A Humble Heart (Hollywood Hearts #1)(17)

“Thank you, Deana. I’ll see you later,” she said as she made her way out of the house. She saw Deana curl up on the couch with a pillow and blanket before she closed the door.

Twenty minutes later she parked her car. Security, assistants and janitors were the only ones at the studio at the moment. After dropping off her computer and duffle bag in the trailer she strapped her iPod to her arm and jogged down the street. She had an hour before she had to come back and take a shower.

************

“Wake up, Edward,” Amy said.

Edward groaned. “Tired.”

“You should have gone to bed earlier last night,” she scolded.

He scoffed. “How? I had to go three different promotional obligations for the studio last night. How exactly could I get to bed early when I didn’t get out of the last one until three in the morning? I didn’t get home until four, I fell asleep for a half hour before your well rested ass woke me up.”

“Cranky,” she noted as she parked the car. “Look, it’s six o’clock, you can get another hour of sleep before you’re needed in make-up. Go sleep, become less cranky.” She shooed him.

“I will.” He headed towards Dana’s trailer.

“Where are you going?” Amy asked.

“My trailer has a lumpy twin. I’m going where there’s a comfy queen size bed and a proper air conditioner. Where the hell do you think I’m going?” He unlocked the trailer and went straight to the bedroom in the back. He pulled his shirt and pants off and dropped on the bed only looking up long enough to turn the air conditioner on with the remote. Within minutes he was out cold.

*********

The shower was exactly what she needed to further unwind. She dried off and wrapped a towel around her chest, grabbed her bag and headed into the bedroom. The shades were drawn shut, making it hard to see. She loosened the towel and sat on the edge of the bed while she applied lotion to her body.

A small groan behind her caught her attention. She grabbed the towel and held it in front of her as she jumped to her feet and whirled around to see Edward sitting up. He put his hands out in an attempt to calm her down. “Whoa, relax!”

Dana hugged the loose towel to her front. “What are you doing in here?”

He stood up and Dana’s eyes dropped down and then widened. “That better be a reaction to sleeping.”

“What?” he mumbled distractedly and looked down to see he was making an impressive tent in his boxers. His hands moved to cover it. “Of course it is! I didn’t see anything.” That was a lie of course, but he really didn’t want to get bitch slapped first thing in the morning.

“Why are you here?” she demanded. “Turn around while you’re explaining so I can get dressed.”

He did. “I’m here because I was up until four this morning. Then Amy, annoyingly chipper, woke me up a little after five and dragged me here.”

She chuckled despite herself. Amy could really over do it with her cheerful attitude. “No, I meant why are you in this bed?”

“Oh, well there’s only a twin in my trailer and it’s really lumpy. I didn’t think you would be here and I need more sleep. I’m sorry that I scared you.”

She pulled on her tee shirt. “Okay, you can get dressed now.”

Edward looked at his watch. It was only six thirty. “Ah, actually I could really go for a little more sleep.” He gestured to the bed. “Do you mind?”

She shook her head. “Of course not. I’ll be quiet.” She closed the door behind her, carrying her shoes and socks with her.

Edward dropped back on the bed. Seeing her na**d frustrated the hell out of him. It had been way too long since the last time he was with a woman and Dana was like filet mignon. He buried his face in the pillow and groaned his frustration.

For the past two weeks he'd dropped hints that he was interested in her. He asked her out several times and each time he messed up and ended up hanging out with her and Amy or her and Deana or all three. Sometimes they spent the night with the kids, which he actually really liked. Then they worked late at her house on the book. He came close several times to kissing her and each time chickened out and kissed her cheek or forehead.

The way he was acting he really by all rights should be a virgin. He had no skills or confidence when it came to Dana. He’d gone out with plenty of models and actresses without a problem so why couldn’t he ask out an author?

********

Dana logged on the internet and grimaced. In the center of her browser was a picture of her along with a story about the highly anticipated movie adaption of her book.

Amy walked up behind her. “That’s really not a bad picture,” she said casually.

Dana turned several shades of red. “It’s an embarrassing photo.”

“You don’t like your picture taken?” Amy asked offhandedly, but Dana detected something more than curiosity in her words.

“Amy, what’s going on?” Dana asked, focusing on Amy’s suddenly nervous expression.

“They want you to do a photo shoot and an interview with People magazine,” Amy said apologetically.

Dana groaned, “When?”

Amy grabbed her arm and dragged her to her feet. “Now!” she said excitedly. Dana closed her computer and placed it under the couch.