Page 38 of Lovescenes

CHAPTER EIGHT

Shannon turned slowly in Cade’s arms, nestling her head on the hard plane of his naked shoulder. Some­where in the distance, music was playing, soft violins swelling as Cade’s mouth ravaged hers.

‘That’s wonderful, darling,’ she whispered softly, smiling up at him through half-lidded eyes. ‘Wonderful.’

‘Wonderful!’ Jerry echoed from the sidelines. ‘OK, kids, you were great. Wrap it for the day.’

Thank God, Shannon thought desperately. She pushed Cade away from her and sat up quickly. ‘Excuse me,’ she said, swinging her legs to the floor.

He smiled at her. ‘Sure.’

Her eyes met his briefly and then she looked past him, towards the perimeter of the set. She could see her robe lying across an unused camera. But to get to it, she’d have to let go of the sheet she was clutching and then walk across the set in her bodysuit while Cade sat and watched.

He rose and stretched lazily. Shannon looked away from him. Think about something else, she told herself. Think about all you have to do when you get home to­night. The laundry and the cleaning and...

‘Here,’ he said politely.

She looked up in surprise. Cade was holding her robe out to her. ‘I...thank you,’ she said with equal po­liteness, taking it from him and scrambling into it.

‘You’re welcome,’ he said solemnly.

But there was nothing solemn about the way he was looking at her. There was a gleam in his eyes, a twitch at the corner of his mouth...

‘You guys were terrific,’ Jerry said, beaming at them. He slapped Shannon on the back and grinned. ‘What a performance! ’

Shannon avoided Cade’s eyes as each of them murmured their thanks. Crawford had been complimenting them all week, telling them and the network publicity department that he’d never seen such chemistry before. He’d been delighted ever since the day they’d finally played that first love scene together.

‘Spontaneous combustion,’ he’d said, and Shannon had avoided Cade’s eyes then, too, because she knew he’d figured out the truth, even if Jerry hadn’t.

It hadn’t been spontaneous combustion. The sparks Jerry had wanted were there, but they were phonies.

She’d given the best performance of her life and she’d gone on doing it every day since.

She’d only lost her concen­tration once, only let herself feel Cade’s arms and Cade’s body and Cade’s mouth one time and that had hap­pened today, damn it, today, and she didn’t know how she’d let herself slip into that trap…

‘II want you in early Monday. The network wants to get some publicity stills of you two.’

Shannon nodded. ‘Yes, OK, Jerry. I’ll be here. Uh, if we’re done for the day... ?’

‘No problem. Uh, Cade? Can I have a minute?’

‘I’m in a bit of a hurry, Jerry.’

‘I’ll make it fast,’ the director promised.

Not too fast, Shannon thought, risking a quick glance at Cade as he reached for his shirt.

His head swung towards her, his eyes catching hers for an instant. His slow smile brought a momentary rush of confusion and she swiveled sharply on her heel and hurried towards her dressing-room, de­termined to be in her street clothes and out the door before he could stop her.

Her shoulders sagged with relief as she slammed the dressing-room door behind her. Well, she thought, an­other day and she’d survived. She sighed as she peeled off her bodysuit. At least there were no-gawkers standing around the set any more.

Cade had seen to that after their afternoon at the beach.

‘I want the set cleared,’ he’d said to Jerry. ‘We don’t need anybody watching but the technicians.’

His voice had been soft, but there was no doubt in Shannon’s mind that it was a command, not a request.

‘That should make things easier,’ he’d said to her with a quick smile, and she’d nodded, for once in her life grateful that stars had certain prerogatives denie

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