He scanned the group for the winner. Kitty had texted him that she still didn’t seem very excited, so he expected to find the cool smile and reserved expression from her employee photo. His scan came to an immediate halt when it landed on the smiling cutie talking to one of the cameramen.

In his mind he let out an appreciative whistle. This was not the reserved woman from the picture, not with that smile. It was what he noticed first. She had the brightest, most beautiful smile he’d ever seen on a woman. Then there were her legs: long, shapely and enticing in the short denim shorts. The lavender shirt showed off toned arms and looked good against the red undertones in her skin. Her dark, thick hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

Coming from the UK, he’d never understood the girl-next-door thing that American men went for, at least not until this moment. This woman made him think of barbecues, bike riding and picnics. All that down-home stuff Hollywood portrayed in their good ole American films.

He slowly stood and grinned. The weekend wasn’t going to be as bad as he had originally thought. He’d still stick with the “look but don’t touch” approach, but at least this woman was nice to look at.

She stopped talking and turned his way. The smile on her face froze, then became stiff around the edges. She took a deep breath and just watched him for what felt like hours, but was probably just a few seconds. He waited for the excitement, frantic fanning, shriek of joy and tears. He was usually good for a tear or two.

They never came. Instead, she calmly walked over and held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Irvin.”

That accent... Hers was a slow, husky drawl that wrapped around him and made him want to hear it whisper his name. He normally didn’t care much for Southern accents, but he could listen to hers all night.

He took her hand in his. “The pleasure is all mine.”

She swallowed and gave a short nod before pulling her hand back. She rubbed it across her shorts then stuck both hands in her back pockets. “I appreciate you saying that. I’m sure this is kind of an imposition on you.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if it were. I’m always excited to find new ways to raise money for alcohol awareness.”

She nodded, but the look on her face said she didn’t quite believe him. “I guess it’s time for my total transformation.”

At that moment, Rafael came out of his office. To see him on the street, no one would guess that Rafael was a famous photographer. His curly hair, thick square glasses and unassuming white shirt and gray khakis didn’t set him apart from any other guy in his midthirties.

“Is this our winner?” Rafael asked in a loud, excited voice. He took both of Faith’s hands in his and held them out. “We don’t have much work to do with you. Look at those legs and that smile. You’ve got the cutest face, my dear.”

From the way she glanced around, Irvin wondered if she was uncomfortable with the praise.

“That’s very sweet coming from a man who photographs women far more glamorous than me.”

“Glamour is a mirage. A mirage that I create,” Rafael said, placing one of his hands on his chest. “The lens can make the meanest person look like a saint when it’s in the right hands, and my dear, I’ve got the right hands.”

Faith smiled, and Irvin was blown away by how cute she was. “The right hands and a way with words.”

Rafael laughed, then snapped his fingers for Tina to come over. “If you think I’m good with words, wait until you see these pictures. Now on to hair and makeup.”

“Not too much makeup,” Irvin said.

Faith and Rafael looked at him with varying degrees of surprise. Though Rafael’s look was tinged with a bit of curiosity. Irvin was not a makeup expert, but he had a feeling too much would only take away from her charm.

“Irvin has spoken,” Rafael said. “Not too much makeup.” Rafael and Tina ushered Faith to the dressing room.

“What do you think?” Kitty asked as Faith and Rafael disappeared.

“I like,” he said.

“Good. She’s a bit reserved. I still can’t get a read on her, but I’ll figure out what makes her tick.”

He knew what that meant. He pointed at Kitty. “No more digging. She’s here and she seems normal.”

“Normal is a mirage,” Kitty said, waving her hands in an imitation of Rafael that made Irvin laugh.

Several minutes later, Faith was back with her hair out of the ponytail and framing her face in a sleek bob that gently curled below her chin. They’d replaced the sleeveless lavender T-shirt with a sparkling yellow tank top and followed his instruction to not put too much makeup on her. Only enough to enhance her rounded cheeks, brown eyes and full lips.

“I’ll start with pictures of you. Then we’ll move on to both of you,” Rafael said. He led Faith over to the gray backdrop where they’d pose for the shoot.

“What am I supposed to do?” Faith asked.

“Be your sweet Southern self, my dear,” Rafael said with a wave of his hand. “Where are you from, again?”

“South Carolina. Laurel County.”

“Hmm, I’ve been to North Carolina. Had a shoot in Charlotte once.” Rafael started snapping pictures.

Faith gave him a tight smile. “That’s not very close to where I’m from.”

“Either way, relax, my dear. Just be yourself.”

She glanced around at the background with barely concealed panic.

Irvin hurried over to her side. “Why don’t we start with both of us?” He took her hand. Her palm was slick. She was more nervous than she let on.

Her eyes widened and she tried to jerk her hand away. He held on more tightly and pulled her closer to his side. “Relax.”

Her hand flexed in his, and she cut her eyes toward Rafael snapping away. “Easier said than done. You weren’t hustled from a plane to a photo shoot without a chance to breathe.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Just a bit.”

He gave her his lady-killer smile. “Don’t be. I don’t bite.”

A frown came across her features before she lifted her chin. “That’s good to know, but it’s not why I’m nervous. I know I just have a few scheduled appearances with you, which is how I prefer it.”

She slid her hand away and wiped it on the leg of her shorts. How she preferred it? He hadn’t had a woman say she preferred spending minimal time with him since he’d left London. He started to ask why when it hit him. He’d had women try to play the reverse-psychology thing on him before. Pretend disinterest in hopes of gaining his attention. Several years ago he’d done a film in which the leading lady’s character used that dishonest tactic to win over the heart of the politician he’d played. Ever since, women tried it with him constantly. Thinking she would do that was surprisingly disappointing.

“So let me guess. You entered the contest to spend a weekend with me, but are hoping to limit our time together. Not secretly hoping that something would happen between us.”

Her incredulous look was almost believable. “You’ve got to be kidding. Do you really think I’d want to add my name to the list of forgettable women you sleep with?”

Rafael snapped faster. “Closer, my dears. You’re happy about this weekend.”

Irvin wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side. She smelled good, a light flowery fragrance. And her body fit nicely with his. A fact he wished he wasn’t so acutely aware of.

“Are you accusing me,” he said through his fake smile for the camera, “of planning to seduce the winner of this contest?”

She was stiff beside him, but she relaxed and pasted on her own smile when Rafael ordered her to look happy. “Honestly, the thought never crossed my mind that you’d try to seduce me. Though I doubt you’d turn down sex if I offered.”

He turned to face her, almost entertained by her attempt to throw the offer out there in a backhanded way. “Oh, really. Please tell me why you think I’d take you to bed.”

She hesitated, and he could tell she was wondering whether or not to say more. When determination filled her gaze he grinned. She was playing this all the way.

“You’re used to women throwing themselves at you,” she said. “You’re linked to a different woman faster than I can change underwear, and this month Essence magazine’s readers voted you the man women most want to sleep with. I highly doubt you turn down many offers for sex.”

“Are you calling me promiscuous?”

“All I’m saying is that you don’t lack for women lining up to warm your bed, and I didn’t come up here to be your next electric blanket.” Her voice rose on her last words. She sounded almost sincere. He struggled with wishing she was and wishing she wasn’t. He no longer slept with groupies, but he had to admit, this particular one went from cute to sexy when she pretended to be angry.

It took a second for him to realize silence filled the room. They both turned to find Kitty nearly fuming, Rafael laughing and the rest of his entourage wearing expressions of disbelief.

“That’s a wrap,” Rafael said, balancing his camera on his shoulder.

Faith stepped away from Irvin. She looked from one end of the room to the other. “I’ve got to make a call. Is there a place where I can go for privacy?”

Rafael pointed to his office. “Right in that room.”

“Thank you.” She hurried to the office and pushed the door closed.

Kitty rushed to Irvin’s side. “I told you she didn’t want to be here. I knew I should have handpicked the winner instead of using a random selection. She should be happy—”

“If you’re going to say she should be happy to sleep with me this weekend, then save it. All that was a ploy. I’ve had women try to pull this on me before. She’s probably in there right now telling her girlfriend that she’s brilliant and has me fooled.”

He crossed the room to Rafael’s office. The door hadn’t closed all the way, and he felt no remorse about eavesdropping on her conversation. He would pay money that she was in there calling someone to say the plan was working. That she was on her way to convincing him she wasn’t just another fan out to land Irvin Freeman in bed.

He needed to hear it to take his mind off how incredibly sexy she’d been as she’d dressed him down. How her eyes sparked, and that accent of hers grew thicker. In that moment he imagined his name swirling out of her mouth in that drawl, and he needed to snap out of it.

He leaned close to the door, ready to hear her gloating or strategizing her next move.

“The man is exactly what I thought—another spoiled, rich playboy who thinks women are here only to please him. I told you I should have stayed home, Mama. This weekend is going to be terrible.”

Her angry rant immediately proved him wrong. And for Irvin Freeman that was a first.


Chapter 5 (#ulink_3d447d67-dbbd-53ee-8d08-4e0a9afaba10)

“What are you talking about?” Virginia asked.

“I’m here and already it’s a hassle. Irvin isn’t the nice guy he comes across as in those interviews. He thinks I’m here to seduce him.”

“Well, maybe you should.”

“Mama, please don’t say ridiculous things.”

“Okay, that was a bit much, but it won’t hurt to just let your hair down and have a little fun. You can do that without being around him.”

Faith sighed and pushed the hair away from her face. Now that the shoot was over, she was pretty sure Kitty had said she was going to the hotel. She could get away from Irvin immediately.

“You’re right. He’ll go his way and I can walk around and explore the city a little bit before going to the party tonight.”

“Can you say the word party without sounding like you’re going to the gallows?”

Faith laughed. “Fine. I can’t wait to go to the party with the arrogant actor who thinks I’m here to trick him into bed,” she said with false charm and cheer.

“Goodbye, Faith,” her mama said, chuckling.

“You and Daddy can call me whenever you need to. And be sure to warm up one of those meals I froze for dinner tonight. And if I forgot something on the grocery list, just call Marie and she’ll get it for you. And—”

“Seriously, Faith, goodbye. Don’t worry. Your daddy and I will be fine.”

Faith was being overprotective, but it had been her role for the past two years. One she took so seriously she sometimes forgot they were the parents. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that her mama was a thousand times better now than she’d been when Faith had first come home, and her daddy had been living with his disability for years.

“Okay, Mama, I’ll call you later.”

She ended the call, then tapped the phone on her chin. Now what? She wasn’t ready to face Irvin. Admittedly, she was very disappointed that he fit the entitled-guy mold. As her excitement had budded on the plane, she’d hoped he would be somewhat normal. If only Marie could have taken off work and come with her. She could relax if she had her friend along.

With a sigh, she turned and opened the door—only to jump back when she nearly walked right into Irvin. Her heart went from a tango to a standstill. The man was fine: square jaw covered by a precisely cut beard, wide, flat nose and piercing dark eyes that made her secretly swoon whenever he gave whatever lucky leading lady was starring opposite him a sexy stare.

Why, oh, why were good looks bestowed on men who didn’t deserve them?

He wasn’t handsome in the traditional sense. He made up for not having the classical good looks with a swagger that couldn’t be ignored. It oozed from every part of him: the way he walked, talked, dressed. He was classy and dangerous, gentleman and bad boy, nice and naughty all wrapped in masculine appeal.

And he thought she wanted to get him in bed.

Well, it’s not like it would be a hardship.

She gave herself a mental shake. No need thinking that. She would not be another fan tossing her panties at Irvin Freeman. No matter how seductive he looked.

“Were you listening in?”

“I was,” he said in that wonderful British accent that melted women’s underwear like butter on a hot skillet.

Her insides quivered. Literally quivered as if she were the virgin heroine in some medieval fairy tale. And though her virginity was long gone, something about the raw sexual energy he wore like a second skin made her believe all her previous sexual encounters were fumbling attempts at the real thing.

She crossed her arms and nailed him with the stare that used to make slacking nurses cower. “Care to tell me why?”

“I actually came over expecting to hear you gloat or come up with a new plan to flirt with me.” He held up his hands when her eyes narrowed. “But I was wrong, and I apologize. How about we give it another go?” He shot her that smile. The one that tugged up the corners of his full lips just enough to tempt a woman to forget the rules and follow him to the nearest bedroom.

She held her ground and stared him down. “Why don’t we simply agree to get through the weekend with minimal contact?”

“I can’t agree to that,” he said.

“Why not?”

“Because I offended you, and I want to make up for it. You must understand that I meant no disrespect to you. I’m bombarded by women, as you so readily pointed out, but I don’t take up every offer.”

He moved closer to lean against the door frame, and his gray T-shirt stretched over made for grabbing broad shoulders. His jeans were scuffed up just enough to make them look intentionally worn. A casual outfit that seemed sexy only because the clothes were on his perfect body.

“I understand, and accept your apology. Still, you don’t have to make up for it. I know this weekend is an obligation for you.”

“It might have started that way, but my outlook is definitely changing.”

His inviting gaze swept across her body. It was a quick and thorough examination. The kind of look a man gave when he wanted a woman to know he was interested. A look with all kinds of naughty promises. A look that tightened her nipples and sent an unexpected jolt between her legs.

“That’s nice of you to say.”

“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. Let me make it up to you.”

“It’s really not necessary. Your people flew me up here. We’re doing the party tonight and the premiere tomorrow. We just had an unfortunate misunderstanding, and everything will be smooth from here on out.”

“Have you been to New York before?”

The abrupt change in topic threw her for a loop. “No. It’s my first time.”

“Then let me show you around.”

Inside she squealed at the thought of getting a personal tour of the city from Irvin, but his apology and sex appeal were already making her forget that she wasn’t here for a Hollywood hookup.

“I’m tired. I just want to go back to the hotel and relax. But thank you, Irvin.”

He watched her for several seconds, then pushed away from the door. Before she could blink, he’d taken her hand in his. “Until tonight, then.” He brushed his lips across the back of her hand.

She fought very hard not to sigh and tremble in tandem with the shivers inside her belly. “I’ll see you at the party.”

He let go of her hand, then motioned for her to precede him. She breathed in the traces of his cologne, clean, crisp and completely delicious, as she swept past him. When she approached, the rest of the crew tried hard to pretend they weren’t paying attention, though she was confident they were doing nothing but. Kitty went into a flurry of instructions to her staff. In seconds they had their fingers flying across their phones. One even snapped a picture with his phone before typing something.

A sinking feeling went through her gut. Everything Irvin did ended up on some gossip site. Their little interaction was probably already posted somewhere. Another reason to limit her time with him. She didn’t need people probing into her past and discovering what her sister had done. Her family’s dirty laundry wasn’t for public display.

And neither was she.

She was so ready to get to the hotel, away from the prying eyes of his staff. And from Irvin’s hot glance and inviting looks.


Chapter 6 (#ulink_b8369237-2ddf-5f27-8ec2-3d6b0551383c)

“There—all done.”

The makeup artist stepped away from Faith. Kitty and several other people in the makeover squad Kitty had summoned to Faith’s room swarmed closer to get a look. If it weren’t for the fun of having a full makeover, Faith would have been annoyed by the way they studied her like a specimen under a microscope. But everyone on the team had been so nice and enthusiastic that she couldn’t help but get drawn in.

“Perfect,” Kitty said, clasping her hands in front of her. “She’s a knockout. She’ll look fantastic on Irvin’s arm tonight.”

Of course Kitty would be worried about how good of an arm piece she’d make for Irvin. But even that couldn’t suppress Faith’s eager smile. For the past four hours, she’d been pampered like she’d never been before. A full body massage, facial, hairstyling, makeup and even exfoliating. She blushed to think about how every single hair deemed unnecessary had been removed by the team. Through covert peeks in the mirror, she’d glimpsed some of her transformation, but now she could barely suppress her excitement to see the final results.

“Can I look in the mirror now?” She turned to do just that, but Kitty grabbed her arms.

“Not until you put on the dress.”

There was a collective gasp by the team, who whispered, “The dress!”

Grinning, Faith got up from the chair and ignored the temptation to take a look at herself in the mirror. She shouldn’t enjoy this so much. If she was back home, she’d think how superficial and shallow all of this really was. Right now, though, she decided to allow herself to enjoy this fantasy weekend. Besides, it was hard not to get excited over a designer dress tailored just for her. The team had taken her measurements at the start of the makeover, and the dress had arrived a few minutes ago.

She was having so much fun that she couldn’t even rustle up any annoyance whenever Kitty remarked about how surprisingly easy it was to turn her into a knockout. A comment to which she’d responded in her heaviest Southern drawl, “Good thing I got my teeth fixed a couple years back.” The team laughed at her joke. Kitty only looked relieved.

Within minutes she was in the dress. They did a final gloss of her hair and makeup, and then she was in front of the mirror with an embellished “Voilà” from Kitty.

Faith’s jaw dropped. The woman in the mirror wasn’t Faith Logan, shift nurse and parent caretaker. The person looking back at her was the perfect arm candy for a Hollywood superstar.

The dress was long-sleeved, but there was no chance she’d get too warm. Made of sheer material enhanced with silver stones strategically placed over her more personal areas, it clung to every curve and stopped in a wisp of material at the tops of her thighs. Full curls framed her face, and her makeup... Good gracious, her makeup was flawless. Her face shone with just the right highlights and shadows. She looked like a celebrity. In fact, she almost felt like one, surrounded by the team oohing and aahing over her appearance.

“So, what do you think?” Kitty asked with what sounded like uncertainty in her voice.

“I’m stunning,” Faith whispered.

Kitty clapped and congratulated the team. “Finally, a response from you I can take.”

Faith continued to stare at the stranger in the mirror...a stranger she kind of liked. If only Marie could see her now. Once again she wished her friend could have got off work to be here. She’d have to take a picture and send it to Marie and her parents. They wanted her to have fun, and this makeover was fun.

There was a knock at the door, and the excitement and buzz of conversation from the team elevated.

“That must be Irvin,” Kitty said.

Faith’s heart pounded like their feet on the floor of the hotel room. She broke out in a sweat. Dang it, she couldn’t sweat. Not in this barely there outfit and perfect makeup. She fanned herself to cool off, but Kitty was already ushering her out of the bedroom and into the living area of the hotel suite.

Don’t sweat. Don’t sweat. Don’t sweat, she chanted internally, as if that would stop her.

Kitty positioned her and the rest of the crew for Irvin’s entrance. Vaguely she wondered if the man ever entered a room without Kitty arranging everyone on the other side of the door.

When Kitty swept the door open and he entered, Faith forgot to think, to breathe, as his sexy, dark eyes zeroed in on her. He wore a white shirt, black-and-white-striped vest and dark pants, but on him the simple clothes covered him in sex appeal. She’d heard the expression “sex on a stick” before. Standing before her, this man brought that expression to life. And she was going out clubbing with him tonight.

Don’t be a fangirl. He already thinks you’re only here to seduce him. Despite her warning, she couldn’t help but think it would be pretty darn nice to seduce someone that good-looking.





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