Page 18 of Dangerous Kiss
Harris looked miffed. “I don’t see…”
“It would make more sense. After all, he threatened to take Stella, and then tried to do exactly that. Perhaps Stella didn’t get the note before because it was at the manor’s reception?” Cosimo’s voice was smooth, but Biba detected anger in his tone. She was grateful for the backup.
Harris cleared his throat, two spots of pink appearing high on his cheeks. “We’ll check it out. But what I said about the security stands. You need to beef it up.”
“Already in motion,” Cosimo shot a look at Rich who nodded.
“We have ten more security guards, and the manor house has offered to close down completely to outside people.”
“It’s a start.” Harris looked back at Biba and Stella. “Be vigilant, little ladies. Don’t go anywhere on your own.”
Biba’s eyes narrowed, and Stella looked angry. “Such good advice, Agent Harris. Our tax dollars well spent.”
The sarcasm went over his head, and he left shortly after. “You asked for miracles, Theo. I give you the F.B.I.,”Reggie drawled in his best Alan Rickman/Die Hard impression.
It broke the tension—even Cosimo grinned. “Hey, listen…I’m sorry, folks. I’ve dealt with a lot of weirdos in my time, but I promise, I’ll do everything I can to protect you.” He sighed, rubbing his eyes. He looked tired and drawn, and Biba wanted more than anything to hold him, kiss him, tell him everything would be fine.
For the rest of the day, however, he kept his distance. They had all agreed that working would be best for them all to decompress and distract themselves from the unpleasantness of Stella’s stalker. Stella, of course, was milking it for all it was worth, but when she was acting, Biba had to give it to her, it lent a certain vulnerability to her character which made her more likable.
However diva-like and bitchy Stella could be, the one thing Biba loved about her was her performances. There was a reason Stella Reckless was the biggest movie star in the world: sheer magnetism and radiance. She was luminescent in front of the camera. Stella loved acting even more than she loved herself, and it showed. When she wasn’t causing trouble for the sake of it, she could deliver searing, hypnotizing performances which were peerless. Today was a day like that, and Biba watched Franco, her costar in today’s scenes, rise to the challenge. Despite the vast age difference, they were magnetic together, the romance between them utterly believable.
During the afternoon, Damon’s replacement, Sifrido, arrived on set and had an immediate impact on the cast and crew. Friendly, flirty, easy-going, Sifrido and Franco bonded straight away, and Biba could tell they would have fun teasing Stella. For her part, Stella didn’t seem to mind—she loved the extra attention.
Sifrido also had an effect on Cosimo. Biba could tell they were old friends with their easy joking around and the way Cosimo’s tension level seemed to ease. She was glad…although he still wasn’t meeting her gaze.
Let it go. Give him time. But it still hurt. Biba distracted herself with work and talking to Rich and Gunter. Rich was quieter than usual and later, when she asked him if he was okay, he pulled her aside. “Beebs…I can’t leave this unsaid, but I saw you. You and Cos, down by the lake.”
Her face flaming, Biba groaned. “God, Rich, I’m so sorry. That was…it wasn’t planned, I swear. And, in the end, nothing happened. It was a moment of…madness. I’m sorry.”
“You don’t owe me an apology,” Rich said with a smile, “or anything else. I can relate. We’ve all had that moment. I just didn’t want to know that and have you not know. It’s okay, really.”
Biba looked at him. “I do like you, Rich, a lot. This thing with Cosimo…I couldn’t help myself, and maybe that tells me something.”
“I gotcha. Hell, listen, as long as we’re friends…”
“Always, Rich.Always.”
Rich grinned, nudging her shoulder. “And if you like him, you should go for it. Cos is a good guy.”
“I don’t think there will be a repeat of what happened between us, but thanks.”
Biba was back in Stella’s trailer even before Stella finished work for the day, and when her boss got back, she gave Biba a strange look. Biba looked up from her laptop. “Oh, sorry, was I meant to bring you something?”
“No, it’s fine. It’s just unlike you to hide away in here.”
“Not hiding away, just catching up on e-mails.”
“Even so.” Stella sat down opposite her, tapping out a cigarette from her pack. “Cosimo asked where you’d gone.”
Biba hid the thrill that went through her. “Oh?”
“Said he wanted to talk security with you.”
“Okay. I should go find him.” She got up, trying not to run right out of the trailer and go find him. She went through the mail and handed it to Stella. “No nasties, but nothing much of interest either.”
Stella threw the stack on the table. “I’ll get to it. So, you and Cosimo seem to be connecting.”
“Just as colleagues.” Biba hated lying but there it was. “I better go find him; he may want to talk about your security detail.”
