Dreaming Of Your Love (Hollywood Legends #3) (13 page)

Colt
recognized the signs and it made his stomach clench. He did a quick mental
calculation. Damn it. He had been so distracted with the movie and Sable, Colt
had lost track of time.

“I
forgot all about it.”

“Four
years next week.” Callie kept her voice low. “That bitch wasn’t happy to
torment him while they were married. She had to die—on their anniversary. Wyatt
relives it every year.”

The
truth was, Wyatt lived with the guilt of his wife’s death every day. It was a
constant companion that he couldn’t shake no matter how much time passed. The
bloom left the marriage early on. Stephanie was a manipulative, self-obsessed
harpy. On top of that? She was a secret drinker who, the longer they were
married, stopped hiding it. She came out of the proverbial alcoholic’s closet.
Loud and proud.

Her
death had been ruled accidental. A car accident, in the mountains, on
rain-slickened roads. But knowing Stephanie, she chose the day Wyatt married
her to end it. The perfect way to make certain he never forgot her. One last
punch to his already battered gut.

“If
I thought it would work, I would hire an exorcist to chase that she-devil from
his soul.” Callie sounded close to tears.

Colt
squeezed her hand. He knew better than anyone the pain and suffering Wyatt went
through. Most days, he seemed fine. No. He was fine. But Stephanie was like malaria.
Once in his bloodstream, one never knew when the disease would reappear. Only,
in Wyatt’s case, there was no treatment. He couldn’t shake her, no matter how
hard he tried.

“I’ll
talk to him before he leaves. I hoped this year would pass without a problem.”

“It
might,” Callie said. “I want to make sure someone is there for him. Just in
case. When I ask, he claims that everything is fine. You’re the only one he
opens up to, Colt.”

“I
won’t let him close down, Mom. Please, don’t worry.”

“I’m
a mother.”

“Right,”
Colt nodded. He had heard this before. “Worry becomes part of your DNA.”

“I’ve
been lucky. Your father and I have raised four strong, decent men. However, the
world likes to throw all of us the occasional curve ball. It threw Wyatt a big,
crap-covered one.” Callie shrugged. “He hurts. I hurt.”

“I
have his back.”

“Then
I can worry a little less.”

Callie
sent him a smile, one he knew very well. This time, when Colt’s stomach
clenched it had nothing to do with Wyatt.
Oh, boy,
he thought.
Here
it comes
. “How are things with you?”

“Great.
The movie is on time and under budget. That should help Wyatt’s spirits.”

“And
Sable? Are you adjusting to a permanent bodyguard?”

“Temporarily
permanent,” he reminded her.

“I
like that jacket she has on.”

“It’s
okay.”

“Colton.”

Callie
patiently waited for him to tell her everything. She could afford patience.
When she turned that sharp, silver gaze on them, her sons never held out long.

“Fine.
I bought Sable a few things.”

“Really?”

“A
lot of things,” he admitted sheepishly. “She needed them.”

“Twelve
pairs of running shoes?”

Jesus.
That many
? Colt
didn’t care about the money, but who needed twelve?

“Sable
let me know I’d messed up, Mom.”

“I
should hope so.” Callie smiled. Warm. Loving. Understanding. “I want you to
think long and hard about why you found it necessary to buy her all those
things, Colton.”

“Mom—”

“Long
and hard. Understood?”

“Yes.
Understood.”

“Good.”
She patted his hand. “Here is Lorena with dessert. Lemon icebox cake. Stop
frowning and dig in. I know who much you love it.”

Colt
ate his dessert and it was excellent. As always. But his mind was on his mother’s
words. He didn’t want to think long and hard about clothes or motives. Or for
that matter, Sable. They were having fun. Wasn’t that enough?

He
looked across the table at Sable. She and Jade were laughing over something
Garrett had said. As if sensing his gaze, she turned her head, her eyes meeting
his.

The
zing in the region of his heart didn’t mean squat. Too much rich food. As soon
as he hit the gym, he would work off the calories and everything would be back
on an even keel. He and Sable had a limited amount of time together. One movie
shoot. At the most, five or six weeks left. He didn’t want to ruin it by
examining
his feelings
.

Sable
was his friend. His lover. He treasured her as both. But when they parted, he
would move on. And so would she.

Shit.
There it was again. Not a zing. This time, it felt like a vice tightening
around his heart.

Colt
shook it off and finished his dessert. He didn’t do long-term relationships.
His career wasn’t suited to them. And he wasn’t ready to fall in love. Not with
Sable. Not with anyone.

FILMMAKING WAS A mystery to Sable.

She
had known the basics before she began spending her days on the set. Scenes were
not shot in order of the story. The climactic reunion was already being edited.
While today they were filming the first time the lovers met.

It
seemed odd, but it worked. It had since the beginning of movies over a hundred
years ago. Colt explained that most days he didn’t think about the story arc.
He focused on the moment. The words. The emotions or actions he needed to
convey right now. If he did his job, the movie would fit together seamlessly.
With the help of a skilled, and often underrated, editor.

Sable
understood all of that. What she couldn’t grasp was the outrageous waste of
time. The soldier in her hated inactivity. In the Army, there was always
something to do. Cleaning and repairing her gear. Working out. Tactical
meetings. Or a few minutes of much-needed shut-eye. She never let time slip
away without accomplishing something.

After
a few weeks of observation, she concluded making a movie consisted of two
things. Bursts of frantic activity. And hours of standing around.

“Today
has been a bitch. For a nickel, I would chuck the business. Want to run off to
Tahiti?”

Sable
blinked in surprise. Colt never complained. Well, sometimes he grumbled about
his co-star. In spite of her efforts, Colt hadn’t succumbed to the charms of
Candice DeMarcco. If she really wanted him, she was going about it in the wrong
way.

On
a good day, Candice was temperamental. She treated the crew like crap, making
demands that sent them running in every direction except the right one. She
often flubbed her lines, or worse, hadn’t learned them. Today’s major delay had
been caused by her complaint that her blouse wasn’t the right shade of pink.
She refused to come out of her trailer until fuchsia was replaced by peony.

“Tahiti
sounds great. When do we leave?”

“As
soon as you change. I’m already dressed for island living.”

At
the moment, Colt wore nothing but a pair of board shorts and flip-flops. Sable
could see the goosebumps on his arms. Apparently his anger kept him warm.
Knowing that wouldn’t last long, she motioned for his assistant to get him a
jacket.

“You
wouldn’t make it to take-off.” Smiling her thanks, Sable took the jacket. “Stand
up.”

Colt
obliged. This was the first time Sable had fussed over him. He liked it. When
she fastened the last button, he tipped her chin and gave her a sweet thank you
kiss.

“I’m
serious.”

“I
know. And I don’t blame you. America’s sweetheart needs a firm kick in the
butt.”

“Are
you volunteering for duty?”

Sable
leaned close, adjusting his collar.

“Trust
me, it would be a pleasure, not a duty.”

Colt
pulled Sable in for a hug, his arms slipping around her waist. He swayed,
almost dancing, enjoying how easily she adjusted to his rhythm.

“We
aren’t going to Tahiti.” He felt a touch of regret.

“No.
Face it, pretty boy. You aren’t the type to skip out. This is a job, but more
than that, it’s a promise. You made a commitment. Think of all the people you
would put out of work. Nope. It doesn’t matter if you never joined. You, Colton
Landis, are a Boy Scout at heart.”

“Mmm.”
His breath tickled her ear. “Sounds boring.”

“There
is nothing boring about a good man.”

Colt
felt his chest puff out. He heard it in her voice. She handed him the ultimate
compliment. In Sable’s world, good men were few and far between. He was proud
to be added to that short, but precious list.

“Rene
is at her wits’ end.”

Sable
tried to pull away, but Colt muttered, “Nope.” And held her firmly in place. He
knew she could get away in a heartbeat, but she understood. He needed
comforting. She stayed put and turned her head.

“You
look pretty frazzled yourself.”

Kiki
Donahue flopped onto one of the chairs.

“What
the fuck is the difference between fuchsia and peony?”

“Peony
is a paler shade of pink.”

Sable
and Kiki gave Colt matching stares of amazement.

“My
mother loves her garden,” he said with a grin. “Real men love flowers.”

“No
question. You are without a doubt a real man.”

Kiki
made a gagging sound. “Give me a break. Rene is giving me grief because she has
no recourse to deal with Candice. I broke up with my boyfriend over a month
ago, so I’m in the middle of a sexual drought. Do me a favor? Keep the
lovey-dovey crap to a minimum. At least, when I’m around.”

“That’s
it.” With a kiss on her cheek, Colt set Sable away from him. “I gave the bitch
a long piece of rope and now she’s hung herself. I’m going to remind her that
she’s supposed to be a professional. And if that doesn’t work, I’ll call in the
big gun.”

“Should
we be worried?” Kiki asked Sable as they watched Colt stride toward Candice’s
trailer.

“No.
Colt won’t hurt her.”

“I
know that. I meant should we worry about his threat? The big gun? Whatever it
is, it sounds dangerous.”

“Not
what. Who. Candice needs to pay attention to Colt. Because from what I’ve
heard, nobody wants to get on the bad side of Wyatt Landis.”

IT TOOK HIM an hour. Sable didn’t know what Colt said to
Candice, but when she returned to the set, she was all sweetness and light. And
she was wearing the original blouse. Bright fuchsia. Not a peony in sight.

The
beach scene went off without a hitch. They wrapped it up in only two takes.
Rene called cut, and the crew began breaking down the set. The privately owned
oceanside property was rented until sundown today. If they hadn’t finished on
schedule, the overage costs would have been astronomical.

Colt
saved the day, artistically and financially.

Sable
waited while Colt conferred with Rene about tomorrow’s schedule. He had a
producing credit in the movie. At first, Sable had been surprised by how
seriously he took the title. He never left the set without making sure
everything was set for tomorrow. It made his day longer, but he never
complained. It wouldn’t have occurred to him. He grew up learning every end of
the family business. Sometimes through osmosis. Mostly by asking questions and
doing his homework.

The
more Sable learned about Colton Landis, the more she admired him.

“Hi,
Janis,” Sable smiled. She hadn’t seen the actress for over a week. She only had
a handful of scenes with Colt, so they were always missing each other.

“Promise
me you won’t shoot the messenger?”

“That
sounds ominous.”

“I
say it’s a ball of crap, but…”

“Spill
the beans, Janis.” Sable preferred that everything was done in a straight line—including
gossip.

“Candice
is telling anyone who will listen, and around here, that’s just about everyone,
that Colt talked her around the old-fashioned way. Horizontally.”

“She
claims they had sex?” Sable shook her head. “That is sad and pathetic.”

“I
agree. Unfortunately, juicy gossip has a way of spreading. Each retelling is
embellished. Tomorrow the rags will have Candice pregnant with Colt’s love
child.”

“It
can’t hurt me, Janis. I know it’s a lie.”

Sable
meant every word. Her skin was tough. Forged by the kind of maliciousness that
Hollywood could never come close to matching. Once you had survived the
military grapevine, you could survive anything.

“I
admire your attitude. But remember. When a lie is juicy enough, nobody cares
about the truth.”

“The
truth is the only thing that matters. Even if you’re the only one who knows
what that is.”

“God!
I want to be you.” Janis laughed when Sable snorted in disbelief. “Honestly.
You have your shit together. And I wouldn’t mind taking over your body for a
few hours. What’s it like to look like a supermodel?”

“It’s
the clothes.”

Sable
lovingly ran a hand over the teal-colored cashmere jacket. Every morning,
because she knew she couldn’t be seen, she danced around her closet deciding
what to wear. She discovered something new every time. It was like her own
personal designer outlet.

She
would never let Colt know, but it was going to be torture to leave it all
behind. For now, it was hers. And she reveled in wearing something different
whenever she went out.

“Please.”
Janis scoffed. “You would look good in a gunny sack. It’s the long legs. And
the cheekbones. And the attitude.”

“Attitude?”
Sable asked, puzzled. “I have an attitude?”

“You
said it yourself. You don’t care what other people think.”

“That’s
a loose interpretation of what I said, Janis.”

Sable
didn’t care what strangers thought. But there was one person whose opinion
meant more than anyone else. At one time, her father was her biggest supporter.
Now, she didn’t know what he thought. Until he answered her endless messages,
she would never know.

“Nope.
I stand by my words.” Janis hopped off the chair. She fluffed her blonde hair
before giving Sable a quick hug. “I have to run. There’s a certain hunky sound
man with killer blue eyes who claims to make a mean margarita. Tonight I’m
going to find out. If all goes well, I’ll get a little tipsy and have my way
with him. See you later.”

“Is
it me?” Colt slung a friendly arm around Sable’s shoulders. “Janis is always
rushing away whenever I arrive.”

“It
isn’t you.” Sable turned into his embrace. “As far as I can tell, she rushes
everywhere. Tonight she’s rushing to get laid.”

“I
can’t think of a better reason.”

“Me
either.” Sable brushed her lips against his. “I’ll race you to your trailer.
First one naked wins.”

“How
about this? You take your clothes off while I watch and I will do anything you
want.”

“Anything?
Careful what you promise. I can be very demanding.”

Grinning,
Colt took her hand, leading her toward his trailer.

“We
have all night. Demand away.”

COLT HAD WAITED a few days to speak with Wyatt. He knew from
experience that his brother wouldn’t appreciate his interference. When he began
to slide into his personal black hole, he wanted to do it alone. Colt loved him
too much to let that happen. He made sure he was always around to pull Wyatt
out.

Once
it meant flying in from the Australian Outback. He looked like a Yeti and
smelled like the underside of a koala, but he made it. And he would do it
again. Any time. Anywhere.

Since
he was shooting his current film in and around Los Angeles, keeping an eye on
Wyatt was simpler. Colt called his brother as he was getting ready to leave for
the set.

“Why
don’t you stop by after work? We’ll order a couple of pizzas and catch up.”

“I’ve
been expecting your call.” Colt could hear the impatience in Wyatt’s voice. “Mom
put you on my scent.”

There
was no point in denying it.

“Come
over, Wyatt. If you don’t, I’ll track you down.”

“You
can try.”

Great.
Colt sighed. Wyatt was in one of
those
moods. His brother went to work
every day in a suit and tie. He presented a polished, sophisticated image to
the world. However, when the mood hit, he could be the toughest badass in town.

This
time? Colt had a secret weapon.

“I’ll
send Sable.”

At
first, Wyatt didn’t respond. Then Colt heard a deep, heartfelt sigh.

“You
don’t play fair, little brother.”

“I
learned from the best.”

“Fuck
you,” Wyatt grumbled.

“I
love you too,” Colt shot back. “I’ll see you at seven. Sharp.”

COLT WATCHED AS Sable dabbed a bit of color on her lips. Red.
It matched the dress that caressed the creamy skin of her shoulders and hugged
the swell of her hips.

His
view from the bed was prime. Every time she bent to pick something up, her
short skirt tightened across her gorgeous ass. As a bonus, it crept up her
thighs, exposing an extra inch or two of her long, shapely legs. He reclined on
one elbow and smiled.

“Promise
me you won’t leave the loft.”

“We
went through this already. Wyatt is coming over. Unless the place catches on
fire, we won’t budge.”

“Fire.
I should have thought of that. I can’t go.”

“Sable.”
Colt hopped off the bed and took her hand. “You deserve a night out. Jade and
Paige will be here any minute. You can’t disappoint them. Besides, you were
looking forward to this.”

“I
still am.”

Sable
wrestled with her conscience. It was her job to make certain nothing happened
to Colt. She wasn’t here to have fun. When he told her that Wyatt was coming
over, he suggested a girls’ night out. After all, he reasoned, what could
happen to him here at the loft?

In
Harper Falls, she often met her friends for lunch or drinks. They got together whenever
the mood struck. It had been a new experience for Sable—friends who weren’t in
uniform. However, it hadn’t taken her long to get used to the luxury, and she
had missed it since coming to Los Angeles.

Sable
made a token argument, but it didn’t take much for Colt to persuade her. Now
she had second thoughts.

“You
have the sexiest brain.” Colt kissed her temple. “I can see it working away,
trying to figure out how danger might infiltrate the loft.”

“It
is my job.”

“And
you’re very good at it.”

“Damn
straight. Hey,” Sable pushed at Colt’s wandering hands. “I get to be girly when
I’m off the clock. Don’t mess up my hair.”

Colt
grinned. He knew she was teasing. Sable was all woman, but she wasn’t the least
bit girly. He cupped her head, his fingers gently massaging her scalp. Slowly,
he kissed the line of her jaw, ending on one of his new favorite places—her
lips.