“Hey, working on the script?”
Cassie jumped and quickly closed the laptop as Rhett walked toward her. He reached for her hand and pulled it to his lips for a searing kiss.
“I love kissing the hand wearing my ring,” he murmured.
“Rhett, we—”
“—need to think about what to do tonight,” he interrupted. “It’s New Year’s Eve, Cassie Carroll.”
Rhett swept her to her feet and into his arms, dancing her around the room.
“Our first together,” he said, nuzzling her neck. Her knees went weak at his touch. Immediately, a throbbing began that needed satisfaction. Now. Yet the gossip column nagged at her.
“Rhett, we need to talk.”
“Hmmm.” His lips moved along her jaw and up to her ear. Shivers of pleasure trickled through Cassie’s body.
“Quit that. I’m trying to think.”
He grinned. “I like watching you try to think.” He kissed her. “But I like doing that more.”
“Rhett—”
“Give it up, Miss Carroll. Sex now. Conversation later. Then we can decide what to do later tonight.”
“No.” Cassie pulled away from him.
Rhett frowned. “What’s wrong?”
His cell rang. “Hold on a minute. Hey, Becky, what’s up?”
She watched Rhett’s expression change and it wasn’t for the better. His eyes darkened and his brow creased in a deep frown as he listened.
“Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”
Rhett ended the connection. “I think I know what you want to talk about.”
“What did Becky say?”
He raked a hand through his hair. “The tabloids are having a field day today. Depends upon which one you read. You, my dear, have been crowned the new Wicked Witch of Hollywood. You’ve changed me. I’m not myself. You’ve manipulated me and forced me to turn my back on everyone—including my most loyal employees, whose asses you fired without a backward glance.”
Her eyes widened. “Consuelo went to the press?”
Rhett laughed. “I’m sure she made a little money on it. No big deal.”
Cassie threw her arms in the air. “How can you laugh about this?”
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “How can I not? Sweetheart, this is life in the fishbowl. Our lives are an open book.”
He thought a moment. “As long as we stay here. I mean, come on. Some actors get out. Moved to where it’s quieter. Harrison Ford did. Michelle Pfeiffer. Donnie Wahlberg. Jeff Daniels. They gave their families a regular life. It’s that normal life we talked about.”
Cassie dropped her head on Rhett’s shoulder. “Your family is here, Rhett. You love seeing your mom and your sisters.”
He lifted her chin with a finger. “Baby, we wouldn’t move to Outer Mongolia. I’ll still talk to them every day. We can fly in and see them. They can come see us. I really don’t see relocating as a problem.”
He sat behind the desk and opened the laptop. Typing a moment, he said, “Come here.”
Cassie moved to his side reluctantly. “What?”
“Map of the US. Look around. Think where we want to live. We’ll keep this place so we have somewhere to stay when we’re in town or in case I film here, which is actually rare.”
Rhett tugged on her hand. “Where should we go?”
She glanced at the computer screen and back at Rhett. “Wherever you want, Corrigan. I’d follow you to hell and back. Not that we haven’t been there already.”
CHAPTER 29
Cassie sat on the sofa, TJ curled in her lap.
“Are you glad the script’s finished?” Jo asked. “I know I am. Breck was like a dog who wouldn’t drop a bone until he’s sucked the life out of it.” Jolene shook her head. “To tell you the truth, Cass, I’m proud of you both. Who knew you guys had that in you?”
“We already have several more ideas in the works, Jo,” she said proudly. “I think Breck and I were made for each other. As writing partners, anyway.”
“As long as I’m the one he takes to bed and fucks the living daylights out of every time, you’re welcome to him the rest of his day. Besides, when he’s banging away on the computer keys, it inspires me to work on my act.”
Jolene hesitated a moment and then said, “I was going to wait and tell you and Rhett together, but . . .” Her voice trailed off, the tone too mischievous for Cassie to stand waiting.
“Give it up, Jo.”
“I talked to my agent a few minutes ago.” A radiant smile filled her face. “He booked my flight to New York. I’m gonna be on Kimmel, Cass. Kimmel!”
Cassie whooped, causing TJ to flee the room. She hugged Jolene hard.
“I’m so proud of you! This is your big break, Jo. When will you be on? More importantly, what are you going to wear on national TV?”
“It’s next Thursday night. My agent says wear something that won’t distract from my monologue. Maybe we could go shopping together. You know I’m clueless when it comes to fashion.” Jolene took a deep breath. “There’s only one guest before me so I shouldn’t get bumped.”
“In less than a week, you’ll be chatting up Jimmy.”
“What do I talk about? What if I freeze up and that painful deer in the headlights look is on screens across America?”
She waved away her friend’s fears. “You won’t. I know you. Just go with some horror stories of our old apartment and the gang there. I’ve heard you milk that before.”
Jolene mulled over the idea. “Not bad. I used to do a bit about the drug dealers borrowing a cup of sugar and how the parking lot was a war zone.” She smiled. “I’ll start working on it.”
Cassie squeezed her friend’s hand. “You’ll be terrific. All your hard work is starting to pay off.”
“I think we’re all starting to hit our strides. How’s finding a director coming along?”
“I’m meeting with someone in half an hour.”
Jolene got to her feet. “I’ll let you get ready for your meeting then. Why don’t you and Rhett come over for dinner tonight?”
Cassie groaned. “You’ve never learned to cook, Jo. Unless you’re ordering take-out, why don’t you and Breck come here and let Mimi spoil us all?”
“You’re on.” She hugged Cassie. “Good luck with the meeting.”
She saw Jolene out and then made a stop by the kitchen to let Mimi know they’d have guests for dinner. Then she went to her office to pull some notes and file folders. She looked around, still surprised not to see the stacks of scripts that had been such a part of this room when she first came on board last December.
Things had definitely changed for Rhett in the last four months. Irv dumped him as a client after Rhett’s rounds of bad publicity. At least that’s what the canny agent said. Cassie and Rhett both knew it was because Rhett had finally pushed Irv to find him new and different roles. Irv saw his cash cow crashing and jumped ship.
Cassie offered to rep Rhett since she had experience from Manny’s office in drawing up contracts but she’d doubted anyone would take her calls, much less meet with her. She was right. Overnight, Rhett Corrigan dropped off Hollywood’s radar. Scripts dried up with the exception of bad foreign-produced action movies, the kind that went directly to video.