He walked to Veronica’s trailer, as he had the last couple of nights, to offer to drive her back to her hotel. “Hey, Curly Top,” he called from the doorway. “Want a ride?”

  “Yes, actually. Deb’s son just broke his leg in a football game, so she’s on her way to the airport.”

  “Man.” Chris winced at the thought of an injury like that. “Well, luckily, I’m here for you.”

  “I, uh, was going to call Keith, but he’s probably already on his way there.”

  Chris clenched his jaw at her stubbornness. “No doubt. Are you ready?”

  She nodded, and side by side, they walked to the parking garage. Chris took a moment to carefully check his car for any sign of tampering, though he wasn’t sure he’d know what to look for. Still, he couldn’t let go of his anxiety that someone would find a way to hurt Veronica.

  As they drove to the hotel, however, they didn’t encounter any problems. When they were almost there, he got the phone call he’d been waiting for. It was Warren. His car’s Bluetooth picked up the call automatically. Figuring Veronica would hear the news one way or the other eventually anyway, he put the call on speaker.

  “Hey, Warren. I’ve been waiting all day to hear from you.”

  “I know. I’m sorry. I just wanted to look things over a little more closely.”

  “I figured.”

  “Don’t worry. I saw some of the unedited footage from the film. It’s going to be incredible. I’m glad to have my company’s name on it.”

  “That’s great. Thanks. And I owe you one.”

  “Don’t worry about it. But hey, you should have just told me you were in love with Veronica. It would have saved me a lot of time.”

  Chris’s eyes widened as Warren’s words sounded through the car like an explosion. He turned to Veronica, and sure enough, she was staring up at him, her soft mouth slightly open in surprise.

  “Um, well, uh, yeah. I’ve got to get off here now, sorry.”

  “Sure, man. Call me later.”

  Chris disconnected the call, as if by doing so, he might erase the awkwardness in the car. Instead, it made it worse. He tried to laugh it off. “Well, that wasn’t how I planned for you to find that out.”

  “Are you saying you do? You love me?”

  Okay, this was getting complicated quickly. He’d hoped to have time to prepare before taking this argument on. “Well, thanks to Warren, I’m in the uncomfortable position of not wanting to lie to you, so, yes, I am. Completely and irrevocably.”

  Her only reaction was to bite her lip while her skin went a perceptibly paler shade. Luckily, since he could barely focus on the road, they arrived at the hotel just then. He pulled up to the concierge, but he’d barely put the car in park before she jumped out of the passenger seat and flew through the revolving glass door to the hotel lobby. He was after her in seconds and easily caught up to her at the elevator, since she had to wait for it.

  “There’s no reason to freak out,” he told her.

  “Excuse me, but I think there is.”

  The elevator opened. He followed her in and started to speak, but an elderly couple got in behind them.

  “Oh, my goodness. George, look. It’s that superhero guy. The one that takes his shirt off all the time. What’s his name?”

  “It’s Chris Sanderson,” Veronica said, sweetly helpful. “You should ask for his autograph.”

  “Oh yes,” the woman said. “George, do you have a pen? Of course you do, dear. Look in your pocket. I think I have a receipt or something here.”

  The elevator reached Veronica’s floor then, and the door opened just as the sweet old lady found her receipt. Veronica swept out, no doubt thinking she’d gotten the upper hand. But quick as a flash, he threw his foot out to keep the door from closing and going up another floor, signed the receipt with a scribble that no one would recognize, and ran after Veronica. She was just swiping her electronic key when he reached her.

  “I can’t do this tonight, Chris.”

  “Oh, so when can you do it? Tomorrow? Next month? After the movie premiere?”

  “How about never?”

  “That’s what I thought,” he said, following her in.

  “I didn’t invite you in.”

  “I know, but I intend to make sure you’re safe here before I leave.”

  She looked around nervously and stepped back to let him past her.

  He really had every intention of checking the room, but he couldn’t quite keep his mouth shut. As he walked back to the bathroom, he called over his shoulder, “So, can you please tell me why you have such an aversion to hearing that I love you?”

  “I have a boyfriend.”

  Chris pushed back the shower curtain and ascertained that there was no one hiding behind it. “Give me some credit.” He passed by her on the way to check her closet and speared her with a look. “Do you really think that, feeling the way I do about you, I can’t tell how another guy feels? Keith is your friend, no doubt about it. But there’s about as much passion between you as you can find in frozen dinner.”

  “Whatever.”

  He shifted her clothes aside and checked behind them. “That’s certainly a convincing argument.” When he stepped out of the closet, he asked, “Now, why would you drag Keith into such a scheme?”

  She crossed her arms defiantly. “I don’t know. You tell me, o wise one.”

  “Because you got scared, that’s why.” He bent down and checked under the bed. Luckily, it was just a mattress on top of a platform.

  “Scared? Of what?”

  He straightened and went closer. So close he could feel the buzz of awareness he always got when he was close to her. He didn’t touch her. He just waited, a breath away. “Scared of the way I make you feel—of what it might mean.”

  “That is the most arrogant thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

  “Tell me I’m wrong.”

  “You’re wrong.”

  “Prove it.”

  “How?”

  “Kiss me. Not as Eden. Not with cameras and watchful eyes all around us. As yourself. Here. Alone with me. And then tell me you feel nothing.”

  “I can’t.” Her voice was so soft that he barely caught her words.

  “Why?”

  She pressed her hand over her mouth as her eyes began to shine with unshed tears. When she moved her hand, she whispered, “Because I already know I would.”

  Chris put his arms around her waist and pulled her against him with a gentle tug. “Then that’s all the more reason for you to kiss me.”

  And she did. She rose up on her toes and pulled him down, her soft fingers lingering at his neck and shoulders. Then her sweet, soft lips brushed against his—hesitantly. That was all it took to unravel him.

  He kissed her then, as thoroughly and deeply as he’d been longing to do ever since their first kiss. And this time, it was even better. This kiss wasn’t only a powerful reaction of chemistry and attraction. No, this was a meeting of two souls who longed to make the other home. The scent that was all her, sweet coconut and the warmer, brighter scent of her skin, enveloped him in peace he’d never known. He wanted to drown in her, soak in this feeling, this connection, with their walls down and their hearts exposed.

  But then she pushed away, sharply. “Okay, you made your point, Chris, but it doesn’t matter. We can’t be together.”

  He felt as if the earth were sliding beneath his feet. “Why not?”

  “Because your fans will never accept me in place of Kim, and I don’t want to be an obstacle in your career. And besides, you know these things never work out.”

  “These things? You mean real, genuine love? The rest is just commitment and hard work, something we’re both good at.”

  She stepped away and pressed her hands to her reddened cheeks. “I’m sorry, Chris, but as much as this hurts right now, it would kill me if we tried and it didn’t work.”

  Going up behind her, he put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m willing to take the chance. I’d take any chance to be with you.”

  “I’m scared, Chris. This feels too big, too impossible.”

  He ran his hands down her arms, trying to soothe her. “Hey, just relax. Things are crazy right now, and we’re both keyed up and stressed. This is one thing you don’t have to worry about tonight. If Warren hadn’t opened his big mouth, we wouldn’t even be talking about this. Just let it all go, and we’ll figure this out later.”

  She drew in a sharp, choked-sounding breath and nodded. He couldn’t see her face, but he knew she was crying. It killed him to leave her like this, but he knew she needed space to sort through everything. And they both had a hard day tomorrow to wrap up the studio work.

  “I’m going to go. Try to get some sleep, okay?”

  She sniffed. “Okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  It was a small thing to pin his hopes on, but the fact that she wasn’t running away from him was enough to make him smile. “Yes, you will.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  He loved her?

  The knowledge of it felt like a star had been planted deep in her chest. It was warm and powerful and bright. And as much as she’d done her best to put the brakes on, she knew it was only words. She absolutely believed every logical thing she’d said. A lot of his fans would hate it. She’d hate the scrutiny and the constant barrage of attention being with Chris would mean. And there were so many reasons most relationships with actors didn’t work out: their schedules, jealousy, pressures of always having to look perfect together in public, and trying to build a life together when nothing about your life is normal. They’d both be in other movies where they had to work closely with other actors when emotions were high. It was a recipe for disaster.

  But, oh, the way it felt to be held by him and kissed by him. To experience such tenderness and respect. To know that he respected her talent and ambition and strength, and was always ready to stand beside her when she needed him. She wanted what they could be together, even if it didn’t last forever and even if it came with opposition. Yes, it was tempting enough to tear her up inside.

  She slept restlessly, torn mercilessly between blissful dreams of what was right within her grasp and nightmares of where it might lead. When her alarm went off at four, it was a relief. Achy and groggy, she stumbled around her room and pulled on some clothes, blindly. It didn’t matter anyway since she’d be in makeup and wardrobe before anybody saw her. One of the few perks of such an early schedule was that the only people who would be around were those who had to be.

  Just hopefully, they’d fix the ravages of her stressful night before Chris saw her.

  Wow. It only took one thought, his name running through her mind, to make her feel buzzy and conflicted all over again.

  “Just make it through the day,” she told herself as she grabbed her bag and keys.

  She drove to the studio on quiet roads, glad for the peace and quiet. The grey dawn brought a measure of calm and clarity. Wasn’t any relationship a gamble? Just because the odds were stacked against them didn’t mean they were powerless. And she had to face it—having a relationship was never going to be easy for someone with her lifestyle. Did she want to be alone the rest of her life? If she was going to take the risk, why not take it with Chris?

  Her decision made, she passed the rest of the drive imagining what Chris’s reaction would be. How should she tell him? Just walk up and say “I love you too,” and then drag him into her trailer to convince him of it? She laughed out loud. Now she was just being crazy.

  Completely distracted by everything going through her head, it took her a minute after getting to the studio to remember she needed to head to wardrobe. She went up the steep steps and through the narrow door. After the last couple of weeks, she’d gotten to know all of the crew really well. Loreli, the costume designer, was one of her favorites. She was already hard at work arranging costumes on a rack between the two dressing rooms at either end of the trailer, but paused to return Veronica’s greeting.

  “Wow. Happy this morning?” she asked.

  Veronica considered her answer carefully. “Let’s say hopeful.”

  Loreli raised her brows and handed over Veronica’s clothing for the day—a fairly new and clean version of the same clothes she had to wear through the whole movie. “About what?”

  Veronica smiled a little at her secret and said, “Just that we’ll finally wrap up all the studio shots today and move on.”

  “Amen to that. I’ve already been busy packing up the trailers so they can be moved to our next location. I can’t wait to get out of this concrete jungle.”

  “We’re headed to the mountains. It’s going to be awesome.”

  “Oh, Alan brought your breakfast by because they want you on set as soon as possible. If you don’t mind, I’m going to run over to the canteen and get something for myself before things get too busy.”

  “Go for it. I can handle this and then get myself over to makeup.”

  When Loreli stepped out, she decided to eat first so she wouldn’t get anything on her clothes. Her breakfast consisted of black coffee and a poached egg with tomato slices fanned around it. What she really wanted was pancakes, but in a few weeks, she’d be able to eat whatever she wanted again.

  With the egg almost cold, she couldn’t bring herself to eat anything and just drank the coffee. Her stomach growled as she grabbed her clothes and went back to change. She sat down and took off her shoes, setting them in a locker. When she took her shirt off, however, she closed her eyes as she pulled the fabric over her head, and then she found that she had a hard time opening them again.

  Wow, she thought. I’d better get more coffee.

  She always wore a camisole as well as her bra, but wardrobe didn’t like the extra layer, so she began to take it off. But as she did, her head began to swim. Starting to get concerned, she groped for the chair and sat back down, then leaned forward, holding her heavy head up with both hands. Her stomach churned, and she was sure she was going to hurl any second.

  “Veronica?” a man asked from the other side of the curtain.

  “I’m here. I feel funny.” She said. “Who’s there?”

  The curtain opened but she couldn’t look up to see who it was. She forced her eyes open. A thin face with a halo of red around it. Alan?

  “Let’s get you to the doctor. You don’t look good.”

  She felt his hands on her arms, pulling her up, so she allowed him to help her stand. He led her forward through the trailer.

  “Go slow,” she warned. “I can’t see anything.”

  “Shhhh…it’s okay. I’ve got you.”

  The voice was so gentle. So soothing. It couldn’t be Alan. Who was this? Her brain felt like it was stuffed with feathers. “Who are you?” she asked.

  “A friend,” the man said.

  The trailer door opened, and then she was half-led, half-carried down the steep steps. Her bare feet landed on cold pavement.

  “We’re almost there,” he said. “Here are the steps. I’ve got the door open. Up you go.”

  “I can’t,” she said. Not only did her legs not want to work, but she had a strong feeling that something was wrong. She just couldn’t figure out what.

  Then, before she could react, the man threw her over his shoulder. The impact knocked the breath out of her. She panicked, desperate to make her lungs work again, and twisted as hard as she could. But hanging upside down, there was little she could do. Then she was falling. Her brain whirled. There was pain on her right side. Heat and red rose behind her eyelids, then everything went black.

  Chapter Twenty

  Chris was nervous about seeing Veronica after last night, but his anxiety to see that she was okay was even higher. He made a detour on his way to wardrobe and knocked on her trailer door. There was no answer though. She must already be getting ready for the day’s shoot. Quickening his step, he walked across the lot to the wardrobe trailer. As he went inside, he found Loreli, Sam, and Alan.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  Instead of answering, Sam handed him a piece of paper. He raised his eyebrows and tried to ignore the way his gut clenched. She nodded and looked at the note, her eyes troubled.

  He turned it right side up and read it aloud. “I know this is an unprofessional way to do this, but I’ve decided that it’s in the best interest of everyone if I leave. Best of luck, Veronica.”

  No. He shook his head, but words wouldn’t come out. He’d never seen her writing, but he knew this wasn’t from Veronica. At least not willingly. “Where was it found?”

  “It was here when I came back from the canteen,” Loreli said. “I left her here when I went to get breakfast, but when I came back, she was gone. Her costume was still here, and so was this.”

  “Have you looked for her?”

  “Not yet. Just here and her trailer. I just got back from there,” Alan said. He leaned against the wall and rubbed at his forehead. He looked as stressed as the rest of them.

  Knowing she’d been here before she disappeared at least gave Chris a place to start. He turned around and began looking for anything she’d left behind.

  “Chris, what are you doing?” Sam asked as he walked passed her toward the dressing room at the end.

  “I’m trying to figure out what happened to her. What are you doing just standing around?”

  “Chris, she quit. And who could blame her?”

  “Sam, I was the last one to see her yesterday, and I promise you she had no more intention of quitting than she had of walking naked down Times Square.” He looked around the dressing room and saw a T-shirt crumpled on the floor. He picked it up and held it to his nose. It smelled like her. “And why,” he asked, “if she was going to quit, would she bother coming to the studio at all?” He handed the shirt to Loreli. “And why take her shirt off?”

  “You’re sure that’s hers?” Alan asked, his eyes sharp and watchful.

  “Positive. It smells like her shampoo. I’d know it anywhere.”