her from the assignment. When the tall figure of a man appeared before her, she came to an abrupt stop. Blinking, she stared at his strong neck. Her gaze roamed over his strong jaw and ended at his laughing amethyst eyes.
Life sized, the cardboard cutout of Shay Evers stole her breath. His gentle, bewitching smile captured her senses. She leaned closer, and her gaze dropped to the sensual lines of his lips. Pulse pounding, she raised a finger and touched the curve. She pulled away with a jerk. The impression of being haunted by the illusionist crossed her mind. A strong premonition of someone watching her crawled over her neck, sending chills rippling across her shoulders.
“May I help you?”
Caitlyn jumped and turned to the sales clerk. A spiked-haired young woman stood with a customer-ready smile pasted on her ring-pierced lips.
“As a matter of fact, yes. I need some of his–” She pointed to the poster board. “Videos.”
At the clerk’s knowing look, heat raced up her neck and into her cheeks. When the salesgirl turned to lead the way, Caitlyn narrowed her eyes and grimaced at the poster. Frustrated but still curious, she wanted to discover what made her desire to reach out and feel the smoothness of his skin. His long silky-looking hair, his flawless skin–no, the reason behind her reaction centered on the sensuous sparkle in his gaze and the way he curved his sexy mouth into a smile. Combined, they pulled at her in an almost physical manner. She shook her head, attempting to erase the thoughts. Worry sliced through her. She had to remain in control tonight or she would ruin her chance for the interview.
Determined to ignore the tingles rushing through her, Caitlyn followed the woman to the far side of the store. The clerk pointed out the correct section and left her alone.
After a quick search of Evers’s selections, Caitlyn found three current releases. She hoped they might contain some new information on the illusionist. Satisfied, she made her way around the aisles to the front of the store where a cashier waited.
While checking out, Caitlyn refused to glance at the life-size cutout. The more she tried to ignore it, the more the urge to look increased. Unable to resist, she peered over her shoulder. The grin on his features called to her. She faced the counter again.
“I have a friend who’s crazy about Evers,” she told the cashier with a tilt of her head toward the cardboard figure. “What are you going to do with that? Can I have it to give to my friend?”
The woman lifted her brows. Caitlyn leaned her elbow on the counter, trying her best to act professional while she waited for the girl’s response. After a moment, the clerk smiled and winked. “You want it for a friend? Sure, why not?”
Caitlyn straightened, ignoring the insinuation that she was the one who really wanted the cutout. Unable to stop, she grinned, imagining the shock on Marcy’s face as she carried Evers into her apartment.
The woman went to the back of the store and returned with a plastic-wrapped fold-up. Handing it to Caitlyn, she shrugged and said, “For some reason, the promotions department sent us two of these.”
Caitlyn paid for the videos, trying to keep her excitement under control. On the way out the door, a surge of foolish embarrassment shot through her. She had never done anything like this in her entire life. Not even for a friend. Yet, Marcy would love the life-size picture of Evers. Happy that she’d bring Marcy some joy, she carried the cutout under her arm, holding it tight with one hand.
She couldn’t wait to arrive at Marcy’s apartment and give it to her. Caitlyn hurried through the mall, out into the parking lot. When she reached her car, she unlocked the passenger side door. Setting the cutout of Evers in the front seat, she removed the plastic to study his eyes and face. A gush of heat rushed through her body. He was just too handsome for his own good. The desire flaring within her at the mere sight of his face made her uneasy. She shifted the poster so it would remain sitting upright without getting damaged and pulled around the seatbelt to hold it in place. Once behind the wheel, she headed for Marcy’s.
Caitlyn glanced at her watch. Four-thirty. She had time. As long as the traffic didn’t pile up, she’d reach Marcy’s apartment in a few minutes.
Stopped at a red light, she grinned, ignoring the apprehension flowing to her nerve endings. She’d never been nervous about an upcoming interview, but she had never interviewed someone so famous. She glanced over at the cutout. “You’d better watch out, pretty boy. I plan on uncovering all your secrets. Then I’m going to receive fantastic offers from the major networks. I’ll be on my way to the top.”
At the next light, she continued her one-sided conversation. “I have my life planned out perfectly. There’s no room in it for extra emotions, especially not for famous illusionists, so whatever you’re doing to me, stop it.”
The quiet rumble of her car answered her. She nodded and faced forward, smiling. She took the next right and drove for several minutes, satisfied her little speech had worked on her imagination.
Marcy’s building loomed along the left side of the street. Caitlyn sped up and pulled into the slot next to her friend’s red sports car. An elderly woman, walking toward the parking lot from the apartments, glanced from her to the cardboard picture.
With a grin and a wave at the woman, Caitlyn turned toward the cutout of Evers and froze. The two dimensional lines blurred, then stretched and thickened into a living, breathing man. The air in the car filled with the scent of wildflowers.
She jerked away and pressed back against the door. Staring at the now fully-formed Shay Evers resting his head against the seat, she couldn’t even scream. With relaxed ease, he rolled his head on the headrest to face her. The vein in his neck pulsed with the beat of his heart.
Breathing became impossible, and all she managed was a low croak of protest.
Lyrical words filled the air surrounding her. “Hello, Caitlyn. It’s been a long time.”
“Oh God, I’ve lost it,” she muttered. “You’re not real.” Her right hand gripped the back of her seat while her left hand clutched the steering wheel.
“Am I not?” The alluring Welsh accent permeated her skin, soothing the distressed nerves throughout her body. Lean fingers reached out and brushed her cheek. “Open your heart to me. Let me help you find what you have lost.”
His words, added to the tender, compelling light in his eyes, diminished her shock. A strong but gentle hand cupped her jaw and put just enough pressure to draw her toward him. Unable to resist the temptation, she closed her eyes and allowed the intensity of the moment to sweep her away.
Sharp tapping came from behind her. Caitlyn snapped upright, her gaze bouncing about the interior of her car. The cardboard poster sat in the seat next to her. What had just happened? Her heart pounded, and she couldn’t draw in a deep breath. Glancing over her shoulder, she met the watery eyes of a silver haired woman. Caitlyn didn’t recognize her. The poor woman continued to peer at her through the window, a concerned frown on her aged face.
Heart racing, Caitlyn waved to show she was fine. After the stranger walked away, Caitlyn peeked at the cutout. Still there, only cardboard.
Hands shaking, she clasped them and squeezed, trying to calm her racing pulse. The upcoming meeting with Shay Evers had caused her imagination to overreact. Oh God, if this kept up, she’d be a babbling idiot in front of the illusionist.
She sighed, grabbed her purse and stepped out of her car. Retrieving the cutout, she doubled the layer of plastic over his face, and hurried up the sidewalk leading to Marcy’s apartment. She would not look at the handsome features. Once she finished this assignment, all thoughts of him would disappear. Obviously, this strange new compulsion to touch and do more with the man would vanish after she’d met him in person, and she could live a normal life. Within the next year, she would achieve her dream, and Shay Evers’s shining star would fade from her memory.
* * * *
When Shay opened his eyes, a smile flitted across his lips. He pressed his head against the back of the sofa and turned to the opposite