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  * * *

  Chris smiled. It was time to go. Kate looked as though she wanted to run into the ocean. And all he wanted to do was make love to her again. He was a man who prided himself on having exceptional self-control. Twice he’d been in her presence and did something impulsive and hormone driven. When he looked into her eyes, something was driving him before even he knew what was going on. Was it a good idea to be in such close proximity of a woman who set off an intense longing in him? Jack Pierce was an absolute asshole for letting someone like her get away.

  * * *

  Jack Pierce was so mad he couldn’t see straight. He was willing to believe the news coverage about Kate and Chris Cavanaugh at Coriander was a big mistake. But to see that bastard in an interview today saying it was true? How long had it been going on? And then the smug bastard says he hopes they can be civil on the set? Jack wanted to wring his neck.

  Jack’s phone began to vibrate. He checked the display; it was Brianna again. He couldn’t make her understand that the night they shared together was it. He had a vision of his bright future, and it did not include a B-movie actress as his wife. After all the time she’d been chasing him, that night after a few tequila shots seemed like the perfect time to sleep with her. Kate was sweet, caring, and beautiful, but he was accustomed to another kind of woman. Someone feisty who gave as good as she got, someone who could navigate the complexities of an all-consuming relationship. Brianna had that passion, but she wasn’t the president of a record label that was on fire right now. He knew within a few years Kate Garrison would be a force to be reckoned with, and he wanted to be there to crown his queen and take his place as her king.

  If only Brianna had kept her mouth shut, they could have seen each other from time to time. Instead she blabbed to the world about what she construed as a longtime relationship in the backdrop of his life. Now she wouldn’t stop calling him. He didn’t love Brianna, but then again he didn’t love Kate either.

  Jack was on a collision course that he no longer had control over. Kate wasn’t interested in reconciling, and now he knew why: Chris Cavanaugh. The idea of Chris putting his pretty-boy hands on something that was supposed to be his was pissing him off. He’d been on the phone all day trying to get him fired. He must have had a guardian angel somewhere because removing Chris from that film was proving to be difficult.

  Chapter Four

  Kate took the short trek across the sand the next morning for her music lesson.

  “Hey, kid, right on time.” Marvin Weismann waved from his deck. His trademark cigar was dangling dangerously out of his mouth.

  “I don’t want to upset the teacher.” Kate followed Merlot up the deck steps and into Marvin’s arms. She gave him a big hug and a kiss and took a seat at the patio table. “Why do you keep that cigar in your mouth even though you don’t smoke anymore?”

  “Habit, I suppose.”

  When she had moved in two years ago and met Marvin and his wife, Clara, she thought they were a nice elderly couple. Over time she would run into them on the beach, and she divulged she was in the music business. It was months before Kate realized her neighbor was the Marvin Weismann, owner of Blue Vinyl Records. Blue Vinyl was the premier record company in its heyday, and several legends were born there. She and Marvin found they enjoyed a genuine love of music, and the trappings of the music industry faded in the backdrop for them.

  Her music lessons were composed of the two of them writing songs together. Marvin, surprisingly, had a good ear for someone in his seventies. How awesome was it that she lucked out and moved next door to Marvin? When she finally pieced it all together, she had a feeling her cousin Billie had something to do with that. She couldn’t afford a lavish beach house like this two years ago; it had been a gift from her cousin.

  “So I hear you have a new man in your life.”

  “Yes.”

  “Good for you. I am glad you got rid of that pompous ass. He wasn’t right for you.” Marvin patted her hand.

  “I thought you’d be disappointed.”

  “You’re young kid. Now is the time to make mistakes. In your twenties.”

  “I’ll be bringing him by so you can inspect him.”

  “Clara will get a kick out of that. She drools every time she sees him on the television.”

  She glanced at the papers on the table. It was Marvin’s will.

  “Hmm…the last time I saw you reviewing your will, Henry had stopped by and it didn’t go well.”

  “Yes, my son stopped by, asking for money. I said no.”

  “Ah.”

  “I’m not going to let him snort up my legacy. I see all the things I’ve worked so hard for, and I fear Henry will destroy it all within a year’s time. I’m not sure he would take care of Clara.”

  “Of course he would take care of his mother.”

  “He was so high when she had her stroke, I had to get someone to go get him out of the gutter to visit his own mother.”

  “Maybe he will get his act together one day.”

  “Yeah, kid. One day.” Marvin smiled. “You know, until you moved in next door, I thought God was punishing me for something.”

  “How so?”

  “Henry was never interested in music as a kid. He wasn’t interested in anything other than being the kid of Marvin Weismann. That always got him into parties. Kids would befriend him because their parents wanted them to. I never had someone that could share my musical vision of the world. My record label didn’t become a success by luck. I knew music. I still do.”

  “I agree. I don’t know why you retired.”

  “I ignored Clara enough building my empire. I thought she deserved all of my attention in our golden years.”

  “I believe in fate. I believe we were meant to meet. You’ve taught me so much about music and about life since I moved in next door.”

  “That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me, kid. Ready for your lesson?”

  “Absolutely.”

  * * *

  Kate got back the beach house to find boxes littered around the living room. Chris put down a duffle bag when he saw her.

  “I know it looks like a mess. But I assure you it’s organized.” Chris swallowed hard when he saw Kate. She was dressed casually, wearing a plunging V-neck T-shirt that had seen better days.

  “Not a problem. Did you pick a bedroom yet?”

  “Yeah. The one across the hall from yours.” Chris grinned.

  “You don’t say,” she said sarcastically.

  “Yes. The bedroom across the hall from yours has the best lighting. I like to paint.” He softened his voice. “It helps me relax.”

  “Oh.” Kate felt a little deflated. Here her ego took over thinking the man was orchestrating late-night booty calls when he really wanted to paint.

  “That will be our little secret. Between floral arrangements and painting, my manly image will be in jeopardy.” He laughed.

  “It’s nice to know you’re in touch with your sensitive side. Women love that.”

  “I don’t go around talking about it. It’s good to keep some things to yourself. Being in the spotlight all the time can leave you feeling—”

  “Exposed?”

  “Naked.” He looked into her eyes.

  “Ah. I know the feeling.” She looked down and dragged a toe along the floor.

  “You’re welcome to sleepwalk into my room any time you like. I have to warn you, I sleep in the nude mostly.”

  “About last night. I’ve been thinking—”

  “I’ve been thinking about last night too. Actually it’s all I can think about. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about it right now.”

  “You and that one-track mind.”

  “I’m an able-bodied adult male with a very healthy sex drive. When I’m in a relationship I like to have sex every day.”

  “Doesn’t that take up a lot of your time?”

  “When you do it right, you don’t get complaints about t
he time.” He walked toward her.

  “Don’t even think about it.” She moved to the other side of the room.

  She was protesting, but her heart had been racing when she saw him in her house. How the hell was she going to live with this man with her libido kicked into high gear? Hell, yeah, she wanted to see that ass on a regular basis.

  Sabrina had been kind enough to find a gossip column online that did a feature on his legendary prowess. Why was she always the last one to know in Hollywood? She had to get control of the situation.

  “Unpack first. Sex talk later.” She forced herself to speak in a clipped tone.

  “OK.” Chris flashed that damn million-dollar smile. “Oh, I like to restore cars with a buddy of mine so sometimes I will come home a little greasy and grimy.”

  “Not a problem.”

  “So do you have any secrets you’d like to tell me about?”

  Kate paused. “This has to remain in this room because this could cost me my career.”

  “Of course.”

  “The president of Atlantis Records, the record label for the hottest hip hop, rhythm and blues, and pop artists is…” She took a deep breath. “A closet classical music fan. I like going to the symphony and operas.” She smiled.

  He laughed. “Who knew you were such a wild woman?”

  She moved over to the sofa and picked up one of his boxes. “I have been accused of being many things, but wild has never been one of them.”

  “Well since we’ve met you’ve slapped me twice. I think you have a little bit of a dominatrix lurking within you.”

  “That’s impulse. Something about you that makes me want to…slap you.”

  “Let me know if you want to explore any of those impulses any further.”

  She smiled and shook her head. “So have you heard the latest gossip about us?”

  “No. What’s new for today?” He ran his hand through his hair.

  “Apparently the media is pissed because they can’t merge our names together. We both have one syllable names that begin with a c and k, so there’s no way to make that any disgustingly cuter.”

  “Don’t you hate when you can’t get pigeonholed? It ruins my whole week.” He grunted.

  “I know, right?”

  “I called my mom and told her about us.”

  “Did you tell her the truth?”

  “No. My mother doesn’t like this whole Hollywood life. She’s afraid my soul won’t go to heaven. And she would tell me that even pretending to be in love is playing with fire. So I opted for we met at a party and sparks flew from there.”

  “Why were you going to try drugs the other night?”

  “I wasn’t doing drugs, remember? In the rush of all the excitement about getting the part, my common sense flew out of the window. A friend of mine asked me to hold it, and I, like an idiot, said yes.”

  “Do both of you know what you could have done to your career had you been caught?”

  “We talked. He got the message.”

  “Good. Don’t ever do something that stupid again.”

  “Lesson learned.” He sighed. “You seem kind of secluded out here.”

  “I am. I prefer not to be in the spotlight. Aside from this, I live a very simple life. I live on the beach and I share custody of a dog with a former music mogul and his wife. I like making music. I like helping other people realize their artistic potential. That is my life, and I want that to be the thing that people know about me. Not who I’m dating or divorcing.” She paused. “What did you expect? When you came to Hollywood?”

  “I had my sights set on the A list, and I wasn’t going to settle for anything less. The idea of getting paid to be someone else for a little while and not be declared mentally insane was a plus.” He laughed. “It all looked so exciting at home watching it on television. When you get here, you find out that this town is about timing, not talent. Some people hit the ground running, and others wait twenty years to find the fit that propels them as a great actor. I feel for those people. I’m not blind. I know ninety percent of the roles I’ve gotten are because of my looks, but I’ve been to great acting workshops and seen performances that would make you cry. And because they don’t fit the image, they get passed up. Those are the people who need a voice. If I could do it my way, I’d do indie movies and put actors in them who can really act.”

  * * *

  Chris had never confessed that to anyone. It didn’t seem silly to tell Kate he had greater ambitions than fame and glory. He never would have thought someone in the music industry would have such a grounded view on life.

  “You know, sometimes I go check out perspective acts. You’re welcome to join me if you want. Before I could blend in with the crowd. I wasn’t really recognized so easily. But I go to the beach, sometimes these horrible clubs and dives, and these amazing people are there singing their hearts out. Those are the people I like to scout. When you are born to do something, you need an outlet and you don’t care what the venue is.”

  “Cool. I’d love to hang out with you sometime. I play a little piano.”

  “Dude, you keep adding these sensitive, endearing things to your resume and you’re gonna be outed as a nice guy.”

  “I’d be just as happy if you were the only person who thought that.”

  “It sounds crazy, but I think this will work out until the media firestorm blows over.”

  “I think so too.” He nodded in agreement. Chris and Chris Jr. had had a long talk the previous night, and they both agreed that living with her was a good idea. “So I thought about how passionate you were about music and decided to add some Stevie Wonder to my MP3 player.”

  “Nice. Hear anything you like?”

  “I came across one song that reminded me of you. It had a nice mellow tone, and listening to the lyrics, it made me think of you.”

  “Which song was that?”

  “‘Rocket Love.’” Chris started humming the song as he picked up a box and headed toward his bedroom.

  “That’s one of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs. You have a good ear. Maybe there’s hope for my new roommate after all.” Kate smiled.

  * * *

  Kate waited until Chris retired for the evening to call Jack. This would be the first time she’d reached out to him since the separation started. She needed to know just how much of a problem he was going to be for Chris on the set. They were scheduled to start shooting next week, and she wanted to be reassured that Chris would be fine. If only she had some leverage. The truth still remained she was the one who’d been cheated on, but thanks to fate, she now seemed like she was the culprit as well.

  She closed the glass door to the patio while dialing his number. He hadn’t called since the news broke, so she didn’t know whether or not that would be good or bad.

  Jack finally answered. “Hello.”

  “Hello, Mr. Pierce.”

  “Hello, Mrs. Pierce.”

  “I didn’t legally change my name so it’s still Garrison.” Her voice was firm.

  “What the hell is going on?”

  “What’s going on is that the two of us need to end this charade. I need you to sign those damn divorce papers so we can both go on with our lives.”

  “Don’t tell me you want to divorce me to marry Chris Cavanaugh?”

  “I want a divorce because you cheated on me on a movie set and everyone in the free world knows about it.”

  “So because my dirt was exposed first, you still get to play the victim?”

  “I am nobody’s victim. Certainly not yours. But you are going to make trouble for Chris and he has nothing to do with this.”

  “He’s sleeping with my wife so I think he has everything to do with this.”

  “OK, then why don’t you conference Brianna in on this discussion? I bet she’s somewhere waiting for your call.”

  “I’m dunking Chris Cavanaugh’s career into the nearest trash can.”

  Kate sighed. “As brilliant as you are, I don’t believe y
ou can singlehandedly get him fired.”

  “You don’t want to play chicken with me. And I don’t appreciate you calling so you can save some pretty boy’s ass for a role.”

  “I watched how meticulously you put that movie together. Chris was and still is an integral part of that formula. I listened to your aspirations like a good wife does and I know you want this achievement. And aside from you being a dick of a husband, you deserve it. Chris is your incarnation of Danny come to life. Don’t fuck yourself because that is what you will be doing if you try to get him forced out.”

  “So you want me to give the man living in my house with my wife—”

  “My house. And you stopped being my husband when you pulled down your zipper and Brianna fell on your penis. That meticulous thing you have going on, same applies with random B-movie actresses too. You knew what you were doing.”

  “I swear to you—”

  “You don’t have to swear to anything. I know it seems like I don’t give a shit, but I am old enough to know what I can and cannot forgive. You have made me a laughingstock for the past month and now, because you think you have leverage, this cycle is going to start all over again.”

  “If you want to save Chris’s ass, I want to have dinner with you one last time. We can talk. Final offer. Otherwise I will bury Chris Cavanaugh.”

  She wanted so badly to tell him to go fuck himself, but she believed he would follow through with his threats against Chris.

  “Friday night. Seven o’clock.”

  “I’ll be there. Make sure Chris isn’t.”

  Chapter Five

  Chris was taking the curves so fast on his motorcycle he almost clipped two guardrails. When Kate told him about her dinner plans with Jack and his specific request that he not be at the house, his blood started a slow boil. She explained that this dinner was his way of getting closure so they could all move on with their lives. Something didn’t feel right. He pressed her some more, and she confessed that the only surefire way to make sure Jack didn’t sabotage his career was to have this dinner with him. He felt responsible for that. What exactly did Jack want in return for him releasing an imaginary stranglehold on his career? Images of Jack making Kate do things with him kept flashing in his mind.