Page 37 of The Movie Star and the Spy

“On the contrary, what I heard was quite illuminating.”

The grooves in her forehead deepened. The urge to vanquish her worries like a mythical knight pushed him forward. “Is everything all right? Can I help you?”

“No!” The reply was immediate, firm and just on the wrong side of suspicious. Her cringe proved she realized it. “I mean, no thank you. Everything is fine.I’mfine.”

She didn’t sound fine, and his uneasiness deepened. Was she in trouble? “Are you sure?” he pressed quietly, “because you seem upset. Who were you talking to?”

“A friend,” she said quickly. She lifted her chin, no longer pretending. “What did you hear?”

“Enough to know you aren’t what you seem.” He hesitated. Perhaps he could reveal a little to learn a lot. “I heard you promise to stay away from me.”

She paled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you. I just need to focus on work right now. I can’t be… distracted.”

“Am I a distraction?” He took another step closer.

Her pupils dilated, as she smoothed down her dress. “You know you are. It has to end.”

No.A single word, yet it usurped every part of him. “Is that what you want?”

She parted her lips, yet the silence stretched, as the desire in her eyes betrayed her true feelings. It was that craving that finally put him over the edge, propelled him to do what he’d been wanting to do ever since he saw her in that slinky blue gown. He brushed her lips.

She brought her hands between them, but instead of pushing him away, clutched at him, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. She tasted like chocolate and mint and smelled like exotic flowers in bloom. He smoothed her arms and then her back, pressing her more firmly into his enveloping hold.Where she belonged.

The din of conversation sounded from the hall, stealing the moment. When she jerked back, he allowed it, despite the desire churning like an approaching storm. For unknown reasons, she was desperate to both keep their attraction hidden and deny it altogether, even to him. He would allow the first, but not the second. He grasped her hand. “Come. I want to show you something.”

She looked down at her hand. The conversation grew louder, and a new voice joined the fray. “Julian, are you here? I saw you come this way.”

Destiny paled at Stacy’s lilting voice. If the clever entertainment reporter saw them, there’d be no way to hide the truth, not with her flushed cheeks, swollen lips and bright eyes. She grasped his arm. “She can’t catch us.”

He brought her further into the darkened corner. Hopefully, the reporter wouldn’t see them as she passed, even if he had the strangest urge to share his romantic interests with the world. It was a rare and heady feeling for a man who valued his ill-afforded privacy, yet, of course, he would never betray Destiny.

When the people passed by without noticing them, they crept out into the corridor. Destiny’s expression turned suspicious when he led her to the stairway, but she didn’t say anything until they had climbed five flights of stairs. “Where are you taking me?”

“A place where you can see all the stars you want,” he answered vaguely. She didn’t complain as they ascended flight after flight, although she did stop to take off her heels. She was as fit as he was, and he exercised hours a day. She hadn’t been kidding when she said she liked physical activities.

They reached the top of the stairwell. Destiny slowed as he opened the door that read “Roof Access,” but he gently guided her through. As the cool night air engulfed then, she halted… and stared. He wasn’t surprised.

The surroundings were magical, after all.

Most commercial building rooftops were nothing more than boring slabs of gray, broken by the occasional piece of machinery, and from down below that’s all this appeared. Yet here in the middle of the sky, an enchanted garden bloomed, a wonderland of nature in the city jungle. Flowers blossomed all around them, resplendent with Florida’s tropical flair: emerald bushes bursting with ruby red roses, bougainvilleas twined with purple, pink and orange leaves, hibiscus trees blooming in huge clay pots. Tiny waterfalls burbled over iridescent silver rocks, flowing into miniature rivers that wound through mulched paths, while flowering ivy climbed up filigree trellises, defining paths adorned by tiny twinkling lights. The scent of gardenia drifted on the nighttime breeze, cast from towering bushes with snow white flowers.

For a moment Destiny just stood still, taking it all in with a smile of wonder. Now this was therealDestiny. “It’s stunning,” she finally breathed, blinking up at him. “Who did this?”

Julian hid his satisfaction. “The owner of the building loves nature. He adds rooftop gardens to all his buildings.”

She turned her attention back to the garden, yet he couldn’t look away from her. In the shimmering dress, she looked like a fairy in a magical garden. Did she realize she was the most breathtaking thing here? “How did you discover this?”

“I’m the owner.”

She chuckled, then her smile froze. “You’re not kidding, are you?”

He shook his head, amidst the slightest discomfort. Most women loved to talk about the perks of his career, but not Destiny. “It’s just a building.” He cleared his throat. “Do you like it?”

She noticeably relaxed, gazing around once more. “It’s fantastic.” Her voice turned teasing. “But I don’t see any stars.”

“Look up.”

As she obliged, he stepped closer to his enchanting beauty. “You’ll get a neck ache like that. Come with me.” He took her hand, pleased when she didn’t pull away. He led her to a small clearing in the garden, to a fully reclined chaise. Then, because he simply didn’t have the strength or desire to stop himself, he reached out and gently caressed her cheek. It was as soft as the roses scenting the air.

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