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The film producer, Julianna Kensington, takes a deep breath and shakes the tension from her hands. She smooths her clothes before stepping forward to welcome everyone working on The Naughty List. We have one week to shoot the film and Julianna hired us all at the eleventh hour. It’s only six days until Christmas so I'm not surprised she's nervous.
I survey the surly looking crowd gathered around the soundstage of Studio 6 as I listen to her speech. Although everything is blurry and out of focus, I recognize most of the crew but not the actors.
Laura Groves, a popular actress, is a natural beauty. She smiles sweetly when she catches me staring. Embarrassed, I rummage around my tote. I can't find my glasses, so I pull out a notebook and pen and make myself busy.
Julianna wraps up her speech and introduces Luca, who strides in, making a grand entrance. Dressed in black from head to toe, he cuts an imposing figure, commanding everyone's attention. My heart leaps into my throat as I watch him take the microphone from Julianna.
Luca Regis is intense. His scrutiny makes grown men tremble, and his looks make women go weak at the knees.Tall, dark and sinfully handsome, he's wealthier than a king. Everyone from film critics to academics, hail him as a genius.
A recent article in Variety magazine ran with the headline,All Hail the King. Luca Regis. The Last Auteur of modern cinema.
"Audrey?" Julianna's voice pulls me out of my daydream.
"Um, sorry, I zoned out there for a moment."What did I miss?
I glance up from my random doodling. Loose strands of hair fall into my eyes, making things worse, so I flip my hair back and stare in Julianna’s general direction.
"Just checking you're on set this afternoon for Kane and Scarlett's scene," Julianna says. Her tone is brusque and businesslike.
She must think I'm an airhead but I'm not stupid, just nervous. Especially when Luca's gaze is burning my skin. His face is a blur, and I can't focus on his eyes, but if I keep my expression neutral, I won't get into trouble, will I?
I’m part of a small team scheduled to shoot one scene later today. It's an indoor set up with the two lead actors, Kane and Scarlett.
"Yes, of course. That's why I'm here, to make Scarlett beautiful—"What did I say that for? "Not that she needs much to make that happen, because, you know she's already stunning."
I gulp down the lump in my throat, wishing the earth would open up and swallow me whole. I'm not a funny person and should leave the jokes to someone else. I breathe a sigh of relief when she shifts her attention from me to Charity from the props department.
Following the meeting, the crew breaks into small groups. I try catching Luca's attention, but he's deep in conversation with the gaffer and the rest of the lighting team. I need to prepare forthis afternoon's scene, so I put my head down and race to the make-up trailer.
The corridors between the trailers are lined with props and general mess. In my haste, I almost collide with a former stuntman, Kaiden Huxley. He's gruff but apologizes for being in such a hurry that he almost knocked me over. He turns to the side and my gaze falls on the nasty scar running from the corner of his right lip to his temple.
"If you're looking for Laura, she's in wardrobe. They're fitting her for tomorrow." Their eyes were locked earlier, so they must know each other from a previous job.
"Thanks." Kaiden glances over his shoulder, towards the source of heavy footsteps echoing behind me, the sound growing louder as the person draws closer.
I turn. Luca is thundering toward us. His tall, imposing silhouette is backlit, making him appear more menacing than he is. Kaiden's eyes dart around nervously, fear etched into his features.
Luca's always been my protector and hero. There was one time when we were kids playing ball at his house. I threw a wonky ball which smashed the living room window and knocked his mom's favorite vase off the bookshelf.
I was terrified of getting in trouble because everything at the Regis house was so fancy. My dad worked for Luca's dad so there was added pressure to be on our best behavior. Luca took one look at my tears and marched inside to tell his mom it was his fault.
While there have been countless instances since then, seeing how he looks at Kaiden makes my heart race.
"Erm…which way is wardrobe?" Kaiden asks a simple question, with a hesitant tone, as if he senses he's doing something wrong.
Luca glares at him, dark brows drawn together, his eyes spitting fire. "How would Audrey know? She's hair and makeup. Wardrobe is Edie's department."
Even though he's acting all possessive and terrifying Kaiden, his baritone sounds melodic to me. Still, the stuntman hunches as though Luca's sharp tone sliced through his flesh.
"Right," Kaiden mutters, before slinking away.
Luca closes the distance between us. Having him stand inside my personal space would be uncomfortable if we were colleagues, but I yearn to be even closer. I want him around me, on top of me, inside me, and these are not the feelings a woman should ever have for a man she considers a brother.
We stare each other down, the atmosphere between us sparking with tension. He's the only man I want, and the one man on earth I can't have.
He fixes me with a fiery gaze. "What are you doing?" he grumbles when Kaiden is out of earshot.
"Ah… my job?"
