“Don’t they already?” Adam teased.
Chas and Damon smiled. The two wardrobe people pressed their lips together as if not to agree with the actor. Megan felt herself nodding and ducked behind the bar to grab some napkins before Eva saw her.
“Tell us what you need,” Chas said to the designer. “It’s yours.”
“You don’t have the budget for what I need,” Eva said.
Megan stood.
Adam waved his empty glass at her. “Refill, please.”
She grabbed the water pitcher with lemon slices floating on top. As she stood next to Adam refilling his glass, awareness hummed through her. All that bare skin and muscle was hard to ignore. She wanted to touch him and see if he was as strong as he looked.
No, she didn’t.
The guy needed to put on a shirt. And pants. Long ones.
She tightened her grip on the pitcher’s handle.
“There goes your weekend,” Adam said to her. “Mine, too.”
Megan stared at him, confused. His clear, warm green eyes weren’t helping matters. He had to be wearing contacts. She realized he was still talking to her. “What?”
“There will be a mad dash to get costumes for Lane. That means extra fittings and alterations,” he explained. “Some of my clothes will change, too, since they were designed to go with Krystal’s.”
“Oh.” Not the most intelligent response, but that was the only thing that came to mind as she looked at him. Darn the man with his hard, hot body, killer smile and amazing eyes. “I didn’t think I’d have a lot of free time until after filming ended.”
If she was still here then …
That burst of reality helped her regain her focus. She checked everyone’s glasses so Eva wouldn’t think she was slacking off. Or worse, swooning. No one else needed more to drink.
“You won’t have much time,” Adam said. “But the experience you gain during the shoot will be worth it.”
Megan didn’t know why he was talking to her. He must be bored because the others were busy. Unless he’d taken a fall out on the water and whacked his head on his surfboard. That was the only other logical explanation for the attention he was giving her. “Do you want me to get you anything else?”
Wicked laughter lit his eyes. “I can think of a few things …”
Megan inhaled sharply. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
“Be careful with what you offer around here, Texas.” Adam spoke with a low voice so others wouldn’t overhear.
The nickname bristled again. She was happy to have escaped Larkville, but she didn’t hate the town. Okay, maybe a part of her did. But she missed a few things—her nephew, Brady, the yummy chocolate milkshakes and greasy fries at Gracie May’s Diner, her dad’s horse Storm and, of course, Rob. Megan missed him the most.
“Someone will take you up on it,” Adam continued.
What was going on? He’d made fun of her on the walk to the house. Now he was cautioning her. That made zero sense. Then again, maybe things in Hollywood weren’t supposed to add up the way they did back home. “I’ll be more careful.”
And she would be. Especially around him.
Megan wasn’t a flirt or fan girl. She didn’t dream of being swept off her feet by the gorgeous movie star or some other good-looking guy for that matter. Her heart belonged to her best friend. Or would once Rob realized they belonged together. He hadn’t expressed any romantic interest in her and hadn’t appreciated when she’d expressed hers in him. But that was okay … for now.
Her dad always said good things came to those who waited. She’d learned patience at a young age. This would be no different.
Parlaying this temporary, unpaid position into a permanent, salaried one was her priority. Rob was in Austin trying to get his own career going. But true love knew no bounds. The distance would make him realize how much she meant to him. Once she gained experience, she would be more employable, could live in Austin and work on location. She had it all planned out.
“I was talking about refreshments,” she clarified.
“I know, but not everybody is me.”
He sounded genuine, as if he cared what happened to her. That was odd, but she had to admit nice. Maybe there was more to Adam Noble than a pretty face and great body. “I’ll remember that.”
A cell phone, lying on the table, rang. He picked it up, looked at the number on the display screen, then stood. “Excuse me.”
As he walked down the stairs to the beach to take his call, Megan carried the pitcher back to the bar. She didn’t look back at Adam, though she was tempted. He was the first person who seemed to care about her beyond what errand or task she could do for them. Unless he was being nice as a ploy to get her in the sack.
No. She didn’t think that was Adam’s angle. He wouldn’t waste his time on her. Not with so many beautiful women wanting to hop into his bed.
That was why his friendliness surprised and unnerved her.
Megan preferred honesty to flash. That was how she’d been raised back at the ranch. She wished her dad could have known he had two other children. She had no doubt he would do the right thing by them, whether they wanted it or not.
But Hollywood wasn’t like that. It was full of flashy people. Total strangers whose strange world she’d step into. And that begged a question. Of all the people she’d met since arriving in Los Angeles, why was Adam Noble the one being so nice to her?
Adam stood on the sand in front of Chas’s villa with his back to the water. He was far enough from the patio so no one would overhear his conversation with his agent, Sam Tomlinson, who once again showed impeccable timing with his phone call. “Lane Gregory is the new Calliope.”
“She must have sweet-talked her fiancé into getting her the role,” Sam said.
Lane’s fiancé was Hugh Wilstead, the wealthy and powerful studio head backing the film. This movie was supposed to be a game changer for Adam. Instead of his typical action-adventure film, this new film was a serious drama piece. Not quite an indie production, which would have increased his award chances, but close enough to get him recognized for his acting ability. “Damon thinks she’ll be good in the part.”
“Definitely. But I’m more concerned what’s going to happen when the cameras aren’t rolling.”
Lane’s acting talent would help Adam in his pursuit of an award nomination. But she was also a costar man-eater, who would aggressively try to sleep with him in spite of her fiancé. “I’m not going to be her next boy toy.”
“If Hugh finds out anything went on between the two of you outside of shooting …”
“I know.” Rhys Rogers, Lane’s costar in The Island’s Eye, saw his burgeoning career come to a screeching halt after a fling with the lovely actress. She hadn’t been engaged to Hugh then, only dating. “Rhys can’t get hired for a reality TV gig now.”
“Stay away from her,” Sam cautioned.
“Hard to do when she’ll be playing my wife.” Some actors had no trouble figuring out where a role ended and reality began during shooting, but Adam sometimes did, especially if he felt a spark or connection with a costar. “Unless the script has a major rewrite this weekend, there are love scenes.”
“Love