This Is True Love (Exclusive! #1) Read Free Page B

away and turned toward him, her eyebrows raised in silent, annoyed query.
    He didn’t back away. Or back down. “You still haven’t told me why you’re doing this. Don’t you have enough going on?”
    She sighed. As much as Alex irritated her, he was her new business partner and deserved an explanation for her actions. “You mean with my acting career? I’ve reached the point where I can be more selective about the movies I choose to do. I don’t have to worry about getting my name out there in the hopes of moving on to the next bigger project. More importantly, there is a serious lack of movies being produced for and about women, especially women of color, that portray us in an honest, intelligent manner. I want to change that.”
    “That’s great, but once again, I’ll say that Crescendo is doing fine.”
    Yep, stubborn was his middle name. Patience needed to be hers. “I know that, Alex. I’m not saying you’re doing a bad job. You’re doing a great job. But I bring a different perspective to the table. You know how flighty Hollywood is. It never hurts to keep all your options open.”
    He studied her, his expression still foreboding. “Did you stop and think this through?” He threw his hands up. “Of course not. You always act first and think later.”
    “Like I did with my marriage, you mean?” she shot back before she could stop herself.
    He winced. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
    Fliss shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Forget I said anything.” Arguing about her past mistakes would solve nothing. She and Alex rarely saw eye to eye, but they had to come to an understanding if they were going to work together. “Actually, I did think this through. I had a lot of time alone to think about my future when the paparazzi were camped outside my house, waiting to catch a glimpse of the poor, duped, cheated-on Felicity. Knowing they were licking their lips waiting for any salacious detail to emerge, especially after the gala.”
    Alex sighed. “I told you no one noticed anything was wrong with you. You didn’t give them any ammunition.”
    She shrugged. She’d done her best to pretend everything was okay at the event. She’d smiled and mingled, even greeted Keith and his date. Sure, she would have preferred kicking him in the shin for not agreeing to a divorce settlement, but that wasn’t an option in such a public setting. A smart option anyway. Satisfying, yes. Smart, no. But with every eye in the room trained on her, there was only so much torture a person was equipped to take. Somehow, despite her unfaltering smile, Alex had known she was suffering. After she’d admitted to a blistering tension headache, he’d insisted on taking her home.
    As a thank you, she’d invited him inside for apple pie and wine. They’d bonded over their adventures in the entertainment industry, and the conversation had turned to a project Alex was working on about the legendary R&B singer, Farrah Blake. She’d listened, rapt, as he detailed his vision for the film. He’d even gone out to his car to get a copy of the script, which she’d immediately fallen in love with.
    Then she’d turned on the TV…
     
    She flipped through a few channels and then burst into laughter. “No way. It’s Graveland 6 . My first movie,” she added in response to his questioning look. Cringing, she watched through spread fingers across her face. “Thank God I’ve gotten better since then.”
    “You sure about that?” Alex asked, grinning.
    She stuck her tongue out at him, suppressing a laugh. Robot Alex had a sense of humor. Would wonders never cease? “Yes.” She pointed to the TV. “You see that? That was my first movie kiss. I’m so much better at the whole puckered lips, no tongue thing now. I’ll show you.”
    She surprised him when she touched her lips to his. She shocked herself when she registered the demands of “more, more” crowding her brain. She gasped, stared into his eyes filling with desire