Page 86 of The Movie Star and the Spy

“Come over tonight.” Julian’s quiet words made it no less of a demand. “You owe me that.”

He was right – she did. “All right,” she agreed as six uniformed agents burst into the room. They raced to her, surrounded the criminal, nodded at Julian. And just like that, the undercover mission was over.

And so was her time with Julian.

“Cheyenne Kirk,”Julian repeated the name for the hundredth, no the thousandth, time. It was a nice name, and far more fitting to the real woman than the theatrical Destiny Dane. Just like the position of undercover police agent.

He’d known she wasn’t what she seemed for a long time, yet he never imagined this. He figured she had a past transgression, something embarrassing that wouldn’t look good for an aspiring actress. Perhaps she had a rough childhood or made some bad decisions. He never considered she was on some sort of secret mission, risking her life to save others.

Thanks to his presence at the mansion, he now had a fairly good idea of what that mission was. Apparently, Cheyenne had infiltrated not just his set, but a prostitution ring, setting herself out as bait. Only the criminals had bypassed her andtargeted Jess instead. Cheyenne had found out, tracked Jess and switched places with her. Things hadn’t gone quite according to plan, and she almost found herself in a position even she couldn’t handle. If he hadn’t been there…

No.He’d tortured himself with “what if’s” long enough. He had been there, had thought to follow her, and that’s all that mattered. And now, he had another focus: Convincing Cheyenne to take a chance on what could be.

He’d never experienced love like this, the desire to be with a woman now and forever. He’d known long before the recent events, and seeing her in danger only made it clearer. He loved her. He was in love with her. And unless she’d suddenly become a much better actress, she was in love with him. Even if she denied it, he could see it in her eyes, feel it when he touched her. He would get past whatever was holding her back.

Only he might need to be slightly devious.

The doorbell rang, and Julian relaxed tight muscles. She’d promised to come, but he hadn’t been certain she would until this very moment. He strode to the door and opened it to the most beautiful sight in the world. Even in a plain navy t-shirt and blue jeans, she was stunning. “Come in.”

She hesitated, peered behind him.

“Don’t worry.” He grasped her hand and led her in. “I know how important your privacy is. We’re alone.”

She nodded and relaxed. Then she turned to him and became visibly less relaxed.Good.No matter what she claimed, he affected her deeply.

“Thank you.” Her voice emerged low, husky and oh so sexy. She cleared her throat and spoke in a more authoritative tone, “Normally, I wouldn’t discuss a case, but you’re going to see it all over the news tomorrow. Unfortunately, it’s going to include your name.”

Julian had figured as much. It was a high-profile case, and scores of people had seen him at the crime scene. “Will it include yours?”

“No. They conceal our identities so as not to compromise our work,” she explained. “The good news is we got him. The mastermind is behind bars.” Her smile was brilliant and genuine, and almost blinding.

He returned it. “That’s great.”

“Yeah, it is. Those guys were dangerous, and the women they targeted were never the same. We hoped to track the ringleader through Kate, but she didn’t know his identity. Turns out the thug who attacked me did, however, and once he realized how advantageous talking would be, he led us right to him.” She clasped her hands. “Luckily, I got to Jess before she did anything she’d regret. So did Zachary by the way.”

“I know that part.” Julian grinned. “Zachary stormed the police department and informed Jess he was never letting her go. They weren’t dating for long, but he knew what he wanted. He asked her to marry him on the spot.”

“How wonderful.” Her features softened. “I’m so happy for them.”

“When it’s right, it doesn’t take long to figure it out.” He caught her gaze. “What about us?”

A moment’s hesitation revealed a lifetime of messages. She looked away. “There isn’t an us. There can’t be.”

“How can you say that after everything that’s happened?” He grasped her hands, forcing her attention back to him. He wouldn’t let her run. “How do you feel about us? About me?” She blushed and didn’t respond. It was all the answer he needed. “If it isn’t a lack of feelings, what is it? You claim my fame makes it impossible, but Zachary is as famous as me, and he and Jess are together.”

“Zachary and Jess are alike in many ways,” she countered. “Both are actors, both work in the same circles. He’s obviously ready to commit.”

What had happened to make her so wary of him? “You don’t think I’m ready to commit?”

She backed away from him. Her expression betrayed panic, as if she had said too much. “We’re from two different worlds. I’d have to give up my undercover work to be with you.”

That stopped him for a moment. He hadn’t considered it, but she was right. If she became his girlfriend – or more – everyone would recognize her. It would be impossible to work undercover with photos plastered all over social media. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “If I could give up my work instead, I would. Unfortunately, fame isn’t reversible.”

“But you would?” She looked astonished. “You’d give it all up for me?”

He didn’t even need a second to consider. “Absolutely.”

“But why?” she cried.

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