Throb

Tatiana jumps on the opportunity. “Well, that’s my cue. I want a little alone time with Coop before I lose him back to run an empire. I’m sure you understand how hard it is to get alone time around here.” Tatiana winks at Flynn.

A flicker of something ignites in Kate’s eyes. Jealousy?

Flynn stands. “It was nice meeting you both.”

“You too.” Dickhead.

“Kate. It was good to see you.” I lean down, kiss her cheek and whisper, “My office, ten minutes.”

Chapter thirteen

Kate

“Kate.” Miles catches my arm just as Flynn and I approach the entrance to the hangar, returning from lunch. “Joel needs to see you, Flynn. Kate and I have some things to discuss, she’ll meet you inside in a bit.” His tone is dismissive. “Why don’t we go talk in my office?” He asks like it’s a question, but he’s already steering me down the hall.

Not surprisingly, Miles’s office is nothing like his brother’s. It’s the same size and shape, even boasts a similar view, yet everything is exaggerated, rather than understated like Cooper’s. The walls are lined with framed movie posters, shelves are filled with awards and accolades. A round meeting table has a dozen tall piles of manuscripts.

“Have a seat. Can I get you something to drink? A cocktail perhaps?”

I look over at the red couch Miles motions to. Definitely a casting couch. “No. I’m good. Thank you.”

He pours himself one and joins me, sitting a bit too close. “How is everything going, Kate?”

“Umm … good, I suppose.” I’m not clear on exactly what he’s referring to.

“Flynn really likes you.” He sips his drink, then reaches out and brushes my hair behind my shoulder. “I can see why. You’re a beautiful woman.”

I force a smile, resisting the urge to smack his hand away from me. “Thank you.”

“You seem a bit stressed lately. Things are a little off between you and Flynn. Is there anything I can do to help?” Miles’s leg brushes up against mine and his hand grips my shoulder and rubs.

Instinctively, I lean the other direction, pulling my shoulder from his reach. “I’m fine. I don’t need any help. But thank you.”

Miles gulps from his glass, watching me over the brim as he drinks. His stare makes me uncomfortable, but I stand my ground, not looking away. The glimmer in his eyes changes, the flirty mock caring gone, he squints. “Let me get to the point then. This is scripted reality TV. You and Flynn will get ratings. I need you to be a little friendlier with him.”

“A little friendlier?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I’m not sure that I do.”

“You’re the gambler, Kate. How much do you think doing what I ask increases your odds of staying on the show?”

Standing, I offer an insincere smile. “Is there anything else?”

He leans back on the couch, swallows the remnants of his glass and grins at me. “I like a woman that knows how to play the game. That will be all.”

Sitting in my Jeep, I inwardly debate one more time before turning the ignition key. It’s been almost an hour since Cooper left lunch. No doubt he’s growing impatient by now. But I just can’t. His hand under the table was enough of a reminder of what that man makes me feel. What I haven’t given Flynn a real chance to make me feel. I can’t give winning my all while I’m anywhere near Cooper Montgomery. A reminder of why I’m doing this show is undoubtedly what I need right now.

The half hour drive does little to clear my head. I’m still thinking about the heat radiating from Cooper’s hand on my thigh as I pull into Mom’s driveway. I take a deep breath and shut my eyes for a full ten minutes before venturing inside.

“Hey, sweetheart.” Mom stands and rolls her portable oxygen tank over to greet me.

“Hi, Mom.” Her color is better, her step quicker; the new tank is definitely working. “You look good. How are you feeling?”

“I feel great.” She’d say the same thing if her oxygen saturation level was below eighty and her organs were quietly shutting down. She never wants me to worry.

“For a change, I believe you.” I grin and kiss her on the cheek. “Kyle at therapy?”

“Yes. He’s doing great with it. There hasn’t been any improvement yet physically. But his spirit is doing so much better. That clinical trial you got him into is the first hope I’ve seen in him since before the accident.” My little brother Kyle and I were always close. Even as kids, when other siblings were busy fighting, we stuck together. But ever since the accident, our lives have bound together tighter. My happiness is no longer singular … it’s codependent on his. Hearing that he is showing any sign of improvement, physical or mental, lifts my heart. I’m already glad I came.

I usually visit twice a week to check in on them, but with the show filming at odd hours, I haven’t been by in ten days. They have almost round-the-clock aides, but I still need to see for myself they’re okay. A friend of mine, Mark, has stopped in to check on them for me and called with reports. He’s a year behind me in school.

“You know, Mark is very handsome. And single.”

“Please tell me you weren’t interrogating Mark again, Mom. We’re just friends. You need to stop trying to fix us up.”

“You need to make more time for a social life. I can’t remember the last time you talked about a man.” An hour ago I was sitting next to a man I’m dating on national television and had another man’s hand inching up my skirt.