Page 63 of Lucky Star

The longer I stared up into eyes that smiled down at me with surety and strength, the more I knew he was right. If Broderick fired him, he might not star in The Ties That Bind, but he’d be able to leverage the time he’d been attached to the movie to his advantage. Walking away from a blockbuster for the sake of love? Women would eat that shit up with a spoon. He didn’t need to pretend to be a romantic hero—he was one. If he got hooked up with a good PR team that actually had his best interest at heart, he could tell his story far and wide, setting himself up perfectly as a rom-com leading man.

“You’re a genius!” I grabbed his hands. “Why didn’t we think of this before? Think about it for a second. Our relationship is the perfect chick flick. Best friends in love with each other but neither knows it. Drunk night leads to sex which results in a major misunderstanding. Guy can’t stand the rift he’s created so he crawls back with a huge declaration of love. In the final act, they get married, surrounded by friends and family who’ve known all along they were meant for each other. Open during the Christmas season when everyone wants warm and fuzzy love stories and it’s a hit.”

Cameron’s face furrowed in thought. “I’ll be damned. You’re right. You’ve spent so much time with Broderick learning how to make a movie, developing a honed understanding of what people want to see, that someday you could be your own Broderick.”

“Hollywood’s not my dream, though. Just because I recognize what would make a hit movie doesn’t mean that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.”

Cameron was right about one thing though: I’d learned from one of the best, and chances were if I realized it, Broderick had known it all along. “I bet you anything, Broderick’s already thought about all of this. He won’t fire you; you’re the star his audience wants. He can sell the hell out of you. He will sell the hell out of you.”

Suddenly serious, Cameron brought his hands to my cheeks and cupped my face in his palms. “I might have messed this up at first, but I’m going to make it up to you.” He planted his soft, warm lips on mine in a lingering kiss that communicated the depth of his feelings.

What started out as an innocent gesture soon turned hot and covetous, the fire behind his feelings igniting a passion that smoldered just below the surface whenever we were near each other. “I love you,” he murmured, against my lips.

A few seconds later, an old, beat up VW bus slowed as it drove past, and a young, scruffy guy in a beanie and flannel shirt leaned out the window. “Get a room!” he shouted, honking twice and giving us a thumbs-up before speeding toward town, wet gravel spewing in his wake.

Reluctantly I pulled back, laughing at being caught making out on the side of the road. “We may as well follow. We need coffee, breakfast, and to go grocery shopping. In that order.”

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