Page 36 of The Movie Star and the Spy

Cheyenne meant to scoot back, instead she edged closer. “This date wasn’t supposed to look like a date. You’re not holding up your end of the bargain.”

Instead of responding, he simply held her tighter. And if she pushed into him ever so slightly, he didn’t mention it.

They danced the night away, as the saying went, and in truth Cheyenne couldn’t remember having a more fantastic time. Oh she tried not to, but clearly, it was a futile attempt. At the beginning she tried to flirt with other men, but every time she attempted an escape, Julian refused to let her go. Sometimes he grasped her hand, other times he led her with a touch on her back and once he gave the look – the one that said he was seriously thinking about throwing her over his shoulder again. The only other people she noticed were Jess and Zachary, and she smiled when she saw them deep in conversation at a table for two.

Somewhere between the second and third hour she forgot to be Destiny Dane and not Cheyenne Kirk. Oh, she didn’t completely blow her cover – she managed not to tell him her shooting average at the gun range – but she definitely didn’t behave like the naïve starlet she was supposed to be. When her stomach growled in hunger, he took her to the buffet and filledtwo plates full of steaming vegetable lasagna, crisp garlic bread and fresh salad. They ate heartily, replacing the calories burned during dancing, and then burned some more. Finally, near the end, Julian plundered the dessert bar, bringing back a thick slice of chocolate fudge cake next to an even thicker piece of caramel cheesecake.

“I didn’t know which you’d prefer, so I thought we’d share them.”

Share? It sounded harmless enough, but something about it seemed… intimate. Yet how could she resist? “All right.”

He took a fork and dipped it into both the chocolate cake and the cheesecake to create the perfect bite. Her mouth watered at the scent of creamy chocolate ganache. She reached for the utensil, but he stopped her.

He brought the fork to her lips.

Now this wasdefinitelytoo intimate. Certainly, people would notice. She had to stop it, only she didn’t have time when he brought the fork closer and the cake grazed her lips. The rich flavor of chocolate burst into her mouth.

“Good?”

Cheyenne nodded, and before she could stop him, he brought another bite to her lips. When he went for a third, she stopped him. “That’s enough,” she said quietly.

“Are you sure?” he murmured. “Because it doesn’t seem like nearly enough.”

It wasn’t.They were no longer talking about the cake, but something far more dangerous. She needed to escape, before she ruined her mission with the whole world watching. “I have to–”

Her cell phone rang.

“Answer the phone.” She made no effort to hide her relief. It didn’t matter if it was a telemarketer hawking vacuum cleaners, she would take the call. “I’m sorry, this is important. I have to get it.” Before he could respond, she raced from the room, thephone buzzing in her hand. She finally looked at the caller ID, ducked into an empty nook and answered it quickly. “Captain?” she whispered. She looked around, ensuring her privacy. “I’m at the comic convention.”

“I know,” the gravelly voice of Police Captain Stuart Suzman replied. “And so does the entire world. Why the hell are you spending the evening with Julian Starcroft?”

Cheyenne let loose a string of curse words… in her mind. “It’s all part of the act. The entire cast and crew are here. I’ve been talking to the suspects on my short list.”

“You are aware that Julian Starcroft is not on that list,” the captain rumbled. “He’s not a suspect. Do you know how I knew about tonight? I just saw it on YouTube. Do you understand the importance of this mission, detective?”

Cheyenne breathed out. “Of course, I do. I’ve been trying to avoid Julian Starcroft as much as possible. First, they chose me to be his body double and then his personal assistant. I couldn’t get out of it without getting kicked off the set.” She explained the bachelor auction. She didnotexplain how she’d agreed to date him.

His voice was only marginally calmer after her explanation. “Get away from Starcroft and back to your mission. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Thank goodness, he wasn’t taking her off the case altogether. “I’ll stay away from Julian Starcroft. He’s not what I’m after.”

With a terse goodbye, the captain hung up the phone. He was right – she had to focus, and she couldn’t do that with an all-too-clever movie star hovering near. She replaced the device into her clutch, pivoted and… gasped. Because standing right in front of her, with his arms folded, was Julian Starcroft. A thousand questions burned in his gaze, yet only one seized her:

What had he heard?

CHAPTER 9

Julian stared at the self-proclaimed actress. Who was she playing now – the naïve starlet or the smart and sassy woman? The up-and coming actress or the woman who eschewed the world’s attention? Which one was the real Destiny Dane?

Most of all, why was he so determined to discover the truth?

If only he’d heard more of the conversation. He’d only caught the last few sentences, but it was enough to prove her subterfuge. Of course,shedidn’t know exactly how long he’d been there. He planned to use it to his advantage.

“Hey, Julian!” Unlike seconds ago, she now played the part of carefree actress, with a breezy smile and dramatic wave. He might’ve been fooled save for the tiny twitch at the corner of her eye. “It’s great to see you. But it’s not nice to listen to other people’s conversations.” She waggled her finger in mock censure. “You might misinterpret something.”

Oh, he hadn’t misinterpreted.“I didn’t mean to listen,” he replied smoothly. “I was just looking for you.”

“Right.” She bit her bottom lip, yet he remained silent. She flushed. “You were probably hoping to hear something juicy. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”

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