EMERSON
Aged 24
Manhattan
“You want us towhat?”
My agent, Beck, regards me with a no-nonsense gaze despite my clear incredulity. He’s been with me since the beginning, even before I made the move from the theater to the big screen, and I trust him implicitly, butthis…
“It’s not like it’s the first time co-stars have fake dated to drum up more publicity.” Beck’s eyes shift from me to my co-star and lead singer of Wilde, Lawson Wilde, who’s idly scrolling his cell, looking like he couldn’t give less of a shit.
“It would only be for a week or two, guys. A handful of events together, maybe a date night here and there—” He bolts upright as though having an eureka moment. “Besides, you two actually respect and genuinelylikeone another, which is a lot more than can be said for a great many in the business, eh?”
Law lifts wide brown eyes to mine, his deep British accent as suave as ever. “I’m game if you are, Em.” One side of his mouth draws up like a bow as mischief dances across his face.“Besides…it’ll be fun to fuck with the paps. All publicity is good publicity, isn’t that what they say?”
He waggles his eyebrows, making me chuckle despite myself before Beck clears his throat. “Am I to take it that you’re both in?”
My skeptical gaze holds Lawson’s laughter-filled one until he presses his palms together in a pleading motion, his bottom lip curving downward in exaggerated sadness. Huffing at his hangdog expression, I throw my hands up in defeat, and my own snort of laughter soon joins his. “Fine! But only if we keep it limited to until a week after the premiere. Deal?”
I extend my hand, and Law takes it with a wink. “Deal.” His smile grows exponentially. “Starting today. We’ll leave the set holding hands. It’ll spark a media storm.”
As I’m shaking my head at my co-star’s love of fucking with the paparazzi, there’s a knock on the door to my dressing room.
“Come in.”
My eyes bulge when Jack Remington, the head of Vesper, steps inside, closely followed by Alex DeMarco, owner of the studio that has made my career.
“So sorry to bother you, Miss Hart.” Jack extends a hand, which I accept with a small smile. “Mr DeMarco wanted to speak with you?—”
He glances at Law and Beck, who are watching on with wide eyes, before continuing pointedly. “In private.”
Both men scuffle out of sight faster than a speeding bullet, with Jack following them, gently closing the door to leave me alone with Alex DeMarco.
He shakes my hand with a chuckle. “That’s one way to empty a room.”
I nod with an easy grin before gesturing to the couch. “Please take a seat, Mr. DeMarco. Can I grab you something to drink?”
“Please, call me Alex.” He shoots me a lopsided grin. “Mr. DeMarco is my pain in the ass older brother.”
A peal of laughter spills from my lips, and I move to join Alex on the couch when he indicates I should sit by him.
“Now we have the formalities out of the way, I’ll get straight to it, Emerson. You were recently the victim of a home invasion, correct?”
I clench my jaw as my stomach bottoms out, nausea swirling deep inside of me. “I prefer the term break-in. Home invasion sounds so…so…”
“Serious?” At my nod, Alex continues, reaching between us to pat the back of the hand I’ve rested atop my knee. “That’s because itisserious, Emerson. We take the safety of everyone under the corporate umbrella of DeMarco Holdingsveryseriously.”
He gives me a moment to allow that to sink in, watching me closely with warm whisky-colored eyes. At my slight nod, he elaborates.
“And as such, I’m here today because I’ve taken the liberty of hiring security for you. Private security that I canpersonallyvouch for, seeing as the owner of the company, Sentinel, is one of my closest friends.”
The name Sentinel is familiar to me as I’ve seen them run security for a number of events I’ve attended, though using a company such as theirs feels more than a little extra. And everyone knows I’m the furthest thing from a diva.
I blink several times, my brow furrowing. “Is there really aneedfor private security, Mr. De—I mean,Alex? I’ve never required any before beyond the norm.”
His gaze darkens while he regards me as though weighing his options until he speaks again, his words sending a shiver down my spine.
“There was a break-in here yesterday, too.”
