AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Have you seen Stella?” I ask Jessie, doing my second round through the massive building.
She arches a stylish red brow at me. “As in your co-star? Why?”
I frown, my annoyance mounting at her question. I’m not accustomed to being questioned by my underlings, although I’m not entirely sure that’s what Jessie is to me. This contract is already making me flustered and vaguely confused. The hierarchy is as conflicting as the plans for the upcoming month. I’m still not clear about what’s happening.
“Because I’d like to speak with her,” I retort sharply.
“You know you can’t fraternize with her outside of the studio until after filming is complete. It’s in your contract,” Jessie tells me sternly.
My eyes narrow, and I gesture around. “Are we not in the studio?” Sarcasm drips from my voice. “Have you seen her or not?”
Jessie shrugs, and I say nothing, making my way toward the exit, where I catch sight of Forrest and Stella in the parking lot, apparently locked in conversation. They remain chatting as they walk, and I follow at a distance.
I amble toward them, not wanting to interject myself in their discussion, but when Forrest finally turns away, I break into a sprint across the road to catch her attention before she can disappear from view.
“Stella!”
She spins at the sound of her name, lovely dark eyes widening to see me. “Gabriel, right?”
“Gabe,” I correct her. “But yeah.” I stop in front of her. “Are you on your way out?”
She shrugs, glancing back toward the studio warily. “Why? Does Jessie have something else for us to do now?”
“Not that I’m aware of,” I reply. “But we should probably get the hell out of here before she changes her mind and thinks of something. Come on.”
Without waiting for her to consider it, I grab her by the hand and pull her gently toward the gates to leave, but she protests lightly. “My car is still parked in the studio lot.”
“I’ll bring you back,” I insist, tugging on her hand. “I’m not kidnapping you.”
“I don’t know that,” she jokes, but I read the mild suspicion in her eyes.
I release her hand and put my own up in mercy as I step back to show her I’m not forcing her.
“I would be the worst kidnapper in the world,” I chortle. “Literally everyone knows who I am.”
“That is true,” she agrees.
“And if I kidnap you, I run the risk of you getting Stockholm Syndrome and falling in love with me forever. I can’t afford that.”
Dubiously, Stella stares at me. “Does that happen a lot?” she asks.
“No,” I answer honestly. “But there’s a first time for everything.”
Her eyes brighten with amusement, and she closes the distance between us, her lips curling upward as her shoulders sag.
“So, you see? I’m not going to kidnap you. But I thought we could go for a coffee and get to know one another,” I offer.
Slowly, she nods, and I feel an unexpected pang of relief.
“Okay,” she agrees. “But we have to take your car. I’m a little low on gas.”
“I’ll do better than that.” I hurry her along the sidewalk as I pull my phone out of my back pocket. “Lift off in fifteen minutes.”
The pink of Stella’s cheeks excites me from across the table. It’s been over an hour since we landed in Baja on my personal helicopter, but it’s clear the adrenaline is still pumping through her veins. The combination of the ride and skipping the country in a helicopter appears to be serving as the same aphrodisiac for her as it is for me.
“How did you know I’d have my passport on me?” she challenges.
“Because Jessie told me to bring mine, so they could make a copy of it for the show,” I reply, producing it to show her. “I assumed you would need yours, too.”
