Moonlight Beach Bachelors: Her Forbidden Cowboy

“Then, I’m good.”

Yes. Yes, he was.

“Okay, now for your throat. Chin up, please.”

He obeyed without quarrel. Gosh, he really did trust her. Something warm slid into her belly, and the feeling clung to her as she finished up his shave.

“All done,” she said after another minute. “Not a nick on you, I might add.” At least one of them had come out of this unscathed.

“I think I hear Mrs. Lopez tinkering in the kitchen now.” She handed him his razor and jumped down from the counter. “Do you want breakfast? Coffee?”

She was partway out the door when Zane caught her arm just above the elbow. He looked gorgeous in his white ribbed tank, his face and throat shaved clean but for the last traces of shave cream. “Just a sec. I haven’t thanked you. And you don’t have to worry about breakfast for me.”

“I don’t?”

“No. That’s not part of your job description.”

Well, duh. She knew that. Mariah hadn’t served him his meals, but Jessica couldn’t very well tell him she’d run her mouth in order to get away from him as quickly as possible.

“We’ll go over what I expect of you as my assistant this morning. Thanks for the shave.” He slid his hands down his smooth face, and his eyes filled with admiration. “Feels great. You’re pretty good.”

She swallowed. Did this mean she’d have to shave him every day?

Gosh, she really didn’t think this through thoroughly enough.

“Thanks. Well, I’ll see you at breakfast.”

“Oh, and Jess?”

“Yeah?”

He released her arm. “I’m glad you’ll be staying on. I do need your help. And I think you’ll enjoy it, but whenever you’re ready to head home, I’ll...understand.”

“Thanks, Zane. I’ll do my best.”

* * *

Four hours later, Jessica sat behind the desk in Zane’s office, satisfied she had things under control. It had been a little scary at first. What did she really know about Zane’s celebrity life? But Mariah had been acutely efficient, keeping good records and documenting things, which made it easier for Jess to slide into the role of personal assistant. She seemed to live by a detailed calendar, and Zane’s appointments, events and meetings were clearly labeled. Thank you, Mariah, for not being a slouch. In the day planner she came to regard as The Book, Mariah had jotted down phone numbers next to names and brief reminders of what needed to be said or done.

No to the People magazine interview.

Yes to donating twenty thousand dollars to the Children’s Hospital charity. Zane would make an appearance in the future.

No to an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

And so on.

With a little help from Zane earlier this morning, she was able to field a few phone calls and make the necessary arrangements for him. It was clear Zane was in a state of celebrity hibernation. Other than opening a new restaurant, Zane was pretty much in a deep freeze. Maybe he needed the break away from the limelight, or maybe he wasn’t through running away from his demons.

In a sense, she was doing the same thing by being here, afraid to go home, afraid to face the pitfalls in her own life. She, too, was hiding out, so she had no right to judge him or try to fix the situation. It wasn’t any of her business. That was for sure.

“How’re you doing?” he asked.

She glanced up from The Book to find him standing at the office threshold, leaning on his crutches. She flashed back to shaving him this morning and the baffling emotions that followed her into breakfast. Her heart tumbled a little.

“Good, I think.”

He smiled. “Anything I can help you with?”

“No, not at the moment.”

He didn’t leave. He didn’t enter the room.

“Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked.

“Sort of.” His lips twisted back and forth. “You see, Dylan’s bugging me about this script. Fact is, I don’t know if acting is right for me. I never had an acting lesson in my life. So I want to say no to him. But...”

She braced her elbows on the desk and leaned forward. “But, just maybe it’s something you want to do?”

He stared at her. “Hell, I don’t know, Jess. I guess I need a reason to say no.”

“And how can I help you with that?”

“Dylan’s got this idea that if I had someone run lines with me, I’d feel better about accepting the role. Or not. I didn’t ask Mariah, well...because she works for me and I’m not sure she would be—”

“Honest?”

“Objective. She tends to encourage me to try new things, so she might not be the person to ask.”

“So you’re saying I’d have no problem telling you ‘you suck’?”

He chuckled. “Would you?”

“No, no problem at all.”

His brows gathered. “I’m not sure how to take that.”

“I’d have only your best interests at heart. But honestly, Zane, what do I know about acting? What if my instincts aren’t dead-on? What if I get it wrong?”

“Bad acting is bad acting. You can tell if someone sings off-key, can’t you?”

“Sometimes, but my ear for music isn’t as good as yours.”

“But you’re real, Jess. You would know when something is authentic. That’s all I’m asking you to do.”

His faith in her was a heady thing. She couldn’t deny she was flattered. And as his personal assistant, she couldn’t really tell him she didn’t want to do it.

“Okay. What did you have in mind?”

“We read through some scenes. See if I can grasp the character.”

“Where?”

He pointed to the long beige leather sofa—the most comfortable place to sleep in Zane’s world. “Right here.” He hobbled into the room on his crutches and sank down, resting the crutches on the floor. “The script is behind you on the bookcase. If you could get it and bring it over...”

“Sure.” She turned and found it quickly. “Wildflower?”

“That’s the one. You know most of the story.”

She did. She was there when Dylan explained the premise of the romantic mystery to both of them the other day. It was about a man who comes home to his family’s ranch after a long estrangement and finds his brother romantically involved with the woman he’d left behind. There’s a mystery surrounding their father’s death and a whole cast of characters who are implicated, including both brothers. “I think it’s a good story, Zane.”

“Well, let’s see if I can do it justice.”

“Sure.”

She walked over to the couch and took a seat one cushion away from him.

“I don’t think that’s going to work,” Zane said. “You have to sit next to me.” He waved the script in the air. “There’s only one of these.”

“Right.” As she scooted closer to him, Zane’s eyes flicked over her legs and lingered for half a second. Oh, boy. The back of her neck prickled with heat. In a subtle move, she adjusted her position and lowered the shorts riding up her legs to midthigh. Zane didn’t seem to notice. He’d focused back on the script and was busy flipping through story pages.

“Okay, here’s a scene we can do together. It’s where Josh and Bridget meet for the first time since his return.”

She peered at the pages and read the lines silently. It was easy enough to follow. There were one or two sentences of description to set up the scene and action taking place. The rest was dialogue, and each character’s part was designated by a name printed in bold letters.

“You start first,” he said, pointing to the top of the page. “Where Josh speaks to Bridget in front of her house.”

“Okay, here goes.” She glanced at him and smiled.

He didn’t smile back. He was taking this very seriously. She cleared her throat and concentrated on the lines before her. “Josh? You’re home? When did you get back? I...I didn’t know you’d come.”

“My father is dead. You thought I wouldn’t return for his burial?”

“No. I mean...it’s just that you’ve been gone so long.”

“So you wrote me off?”

A note of anger came through in Zane’s voice. It was perfect.

“That’s not how it happened. You left me, remember? You said you couldn’t take living here anymore.”

“I gave you a choice, Bridget. You didn’t choose me.”

“That wasn’t a choice. You asked me to leave everything behind. My family, my friends, my job and a town I love. I don’t hate the way you do.”

“You think I hate this place?”

“Don’t you?”

“Once, I loved everything about this place. Including you.”

Jessica stared at him. The way he dropped his voice to a gravelly tone and spoke his lines was so real, so genuine, it impressed the hell out of her.

“But you’ve moved on.” Now Zane’s voice turned cold. He had a definite knack for dialogue. “With my brother.”

They read the next three pages, bantering back and forth, learning the characters and living them. The scene was intense, and Zane held his own. He had a lot of angst inside him and found his release using the screenwriter’s words on the page.

The scene was almost finished. Just a few more lines to go.

“Don’t come back here, Josh,” she said, meeting Zane’s eyes. “I don’t want to see you again.”

Zane was really into the character now. “That’s too bad, Bridget.” The depth of his emotion had her believing. “I’m back to stay.”

“I’m going to marry your brother.”

“Like hell you are,” Zane said fiercely, leaning toward Jessica, his face inches from hers.

“Don’t...Josh...don’t mess with my life again.”

“This is where he grabs her and kisses her,” Zane whispered. His breath swept over her mouth, and she found herself wanting to be kissed. By Zane. Heat crept up her throat and burned her cheeks.

Zane glanced at her mouth. Was he thinking the same thing? Did he want to kiss her?

He was a man she trusted. He was a man she truly liked. “Do you want to, uh, bypass the kiss?”

He shook his head, his gaze dropping to her mouth. “No,” he rasped. “I don’t.”

Her pulse pounded as he took her head in his hands and caressed the sides of her overheated cheeks with his long, slender fingers. Her head was tilted slightly to the left, and then his mouth lowered to hers. He touched her lips gently, and she felt the beautiful connection from the depths of her soul. Was she supposed to stay in character? How would she accomplish that? Everything inside her was spinning like crazy.

The script called for a brutal, crushing kiss, but this kiss was nothing like that. His lips were firm and giving and generous...pure heaven.

“I’m not through messing with your life, Bridget.” The gravel in his voice convinced her. He did harsh perfectly. “I might never be through.”

As Zane backed away, his gaze remained on her. He blinked a few times, as if coming to his senses, and then cleared his throat.

The air sizzled around her. Was Zane feeling it, too? She didn’t know where to look, what to say.

“It’s your line,” Zane whispered.

Oh! She glanced at the page and read her last line. “I—I can’t do this again, Josh.”

Zane paused for a second, glaring at her for a beat. “I’m not gonna give you a choice this time.”

There. They’d made it through the entire scene. Zane flipped the script closed, and as he braced his elbows on his knees, he leaned forward.

Her heart was zipping along. She needed space, a few inches of separation from Zane. She flopped back against the sofa and silently sighed.

“Thank you,” Zane said quietly.

“Hmm.”

“Now for the hard part. I respect your opinion. No hard feelings either way, so lay it on me.”

He’d convinced her he could act. Aside from the kiss that still had her reeling, she was completely enthralled with his character. He’d stepped into Josh’s shoes without a bit of awkwardness. “I’m no expert, but I know when something’s good. I’d say you were a natural, Zane.”

He leaned back and looked into her eyes. Oh, God. She didn’t want him to notice how nervous she was. “You really think so?”

“I do. You dove into that character and had me believing.”

He stroked his jaw and sighed.

“I’m sorry if you wanted to hear you stink at acting. But I don’t think so.”

A crooked smile lifted the corner of his mouth. “I admit, I was hoping that was the case. Makes my decision harder now.”

“Sorry?” she squeaked.

He released a noisy breath. “Don’t be. I asked for your opinion. I appreciate you, Jess,” he said. “I trust your judgment. I, uh...sort of got caught up in the scene. Hope you didn’t mind about the little kiss I gave you.”

Little kiss? If that was his little kiss, what would a real, genuine, from-the-heart kiss feel like from her one time brother-in-law? He didn’t know the kiss had sent her senses soaring, and it would have to stay that way.

She’d never admit she’d wanted to kiss him. He was her brother-in-law, for heaven’s sake. He was her employer now. And he was a good, decent man who’d never take advantage of her situation. She knew all that about Zane.

Of course he’d wanted to stay true to the script. He’d delved so deeply into character that he didn’t want to lose the momentum of the scene. But, oh...for that brief moment when he’d looked into her eyes and her heartbeat soared, she believed he, Zane Williams, really wanted to kiss her.

And it had been a wow moment. “No, I didn’t mind at all.”

Her cell phone on the desk rang and she jumped up to answer it. “Oh, uh, excuse me, Zane. It’s Mama.”

“Sure.”

He began to rise, and she put up her hand. She wasn’t going to have him leave his own office. “No, don’t get up. I’ll take it in my room.” Her mother’s timing couldn’t have been better. She needed to get away from Zane and the silly notions entering her head.

She walked out of the office and climbed the stairs. “Hi, Mama.”

“Hi, honey. How’re you doing this afternoon? Oh, I guess it’s still morning there.”

“Yes, it’s just before noon. I’m doing fine.” Her heartbeat had finally slinked down to normal since Zane’s kiss a few minutes ago.

“Really?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” It was weird how distance and the new surroundings made her see things differently. She wasn’t thrilled with the way her life was turning out—she’d invested a lot of time on Steven Monahan—but she didn’t need to worry her mother over it. Right now, she was taking it one day at a time. “Actually, I’m glad you called this morning. I have news. Zane’s personal assistant, Mariah, had to take a leave of absence. Her mother’s very ill and, well, since I’m here and Zane needs help, he’s asked me to take over the position. It’s temporary, but I won’t be coming home this week or the next, probably. I might be here longer than that.”

“Oh, that’s good, honey.”

“It is?” There was something in her mother’s too-cheerful tone that raised her suspicions. She entered her bedroom wondering what was up? “What I mean to say is, I’m sorry Mariah’s mother is ill. Bless her heart. I’ll be sure to say a prayer for her. But you staying there for a little longer might be best for you, after all.”

Really? Her overprotective mother—the woman who had set her alarm at 3 a.m. every night to get up and check on her two sleeping little girls when they were young, the woman who’d worried and fretted during their teen years, and the woman who, after Jessica’s disastrous nonwedding, arranged for her to move into Zane’s house just so he could keep an eye on her—that mother was actually glad that she wasn’t coming home anytime soon?

Now she knew something was going on.

She lowered herself onto the bed. “Why, Mom? What’s happened?”

“I hate to tell you this, honey. But better it come from me than you hear about it another way.”

Her heart nearly stopped. Was her mother ill? Was it something severe? She flashed back to Janie’s death. How the news had seemed unreal. She’d gotten physically sick, acid drenching her stomach and her breaths coming in short, uneven bursts. Now she held her breath. “Please, just tell me.”

“Okay, honey. I’m sorry...but I just found out that your Steven eloped with Judy McGinnis. They just up and left town two nights ago. Went to Vegas, I hear. The whole town’s crackling about it.”

“W-with Judy?”

“I’m afraid so. I never expected that from Judy. Honey, are you okay?”

She might never be okay again. She’d just learned that the man she’d banked on for three full years, the man who had sworn up and down in her dressing room on their wedding day that he wasn’t ready for marriage and that it wasn’t anything she’d done, had just gotten married. The fault was all his for not recognizing his problem sooner, he’d told her. She’d believed he had commitment issues. But now she knew the truth. He wasn’t ready for marriage to her. Instead, he chose one of her bridesmaids to speak vows with.

Judy had been her friend since grade school. Oh, God. She’d accepted losing Steven and any future they might’ve had together, but losing Judy’s friendship, too? That was a double blow to her self-esteem. They’d both betrayed her. Made a fool out of her. She hadn’t seen the signs. How long had Judy and Steven been hooking up behind her back?

Her eyes burned with unshed tears.

Being here and having a new sense of purpose in helping Zane, she was beginning to feel better and gain control of her emotions. But now, fresh new pain seared her from the inside out. What an idiot she’d been. That was the worst part of all, this hopeless sense of loss of herself. Her heart ached in a way it never had before. She felt herself slipping away.

She couldn’t give in to it. If she did, she’d be totally lost. She couldn’t dwell. She wouldn’t let their betrayal dictate her life. She wouldn’t curl into a pitiful ball and let the world spin without her.

“Jessica?”

“I’m going to be fine, Mama. I just need some time to digest this.”

“I’m here if you need me, honey. I’m so, so sorry.”

“I know. I love you. I’ll call you tonight. Bye for now.”

Jessica pushed End on her cell phone and faced the mirror. Her mousy-brown-haired reflection stared back at her through tortoiseshell-rimmed glasses. “What’s happened to you, Jess?” she muttered.

She was tired of feeling like crap. Being a victim didn’t suit her. She wasn’t going to put up with it another second. The old Jessica had to go.

It was time for her to take hold of her life.

* * *

Afternoon breezes whispered through Zane’s hair as he sat on his deck, gazing out to sea. Dylan McKay sat beside him, sipping a glass of iced tea. He didn’t mind Dylan’s company as long as he wasn’t pressuring him about taking on an acting role.

“How soon before you’re all healed up and ready to start living again?” Dylan asked.

Not soon enough for him. The confinement was getting to him. The only good thing about being temporarily disabled was that he didn’t have to make any decisions right away. And he was milking that for all it was worth.

“The blasted boot comes off on Monday.”

“And how’s the wrist doing?”

His wrist? He flashed to trying to shave himself this morning. He’d been hopeless. Mariah usually took him to the barber twice a week. He hated being so damn helpless, and Jess had rescued him. She’d given him a clean, smooth shave and for a second there, as she leaned in close to him, her honeyed breath mingled with his and his body zinged to life. Electricity stifled his breathing for those few moments.

Jess?

He’d written it off as nothing and gone about his business.

Then he’d asked Jess to read lines with him. He’d gotten so caught up in the scene that when it came time to kiss her...he didn’t want to deny himself the opportunity. Had it been only because the scene demanded a kiss? Or had it been something more?

A tick worked his jaw. It damn well couldn’t be something more.

Though kissing her soft giving mouth packed a wallop. He’d forgotten what it felt like to have a sweet woman respond to him. He’d backed off immediately and didn’t dare take it any further. The complication was the last thing either of them needed.

“My wrist should be healed soon, too...with any luck.” He wiggled the tips of his fingers unencumbered by the cast. “I can’t do a damn thing left-handed. You have no idea how uncoordinated you really are until you lose the use of your right hand.”

“I hear you. How long will Mariah be gone?”

“Not sure. I spoke with her this morning. Her mom might have some permanent paralysis. Mariah’s pretty torn up about it.”

“So it’s just you and Jessica now, living in this itty-bitty ole house?”

Zane rolled his eyes. The house was enormous, much more than he needed. He was hardly bumping into her in the hallway in the middle of the night.

Now, there was a thought. He struck that from his mind.

“She’s taken on Mariah’s duties here.”

“You hired her?”

Zane nodded. Dylan didn’t need to know that having Jessica around made him feel closer to Janie. She, above everyone else, understood the loss he felt. They shared that horrific pain together. Jess was home to him, without him having to return to Beckon. He liked that about her. So maybe it was selfish of him to ask her to stay on, but he hadn’t pressured her. Much. He’d like to think she wanted to stay.

“I did. I didn’t have a backup for Mariah. You know as well as I do it’s hard to find a replacement for a trusted employee. I trust Jess. She’ll do her best.”

Dylan eyed him carefully. “You sure sing her praises.”

“She’s bright and learns quickly.” He shrugged. “She’s family.”

“You keep saying that.”

“It’s true. Why wouldn’t I say it?”

Dylan flashed a wry smile and then shook his head. “No real reason, I guess. Any chance I can convince you to be my costar before you head back on tour?”

“I haven’t made up my mind yet, McKay. I told you I’m not making you any promises.”

“Yeah, yeah. So I’ve heard. Remember what they say about people who drag their feet.”

“No, what the hell do they say?”

“They risk getting them cut off at the ankles.”

He laughed. “I should be flattered you’re so persistent. Honestly, if I lose the role to someone else, so be it. I’m not sure.” About anything, he wanted to add.

“Buddy, you’re not going to lose the role to someone else. I’m the executive producer, and I see you doing this character.”

“You want my fan base.”

“That, too. I’d be a fool not to want to reel in your fans. I know they’d turn out for you. But I have no doubt in my mind you’d be—”

“Zane?” A sultry voice carried to the deck. His heart stopped for a second. Sometimes, when he was least expecting it, Jess would call out his name and he’d swear it was Janie asking for him.

“Out here,” he called to her.

Jessica popped her head out the doorway. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you had a guest.”

“Hi,” Dylan said. “How’re you doing, Jess?” Dylan sent her a brilliant smile. The guy could charm a billy goat out of a field of alfalfa.

“Hi, Dylan.”

“Come on out here, Jess.” Zane hadn’t seen much of her since they’d run lines and kissed earlier in the day. He’d heard her working in the office, but she hadn’t asked for his help, and he’d let her be. “Have a cool drink with us?”

“Uh, no thanks,” she said, taking a few steps toward them. She wore a loose-fitting flowery sundress. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and a straw satchel hung from her shoulder. “Actually, I finished up what I could this afternoon. I was hoping to go shopping now. I wanted to see if you needed anything while I was out.”

“Oh, yeah? What are you shopping for?” Was he so dang bored that he had to nose into Jessica’s private business?

“I, uh, didn’t bring enough clothes with me. I thought I’d pick up a few things.”

“Hey, I know a great little boutique in the canyon,” Dylan said. “I’d be happy to drive you there.”

Zane swiveled his head toward Dylan. Was he kidding?

Jessica chuckled. “Thanks, that’s a kind offer, but I’m good. I’m anxious to explore and see what I can find.”