“Thanks, everyone. Fabulous job.” Kat’s team had worked wonders on her, brushing, curling, painting, poking and prodding until her reflection in the mirror showed no hint of tears, sleep loss or agony. “Let’s do this.”

  She patted her pocket for her phone, then remembered she’d surrendered it to her assistant an hour ago with strict instructions not to give it back until the show was over. She’d continuously checked her messages after Bonita had left, but now that her plan was in action, the last thing she wanted to hear was Bonita telling her to stop.

  She rode to the studio in the SUV, flanked by Herb and Clarke. The drive took less time than planned, so they circled the block, waiting to make an entrance. Herb had promised Jenna Parker an exclusive with Kat as long as Jenna kept it a secret and continued to promote Cindy’s planned appearance. They didn’t want Cindy to go public with her story somewhere else until Kat broke her news. After that, it wouldn’t matter. The media tsunami created by Kat’s revelation would wipe out all minor indiscretions.

  Herb’s phone shrilled, and she jumped. For the first time in forever, she was nervous before an appearance. This time she wasn’t acting—she was telling the truth.

  Herb took the call while Kat tuned out the conversation, almost managing to channel inner peace until he grabbed her hand hard enough to make her wince.

  “Great news—Cindy is bluffing. Bob and the girl didn’t tell her anything. Cindy’s got nothing on you. Nobody knows. You don’t have to do this, Kat.” He gripped harder. “You know this will change everything.”

  “I hope so.” Kat squeezed back, just as hard.

  He sighed, looking resigned. “Just checking. I’ll text the production assistant and tell her we’re here.”

  The SUV pulled up in front of Channel 7, and Clarke climbed out first, giving Kat an encouraging nod. The production assistant was already waiting, and she led them right into the building.

  Kat kept an eye out for Cindy as they passed security and craft services. The howling ache in her skull and the hole in her heart made her doubt her ability to bust open a can of whoop-ass on anybody, but when she saw Cindy chatting happily with Jenna in the green room, pain was replaced by righteous indignation.

  She watched Cindy through narrowed eyes as she tossed her dyed hair over her too-wide shoulders and shook her copycat ass as she strutted toward a couch. Jenna waved at Kat and stayed where she was. Kat acknowledged her greeting with a nod and took a deep breath, straightening her spine.

  Cindy had made a living looking like her, and now she wanted to throw Kat under the bus. She needed to be put in her place, and Kat was the only one who could do it. It didn’t really matter if Kat had a pounding headache and a hole in her heart. It never did. In this business, the show must go on.

  Kat tossed her head back and shook her own ass as she made her way across the room. Clarke and Herb kept pace a few steps behind her. She drew strength from their stalwart support as she looked down into Cindy’s shocked face and gave her the smile that had made her famous. “We need to talk.”

  “I have nothing to say to you,” Cindy said.

  “Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?”

  Cindy turned her face away.

  Kat fought the urge to grab her by the hair. “You might as well get it off your chest. You won’t get another opportunity. If I go down, you lose, too. Why would you want to do that to yourself? It doesn’t make sense.”

  Cindy faced Kat and rolled her eyes. “Oh, c’mon, everybody knows you’re sick of acting. It’s only a matter of time, and I’m shit out of luck when you quit. I might as well take a turn in the spotlight while I can.”

  “You shouldn’t underestimate yourself, Cindy. Why wouldn’t I have brought you along on a new project? We were a good team.”

  “We were never a team. It was all about you, Kat, all the time. I’m sick of living in your shadow.”

  “We’re live in ten, Kat.” Jenna eased toward the door that led to the studio. “Sorry, Cindy. Another time.”

  Kat watched understanding darken Cindy’s almond-shaped eyes, so much like her own.

  “You aren’t going to take this from me, too,” Cindy whispered fiercely.

  “I am, actually. You’ve been bumped by a way better story, if you even had a story in the first place.”

  Cindy flushed.

  Kat smiled, but she didn’t feel glee. She felt sorry for Cindy, who was clearly out of her league, and she wondered what she would have done in her place a dozen years ago, without Herb, without Clarke, without trips home to Norton to see Bonita when she couldn’t handle the dog-eat-dog world of Hollywood for another minute. Would she have lied and connived? Bit the hand that fed her and kept her in two-hundred-dollar jeans? The answer made her stop smiling.

  “Stick around,” Kat offered. She wasn’t going to forgive Cindy, but she couldn’t bring herself to destroy her either. “Maybe you’ll learn a little something about how to survive in Hollywood.”

  “Oh, fuck off,” Cindy snarled, and walked out of the green room in the opposite direction of the studio.

  Kat didn’t have time to worry about her anymore.

  Jenna Parker was waiting.

  Los Angeles was waiting.

  And Kat wasn’t waiting another minute.

  Chapter Seven

  Eileen Clarke smiled fondly at Kat, pleased with her transformation. When they had first met, Kat wouldn’t have missed the opportunity to annihilate any and all competition. It was lovely to see her be kind to Cindy, especially when Eileen knew Kat’s heart was aching. Not for the first time today, she hoped Bonita would come to her senses. “Break a leg, dear. I need to have a word with Cindy. I don’t think she’s beyond hope of rehabilitation either.”

  Kat’s jaw dropped.

  Eileen patted her arm. “It won’t be long before that girl can cause as much trouble as you ever did. You know what they say—keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I think I’ll keep an eye on her.”

  “You’re leaving me?”

  “Of course not. This will just take a second.” She beckoned to Herb, another project who was coming along nicely. “Come with me, Herbert.”

  He jerked, wide-eyed. “What? Yeah—sure. Why not? I’ll be in the audience in five, kid. Front row.” He followed Eileen with alacrity, and she hid a smile. She and Herb were an excellent team, and she hoped he was becoming aware of that fact. She had been his first call today, after all. First they would see to Cindy and Kat, and then maybe…dinner?

  They caught up with Cindy at the security desk, where she was sniping at a guard. The poor man had probably only detained her in order to get her phone number. Eileen snapped her fingers lightly to get Cindy’s attention.

  “Herbert,” she prodded. “Cindy needs a manager.”

  “Are you out of your mind? She just tried to put me out of business.”

  Eileen crossed her arms and kept her gaze on Cindy.

  Without Kat in the room, Cindy had a glow of her own, and Herb wasn’t a stupid man. Cindy looked as if she wanted to spit nails, but she wasn’t stupid either. She stayed quiet.

  “Aw, hell,” Herb finally said. “But no more bullshit.”

  Cindy’s terse nod sparked a warm glow in Eileen’s heart, and the blaze grew when Herb’s hand brushed her lower back as he gestured gallantly back toward the studio. “Shall we?”

  Before they could turn, the front door opened and Bonita rushed in. Eileen could no longer contain the joy bursting inside her. They would miss the first segment of the show, but that didn’t matter now. The most important person in Kat’s cheering section had arrived.

  “Mrs. Clarke, where’s Kat?” Bonita called urgently.

  Eileen motioned for Bonita to give her purse to the guard. Coming through the front door took longer than being escorted through the back, and Eileen waited impatiently as the uniformed men accompanying Bonita emptied their pockets into plastic bins. Bonita raced through the metal detector and grabbed her purse.

  Eileen urged her down the hall. “Right this way.”

  The audience was dead silent as they cut to commercial.

  Everyone was staring at her, and the sound of her own breath filled her ears.

  Then a ripple moved through the crowd.

  Kat blinked as Bonita appeared in the center aisle, flanked by a grinning policeman and another man. Herb and Mrs. Clarke were right behind them. “You weren’t really going to do this without me, were you?” Bonita called as she walked toward the set.

  “Only if I had to.” Kat’s voice was little more than a whisper, but the microphone amplified it.

  Not good enough…never good enough.

  She couldn’t imagine Bonita would have come back for any other reason, but what if…

  Bonita stopped in front of her. “Ask me again.”

  Kat sucked in a deep breath, wanting to ask so fiercely the desire felt like a spear lodged in her chest, but this wasn’t about her. If it had been up to her, they would have found their way to a life together a lot sooner. Slowly, she shook her head.

  “Kat?”

  Bonita’s voice trembled with uncertainty, and it killed her, it really did, but if Bonita couldn’t ask for what she wanted, it wouldn’t work, no matter what demands Kat made, no matter what Bonita agreed to now, no matter how many witnesses they had.

  She met Bonita’s gaze. “I thought I wasn’t good enough for you. When I left, I thought I had something to prove—even to you. Every year, you let me go again, and I kept trying. I’m still trying.”

  Bonita dropped to her knees in front of her and grasped her hands. “You don’t have to prove anything to me, Kat. I love you. It’s always been you for me, and I was terrified of the power that gave you. I was afraid to ask you to stay with me because I knew it would kill me if you said no. As it turns out, I can’t control everything, and if taking risks is the price I have to pay to be with you, so be it. Stay with me. Love me. Be with me. You offered me all or nothing, and I want it all. I want everything.”

  Tears poured down Kat’s cheeks, a hot cascade of relief and joy. “It’s yours.”

  “Camera One caught that on tape, Kat,” Jenna interrupted. “Can we use it?”

  Kat nodded firmly.

  As their words flooded the studio, Bonita’s grip on her fingers eased, and her mouth turned up in a relaxed curve. Kat brushed her thumb over Bonita’s soft lower lip and grinned, filled with triumph and satisfaction. She covered her microphone and bent her head. “Just don’t get too used to taking risks,” she whispered. “That would take all the fun out of pushing your limits. A safe word ends the scene, but the show must go on.” Color filled Bonita’s cheeks, making Kat’s grin even wider. America didn’t need to know every little thing about their relationship. There were a few things she intended to keep…in her closet.

  Bonita had no doubt this would be the single most widely watched episode of The Jenna Parker Show ever filmed.

  After the final segment, Kat’s assistant handed her cell phone back to her, which answered Bonita’s question about her earlier voicemails. The screen lit up, and Kat answered, “Are you calling from the green room, Herb? Walk down the damn hall.”

  “I can’t. I’m taking Eileen out to celebrate.” His voice blasted through the speaker. “I just wanted to tell you you’re a genius. That last part played like pure romance, childhood sweethearts, true love and all that crap. You almost broke my heart.”

  “Eileen who?” she mouthed to Kat.

  “Clarke,” Kat whispered back, eyes wide.

  Bonita chuckled while Herb continued his monologue. “Seriously, that part where you told your fans to believe in love in whatever form it takes actually brought a tear to my eye. You’re not really taking a break from making movies, are you? Proprietors is going to be huge. Everyone is going to want to see you play a dyke now. I’ve had three movie offers in the last half hour. I doubled your asking price, by the way. C’mon, Kat, one more for me?”

  “Herb, you’re ruining a very sweet moment here.”

  “Kat, these offers won’t last—”

  “Later, Herb.” Kat ended the call and held out her hand. Bonita took it, and Kat dragged her out of the studio, down the hall past security and into the waiting SUV.

  “Are you really going to quit?” she asked as Kat raised the privacy barrier and collapsed across the length of the seat, putting her head in Bonita’s lap.

  “Hell no. Didn’t you hear Herb? I’m in high demand.”

  “I thought you didn’t have anything to prove?” she teased, stroking Kat’s hair.

  “I don’t have anything to prove to you because you love me. The rest of the world is fair game. Being in love isn’t going to change the basic nature of my personality. I’m still going to do crazy shit that will get caught on film and make national news. I’m still going to be bossy, demanding and as impossible as ever. I want to climb to the top of the heap, and if I can’t rule Hollywood with you by my side…” She paused, and Bonita’s heart caught in her throat for a split second before she banished the panic to the past, where it belonged. “Then I will rule the goddamn world. From my Mercedes. Naked. With you screaming my name.” Kat reached up to wrap a hand in her hair, pulling her head down for a kiss. “Admit it. You love it. You love me—and you wouldn’t have me any other way.”

  Heat flared, but this time Bonita wasn’t afraid. Instead, joy bubbled inside her. Their fiery crash had happened, and she and Kat were walking away from the flames, holding hands. Or walking into them. Kat’s lips moved hotly over hers.

  “So does being out of the closet mean no time in the closet?” Kat asked, punctuating each word with a kiss. “Because I think you’re on to something, and there are still quite a few roles we haven’t explored. I did mention I wanted to direct, right?”

  Bonita thrilled to the anticipation in Kat’s voice. “Set the scene, Kitty Kat.”

  “I am a world-famous film star…”

  Bonita giggled. “Of course you are.”

  “And you are my…” Kat cupped her cheek with a gentle hand, eyes luminous and tender. “Everything, the thing that makes my empty life worth living. Thank you for trusting me.”

  Bonita’s laughter caught in her throat. “Thank you for saying yes.”

  “It was easy. I find it nearly impossible to say no to you.” Kat winked, dispelling the serious mood settling between them. “Want to try me? Ask for anything. I bet I’ll say yes.”

  It was tempting to ask for something impossible, but Bonita went with her heart’s desire. “Take me home.”

  Kat reached for the intercom button with one hand and pulled Bonita down to lie beside her with the other. “Alan?” she called to the chauffeur. “Home, please.”

  The vehicle pulled away from the curb.

  “Are you ready, Beauty? It’s time to live our fantasy.”

  “Which one?” she asked, but as Kat’s lips settled over hers, bestowing fearless, untamable and utterly addictive kisses, she already knew the answer.

  “All of them.”

  About the Author

  It makes me chuckle to think about all the romantic short stories I wrote in my rather too literary creative writing classes in college. If only one of my professors had steered me toward popular fiction! On the other hand, if I had discovered my calling back then, I wouldn’t have gone to culinary school, I wouldn’t have met my husband, we wouldn’t have had three children and I wouldn’t have turned to erotic romance to get my mojo back during all this hair-raising kid raising.

  If you’d like to chat about romance, writing or recipes, please visit:

  My den of iniquity www.mirandabaker.com

  My home away from home www.facebook.com/MirandaBakerfans

  My favorite hangout www.twitter.com/Miranda_Baker

  Or send an email to miranda@mirandabaker.com

  I’d love to hear from you!

  Look for these titles by Miranda Baker

  Now Available:

  Come Again

  Bottoms Up

  SoloPlay

  Hook Up

  Top Student

  Double Helix

  Power Trip

  It takes two to toy with love.

  SoloPlay

  © 2011 Miranda Baker

  Come Again, Book 2

  When librarian Alisa Mane’s boyfriend accuses her of being frigid, she sets out to prove him wrong the only way she knows how—with research.

  A visit to the local sex shop uncovers the sizzling sensuality locked beneath her cool façade, and she eagerly accepts the opportunity to test sex toys for SoloPlay Enterprises. Under the code name “Sologirl”, she begins exploring her body on her own terms. After all, no one was ever rejected by a vibrator.

  Mark Winters needs his new DoublePlay line of toys to hit big, and there’s only one tester for the job—Sologirl. She fires his imagination with playfully erotic reviews and never fails to pick a winner. There’s only one problem—Sologirl refuses to test the DoublePlay toys for couples. With his company’s success on the line, he decides to make his offer again, up close and in person.

  One look at the icy hot Mark and Alisa realizes he’s her best chance to discover if any man can satisfy her. A red-hot month of experimentation more than answers that question, but now Alisa has another problem—DoublePlay is almost ready for production and her feelings for Mark have nothing to do with business. Is she brave enough to continue playing…with her heart?

  Warning: This book contains a sexy librarian, an icy hot businessman, scandalous emails, scorching male/female and female/female play time, and vibrating, well…everything.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for SoloPlay:

  Alisa toyed with her mouse, watching the cursor dart across her screen, unable to concentrate on the actual data. Ever since Mark Winters’ DoublePlay e-mail had arrived, she couldn’t stop thinking about sex with a partner. But which kind? On the one hand, her fantasies were always about men. On the other hand, no man had ever managed to give her an orgasm, so maybe she should stick with women.

 

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