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“Well, it’s true.” Linda dropped her voice lower, “Tom thinks it’s drugs, but I think Coran looks more like someone who’d sell guns.”
Rolling her eyes, Anna laughed. “Yeah, and Tom is not only a total conspiracy freak, he’s making you into one, too.”
Gage shrugged. “Hey, it’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you.”
She looked at him and blinked. Oh, no. Not again. He’d seemed so normal—but of course, if she found him attractive, something had to be wrong with him. Wadding up her sandwich paper, she stood. “Time to get back to work. Linda, we’re expecting another model soon, right? Could you run down and see if he’s gotten here yet?”
“Sounds like lunch is over.” Linda stood and headed downstairs.
Anna picked up her camera, and Gage headed for his spot in front of the green screen. As if that were her cue, Marcella stepped out from her office and walked over to join him.
“Darling, you have to lose the shirt.” She smiled at him as she began to unbutton it.
He took her hands and put them back at her sides. “Thanks. Got it handled.”
“Sure, fine.” Marcella waved a hand dismissively. “But I want to see you making love to the camera.”
Somehow Anna resisted the urge to roll her eyes over that one. Marcella was in a good mood, and Anna didn’t want to do anything to spoil it. When the art director stepped back, Anna started shooting. Gage seemed more relaxed now. He stared straight into the camera—or was that straight into her? Even with the equipment between them, it felt like he was gazing into her eyes. Her heartbeat quickened. He was more than a hunk—he looked like one of those sculpted statues, perfection except for that one nicked ear. It was heady, having his attention so firmly fixed on her.
She heard Marcella give a low hum of pleasure, but the world seemed to become just her and Gage. When the elevator chimed, she glanced over and saw that Linda had returned, sans the model they were expecting, but she didn’t stop to ask about it. All she could focus on was Gage. She wanted to touch him, to reach out and stroke her fingers over his delts, trace down to that rippling six-pack.
She noticed his lips curve into a smile. She looked up at him over the camera and caught his spark of amusement as his blue eyes danced.Busted!
Anna felt her face heat. In the next second, an ear-splitting alarm started to screech.
4
Gage grabbed his shirt and moved toward Anna. “What’s going on?” he demanded.
Anna winced. “It’s probably just another fire drill. We have them all the time.”
“Shouldn’t someone have had notice of a scheduled drill?” He walked over to the phone attached to the wall and picked it up. “Line’s dead.” He put the receiver down.
Anna glanced around, frowning. “You’re right. I’m the company safety officer, and they always tell me ahead of time. Come to think of it, drills are only supposed to happen on Mondays. Maybe there really is something wrong.”
“I don’t smell any smoke,” Marcella crossed her arms.
“That isn’t the smoke alarm,” Anna said. “It’s the alarm the building uses for gas or a hazardous spill.”
Gage grabbed her hand. “We need to go. Now.” He headed for the stairs, dragging Anna with him. The other two women followed, Marcella complaining. “Well, if we have to go, let’s take the stairs down and go out through the basement. We’ll get a coffee next door.”
Gage glanced at her. “Bad idea. If you’ve got anything hazardous spilled or venting in the building, it’s going to collect at basement level. We’re better off going up rather than down.”
Anna nodded. “Gage is right—the emergency protocol for a gas leak or possible spill is to go up and wait on the roof for evacuation.”
Marcella huffed out a breath. “If there was something leaking, we’d smell it. It’s probably just a false alarm. I’m going down. You coming?” She headed down the stairs. Linda glanced from Anna to Marcella, then gave Anna a helpless-looking shrug before darting after the director.
Anna stood frozen for a second. “I should go after them,” she said. “As the safety officer, it’s my responsibility to convince them to take the safer route.”
“Do you think Marcella will listen to you?” he asked.
She grimaced, then shook her head. “Not a chance. And no matter what Linda may say about her in private, she won’t go against the art director when Marcella’s standing right in front of her.”
“You told them what they should do,” Gage pointed out. “It’s not your fault they didn’t listen. As for us, we need to get out of here. Come on. Let’s move.”
He grabbed her hand, but she pulled back. “Wait. We should use the stairs on the other side. The alarm supposed to be loudest on the side of the building where the leak’s been detected—meaning this side.”
With a nod, he strode for the door she’d indicated, taking her with him. She still had her camera in hand.
