Stuck On You (8 page)

Laura nearly sighed with relief when the spreadsheet finally opened. His arm brushed her shoulder as he pointed at the screen. “Do you think that works?”

It worked for her, but she didn’t think he was talking about the heat that spread from her shoulder up to her face and then down to her stomach. She did her best to ignore the sudden urge to squirm.

“I’ve got them entered by date, with the location, the purpose, and the dollar amount.” He repeated the jolt to her system by pointing to the screen and then turning his head to look at her. The soft brush of mint-fresh toothpaste-scented breath on her face started the alarm bells ringing. She straightened in the chair and subtly brushed him back with her shoulder. He stood slowly and she thought she might see the warmth of satisfaction in his eyes. He crossed his arms over the soft knit of his T-shirt and Laura had to force her eyes back to the spreadsheet. His arms were roped with muscle. Staring at them, naked, crossed over his broad chest, which was incidentally covered in a Dr. Pepper logo, made her feel . . . restless. Yes, restless.

“Should be fine. Go ahead and order what you’ve got by date. The biggest missing piece to your system is dating when the receipt is entered on the hardcopy. When you enter it in the spreadsheet, just take a red pen and write the date at the top. That way, you’ll have a double-check to make sure everything’s accounted for.”

She could hear the fussy, pretentious, schoolmarm tone in her voice but it was like a natural birth control. Bossing him around should throw a little cold water on the situation. Even if she was the only one in need of cold water, something had to happen soon to cool things off or she’d have to either leap on him when he least expected it or run screaming from the room. At this point, she wasn’t sure which one she’d choose but she had a bad, bad feeling that it wouldn’t be the smart, safe choice. Maybe she hadn’t felt this way in a long time, but she
was
feeling it with a vengeance
now
.

“I’ll get you a couple of envelopes and you’ll have a logical system.” Her voice sounded funny to her own ears, too loud and too harsh for the quiet between them.

He laughed. “It’s too bad Memphis wasn’t my first stop. You might have saved me a few gray hairs, a few tense exchanges with Bob, and wear and tear on the folder. As it is, I’ve only got two stops left.”

She smiled. “I’m sure this won’t be the last wild adventure you head out on. You can repeat as needed for the next season of shows.”

KT crossed his legs on the bed and started sorting into piles. “Don’t think I’ll be trying this again. Too much paperwork for me.”

She glanced over her shoulder as she watched him neatly sort and stack. “Maybe you just needed some experience. The next round should be easier.” She had no idea why she was encouraging him. Maybe it was her mothering instinct. Somehow, the expression on his face was earnest, like a little boy trying his best to do a grown-up job.

“Not my thing. I wanted to do the travel show. Love to see the unusual, like gold bathrooms.” He glanced up and winked at her and Laura swiveled her head around so quickly back to the spreadsheet that she had to fight not to wince at the sharp pain that shot down her neck. “But I need action, not accounting.”

“So, maybe you could fly in, host, and then fly back out again, just not act as producer.” She picked up the pen to make a check on every receipt she matched to the spreadsheet and started her own piles.

He hmmed. “Maybe, but I don’t usually like to do the same thing twice. I like variety. Excitement.”

Laura gave herself a mental nod. That, right there, was the chief difference between them. More than anything, she’d like routine. She’d worked hard to build something for herself and for Holly. All she wanted now was to get to a place where they were comfortable again. A little house, enough money to buy groceries, pay the bills, and go to the movies once in a while. That would be perfect.

“What’s the most exciting thing you’ve done?” Getting him to talk about this really ought to make it clear how bad a match he was. And the fact that she was even thinking “match” was crazy. He was thinking fun. She should do the same.

He didn’t answer for a minute. She risked a glance over her shoulder to see him holding a receipt very close to his face while he tried to decipher the date. He finally set it down. “Ran with the bulls in Pamplona once. That was more than enough. I’ve driven a race car a few times, trained with some ex-military trained operatives for a television show that never came through.”

He shrugged. “And I’ve done all the usual, skydiving, bungee jumping, swimming with sharks.”

Certain he was joking with the last, Laura turned to face him. When he kept sorting, humming to himself, she said, “That’s crazy, you know?”

He tilted his head. “Which? The sharks? That was probably the safest out of the whole list.”

Laura shook her head. “Okay. I don’t even know what to say to that.”

He laughed. “What’s the scariest thing you’ve done?”

Having a baby at eighteen had to top the list but she didn’t feel like getting into that story here and now. “Putting on the showgirl outfit has to rank right near the top.”

“Really? It’s a good look for you.”

Laura peeked over her shoulder to see if he was teasing. KT just looked busy, absentmindedly engrossed in his sorting job.

“The first time I slipped into it, I was pretty sure I was going to die of embarrassment. Even if it’s showgirl-light, it was still more exposed skin than I was used to. Pairing that with a bar seemed to mean I was going to get leers and unending harassment.”

KT’s head snapped up. “But you don’t, right? Because if you do, you should really speak to Willodean, maybe you need a big bouncer.”

Laura shook her head. “No, you’ve seen the crowd we get. Lucky’s the worst lech we have to deal with most of the time and he’s pretty easy to distract. Fresh scotch works the best but a beer will do in a pinch.”

KT frowned and carefully set down the stack he was working through. “And who, exactly, is Lucky?”

“Our Elvis. You know? Short guy, wears a jumpsuit. He used to have these crazy sideburns but he’s given them up recently for some reason.”

KT nodded carefully. “Right. Little guy.” The look on his face said he was pretty sure he could push Lucky around.

Laura rolled her eyes as she finished the stack she was working on. It might be nice to have someone who’d beat up every problem she had, but KT was a bad bet. There was no sense in encouraging it or secretly thrilling over a slightly dangerous jealous glint in his eyes. He wouldn’t be around long. It wouldn’t take much to get so used to that, to someone caring about her welfare, and it would hurt that much more when he left.

“Okay, I don’t want to do any of the things you listed. What’s the scariest thing you can imagine? Something you wouldn’t try no matter what.”

He thought for a minute. “I don’t think I’d be good at a clown convention.”

Laura rolled her eyes. “Right. Clowns are scary. Come on.”

He shrugged a shoulder. “Well, they’re not exactly
not
scary. I mean, all those loud colors, the creepy makeup, faces you can’t see. But maybe the scariest thing I can think of is being a father. That’s real pressure right there.”

When his phone beeped, KT swore under his breath. “I’ve got to run downstairs to meet with Bob, make sure the electrician’s underway. You can come with me or . . .”

She motioned at the computer. “Since you have to go out later, to spend more money, I presume, it might be better for me to finish up with this. I don’t think it will take too long.”

He slid from the bed. “That’s fine. Give me your cell number and I’ll call you when we’re done. Depending on how far along you are, we can figure out what to do next.”

“I don’t have a cell.”

KT peered up at her. His hand was frozen over his cell phone. He was clearly ready to put in her number. Laura really wished she had one to give him. Then, for a little while, she could exult in being in KT Masters’s contacts.

“Everyone has a cell. Don’t worry. I won’t be drunk dialing you. I haven’t had a drink in three months.”

Laura carefully schooled her face into polite attention. A nonalcoholic life? That didn’t really match what she imagined of the Hollywood lifestyle. But she liked it.

“No cell. I dropped it when I lost my job. Then, when I moved in to the staff apartment here and started working all the time, I just couldn’t see the expense.” Or pay it but that wasn’t important.

“Well.” He propped his hands on his hips and looked stumped.

“You could call your room phone.” She pointed at the shell-shaped phone on the nightstand. “Don’t worry. When your girlfriend calls, I’ll let her know I’m an assistant.” Working in his hotel room. Sure, she would buy that.

He snorted. “Nah, no girlfriend.” He grabbed the pen and looked around on the paper-covered desk. “Find me a piece of paper I can write on.”

She smiled. Such a typical male. It was cute. Now. Ten years of finding what was in plain sight might get old. Maybe. She ripped off the top sheet of the pad by the phone and watched him write his phone number down.

He handed it to her. “Here’s my number. If you finish before I do, call me using the old-fashioned conch. If that doesn’t work, we’ll go to tin cans.”

Laura saluted and did her best to keep her expression serene. “Good plan, boss.”

“I like the sound of that, Lola.” The slow smile that spread across his lips made the stupid flutter kick up in her stomach again. She wanted to send him on his way but her mouth was dry. Anything she tried would probably come out as a croak. Since he clearly already knew how he affected her, she was going to just pretend. She nodded her head once sharply and turned back around to shuffle papers. She didn’t breathe again until she heard the door close behind him.

Chapter Four

KT
LEANED AGAINST
the seascape painted on the wall along the hallway. He had to catch his breath before he went downstairs. Shane would be able to tell with one look that he was rattled. They’d worked together off and on since they were both on
On Deck
together. He didn’t have a lot of close friends in the world, but she was one. Even after she’d decided acting wasn’t for her, too much attention, they’d kept in contact and when she came back to town, looking for styling work, he’d been happy to help her get a start. True friends were hard to come by in Hollywood and she’d been one through all the shit his parents put him through. Unfortunately, she knew him very, very well. She’d probably try to warn him away from Laura by telling him that she was all wrong for him. Too serious.

And, boy, was she. When he’d opened the door to see her standing in the beachy hallway, he’d almost asked her what time the funeral was. Maybe he’d spent too much time with her in pink and sequins and feathers, but her gray slacks, black jacket, and white button-up blouse were just all wrong. Maybe she was going for business-like. She’d shot right past that into depressing. That hadn’t kept him from almost kissing her three separate times in the space of less than two hours. This meeting was a blessing.

He wanted to kiss her. Definitely. He wanted to strip her out of dark, dour, and depressing. The idea that he was ready to do something crazy with a woman doing her best to put out the “No, thank you” vibe deserved some serious thought. The vibe was getting weaker, slowly changing into something more receptive. If he’d stayed in that room, stretched out on that bed, watching her frown and mutter over his system, he’d have seen how far she was ready to go, ugly clothes or not. Unfortunately, right now he needed that damn spreadsheet. Badly. They were coming down to the end of the project. It would be a very good idea to take a look at the budget. He’d proven how useless he was with numbers. Once she got him straightened out, maybe he could keep it going.

Whether he could or he couldn’t, one thing was clear. He was going to kiss her. Today. It had to be done. He’d barely slept at all last night. He’d been too busy thinking about her hair and her skin and her unwilling laugh and the faint frown line on her forehead. She wasn’t bombshell beautiful, but she held his attention. That was more than he could say for a lot of women he’d spent time with. He’d almost proposed to a Victoria’s Secret model who was as interesting to talk to as an empty Starbuck’s cup. She’d been onboard with the no babies family plan and she’d looked damn good naked. It had seemed like enough at the time. Thank God, Gram had talked him out of that one.

Feeling better with the promise of a stolen kiss to look forward to, he straightened and slapped his hand against the hand of the painted hula girl in an unsatisfying high five before heading for the elevator.

He waved at the manager’s cool nod and tried not to wince as he remembered the list he owed Ortega for the styling rooms and the green room. Before he and Laura could hit the road to look for stage dressing, he’d need to get on that. He took a deep, calming breath, squinted a little, and headed into Viva Las Vegas.

In an unusual turn of events, Bob was smiling when he crossed over to pound KT on the back. “Hey, man, great job. Great job. Electrician’s been here, got most of the things done already. Almost everything’s done. They’re working on taking down the electronic display now, so we’ll be ready for your stage dressing. When’s it coming? When will we have the stage dressing?”

KT bit his tongue and waved his hand. “All under control. We’re headed out to go round it all up now.”

Bob’s eyes narrowed. “To be delivered when?” When he managed to say something only once, the situation was getting real. KT knew he needed a good answer here.

“Well, the electrician’s been so quick. I hadn’t expected to be able to work in here until tomorrow morning. We’ll have everything then, maybe even this afternoon.” Only if they got very lucky. Like second-lottery-win lucky.

Bob studied his face. KT hoped he was bluffing successfully. And that Laura had a trick up the sleeve of her ugly, boxy jacket. Most places would be booked up already. Getting a crew to make a last-minute delivery would be difficult and expensive.