Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 63716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63716 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Again, there was something vibrating in his voice that gave his words a deeper layer. It reinforced my suspicion that while Julian did his best to come off affable, friendly, and easy going, underneath, he was the same as all the other men in this town. Power-hungry, even though he’d been gorging on it since birth. He wanted complete control of Miller and of me. He was a Fletcher James in sheep’s clothing.
Playing him would be a dangerous game. If he ever found out who I really was–but the apprehension that skated through me didn’t put me off. If anything, it added a strange thrill to the whole situation. I’d agreed to deceive Julian because I needed a job.
But who said I couldn’t have fun at the same time?
6
JULIAN
I couldn’t put my finger on it, but there was something about Willow Laurier that I didn’t trust.
“You’re just used to women who fall over themselves around you,” Dana said that night. We’d stopped by our favorite restaurant for dinner at the end of a long day. We were the only two customers left in the place, but they always stayed open late for us. “This one actually has her head on straight,” Dana continued. She’d met Willow briefly when Chad escorted her to HR. She liked her.
I dismissed Dana’s comment. Willow’s aloof, arch demeanor had nothing to do with it. If anything, I appreciated it. It meant that there was zero chance of her and Miller ending up in a messy situation that could potentially derail the documentary or create negative buzz around it. Even a whiff of a rumor would have to be squashed because Callum O’Conner made a big thing out of only working with ethical companies. How the hell he thought he’d found any in this business was beyond me.
“There’s something familiar about her,” Dana mused, tapping a finger on her lips. Her eyes were unfocused as she stared past me, out at the empty restaurant, trying to place it. “Have we worked with her before?”
“No, not directly, but she’s been on a few big sets. You probably saw her at a premiere.”
Dana wasn’t convinced. She had a better memory for faces than I did, and I wasn’t surprised that a face like Willow’s had stuck in her mind. Willow was her type–classically beautiful with her heart-shaped face and wide eyes, but unique. The mahogany hair, the eyes that shifted between frosty gray and icy green. She was hard to forget.
Not my type, but undeniably beautiful.
“Whether you trust her or not, I got the impression that there’s zero chance she’ll fuck around with Miller,” Dana said, her eyes focusing on mine again. As always, our mind followed the same track. “Or you,” she added.
I rolled my shoulders back. “Or you, sis.”
Dana raised an eyebrow, like it was a challenge. I shook my head. “Oh no. We’re too old for that shit, and she’s an employee.”
Dana wrinkled her nose. “You’ve gotten boring in your old age,” she observed drolly, finishing the last of her white wine. “Besides, I’m engaged.”
I chose not to comment. The ring may have been on Shelly’s finger–in private when there wasn’t much chance of a pap getting a shot of it–but no announcements had been made. When Dana made an announcement, I might believe this was really happening. And I’d be glad when it did, because it meant that the press would stop speculating about Shelly and me.
Our usual waiter came by with my steak and Dana’s sea bass. He knew us well enough to top off her white wine without bothering to ask. He also knew not to refill mine–I always stuck to water after the drink.
“Times have changed,” Dana said after he walked away, a mournful note to her voice. “Can’t even eyefuck someone now without them calling their lawyer.”
I snorted, cutting into my steak. Perfectly grilled to medium rare, as always. “You’re why the times have changed, Dana. Keep your eyes and hands off the new production assistant. I’m counting on her to keep Miller on track.”
Dana’s eyes, the same color as mine, rolled expressively in their sockets. Her hair was an expensive champagne blonde that was two shades lighter than what nature had given us. She looked like our mom, but her attitude was our father’s. There was a reason he’d had to step down as head of Lewis Productions ten years ago, making me the youngest studio head in town at the time. It was only because I had Dana as my second that I had been able to pull it off. I didn’t need her courting the same scandals that he had.
“I’m serious, Dana,” I said, a note of warning sliding into my voice. “You can’t–”
She waved away my caution. “Stop, unnecessary. I’m not her type. I don’t need a lawsuit to tell me that. Not to mention, I’m engaged.” She added an aggrieved weight to her last word.