Page 37 of Bryce

His fingers digginginto her arm, he spun her around. “Now what?” He askedsoftly, eyes burning into hers.

“Now - Nothing.Just leave me alone.”

“Not likely.Now what?”

“Let me go.”

His fingers onlytightened and without another word, he was dragging her along thehallway and into the library. Slamming the door shut behind them, hestood there, blocking it.

Folding his armsacross his very impressive chest, he stood there staring at her. “Ispent the night alternating between anger and despair and squelchingthe desire to go and find that son of a bitch and beat him to apulp.”

Her heart turned overinside her chest, but she refused to let his words affect her.

“And I spentthe night watching you heat up the sheets with another woman.”

He winced at herexpression. “It was the job.”

“Was it?”

“Yes.” Hebit out. “And yes, Sara and I were involved for a little bit,but it was nothing serious or at least, nothing that would have ledus further than what we shared. And we were not bloody naked. I havenever done a nude scene in my life.”

“I don’tcare.”

“Apparently youdo.”

“I need to goto bed.” Her chin lifted as his eyes flared. “Alone.”

“We need totalk.”

“We havenothing to talk about.”

“I am notmoving from this door until you hear me out.”

Huffing out a breath,she marched over to the desk and sat down at the desk. “I’mlistening.”

He relaxed enough tomove towards the desk and to her consternation, rested a hip on it,his foot blocking her.

“For years, Iwas restless. After university, I took a year to decide if acting waswhat I really wanted to do. I had studied theater and art as well asthe business behind the camera and was unsure what direction I shouldtake.” He gazed off across the room, noticing that the stormwhich had been brewing was making its presence felt.

“I traveled.Went to Europe for a while and relished the freedom of pretty muchdoing what I bloody well pleased. I had money, because when I turnedtwenty-one, I came into my inheritance from my grandfather on mymother’s side.

They could notcontrol me any longer. It went to my head at first and I partied,thumbed up my nose at the restrictions and slept with women I had noidea of their names.

Then three months in,I realized that I was wasting my life, and I really wanted to act.”Balling his hands into fists, he thumped them on his thighs, his facetight. “I wanted nothing to do with Blaine Whitlock and wasdetermined to find my own way.”

“I started fromthe bottom. I was hired on the set and was more or less a gofer. Iloved it. I was being treated like a normal person for the first timein my life and it had nothing to do with my parents. I worked my wayup. I modeled some and that gave me exposure.

I became seriousenough to study lines and threw myself into knowing everything aboutthe career I decided I wanted.” He paused again and just satthere staring out the window. The rain, fat drops of it lashed thepane. Streaks of lightening illuminated the outside and the rumble ofthunder shook the place with its fury.

“Then my breakcame after almost a year. It was a small part, but it was a shoe in,and I was determined to be so damned good, the next part would be alead. I practiced the few lines until I could say them in my sleep.

I turned a simplepart into something so big, I impressed the directors and had themapproaching me. I knew then I was on my way.” He turned to lookat her, eyes bright and unreadable.

Zahra felt her heartaching for the lonely boy who had to fight his way to get out of hisfather’s shadow. But she was not stupid enough to feel sorryfor him. Bryce Whitlock was wildly successful and a pioneer in hisfield. His acting was superb, and he had no doubt found his niche.

“I am happy foryou.”

He smiled at hernonchalant tone.

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