Page 59 of Nothing to No One

“I want to look again,” she said, taking Mieux’s arm to tug her away from the silently begging Renata. “Let’s look at that list and see if there’s anything we can organize today to get,you know, to get, to get the wheels in motion.” Her smile didn’t move, even when they were out of earshot. “Let’s just walk away, please.”

Mieux laughed. “Oh, we’re avoiding something.”

“A curse,” Bambi said. “I’m pretty sure as soon as I got to LA some ancient Hollywood starlet I insulted in a past life put a curse on me.”

“Everyone in LA feels that way. There’s no in between, you’re on top or yesterday’s news.”

“Let’s find a corner to talk about yesterday’s news, because I want to stay out of tomorrow’s.”

TWENTY-ONE

STUNT REHEARSALS MESMERIZED her every time. Try as she might not to sink into the view of—okay, so, yeah, the stunt part was interesting, but she was really just drooling.

The sun had set. All were still there for some two minute night shot. Still no pro, even she knew “two minutes” didn’t mean two minutes. They’d probably be there when the sun rose again.

Updating the schedule according to the handwritten notes she’d been given, this wasn’t an assignment she could fuck up.

“Come here.” Someone caught her hand, yanking her from the chair and around the corner of the nearby building into a narrow alley to plant her back on the wall. “You’ve been driving me crazy all day.”

Her laugh disappeared into his kiss, but he quickly withdrew.

“Beau…” she whispered, sinking into the sensation of his lips on her throat, running her palms back and forth across the width of his shoulders. “Baby, where’s your trailer?”

Both of them knew the answer. And what she was really asking. Though the kissing stopped, the light in his eye didn’t dim.

“I’m fucking addicted to this,” he murmured, cupping her head to kiss her again. “To you, Fawn.” Even though it went against every ounce of good sense his uncle tried to hammer into him. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. You’re right here and I can’t…”

He wasn’t alone in his frustration.

“Trailer,” she murmured, her fingers curving around the sides of his neck. “Right now. And you can.”

Risky? Yes. Better than doing what they wanted to do right there in the alleyway.

The smile that touched him joined his fingers threading between hers. “This way.”

They didn’t get two strides before a shout stopped them. Not directed at them specifically, but elsewhere, close by—there was another exclamation. Struan stopped, turning to glance over her head, concern written all over him.

“Go,” she said, tugging his arm once before letting go.

He snagged the back of her head and scooped her forward to kiss her quick, then rushed back the way they’d come.

Hmm. Leaning against the wall, she folded her hands at her back. The man never got a second to himself.

“Bambi?” Mieux’s voice drew her attention to the mouth of the alleyway. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she said on an exhale. “What’s going on?”

“I don’t—I probably shouldn’t—Magnus said I should take you home.”

“Why?” she asked, intrigued by Mieux’s reluctance. “What did he do?” Because it could only be Roman. “Disappear? Runaway? Get caught in some compromising position with—”

“No! Oh, no, that’s not… He’s just not happy.”

What a surprise. “Then let’s go back to the house.”

Home it was not, but she’d rather be there than exist under the potential someone may assume she’d have sway with the man tormenting the crew.

Mieux joined her on the journey back, but didn’t stay long. She didn’t mind. Mieux was entitled to her own life.

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