Dreaming Of Your Love (Hollywood Legends #3) (23 page)

The
look in Sable’s eyes turned from friendly to cagey, putting Colt on red alert.
He knew he would regret it, but he couldn’t resist the offer.

“Sure.
What can I do?”

“Nothing
strenuous. All you have to do is stand around and look pretty.”

AS IT TURNED out, Colt didn’t do a lot of standing. When he
wasn’t on his back, he was trying to avoid landing on it. Nothing was injured.
Except his pride. But the laughter that followed his every defeat wasn’t
malicious. At first, the chuckles were muted. A bit reluctant. But soon it
filled the room. Loud and unrestrained. Colt didn’t mind a slightly bruised ego
if it meant he was helping to bring these women out of their shells.

“Remember.
Your first and best defense is to find a way not to engage your would-be
attacker. Run. Scream. Draw as much attention as possible.”

“I
heard yelling fire is more effective than calling for help.” The comment came
from the back. Colt tried to see who it was, but she was hidden by several
other women.

“Unfortunately,
that’s true.” Sable kept her gaze steady and her voice even. She was there to
help empower these women. That meant giving them the truth. No matter how
brutal.

“It’s
easier to look the other way. Some people are afraid to get involved. Others
figure, if it isn’t me, I couldn’t care less. But.” Sable looked around. “And
this a big one. Most people
do
care. They want to help.”

It
was a hard sell to women who had been brutalized by so-called loved ones.
Boyfriends. Husbands. Fathers. Men whose first instincts should have been to
protect—not hit.

“
They
are the weak ones.
You
are strong. You got out. You survived.
Gradually. A little bit at a time,
you
are thriving. I’m here to help
you take one more step in that direction.”

Colt
noticed a few of the women nodding. There were a few tears. And a few curses.
But they all held their heads up with pride. Sable couldn’t have put it better.
Survivors. Each and every one of them.

“Hands
up. Who wants to knock the
Sexiest Man Alive
on his ass?”

More
laughter. Sable grinned at him. Colt silenced a groan. She knew she had him. He
couldn’t refuse.

As
the women lined up for the pleasure of manhandling Colton Landis, he started a
list in his head. One hundred and one ways to get even with Sable Ford. It was
such a satisfying mental exercise, he couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s
so funny?” Sable asked so only he could hear.

Colt
held her gaze. “I’ll tell you later. With pleasure.”

HOURS LATER, THE last thing Sable was thinking about was Colt’s
thinly veiled promise.

After
she had finished the class, most of the women lingered to ask follow-up questions.
Some stayed to rubberneck.

It
wasn’t every day they met so many famous people. The chances of it happening
again were zero to none. Sable couldn’t blame them for taking advantage.
Especially when Colt and the rest of the Landis clan were so friendly and
gracious.

“When
is the next class?” The question came from a pretty woman with shoulder-length
auburn hair. She spoke in a soft, hesitant voice as though she wasn’t used to
speaking for herself.

It
wasn’t the first time one of the women had asked. Sable realized that she
should have made an announcement that this was a one-time thing before she dismissed
everyone, but she thought they already knew.

“I’m
sorry. What’s your name?”

“Marta.”
She looked around furtively.

Sable
smiled, wanting to assure Marta that no one was going to fault her for asking a
simple question. She admired the woman for making the obvious effort to step up
and make herself heard. For most people, it wouldn’t seem like a big deal. But something
told Sable it was a big step for Marta.

“I
wish I could continue the classes, Marta. But I have a job that takes up most
of my time.”

“Oh.”
She seemed to melt into herself. Part embarrassed. Part afraid. “Sorry. I didn’t
mean to… I mean…”

“Marta?”
Colt gave her a gentle smile. “Would you like a glass of my mother’s
world-famous lemonade? I usually keep it all to myself but I would be happy to
share a glass with you.”

“I
don’t know.” Marta looked around, then down at the ground.

“Please,”
Colt urged. He spoke as he would to a frightened kitten. “You would be doing me
a big favor. If you’re with me, I won’t gorge on cookies.” He patted his flat
stomach. “The camera picks up every extra pound.”

“Okay.”

Colt
held out his arm. The gesture surprised Marta so much, Sable thought she was
going to faint. Instead, she smiled shyly, tentatively letting him escort her
to a table laid out with refreshments.

“If
I didn’t adore him already, I would now,” Jade said, joining Sable. They
watched as Colt kept up a casual conversation with Marta. “She’s a new member
of the group. It took a lot to persuade her to come today. Talking to you took
every ounce of courage she possessed. Now look at her. Colt has her blushing
and answering his questions. The man is a sweetheart.”

Sable
agreed. Colt was irresistible.

“I
don’t know how this works.” Sable frowned. She didn’t want to step on any
sensitive toes. “May I ask what happened to Marta or is it confidential?”

Jade
shook her head. “We share our stories—when we’re ready. Talking about it helps.
The point is to get abuse out of the shadows. Even now, there’s a stigma
attached. If someone punches you, you must have done something to deserve it.
If you’re raped, you led them on. You asked for it so you deserve what you got.”

“I
wish I could say that surprises me.”

“You
understand better than most, don’t you?”

Sable
frowned, her eyes puzzled. “I empathize. But no one has ever abused me, Jade.

“What
about your commanding officer?”

“What
about him?”

Sable’s
stomach clenched. What did Jade know? Had Colt said something? She refused to
believe he would betray her trust, but there was no other explanation.

“You
don’t remember, do you?” Jade’s green eyes filled with concern. “I’m sorry. You
mentioned it in passing. You were packing your things and the car was waiting
to take you to the airport. I wouldn’t have brought it up if I’d realized.”

Suddenly,
the memory of that day came back to her. Jade had asked why she left the Army
and Sable made an almost joking reference to her C.O. asking her to get on her
knees. It had been stupid to make light of it, but sometimes it was either
laugh or cry. Sable preferred laughter.

“I’m
the one who’s sorry, Jade. It’s something I try not to think about. I forgot
that I’d said anything to you.”

“I
know you walked away,” Jade said. “It was still abuse. It does help to talk
about it, Sable. The women in my group are there if you need us.”

“Thank
you for the offer.” Her gaze wandered to Colt. “But I have someone who’s a very
good listener.”

“I
see.” Nodding, Jade smiled when she saw where Sable was looking. “There’s
something about a Landis boy. They make opening up easy.”

“Why
is that?” It was something that had puzzled Sable for some time. She wasn’t the
type to confide her problems. Yet she told Colt everything. About her strange
relationship with her mother. How painful it was to be cut off from her father.
And the ugly business that made her resign from the Army. He knew it all.

“Colt
didn’t pry. He let me tell him in my own time—in my own way.”

“It
felt good, didn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“And
you knew your secrets were safe with him. That he would never spread them
around or use them as a weapon against you.”

“Is
that how it was with Garrett?”

Jade’s
eyes turned a misty green. “It wasn’t easy. But trusting Garrett, and myself,
healed me.”

On
the other side of the room, Garrett was talking to his father. As if sensing
her gaze, he looked up. Jade smiled when their eyes met—Garrett grinned.
Without words, their feelings were clear. Trust. Deep, unwavering love.

Sable
couldn’t help but feel an ache of envy. Love and trust. It was easy to live
without either when she didn’t know what they looked like. But now? Sable
wondered what her life would be like when she was back in Harper Falls. Away
from the Landis family. Away from Colt.

“Sable.”
Callie waved her over to where she and four other women were gathered. “We were
saying how much we enjoyed your class.”

The
others nodded. Sable wasn’t surprised that they no longer seemed in awe. Callie
had a way of drawing people in. It was easy to forget they were in the presence
of true Hollywood royalty. She was down to Earth, lacking the slightest trace
of artifice. In minutes, she had them feeling like they were old friends.

“We
plan on practicing those moves you demonstrated at our next meeting.”

“That’s
smart,” Sable nodded. “Practicing them is important. Eventually, you’ll get to
the point where you can do it without thinking.”

“I
don’t know about that.” A plump woman in her forties held out her hand, giving
Sable’s a strong, firm shake “Annie Moore. It’s been twenty years since I
divorced my scumbag husband. The fear has lessened, but it’s still there.
Regaining our confidence takes a lot of work. This, what you did today, helps a
lot.”

“You
seem a bit overwhelmed,” Callie said later when the women had left.

“I’m
not used to hearing thank you. Not for this. In the Army, or with H&W, I
taught classes. But it was part of the job. This was different. It felt more
important. Like I made a difference.” Sable groaned, followed by a small,
self-deprecating laugh. “Wow. Did that sound as pompous as I think it did?”

“Not
at all.” Then Callie laughed when Sable raised an eyebrow. “Fine. Stating a
fact can often come off as a bit pompous. But I knew what you meant.” Callie’s
gray eyes grew thoughtful. “Do you find working as a bodyguard unfulfilling?”

“Maybe.”

That
was the last thing Sable meant to say. It came off as disloyal. Alex Fleming
had given her a job—a home—when she had none. The money was excellent and her
services were in high demand. All that said, today had opened her eyes to the
possibility that she was wasting years of training. Her skills were rarely
needed. Most of the time, she was nothing more than a babysitter to the rich
and famous.

“Colton
doesn’t need a bodyguard.”

Sable
shook her head. It was as if Callie read her mind. Now she knew where Colt acquired
that talent.

“No.”

Sable
didn’t add that she felt like a fraud taking a salary under false pretenses.
She wasn’t guarding Colt. She was sleeping with him. And getting paid to do it.
Sable refused to think of herself as a hooker. She knew better. But if the details
got out, others wouldn’t hesitate. And hooker would be kind compared to the
names they would call her.

“Never
be afraid to reevaluate your life, Sable.” Callie rubbed her arm. “The path we
take in life isn’t a straight line. It veers off in many directions. When I was
young and filled with ambition, I put on blinders. Nothing was going to get in my
way. Straight to the top.”

“And
here you are.”

“True.”
Callie handed Sable a glass of lemonade and a napkin. “But
here
isn’t
where I imagined it would be. Not then. Sandwich or cookie?”

Always
the nurturer, Sable thought. “Chicken salad, please.”

“If
it weren’t for a stubborn man who didn’t know the meaning of the word no, I
doubt I would have married. Can you picture me without Caleb? Without my boys?”

Sable
shook her head. It was inconceivable.

“I
was twenty-two years old and determined not to fall in love. Marriage and
children were for ordinary people. How mundane—boring.” Callie grinned. “Talk about
pompous. If I hadn’t taken a chance and stepped off the path that I was focused
on, I wouldn’t be here. And
that
would be
my
tragedy.”

Sable’s
breath caught in her throat. Callie’s eyes. One second they were a crystal
clear gray. Then in a heartbeat, they changed to a bright, iridescent purple.
It was literally the color of love.

“Caleb.”

Callie
held out her hand. The big man linked his fingers with his wife’s. With a sigh
of contentment, she went into her husband’s waiting arms.

“Choices,
Sable. Sometimes you have to open your eyes and take a leap. If you’re lucky,
the right person will be there to catch you.”

Caleb
gave Callie a lingering kiss.

“Always,
my love. Always.”

ONE WEEK. MAXIMUM.

That
was all the time Sable had left with Colt. Though it was probably an optimistic
estimate. Lately, it seemed nothing could go wrong on the set. Candice had
become a perfectly behaved professional. She showed up on time. Delivered her
lines with flawless precision.

The
weather was a dream. Temperate, with clear blue skies and mild breezes. The movie
equipment ran with well-oiled precision. No one suffered from an unexpected
illness. Not even a bout of hay fever.

In
other words, the movie was ahead of schedule. Smooth sailing all the way.

The
production would wrap and the happiest time of Sable’s life would come to an
end. It wasn’t right and she felt a little guilty. She found herself hoping for
a minor, bloodless, catastrophe that would delay the inevitable. But nothing
would slow it down.

Sable
would miss Los Angeles. She hated to leave Jade and Paige. She ran her fingers
over the silk of her blouse. Every day, she reminded herself that the beautiful
clothing wasn’t hers. Callie and Caleb. Nate. Garrett. Wyatt. They had become
dear to her. Like, family. But thanks to technology, it wasn’t hard to keep in
touch. She would miss the Landis clan. The city. The clothes. But she wouldn’t
be leaving her heart with them. It belonged to Colt.

“It
was a good day.” Colt collapsed onto the sofa. He leaned his head back, closed
his eyes, and took a deep breath. “Want to hear a confession?”

Sable
had told herself from the beginning to enjoy what she had and live for today.
That axiom had never been truer than right now. Falling into a funk. Worrying
about tomorrow. What good would that do? It would ruin the precious time she
had left.

Sable
shook off her thoughts of doom and gloom. If she had a week, or an hour. She
planned on savoring every second.

“Now
I’m your priest?” she teased. Sable kicked off her shoes then curled up next to
Colt.

“Only
if there were female priests. And they weren’t celibate.” Keeping his eyes
closed, Colt pulled her close. “Nope. Don’t go there. It conjures up all kinds
of strange and disturbing thoughts.”

“All
of your thoughts are inappropriate.”

Sable
nuzzled his neck. The heat of his skin. His scent. The little prickle of beard
that made her shudder with pleasure when he rubbed his cheek against her
breasts. She wanted to remember everything. Not that there was a chance that
she would forget.

“You
bring out the worst in me.” Colt thought for a second. “Or is it the best?”

“It’s
something all right.” Sable laughed. She was happy around Colt. Her spirit felt
light. Lighter than she could ever remember. “Now, about that confession.”

“I
didn’t think we were going to get this movie made.”

Surprised,
Sable looked him in the eye. “I know Candice was a pain in the ass but was it
really that bad?”

“Okay.”
Colt took a deep breath. “Here’s the real confession. I hate touching her. I’ve
been doing this for almost ten years and this is the first time I can honestly
say, my leading lady… repulses me.”

“Why
haven’t you said something before now?”

“What
was there to say?” Taking her hand, he kissed the back then kept it in his. “I
made my bed—so to speak. There was no way to change actresses mid-movie.”

“You
threatened it.”

“It
was a bluff. And I’m damn lucky she didn’t call me on it.”

“What
would have happened?”

Colt
made a chopping motion toward his balls.

“Ouch.”

“That
might be a bit of an exaggeration.” With his lips, Colt smoothed the frown from
her brow. “I had no real leverage. Other than scrap the movie—”

“Which
you also threatened to do.”

“God.
I can hear Wyatt if I had made that suggestion.
Cut the movie star crap,
Colton. This is about money, not your ego.”

“Ego,
my ass!” Sable straightened, her eyes flashing. “You coddled that bitch. Wyatt
needs to get out from behind his desk and see what you have to deal with on a
daily basis.”

“Calm
down. That was my interpretation of what he might say. It didn’t happen.”

“Hmm.”
Sable let herself relax. “He’s your brother. He’s supposed to have your back.”

“Trust
me. He always does. Unfortunately, if it came down to it, he would be right.”

“But—”

“Landis
Productions isn’t a vanity project, Sable. When one of us makes a commitment to
a project, we see it through. No matter what. Wyatt won’t make an exception for
me. Not over a temperamental actress.”

“Temperamental
is a kind way of putting it.”

“Candice
has talent.” Colt laughed when he heard Sable’s snort. “Be fair. You’ve seen
the dailies.”

Sable
had to admit Colt was right. The camera loved Candice. She projected a
wholesome, perky image. She glowed on screen. Sable didn’t know how she pulled
it off, but sitting in a darkened room, Candice’s image projected onto a
screen, the actress had… What was the word?

“Spunk.”
That was it.

“I
suppose that describes her screen persona as well as anything

“I
hate spunk,” Sable muttered.

Colt
looked at her for a moment, seemingly puzzled. Then, his blue eyes lit up and
he grinned, delighted.

“
The
Mary Tyler Moore Show
. I can’t believe I almost missed the reference.”

“Mom
has the entire series on DVD. VHS when I was a kid. We watched those episodes
over and over again.” Sable smiled, her eyes a little sad but still a warm brown.
“It’s a good memory.”

“I
like making good memories. With you.” Colt curled his legs around hers, making
it so his knee ended conveniently pressed against a very intimate spot.

“Want
to make some more?” Sable purred the words. The way Colt petted her, she felt
like a soon to be contented cat.

“Let’s
take this to the bedroom.”

“What’s
wrong with here?”

When
Sable moved her head to the side, giving him access to the long, sweet side of
her neck, Colt obliged her silent request. He left a trail of soft kisses all
the way to the curve of her ear.

“There’s
more room,” he whispered. “I’m going to start here.”

Sable
let out a long sigh. Colt was the first man to spend time finding her body’s
many, many erogenous zones. Or perhaps he was the first who left her breathless,
no matter where he touched.

“You’ve
persuaded me. The bedroom it is.”

Wrapping
her arms around his neck, she gave him a slow smile, waiting to be lifted into
his arms.

“You
like this.” With ease, Colt wrapped one arm around her waist and the other
under her legs, and stood.

“So
do you. Besides, it keeps you in shape. Better than bicep curls.”

“And
a lot more fun.”

Sable
started to close her eyes—to enjoy the ride—when her phone rang.

“Ignore
it.”

Colt
knew better. By now, he recognized the ringtone. He felt Sable stiffen. Instead
of putting her down, he kept his arms around her, settling them both on the
sofa.

Sable
met his gaze and shrugged. She could have let it go to voicemail, but she would
have paid the price later. There were some forces of nature that refused to be
pushed aside.

“Hi,
Mom.”

“Where
are you?”

Her
mother never said a simple hello. Somehow, she began every conversation with an
accusation.

“I’m
exactly where I should be at quarter to twelve on a Thursday night. Getting
ready to go to bed.” Sable didn’t know why, but suddenly she had a terrible
thought. “Where are you?”

“At
the airport. I need you to pick me up.”

Sable
slid off Colt’s lap. When a disaster was in the works, she needed to be on her
feet.

“The
airport? Which airport?”

“LUX
of course.”

“Do
you mean LAX? You’re in Los Angeles?”

“LUX.
LAX. What difference does it make? You know what I meant.” Iris let out a long
suffering sigh. “I’ve been here for almost an hour and I don’t like it, Sable.
Come and take me to my hotel.”

Hotel.
Thank God for that
.
Sable thought her mother was going to insist on staying with her. And Colt. It
was a small miracle—one she took with gratitude.

“It
would be faster if you took a cab.”

“Are
you crazy?” Iris shrieked. Sable held the phone away from her ear. “Those
things are death traps. Not to mention what happens to single women who are
foolish enough to get in one at this time of night. Do you want me to end up a
statistic, Sable?”

“What
airline did you fly in on and what was your flight number?” Sable took down the
information. “Find a place to wait. I’ll call you when I get there.”

“How
long will you be?”

“I
don’t know, Mom.”

“Well,
hurry. There’s a very strange man by the magazine rack. I think he followed me
off the plane.”

“The
plane landed, Mom. You can’t blame the guy for getting off.”

“You’re
just like your father—an answer for everything.”

Sable
knew there was no reasoning with her mother.

“If
you feel threatened, call airport security. I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

“I
take it you didn’t know she was coming.”

Shaking
her head, Sable scrolled through the numbers on her phone.

“She
never goes anywhere. When Dad got a permanent assignment in Florida, she swore
that was it. No more traveling. This can’t be good.”

Colt
rubbed her shoulders, his eyes filled with concern.

“Are
you all right?”

Sable
understood what Colt meant. Her mother’s phone calls tended to send her into a
tailspin. Surprisingly, the usual melancholy that seeped into her bones with
the sound of Iris’ voice wasn’t there. Huh. Something had changed—and she had
the feeling it was because of Colt.

“Other
than wondering what sort of destruction Hurricane Iris is bringing with her? I’m
fine.”

“Want
me to come with you?”

“Are
you crazy?”

Horrified
couldn’t begin to describe how Sable felt about his suggestion. Colt and Iris
in the same space? Her mother had no filter. She suffered from chronic verbal
diarrhea. Who knew what she would say or do? No. Not now. Hopefully never.

“It’s
better if I go alone. The problem is finding someone to stay with you.”

Colt
sighed. “Sable. Honey. Sweetheart.”

“It’s
my job, Colton.”

“And
you do it very well.” He turned her to face him, both hands on her shoulders.
His blue eyes were clear and steady. “Diligence is your middle name.”

“Actually,
it’s Amaryllis.”

“No.”
Colt’s lips twitched. “Really? Sable Amaryllis Ford? What was your mother
thinking?”

“She
named me after a pelt of fur and a flower that blooms once a year. I hope that
gives you a little more insight into what I’m dealing with. You stay here. I’ll
call Wyatt.”

“Sable.”
He took the phone from her hand. “This is a secure building. No one is getting
up here unless I let them. Go get your mother.”

“But—”

“Now.”

Sable
knew Colt was right. There hadn’t been a whiff of a threat since she had been
here. Not even hate mail. Leaving Colt alone for a few hours wouldn’t hurt.
Unless it did. She couldn’t help it, that was the way her mind worked.

“Give
me a second.”

Snatching
back her phone, Sable made a quick call.

“Problems?”

“Do
you think we will ever get to the point where we don’t think the worst when the
phone rings?”

Alex
laughed. “Depends on who’s calling.”

“Good
point. My list tends to bring trouble. Which leads me to the reason for my
after-hours interruptions.”

“There’s
no such thing as after hours in this business. Besides, my wife is a night owl.
Unless I want to go to bed alone, before midnight is early. What’s up?”

Sable
quickly outlined her dilemma.

“I
know I shouldn’t leave him alone but… “

“But
it’s standard procedure to stay with the client at all times.”

“Right.”

“Colt’s
okay with you going?”

“He
insists.”

“I
do,” Colt called out.

“I
checked out the building’s security. It’s top notch. Go, Sable. You have my
blessing.”

“It
feels odd.” More than odd. It was one thing when Colt had his brother with him,
but leaving him alone? Sable had a hard time with that.

“Too
much military training. We look for trouble around every corner.”

“That
sounds like a good thing to me.”

“Most
of the time it is. But not tonight. Go. Relax.”

Alex
hung up before Sable could get another argument in. She looked at Colt, who was
doing a lousy job of hiding a self-satisfied smile.

“I
guess I’m going,” she grumbled.

“Was
there any doubt?”

“Don’t
gloat.”

“I
wouldn’t think of it.”

Sable
looked down at her jeans and t-shirt and sighed. She looked fine. L.A. chic.
But
fine
wasn’t good enough. Not for Iris Ford. She had to take time and
put on something her mother would consider a proper airport greeting outfit.

She
headed for the bedroom, Colt right on her heels.

“There’s
no need to change. You look great.” He flopped onto the bed. “Better than
great. Now that I think about it, I’ll send a car for your mother. Too much
chance of some foreign gigolo hitting on you at LAX.”

“If
it were anyone but my mother I wouldn’t bother. And what in God’s name would I
do with a foreign gigolo?” Sable held up a silk dress and stood in front of the
mirror. The red looked good with her dark hair and lightly tanned skin.

“Kick
him in the balls? That I would like to see. Are you sure I can’t come?”