Never Say Never (The Price of Fame Series) (2 page)

The color brought her face to life and pronounced the honey highlights in her golden brown hair which he’d never seen out of the simple twist. She really was perfect for this.

Mind made up, Sander said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The color in her cheeks intensified, and he couldn’t resist throwing a wink her way before he left.

Chloe’s refusal had kicked his more primal instincts into gear and he now anticipated the chase. This wasn’t going to be a real date; he didn’t have time for a woman in his life with the show and his stint as a radio DJ in the afternoons. Plus, it had been so long since he’d had to put any effort into getting a woman to agree to go out with him, the challenge rose up inside.

Once he’d shut the door to the coffee shop, he pulled out his phone and dialed the producer of
Do You Have What It Takes?
He made his way along the busy street toward the Radio Buzz building. Now that the morning commuters had arrived at their destinations, the streets of London had filled with scurrying tourists shouldered with multi-colored umbrellas. Rain was a given in the autumn.

“Yes?” Dave answered.

“It’s Sander. I need a favor.”

He smiled to himself as he persuaded Dave to give him what he wanted. All the while knowing this was a bribe Chloe couldn’t refuse.

Chapter 2

The sound of the steamer whooshing the milk into a frothy lather broke the silence in the coffee shop. Having had little to no sleep the night before, Chloe needed something to focus on. Early morning starts weren’t her favorite shifts. She wasn’t an early riser, and there was never anything to do. Only one customer had come in and he’d caught her nodding off.

She poured the hot milk into the cardboard cup, added coffee and a dash of cinnamon. Chloe, never having drank the stuff before, now saw the appeal. She could definitely do with something to wake her up.

She gave the customer his change and then he left. She needed to keep on her feet. If she sat down at a table, she’d fall asleep again. After picking up a cloth, she began cleaning the utensils she’d just used.

Not for the first time, her mum had been difficult the night before. Joyce hadn’t remembered who Chloe was. The memory made her heart ache. Her mum hadn’t settled enough to go to sleep and she’d stayed up for hours reassuring her. To have her mum forget who she was frightened her. What would it be like in the months, years to come? Would she even have that long? Tears pricked her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

If she had her old job on set, she’d be able to afford help with her mum. Someone who could come in to watch over Joyce when she was at work. There was only so much she could ask of her neighbor, Mrs. Young.

The door to the shop chimed, signaling the arrival of another customer. Chloe pulled a tired smile onto her face and turned to the counter. The smile froze, as did she, when the six and a half foot hunk strolled toward her. Sander. Her heart raced. She’d assumed yesterday she wouldn’t see him for a while. Especially since she’d agreed to work the early shifts for the next few days.

“Hey,” he greeted her. His blue eyes were set with determination.

Chloe swallowed. “Hi, what can I get you?”

A smile crept across his face and highlighted a dimple in his right cheek. He was pretty for a man. Even considering all the mouth-watering muscles.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

Chloe blinked. “No…” she started but immediately regretted it.

If he was going to ask her out on a ‘pretend date’ again, telling him she was spoken for would be a better way to nip it in the bud. Not to mention she still couldn’t understand why he wanted her. Surely he could find someone who didn’t come with the commitments she had.

“Then I have a proposition for you.”

A
proposition
? Was he serious? She opened her mouth to object, but he cut her off.

“Hear me out,” he insisted. The set of his mouth told her there was no room for arguing.
Definitely pushy.
“I’ve been talking to my friend at Studio Four. He’s looking to hire a makeup artist.”

Chloe’s heart rate kicked up a notch and excitement zipped through her. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Then realization dawned. “You got me a job so I’d go out with you?”

Pushy, crazy, high-handed.
The list of faults the male Adonis had was growing.

“No. I got you an interview this Friday in exchange for your company next week. You’ll have to prove you can do the job to get it.”

Something inside her relaxed. He wasn’t handing the job to her on a plate, just giving her a foot in the door. But when she’d sent her CV to the studio a few months back, they’d said they didn’t have an opening.

“Did you pull strings to get me the interview?”

His dimples flashed. “Does it matter?”

Couldn’t he answer a straight question? “It matters to me.”

After a sigh, he said, “Yeah, I pulled some strings and asked them to consider you for the job.”

“But there weren’t any positions available.” Or had they just told her that because they didn’t think she’d fit?

“New shows will start in the next few months and one of the makeup artists is about to go on maternity leave. Dave, the owner of Studio Four, said he was going to advertise for the positions next week.”

“Oh.” She couldn’t give up the coffee shop for maternity cover, could she?

As if reading her mind, or the disappointment on her face, he added, “I told them you’d be applying for one of the permanent posts.”

Could he read her mind, or was she really that transparent? She wiped all emotion from her face—a skill she’d learned in LA—and offered him a polite smile.

He leaned forward and placed his palms on the granite counter. Chloe’s eyes widened when she took in the size of them. The man was huge. Warmth trickled through her veins and she quickly pushed the thought away. It did no good to wonder whether he was in proportion all over. She met his gaze with her chin held high.

“And if I get the job, how do you know I won’t back out?”

Sander’s lips curved in a way that should be illegal. A tingle skittered down her spine and licked hotter in her belly.

“A favor for a favor? You don’t seem like the kind of girl who’d back out of a deal.”

No, she wasn’t, she was loyal to the point of stupidity. Even to those who didn’t deserve it…like Dane.

“No, I’m not.” Chloe took a deep breath. “Why me, Sander?” She didn’t think
sir
, or
Mr. Chase
, would be appropriate considering he’d asked her out twice now.

His smile brightened and her heart stuttered. “I don’t have time to date. Work is crazy and I’ll be back on the show in a few months. I’ll probably be on tour with the band late into the year. You don’t want more than I’m offering, so you’re perfect for this.”

Sander shrugged, as if that explained everything. Chloe supposed it did. He really didn’t want anything more than a woman on his arm for show. Maybe he was still hung up on his ex. The thought twisted her stomach. Chloe shook her head, exasperated with herself. What did it matter to her if he was? She’d vowed never to date someone famous again.

And the chance to get in the door of Studio Four was beyond tempting. But she still couldn’t understand why he asked her.
It’s a chance at a dream job, what does it matter?

“Won’t people know I’m on your arm for show? I mean, we don’t know anything about each other.”

Sander leaned further across the counter until he hovered over her. “So we’ll get to know each other. How about dinner tonight? I can pick you up at seven.”

Sander reached out and tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear. Like yesterday, his touch sent shivers of pleasure through her. Chloe jerked back a step, her eyes widening at the gesture. Had her hair been sticking out all over the place, or was he trying to seduce her into willing putty in his hands?

She shook her head. “I can’t.”

She couldn’t leave her mum again. Not after last night. She chewed the inside of her mouth and closed her eyes. This opportunity to show Studio Four—the biggest studio in the UK—what she was made of was a once in a lifetime chance. Getting a job there would not only be a huge achievement and something for her CV employers here couldn’t ignore, but it was everything she longed for, everything she needed to make sure Joyce lived the rest of her life well cared for. With the salary she’d earn from the studio, her mum would have everything she needed. And Chloe would have her dream job.

“Hey, Chloe?”

She opened her eyes. Sander’s brow creased with concern. He reached out, invading her personal space once again and covered the hand she had fisted against the counter with his. Eyes burning, she inhaled deeply and tried to pull herself together. It did no good to cry. Something else she’d learned while she was in LA.

“I have commitments. I’m sorry,” Chloe said, and meant it.

“It’s okay.” His thumb rubbed across the back of her hand and she shivered. “What about lunch? When do you get off work?”

Chloe stared into his wide, guileless eyes. She’d shot him down and still he persisted. A rush of warmth spread through her, and she couldn’t tell whether it was irritation or attraction, it had been so long since she’d experienced the latter.

Lunch, she could do that, couldn’t she? If she called Mrs. Young and let her know she was running late, her mum would have someone with her until she got home.

“One, but I can’t stay long.” The words were out before she had a chance to change her mind. Some of the earlier excitement buzzed through her. Maybe they could do this. Maybe she could spend enough time with him and help them both get what they wanted.

Sander grinned, and her heart stuttered. “I’ll pick you up after your shift.”

He let go of her hand and immediately she felt the loss.
It’s fake!
she chided herself. Forcing a polite smile, she nodded. She gazed around the empty coffee shop when he left, pulled a chair out from the nearest table and slumped into it.
It’s the right thing to do.

Chloe pulled her phone out of her apron and dialed home.

“Butler residence.”

Chloe grinned at Mrs. Young’s voice over the phone. “It’s Chloe. I’m going to be in a little later today, only an hour or so. Can you stay with Mum until I get back?”

“Of course, dear.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Young. I’ll turn my phone back on at one in case you need me.”

Chloe said goodbye and switched off her phone, remembering that the last time she’d left it on her boss, Richard, had given her a verbal warning. The door to the coffee shop opened again and a group of office workers entered. Chloe’s smile was more genuine this time as she slipped her phone into her apron and rose to meet them.

* * * *

“Hi.”

Sander turned to the soft, familiar voice. Chloe stood at the entrance to the coffee house and smiled at him. He slid off the hood of the car and smiled right back. Damn, but it was easy to smile when she was around. Black leggings and a red Barbour coat covered her tall, slender frame. Chloe stuffed her hands into the pockets and walked toward him.

“Ready to go?” he asked.

She nodded.

“After you.” He pulled the passenger door open for her.

Chloe slid into the seat, her expression distant but polite. Rounding the car, Sander frowned. Most women at least commented on the Porsche, some even seemed excited to be in one. Once he slid in behind the wheel, he faced her. Nothing. Not a flicker of excitement or change in demeanor. It was as if Chloe got in and out of cars like this every day. For all he knew, she did.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Have you ever been in a car like this?”

The moment the words left his mouth, he felt like a jerk. Why did he care if she had? Or was it that he needed his ego stroked with compliments? No. Definitely not the latter.

The polite mask slipped for a second and pain flashed in her golden eyes. “Not a Porsche, no.”

Intrigued, Sander asked, “Oh?”

“I… Can we get going? I have to be home soon.” Chloe shifted in her seat.

“Sure.”

Sander knew she was trying to keep something from him. He was an expert at hiding his emotions from others and could read the signs. Usually he respected people’s privacy, especially women’s.

As he pulled out into the busy London traffic his mind whirred with questions. What caused the pain in her eyes? Did she have a rich relative who had passed away? Or an ex maybe? His hands tightened on the steering wheel and he bit his tongue against the torrent of questions wanting to burst free. The answers were none of his business.

Ten minutes of tensed silence later, an Italian bistro he knew the press liked to sniff around came into view. If they were going to get tongues wagging, this was a good place to start. Sander pulled up in front of the rustic, orange stoned building and a valet strolled toward the car. Sander turned to Chloe. Her eyes grew wide as she stared at the building.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

“Um…” Chloe turned to him. “Sander, don’t the paparazzi usually hang out here?”

He nodded and watched her slender throat bob as she swallowed. Was she scared?

“You okay?”

She nodded and glanced back to the restaurant. The valet waited patiently on the pavement for them to vacate the car.

“We can go somewhere else.”

“Here’s fine,” she whispered.

Chloe opened the door and stepped out. Sander followed suit and handed the keys to the valet who smiled like all his Christmases had come at once. When Sander reached Chloe, he offered his arm. She hesitated for a second before sliding her hand into the crook of his elbow. The contact sent a jolt of electricity through him. He almost let her go, but decided it was probably an electric shock or something.

“You don’t mind if we’re seen together?”

Her quiet question startled him. He held the door open and asked, “Why would I? People have to believe we’re dating for this to work.”

She looked so confused and sweet, he wanted to lean over and kiss away her frown. The thought brought him back to his senses. Chloe was his
pretend
date. He was pretty sure kissing someone on impulse didn’t fit that category.