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Twenty-Three

Micah rolled his head,pausing at each side to crack his neck. Ah, that felt better. Not great, but better. He needed a massage and a week of sleep. He made a mental reminder to make a spa appointment for when he got back toL.A.

Ariahn Jessler, the blonde journalist from Faire Play Magazine furrowed her brows. “You seem tense,” she said, pressing the red button on her digital recorder. This was the second leg of their interview. The first session had started the minute he’d arrived on set for the day, ending only when he had to shoot his scene. Now they were filming one of the other actor’s close-ups so Micah was on break from acting and back on the interview.

“It’s a tough week,” he answered, careful not to sound too negative about his job. “We’re going to have to work hard to stay on schedule.”

“You finish up Friday?”

“That’s the plan. We’re behind schedule so we’ll probably have some late shoots to make itup.”

Ariahn jotted a note on her paper. What could she be writing? He hadn’t really said anything. Shake it off. Best not to worry too much about what she wrote.

He put his arms on the rests of his director’s chair. “Heather starts another movie on Saturday. It doesn’t give us much wiggle room for finishing.”

“Heather Wainwright?”

“Yeah.” He casually moved his hand to his knee to stop his leg from twitching. God, he was on edge, had been since he’d woken up that morning. The end of production was only part of the reason. This interview was another. It had originally been scheduled for his day off, but he hadn’t wanted to lose his free time. It would have thrown a serious damper on his hot air balloon surprise. He couldn’t cancel altogether since Faire Play had promised a cover article. It was great exposure for him and his upcoming movie release, a sci-fi thriller. But a cover article of this length meant he’d be spending a lot of time with Ariahn. It made for an exhausting work day, playing his character for the film one second and then having to present a different character, his public self, during his off-cameratime.

“What do you have lined upnext?”

Surely she already knew. Six weeks ago he would have said that, would have flirted his way through the interview. But now, with Maddie nearby, it seemed wrong. Instead, he remained matter-of-fact and forthcoming with his answers. “Let’s see, I’m presenting at the America’s Choice Awards in a couple of weeks. Then I’ll be promoting Night in Space. I start my next project in the latefall.”

“And what isthat?”

Micah had to work not to cringe. “It’s called Love Lessons. I play a teacher who falls in love with his student.” He couldn’t believe he’d agreed to do a romantic comedy. He really hoped the Santini thing went through. If not he’d push to get in with an actor’s director like Soderbergh or Branaugh or VanSant.

Or Bauers. He’d love to be directed by Maddie, and not just in the bedroom.

Maddie.There was another cause of his tension. So many complicated thoughts and feelings arose with her around. Their day off together had been the best of the last six weeks, but they’d said things to each other, things they couldn’t take back, some things he didn’t want to takeback.

He couldn’t quite explain why he’d provoked her on the drive. He’d repeated the main points of an argument he’d made for years—why he couldn’t have a girlfriend and his career—even though he wasn’t sure how convinced he was anymore. But he stood firm and pushed her, almost hoping it would scare her away so that he wouldn’t have to deal with the repercussions of madly adoring the woman.

Except it hadn’t worked. And damn, he was grateful for that. So grateful that though he couldn’t tell her how he felt, he’d hinted at a future that he still didn’t know if he could deliver.

He wanted to deliver, that wasn’t the problem. The more time he spent with her the more he realized how much he loved being with her. She was smart and fun. She inspired him creatively.

The sex was incredible.

All right, sex in general was incredible—women were usually intent on gratifying him, willing to do anything to get their one night with Micah Preston. But he’d forgotten what it felt like to be on the other side, wanting to satisfy someone else with such an ache that his own pleasure became irrelevant. How long had it been since he’d gotten to know a woman’s body so intimately that he could play her like an accomplished musician, knowing exactly where to stroke and caress to make hersing?

And then she learned him too, and he didn’t have to tell her what to do. She pleased him out of a genuine desire to share and connect, not because he was a Hollywoodstar.

It was the emotional component that boggled him. It frightened and thrilled him to feel whatever it was he felt for Maddie. He cared for her, appreciated her, adored her. She changed him. Made him believe things about himself, about the possibilities of a future that he hadn’t believed in before.

He’d almost said he loved her. And then she did say it. In bed—did that count? With Maddie, he was pretty sure itdid.

Though he hadn’t told Maddie yet, he knew that the end of the production wouldn’t be the end of them. It couldn’t be. He had to be with her beyond Colorado. He’d talk about it with her soon. That night, maybe. It was such a major move for him, he had to prepare for it. And he still had five days to work it out. He didn’t need to worry about it right this second. Especially not with a reporter sitting in front of him, watching his everymove.

Had she asked him something? “I’m sorry. I’m not usually so distracted. I had a late night.” A late night of lovemaking. He shifted, recalling it, giving himself more room in his pants.

“Oh, a late night?” Ariahn abandoned whatever question she’d just asked and redirected. “That’s right, we were originally scheduled to meet yesterday, but my assistant said you had something come up. Sight-seeing, wasn’tit?”

Micah stiffened. He hadn’t mentioned his adventure with Maddie to anyone. He answered cautiously. “Yeah, I did some sight-seeing. Figured it was my last chance since the shoot’s almostover.”

“A hot air balloon is certainly the way to see Colorado.”

Shit. Thank God his sunglasses hid his panic. Who let it leak? It had to be a member of the balloon’s crew. How much had the source said? Had they mentioned Maddie? How could they not mention Maddie? What should he saynow?