An Illicit Pursuit Read Free Page A

question in my mind,
because honestly, he’s so much more gorgeous up close that I can’t
help but be tongue-tied. I avert my eyes and glance down at my
guitar. “That thing is called a guitar,” I say and look up at him
with a grin. “And yes, I do play it.”
    He draws his thick brows together. The
seriousness washing over his sexy face makes my heart go drumming.
“Wait a minute. Do I know you?”
    I use the opportunity to sweep my eyes over
him from head to toe, as if I have to study him thoroughly to be
able to answer his question. “Um, I don’t think so.”
    “Yeah, now I remember.” He raises a hand and
taps his index finger on his lips. Which draws my attention to the
plump opening of his mouth and there, at that point, I admit to
myself that I could risk making a fool out of myself, just to steal
a kiss from him. “I saw you in a movie. What was its title?
Luscious Life Under Stars, right?”
    “How do you know that? The movie isn’t out
yet.”
    “I saw a test screening of it.”
    “So, what do you think?”
    “You’re so much hotter in real life,” he says
with the same playful smile on his lips. I can’t make out whether
he’s serious or not, but I can’t stop blushing, either. The extra
heat makes my arms go loose.
    “The movie. What do you think of the movie?”
I ask, trying to be nonchalant about his compliment.
    “Honestly, my favorite part was the lights
coming on at the end.”
    “That bad?” I cringe. Isn’t that just great?
I got one shot at having my voice heard across the country, and
it’s a dead-end one.
    “It won’t make it to the Oscars. Regardless,
you make quite an impression in the scene where you appear. I was
fighting the urge to sleep until your song came on. You gave a
whole new meaning to ‘save it at the last minute.’”
    I roll my eyes. “Yeah, right.”
    “ Just look at me, undress me, make me lose
my mind, my everything,” he recites a line from the song I sang
in the movie, making me shiver despite the boiling heat. “I’d love
to hear it live.”
    I glance down at my watch. Twelve thirty.
Zach will be here any minute, and he won’t like finding me flirting
with a gorgeous stranger. “Sorry, I don’t have time.”
    “Then, let’s meet another time to grab some
coffee, lunch, or dinner. Whatever you like.”
    “Are you asking me for a date?” I frown,
unable to grasp the reason why. He’s in a whole different league,
where girls must be worshipping the ground he’s walking on. What
will he do with me, an average blond with average height and
larger-than-average hips? Maybe he doesn’t see me clearly under the
bright sun’s rays.
    “Yes, indeed.”
    “I don’t even know your name.”
    “Adam Garnett.” He takes a step closer and
stretches out his hand toward me. I stand up with one hasty move
and nearly fall back on my butt, but he catches my hand and pulls
me toward him. Standing inches away and inhaling the mixture of
orange grove and spices of his light cologne makes my head
twirl.
    “Pat Stevens,” I mumble in a low voice,
unable to pull my eyes away from his captive eyes. Oh, my
goodness!
    He laughs; his breath brushes the skin on my
face, breaking through my senses. “Short for Patricia?”
    “No, just Pat.” He hasn’t released my hand
yet and I won’t be the first one to let go.
    “Sounds very similar to Cat Stevens.”
    “That’s why my artist name is Pat
Carter.”
    “Nice to meet you Pat Stevens a.k.a. Pat
Carter. Will you give me the honor to have your cell number?”
    At that point, he releases my hand to pull
his phone out of the pocket of his jeans. I tell him my number,
staring at his long fingers, trying to brush away the thoughts of
the goose bumps those fingers would cause on my skin if he touches
me again, while he types quickly on his phone.
    “Done, I’ll call you tonight.”
    Tonight? Zach will find out. Shoot! Will I
seriously cheat on Zach? It only takes me a three-minute appearance
in a movie to