Behind the Film Star's Smile
Kate Hardy
When the camera stops rolling… Former police officer Jess Greenacre is hoping to bury her past—and becoming a runner on a London film set is the change in scenery she needs. But she hadn’t planned on running into award-winning actor Luke McKenzie on her very first day…and she certainly hadn’t expected the earth-shattering kiss that leaves them both wanting more! Luke has painful memories of his own, but could the honesty he finds in this captivating woman’s eyes herald a new start…for both of them?
She wasn’t sure which of them moved first, but then he was kissing her again.
This was when she should be sensible and stop this, she knew. When she should tell him they needed to go back to being just friends and colleagues. But the way he made her feel …
She opened her mouth and let him deepen the kiss, and the flickers turned into flames.
When he broke the kiss, his pupils were huge, his mouth was slightly swollen and reddened, and there was a slash of colour across his cheekbones. She guessed she was in the same state.
‘Well,’ he said softly. ‘That wasn’t supposed to happen.’
‘We should be sensible,’ she said.
He cupped her cheek, his fingers warm and gentle against her skin. ‘Something about you makes me forget to be sensible, Jess.’
‘Me, too,’ she whispered, and leaned forward to kiss him.
Behind the Film Star’s Smile
Kate Hardy
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
KATE HARDY lives in Norwich, in the east of England, with her husband, two children, one bouncy spaniel, and too many books to count! When she’s not busy writing romance or researching local history she helps out at her children’s schools. She also loves cooking— spot the recipes sneaked into her books! (They’re also on her website, along with extracts and stories behind the books.) Writing for Mills & Boon has been a dream come true for Kate—something she wanted to do ever since she was twelve. She writes for Medical Romance™, and also writes for Cherish™. She says it’s the best of both worlds, because she gets to learn lots of new things when she’s researching the background to a book: add a touch of passion, drama and danger, a new gorgeous hero every time, and it’s the perfect job!
Kate’s always delighted to hear from readers, so do drop in to her website at www.katehardy.com (http://www.katehardy.com).
For Daisy Cummins, with love and thanks for letting me grill her about film-making!
Contents
CHAPTER ONE (#u1b33456d-aa89-5b6a-bb3d-c0dc357cf7c4)
CHAPTER TWO (#u969ed4fd-8729-574f-9bec-470ab0a175fb)
CHAPTER THREE (#ub50af3ed-0b37-5d9a-98d1-8d2532aa8bff)
CHAPTER FOUR (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)
EXTRACT (#litres_trial_promo)
CHAPTER ONE
OMG. LUKE MCKENZIE.
When Jess had taken the assignment from the temp agency to work as a production assistant for a film company, she’d expected it to be a low-budget affair with actors she’d never heard of. Not Luke McKenzie, who’d been named as the most beautiful man in the world for three years running. Luke McKenzie, the favourite actor of both her sister and her best friend, and whose films they dragged her to see at the cinema, even though Jess would rather watch a decent sci-fi movie than sit through a rom-com for the umpteenth time.
Luke McKenzie, who right now didn’t look very happy.
Neither did the chocolate Labrador who was sitting beside him, radiating guilt.
Well, this was none of her business. She was meant to be sorting out some paperwork, not gawking at an A-list movie star or listening in to her boss’s conversation.
‘Jess, can you come here a second, please?’ Ayesha Milan, the production manager, called.
‘Sure,’ Jess said, expecting to be sent on an errand.
‘Can you look after Mr McKenzie’s dog today?’
Jess froze.
Look after a dog.
That was precisely why she’d left the career she loved and had become a temp. So she’d never have to look after another dog again.
‘I...’
‘She doesn’t bite,’ Luke said, rolling his eyes. ‘Just steals things and chews them. She seems to have a particular taste for Louboutins.’
Expensive designer shoes. Well, that would explain why he didn’t look too happy—the owner of said shoes had probably had a mammoth hissy fit on him when she’d discovered the damage, and replacing them would be far from cheap.
‘Jess, are you scared of dogs?’ Ayesha asked.
‘No-o,’ Jess said hesitantly. She wasn’t scared of dogs. She was scared of bonding with them. Of having her heart shredded again. It had taken her more than a year to get to where she was now. The thought of having to look after a dog was bringing everything right back to her.
‘Then can you take charge of...?’ Ayesha looked at Luke to prompt him for the dog’s name.
‘Baloo.’
‘Baloo,’ Ayesha finished, looking straight at Jess.
Oh, help.
As a production assistant, Jess was basically meant to do anything she was asked to do. Saying no would be tantamount to cancelling her contract. Even though she’d worked for the temp agency for nearly a year now, it would still make her look unreliable if she walked out of this job less than an hour after she’d started it, leaving the client in a mess. Which meant they’d be less likely to give her any more assignments, and she couldn’t afford to lose her job.
But saying yes meant putting herself back in a vulnerable position. Something she really didn’t want to do.
‘I’ve got to get back to the set. I don’t have time for this. Here,’ Luke said, and handed her the dog’s lead.
Before Jess could process what was happening, he’d stomped off.
Leaving her with the dog.
‘I—look, don’t I have other stuff to do for you?’ she asked Ayesha, inwardly panicking. Please let her not have to do this. Please.
Ayesha spread her hands. ‘The big thing is to keep the stars happy. We have to tiptoe round them.’ She sighed. ‘I expected Mimi to be the difficult one, not him.’
‘Why did he bring the dog on set? Especially if he knows that she chews things?’
Ayesha shrugged. ‘I have no idea.’
‘He could’ve brought a crate with him. Where the dog would’ve felt safe instead of worried by all the people round her, and—’ Jess stopped, aware that Ayesha was looking curious.
‘You sound as if you know about dogs.’
A degree in animal behaviour and working as a police dog trainer for most of her career had taught Jess a lot. ‘A bit,’ Jess mumbled.
‘Then you’ll be the perfect person to look after Baloo,’ Ayesha said brightly.
No, she wasn’t. She was the last person to look after the dog. Why hadn’t she lied and said that she was scared of dogs, or allergic to them? And she was furious at the way the actor had behaved. This was as bad as the socialites who carried a little dog around with them as an accessory. ‘If you haven’t got time to look after a dog properly, you shouldn’t have one,’ Jess said. ‘I don’t care if he’s the star of the film. This isn’t how you treat dogs.’ She frowned. ‘My sister and my best friend think he’s wonderful. I didn’t think he’d be like—well, like that, in real life.’ Grouchy. Demanding. Whatever the male equivalent of a diva was.
‘He never used to be,’ Ayesha said. ‘I worked on a film with him a couple of years ago, and he was a total sweetheart—he remembered everyone’s name, thanked anyone who ran an errand for him, and I think every female member of the crew and cast fell in love with him. Including me, and I’m used to actors being charming. With him, it wasn’t acting. He meant it.’ She shrugged. ‘But he’s had a pretty hard time the last year. I think it’s changed him.’
Jess remembered seeing the stories about the break-up of Luke McKenzie’s marriage in the press. A divorce must be hard enough to deal with, but having the press zooming in on every detail must make it so much worse. And even Carly and Shannon—her sister and her best friend—had admitted that Luke’s last film hadn’t been quite as good as the previous ones. Not surprising, really: when your life imploded, it was pretty hard to concentrate on your job and do your best. Which was why Jess was focusing on doing something completely different from her old life. ‘Even so, you don’t just dump your dog on the nearest stranger.’
The dog licked her hand, as if glad that someone was batting her corner, and Jess felt something crack in the region of her heart.
No.
She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t make herself that vulnerable and open again.
‘Wouldn’t it be better if she went to the animal handling department?’ Jess asked, hoping she didn’t sound quite as desperate as she felt.
‘They work part-time and they’re only on set when we actually need them.’ Ayesha looked at her schedule. ‘Which isn’t today.’
So she had no choice?
‘Jess, if you could look after the dog, I’d be really grateful,’ Ayesha said. ‘I need to keep everything running as smoothly as possible. And if we say we can’t do it and give the dog back to him, it’s going to affect rehearsals. We start filming this week, so we can’t afford any setbacks. The dog chewed Mimi’s shoes. I’ve already had a message from the director to get another pair delivered here by lunchtime. I get the impression that if we refuse to look after her and the dog goes back with Luke, then Mimi’s going to walk off set. And it’ll take an awful lot to unruffle her feathers and persuade her to come back.’
‘Artistic temperament?’ Jess asked.
‘Let’s just say she lives up to her name.’
Mimi—me, me, me, me. Jess got it instantly.
Ayesha blew out a breath. ‘Though I’d appreciate it if you didn’t repeat any of that.’
Jess remembered what the production manager had told her right from the start: set rules were non-negotiable. What happened on set, stayed on set. No photographs, no social media, no mobile phones, no leaks. Everything within the bounds of the set was to remain a completely separate world. ‘Of course not.’
‘And if you can get those call sheets for tomorrow sorted while you’re looking after the dog, that’d be good.’ Ayesha smiled at her.
Dismissed, but nicely so. It looked as if she didn’t have a choice in the matter, then. ‘OK,’ Jess said, and took the dog over to her own desk.
Luke McKenzie hadn’t bothered to bring a water bowl with him, or give any information about the dog’s feeding schedule. And she had no idea when the movie star planned to come and collect the dog. He hadn’t bothered to tell them that, either.
Jess wasn’t sure what made her angriest: the fact that Luke had dumped his dog, or the fact that he’d put her in an impossible position. She didn’t want to look after his dog, but she had no way to refuse. Not without explanations she didn’t want to make, because she’d had enough of people pitying her.
‘He needs a lesson in manners,’ she said to the dog. ‘And a lot of lessons in how to look after you. You haven’t even got any toys to keep you busy.’
The dog shifted closer to Jess and put her head on Jess’s knee.
Jess had to fight back the tears. It’d been so long since she’d worked at a desk with a dog cuddled up close to her. And the spaniel-shaped hole in her life felt as if it had just opened up again.
She dragged in a breath. ‘Let’s see what we can sort out for you, sweetie.’ A word with the catering department netted her a plastic bowl for water, and a word with the props department gained her a tennis ball. ‘It’s a bit sketchy, but it’s better than nothing,’ she said. ‘We’ll work round this.’
And she wouldn’t bond with the dog in just one day.
Would she?
* * *
That, Luke thought as he headed for the temporary building of the production office, was possibly one of the worst days he’d ever spent in his entire career as a film actor. A co-star who wanted to be treated as if she were the empress of the entire universe, a ridiculous bill for replacing a pair of shoes that said co-star could barely walk in, and now he had to go back and collect the dog that had been dumped on him. The dog he didn’t want. The dog who’d wrecked both his house and his sleep over the last two days.
The icing on the misery cake now would be another of those snide little articles asking if Luke McKenzie was in the process of making another box office flop. He was pretty sure that the last couple had been written by one of his ex-wife’s cronies, but calling them both on it would just result in yet more bad publicity for him. Say nothing, and he was a wimp. Protest, and he was a spiteful bastard who was trying to get revenge on his ex. Whatever he did, he lost.
‘Just grin and bear it,’ he told himself. Fleur would get over the guilt eventually, and she’d stop trying to paint him as the bad guy in an attempt to make herself feel better about what she’d done.
He hoped.
There was one way Luke could turn the tables on her and get all the sympathy, but he wasn’t prepared to do that. Particularly as he knew how quickly the press could put the opposite spin on a story to get more mileage from it. That part of his life was private, and it was staying that way.
OK. He only had to put up with the dog until Thursday. Just another three days. Then his aunt would be back in London to find the dog a permanent home; and he could get back to concentrating on his career. And on making damn sure that this movie was a huge success so Fleur and her cronies wouldn’t be able to say another word.
Luke walked into the office, expecting to see Ayesha Milan, but the only person he saw was the new assistant. He hadn’t actually caught her name this morning. He really regretted that; he’d always sworn that he wouldn’t be one of the stuck-up stars who forgot what it was like to be at the bottom of the heap. He usually made a point of making sure that anyone who worked with him knew that he appreciated what they did and he didn’t take them for granted. Today, he’d slipped up. Badly.
‘Mr McKenzie,’ she said, her mouth thinning. ‘Come to collect your dog?’
‘Yes.’
He was about to apologise for the way he’d dumped the dog on her that morning, but she didn’t give him the chance. ‘I don’t care if you’re Mr Big Shot Actor, and I don’t care if you complain to Ayesha and get me fired for this, but what you did this morning is most definitely not the way to treat a dog. You dumped her on us—without any water, any food, any bedding, any toys—and that’s just not good enough.’
OK. He already knew that.
She wasn’t finished. ‘My sister and my best friend think you’re the greatest as a movie star.’
Implying, he thought, that she didn’t.
‘But, let me tell you, you totally suck as a dog owner.’
He couldn’t deny that. She was speaking the truth.
‘Absolutely. I know nothing about dogs.’ He paused. ‘And Baloo isn’t mine.’
That seemed to take the wind out of her sails. ‘She’s not yours?’
‘I’m looking after her—not that I had any choice—until my aunt gets back from America in three days’ time.’
‘Oh.’ She paused, frowning. ‘Why didn’t you have a choice?’
‘Doesn’t matter. I’ll take her off your hands, now.’ Not that he was going to make a good job of it. The next seventy-two hours or so were going to stretch him to the limit. It didn’t help that the dog had chewed his script, too. The damned dog chewed everything. Worse still, how could he remain angry with an animal who leaped around in joy and wagged her tail madly when she saw him, and right now was sitting at his feet, looking up at him with what was definitely the canine equivalent of a dopey welcoming smile?
‘Why didn’t you have a choice?’ The assistant’s voice was softer, now. Kinder.
God, how easy it would be to let himself respond. But he couldn’t afford to do that. He needed to keep his focus.
‘Your aunt must’ve known you’re working this week. She could’ve booked Baloo into kennels.’
‘She’s not my aunt’s dog, either.’ The words slipped out before he could stop them.
She raised an eyebrow. ‘So how come your aunt asked you to look after Baloo?’
It was a long, long story.
Diversion was the best tactic here. He smiled at her. ‘I’m sorry; I didn’t catch your name earlier.’
‘Jess Greenacre.’
‘Jess.’ Short for Jessica? A staccato name, clipped and a little harsh. How she’d been with him when he’d walked in. But now he looked at her—Jess. Softer. Sweeter. She wasn’t wearing a scrap of make-up, not even mascara to enhance those amazing green eyes.
And what the hell was he doing, letting himself notice that? He shook himself. Even if he was in a position to think about another relationship, it sure as hell wouldn’t be with anyone remotely connected to the movie business. Been there, done that, and been vilified by the press for it. Which really rankled, considering that he hadn’t been the one who’d cheated and broken up the marriage.
Though he had lied. About one tiny little fact. And if that ever got out...
He shook himself. ‘Jess. I was pretty short with you this morning. Rude, even. I’m sorry. This is your first day on set, isn’t it?’
She looked surprised that he’d noticed. ‘Yes, it is, Mr McKenzie.’
‘Call me Luke. And welcome to the team,’ he said.
She folded her arms. ‘OK, you get points for good manners. Even though I suspect you might be acting your socks off, right now.’
To his surprise, he found himself laughing.
When was the last time he’d really laughed like that? Really been amused?
And when was the last time someone had called him on his behaviour instead of tiptoeing round him? Probably not since before the break-up of his marriage.
Jess Greenacre was refreshing. And she was the first person in a long while to intrigue him. She looked older than the average production assistant, so this probably wasn’t her first job. So why was she in such a junior role?
None of his business, he reminded himself.
‘I’m not acting right now,’ he said. ‘And I’m not usually—well, like I was this morning.’
‘But your dog had just chewed your co-star’s shoes, there were some feathers that needed unruffling, and time was tight. You were under too much pressure, and you snapped.’
She’d worked all that out? Bright as well as refreshing, then. Apart from the one thing she just hadn’t seemed to grasp. ‘Baloo’s not my dog, but otherwise yes,’ he admitted. ‘My co-star didn’t want a doggy audience at rehearsals. I did put Baloo in a crate but then she howled the place down and the director wasn’t too pleased. I thought she’d be OK if I let her out. She sat really nicely and just watched. I thought it would be fine.’ He sighed. ‘I wasn’t prepared for her to sneak off when my back was turned and steal some shoes to chew. Even though she’s pretty much destroyed my house, the last two days.’
‘Destroyed your house?’ Jess asked.
‘I left her for ten minutes on Saturday morning to get some croissants and a newspaper. She opened every cupboard in the kitchen while I was gone and shredded every bag and box she could find. You wouldn’t believe how much mess rice, pasta, oatmeal and a bag of flour can make. Or how long it takes to clear up.’
Jess raised an eyebrow. ‘You didn’t leave her with any toys?’
‘She didn’t come with toys.’ He sighed. ‘She’s gutted three cushions, shredded two newspapers, chewed my script—and she can undo doors, so she won’t stay on her own bed at night and then insists on having more than half of mine.’
This time, Jess laughed. ‘I think Baloo needs something to keep her mind busy. Like those balls you can stuff with treats, and the dog has to work hard to get the treats out.’
Jess sounded as if she actually knew what she was talking about. ‘You know stuff about dogs?’ he checked.
She looked wary. ‘A bit.’
‘Jess, I need help. I know nothing about dogs. I’ve never had one.’
‘So why did your aunt ask you to look after her?’
‘It’s a long story.’ He looked at her. ‘You’ve probably been in here since the crack of dawn, and you’ll be expected in at the same time tomorrow. I can’t hold you up any longer. That’s not fair. I’ll take the dog and let you get on.’
She looked surprised, as if she hadn’t expected him to notice the kind of hours the production team worked. And he could hardly blame her. She’d accused him of acting like Mr Big Shot Actor.
Which, admittedly, he had.
‘I’m not usually this much of an idiot,’ he said. ‘Without a good support team, no matter how many awards the cast has won between them, a film just won’t happen. You need the whole crew to work together, whether they’re in front of the camera or behind the scenes.’
‘Right.’ She looked thoughtfully at him. ‘I can stay a bit longer. How about I make us a cup of tea and you tell me about Baloo?’
‘How about,’ he said, ‘I make the tea?’
‘But you’re—’
‘Part of the team,’ he cut in, not wanting to hear her repeat that he was Mr Big Shot Actor. ‘If you’re going to tell me things that can help me deal with a shoe-stealing dog who chews anything she can get her paws on, then making you a cup of tea is the very least I can do.’
* * *
Was he still acting? Jess wondered.
Then again, Ayesha had said that Luke used to be a total sweetheart, but he’d had a hard time over the last year and it seemed to have changed him.
Maybe this man was the real Luke McKenzie, rather than the arrogant, grumpy man she’d met this morning.
And everyone deserved a second chance.
Well, nearly everyone. There were a couple of people that Jess hoped would stay in prison for the rest of their lives. Though now wasn’t the time to think about that.
‘Thank you, Mr McKenzie.’
‘Luke,’ he reminded her.
This was surreal. Since when would an A-list movie star ask you to call him by his first name? She pinched herself surreptitiously, just in case this was some weirdly realistic dream. It hurt. Not a dream, then. ‘Luke,’ she repeated. ‘I like my tea very weak and milky.’
‘So the tea bag says hello to the water and disappears again? That’s utterly gross,’ Luke said, ‘but OK, if that’s how you want it. Sugar?’
‘No, thanks. Tell me about Baloo.’
‘My aunt volunteers at a home for abandoned dogs,’ he said. ‘Baloo was—um—oh, just cover her ears for a second, will you?’
Cover the dog’s ears? Jess didn’t get it, but she did as he asked.
‘She was on death row. Monica—my aunt—smuggled her out. The problem was, Monica had to be at the airport six hours after that, and all the kennels were full.’
Jess smelt a rat. A very, very big one. ‘All the kennels were full?’
‘According to Monica, yes. She didn’t actually tell me why Baloo was on death row, but I’m guessing it’s to do with the stealing and chewing.’
‘Normally it’s because they’re an older dog who’s been abandoned, or because the owners can’t look after them any more—’ Jess forced herself not to think because they’d died ‘—and none of their friends or family has room for a pet. She’s young and healthy.’ She shrugged and stopped covering Baloo’s ears. ‘You’re probably right about the chewing. I’d guess it’s separation anxiety, especially as she wanted to be with you and she doesn’t cope with being left alone. But your aunt must’ve realised you know nothing about dogs.’
‘Yeah. Half the time, I’m not even in London; having a pet wouldn’t be fair because it would spend half its time in kennels.’
‘But you still agreed to look after Baloo.’
‘Temporarily. We’re rehearsing this week, and Monica’s back the day we start shooting.’ He raked a hand through his hair. ‘I had no idea that looking after a dog would be this hard.’
‘A dog who’s been kicked out of at least one home, to be on dea—well, in the position she was,’ Jess amended. ‘A dog with special needs. Not the easiest starter dog for a rookie owner.’
‘You know about dogs.’ It was a statement, not a question.
A lie would be too obvious. ‘Yes.’
‘Can you help me?’ he asked. ‘Please? I know you’re a virtual stranger and I have no right to ask you for help, but apart from my aunt you’re about the only person I’ve met who knows anything at all about dogs.’
Which wasn’t her problem. She could just walk away. This wasn’t part of her job description. She didn’t have to deal with the dog.
But Jess had never been the sort to walk away and refuse help when someone needed it. Saying no would be denying who she was.
‘Please, Jess?’ he asked again.
‘You’re the star of a movie, where I happen to be the production assistant and I’m supposed to do whatever I’m told. All you have to do is tell Ayesha you want me to jump, and she’ll ask you how high,’ Jess pointed out.
He winced. ‘God. I always swore I’d never be like that. And I was horrible, this morning. Worse than Mi–’ He stopped abruptly.
Jess could guess whose name he’d just cut off. Mimi, his co-star. Owner of expensive designer shoes, and clearly also hater of dogs.
‘I’m sorry,’ he finished.
She was pretty sure now that he wasn’t acting. His eyes were almost silver in this light. And they were utterly sincere. ‘Maybe you were having a bad day,’ she suggested.
‘A lot of bad days all in a row,’ he said, wrinkling his nose. ‘But that’s still no excuse for treating people badly.’
Did he have any idea how cute it made him look when he wrinkled his nose like that?
Yes, of course he did. He must do, she thought. It was his job, after all. Hunky movie star. The job description no doubt included the line: must look gorgeous and appealing to all women at all times.
‘Jess, can you help me? Please?’ he asked again.
More charm. He’d made her a cup of tea, just the way she liked it. And she noticed how often he’d used her name—a trick she’d been taught at work, too. It made people have confidence in you if you used their name. It made them feel that you were on their side. It made whatever you said feel personal.
No.
She ought to say no.
She didn’t want to get involved with another dog. Not after losing Comet. The whole point of working as a freelancer was that she wouldn’t get time to bond with any of her colleagues—not like her days with the police, when she knew every single dog in her team and every single handler she trained. When they were friends as well as colleagues. When she’d known most of the dogs from the moment they were born.
Being that close to everyone had left her life in tatters, and she just couldn’t let that happen all over again.
‘Please, Jess?’ he asked softly. ‘I can’t hold up rehearsals until my aunt gets back. We’re on a tight schedule and a tight budget as it is. And I definitely can’t take Baloo back to the dogs’ home. You know what will happen if I do.’
The dog would be put down.
And Jess had had enough death in her life, this last year or so. She couldn’t bear the idea of a young, healthy dog being put down just because she hadn’t been trained and was a bit boisterous.
‘She needs training. Which means a lot of time and hard work and patience,’ Jess warned.
‘I guess that’ll be Monica’s job. Or maybe when she gets back she’ll find the right home for her, with someone who can do the training. But for now Baloo’s with me. And I haven’t got the time to train her or give her the attention she needs.’ He stooped to scratch the back of the dog’s head, and the dog rubbed her face against his knee.
Not his dog, hmm? From Jess’s point of view, that looked like some serious bonding going on. He’d made a fuss of the dog without even realising he was doing it. And the dog was looking adoringly back at him. As far as Baloo was concerned, she’d found the person she wanted to live with for the rest of her days; Jess had a feeling that Luke might not have quite as much say in the matter as he thought he did.
‘So can you help us, Jess? Please?’
Say yes, and open herself up to the risk of getting involved and being hurt.
Or do the sensible thing and say no, sorry, she couldn’t.
Except that would mean refusing to help a dog who was already in trouble and had nobody to speak up for her. How could Jess possibly do that?
‘Can’t you find a dog-sitting service?’ she asked in a last-ditch effort.
‘Dump her on someone else, you mean?’ He grimaced. ‘Monica trusted me with her, and I’ve already messed up once. I feel Baloo ought to stay near me.’
‘Even though you keep telling me she’s not your dog?’ She couldn’t help calling him on the inconsistency.
‘Fair point.’ He sighed. ‘Look, Monica’s my favourite aunt. And she’s batted my corner more than once. This is my chance to do something for her. I just need someone to help me get through the next three days.’
Three days.
Knowing that she was probably doing totally the wrong thing, but not being able to steel her heart enough to be sensible, Jess said, ‘OK. I’ll help. Provided it’s OK with Ayesha.’
‘Thank you, Jess. I really appreciate this.’
When Luke shook her hand, it made Jess feel all funny. Tingly. Weird. Like nothing she’d ever experienced before.
Then again, Luke McKenzie was a movie star. He had stage presence—no, screen presence—and this was a straightforward case of being faced with that for the first time. After a couple of weeks of working on the set, no doubt she’d be completely immune to it.
‘No problem, Mr McKenzie,’ she mumbled.
He gave her another of those knee-melting smiles. ‘I meant it when I said to call me Luke.’
Oh, that smile. On the big screen, his smile was stunning. In real life, it was a hundred times better. No wonder he had a ton of female fans willing to fall at his feet and do just about anything for him. Jess was horribly aware that she’d just joined their ranks and she understood now for the first time why her sister and her best friend had always raved about him so much.
Because Luke McKenzie really was something else.
‘So, where do we start?’ he asked. ‘What time are you in tomorrow?’
‘Half past seven.’
‘You’ll need time to get stuff sorted, first. Shall I meet you here at half past eight?’ he asked.
Again, Jess’s whole body felt tingly and weird. Which was crazy. Luke McKenzie wasn’t asking her out on a date and arranging when and where to meet her. Of course a movie star wouldn’t ask an ordinary person on a date. He just wanted her to help him train his dog. This was business.
‘If it’s OK with Ayesha,’ she said again.
‘If what’s OK with me?’ the production manager said, walking back into the office and clearly overhearing the end of Jess’s words.
‘I need help with the dog,’ Luke said. ‘So she doesn’t steal anything else from Mimi and chew it to pieces. It’s only for three days. And I’m more than happy to pay for a temp to fill in for Jess.’
‘Baloo wasn’t any trouble today,’ Jess said. ‘I don’t need anyone to fill in for me. I can still do what I need to do here and have her with me.’
‘Are you sure?’ Luke asked.
She nodded.
‘If the actors are happy, then I’m happy,’ Ayesha said. ‘OK, Mr McKenzie. Jess can help with your dog.’
He grimaced. ‘We were on first-name terms when we worked on A Forever Kind of Love, a couple of years back. Or would you prefer me to call you Ms Milan now?’
Ayesha winced. ‘This film isn’t the same as that one.’
‘You mean, I’m not the same,’ he said softly. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take my personal life out on my colleagues. You’re right—I haven’t been my normal self on set for a while now, and that isn’t fair to the rest of the crew. Let me know if I’ve upset anyone here, and I’ll have a quiet word with them and apologise tomorrow.’
Ayesha nodded. ‘Thank you, Luke. That makes things a bit easier.’
‘And I’ll try not to be such an idiot in future.’
That earned him a lick on his hand from Baloo, and Jess couldn’t help smiling.
Maybe she wasn’t doing the wrong thing, agreeing to help.
Maybe this was going to be just fine.
And maybe, she thought, Baloo was going to do them both a favour. Help them both move on from a difficult situation in the past.
‘Half past eight,’ he said to Jess.
She nodded. ‘Bring her water bowl, food bowl and whatever she eats during the day, a bed and some toys.’
‘Toys?’
‘Baloo, you need to take him shopping,’ Jess told the dog. ‘Something to chew is top priority.’
‘Not squeaky,’ Ayesha called over, ‘or you’ll drive me potty.’
Jess laughed. ‘There you go, Luke. Your mission, should you choose to accept it...’
He laughed back. ‘That’s about right. OK. Doggy toy shop it is, then. Come on, Baloo.’
CHAPTER TWO
AT HALF PAST seven the next morning, Jess was in the production office, running errands for Ayesha and sorting out all the things that needed to be done before rehearsals for the day started.
It still didn’t feel real that she was meeting Luke McKenzie this morning.
And she still wasn’t quite sure whether he was a genuinely nice guy who was struggling through a tough time, or arrogant, selfish and just playing Mr Nice Guy in order to get her to dog-sit for him.
Either way, she needed her head examining. Spending a day with a dog was the last thing she needed.
But at least today she was prepared. And she had every intention of making Luke McKenzie do some of the work.
At twenty-five past eight, he turned up with the dog and several bags. ‘Morning, Ayesha. Morning, Jess,’ he said as he walked through the door.
‘Morning, Luke,’ Ayesha said.
‘Good morning, Luke,’ Jess echoed. ‘And hello to you, Baloo.’
The dog wagged her tail madly and strained on her lead, pulling Luke along the length of the office to get to Jess, and then put her paws on Jess’s knee and licked her face.
‘Get down, you bad hound,’ Jess said, but her tone was very far from scolding.
She’d missed this so much, having a dog around.
But she knew she had to compartmentalise. This was a job.
Three days.
No bonding.
‘I’ve just ticked the last thing off your list. Is it OK for me to go and help train the dog for an hour or so, Ayesha?’ Jess asked.
The production manager looked up from her desk. ‘Sure.’ She smiled. ‘I’ll have another list waiting when you get back.’
‘That’s fine,’ Jess said.
Luke produced a box of expensive-looking chocolates and handed them to Ayesha. ‘Thank you for lending me your assistant. She’ll be back with you as soon as we start rehearsing.’
Ayesha went pink with pleasure. ‘Dark chocolates. How lovely.’
‘I hope I remembered right?’ he checked.
‘Oh, you did—dark chocolate’s my absolute favourite.’ She smiled at him. ‘Thank you, Luke. See you both later.’
A showy gesture from a movie star? Jess wondered. Or a heartfelt thanks, and he’d actually taken the trouble to remember the production manager’s tastes? Or maybe it was a mixture of the two, because people were never quite that simple.
‘Right. One bed, one water bowl, one food bowl, one doggy packed lunch, one non-squeaky bone to chew, one ball, one rope thing...’ Luke handed Jess the contents of the large bag, one by one.
‘What, did you buy up the whole pet shop?’ she asked, amused.
‘No. I stood in the doorway with Baloo and asked the assistant to get me stuff to keep a chocolate Labrador from chewing everything in sight. Oh, and I said it had to be stuff with no squeaks.’
Jess looked at the assortment of toys on her desk and grinned. ‘I think you’ve just about got enough to keep her interested.’
‘I hope so,’ he said, sounding heartfelt. ‘So what are we doing this morning?’
‘We need a quiet corner to work in. No distractions for Madam, here,’ Jess said, unable to resist scratching the dog behind her ears. Baloo closed her eyes in bliss.
‘A quiet corner. Let me think for a second. OK.’ Luke took them to a bit of the set Jess hadn’t been to while running errands the previous day.
‘The very basics are “sit” and “stay”. I’d guess that Baloo’s never been trained at all, so it might take her a while to pick it up,’ Jess warned. ‘Baloo, sit.’
The dog glanced at her blankly.
Jess gently stroked down the dog’s back. ‘Baloo, sit.’
The dog sat; Jess gave her a piece of chopped liver from her pocket and the dog wolfed it down before licking her hand in gratitude.
‘Dog treats?’ Luke guessed.
‘Cooked chopped liver,’ Jess enlightened him.
‘And you keep it in your pocket?’ Luke looked horrified.
‘In a Ziplock bag. But, yes—if I left it all within her reach she’d scoff the lot within seconds and I wouldn’t have any training treats left,’ she pointed out.
He eyed her curiously. ‘You’ve done this before, haven’t you?’
There was no point in lying. ‘Yes.’
‘So, if you can train dogs, why are you working as a temporary production assistant?’
Because I can’t handle doing my old job.
‘It’s a job.’ Jess shrugged. And, to stop him asking any further questions, she said, ‘Right, your turn.’
It took him a couple of goes, but Baloo sat for him.
‘Now the treat.’ Jess offered him the bag. Was he going to be all prissy about it and refuse to get his precious movie star fingers dirty?
But he took a piece of liver from the bag and gave it to the dog.
That was a good start, she thought. Maybe she could work with him.
‘Next, we teach her to stay.’ She got Baloo to sit. ‘Stay,’ she said, and walked a couple of steps away.
Baloo bounded straight over to her, clearly panicking that Jess was going to leave.
‘No, sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere. But I need you to do what I tell you,’ Jess said. She walked Baloo back to the spot and tried it again. On the fourth attempt, the dog got it. ‘Good girl.’ Jess made a fuss of her and gave her a treat.
‘Your turn,’ she said to Luke.
Again, it took a couple of tries, but eventually the dog did what he asked. ‘Good girl,’ he said, and made a fuss of her before giving her a treat.
Luke didn’t seem to be so uptight today, Jess thought. He was definitely more relaxed than he’d been yesterday, and he was interacting with the dog instead of dumping her as fast as he could on someone else. Maybe it was because rehearsals hadn’t started yet today, so he hadn’t had to deal with his difficult co-star; or maybe the dog was helping him relax.
She so wanted it to be the latter.
They worked with the dog for a bit longer before the runner came over. ‘Mr McKenzie, the director’s ready for you now.’
‘Sure,’ he said with a smile. ‘I’m coming now. Jess, thank you—and you’re sure it’s OK to look after Baloo today?’
No, she wasn’t sure at all. ‘Ayesha said it was OK.’
He pulled a wad of paper from the back of his jeans, ripped a corner off one piece and scribbled a number on the back. ‘Any problems, this is my mobile phone.’
Luke McKenzie was giving her his mobile phone number?
Surreal.
It was a far cry from her old life.
She stopped the thought before it could grow any more. The past was the past, and she couldn’t change it. There was no point in dwelling on it and wishing, because doing that hadn’t made a scrap of difference in the last year. The shooting had still happened, the drug-dealers were all still in jail with life sentences, Matt and Comet were still buried under a carpet of flowering bulbs, and she still had nothing left but memories and wishes.
‘I can hardly ring you in the middle of rehearsals. It’d mess everything up.’
‘Text me, then. I’ll leave my phone on silent,’ he said.
‘OK.’
Back in the production office, as promised, Ayesha had another list ready. Jess worked her way through it, either at her desk with Baloo snuggled in her bed next to Jess’s desk, or with the dog by her side as she walked round the set, taking scripts to people and running errands.
‘So what did you do to Luke McKenzie to make him human again?’ Ayesha asked when Jess returned from the last errand on her list.
‘I told him what I thought of him,’ Jess confessed. ‘Sorry.’
‘That’s a dangerous tactic, Jess. If he’d been a certain other member of the cast—one who cannot possibly be named—then you would’ve had to grovel publicly and you would still have been fired,’ Ayesha said. She came over to make a fuss of the dog. ‘But well done. It’s nice to see Luke being more like his old self. Let’s hope it lasts.’ She looked at the dog. ‘She’s beautiful, isn’t she? And she’s the perfect match for him. Sexy movie star hero with the cute dog. How could any woman resist that combination?’
Good question. Well, Jess would have to, for her own peace of mind. She wasn’t looking for a relationship. Even if she was, she knew that Luke McKenzie was from a different world—one where she wouldn’t fit in. She was ordinary, and he lived his life in the glare of the spotlights.
‘Time for your lunch break, I think. Though you’ll need to take the dog with you.’
‘Sure.’ Jess smiled at her boss and then looked at Baloo. ‘How about a run in the park opposite?’ she asked Baloo.
The dog looked at her as if she was speaking Martian.
‘Your owners didn’t do that with you, did they?’ She sighed. ‘OK. Walkies?’
Baloo still looked blank.
‘You’re going to enjoy this, sweetie,’ she said. ‘But I’d better let Luke know where we’re going.’ She didn’t want to call him, in case he was in the middle of a scene; but she was pretty sure a text would be safe and he’d be able to pick up the message later.
She texted Luke to tell him she was taking Baloo to the park, put the dog’s water bowl in a bag, then headed off the set.
When Jess took Baloo for a run, she realised how much she’d missed it. Working out on a treadmill in a featureless gym was nothing like running outside in the fresh air, with grass and trees all around, and the scent of spring blossom in the air. There really was nothing like running with a dog bounding along by your side. She swallowed hard. It wasn’t the Labrador’s fault that her head was still a bit messed up. But the memories made her catch her breath and she had to stop.
She filled the dog’s water bowl from the bottle she carried with her, then bought another bottle of water from the kiosk in the park, along with a chicken wrap for her lunch.
Once she’d settled herself on a park bench and Baloo was sitting next to her, the dog looked hopefully at her. Or, rather, at her chicken wrap.
‘You think I’m going to share this with you?’ she asked.
The dog’s expression was eloquent enough, and Jess laughed. ‘OK. You can have some of the chicken, but I’m going to make you work for this, Baloo. Shake hands.’
To her surprise, the dog caught on very quickly. What a shame that her former owners hadn’t seen her potential. And what a shame that Baloo was only going to have a temporary home with Luke McKenzie.
Maybe she could...
No. She stopped her thoughts before the temptation got too strong.
Her lease said no dogs—and that was one of the reasons why she’d chosen the flat in the first place. To make sure that she had a solid reason not to weaken and let another dog into her life. A dog she could lose, the way she’d lost Comet. She’d spent the last year putting the pieces of her life back together, and the only way to keep herself safe was to keep herself separate. She needed to remember that. She absolutely couldn’t adopt Baloo. No matter how tempting the idea was.
* * *
Luke checked his phone during the scene break. There was a message from a number he didn’t recognise; he assumed it was from Jess and flicked into it.
She was taking Baloo to the park?
That was definitely above and beyond the call of duty. He still felt a bit guilty about dumping the dog on her, but what else could he have done? He couldn’t leave Baloo at home because he knew she’d trash the place and he didn’t want the dog in a situation where she could get hurt. He couldn’t take time off from rehearsals, because that wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the cast. And, thanks to Mimi’s tantrum after the shoe episode yesterday, he couldn’t keep the dog on the set with him either.
And then there was Jess herself. Straight-talking, and not afraid to stick up for an unwanted dog even if it could mean she’d be fired.
Something about her drew him.
Which was ridiculous. Apart from the fact that Luke wasn’t in a place where he was even looking for a relationship, for all he knew Jess could be happily married, or at least committed to someone. Even if she wasn’t, who would want to date a man in the public eye and have her life stuck under the less than kind microscope of the press? And when Fleur’s cronies found out he was dating her, they’d rip her to shreds in the press. He couldn’t let that happen. And that meant keeping some distance between them. Not acting on the attraction.
He texted back:
Enjoy the park. Will be rehearsing until about five. Let me know if any problems. And thank you.
A few moments later, his phone beeped to signal an incoming message. Jess again.
All fine. Baloo v keen on chicken.
Uh-oh. Had the dog stolen her sandwich? Something else he’d have to replace.
He typed:
Sorry. Will reimburse you for anything Baloo steals or trashes.
The reply was a smiley face.
No need. Is training aid.
‘Luke, we’re ready to go again,’ the director called.
Director wants me back to work. See you later.
He switched his phone off again when the message had been sent.
* * *
At quarter to six, Luke walked into the production office. ‘Sorry I’m late. Rehearsals overran a bit.’
Jess looked up from her desk and smiled. ‘No worries.’
At the sound of his voice, Baloo leaped up from her bed, woofed, and raced over to him.
‘I think someone’s missed you,’ Ayesha said with a grin.
‘Just tell me she didn’t disgrace herself,’ Luke said, rolling his eyes.
‘She’s been great,’ Jess told him. ‘Actually, Baloo has something she wants to show you. Stand in front of her and crouch down a bit. Baloo, shake hands,’ she instructed.
The dog obliged by lifting her paw and shaking hands with Luke.
‘Wow. I didn’t know she could do that.’ He looked impressed.
‘She can now. She picks things up quickly and Labradors are very trainable—I think you could have a potential movie star dog here.’
He laughed. ‘If I didn’t know better, I’d say my aunt called you and recruited you to her campaign to get me a dog.’
‘She adores you.’
‘Because I’m her favourite nephew. Yeah, yeah.’
‘I meant the dog adores you.’ Jess couldn’t help laughing. ‘You’re that used to people adoring you?’
‘My aunt, yes.’
Interesting that he’d mentioned his aunt rather than his parents or grandparents. So did that mean he was closer to his aunt than to any other relative? Had he lost his parents young, maybe?
Not that it was any of her business. She was simply looking after his dog for three days, not becoming his best friend or anything even close to it. She needed to back off. Now. ‘I, um, guess I’d better let you and Baloo get on,’ she said. ‘See you tomorrow.’
‘OK. Want me to make you a cup of tea before I go?’ he asked.
Ayesha coughed. ‘How come you’ve managed to snag yourself a personal tea boy, Jess?’
Luke grinned. ‘If I remember rightly, Ayesha, you hate tea and only drink espresso. Stronger than anyone else I know can take it, and that includes the Italians.’
‘Actors and their memories. I swear they have elephant genes,’ Ayesha teased.
‘Well, there has to be some benefit to learning lines,’ Luke said with a wink.
‘Jess, you can go now, if you like,’ Ayesha said. ‘I’ll finish up here.’
‘Sure?’ Jess asked.
‘Sure,’ Ayesha confirmed.
And somehow Jess found herself walking out of the office with Luke McKenzie.
‘Can I take you for a drink to say thank you?’ he asked.
Now she knew he was being polite. And she’d be polite back. ‘Thanks, but no. I have a standing date on Tuesday evenings.’
‘Uh-huh.’
‘With my sister, my best friend and a pizza.’ And why had she felt the need to explain that? she wondered, cross with herself. He wouldn’t be interested. He was a movie star, for pity’s sake, not a normal everyday guy.
‘Enjoy,’ he said. ‘Maybe we can take a rain check on that drink.’
A permanent rain check, she thought. So they’d never actually go. ‘Sure.’
‘Seriously. Baloo and I owe you.’
A mad idea floated into her head. ‘If you really want to say thank you, you could give me two signed photos.’
He looked taken aback. ‘Two signed photos?’
What, did he think she meant to sell them on eBay or something? ‘For my sister and my best friend,’ she explained. ‘It’d make their day. They drag me off to see all your films.’
He grinned. ‘Under duress, would that be?’
She winced. ‘Sorry, that came out wrong. I like your films, too.’
‘But rom-coms aren’t your thing?’
‘I like them,’ she said, trying to be polite.
‘But?’
‘But I prefer action films,’ she confessed. ‘Especially sci-fi. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude.’
He laughed. ‘No, it’s refreshing. It’s nice to have someone being honest instead of telling me that they’ve seen all my films twenty times and I’m the best actor in the world—which I know I’m not. Of course I’ll give you a signed photo for your sister and your best friend. It’s the least I can do. Come back with me and Baloo to my trailer and I’ll get them now.’
‘You have a trailer? And one of those chairs with your name on it?’ She felt her eyes widen. Luke McKenzie was a huge international star, and he’d made her feel so at ease that she’d actually forgotten that.
He laughed again. ‘Don’t be expecting a huge palace with gold-plated taps or what have you. It’s just an ordinary caravan. Somewhere to have some space to myself.’ He scratched the top of the dog’s head. ‘Which Madam here would chew up in a matter of seconds if I left her there.’
Baloo just gave him an innocent look.
Jess followed him back to the trailer. As he’d said, it was just a caravan, a place where he could make himself a drink and chill out. It was also incredibly tidy; either he was a neat freak, or one of the runners had to tidy it up for him every day. There was a dog cage, she noticed; obviously the one he’d talked about yesterday, from which the dog had escaped.
‘Photos. OK. Give me a second.’ He rummaged in a drawer and brought out two photographs and cardboard envelopes. ‘Who do I sign them to?’
‘Carly—she’s my sister—and Shannon, my best friend, please.’
He took out a pen, signed the photographs with a flourish, and put them neatly in the envelopes.
‘Thank you.’ She smiled. ‘You’ll probably hear the shrieks of joy all the way across London when I hand them over tonight.’
‘Pleasure.’ He rubbed the dog’s ears. ‘Right, you. Home for dinner. And don’t keep me awake tonight with your snoring.’ He rolled his eyes. ‘I had no idea that dogs snored. Or that they were pillow hogs.’
‘Oh, they snore, all right. And they’ll sneak onto the sofa between you if they think they can get away with it.’
He glanced at her left hand, and she realised what she’d just let slip. Cross with herself, she lapsed into silence.
* * *
It sounded very much to Luke as if Jess Greenacre had once had a dog, but didn’t have one any more. And she’d also clearly been in a relationship, though she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.
So what had happened?
Had it been a bad break-up and her ex-partner had claimed custody of their dog? Was that why she’d been reluctant to look after Baloo, because it brought back memories of a dog she missed very badly?
She clearly didn’t want to talk about it because she’d gone quiet on him and the laughter had gone from her green eyes.
Luke was shocked to realise that he wanted to make her smile again. Which was crazy; he didn’t plan to get involved with anyone, ever again. Fleur had put him off relationships for life. Picking up the pieces when things went wrong was hard enough; to have to do it in the full glare of the media spotlight had been a nightmare.
But he couldn’t leave it like this, with things so awkward between him and Jess. The best way he could think of to break the ice again was to ham it up. Entertain her. ‘And she raided my shoe rack. She had one of every single pair in her bed yesterday, didn’t you, Madam?’
The dog glanced up at him and looked as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
Jess reached over to rub the top of the dog’s head. ‘That explains a lot.’
‘Does it?’ Luke was mystified.
‘I think I can tell you her history now,’ Jess said. ‘She was left home alone a lot. Her owners probably weren’t used to dogs and either didn’t know how to train her or just couldn’t make the time.’ For a second, she looked angry—on Baloo’s behalf, Luke thought. ‘If they’d looked on the Internet, they could’ve found tips to help. Leaving the radio on, putting a blanket or an old towel in the laundry basket overnight and then putting it on her bed so it smelled of them and made her feel less alone, or giving her a special toy to distract her.’
Luke wouldn’t have had a clue about any of that.
‘She probably chewed the place down from a mixture of boredom and anxiety.’ She sighed. ‘Some people just shouldn’t have dogs.’
Including me, Luke thought.
‘She’s really worried about being left alone, now, and she’s going to need separation training.’
‘That’s what you said before. Is that difficult?’ Stupid question. Especially as it would probably make Jess think that he wanted to learn how to do it so he could keep the dog himself. Which he couldn’t.
‘Not so much difficult as the fact that it takes time,’ she said.
‘Which I don’t have.’ He grimaced. ‘Without you, we’d be totally stuck. And it’s a relief not to have someone complaining about her all the time.’
‘People whose shoes she chews?’ Jess asked archly.
‘I don’t think Mimi minded so much about the shoes as, um, not getting time with me on her own.’
She flushed. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to get in the way of your date.’
‘Trust me, I’m not dating Mimi, and I don’t want to.’
‘She’s really that difficult?’
The look of shock on Jess’s face told him that she hadn’t meant to blurt out the question. ‘She’s really that difficult,’ he confirmed wryly. ‘I’m looking for an easy life right now.’ Just so Jess knew he wasn’t hitting on her.
‘Look, I don’t want to put my foot in it, but I, um, saw the papers last year.’
Hadn’t everyone? Fleur had turned the end of their marriage into a total media circus.
‘I get where you’re coming from and, just so you know, I’m not going to turn into your Number One Fan and stalk you or anything,’ Jess finished.
‘I know.’ He tried for lightness. ‘Otherwise I’d set my dog on your shoe wardrobe.’
‘Shoe wardrobe?’ She looked surprised.
‘Don’t all women have them?’ he asked. Fleur had needed a walk-in wardrobe to hold all her shoes—organised by colour and heel height. She’d had ten pairs of black court shoes with four-inch heels, and Luke hadn’t been able to tell the difference between them.
‘I have three pairs of shoes,’ Jess said. ‘No, four, if you count my running shoes.’
He laughed. ‘I like you. You’re refreshing.’
‘Thank you. I think.’ She smiled, and it sent a thrill all the way down his spine. Which was crazy. He and Jess came from different worlds. He barely knew her. He couldn’t be reacting to her like this.
‘Just for the record, I think I like you, too.’ Then she grimaced. ‘Sorry. You must hear that all the time, people coming up to you and telling you they love you.’
He smiled. ‘It happens a bit, yes, but I’m not daft enough to think that they love me. They don’t know me. They love the character I played in a movie, and there’s a big difference between the two.’ Which had been half the problem with Fleur. She’d loved who she thought he was, not who he really was. That, and the fact that he hadn’t been able to give her what she really wanted.
‘I suppose it’s like the baddies in soap operas. People shout at them in the street because they confuse them with the character, and they might be incredibly sweet in real life instead of being mean,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘So you’re not a handsome, charming and posh Englishman with floppy hair, who isn’t very good at talking about his feelings?’
He laughed. ‘Got it in one.’ Though, actually, he knew it wasn’t that far off the mark. He’d been typecast for a reason. ‘Well—I’d better let you get on. Enjoy your evening with your sister and your best friend.’
‘I will, and thanks again for the photos. Enjoy your evening, too.’ She made a last fuss of the dog. ‘And you, be good. We’ll do some more training tomorrow. And go for another run.’ She glanced at Luke. ‘She likes running, by the way. And there’s nothing like a good run with a dog at your side.’
‘If that’s your idea of a subtle hint,’ he said, ‘I’d hate to know what a heavy one’s like.’
‘You want a heavy hint?’ She laughed. ‘When you’ve had a day of dealing with people you have to be civil to, but really you want to shake them until their teeth rattle and tell them to grow up... That’s when a good run with a dog at your side will definitely put the world to rights. Even if you do have to go out in public wearing dark glasses and a silly hat.’
‘I do not wear dark glasses and a silly hat,’ he said.
She folded her arms. ‘My sister gets every magazine with your picture in it, so I know you’re not telling the truth. You’ve got a silly hat. A beanie. I’ve seen it.’
‘Busted,’ he muttered, enjoying himself hugely. When had he last met someone he could have fun with like this?
‘I think you should steal the hat, Baloo,’ Jess said in a stage whisper. ‘Chew it to pieces. Then he’ll have to go and get a sensible one.’
Luke couldn’t remember when he’d enjoyed bantering with someone so much, it had been so long ago. ‘What counts as sensible? Deerstalker? Fez? Top hat?’
She groaned. ‘You’re not Sherlock Holmes, Dr Who or Fred Astaire.’
‘Ah, but I’m an actor,’ he said. ‘So I could be. If you wanted.’ He did a little tap dance. ‘See? I’m Fred.’
She grinned. ‘Don’t make me dare you.’
‘Dare me,’ he said softly, willing her to dare him to kiss her. Because right at that moment, he really, really wanted to kiss her.
But then panic flared in her eyes, as if she realised that their flirting was starting to get a bit too intense. A bit too close. ‘I need to get going. See you tomorrow. Bye, gorgeous.’
The way she made a last fuss of the dog made it clear to Luke that the ‘gorgeous’ had been directed at the Labrador, not at him.
Pity.
He was definitely attracted to her. He thought it might even be mutual. But to act on that attraction would be the most stupid thing either of them could do. They were from different worlds. It would never work. And if it turned out that she, like Fleur, wanted something he most definitely couldn’t provide...
Better not to start anything he couldn’t finish. ‘See you tomorrow,’ he said. And watched her walk away.
CHAPTER THREE
JESS’S ENTRY-PHONE rang at precisely seven-thirty. She buzzed her sister and best friend up, and met them at her front door with a hug.
‘Pizza,’ Shannon said, waving the box at her.
‘Wine, strawberries and ice cream,’ Carly added, handing over the pudding. ‘And we want to know everything.’
‘Food first.’ Jess shepherded them into the kitchen, where the table was already set, and put the strawberries in the fridge and the ice cream in the freezer.
Carly poured the wine. ‘So how was it?’
‘Fine.’
‘Brave face fine, or really fine?’ Carly persisted.
‘Really fine,’ Jess reassured her with a smile.
‘So tell us all about it. What’s it like, working on a film set? Did you see anyone famous?’ Carly asked.
‘Set rules—everything’s confidential. So I can’t tell you that much about it,’ Jess warned.
‘Confidential. Just like your old job,’ Shannon said wryly.
No. Because this time Jess wasn’t getting involved. And nobody was going to get hurt. Working on a film set was nothing like being a police officer, apart from her work having to be confidential. There were no thugs with loaded guns to face, for starters. It wasn’t life or death. ‘Not quite. Everyone I worked with was nice.’
She couldn’t tell Carly and Shannon everything about Luke McKenzie—if she told them about Baloo, she knew they’d both suggest immediately that she should move to a flat that allowed animals and give the Labrador a home. But she was looking forward to their reaction to her little surprise. ‘As for anyone famous... You have to keep this totally confidential, OK?’
‘Promise. Cross our hearts,’ they chorused, following up with the actions.
‘Good.’ She fetched the cardboard envelopes and handed them over. ‘These are for you.’
She watched the expressions on their faces as they opened the envelopes and took out the signed photographs. Surprise turned to disbelief and then delight—and then the pair of them hugged her half to death.
‘Oh, my God. You met Luke McKenzie! I can’t believe it. My little sister just met the most gorgeous man in the world. What’s he like?’ Carly asked.
‘Complicated,’ Jess said. ‘When I first met him—well, he was being Mr Big Shot Actor.’
‘But he’s always so nice in interviews,’ Shannon said, looking disappointed.
‘He got a bit nicer as the day went on,’ Jess said.
‘Maybe he’s just not a morning person and needs a ton of coffee before he’s even halfway human,’ Carly suggested. ‘I still can’t believe you actually met him.’
‘Is he as beautiful in real life as he is on the screen?’ Shannon asked.
More so. But Jess couldn’t quite admit to that. It would be totally inappropriate to have a crush on Luke McKenzie. She was the most junior member of the film crew, and he was the headline actor. ‘You wouldn’t be disappointed,’ she said.
‘So you’re actually working with him?’ Shannon shook her head. ‘Wow. I can’t take this in.’
‘He’s not the only actor in the movie,’ Jess said with a smile.
Carly laughed. ‘You’re talking to us. Of course he’s the only actor in the movie!’
Jess laughed back. ‘Come on—let’s eat before the pizza gets cold, and I’ll tell you as much as I can about today.’
At the end of the evening, Carly held her close. ‘It’s good to see you smile again, Jessie,’ she said. ‘I know you’ve had a really tough time of it, this last year, and it’s been hell watching you go through it and knowing that I couldn’t do anything to make things better for you. I would’ve given anything for a magic wand to fix things. I still wish I could bring Matt and Comet back. Well, not even have them in danger in the first place.’
‘You were there for me, and just knowing that I could call you at stupid o’clock in the morning if I needed to helped a lot,’ Jess reassured her.
‘You never actually called me, though,’ Carly pointed out. ‘Because you’re too stubborn.’
Jess gave her a rueful smile. ‘I guess I just needed time to come to terms with things in my own way. I’m never going to stop missing Matt and Comet, but I’m finally learning to see the sunshine again.’
‘I just wish you’d go back to working with dogs,’ Shannon said. ‘You loved your job so much. And working as a temp doesn’t make you anywhere near as happy—even if you did get to meet the most gorgeous man in the world today.’
‘I’m fine,’ Jess said. She’d heard this argument countless times before. And she had the same answer: she wasn’t ready to go back to working with dogs. She might not ever be ready. As a temp, she kept her days too full to think, and that suited her right now. ‘See you both later. Text me to let me know you’re home safely.’
‘Of course,’ they said, rolling their eyes.
She couldn’t even use the excuse that she was a policewoman any more. She just wanted to know that they were safe. Needed to know.
‘Stop worrying, sweetie,’ Shannon said and hugged her. ‘Everything’s going to be just fine.’
* * *
On Wednesday morning, Jess spent an hour working through Ayesha’s list, then had an hour of training with Luke and Baloo before his rehearsals. She was guiltily aware that her best friend was absolutely right about Jess being happiest when working with animals: despite her initial reservations, Jess was really enjoying training the dog. She loved seeing the Labrador blossom and become more confident as her training progressed. And she’d missed this.
Maybe she should consider going back to it. Not with the police—she knew she couldn’t handle the idea of training people and their dogs to face the kind of situation Matt and Comet had faced—but maybe she could set up classes doing something like this. Or even working with the animal handling department of a film company.
‘She’s doing really well,’ Luke said. ‘I can’t believe how quickly she’s picking things up.’
‘She’s very trainable. And this will make her life easier.’ Jess paused. ‘And yours.’
‘Baloo’s not mine,’ Luke reminded her.
Oh, yes, she most certainly is, Jess thought, but kept her counsel.
As the runner came up to tell Luke that the director was ready for him, Jess said, ‘See you later. Break a leg—or is that only said for stage performances?’
He laughed. ‘It’s pretty much the same thing. Thanks, Jess. See you later.’
* * *
At lunchtime, Jess’s phone rang.
‘Hi. It’s Luke,’ he said.
As if she wouldn’t recognise that voice—like melted chocolate, warm and rich and sensual. ‘Hi.’
‘I was wondering if you and Baloo would like to have lunch with me.’
‘Baloo’s very partial to chicken sandwiches,’ she said. ‘So if they’re on the menu, our answer is yes.’
He laughed. ‘I’ll bear that in mind. See you at the catering tent in ten minutes, then?’
‘Hang on, I’ll just check with Ayesha.’ When the production manager confirmed that it was fine for Jess to take her break, she told Luke, ‘Yep. Ten minutes.’
And hopefully by the time she met him her common sense would be back in control. Along with her knees, which right now were doing a great impersonation of blancmange. Ridiculous. Luke McKenzie was a movie star. He was supposed to have that effect on women. It wasn’t real.
They reached the catering tent at practically the same time.
‘The team here is pretty good,’ Luke said. ‘I don’t know if chicken sandwiches are on the menu today, but I can definitely recommend their BLTs.’
Baloo looked hopefully at him, and Jess laughed. ‘Bacon is full of salt. Which is not good for dogs.’
Baloo hung her head and looked sorrowful.
Luke ruffled her fur. ‘Did you train her to do that?’
‘No. She’s a natural.’
‘Don’t say it,’ Luke warned, ‘because it’s not going to happen.’
Jess spread her hands. ‘Not a word will pass my lips.’ But she was thinking it, and she knew he knew it.
‘So how was your pizza last night?’ he asked as they walked over to the catering area.
‘Good. I meant to say earlier, my sister and my best friend asked me to say thank you for the photos. They were thrilled.’
‘My pleasure,’ he said simply.
The bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches were as good as Luke had promised. Although Jess refused to let Baloo have any, she relented enough to let the dog have a treat from her pocket, and the dog settled between them both with a happy sigh.
‘Care to indulge a nosey actor?’ Luke asked.
Her heart skipped a beat. ‘How?’
‘Set rules,’ he said. ‘Were you a dog trainer before you did this job?’
Apart from the last year. But she wasn’t going into that. ‘Pretty much,’ Jess said. ‘I thought about being a vet when I was at school, but I realised I couldn’t handle the tough side of it—situations where I couldn’t make an animal better and had to put them down.’ She grimaced. ‘I was never allowed to watch Lassie films as a child because I’d always sob through them.’
‘I was never allowed to watch them, either,’ Luke said.
Jess had hoped he’d be soft-hearted when it came to animals. Good. Things were starting to look that much more hopeful for Baloo.
‘So what made you think of being a trainer?’ he asked.
‘I took my dog to agility classes when I was twelve, and I loved it—I got chatting to the trainer, and she suggested it,’ Jess explained. ‘My parents were brilliant and supported me all the way. I did a degree in animal behaviour, then qualified as a dog trainer.’ Luke didn’t need to know that she’d become a police dog trainer and had spent two years as a police officer first.
‘So what made you stop?’
My husband and my dog were shot and killed. That was a tricky one to broach. And she didn’t want Luke to pity her and treat her like a special case. She grimaced. ‘Right now, do you mind if we don’t talk about it?’
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