Page 10 of Daddy's Wild Girl

She looked like a predator wanting to play with her prey.

Barb Benner.

He’d spent a few hours yesterday binge-watching The Benner Life, as well as watching episodes of the other shows that Barb had produced. InThe Benner Life, Bluebelle came across as a spoilt and selfish brat who didn’t care about anyone else. But he was just hoping that she wasn’t like that in real life.

Although he’d felt sorry for her during the episode where she’d learned the truth about her boyfriend, Ericc, and how he’d been using her to get famous . . .ouch.

“Hello, gentlemen. I’m Barb Benner.” She held her hand up to Corbin as though she expected him to kiss it.

Yeah. That wasn’t happening.

While he knew better than to judge someone from what he’d seen of them on-screen, there was something about this woman that he didn’t trust.

So he grabbed her hand and turned it around to pump it. Her eyes narrowed in annoyance, her smile dropping slightly, but he didn’t care.

“I’m sure you’re very excited to meet me.”

Dear Lord. Seemed like she wasn’t putting on a show for the cameras. She just was like this. All the time.

This could get tiresome. Fast.

Corbin could already feel Hayes’ tension growing behind him.

“Mrs. Benner, I’m Corbin McIntyre. And this is my colleague, Graham Hayes.”

Hayes was now leaning against the wall, but he stepped forward and shook her hand. Her eyes lit up as she took in Hayes. He seemed to have that effect on some women. Theyeither ran from him or wanted to help soothe the pain they could sense.

With this woman, he thought it was something else entirely.

“Please, call me Barb,” she said with a faint English accent. “Mrs. Benner sounds so old and stuffy, like my mother-in-law. She was a real piece of work. Oh, the two of you are going to look so good on camera,” she purred.

Corbin raised his eyebrows. What?

“We’re not here to be on camera,” Hayes told her. “We’re here to do a job. To protect your daughter.”

“Of course, yes, yes.” She waved her hand. “But I’m sure you wouldn’t object to a bit of publicity, would you? If you were on one of my shows, you could get any job you wanted afterward. You wouldn’t even need to work.”

“We have the job we want,” Corbin said as nicely as he could. “And we’re not looking for publicity. The Benner Life ended five years ago, right?”

“Yes, it did. But I have other shows. Everyone wants publicity. They want to be famous. It’s just part of the dream. Rich and famous equals power. And at the end of the day, that’s the ultimate goal. I am always on the lookout for . . . talent.”

“Sounds like my personal hell,” Hayes grumbled.

Barb gaped at him.

Oh hell. This was already turning to crap.

“Barb, perhaps it would be good to go somewhere quiet so we could talk about the job,” he said, trying to turn her attention to him.

“Yes, all right. Come through to my office.”

“Is your husband home?” Hayes asked.

Corbin shot him a look, trying to tell him to shut up.

“Is something wrong with dealing with me? Do you have an objection to a powerful woman, Mr. Hayes?” she asked coolly.

“No. I just thought it would be good to meet him. And your daughter. Is she here?”

---