A Kiss For The Cameras Read online

  Paige groaned. She wanted this movie made so much she was dreaming about it at night.

  “You’re killing me here. If I didn’t want it I wouldn’t be agreeing to all these personal appearances. You know how much I want this.”

  Helen sat back in her chair and smiled. “Then meet him. Just one meeting. Talk to him. See if he’s someone you could spend time with. If the answer is no, I’ll drop this whole subject. But it might be yes. One meeting, Paige.”

  Wavering back and forth, she contemplated Helen’s words. Paige had worked damn hard to get where she was and she’d been warned this movie deal wasn’t going to be easy. She’d learned a long time ago that if she wanted something she had to be willing to do the things no one else wanted to do.

  In the past, that had been working twelve to sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, even vacations and holidays. She’d worked harder, longer, and smarter and it had paid off.

  Surrender wasn’t her forte but she tried to be gracious. “One meeting. One hour. Just who is this man anyway?”

  Did he even know what he was getting into? She was no day at the beach.

  Helen smiled. “You’ll love him. All the ladies do. It’s Nate Mason.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Nate stared out of the large hotel window that overlooked the New York City skyline. All he wanted to do was go home to London for a few weeks – see his friends and family and sleep in his own bed. Maybe even grab a pint down at the local pub with his best friend Max. But first he had a little business to attend to. Important business that couldn’t wait.

  “I’m not going to beg, Garrett. I won’t do that.”

  Garrett had worked for Nate since “the incident”. Nate hadn’t wanted to change publicists but hadn’t had a choice. When the entire debacle went down last year and his public profile had taken a huge hit, he’d needed someone to come in and do major damage control. Garrett had done that and more, re-shaping Nate’s image as a serious actor who was so naive about Hollywood he’d had no idea what he was getting himself into. It wasn’t much of an exaggeration. He was more book-smart than street-smart. Nate hadn’t known what kind of backlash he was in for nor had he realized that the lady in question was going to throw him to the wolves. It was only with Garrett’s help that they’d been able to change the narrative from him being a cheating cad to one of an intensely busy actor who simply couldn’t give a relationship the time and attention it deserved.

  That wasn’t a lie either. Nate had a fire in his belly that pushed him to work harder than anyone else in the business. Ambition was a weak word for the drive that consumed him day in and day out. It was murder for any sort of a relationship to survive, let alone thrive.

  Sure he’d had girlfriends on the down-low since he’d hit in the first Thunder movie, but there was never enough time to just be a regular boyfriend. Eventually the girls all realized that Nate wasn’t Kai, the bad boy biker. He was simply himself, an Oxford-educated actor who liked fine wines and good books. Things usually ended soon after.

  “I’m not expecting you to beg, Nate. But you need to know that Paige Mitchell is incredibly new to this. Helen said she had to explain the entire concept to her and it didn’t go over well. The only thing that even got her to agree to this meeting was that her image would get a huge boost being linked to you. She’s serious about getting this movie made.”

  Nate snorted, knowing full well he could walk Paige Mitchell through the minefield she was facing. If she’d let him.

  “After we all get comfortable with each other, why don’t you and Helen leave us for a little while? I’d like to talk to her, just the two of us, without an audience. If she’s as shy as I expect she is, then that might make her more relaxed. Plus. it might make this feel a little less like a business deal.”

  Garrett shrugged. “That may be a plus to her, Nate. Remember, she’s a widow and from what Helen has told me, she’s as much or more of a workaholic than you are. If that’s even possible. She’s only dated a few times since the death of her husband three years ago. I’m told she’s almost as boring as you are but I find that hard to believe.”

  Nate held up his hand. “I’m proud to be a snooze. It’s made your job much easier.”

  Once that nasty incident was taken care of Nate had embraced his inner geek and spurned the Hollywood scene. Now his name wasn’t in a tabloid unless he wanted it to be. He found he was far happier that way.

  A knock on the door saved Garrett from having to respond. “I’m sure this is them. Are you ready to turn on the famous Mason charm? If she hasn’t had any male attention in awhile she should be easy pickings. You should have her falling at your feet in less than ten minutes.”

  Inwardly rolling his eyes, Nate stood straight and tall, knowing he looked good in the dark trousers and blue long-sleeved sweater. Casual but not messy. His hair was back to its natural blond at the moment and he’d even used a bit of gel to tame his unruly curls. They’d grown out a bit since his last role that had finished a month ago. He wanted to make a good impression today. Paige Mitchell had something he desperately wanted. No, make that needed.

  The door opened and two women entered the hotel living room, Helen first, a smile on her lined face. Tall and lanky with graying hair, Helen Bailey was something of a legend in publicity circles as was her incredible energy levels. She could put in an eighteen-hour day without blinking an eye.

  Nate grinned and took her hands before giving her a kiss on each cheek. “Helen, so good to see you again. You look gorgeous as usual.”

  The older woman chuckled and patted his face. “I see you still have your silver tongue. It’s good to see you too. Now I want you to meet someone very special. Nate, this is Paige Mitchell. Paige, this is Nate Mason.”

  None of the photos he had seen had prepared him for just how petite Paige truly was. If she was five-foot-two he’d be shocked; she didn’t even come to his shoulder. Curvy where it counted, the red dress paired with brown boots showed off her assets nicely. Quite nicely. Shoulder length blonde hair framed a heart-shaped face with stunningly vivid green eyes. She was currently smiling widely, and he noticed that she had deep dimples in her cheeks that made her more cute than beautiful or exotic. Paige Mitchell had an all-American girl-next-door quality that Nate found very attractive.

  That lovely woman was currently staring at him as if he was an alien from outer space, eyes wide and mouth open.

  “Is there something wrong?”

  Paige Mitchell took a few visible deep breaths. “Yes, Mr. Mason, there is something very wrong. Does anyone honestly think that people would believe that you and I would be a couple? Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I’m a widow with a kid. No one is going to buy that.”

  Since it had been Nate’s idea to choose her he was slightly insulted, but he understood her skepticism. They weren’t the most obvious couple and that’s what made this so brilliant. “I don’t see it that way.”

  Her brows shot up. “You don’t? Really? On what planet do British sex symbols date and fall in love with frumpy middle-aged housewives? They’re going to laugh at the very idea.”

  Nate grinned wickedly, his gaze raking her from head to toe which turned her pink cheeks a bright red.

  Hmmm…married, baby, widowed, and she can still blush. Now this is interesting.

  “I don’t see anything frumpy about you, darling. And no one is going to laugh. They’re going to ship us. Hard. Trust me on this.”

  Paige threw up her arms. “This? This is a stylist picking out my clothes. This is a fresh haircut and me actually sitting down and putting on some makeup. I spend most of my time in pajama shorts and a tank top with my hair pulled up into a ponytail.”

  “Sounds delicious, love. I have no objections.”

  Her mouth hung open but no sound came out. He’d rendered her speechless. This was better than he’d thought. Now came the charm offensive. She had something he wanted and there was one thing Nate was unashamedly. Ambitious. Luckily he had somethin
g to offer her in return. He just needed her to listen with an open mind.

  “Have a seat and let’s chat. We have so much to talk about.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  This had to be a joke. Ashton was going to jump out of a closet any moment and tell her she was being punked, because none of this could actually be real.

  There was a contract.

  Helen and Nate’s representative had put the fake relationship parameters down in writing. On paper and everything. With very little legalese but it was still a contract that they expected her to sign. She was completely out of her depth.

  “It looks…interesting.”

  The first page was fairly simple. As long as she didn’t have any conflicts, she’d be expected to be there for any of Nate’s social engagements and vice versa. It designated which publicity team would be responsible for making statements at certain times. Paparazzi walks, etc. Nothing earthshattering.

  It was the second page that almost made her gasp and want to run screaming from the hotel room. They’d put this shit in writing.

  First was the statement that if she was caught by the press with another man Nate would have the right to basically ruin her reputation. He could say anything he wanted whether true or not to make himself look better. How sweet. Of course she could do the same to him if he was caught dipping his wick where it didn’t belong so it was at least fair.

  Of course Nate had a better chance of finding a frisky playmate than she did. Even at this insane moment, he looked good. Oh so good. It looked like he’d put on some muscle for his last role and his sweater strained at the seams over his shoulders. His abs were disgustingly flat and taut, his runner’s thighs powerful in the tailored trousers he wore. And those cheekbones. Shit, photos didn’t do them justice. He was a good-looking man and she was…ordinary.

  “Do you honestly believe anyone is going to buy us as a couple? Where are we going to tell them we met? Do we even have anything in common?”

  She sounded sarcastic and she didn’t care. This was ridiculous. She was a grown ass woman talking about a game of make believe that no one was going to buy.

  Nate’s gaze flickered to Garrett. “Mate, can you…”

  The man smiled and stood. “Of course, Nate. Helen, how about you and I get a drink down in the bar and let these two get to know one another a little bit?”

  Don’t leave me!

  Helen may have noted Paige’s panic but she simply patted her shoulder and followed Garrett out the door.

  Skippy wanted them to get to know one another. Okey dokey.

  First lesson. She was blisteringly honest and blunt.

  “All three of you have lost your fucking minds. Give me one good reason not to walk out of here.”

  She may have gone too far with that last part. Instead of replying Nate stood and went behind the bar, pulling out a bottle of wine and uncorking it. Fucker was taking his time, making her cool her heels.

  “Darling–”

  “Just stop that shit,” she broke in, her nerves making her more brusque than she’d normally be. “I barely know you so I think calling me darling is overkill. Yeah, I get that you’re a charming bastard but I’m not one of your young Barbie dolls. I won’t fall backward with my legs open when you speak with that smooth British accent. I’m a little past all that.”

  He poured them two glasses of red. She thought she saw his cheeks flush but she might have been imagining it. “Fine. Although I think every woman deserves endearments. Women should be treated like queens.”

  Queens? Yep, she was the royal highness of laundry day at her house.

  “Dear Lord, what kind of woman do you usually date?” Paige asked in wonderment, studying him from head to toe. He looked serious about what he’d said but there was no way he could be. “Do they fall for this shit?”

  His brows rose and he smiled. “Yes, they usually do but it’s charming that you don’t. Now let me speak for a moment about the contract. It’s for our protection, honestly. I know some parts of it are personal and rather distasteful but a year from now I think you’ll be glad this was all addressed in the beginning.”

  “You sound so sure.”

  “I am sure.” Nate sat down next to her, his thigh brushing her own, the tang of his body wash tickling her nostrils. He smelled damn good. “Paige, we are going to be one another’s almost constant companion for twelve to eighteen months. Maybe more. We’re bound to become close friends, confidants. I want to make sure we finish this contract as friends no matter what happens.”

  “You really think we could pull this off?”

  She couldn’t believe she was having this conversation.

  He nodded. “I think we can. We have enough in common that the relationship is believable. I think we can become good friends as well.”

  Friends? Was she looking for more friends? She might not be the most social being in the world, but she had several. Good ones, too. Adding Nate Mason, movie star to that list was an interesting proposition. But she still wasn’t sure this was a good idea. In her entire life she’d never thought of herself as a fake romance type of person. It seemed phony and that was one thing she tried to never be.

  And this contract brought up more questions than it answered.

  “What if you fall in love with someone else during this contract?”

  Shaking his head, he took a sip of his wine. “Highly doubtful. I’d barely have any time to date a woman, let alone fall in love. Of course if I do meet someone I want to date I promise that no one will ever know. I would never embarrass you that way.”

  “So we can date other people?”

  “We can, although it won’t be easy or recommended. That’s why I said what I did about us. We’ll be spending most of our time together.”

  She picked up the contract and pointed to one of the paragraphs. “Apparently I’m not to mention marriage, children, or love of any kind. Wow, you must have a king-sized commitment phobia. You should see someone about that.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. “It doesn’t say we can’t mention love. Personally I think it would be wonderful to be in love.”

  So did she, but she was surprised to hear it from him.

  Her long-term marriage hadn’t always been the happiest but they’d managed to keep it together. Then Noah got sick and any marital issues they’d had were put on the back burner; permanently, it turned out. For a long time after he’d passed away, she couldn’t even think about another man and relationship but lately she had to admit it had crossed her mind. Was there a second chance out there for her?

  Sadly, the odds weren’t in her favor. She’d have to make do with a great career and that’s why she was so determined to have this movie made.

  “But,” she prompted. “I hear a but in that sentence. You think it would be wonderful to be in love but…”

  Nate grimaced. “But I don’t fancy the idea of marriage or children. I’m very career focused and it would be selfish to marry and have a family at this point in my life. I just feel I need to be up front about that as some women haven’t believed me in the past and that can get very ugly.”

  She tossed the contract onto the coffee table. “You needn’t worry about me. Been there, done that, worn the t-shirt. I’m not looking to get married again and I just sent my kid to college. I don’t need to go back to diapers and formula so you can relax. But I do have a question for you, Nate, and I want you to be brutally honest.”

  He nodded, his expression sober. “I can do that.”

  She was terrified of the answer but she couldn’t stop herself. “I know what I’m getting in this deal. I get my name in the press along with yours. I get you to hold my hand when I want to have an anxiety attack. I get someone who has been there and knows what to do. What do you get? What do I have that you want?”

  His smile widened and his blue eyes flared with life. Whatever he wanted, he was damn excited about it.

  “I get to play Flynn and direct as well. That�
��s our bargain.”

  He wanted to play the main character from her books? He wanted to become a director?

  That she hadn’t expected.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Nate had shocked Paige. That was clear from the way she was looking at him, which wasn’t exactly a compliment. She didn’t have to say it out loud but obviously she’d never pictured him in the role. Her gaze was a little glassy and she blinked a few times as if turning his words over in her mind before replying. He needed this and her. He only hoped she didn’t know just how much power she held in her hands.

  “You want to be Flynn,” she echoed. “Really? Why?”

  He’d rehearsed this part until he could recite it in his sleep. “He’s a fascinating character. Part past, present, but also future. He’s heroic but not overtly so. He’s quiet, loyal, and uses his intellect as much as he uses his muscles. I also believe that you’ve only scratched the surface of who he truly is and that there are layers to be peeled back with every book and hopefully movie. I’d like to be a part of that, Paige. I’d like to bring his persona to the big screen. Your character come to life.”

  Frowning, she didn’t seem to like what he had to say. “But you’re not him.”

  He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say to that. Of course he wasn’t actually Flynn, just as he wasn’t actually Kai.

  “Give me a chance and I can become him for the cameras. I don’t know how you’ve pictured him–”

  “Not you,” she broke in, still frowning. “He has reddish gold hair and it’s longer. You’re also a little taller.”