Breck ran a hand through his thick hair. “He won a football scholarship to USC first. Went from sharing one bathroom with three sisters and his mother to being among the ultra-wealthy in college.”
“And a big strapping guy like you? Did you also get a sports scholarship?”
“No way. Too much of a hell raiser in high school to be disciplined enough to have some potbellied, balding coach tell me what to do. Besides, school wasn’t for me.” He grinned mischievously. “So, what did I go do? Join the army—where I had lean and mean sons of bitches boss me around instead.”
Cassie laughed. “Then you got into stunt work? You mentioned being a stuntman.”
“After a while. Left the army. Bummed around in Europe. Found Rhett modeling in Milan and stayed with him awhile. When he decided to give acting a shot, we both came back to the states. The Dynamic Duo taking Hollywood by storm.”
“Do you work on his movies? With that much stuff getting blown up and all the car crashes, I’d think you’d keep plenty busy.”
“Yeah. I can’t double for Rhett and his stunts. Tried a wig once to cover my blond hair, but it looked pitiful on camera. I coordinate and drive during most of the car chases and step in to do the stunts for the bad guys. This last movie, Fireball, I broke two ribs, my collarbone, and lost a tooth.”
Cassie touched his arm in sympathy. Breck smiled. “I’m all better now. Of course, I probably could find a place or two you could kiss and make feel better.”
She burst out laughing at his puppy dog eyes. “I already like you too much to kiss you, O’Dell.”
Restless now, she stood. “I need to find where my boss is and start earning a living.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s after ten. Is he up yet?”
Breck laughed. “Only for about four hours.” His words shocked her.
“You’re kidding. I thought you were covering for him when you said he was busy. I figured he was still in bed. I assume he’s up early on days he shoots but—”
“No buts. Rhett never sleeps in. Ever.” Breck smiled widely. “And Randi totally hates it, down to her hot pink toenails.”
“Randi? Randal James? He’s sleeping with the blonde that makes Christina Hendricks look flatter than a pancake? Why haven’t I heard this? I read all the trades and every Internet entertainment website. I even scan the National Enquirer when I’m waiting at the check-out line. There hasn’t been a hint of their relationship anywhere!”
Breck’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Yeah. Ms. James is pretty pissed about that. Rhett’s really private. He doesn’t want to go public with the relationship yet. He’s a workhorse, though. Gets up every day to work out at six. Lifts weights, runs on the beach with Shep, does tai chi. You name it, Rhett does it.”
Cassie’s respect for her new boss grew, despite the fact he was sleeping with a former Playmate of the Year.
“Speak of the devil,” Breck murmured.
Cassie looked up to see Randi James in the smallest bikini ever sold making her way down the steps to the pool. Large sunglasses covered most of her face and she carried a small tote bag.
“Hey, Randi. How’re you doing?”
The model gave Breck a disdainful look. “Still here, Breck? Oh, that’s right. You never seem to leave.”
Randi eyed Cassie suspiciously. “And now you’re inviting your little playmates over to sponge off Rhett?”
“This is Cassie Carroll. Rhett’s new assistant.”
Randi’s eyebrows arched. “Oh, really? Well, I forgot to get a drink. Bring me one. Something cool. Not too much ice.”
The model slid onto a lounge chair and stretched out lazily like a jungle cat. In one graceful move, she unhooked her top and tossed it onto a nearby table.
Cassie wondered if she had made a mistake accepting Rhett’s job offer.
CHAPTER 5
Rhett glanced out the window and saw Cassie talking with Breck. She seemed so animated. Of course, Breck was as charming as they came. He could kill a woman with kindness as easily as snap her neck with his bare hands. His Delta Force training was something Breck rarely talked about. Only late at night and in Rhett’s company alone had his best friend shared some of the horrors he’d lived through on different missions. Even then, it had been long ago, in the days before Rhett hit it big in Killjoy.
He watched Randi slink toward them. The model was beautiful, stormy, and way too smart for her own good. Randi James spelled Trouble. She was high maintenance in every way imaginable. He wondered why he’d even been attracted to her in the first place. Rhett thought it might be wise to ease out of the relationship before things grew serious between them. As it was, Randi was staying over more often than not. He valued his privacy and found her company a little overbearing.
Rhett decided to make one more phone call before going downstairs to brief Cassie. He hit speed dial and waited for his sister to answer. His mother picked up instead.
“Hey, Mom. How’s Carreen doing today?”
The silence caused his gut to clench.
“Sorry, Rhett,” his mother apologized a few seconds later. “I wanted to slip out of the bedroom and let Carreen sleep. She was restless last night and Bob asked me to come over today. He got the kids ready for school so I could pamper Carreen a little.”
Rhett relaxed a little. “Is today better?”
Nadine Corrigan sighed. “Better is a relative term, Rhett. She’s better than the first round of chemo, but she’s not as good as last time. She's resting now.”
“Do you think I could stop by this afternoon?”
“That would be sweet of you, dear. Why don’t you call first to see if she’s up to seeing you?”
“I’ll do that, Mom. I’m glad you’re there.”
“Well, she didn’t want that private nurse you hired. You know Carreen. She’s only half as stubborn as you are and that can be lethal.”
He chuckled. He’d gotten his famous stubborn streak from Nadine herself.
“I’ll talk to you later then.” Rhett hung up and sat for a while.
◆◆◆
Cassie gritted her teeth as she walked back out with Randi’s drink. The first time she’d brought back a glass of Coke over crushed ice. Randi took one sip and snarled, “Why would I drink all these empty sugar calories? Get me something diet. Now.”
Cassie returned inside the mansion, muttering under her breath that if Randi had wanted a diet drink, she should’ve asked for one in the first place.
The next trip the model whined, “It needs a slice of fresh lime in it,” and handed it back.
Cassie trekked to the spacious kitchen, her blood pressure rising by the second.
Now, she returned for the third time, slices of lime on a saucer. This was it. No more. Cassie walked toward Randi and forced a pleasant look on her face despite being jealous of the long, tanned legs. As long as Randi didn’t ask her for a pedicure or an eyebrow plucking or for her clothes to be ironed, Cassie would grin and bear it.
For now.
She stopped dead in her tracks as Randi reached for a bottle of tanning oil. Please, no. She could not oil that satin skin. She would refuse. She would simply quit.