Page 10 of Broken Rules

“Don’t even pretend Chinese isn’t your favorite.”

“When I’m not eating it in some crappy motel,” she muttered.“I’m sure it would taste a little better if I were at a house in the Hills with a wealthy movie producer.”

“Don’t make it sound like something it’s not.”Because I knew she wouldn’t let it go, I put the powder blue dress back on, telling myself to ignore the way the tiny pleats under the bust line pushed my boobs up and out.I couldn’t help myself as I adjusted them, fretting a little.

“Why are you so afraid of being beautiful?”she asked.

“Because it can be a liability,” I fired back without thinking.Our eyes met in the mirror, and I shrugged.“We’ve both met men like him.They see a pair of boobs, and their brains click off.I wanna be taken seriously.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to cover yourself up all the time.You look really nice,” she told me with a thumbs up.“And the car will be here any minute, so put your shoes on.”

“Wow, what would I do without you?”I asked, rolling my eyes.“I might’ve walked out barefoot.Thanks,Mommy.” She only laughed, flipping through channels while I silently panicked.

I’d told her about the talk we had last night back at the studio office.What I didn’t tell her was the way I felt when he left.He had surprised me.Maybe I had underestimated him, figuring he’d laugh off my story about Clyde.The man had been in the industry for fifty years, and he was the sort of guy people didn’t accuse of things if they wanted to get a job in this town.

But Lex had accepted it without question.He had been angry, for my sake.He had looked disgusted when I told him about Eric.And he was determined to make a good movie.He had skin in the game, the same as I did, and it wasn’t only financial.He was worried about more than the bottom line.

It was refreshing.

At exactly eight o’clock, there was a knock on the door.I opened it with my heart in my throat and was greeted by a man in a dark suit.“Miss Strawbridge?Mr.Landry sent me to pick you up.”

“Have fun and chill out!”Claudia whispered as I grabbed the shoulder bag that held my binder, laptop, andeverything I’d put together so far for the movie.

My knees shook as I followed the driver to the long, sleek limo.He’d sent a goddamn limousine.Who was he trying to impress?

All right, so maybe I was a little impressed as I ducked inside and sank into a leather seat.Maybe it wasn’t completely evil to make a lot of money from movies.Not that I would admit that to Lex.He still had a long way to go before I was convinced he was a thoroughly decent guy.

One thing I knew for sure as the car finished rolling up a winding road was the man had a more than decent house.Plate glass windows meant a view of the sprawling interior, while discreet lighting shows off meticulous landscaping.I’d bet my entire paycheck for the movie that there was a big pool around back and a breathtaking view.

I’d lived in a trailer until I was ten, sharing a tiny room with two sisters.It was only when Dad had landed a teaching job at UCLA that we were able to move into a house with more than two bedrooms, not that it was much more comfortable.I was raised to hate everything about this lifestyle.

Climbing out of a limousine, walking up the flagstone path of a Hollywood Hills mansion to have dinner with a studio executive.It meant selling out, sacrificing my art on the altar of money.

Was it wrong to want to make this work on my terms?Did I have to go through life scraping by if it meant being an artist?

The front door swung open, and I was treated to the sight of a freshly showered Lex.His dark brown hair turned black with the water that still dripped and soaked into his pale green T-shirt.A pair of gray sweatpants completed the outfit.He was on the phone, scowling, barely waving me in before turning and padding barefoot across the hardwood floor.

And there I was, wearing a sundress so thinthatmy nipples went hard in the air conditioning.I tried to ignore them and the sense of being overdressed while following Lex past a sunken living room and a room that had to be his office, with a desk, computer, and a window behind it that looked out over the big pool I had imagined.

“Give me a second.”He pulled the phone away from his ear, scowling as he muted it.“I’ve been running late all day after a meeting went an hour too long.My cook left salad and antipasto in the refrigerator.Kitchen’s that way, help yourself.”He jerked his chin toward the kitchen up ahead while heading into his office.

What the hell was this?A power play?Forget a sundress or even linen slacks.I should’ve thrown on my workout clothes if this were the respect I’d get tonight.Instead of setting the food out like a member of his staff, I pulled out my laptop and binder and began spreading out on the white marble island.

The room was sort of clinical in all white, but it probably glowed in the morning when sunshine streamed in through the huge windows lining the back wall.

I was reviewing a task list when I heard Lex’s soft footsteps.“I only threw this on after my shower so I could make that call,” he explained behind me.“Give me a minute to make myself presentable.”

“No need,” I replied without turning away from my work.Even the addition of the folder he placed near me didn’t break my focus.“You look fine.I didn’t get the food out, though.That’s not in my contract.”

He growled and muttered something about splitting hairs as he went to the refrigerator and pulled out items.I saw him out of the corner of my eye and wished his ass didn’t look quite so delectable when he bent to look for something on one of the lower shelves.

But it was the way his dick moved under those sweatpants when he turned to the side that set my cheeks on fire.Was he wearing underwear?Well, I had told him not to bother getting changed, hadn’t I?My pulse picked up speed, but I fought to ignore it as Lex set various things on the marble countertop.“Wine?”he asked, bending to open a door on his side of the island.

I needed to keep a clear head, but I needed to ease my nerves more.“Sure.Thanks.”Looking up from my binder, I found an array of meats, cheeses, olives, and spreads on one platter.On another, there was grilled chicken and vegetables.He added a long baguette to the spread, then opened a bottle of white wine.

“Let’s talk actresses,” I suggested, bypassing the meats in favor of tearing off a hunk of bread and pairing it with a piece of sharp cheddar.The flavor exploded across my tongue.Note to self.Buy some good cheese.Now that I had a full-size refrigerator in my new apartment, I could fill it with my favorites.Another perk of being gainfully employed.

“Let me pour the wine first,” he countered, shaking his head a little as he pulled out a pair of glasses.“Take a breath.”

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