Undone by the Star Read Free Page A

a bouquet of flowers. He picked up the phone and then immediately replaced it. Flowers would be too obvious, and too easily misconstrued. And not just by Miss Kirkwood. The rest of the staff might misinterpret his intentions, and he certainly didn’t want anyone at the front desk to make the connection.
    The whole thing was ridiculous. He didn’t even know her first name.
    Putting his erratic train of thought down to jet lag and a seriously tight schedule, he wandered into the bedroom. The bellboy had delivered his luggage an hour ago. Personally escorted by the assistant manager. Marc had been hoping for Miss Kirkwood, but didn’t really expect to see her after the way he’d behaved earlier. No doubt she would make herself scarce for the rest of his stay at The Sadler. Which was a pity; she’d stirred something in him that had lain dormant for a long time.
    Might as well unpack, order dinner to be sent up, and call it a night.
    Yet twenty minutes later, he was standing by the window peering over the cobblestoned courtyard behind the hotel where The Sadler’s refurbished mews stood quietly in the gathering dusk. He’d contemplated renting one of their larger suites on a long-term basis, but what he really wanted was a place to call his own.
    Committing himself to behind the camera was a big step for him, one he’d always dreamt of taking. When an opportunity to work with an independent company based here in England had come along, he’d jumped at it, knowing it was the right time for a move. Even though an action hero has a best-before date, the public didn’t always like it when an actor made a change.
    Directing would expose him to another type of attention, yet it wouldn’t solve the aching loneliness that often went with stardom. Only a lucky few seemed to escape it.
    Deep in thought, Marc almost missed her. She was crossing the courtyard, her arms swinging loosely at her sides. She must be tired, he thought, after the day she’d had. He watched her angle slightly towards an arched opening, wishing he’d had an opportunity to make it up to her, and then she disappeared from view.
    Marc pulled back the curtain and waited by the window. Only a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
    Room service.
    With reluctance, he let the curtain drop.
     
    The second Alex entered her flat at the back of the mews, she kicked off her shoes and padded across the room to the tiny kitchen. She’d been happy to fill in at the last minute, but what a day! Backed-up toilets, faux plumbers, and a drop-dead gorgeous film star.
    Tea.
    She needed tea.
    Followed by a hot bath, a good book, and bed.
    It had taken all her self-control not to turn around and look back at the hotel as she’d crossed the courtyard. But that would have been an acknowledgement of how much her encounter with Marc Daniels had affected her. His incredible eyes and easy confidence had captured her attention from the moment he’d first slipped off his sunglasses. But it wasn’t all about looks; he had that indefinable characteristic that made him stand out in a crowd. Once met, never forgotten.
    Alex wondered if his ego had been bruised because she had not recognized either his face or his name. Yet the humorous twitch of his lips had told her that he was more likely to be amused than offended. Another point in his favour.
    Reaching for the kettle, Alex slowly filled it with water and set it to boil.
    No matter what she thought of Marc Daniels personally, she had no trouble understanding his need for privacy. Not everyone knew she was the great-granddaughter of Alexander Sadler, the hotel’s founder, and she preferred it that way.
    She wanted to earn her place the old-fashioned way – start at the bottom and work her way to the top without jeopardizing her position, or the hotel’s reputation. Which meant Marc Daniels was definitely off-limits. Out of sight and out of mind. In fact, totally banished from her thoughts. Starting first thing in the