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Jacey nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I don’t think anybody figures they’ll actually solve the thing, but it does up the stakes a little, doesn’t it?”
He stepped closer, so close his jeans brushed her long black skirt and she felt his warm, minty breath on her skin. His cheek was freshly shaven, but he’d missed the tiniest bit of shaving cream, up near his earlobe. Unable to resist, she lifted her finger and wiped it away, glad for the opportunity to touch him. That touch was electric, sending warmth through her hand, down her arm and on, until it filled her whole body.
He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and stared at her as she pulled her hand away. Before she could lower it, he’d grabbed her fingers and pressed them to his cheek. “Oh, Jacey…you had to go and do that. It’s too late, now.”
“What does that mean?”
He gave her a rueful smile and stepped even closer, until she lost herself in the golden flecks scattered across the dark brown eyes. “It means I can’t wait now for a more convenient time. Can’t wait until this is all behind us.”
Wait? Wait for what?
He answered her unasked question. “I’m just going to have to kiss you now.”
She barely had time to absorb his words before his mouth was touching hers, his lips gentle and sweet. She moaned, or he did, or they both did, and the kiss deepened, becoming a living thing between them where there wasn’t just Digg, or just Jacey, there was now Digg and Jacey.
It was only much later, after many more kisses and touches that ended with them wrapped in each other’s arms on the sofa that they heard the door click.
And realized someone had been watching them.
CARO HAD TO run over to the local office supply store to pick up a fresh stack of paper Thursday afternoon. Mick had agreed to her request that he go back to his office for the rest of the day. She didn’t need any more run-ins with Renauld.
So far, she’d placed three calls to executives back in Hollywood and hadn’t gotten any response. She told herself not to worry, that they were on a different schedule. But she couldn’t help it—shewasworried. As much as she hated to admit it, Renauld might be right.
“Don’t even think that,” she reminded herself as she left the production trailer to run her errand. “Just go and by the time you get back, they’ll have called.”
They’d run through reams of paper with all the writers’ changes, last-minute clues and the twisting turning nature of the show. Just the thought of that twisting turning nature made her smile.Killing Time in a Small Townwas going better than she’d ever dreamed.
She hadn’t been kidding when she’d told Mick she was taking real pride in this project. Personal pride. The kind that came from being responsible for a success, seeing a little dream grow into a thriving, entertaining, genuinely entertaining product. AndKilling Time in a Small Townhad turned out to be just that. It could revive reality TV, could bring back the more strategic programs and maybe push aside some of the cheesier ones.
But she wanted the show to do it on its own. Not because of some vicarious thrills viewers would get due to the scandal. Especially not at the expense of Sophie Winchester.
She pulled her car out of the parking lot, waving at Jacey and Renauld, who stood on the porch of the inn. They looked to be having yet another heated conversation. Not surprising. The two of them didn’t get along at all.
She didn’t realize it might be more than just another run-in until she got back from her errand to the store and found Jacey walking out the front door of the inn. The young woman’s camera bag was slung over one shoulder, and a duffel bag over the other “What’s up?”
Jacey shot her a disbelieving glance. “You mean you don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“That I’ve been fired.”
Fired? The best member of their crew had beenfired? “That’s not possible.”
Jacey gave Caro a searching look, apparently noticing her genuine shock. “You really didn’t know? I wondered if that’s why you left, so you wouldn’t have to be the one to do it. I didn’t know whether to thank you—for liking me enough not to have the heart to fire me yourself—or to flip you the bird as you left.”
Caro reached out and touched Jacey’s hand, wanting to make sure the girl knew she was being totally honest with her. “I knew nothing about any firing. And if I did, I’m certainly not enough of a coward to disappear when there’s something unpleasant to take care of.”
Jacey nodded, accepting Caro’s words. “So, it was just the butt-wipe.”
“Which one?” Caro retorted before she thought better of it.
“Renauld. He said my personal relationship with one of the contestants made it impossible for me to continue here on the set. He was so damned judgmental, as if I’d destroyed the pristine reputation of Hollywood.”
Caro smiled, liking the girl’s sharp wit, which didn’t fade even under crappy circumstances like these.
Jacey continued, “I wouldn’t be surprised if he calls my father.”
“Father?”
