The Movie Star and the Spy (The Secret Billionaires #5)

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

“ D o you have any idea how lucky you are?” one asked.

“Soooo very lucky,” another agreed.

“I’d just die to be you,” a third shared.

But then she’d be dead. So, really, not the best trade-off. If Cheyenne wasn’t so stressed about her upcoming… performance… she might’ve had more difficulty containing her laugh at the nonsensical comments. Right now all she could think about was Julian Starcroft.

And his hands on her unclothed body.

She’d hoped to make an inconspicuous entrance onto the set, but it was soon apparent that being elevated to permanent body double was something along the lines of an Oscar to the beautiful extras. They ahhed and oohed, crowding her, as if her good fortune – or rather what they assumed was good fortune – would rub off on them. If only they knew she wasn’t here for Starcroft, but to protect them from a criminal intent on exploiting them.

To do that, she would flirt with every man on set, all except one, of course. One strapping, muscular, delicio… ahem . No, she wouldn’t be flirting with Julian Starcroft. Instead he’d require her to stay perfectly still while he conducted his intimate administrations.

Her phone buzzed, and she glanced down, froze at the flashing name. Anger and frustration tangled with elation and happiness, a juxtaposition of impossible emotions. She hesitated, but then nodded goodbye to the women and retreated to an alcove where she’d be shielded from sight and sound. It didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to answer the phone.

It buzzed again. She shouldn’t answer it, should never answer for this man.

It stopped buzzing, and the familiar sense of loss pierced her. She waited, and as if on the director’s cue, it vibrated again five seconds later. This time she answered on the first ring. “Why are you doing this to me?” She hadn’t meant to whisper the words, certainly hadn’t meant to insert such raw emotion. She’d meant to demand he never call again. She’d meant to tell him that every time he called.

She never did.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I–”

“Don’t you dare call me that,” she hissed. “I’m not your sweetheart. I’m not your anything. Why won’t you stop calling?”

“Because I gave you up once, and I’m never doing it again. I know it’s too late, but I want to fix things…”

“There’s nothing to fix. Absolutely nothing.”

But it wasn’t true. Not even a little. Because if there was nothing, acid wouldn’t be burning her throat like hot lava. Her breathing wouldn’t be short and her chest wouldn’t feel like it was being squeezed by a carpenter’s wrench.

A second’s pause, then a sigh. “That’s not true, sweeth… Cheyenne. I’ve spent the last fifty years observing people act, and I can tell when someone’s trying to convince me – and herself. You’re hurt, and you have every right to be, seeing as how I’m a few decades late. But I can’t change the past, only the future. I’m asking for that chance.”

He said it so earnestly, so softly, the harsh rebuttal she’d been planning froze on her lips. Instead she breathed deeply. “What do you want me to say?”

“You don’t have to say anything. Just think about it. Please.”

She wanted to say no, wanted to forget about him. Wanted to pretend he wasn’t the heartbreak of her past, the challenge of her present, the uncertainty of her future. Yet no matter how she tried, the words wouldn’t emerge. “I have to go.”

“Of course. I’ll talk to you soon.” He hung up before she could respond, before she could tell him not to call. It didn’t matter because he was right. He would be calling soon, and – like always – she would answer on the first ring of the third call.

A group of men had congregated near the coffee bar. Pushing the phone and its caller far away, she cut a path toward them. Perhaps some good police work would put her focus back where it should be. Yet someone followed her, and she stopped.

The woman halted breathlessly in front of her. Jessica Cole, another extra, smiled widely. “Ms. Dane, thank you so much for convincing Mr. Starcroft to screen us yesterday. He recommended me to a modeling agency, and they invited me for a test shoot. This could do a lot for my career.”

Cheyenne betrayed no surprise to the lovely woman, who would most certainly make an outstanding model. With creamy skin, high cheekbones and pouty lips, her smile was genuine and sweet. “I’m thrilled for you, but I didn’t do anything.”

“Whatever you did, thank you. I’m so excited.”

How about that? Julian had actually assessed the women. He obviously hadn’t done it right then, since he’d been too busy trying to catch her like some prince grasping a lost slipper, so he must’ve carved out time out later. With how busy he was, it was actually kind of nice.

She shook her head. She needed to stop thinking about Prince Action Hero . So he’d done something nice, but that didn’t impact her mission. She had to focus on catching a criminal, not a movie star.

And not letting the movie star catch her.

Cheyenne approached the male extras, changing the genuine smile to a wider, less sincere, version. “Well, hello boys.”

Half a dozen men turned to her. “Well, hello.” The brawniest man stepped forward while the rest gave appreciative looks. He was tall, handsome and muscle-bound – and did absolutely nothing for her. Unlike one very sexy leading man. She shifted, showing off her cleavage to its best vantage. “What do you guys think of my new role?”

“We love it,” six men said at once, in slightly different intonations.

Cheyenne giggled, bent down to give them a better look. Nine men – her group was growing – followed her every movement. “You don’t think I’m too shy?” She batted her eyelashes.

“You were outstanding,” a hunky extra called from the back. A dozen heads bobbed up and down in enthusiastic agreement.

Cheyenne laughed, brought a hand in between her breasts. Fifteen sets of eyes ogled. “Can I tell you a secret?” she asked in a loud whisper. Even though they could clearly hear her, they leaned closer, their eyes constantly drooping to the breasts straining the thin shirt. “I don’t mind taking off my clothing for a good cause.”

“That’s fortunate,” a deep voice rumbled, “since I’ll be helping you out of them.”

Where were handcuffs when you needed them?

The words died in her throat. He shouldn’t be here, not now, not yet. Not when she’d arrived extra early just to advance her mission. Yet Julian stood in all his muscle-bound glory, as tall, dark and handsome as she remembered, as powerful as the warriors he played on the screen. His gaze was sharp and heated and possessive .

“Isn’t it early?” She clamped her mouth shut. What was she doing? In order to fulfill her mission, she had to play the role of na?ve starlet. Questioning the leading star was out of character.

“We have a lot to do.” He smiled wickedly. “What I have in mind is going to take a lot of time and effort. Well, maybe not so much effort.”

Her breath hitched. Any effort would be on his part. She’d just be expected to… surrender.

“Weren’t you just saying how you’d happily bare all for a good cause? What could be more worthy than your career?” Julian turned to the other actors. “Just so we’re clear, Ms. Dane is a professional. There will be no undressing except for the part. I wouldn’t want anything improper happening on set.”

Cheyenne choked back fury as the men stared at Julian. He was warning them away and destroying her mission all in one sentence. “I’ll be undressed by whoever I want!”

Julian went silent.

The men went silent.

The entire studio went silent.

Oh. No. Had she just destroyed her own mission? Only one move could save her, one response that could preserve her assignment, and it was the most painful path imaginable. She plastered the fakest, sunniest smile on her face and turned to Julian. “Which is why I want you to do it.”

Julian relaxed, the men relaxed, the entire set relaxed. Some even smiled, yet none were as large as the Cheshire Cat grin on Julian’s face. Bemusement, satisfaction and uncontrolled power reined, as he saw beyond her mask, deciphered the rebellion she couldn’t hide. The others clearly missed it, but Julian knew exactly how he affected her. “And only me?”

Cheyenne clenched her fists. They both knew what she had to say. “Of course.”

He smiled wider. “Gentlemen, if you’ll excuse us, it’s time to prepare Ms. Dane for her role.”

Cheyenne smothered a growl as the men looked back and forth between the two of them like spectators at a tennis match. They knew exactly what type of preparation he had in mind. Before she could say a word, he grasped her hand and led her forward. Fighting every instinct to tug away from his hold, she allowed herself to be led through the studio, amidst smiling faces and envying eyes. He grasped her securely, but at least she wasn’t being carried off this time. In minutes, they were at the door to his private dressing room. He unlocked and opened it, releasing and gesturing for her to enter before firmly shutting the door behind him. This time there would be no help from the outside. She was on her own.

“I’m not going to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Anytime you want to stop, just say so.”

She started at the unexpected statement. Instead of bemusement, his eyes were kind, calm. Could he sense her unease? “I know.” She forced a giggle that came out like a choke. “This is a dream come true, remember?”

“A dream come true?” His footsteps boomed on the hard floor. “Then why are you acting like you’d rather be anywhere but here?”

“That’s not true.” She wouldn’t want to be at the bank robbery she’d stopped last month and certainly not at the hostage situation. Although if you didn’t count the bad guys, weapons, danger, etc. it really wasn’t so bad. “I’m just getting accustomed to the role.”

His eyes sparkled in the fluorescent lights. “Why do I have a feeling you’re not used to giving up control? That despite your insistence otherwise, this goes against everything you know?”

Because it was. Yet she was also a strong woman who could play any role – even this one. “I am completely at ease. We don’t even need to practice. I looked at the script yesterday and it’s pretty straightforward. So why don’t we just skip it?” Then she could return to the set and uncover the criminal.

Unfortunately, Julian didn’t give her a high five and agree. “Destiny, this isn’t some low budget production filmed in a garage. This is a major studio release, and the producers expect it to be flawless. Although you acted sufficiently passionate yesterday–” His eyes darkened. “We have to practice for the scene to be seamless. We have to get to know each other.”

“Get to know each other?” A bolt of lightning ignited in her chest. Was he saying he’d like to do something to get to know her better? He reached for several items on the counter – one of them a yellow cloth bag, and the other a small disc in a silvery package.

The world turned red.

“How dare you!” she hissed. “I don’t know what you think I’ve agreed to, but I’m not interested in getting to know you better. Not a teeny, tiny bit.” Okay, so that part wasn’t entirely true. “Just because you’re gorgeous and muscular and ridiculously tempting–” Hmmm, moving the wrong way here. “Doesn’t mean you get whatever you want. So you can put whatever that is away because you will not be needing it with me. Do I make myself perfectly clear?” She folded her arms across her chest and glared.

He smiled. Wider and wider and wider. He should be embarrassed, horrified even, and apologizing profusely. He held out his hands, showed her the two items.

The yellow bag? A game of letter tiles. The silver-wrapped disc? A chocolate truffle.

Oh yeah, she was screwed. And not in an “Oops, I made a tiny mistake, let’s laugh it off and start removing my clothing” sort of way, but in a “Why can’t I get called away to a hostage situation” sort of way. Only she was the hostage in this situation.

“Um,” she stated eloquently.

He raised an eyebrow. “Um?” If he was trying to hide a smile, he was failing utterly. “I’m terribly sorry. I took a chance by getting the extra dark chocolate, and it obviously backfired.”

There was a strange twitch at the corners of her lips. No… it couldn’t possibly be… it wasn’t… a smile. “You understand the seriousness of this, don’t you?”

“Oh yes.” He nodded solemnly. “Chocolate is nothing to joke about. About what you said, would you care to explain?”

Possible explanations: A. She’d lost her mind. B. She’d lost her mind. C. She’d lost her mind. “No, thank you.”

He grinned. “Because it seems like you were thinking something far different.” He tossed the foil-wrapped disk in the air. “Almost like you thought this was a–”

“Chocolate. And I love chocolate. Love to eat it.” In one fluid motion, she grabbed the packet and tore it open. She popped the sweet into her mouth, barely noticing the smooth, rich flavor. Julian watched her intently as she licked her lips.

Oh yeah – she’d just made it a lot worse.

She swallowed the suddenly bitter piece in her mouth. “This was for me, wasn’t it?”

Sensuality burned, as he answered in a husky voice, “Yes.” He cleared his throat. “So back to your earlier diatribe, how did you describe me?”

Of course, he would return to that. There were only two reasonable choices: playing dead or playing dumb. “I’m not sure what you mean,” she replied sweetly.

He raised his eyebrows, his smile turning wider. “You don’t remember calling me gorgeous?”

She cocked her head to the side, rubbed her chin. “Not really.”

“Muscular?”

“Nope.”

“Ridiculously tempting?”

“Not a chance.”

“So I’m not any of those things?”

Oh, he was. Every single one. Cheyenne resisted the urge to walk up and… well, and kiss him. “Are you done?”

He paused, tapped his chin as if considering it. “All right, but only since we’ve become close enough to share the intimacies of…”

“Julian!”

“Chocolate,” he finished with a bright smile.

She shook her head, but her smile was as wide as his. He held up the game. “So would you like to play? When I said we should get to know each other, I meant our roles might work smoother if you’re more comfortable with me, and a game might help. However, if you think it’s too intimate, we can get straight to the undressing.”

Play a game or undress immediately? Undress! Undress! Undress! Her traitorous body rallied. “The game!”

He stared at her.

She forced herself to calm. “I mean, the game seems like a great idea.”

He smiled in that annoying I-know-everything-your-traitorous-mind-is-thinking sort of way. “Perfect.” He opened the bag and spread the tiles over his large executive desk. He motioned for her to take a seat while he sat on the opposite side. “Have you ever played before?”

She nodded, helping him turn the tiles so they were all face down. “We have to form words until we get rid of all the letters.”

“Exactly.” Julian placed the last tile facedown and gave them each their allotted amount. “Ready?”

“Ready.”

“Then go.”

The game commenced. Cheyenne had always been extremely competitive and now moved with focused fervor, crafting word after word, rearranging to fit more. Unfortunately, Julian crept into her focus again and again, stealing her attention and slowing her movements. Tiles rapidly disappeared, and finally it came to a sudden death ending. With only one tile left each, they raced for a quick solution. Cheyenne found a spot and yelled “finish” a second before Julian put his down, winning it all. She jumped up. “That’s what you get for driving me wild! You can take that gorgeous grin, those heavenly eyes, that tight ass….” She halted.

Well, crap.

What just happened? As Julian laughed, she backtracked. “I mean that mediocre grin, those average eyes, that…” She couldn’t think of anything besides tight . She sat back. “I’m done now.”

She awaited his response, but he was no longer paying attention. He was staring down at her side of the table, where she had formed words. “Were you thinking about me while you played?”

Every second. “Of course not.”

His eyes crinkled at the corners. “It sure seems like it.” He read her words, “Handsome, powerful, frustrating.”

“You’re making that up.” She snuck a peek down at her letters. They were all there. Every. Single. One.

“Attractive, ravishing, tight.” He let out a laugh. “Ass.”

“You think those were about you?” She tried for astonished, accomplished less than Oscar-worthy efforts. “I was thinking about the other guys on the set. And there are plenty of words that don’t have anything to do with you.”

“That’s true, but they’re as telling as the others.” He gestured to the pieces. “Games are a great way to learn about a person. For instance, despite your insistence otherwise, you were thinking about me.”

Denying it was kind of ridiculous at this point.

“Look at your other words: academician, agglomerate, monosyllable. They’re straight from an SAT vocabulary list, or at least someone who is very, very intelligent. Someone who would know twelve makes a dozen, how many planets are in the solar system, continents on the earth.” He gave her a pointed look. “Probably not someone whose only accomplishment is Miss Excavator Falls.”

Damn. With one simple game, not only had she given away exactly how tight his ass was (extraordinarily), but she’d also revealed her ditzy act was just that – an act. “Don’t knock Miss Excavator Falls. It’s really fantastic.”

He folded his arms across his chest.

“Fine.” She plopped down on the chair. “I might’ve played up the acting a little, just to help me get the role.” She hated to break character, but it was already damaged beyond repair, and Julian was obviously not working for the criminal mastermind. The enterprise only chose extras, never a leading man.

Yet he appeared only somewhat satisfied with her excuse. There was only one thing that would distract him now. “So do you want to start rehearsing?”

He surprised her by shaking his head. “We still have a little time. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”

Definitely not the direction she wanted to take. It was one thing to play a character, but if she inadvertently revealed her true identity, it would put the mission – and her – in danger. “There’s not much to tell. Typical back story of an aspiring starlet. I grew up wanting to be an actress, and I’m super excited for this chance. So anyway, if you’re ready…”

“I never wanted to be an actor.”

She paused. She shouldn’t ask, shouldn’t even care. Yet curiosity slayed good sense. “You didn’t?”

“Nope, I wanted to be a doctor. I was accepted into medical school and everything. Right before school started, a buddy of mine asked me to come along on an audition. I thought it would be an interesting way to spend an afternoon. I never thought I’d have a chance, much less get chosen for a role.”

“That was your first movie?”

He nodded. “They were specifically looking for a newcomer, a fresh face they could tout. How could I turn down a movie star role? The movie was the surprise blockbuster of the summer.”

“A single event can change a life.” It was why she was here, to prevent the tragedies that destroyed women’s futures. “You decided to continue acting instead of going back to medicine?”

Julian flexed his muscles. She didn’t look. Much. “By then the acting bug had caught me, so I made the choice to switch careers. I’ve been lucky to receive great projects, and I really do enjoy it. Except for the fame, of course.”

“Really?” How unexpected. Julian topped the lists of personable celebrities year after year. He was known to mingle with fans and attend countless charity events. “I thought fame was part of the appeal.”

Julian shrugged, and again with the muscles. “I love the fans and am always happy to sign an autograph or take a picture, but the lack of privacy can be daunting. Everyone knows everything about my personal business – whether or not it’s true – and there is endless bullying on social media. I can’t take a walk without being surrounded, and even a trip to the mall is a full-scale production. People watch me every second.” He ducked his head. “Of course, I am grateful. I chose this life, and being a celebrity comes with a lot of advantages. Just sometimes I wish I could be a regular guy for a little while. Maybe I should go undercover.”

Cheyenne coughed. Loudly.

He frowned and offered her water, but she turned it down. “I’m fine.” Except for nearly combusting when he simply mentioned the word “undercover.”

He placed the cup back on the table. “So tell me more about Destiny Dane. What do you do when you’re not fulfilling your duties as Miss Excavator Falls?”

Cheyenne thought back to the profile of the fictional Destiny Dane. The attributes and hobbies fit perfectly with the character and not at all with the real her. “Oh, you know, the usual favorites. Shopping, getting my hair done, sunbathing, meeting celebrities, that sort of thing.”

Julian blinked.

Then he laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed some more.

Do not growl. Do not snap. Do not do anything that would be illegal in a plurality of states.

“I’m sorry,” he said, wiping his eyes. “Getting your hair done and meeting celebrities? That’s the best you could come up with? You didn’t seem at all interested in meeting me.”

She smiled. “Must be you.”

“Ouch.” He laughed again. “Actually, I think you’re more interested than you let on.”

The short answer to that: Yes. The long answer: Hell, yes.

“And sunbathing?” He gave her a slow leisurely look, starting from the top of her head to her toes. His laughter turned to a wide, sensual smile. “Don’t sunbathers usually have tans? Although, come to think of it, you are looking a little pink.”

She peeked in the mirror. A little pink was an understatement. She was red all over, and it had absolutely nothing to do with the sun, but with a different type of star altogether.

“Now if you told me your hobbies included pretending to be someone you’re not and playing competitive board games, that I’d believe.”

She stiffened. The man saw through every lie she told, straight down to the true person. She had to say something. What would fit Destiny Dane enough not to ruin her cover but would match Cheyenne Kirk?

“Why don’t you tell me about your family?” he prompted.

Perfect. Both Destiny and Cheyenne had families. She wouldn’t give real names, but she could share general stories without blowing her cover. Of course, there was one facet of her family she would never mention, not to him, not to anyone. “I have four older brothers.”

Julian whistled. “Now that must’ve been fun growing up.”

The familiar wave of affection rose. “I love them with all my heart, but they were a tad overprotective. Let’s just say my dates brought me home an hour before curfew ended.” She laughed softly. “It was like having four bodyguards. To top it off, they all grew into tall, muscular guys by the time I hit high school.”

“It’s a wonder you ever made it out of the house.”

“I made sure of it,” she confided. “They might’ve intimidated the big guys, but I stood tall against them. So to speak.” She gave a rueful grin. “I even forced them to take me along on their adventures. I was quite the tomboy.”

He gestured toward her feminine attire. “You’ve come a long way.”

Actually, she hadn’t progressed at all from her tomboy origin. Did Julian realize her upbringing didn’t quite match Destiny Dane’s personality? “So what are they doing now?” he asked.

“They all stayed true to their roots even if I didn’t. They chose jobs with high physical demands. Two are cops, one went into the military and the other is a firefighter.”

“Do I need to worry when they find out what we’ve been doing?”

“Of course not.” Because they were never going to find out. Ever. If they did, they’d forget she was a grown woman and haul her back to the family home, 9 p.m. curfew firmly in place. Not that she would let them, of course, but it was still easier to avoid the fight. It had been bad enough when she decided to join the force.

Julian eyed her carefully. “You aren’t going to tell them, are you?”

“Not a chance in hell.” She grinned. “Your turn. Tell me about your family.”

“You mean you don’t know?”

“Oh course not. How would I kno–” She stopped. What was she thinking? His biggest fan would know everything about him, including his family, hobbies, the brand of deodorant he used. Those probably made front page news. “Of course, I know.”

“Do you?” He folded his arms across his chest. “I’ll give you one chance.”

One chance to guess about his family? A hundred, or a thousand, wouldn’t be enough.

“One chance to take it back,” he elaborated. “Remember when you claimed to know my last movie?”

“Hey, I knew all about Thunder Wave .”

“Not Thunder Wave .”

“ Thunder Plunder ?”

“Try again.”

“ Thunder and the Seven Dwarves ?”

“ Thunder Force .”

“Exactly.”

His eyes twinkled. “So do you want to take it back?”

“I’ll think about it.” She straightened. “I have an idea. Why don’t you tell me about your family, and I’ll tell you if you’re right?”

“I think I’m being scammed.” His grin returned full-force, with just a sprinkling of mischief. “Here goes. I have four older brothers who are very protective of me. Two are cops, one is–”

“Hey!” She choked out a laugh. “That’s my family.” She tried to ignore his charm, but it was hopeless.

“Actually I was raised by a single mom. I have one sister, who still lives with her.”

Her laughter quieted, but a smile remained. “A kid sister?”

“No, she’s older than me. She has Down syndrome. She’s absolutely amazing – sweet, kind and caring. She finds joy at every little thing.” His expression reflected adoration. “She’s special in an altogether wonderful way.”

Warmth, as strong as it was unexpected, infused her. “Do you see her often?”

“At least twice a week.” He nodded broadly. “I bring her to the set occasionally, and she loves it. Of course, everyone loves her, too.”

“I bet they do.” She gestured toward him. “Just like her brother.”

“I don’t know about that.” He feigned a grimace. “I can think of one extra who, although she pretends otherwise, doesn’t find me interesting enough to even watch my last movie.”

“You mean Thunder with the Wind ?”

“I’m starting to feel like you don’t take my work seriously,” he rumbled. “Are you going to at least watch Spy Heat when it comes out?”

“Probably not.” If it showed any of her, definitely not. “I tell you what. When they make Spy Heat into a book, I’ll read it.”

He rubbed his chin. “I just can’t imagine Spy Heat as a book.”

“Sounds like a great book to me.” She winked. “They could put a little romance in it, with an alpha hero and a strong woman.”

He grinned, but then the light banter melted to more serious regard. “So you made it on your own, without any big connections.” They actually had more in common than he realized. She’d lived half her life with a single mother, only inheriting her beloved stepfather and four brothers, or technically stepbrothers, when she was nine.

“No big network, but my mom and sister are great. Since I never knew my dad, I didn’t miss him. Like I said, I gained a replacement when I started in the business.”

Cheyenne fought to remain impassive as something passed between them, something different than the sizzling physical attraction and yet no less poignant. A connection of a sort. “Where do your mom and sister live?”

“They live in the same development as me,” he shared. “Crystal Landing.”

Like pretty much everyone else, she’d heard of the famous Crystal Landing. She’d even once entered the exclusive community on a domestic call. The homes weren’t simply million-dollar homes – they started at ten times more.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like pretty much everyone else in the world looks at me. It’s just a house, and I’m just an ordinary guy.”

“Ordinary guys don’t have waterfalls in their front yards and roller coasters in the back. They grow up in cozy little ranch homes with a quarter acre of land.

She thought he muttered, “Not all of us,” but before she could ask, he changed the subject, “So you’re into fashion, huh?”

“Fashion? Why in the world would I… I mean why in the world wouldn’t I love fashion, because it’s so wonderful and great and… ummm… fashionable?” Yeah, fashion was one of the hobbies listed on her resume. Which she forgot. Again.

“You don’t say?” The humor was back. “My job brings me into contact with some of the big fashion designers. What are your favorites?”

Did Target count as a designer? She didn’t think so. Only one brand came to mind, and she didn’t think about it before it popped from her mouth. “Under Armour.”

Julian gave a half choke, half laugh. “Under Armour? The company that makes products to reduce sweat?”

Things were going downhill fast.

“That’s the one,” she chirped. “It’s very important to… um… not sweat in my position.”

Well, actually, in her new position, the whole point was to sweat. Time for this conversation to go in a new direction. “I love to exercise, so that’s why I like it so much.”

“I enjoy exercise, too.” Thankfully he let her change the subject. “What do you do?”

Since both a policewoman and a body-conscious actress would want to stay fit, she could answer truthfully. They started a discussion about their favorite physical activities, then compared their favorite restaurants. The conversation grew comfortable and all-too-enjoyable, and soon they were sharing stories about fun family gatherings and eccentric relatives. From there, they moved to funny tales from the past and a bevy of safe topics like sports, television and general news items.

The conversation was lively and animated, as they laughed and joked like two old friends. Julian shared quite a bit, although not anything that wasn’t common knowledge. After years of skirting the paparazzi, he clearly knew better than to divulge any family secrets. When she finished laughing at one funny story, Cheyenne looked down at her watch and was stunned to discover two hours had passed.

“Well, look at that.” He tapped his smartwatch. “Two hours and you didn’t find anything to growl about.”

Cheyenne chuckled… and growled.

He laughed. “I stand corrected. When you stop trying to hide yourself, we get along perfectly fine.”

They did get along perfectly fine, or actually, just perfectly . Which in itself was far from perfect. It was a sobering dose of reality. Even if she didn’t betray her cover, she was still painting the picture of a far different woman than Destiny Dane. She needed to protect the integrity of her mission and stop wasting valuable time. She should be spending every minute looking for a criminal, not cozying up to a movie star. Which was why right now, she needed to get this over with.

She’d known she would never escape it, so it was time to stop putting it off.

“Is it time to undress me?”