Illusions of Love (14 page)

Charley was almost hoarse with shouting but the chaotic atmosphere and the cacophony of noise backstage wasn’t something you could whisper over.
 
You needed a voice, and her good old northern English mouth was proving to be very useful indeed right now as she tried to gather her team together and get everyone’s models out on time.

The show was going like a dream and Candice was more than happy with what Charley’s girls and boys were coming up with.
 
They were sticking to her brief but also putting out their own creations that she’d chosen to compliment her collection, and Charley could only stand back and watch as the models walked that runway looking absolutely fabulous.
 
All thanks to the team from
Charley’s.

She couldn’t wait to get home though, and sink into a nice, hot bath.
 
It had been a long day, but an experience she’d never forget, sealing the deal, in Charley’s eyes, that this was where she wanted to be.
 
This was a world she loved, but she also loved her husband and she couldn’t wait to finally get to Vegas and spend some time with Vince.
 
She also couldn’t wait to catch up with
India
and find out all the gossip on her and Michael and the mysterious Dominic MacDonald, because that’s how
India
had described him to her when they’d spoken on the phone last night.
 
Mysterious.
 
Charley was intrigued, although she was more intrigued by the relationship between her best friend and her ex-husband.
 
India
and Michael getting back together wouldn’t exactly be a surprise to Charley, but she couldn’t say she wouldn’t be shocked if that
did
happen.
 
But then, she was all too aware of the power Michael had over
India
.
 
Everyone was.
 
Everyone except, maybe,
India
herself.

With the show finally over and just one more day to go before she could pack her bags and head to Vegas, Charley declined the team’s invite to a nearby club for a bit of a post-show party and headed back to the salon to grab a few bits and pieces for tomorrow.
 
It was late and she was doing an elaborate up-do first thing in the morning on a rather famous young actress who was walking the runway tomorrow for Candice’s closing show, so she didn’t want to leave anything to chance.
 
She was shattered, and all she could really think about was that hot bath and a glass of wine followed by bed and a good night’s sleep so, letting herself into the now empty salon, she threw her bag on the floor and headed straight over to her work station, gathering together everything she needed, singing quietly to herself as she thought about Vince and that much-needed break awaiting her in Vegas.
 
She couldn’t think of a time when she’d been happier, a time when she’d felt more settled, more in control of everything, and her smile grew even wider as she picked up the picture of Lily she kept on her work station.

‘Pretty girl, your daughter.’

The voice came out of nowhere, and Charley felt her blood run cold as that all-too-familiar drawl echoed round the empty salon.
 
A voice she’d never wanted to hear again, but a voice she could never forget.
 
Was she dreaming?
 
Had she suddenly fallen asleep and this was some nightmare she’d been thrown into because, if it was, then she wanted to wake up and never go back into that world.
 
She’d left it behind without a backward glance and that’s the way she’d wanted it to stay.

‘Leaving doors open, Charley – very careless.
 
If you don’t want unwelcome intruders.’

She turned around slowly, not really wanting to see who was behind her because she already knew; that voice was unmistakeable.
 
And, as her eyes met his, a black Stetson casting a shadow over his expressionless face, she felt her whole safe and secure world come crashing down around her.

‘But then, I’m no intruder, am I, Charley?
 
I’m an old… friend.’

‘Get out of my salon,’ Charley whispered, because that was about as loud as her voice would go.

He just laughed, a small but heavily loaded laugh, his eyes refusing to leave hers until he finally turned to leave, walking slowly towards the open salon doors, turning round and fixing her with that steely glare one more time.
 
‘It’s good to be back, Charley.
 
Because that’s what I am, darlin’.
 
I’m back, and we got a whole lotta reacquaintin’ to do.
 
A whole lot, sweetheart.’

And, with an ice-cold smile that froze her heart, he walked out of the door, and back into Charley’s life.
 
Her worst nightmare.
 
Her past.
 
Jimmy Cash.

CHAPTER 10

Dominic couldn’t help noticing how quiet
India
was on set that afternoon.
 
Whenever she wasn’t needed she’d sit on her own, away from everybody else, watching the goings-on from a distance, but he could tell she wasn’t really concentrating.
 

‘Everything okay?’ he asked, sitting down beside her, taking his chance to make that all-important in-road.
 
Now was the time, and it seemed the perfect opportunity to start playing the game properly.
 
No more waiting, no more hanging about.

She looked up at him, taking a few seconds to register his presence but when she did, she smiled a small smile and he was surprised to find his heart skipping a little beat.
 
It wasn’t a sensation he was overly familiar with and it knocked him sideways for a few seconds, which didn’t escape
India
’s notice.

‘Maybe it should be
me
asking
you
that.
 
You alright?’

He breathed out, smiling that killer smile and she couldn’t help laughing.
 
‘You have so got this movie star thing down pat, haven’t you?’

The killer smile showed no signs of disappearing.
 
‘Haven’t
you
?
 
I mean, you’ve been doing it for twenty years now.’

‘Another twenty years and I still wouldn’t be as confident as you.’

‘At least you didn’t call me arrogant.’

‘Is that something you get called a lot?’

‘By some, yeah.’

She looked over towards the set, briefly making eye contact with Michael before turning her attention back to Dominic.

‘So,’ he continued, sensing her mood had changed the second she’d looked at her ex-husband, and he needed to get her back.
 
‘
Is
everything okay?’

She sat back in her chair and threw her head back for a second, closing her eyes as she pushed her hands through her long blond hair.
 
She had the most incredible neck, Dominic couldn’t help noticing.
 
Sexy, long and smooth.
 
The kind of neck he just wanted to reach out and touch.

She sat up straight and sighed, fixing Dominic with a look that caused his heart to skip that little beat again.
 
‘You’re not needed here for a while, are you?’

He shook his head and she stood up, still looking at him.

‘Well?
 
Do you want to come for a coffee or something?
 
Because I sure as hell could do with getting away from here for a while.’

***

Michael watched as Dominic stood up, smiling at India as they walked away from the set and he tried to control the growing jealousy, tried to stop all those irrational feelings rising back to the surface, but it was hard.

‘Do you have a problem with those two?’

Michael swung round to see Reece standing there.
 
‘No.
 
No, I don’t have a problem.
 
Why would I have a problem?
 
There’s nothing going on, is there?’

‘And if there was?
 
Would you have a problem then?’

Reece folded his arms as he studied Michael’s expression, because he knew for certain that whatever Michael
told
him
,
and what he was really feeling, they’d be two completely different things.
 
Michael would never admit to him – to
India
’s father – that he had a problem with anyone seeing his ex-wife.
 
Even though it was blatantly obvious to everyone that he did.

‘No.
 
I still wouldn’t have a problem.
 
But what I
do
have a problem with is the fact we’re standing around here talking when we should be getting back to work.’

He fixed Reece with a look that told him this conversation was over, and Reece was quite happy to end it.
 
He had all the information he needed anyway.
 
Michael would never be over
India
.
 
India
would probably never really be over Michael.
 
But only one of them seemed willing to try and move on.

***

‘So, things seem to be happening between you and your ex-husband then,’ Dominic said as they sat by one of the catering trucks drinking strong coffee and sharing a plate of fries.

India
looked up sharply, narrowing her eyes.
 
‘What makes you say that?’

‘Come on,
India
, it’s obvious.
 
The way he looks at you, the way he touches you…’

She looked back down into her coffee.
 
‘We’ve known each other twenty years, Dominic.
 
We were together for a long time, so we’re bound to be easily intimate with each other.’

‘For six years you never even spoke to him.’

She looked up again, staring right at him.
 
‘None of that is anyone’s business but ours.
 
And it’s over.
 
All of that, it’s over.
 
There’s nothing going on between Michael and me.
 
Not anymore… although, he wanted there to be…’

‘Really?’ Dominic asked, raising an eyebrow.

India
stared at him again, looking right into those incredible, almost aqua-blue eyes of his, trying hard to ignore the somersaults her stomach was turning as she did so.
 
Dominic seemed like a great guy, and nobody could deny he was one hell of a looker, but the last thing she needed was another relationship.
 
She just wasn’t in the mood.
 
‘Yes, really.
 
But I just don’t want… I don’t want to go back there.
 
Not anymore.
 
And I just wish he’d get the message, because I really don’t want him to get hurt.
 
I never wanted that.’

Dominic sat back, pushing a hand through his dark brown hair, a tiny feeling of guilt shooting through him that he quickly pushed aside.
 
He couldn’t detract from his plan.
 
It was going to happen, no matter what.
 
‘Look, I’m sorry.
 
That was insensitive and intrusive.
 
I had no right.’

‘No.
 
You didn’t.’
 
She was still staring at him.
 
‘What’s happening here, Dominic?’
 
Because she sure as hell didn’t know.

He leant forward, his eyes locking onto hers.
 
‘I just want to get to know you.
 
That’s all.’

‘You have one hell of a reputation following you around, you know that, don’t you?’

‘Yeah, I know that.
 
And you shouldn’t believe everything you read.’

‘So, you haven’t dated almost every leading lady you’ve worked alongside then?’

He never took his eyes off her, resting his arms on the table in front of him, clasping his hands together.
 
‘I’m not gonna lie so, yes, I have.
 
I’ve dated most of them.
 
But that doesn’t make me who I am.’

‘Doesn’t it?’

‘No.
 
It doesn’t.’

She broke the stare first, finishing her coffee before standing up.
 
‘I’d better get back.
 
They’re probably looking for me.’

‘Mustn’t keep the ex-husband waiting, huh?’

She turned round and looked at him again.
 
‘He’s our director, Dominic.
 
And while we’re at it, being Michael Walsh’s ex-wife doesn’t make
me
who
I
am either.
 
Got that?’

He stood up too, kicking his chair under the table before walking over to her.
 
‘That dinner we never quite got round to… Tonight.
 
8 0’clock.
 
The Terrace Grill.’