stepped away from Irvin. She looked from one end of the room to the other. “I’ve got to make a call. Is there a place where I can go for privacy?”
Rafael pointed to his office. “Right in that room.”
“Thank you.” She hurried to the office and pushed the door closed.
Kitty rushed to Irvin’s side. “I told you she didn’t want to be here. I knew I should have handpicked the winner instead of using a random selection. She should be happy—”
“If you’re going to say she should be happy to sleep with me this weekend, then save it. All that was a ploy. I’ve had women try to pull this on me before. She’s probably in there right now telling her girlfriend that she’s brilliant and has me fooled.”
He crossed the room to Rafael’s office. The door hadn’t closed all the way, and he felt no remorse about eavesdropping on her conversation. He would pay money that she was in there calling someone to say the plan was working. That she was on her way to convincing him she wasn’t just another fan out to land Irvin Freeman in bed.
He needed to hear it to take his mind off how incredibly sexy she’d been as she’d dressed him down. How her eyes sparked, and that accent of hers grew thicker. In that moment he imagined his name swirling out of her mouth in that drawl, and he needed to snap out of it.
He leaned close to the door, ready to hear her gloating or strategizing her next move.
“The man is exactly what I thought—another spoiled, rich playboy who thinks women are here only to please him. I told you I should have stayed home, Mama. This weekend is going to be terrible.”
Her angry rant immediately proved him wrong. And for Irvin Freeman that was a first.
“What are you talking about?” Virginia asked.
“I’m here and already it’s a hassle. Irvin isn’t the nice guy he comes across as in those interviews. He thinks I’m here to seduce him.”
“Well, maybe you should.”
“Mama, please don’t say ridiculous things.”
“Okay, that was a bit much, but it won’t hurt to just let your hair down and have a little fun. You can do that without being around him.”
Faith sighed and pushed the hair away from her face. Now that the shoot was over, she was pretty sure Kitty had said she was going to the hotel. She could get away from Irvin immediately.
“You’re right. He’ll go his way and I can walk around and explore the city a little bit before going to the party tonight.”
“Can you say the word party without sounding like you’re going to the gallows?”
Faith laughed. “Fine. I can’t wait to go to the party with the arrogant actor who thinks I’m here to trick him into bed,” she said with false charm and cheer.
“Goodbye, Faith,” her mama said, chuckling.
“You and Daddy can call me whenever you need to. And be sure to warm up one of those meals I froze for dinner tonight. And if I forgot something on the grocery list, just call Marie and she’ll get it for you. And—”
“Seriously, Faith, goodbye. Don’t worry. Your daddy and I will be fine.”
Faith was being overprotective, but it had been her role for the past two years. One she took so seriously she sometimes forgot they were the parents. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that her mama was a thousand times better now than she’d been when Faith had first come home, and her daddy had been living with his disability for years.
“Okay, Mama, I’ll call you later.”
She ended the call, then tapped the phone on her chin. Now what? She wasn’t ready to face Irvin. Admittedly, she was very disappointed that he fit the entitled-guy mold. As her excitement had budded on the plane, she’d hoped he would be somewhat normal. If only Marie could have taken off work and come with her. She could relax if she had her friend along.
With a sigh, she turned and opened the door—only to jump back when she nearly walked right into Irvin. Her heart went from a tango to a standstill. The man was fine: square jaw covered by a precisely cut beard, wide, flat nose and piercing dark eyes that made her secretly swoon whenever he gave whatever lucky leading lady was starring opposite him a sexy stare.
Why, oh, why were good looks bestowed on men who didn’t deserve them?
He wasn’t handsome in the traditional sense. He made up for not having the classical good looks with a swagger that couldn’t be ignored. It oozed from every part of him: the way he walked, talked, dressed. He was classy and dangerous, gentleman and bad boy, nice and naughty all wrapped in masculine appeal.
And he thought she wanted to get him in bed.
Well, it’s not like it would be a hardship.
She gave herself a mental shake. No need thinking that. She would not be another fan tossing her panties at Irvin Freeman. No matter how seductive he looked.
“Were you listening in?”
“I was,” he said in that wonderful British accent that melted women’s underwear like butter on a hot skillet.
Her insides quivered. Literally quivered as if she were the virgin heroine in some medieval fairy tale. And though her virginity was long gone, something about the raw sexual energy he wore like a second skin made her believe all her previous sexual encounters were fumbling attempts at the real thing.
She crossed her arms and nailed him with the stare that used to make slacking nurses cower. “Care to tell me why?”
“I actually came over expecting to hear you gloat or come up with a new plan to flirt with me.” He held up his hands when her eyes narrowed. “But I was wrong, and I apologize. How about we give it another go?” He shot her that smile. The one that tugged up the corners of his full lips just enough to tempt a woman to forget the rules and follow him to the nearest bedroom.
She held her ground and stared him down. “Why don’t we simply agree to get through the weekend with minimal contact?”
“I can’t agree to that,” he said.
“Why not?”
“Because I offended you, and I want to make up for it. You must understand that I meant no disrespect to you. I’m bombarded by women, as you so readily pointed out, but I don’t take up every offer.”
He moved closer to lean against the door frame, and his gray T-shirt stretched over made for grabbing broad shoulders. His jeans were scuffed up just enough to make them look intentionally worn. A casual outfit that seemed sexy only because the clothes were on his perfect body.
“I understand, and accept your apology. Still, you don’t have to make up for it. I know this weekend is an obligation for you.”
“It might have started that way, but my outlook is definitely changing.”
His inviting gaze swept across her body. It was a quick and thorough examination. The kind of look a man gave when he wanted a woman to know he was interested. A look with all kinds of naughty promises. A look that tightened her nipples and sent an unexpected jolt between her legs.
“That’s nice of you to say.”
“I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. Let me make it up to you.”
“It’s really not necessary. Your people flew me up here. We’re doing the party tonight and the premiere tomorrow. We just had an unfortunate misunderstanding, and everything will be smooth from here on out.”
“Have you been to New York before?”
The