Dreaming Of Your Love (Hollywood Legends #3) (6 page)

A WORLD TRAVELER, there wasn’t much Sable hadn’t seen. The
Great Pyramid, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower. The list was as wide as it was
varied.

After
today, she could cross a movie set from the list.

“What
do you think?”

“I
see cameras and a lot of people who seem to be working at cross purposes.”

“Bingo.”
Colt adjusted his necktie. “Lesson one. Very little time is spent filming a
movie.”

“Hurry
up and wait?”

“There
you go.”

“Sounds
like the Army.”

“Who
knew?” Colt draped an arm over her shoulders. “We have more in common that you
thought.”

Falling
into her girlfriend role, Sable batted her eyes and giggled. Loudly. It drew
attention—which was the point. And made Colt roll his eyes—a nice bonus.

“I
never date idiots,” he pointed out.

“I
beg your pardon. I have a Ph.D. in Pomeranians. I didn’t bring my sweet baby
because it’s her massage and pedicure day.”

“Really?”
Colt whispered near her ear. “That is how you’re playing this? I like brains
with my beauty, Sable.”

“Come
on. The blonde with the mammoth breasts? Which Ivy League school is her alma
mater?”

“Remind
me. Which blonde?”

“My
point exactly.”

Sable
laughed. Giving Colt a hard time was more fun than she anticipated. However,
playing dumb took too much effort. For her sake, as well as his, she needed to
tone it down.

Her
backstory, the one she and Colt decided on, wasn’t complicated. The fewer
details, the less chance they would slip up.

Sable
was a college student studying art history—and an old friend of the Landis
family. Last year while Colt was making a movie in Milan, and she was ending a
year of study abroad, romance bloomed. A few weeks ago, she arrived in
California, at his invitation, they picked up right where they had left off.

The
newness of their relationship made a perfect cover. No one questioned Colt
wanting his girlfriend by his side. Sable could watch his back without raising
any eyebrows.

“In
a week, you’ll be bored out of your skull.”

“This
is nothing. Try lying in the sand for seventy-two hours with only a mid-sized
rock for shade.”

“Sounds
like a story. Can you share?”

Sable
smiled. Somehow Colt understood that some missions, no matter how much time had
passed, were not for dissemination.

“Dull
as dishwater,” she assured him. Naturally, he caught the twinkle in her eyes.

“I
doubt it.” Colt took a deep breath. “You smell good. What is that?”

“Today?
Soap and water. Ivory, to be exact.”

“No
kidding?” Colt touched her hair with the tip of his nose. “I swear there’s a
touch of lemon.”

“My
shampoo.”

Sable
didn’t like men who sniffed at her. They came off as overeager dogs. Drooling
hounds. She batted them away with ease. Colt didn’t drool. He wasn’t a dog.
Though he made her long to scratch his stomach. And lick every well-defined
ridge.

“Colt.”

“Hmm?”

“Nothing.”

Sable
meant to tell him to move away. Honestly. That was her intention. Instead, she kept
her mouth shut. A girlfriend didn’t push her man away. Why shouldn’t she take
advantage of the situation? Who could fault her? She was just doing her job.

“Colt?
Rene is ready for you.”

“Duty
calls.”

Duty.
Interesting way of putting it.
Sable grabbed a bottle of water and moved to the director’s chair that had Colt’s
name on it. She knew about duty. To her country. To her job.

Sable
couldn’t let herself forget what she was doing, or why she was here. Colt had a
way of messing up her equilibrium. She needed to focus on her job, not on how
the sound of his voice sent shivers down her spine.

“Hey.”

An
energetic blonde hopped onto the chair next to Sable.

“Hello.”

“I’m
Janis Mainard.”

“Sable
Ford,” she said, shaking the woman’s hand. “I’m—”

“Oh,
everyone knows who you are. The girlfriend.”

Sable
fought the urge to look around. Were people staring?

Janis
smiled. “Never dated a movie star?”

“Colt
is my first. So to speak.”

Sable
had no idea if that were something a movie star’s girlfriend would say. It
seemed lame and not the least bit funny, but it made Janis laugh.

“It’s
a different world. I’m still learning how to negotiate the curves.”

“Are
you an actress?”

“You
don’t recognize me?” she asked, her voice filled with mock indignation. “You
missed the critically acclaimed,
Death Ball IV
?”

“Sorry,”
Sable grinned.

“Hey,
it’s tough if you missed the first three.” Janis shrugged. “I wasn’t in any of
them, so don’t bother catching up. This movie is my big break. I’m the best
friend. The second female lead. She cries on my shoulder, and I inject a few
witty remarks about love and men. I plan on stealing every scene.”

They’d
just met. However, Sable didn’t doubt for a second that Janis would do exactly
that.

“May
I ask you a question?” Janis looked around, then lowered her voice. “It’s
personal.”

“You
can ask. I might not answer.”

“Fair
enough. I love your hair. Do you think I should cut mine?”

Sable
burst out laughing. It seemed she had made a new friend. Experience had taught
her that you could never have too many of those.

“COLT. HELLO?” Rene Longtree sighed. “I can’t work with someone
who has the attention span of a three-year-old boy.”

“Sorry.
What were you saying?”

Colt
zeroed in on Rene’s words. It was embarrassing to admit. The sound of Sable’s
laughter had distracted him. He had a hard-earned reputation as an actor who
focused on his work—he didn’t let distractions get in the way.

He
hadn’t delivered a line and already the director had to chastise him. Not good.

“You
used your clout to get me this job.”

“I
wasn’t the only one in your corner, Rene.”

“I
owe your family a lot.”

“You
don’t owe us anything,” Colt assured her.

Rene
couldn’t do her job if she had to walk on eggshells. Better she established her
position right away. If Colt didn’t like it, he could have her replaced. The
idea made her sick to her stomach. She had worked hard and sacrificed so much
to get this opportunity. Was it all going to blow up in her face?

“About
your girlfriend.”

“Sable?”
Colt frowned. “What about her?”

“Is
she going to be a distraction?”

“No.”

“She
already is.”

Colt
opened his mouth, ready to argue. Then shut it. Right was right, no matter how
hard it was to take.

“A
momentary slip.” Colt looked Rene directly in the eye, unflinching. “You have
permission to kick me in the ass anytime you deem necessary.”

“Can
I have that in writing?”

“We
want the same thing, Rene. The best movie possible. I promise. Sable will not
be a problem.”

Rene
soon found that Colton Landis was a man of his word. The moment she called
action, he didn’t waver. His focus was laser sharp. He gave her everything she
asked for and more. Charm. Humor. Sex appeal. The women of the world better
watch out. If they weren’t in love with him now, after they saw this movie,
they would be.

Three
hours later, Colt took Sable’s hand and led her to his trailer.

“What
did you think?”

“There’s
much more involved than I realized. You worked on one scene all afternoon. So
many takes. Don’t you lose the, what’s the word?”

“Spontaneity?”

Sable
shook her head when Colt offered her a bottle of water.

“Exactly.”

“Keeping
it fresh is part of the job.” Colt loosened his tie, letting out a grateful
sigh. “You learn where and when to pull back. It’s important to reserve your
energy and use it at just the right time.”

“It
would drive me crazy.”

“How
did you occupy your mind in the desert?”

Sable
watched, fascinated, as Colt removed his suit jacket and started to unbutton
his shirt. It was worth the price of admission and she was getting a free show.

“Most
of the time, I wasn’t alone. The same old stories and jokes—but the time
together made us a tight unit.”

“It
sounds like you loved it. Why did you leave?”

Sable
hesitated. She rarely spoke of her reasons. And never in detail.

“It’s
okay, Sable. You don’t have to tell me.”

“I
want to.” Amazed, Sable realized it was true. “Not now. But soon.”

“I’m
here.”

Two
simple words—and Sable took them to heart.

Trust
was a funny thing. In the Army, you trusted your fellow soldiers. Often, your
life depended on it. She didn’t find it that simple as a civilian. There were a
handful of people in Harper Falls that had her back no matter what.

Her
father? Yes. She trusted him. Things were tricky there. He wasn’t speaking to
her or acknowledging her calls, but if push came to shove, she knew he would
step up.

Colt
Landis. Interesting. She barely knew the man, yet she felt a connection. Sable
couldn’t put a finger on why. It went beyond attraction. She liked him. The
trust wasn’t rock-solid. It was new. Fragile. Time would tell how strong the
bond would become. Right now, she felt cautiously optimistic.

“I
have a dinner date.” Colt opened a drawer and pulled out a clean shirt.

“That
will be awkward.” Sable frowned at Colt’s back. “I’m your girlfriend. Remember?”

“Date
is the wrong word. I’m meeting a reporter. She’s doing a profile for GQ.”

“Is
this the norm? Dinner with reporters.”

“It’s
show business, Sable. There’s no such thing as normal.”

Colt
slipped off the shirt he had worn all day. Sable licked her lips. Even his back
was sexier than an average man. There was no way around it. Colton Landis was
sex on a stick, and she wanted to lick every inch.

“Whoa.
What are you doing?”

“Taking
off my pants?” Colt hesitated, his zipper halfway down. “I need to take them
off to put on another pair.”

“Really?”
Sable could have turned away. She didn’t. “I’m not one of the guys.”

Colt
grinned. “No. You are not. Thank God.”

“Have
you no modesty? Go in the other room.”

“My
underwear covers all the private bits.” Colt grabbed the jeans. He did as she
asked, stepping into the bathroom, out of sight. “Prude.”

“Hardly.
I was a woman in the Army. I’ve seen plenty of men without their pants.”

“Then
what’s the problem?”

“Privacy
is at a premium in a war zone, pretty boy. Even in the Army, you go behind a
bush if one is available.”

“Pretty
boy? Are we back to that?”

“I
call them as I see them.”

“I’m
not pretty. I’m ruggedly handsome.”

Automatically,
Sable took the lead. She opened the trailer door, checked right, then left,
then signaling Colt to stay, she did a quick jog around the structure.

“Is
that necessary?” Colt linked his fingers with hers.

It
felt strange—holding hands with a man. Sable searched her memory for the last
time it happened. As a teenager? Maybe. She decided she liked the way it felt.

“Yes.
It’s my job to keep you safe.”

“Do
you expect to find many desperadoes lurking behind my trailer?”

“Unfortunately,
they lurk everywhere, Colt. If they didn’t, I would need to find a new line of
work.”

“I’ll
keep that in mind next time I use a public restroom.”

“Don’t
worry about it. That’s why you have me.”

Colt
stopped short. “You’re going to check out the men’s room before you let me use
it?”

“Absolutely.”

Sable
didn’t see anything odd in her proclamation. Colt didn’t agree.

“Looks
like I’ll be doing my business here or at home.”

“Don’t
be silly. I do this all the time.”

“What
about the guys already in there?” Colt shook his head at the thought. “Don’t
they object to a woman pounding on doors and checking the stalls?”

It
had never been an issue because Sable didn’t give them time to react. Most were
so stunned at her audacity they didn’t cover anything that was exposed.

“I’m
not there for a peep show, Colt. I get in and out as quickly as possible.”

“Has
it ever paid off?”

“Once.”

“This
I have to hear. What happened?”

Sable
shared the details while they walked to Colt’s car. He was a wonderful
audience. He laughed at the appropriate spots, squeezing her hand
encouragingly. She enjoyed sharing a part of her life she always kept to herself.
Not for security reasons. She didn’t think it was interesting. Despite the
potential for trouble, she rarely found any. Recounting her day-to-day routine
would bore the most tolerant listener.

“My
entrance startled the shooter, and he dropped his gun in the toilet. Before he
could fish it out, I had him restrained.”

“You
could have been shot.” Colt didn’t find that funny.

“No,”
Sable assured him. Colt snorted. “Maybe. I wasn’t, so it’s a moot point.”

“Your
job is dangerous.” Colt stopped, his blue eyes shadowed with concern.

“Potentially.
It almost never happens.”

“Almost?
Have you ever been shot at?”

“At?”
Sable decided to skirt the question. “No. Never.”

“Jesus.
Someone shot you?”

Colton
Landis was a smart cookie. Too smart. She had to watch what she said around
him.

“Grazed.”
Sable pulled him along. “A little rubbing alcohol and a Band-Aid and I was as good
as new.”

“Show
me the scar.”