“That’s great, Callie.” He even gave her his own smile to show her he was happy, then pointed toward her face. “You may want to touch up your makeup before the patients arrive.”
Callie gasped, reaching up to pat beneath her eyes. “Oh, no,” she cried when she glanced at her black fingertips. “I’m sure I look like a mess.”
“There’s nothing you could do that could diminish your beauty.”
Without thinking, he reached out to wipe away the tear tracks on her porcelain cheek. As the pad of his thumb slid across her skin, her breath hitched, her eyes held his. How had they gotten this close? Had he stepped toward her or had she come to him?
Her damp eyes dipped down to his lips, then back up.
What he wouldn’t give to pull her against him and taste those full lips. Just once. Would that hurt anything?
Oh, yeah. Their working relationship.
“I better go clean up,” she told him, backing away and gathering her things from the armchair beside him. As she turned to walk away, she glanced back over her shoulder. “Thank you, Noah. It means a lot to have someone cheering me on.”
And now he was a damn hypocrite. But what should he have done when she’d been all teary and smiling? Shot down her dreams right in her face? Showing support and being supportive were two different things…weren’t they?
And what the hell had he been thinking? Touching her, complimenting her and getting into her personal space so that he could see the dark green rim around her irises and become spellbound by her fresh, floral scent that always seemed to hover around the office.
She’d already been looking at him as if he was some saint. He didn’t want that. He wanted Callie, but not on a deeper level than the physical. Anything else would be insane. But his hormones weren’t getting that message.
Damn it, he had to gain some control. Beautiful women were his bread and butter, but there was something so innocent, so vibrant about Callie that he found intriguing. She wasn’t jaded or bitter like most women he knew. And perhaps that was why he found her so fascinating and why he wanted to keep her that way.
Now, if he could just remember that professional relationship they had, maybe he could stop imagining her naked and wrapped around him.
He couldn’t get too close to Callie. He’d sworn to never get involved with anyone again. Besides, she worked for him. Wasn’t that reason enough to keep his distance?
Damn if he didn’t want to seduce her. He’d never experienced such a strong sexual pull with a woman. And all the signs were there that she was just as attracted.
But he had to keep his distance. There were too many similarities between Malinda and Callie. The stubbornness, the stars in their eyes, the naive way they went after their goals. Not to mention that fiery-red hair and that porcelain skin. Noah couldn’t let his heart get mixed up or broken again. But he also couldn’t stand by and watch Callie ruin her life.
He’d stick close to her to make sure she didn’t make any life-altering decisions that could destroy her.
God help him for the torture he was about to endure by making Callie Matthews his top priority.
Two
Callie’s hands were literally shaking. Was this really happening? Was the door of opportunity finally opening for her? Granted she’d been in L.A. a little less than a year and most people took much longer, if ever, to get the audition that would launch their careers.
But Callie had not only gotten the audition nearly two weeks ago, she’d completely nailed it. And her agent had just called to inform her she’d landed the part. It wasn’t huge, but she had lines and three scenes with the lead actors. Now she just had to prove herself, make that role shine and wait for other opportunities to come her way.
She squeezed her steering wheel and let out a squeal as she drove toward Noah’s office. She couldn’t get there fast enough to tell him the good news. Today was her half day to work, so Marie would be there, too, to share in her good news.
This was it. She was finally going to put the old Callie to rest and have everything she’d ever wanted. She’d landed the part; next she would pose for some pictures for Noah and get the money to help her parents in a major way. God, they’d be so happy for a little more security in their lives, and she couldn’t wait to be the one to give it to them.
Her whole life she’d been overshadowed by her siblings—her übersmart brother, who was about to graduate college after attending on a full academic scholarship, and her homecoming-queen sister. Callie had been the average middle child. Because she hadn’t excelled at sports, academics or popularity, she was most often forgotten. Well, no more being overlooked…by anybody.
Callie knew she looked like a complete moron driving down the road with a wide grin on her face, but she didn’t care. For an overweight girl who’d come out of Kansas with big dreams, she’d finally gotten the break of a lifetime.
All her college years of hard work, dieting and exercising before coming to L.A. had paid off. Her goal of becoming an actress was within her reach. That chubby teen in her mind could just shut up because that naive girl with low self-esteem didn’t exist anymore.
Callie shoved aside the humiliating years of her past and focused on the happiness she felt now. No way would she let those old insecurities and her school days of being bullied and made fun of come into play. This was her moment to remember, her moment to shine in the glorious fact that she was going to be in the next Anthony Price movie.
Callie pulled up close to the office and barely got her old Honda in park before she was out and racing across the parking lot. Thankfully it was almost lunchtime and the last of the clients should be finishing up before the office was closed for an hour break.
When she entered the cool, air-conditioned building, Marie, the fill-in receptionist, greeted her.
“Hey, Callie,” the elderly woman greeted, a smile beaming across her surgically smooth face. “Someone looks very happy today.”