Page 101 of Until the Sea Runs Dry

“Ellie and I were in a real relationship, but it was never based on anything other than lust and fun. We met, and with all the chemistry flying around, things happened. But, she isn’t the sweetheart the world thinks she is. That’s the result of a carefully orchestrated campaign by her people. We broke up because I discovered she had cheated on me many times over. She also has several substance abuse problems.”

“But, why did they say you were the cause of the breakup, that it was you who cheated, you were the one with the addiction problems?”

“Because it suited their narrative better.” Logan laughed, a hollow laugh that didn’t meet his eyes. “This industry, hell, this entire city is built on them. Why else do you think so many co-stars ‘fall’ for each other during the press tour, only to break up the moment the movie comes out? Half of the relationships in this town are nothing more than publicity stunts.”

“Like ours?” The question slipped out before she could stop it.

He lifted her chin with his fingers, forcing her to look at him.

“Ours may have started like that, but I think we can be adult enough to acknowledge that something real is happening here now. You do things to me, Jane, things that no other woman has done before.”

“Not even the love of your life?”

Dammit, there was that spark of jealously again. She wished she could get a handle on it before she acted like a complete fool. A slow, knowing smile spread over his lips.

“I hope not, that would be far too disturbing.” Seeing her confusion, he finally came clean.

“I was talking about my mom, Jane. She’s the only woman I’ve ever totally and completely loved. Oh, and for the record, my mom never liked Ellie either. Couldn’t stand her, actually. Thought her vapid and fake.”

The resulting relief and the boost to her mood was troubling. She needed to steer this conversation to safer waters. “If you’re not careful, Logan, you might develop a heart.”

His eyes fixed on hers, intensely dark under the pale moonlight.

“If I’m not careful, you might steal mine.”

She drew in her breath as a warmness seeped into her veins. Was this real? Could he really be falling for her?

“There you are,” Adele called out from the night. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. What’re you doing out here?”

Logan rolled his eyes. “Trying and failing to have a quiet moment.”

Adele heard the pointedness in his comment and, as usual, chose to ignore it.

“You can be as quiet as you’d like when you’re dead or D-list. Until then, work calls.”

“What’s going on?”

“Stonewall Smith mentioned that he was serious about doing something with you again. He’d like to have a quick chat with you while Mandy is preoccupied. You’ve got about ten minutes before she extracts herself from the clutches of our host. The two of them are singing a number with the band, which will no doubt turn into one or two more. Go work your magic. He’s hiding by that statue over there.”

She gestured at the figure who they could only see from the glowing tip of his cigar.

Adele turned to Jane. “We’ll have to do this conversation without you. It’ll put him in a better bargaining position.”

Jane waved them away. “I’m fine here, resting my feet. Go, network or whatever it is you need to do.”

Bowing grandly to her, Logan flashed a quick grin before heading to his clandestine meeting with Adele.

Alone in the peace and quiet, Jane had a moment to admire her surroundings.

The house was beautiful, all lit up like a set from one of Logan’s movies. She could hear the luscious voice of a woman singing sexily with the band which could only be Mandy Gray, who, Jane she suddenly realized she could remember.

Excited by the memory, she tried to place what movie she had seen her.

There was that one where she had played a single mom who could barely afford to feed her kid, but through her own tenacity, she’d managed to put herself through law school and went on to become the highest paid cooperate lawyer in the country. Jane was pretty sure there had been an academy award nomination for that performance, if not the actual award itself.

If only she could place where she had seen the film.

Closing her eyes, she tried recalling an image of the movie in her mind. Mandy’s face appeared, all sultry wanton sex. Her hair was loose over one shoulder and pin-straight — quite different to the wavy style she wore tonight. Instead of a dress that clung to every curve, the Mandy in her mind’s eye wore a pant suit, but the shirt was unbuttoned almost down to her navel, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of the lush body that lay beneath.

---