Kissed Blind (Hot Pursuit #2)(40)

“Yeah,” I said in more of a whisper than a firm declaration. I pulled on the handle and tried to get out of the car, but he pulled me back in.

“You sure you don’t have anything left to say?”

“Nope,” was all I could muster, because suddenly I had a lump in my throat.

He leaned over to look at my face. “Then why are you about to cry?”

“Please. The day you make me cry…” I cleared my throat. “I have something in my eye.”

“Both of them?” He grinned.

“I know.” I blinked back my tears. “It’s the damnedest thing. Spring weather you know. Pollen.” We looked at each other for a few beats. “I don’t like fighting with you.”

“I don’t like it either.”

“Let’s not do it again.”

“That sounds good.” He nodded and pulled the keys out of the ignition. “Now, let’s go see what this day has in store for us.”

I placed both of my index fingers under my eyes and blotted any moisture that threatened to fall. We got out of the car and walked toward Oliver’s building. Halfway through the lot, he gave me a playful shove with his elbow and caught me as I stumbled, pulling me under his arm.





Fourteen





“Hi,” Cici said, greeting us at the door. She had an extra flutter to her eyelashes looking at Vance, and then she turned her syrupy, dimpled smile on me. I was in no mood to watch her flirt. “Come in. Oliver’s on his way down. He’s moving a little slow this morning. He and Camille had… kind of a long night.” She shut the door, and Vance and I waited in the foyer.

Oliver descended the twisted staircase with a bright smile, shuffling to gather his things. If he’d had a long night, he’d hidden it well. “The set director has been buzzing me all morning. She needs me on set as soon as possible so we don’t lose the morning light.”

“We’re ready when you are.” I stepped out of his way as he moved past me to grab his jacket.

“Is Camille joining us?” Cici asked.

Oliver shrugged the thin, loose leather over his shoulders. “At this hour? You’d have more luck waking a hibernating bear. She might show up later. She can figure it out for herself how she’s going to get down there, if she decides to come at all. I left her the address on her nightstand.”

“Okay, let me just grab my bag.” Cici sauntered off into the kitchen to grab a to-go cup of something. In the dining area, she collected some papers off the table and shoved them into her satchel. As Oliver slipped into his shoes, she handed him the cup she’d prepared. “Here, I made this for you. I figured you’d need it.”

He grabbed the cup. “Thanks. That’s perfect.” He stopped just short of sipping. “Is this the same thing you made me earlier?”

“No, it’s different.”

“Does this have caffeine in it?”

Cici smiled from ear to ear. “Nope, I know one caffeinated drink is your limit. It’s a citrus lavender sage herb tea. It should help you feel revitalized without the jitters.”

“It’s like you read my mind sometimes. I have to relax a little. My stomach is still bothering me from last night.”

“Do you need me to grab your medicine?”

“Already took some. Shall we?” Oliver motioned to the door with his hand.

Vance called the elevator, and after we stepped in, he reminded Oliver about the weekend team taking over his service. “So, I’ve given Brooks and Greyson a copy of the schedule you’ve given us,” Vance said. “If there are any changes, just call the office and they’ll take care of the rest.”

He grunted. “I’d forgotten about that. Thanks for reminding me.” He looked to Cici. “Could you make sure the shooting schedule for the weekend is still accurate? You know how things change on a dime.”

“I’ll talk to Cadence when we get there today,” Cici said, taking a small notebook out of her bag and jotting down the note.

“Great.” He sipped from his cup again, and the scent of lavender and sage infused the air. “Oh, hey, when Camille and I were talking last night, she reminded me about an event next weekend in California. They’re throwing a twenty year anniversary party for Acts of Desperation.”

“Has it been that long already?” I asked. I’d been about eight or nine when the movie came out, but it seemed like yesterday. I watched it every year when the Camille Pierce movie marathon played on one of the local stations.

“Hard to believe, I know. It’s where her career...” He exhaled a quick breath through his nose. “And all of this began.” A shadow of something foreign lingered in his voice—pain, possibly regret—probably the remains of the argument he and Camille had had the night before. In the wake of the disagreement Vance and I had had, I could relate. “But we’ll need a security team with us, and since our regular guy is still out, I was wondering if you two would be able to join us. All expenses paid of course.”

I glanced at Vance, who squinted for a millionth of a second before returning his brows to their normal look. He was already working through the guilt of leaving his parents in the condition they were in, but I, on the other hand, wanted to jump at the chance. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I didn’t want to miss it.