My Double Life: Wild and Wicked (4 page)

Nerves tensed, I straightened. The longer I hung around there, the more worried I became that I’d mess something up for Natalie. I felt like Cinderella at midnight and the chimes were already ringing.

“Yes?” I responded, my mask still in place.

“Mr. Fraser is waiting for you by the back door. May I escort you out?”

Panic exploded in my chest while Kendra let out a deep, throaty laugh.

“Looks like the New Girl was working the room better than I realized.” She set down her tin of rhinestones and lifted a palm in the air.

It took me a minute to realize she was waiting for a high five. Heaven knows, it didn’t feel like a moment to celebrate for me.

Finally, I gave her the necessary hand smack and tried to smile.

“G-guess I’d better get going.” I stumbled through the words a bit because I was super nervous. I couldn’t go out the back door if Trey was waiting for me there. He was at least five minutes earlier than we’d agreed.

Praying for an escape plan to come to me, I hitched the strap to my duffel higher on my shoulder and moved toward my bouncer escort.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” called Kendra, a teasing note in her voice suggesting I should do whatever the hell I wanted.

I wish.

“Can I carry that for you?” the huge man asked. He looked like he’d been at the gym every day of his life and I was amazed he’d found a suit coat to span those shoulders.

“No, thank you,” I squeaked in a rush, darting forward before he could insist on taking it.

“This way.” He gestured left and I nodded meekly, hoping he didn’t try to make conversation.

I needed to hang back and find a way out.

The music coming from the dance floor had turned into a screechy female vocal over heavy bass drums. The result sounded like someone having sex and I pictured myself going out into the parking lot with Trey and getting sweaty and naked. Forcing myself back to reality, I noticed there weren’t many doors around, let alone any labeled with a big red Exit sign.

But as soon as I saw a glimpse of flashing purple strobe lights, I knew I must be near the front of the club and the main stage. So, without a word to Mr. Big and Beefy, I turned a sharp left and zipped down the hall toward the music.

Was it my imagination, or did I hear a male voice calling after me a couple of seconds later?

I didn’t look back as I pushed past half-dressed waitresses and men with glazed and drunken eyes. A couple of guys materialized before me, but I ducked around them with ease. I was a woman on a mission. Seeing a crowd around the front entrance, I edged through the throng and shoved the heavy steel door open.

Hitting the pavement at a run, I left Backstage behind and headed for my SUV. When the engine turned over and I reversed out of the parking spot, I knew I should feel relieved. I had secured a job for Natalie and escaped Trey Fraser. He would never know that the mystery dancer on stage was one of the wealth management experts who would be servicing his account.

Yet the only thing I felt as I pulled onto the highway was a deep sense of loss that I’d had to deceive the only man who’d looked at me twice. The only man who’d propositioned me for a one-night stand.

Even worse, going back to my regular life would feel like a huge letdown after all this. But at least my behind-the-scenes role at Sphere would keep me away from Trey. After tonight, there wasn’t any reason in the world I’d ever see him again.

4

“C
AN
I
HELP
you?” the redhead behind the desk at Sphere Management asked, an old-fashioned teacup steaming beside her.

Almost as much as Trey steamed right now.

He couldn’t be sure if he was more frustrated about being stood up the night before or about the leak in his small organization that made his professional plans public knowledge.

“Courtney Masterson.” At least he knew where to find her.

Natalie Night would have to wait.

“Certainly.” The receptionist lifted the handset on her phone. “May I give her your name?”

“Trey Fraser.” Not for the first time, he wished he had a name that wasn’t so well recognized in this town.

His photo hadn’t shown up on the gossip blogs this morning, but it was early yet. Eric’s face had been all over the internet long before dawn. It would be a minor miracle if none of those same photographers had Trey in a shot.

“Thank you.” The woman’s expression remained a polite mask, but he see could her lips tighten almost imperceptibly.

While she put the call through, Trey planned his approach. He would be professional. To the point. But he wasn’t leaving without some answers.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Fraser.” The receptionist rose from her seat behind the massive desk. “Ms. Masterson isn’t answering her phone. Did you have an appointment with her this morning?”

“I made it clear to Fawn Barrows yesterday that I wanted to meet her researcher as soon as possible. I assumed she would convey as much to Ms. Masterson.” Irritation furrowed his brow. “Is Fawn in the office?”

“I’ll check.” The woman pressed a button and spoke to someone. Moments later Fawn appeared.

“Good to see you, Trey.” She wore a gray suit and had a file folder tucked under one arm. She shook his hand and seemed less flirtatious than the day before. “I heard you were looking for Courtney?”

He nodded. Waited.

“I saw her earlier this morning. She must be away from her desk.” Gesturing him toward the doorway she’d emerged from, she left her folder on the reception desk. “Why don’t you come on back and I’ll see if I can locate her?”

Following her into the private corridors of Sphere Asset Management, Trey followed her along the same passage they’d navigated yesterday.

“I saw your father optioned the rights on a new book in today’s
Variety
.” Fawn peeked into the same office that Courtney hadn’t been in yesterday.

Trey looked through the open door at the researcher’s desk. A navy blue jacket was neatly folded over the high-backed leather chair. A good sign she was nearby?

“I’m not sure why he wants to make that into a film.” He didn’t want to talk about his father. But inevitably, people asked about him.

“I know, right?” Fawn turned on her heel and crossed her arms, as if she was ready to launch into a full-blown conversation around the water cooler. “He usually makes the big commercial pictures. Action adventures. Bankable stars. I was really surprised he picked up such a quiet, thoughtful book.”

Trey had known why the moment he saw the deal. His dad had an insatiable need for competition to prove he was the best. Therefore, he’d make a film to go head-to-head with the movie Trey had planned while he was still in charge of his own division at his father’s company. Trey had vowed to make the picture one day. Now his father was lining up a project with a similar tone and audience so he could do it better.

Could they have a more messed-up relationship?

“Go figure.” Trey shrugged and then straightened as he saw a woman appear from a nearby office.

A brunette with her head down, deep in thought as she studied a page in a thick open ledger.

“Ms. Masterson?” He snagged her attention moments before she would have collided with him.

Her head snapped up.

“Oh!” She was so startled she lost her grip on the ledger. Wide gray eyes met his gaze. “Sorry!”

The book hit his toe before tipping onto the floor. In a flash, she was kneeling at his feet to scoop it up, her body so close he could swear he felt her warm breath on his thigh.

Or was that wishful thinking?

He ground his teeth together and reminded himself why he wanted to find this woman in the first place. Maybe his missed opportunity with Natalie had made him see sexual scenarios everywhere he looked.

“No problem.” He reached down to help her to her feet, cupping her elbow in one hand.

She looked different than she had the day before. Without a suit jacket on, she seemed less rumpled and more...curvaceous. A simple white silk tank flattered her breasts even though the high-cut neckline revealed nothing. Her chestnut-brown hair was twisted into a messy knot and tendrils sprang from the front and back, some framing her face and some twining around her neck.

Still, it was her dove-gray eyes that drew him in. That, and the fact that her breath hitched when he touched her. He released her now, his fingers slow to relinquish the warmth of her bare arm.

“Courtney, you remember Trey Fraser?” Fawn prodded when neither of them spoke for a long moment.

“Yes.” She said the word with slow deliberation while Trey breathed in her scent. It was something green and fresh, so subtle he was tempted to lean closer to identify it.

“I’d like to speak to you privately,” Trey informed her, needing to put the barrier of a desk between them if he was going to have a useful conversation.

And that had to be the priority, even though something about her put his senses on full alert. Perhaps because her body reminded him of Natalie’s. Same basic proportions. Maybe even the same height, if Natalie hadn’t been wearing the sky-high heels she’d sported for her dance.

“O-kay.” Again, her speech seemed slowed down, the way one might speak to a child. Something about that oddly lilting pattern reminded him of Natalie, as well. “Come with me.”

She hustled past him without another word. Fawn had disappeared, probably returning to her office to pore over the pages of
Variety
. Although, in this town, maybe that made good business sense even if you weren’t in the film industry.

Trey followed her progress down the hall, indulging in the back view without shame. Courtney Masterson did not showcase her assets with the same abandon that Natalie had—the brazen ass slap came tantalizingly to mind—but her figure was every bit as enticing.

Inside her office, she gestured to the seats near an open window before closing the door behind them. He appreciated her taking his request for a private talk seriously. Still, he didn’t sit until she joined him near the matching wingbacks on either side of a small cherry table. When she lowered herself into one, he did the same.

“How can I help you?” She had put her jacket on.

He wondered why she hid behind the shapeless clothes and sensible shoes. With her lack of make-up, the effort to play down her natural attractiveness seemed purposeful.

“You included some information in your background report on me that shouldn’t be public knowledge.” In an effort to keep his eyes off her legs, he took in the details of her office. Degree from UCLA. A corkboard with a photo of her holding a margarita among a bunch of other women doing the same. She looked different. Relaxed and happy.

What interested him about the picture, however, was that the women knelt on red mats in front of a shiny silver pole. Given his recent jaw-dropping introduction to the finer points of pole dancing, he couldn’t help but think about Natalie.

Damn it.

“I didn’t think I included anything private.” She frowned and the movement shifted a trio of light freckles near her mouth.

He wondered absently what her skin tasted like right there.

“You referenced a possible business expansion beyond the talent management,” he reminded her, trying hard to rein himself in.

She must not have needed the file to know what he referred to because she nodded immediately. “Yes. I remember.”

“No one knows about that.” Tension tightened his shoulders. Hell, maybe his father was already aware about Trey’s professional plans. That would account for the sudden interest in more artistic films.

“No? I do.” A smile curled her lips now, and no matter that she flashed him a mildly triumphant look, he had to admire the obvious pride she took in her work.

“I need to learn your source for that information.”

“I’m not at liberty to say.” Her chin jutted as she laced her fingers into a tight knot.

He noticed she wore no rings. Was she seeing anyone?

Not that he was in the market himself. After he’d had a ring handed back to him by his only attempt at a serious relationship, he was in no hurry to head down that road again. Heather had left him during one of his many disagreements with his father, the up-and-coming actress siding with his dad. Leaving Trey to wonder if she’d ever dated him for
himself,
or if she was wooed by the family name and the access to a famous producer. But two years after that breakup, Trey now found himself curious about someone new.

“You’re hardly a journalist. Your sources aren’t protected.”

“If you become a client, you will appreciate our commitment to discretion at Sphere.”

“I won’t if it violates my privacy.”

“Mr. Fraser—”

“Trey,” he corrected.

“Trey,” she relented. “Anything we discover in our research goes no further than the agent who makes a pitch for your business. In this case, Fawn.”

He leaned forward in his seat, determined to impress upon her how much he had riding on this business plan remaining confidential.

“Based on a professional move my father made yesterday, I have to question if the information has already spread further than that.” He stared into her eyes and willed her to understand. “If there is a leak among the few people who still work for me, I need to know.”

She peered down at the floor, her lips twisted in indecision. He pounced on that moment of hesitation.

“Courtney— Can I call you Courtney?”

At her brief nod, he continued.

“My father is as ruthless a businessman as you’ll ever meet. Sure, he puts on a charming public facade in this town, but he’s got a shark mentality when he sees blood in the water, and right now, he sees mine.”

“Wow.” She gave a lopsided smile, their knees so close they were almost touching. “I guess I’m not the only one with a parent who doesn’t believe in coddling.”

“You could say that.” He returned her smile and felt strangely honored to know something personal about her. She didn’t strike him as the kind of woman who would be easy to get to know. “I would have been wise to choose a profession far outside of Hollywood, but I ended up really enjoying the movie business.”

She watched him with cool gray eyes, but a small tic started at the blue vein in her temple. He could see her heart beat in a quick rhythm that matched his own.

“You make a convincing case, Trey.” Her voice hit a throaty note that made him think of long nights rolling around in bed.

His bed. Her bed. Didn’t matter.

Maybe he would only be wasting his time to try and find out the whereabouts of Natalie Night. Maybe he should be seeking out Courtney Masterson’s adventurous side instead.

“I’m willing to put all my persuasive skills to work.” He wanted to drag her closer, lift her out of the wingback and into his lap. “It’s that important to me.”

* * *

I
NEEDED
TO
take deep breaths.

Really, really deep breaths.

Because if I didn’t get some air soon, I would melt at Trey Fraser’s feet for the second time in twenty-four hours. And while it was one thing for dancer Natalie Night to flirt brazenly with this well-known Hollywood insider, it wouldn’t be a possibility for me. At. All.

“That’s not necessary,” I informed Trey. “No more persuasion needed.”

Although I might require mouth-to-mouth resuscitation if Trey got any closer in his Italian silk suit with his tanned, oh-so-capable-looking hands resting on his knees. I definitely felt a fainting spell coming on.

Trey equaled too much of a good thing for a girl with the most modest of romantic aspirations. Right then, I would have settled for getting him out of my office before he discovered my real identity. From my seat by the window I saw a few pieces of damning evidence that could betray me if he noticed them. One was a VIP pass from Backstage that I’d kept like a freaking trophy to remember my triumph last night. It wasn’t super visible, but stuck out of my purse near my chair.

I’d also kept a white feather that was currently draped over my desk blotter—front and center. Yes, I was truly an idiot.

“Really? You’ll tell me where you found the information?” He straightened and I wondered if he employed seduction as a coercive technique very often. Just the mere thought of it was enough to make me concede whatever he wanted.

Besides, the sooner he left Sphere, the better.

“Well.” I licked my lips because my mouth had turned dry. Amazingly, I hadn’t stuttered, though. Somehow, I’d maintained my composure and my words flowed with only little halts in between. “I actually farm out the most rudimentary of research, so I didn’t personally unearth the news that you may expand your talents into your own film company.”

His hands tightened and his mouth drew into a flat line.

“So I need to convince someone else to talk.”

“No.” I wouldn’t part with the person’s name or she’d never help me with my profiles again. “I’m familiar with her methods and I can guarantee that news like this came from unsecured cyber data online.”

Trey sprang out of his chair. “You paid someone to hack my computer?”

“Of course not.” I couldn’t help a sigh. Sadly, most people were unaware how vulnerable their data was when they stored it online. “You probably have outdated internet storage. I happen to know she saw your business plan in a visual presentation piece that came up in a routine search.”

“Routine?” He started pacing around my office, running a hand through his hair. “You call invasion of privacy
routine?
”

“Our searches are aggressive, but never unethical.” I firmly believed this or I wouldn’t have patronized the research company. “You can’t expect us
not
to look for clues to a client’s business online. It’s like you’re posting information on a public bulletin board and then asking people not to look.”