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  But now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen Tower touch Shealyn unless someone was watching. He understood on an intellectual level that appearances would be important for these Hollywood types. Even if they’d had an exhausting day, they couldn’t look or act like it. But this one-eighty in behavior was enough to give him whiplash.

  Cutter and Raoul followed the co-stars into the restaurant. Hungry diners waiting for their tables amazingly parted like the Red Sea for the pretty people, and the maître d’ rushed forward, gushing his welcome so effusively it made Cutter scowl.

  “Yes, of course, Mr. Trent, Ms. West. We saved our best table for you. The wine you requested is chilling and your guests have already arrived. If you’ll follow me . . .”

  Cutter knew what to do next. Apparently, so did Raoul. He took the front spot just behind the restaurant’s host and cleared a safe path for the two stars. Cutter brought up the rear, looking over his shoulder for any potential threat.

  On the far side of the dining room, Raoul propped up one section of an empty wall, overlooking the table. On the other side of a darkened window, Cutter settled in and watched the maître d’ fall all over himself to seat Shealyn. Clearly, he wasn’t the only sap to take one look at her and start salivating at the thought of the pleasure he’d love to bestow, if only she’d say yes.

  While Shealyn and Tower greeted the waiting couple at the table, Cutter checked out the man’s brother and sister-in-law. Joe looked slightly younger and much less bloated by steroids. But same eyes, same nose, same ears . . . The family resemblance was clearly there. Most women would find the guy attractive in an understated way.

  The wife was a petite woman with slender shoulders and tousled brown hair. Norah had bright eyes and a friendly smile with a hint of dimples that gave her a sweet-girl vibe. Her pale skin glowed, offset by a shimmering dark blue top with delicate straps and a gentle gather between her slight breasts. When she and Shealyn hugged briefly, Cutter couldn’t help but notice that Norah, while young and attractive and seemingly kind, wasn’t a remarkable beauty. Not like Shealyn.

  Tower and his brother shook hands and shared a shoulder bump, along with a hearty back slap. Cutter thought maybe that was the first genuine smile he’d seen Tower wear today. Then Joe took Norah’s hand and squeezed it. She cast her husband a glance full of love and devotion, then turned with a smile to face Tower, whose stare never wavered.

  Suddenly, Cutter understood precisely what was going on.

  CHAPTER 4

  Dinner was long and painful. When it was over and the limo dropped them off at the studio again, Shealyn was damn glad to escape the vehicle. Nothing was going to make Dean—or rather, Tower—feel better tonight. She knew the drill. He needed to be alone with his thoughts, do whatever he normally did to work past them. Likely, he’d be prepared to talk tomorrow.

  Cutter, however, looked beyond ready to confront her now.

  As she dashed toward the parking lot, Shealyn heard the door of the limo slam behind her. Loud boot steps hauled ass to catch up. She knew Cutter stalked her way, and her heart thudded loudly. She tried not to notice that as he came closer, her breaths deepened, her skin prickled, her nipples beaded.

  Now all but running, she fished through her purse to find her keys and headed for her truck.

  But she wasn’t fast enough. Strong fingers gripped her elbow. “I’ll take us home.”

  Even his hand on her arm made the woman in her aware of him as a man. There was something about him . . . He was perceptive and smart. Stalwart. Watchfully quiet. Shealyn had always been hopelessly drawn to the strong, silent type, but she feared if she let herself, she could be fatally tempted by this one.

  She tried to tug free of his grip discreetly. “My truck—”

  His fingers tightened. “Will still be here tomorrow. I’ll bring you back in the morning before your shoot. That way, you’ll have no choice but to let me do my job.”

  It was late, and she was tired. Giving in was easier but against her better judgment—at least until she noticed that Dean’s limo wasn’t pulling away. He stared through the open window at the little drama unfolding between her and Cutter. If Dean thought anyone was harassing her, even her own bodyguard, he and Raoul would storm the situation. And it wouldn’t be pretty. Afterward, he would start asking questions about Cutter and the reason she’d hired him. She couldn’t answer without confessing that she was being blackmailed, which would freak her “boyfriend” out. This evening had already been hard enough for him.

  “All right,” she conceded. “For tonight only.”

  “We’ll see.” Cutter tugged gently, urging her toward the black SUV he’d rented.

  Maybe he wasn’t anything like her papa, but growing up we’ll see had been his catchphrase for no way in hell.

  Cutter opened the passenger door for her, and she climbed in with a wave at Dean. Then Cutter slid into the driver’s seat beside her and they headed out.

  The ride from the studio lot was completely silent. The tension seemed too choking to fill the air between them with chatter, but maybe if she acted as if the whole evening hadn’t been awkward as hell, he would play along. “I’m beat. You’re still accustomed to a different time zone, so you must be tired. I’m glad the day is behind me. I—”

  “It’s not.” As soon as the light at the corner of the studio turned green, Cutter gunned the SUV. “We’re going to talk.”

  “It’s already after ten o’clock, and I have to be up at four thirty to arrive on set before seven for hair and makeup. So whatever’s on your mind will have to wait—”

  “We’ve got a twenty-minute drive ahead of us, so I’ll start. When were you going to tell me that your relationship with Tower is completely fake and he’s in love with his sister-in-law?”

  Shealyn’s heart caught in her throat. He’d already unraveled their secret. How had he done that so damn quickly? The truth was explosive for so many reasons. Somehow she had to derail Cutter. “W-what are you talking about? That’s crazy.”

  He peered at her with narrowed eyes as he merged onto the mercifully uncrowded freeway. “I’m talking about the fact that Tower doesn’t touch you unless someone’s watching. He doesn’t seem remotely jealous when another man’s eyes are all over you. When you two are alone, he doesn’t look at you like a man who wants his woman. He saved that expression for his sister-in-law. And when Joe said Norah was pregnant, Tower looked ready to kill someone and die all at the same time. I know exactly where his heart lies. So does Joe. It’s not with you.”

  Maybe she shouldn’t be so surprised that hawk-eyed Cutter had figured out their ruse. She’d had to kick Dean under the table and whisper behind her napkin that, for an actor, he was doing a lousy job of portraying the happy uncle-to-be when the couple had announced their news.

  “You’re wrong. Tower is just under a lot of stress right now and—”

  “Sweetheart, you may be able to float a steaming pile under the noses of people in this town and pass it off as roses, but I know bullshit when I smell it.”

  “Whatever his feelings, they’re his personal business,” she hedged, since nothing seemed to be fooling Cutter.

  “Because you’re a public couple, it’s your business, too,” he argued. “And until you fire me, whatever involves you, involves me.”

  “You’re being ridiculous. Besides, his feelings don’t jeopardize my safety.”

  “Maybe you don’t think so. But they present you a few problems at least.” He rolled up to a red light and sent her a sideways glance. “Until I figured out that your relationship was all smoke and mirrors, I wondered if the reason you hadn’t told him about your threat and asked Raoul to take care of it was because you considered Tower a suspect.”

  Shealyn shook her head. “He wasn’t with me the day that video was taken. He had nothing to do with it. He would never betray me.”

 
“Is that you being naive?” He raised a skeptical brow at her.

  “No. That’s me knowing too many of his secrets. He can’t afford to sell me out.”

  “You can’t afford for the truth to be revealed, either. There are a whole lot of fans who picture you two together forever. They’ve built this fantasy in their heads that you’re the perfect couple both on- and offscreen. What happens if they realize that bond is as fictional as the show itself? Tower has been around for a while. He’ll land on his feet. What about you? Who might come crawling out of the woodwork and want a piece of you if they suspect you don’t have a powerful someone protecting you after all?”

  Those were questions she’d asked herself every day since receiving the blackmailer’s text. “You’re not going to let up, are you?”

  “I’m stubborn like that.” The light turned green, and he pulled away from the intersection, into the night. “And I can protect you better if I know the truth.”

  “Fine. You’re right. Tower is in love with Norah. He suggested our arrangement so she would never guess the truth. I agreed for a lot of the reasons you mentioned and to help Tower because he’s my friend.”

  “It’s working, because she clearly has no idea how he feels.” Cutter’s face softened. “Your ‘relationship’ allows Tower the appearance of having a spectacularly hot girlfriend he’s completely devoted to, while you have a small-screen veteran to keep the other wolves at bay, and the two of you generate massive ratings with your supposed off-screen affair. It’s clever.”

  She scoffed. “Not so much if you figured it out in twenty-four hours.”

  “Very few will see you two this up close and unguarded. Your secret is safe with me.”

  Shealyn wanted to ask if he really thought she was spectacularly hot, but she’d already flirted with him more than was wise. No more being impulsive. She couldn’t give in to this attraction. But even sitting a few feet away from Cutter, heat simmered in her veins. She had to repress the urge to put her hand in his just to see if he would hold it, had to stop wondering how good his kiss would feel, had to stop fantasizing about whether his touch would set her body on fire as much as she suspected. Easier said than done. She’d never wanted a man the way she wanted this one.

  “Of course it is. You signed a nondisclosure agreement,” she pointed out.

  “Besides that.” He frowned. “I’m here to protect you, nothing more.”

  “I appreciate that.” And she hoped he actually meant it. “Jolie said you were a good guy. I’m trusting her judgment.”

  Shealyn wasn’t so naive as to think a lot of people wouldn’t conveniently forget about their NDA if some tabloid was willing to pay a million or two for their insider story. But Jolie was a good judge of character, and Shealyn’s gut told her that Cutter had a core of honor she didn’t see often in her business.

  “I won’t let you down,” he promised. “So when did the ruse start? How? When I did some digging last night, it looked as if you began appearing together in public about a year ago.”

  “More or less. When I started the show, it was supposed to be about two rising singers clawing up the charts and each other to achieve country music success and win the heart of the record executive of their dreams. Tower told the network he thought the idea was tired. He insisted it would play better with the thirty-five-to-forty-four female demographic if the show was less about the drama between rival vocalists and more about the romance of two people who unexpectedly find love and make it work, despite the obstacles in their path. He also didn’t think Jessica Jarrett was right for her role as my competitor. And his on-screen chemistry with her was terrible.”

  “I watched the first episode last night. I have to agree.”

  “When I found out what Tower had done, I went to his trailer to thank him and tell him I’d work with him to make the show the best it could be. But . . .”

  “But?”

  Shealyn hesitated. How to say this? “I figured out that he was in love with his brother’s wife.”

  Cutter frowned. “How? Was Tower talking to Joe on the phone?”

  “No. They don’t discuss Tower’s feelings for Norah. That topic has always been the elephant in the room. But I’m sure it’s the reason Joe wanted to tell Tower about Norah’s pregnancy face-to-face. She would have simply called. Joe understands his brother would have fallen apart if she had.”

  “So how did you guess the truth?”

  “That day I walked in his trailer, I surprised him.” She sighed. If Cutter had guessed this much, there wasn’t any sense in hiding the rest. “He didn’t hear me because he was too busy masturbating to a video of Norah on Facebook, all dressed up for a friend’s wedding.”

  Cutter reared back. “That was definitely an icebreaker.”

  She gave a little laugh. “Yeah. If I hadn’t caught Tower in a compromising moment, I doubt he would have ever told me. But after he, um . . . zipped up, he poured us each a drink and confessed. By then, I’d pretty much guessed where his heart was anyway.”

  “So you two became friends and concocted your fake romance?”

  She nodded. “It was good for us both, and his former girlfriend, Nicole Rogers, wasn’t helping his career. Now, Norah will never guess his feelings, and it keeps a lot of creeps from hitting on me. Plus . . . it’s hard to make true friends in this business. You never know who to trust, but we forged a bond after that incident. The next day, Tower and I approached the producers of the show together and asked for the chance to prove this new storyline was right. They only agreed because the ratings were bad and getting worse. Within a few weeks, Jessica’s character was killed off, and Hot Southern Nights started focusing on the against-all-odds relationship between Annabelle and Dylan. Everything took off then. And . . . here we are.”

  “I understand why you didn’t tell me the truth. It wasn’t wholly your secret, and you didn’t know if you could trust me.”

  “Exactly.” Would he be so understanding if he knew everything?

  “But you need to inform me about anything else that could change your security situation or suddenly thrust you into a brighter spotlight.”

  “Sure. Yeah.” If her secret would just stay buried after she paid off the blackmailer, she could keep that promise.

  “Good. I’d hoped to cover this ground earlier today, but it’s been busy, so we’ll do this now. What else can you tell me about the blackmailer’s video? Are you certain it exists?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I’ve seen it.”

  “Where?” Cutter scowled. “Did the blackmailer send it with his texted demand?”

  Shealyn hesitated. Well, she’d walked into that one. “Those details aren’t important, but—”

  “They are. If I can look at his communications, I might be able to get a digital footprint and figure out who he is or some way to stop him.”

  Under no circumstances could she allow him to see that video. “Like I said, I don’t want to investigate. I just want to stay safe while I pay him. Then he’ll go away and—”

  “There’s a strong likelihood he won’t. Think it through. Don’t let him win. If this video was taken against your will, the courts and public opinion will favor you. Look at Erin Andrews and the dirtbag who took video of her naked in her hotel room. She won—”

  “No.” She shook her head, wishing he’d drop the subject. “I appreciate that she had fans on her side and that the courts awarded her lots of cash, but she also endured a storm of media attention for reasons I simply don’t want right now. If money will make this jerk go away, I keep my dignity, my sister gets married without her big day becoming a spectacle, and most everyone is happy. If the blackmailer comes around again with his hand out after Maggie’s wedding, I’ll figure out something else then.”

  He shook his head. “You’ve been billed as America’s girl-next-door. I know you have to maintain an image. Bu
t explain how having a video of you changing clothes in what should have been a private room could be any racier than you and Tower pretending mad passion for each other on-screen? I did some Internet searches last night. Anyone with Google can see almost every inch of you. And what is covered . . . Well, the bedsheets you’re wrapped in don’t leave a lot to the imagination.” He blew out a deep breath.

  As if the sight of her had affected him?

  Shealyn flashed hot at the thought that Cutter might have lusted over provocative pictures of her. Had he wished even once that he could touch her?

  It didn’t matter. She needed to keep this conversation light and change the subject. “Not one image out there reveals my naked butt, thank god. I don’t mind my smile circling the Internet, but my backside . . . No, thank you.”

  “You can’t possibly be self-conscious.” He slanted her a stare as he pulled up to the front gate a quarter mile from her house.

  “Yeah, I can. Just because I’m on a TV show, you think I don’t have insecurities?”

  With a grunt that said she was crazy, Cutter rolled down the driver’s-side window to address the guard. Shealyn leaned across the console and smiled up at the middle-aged man. “Evening, Barney.”

  “Hi, Ms. West. Your guest taking you home?”

  “Yes. He’ll be with me at least through this week.”

  She hoped Cutter would leave it there, but no. “She’s hired me to help her with a security issue. Cutter Bryant.” He held out his hand, and Barney shook it. “Has anyone tried to get past the gate to see her lately that you didn’t recognize? Have you had to shoo anyone away because they were snooping a bit too much around here?”

  The security guard mulled the question and shook his head. “No more than normal. Everything’s been pretty quiet lately. You expecting trouble?”