waters as the Titanic sank and then miraculously was pulled to safety. Her teeth began chattering uncontrollably.
Rhett lowered her feet to the ground but still hung on to her.
“Are you all right?” he asked gruffly. His eyes still flashed steel gray but she could see a smidgen of sympathy lurking there.
“I think so.” She frowned and glanced down at her bare right foot resting atop his Bruno Magli loafer. “I lost my shoe.”
His eyes swept down and back up. “I guess you did,” he agreed.
The trembling stopped as quickly as it had started. Cassie sensed the hot flush creep up her neck and spill onto her cheeks. She became aware of being locked body-to-body with the world’s most famous action star. She swallowed hard and relaxed her death grip on his shoulders. She tried to step back but he still held on. Probably because he knew she would collapse in a heap on the sidewalk if he didn’t.
Despite everything, all she could think was how melt-your-bones good it felt being in his arms.
She pushed that crazy thought aside. She owed him an apology. “I am so, so sorry about your car, Mr. Corrigan. A dog ran out and I swerved so I wouldn’t hit him. I hit a squirrel once back home, right after I got my driver’s license, and I was sick for two days. Throwing up, crying.”
The puzzled look on his face made her realize how foolish it was to talk about squirrels when she’d almost hit and killed the world’s highest paid movie star.
Come on, Cassie, think. Get with the program. Speak like an adult. Say something serious. Money. Adults always thought about money.
“I promise I will pay for your car, sir. It will take me this life and most of the next to do so, but I will pay you to the penny.” She frowned. “And that knot on your head. I’m very sorry. I’m not quite sure how that happened. I saw you limping. Did I hit your leg?” Her eyes widened. “We should call 911. ER needs to check you over. I’ll bet you’re insured for millions. All of America knows how valuable you are. Let me call an ambulance.”
Cassie somehow separated herself from him and dug in her purse for her cell phone. “Oh, great. It’s dead. This thing will not hold a charge anymore.” She glanced up. “I suppose you have one we can use?”
Rhett nodded, a ghost of a smile threatening to break out. “I don’t need an ambulance. You might.”
“No, seriously,” she assured him, “I’m fine. Better than fine. Well, not really fine because I just totaled your car and mine and it looks as if my job interview at Merriman Smith won’t happen and I’ll be stuck working for Manny until my teeth and hair fall out, but I’m really okay. Really. Other than not having insurance anymore. No one will cover me after this mother of a wreck.”
The sound of sirens pierced the air. Cassie looked back at the burning cars and saw a crowd had gathered. Every person in sight held up a cell phone, snapping pictures and shooting video.
“Oh, no. We’re going to be on the news. Manny will know I lied about having to go to the dentist. I am so fired.”
A woman in a Cornhusker shirt rushed toward them and began taking pictures.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she hollered at the gray-haired granny. “Back off! Mr. Corrigan doesn’t need some tourist from Nebraska shoving a camera in his face, much less selling them to some sleazy tabloid.”
Cassie looked around. “Who are all you people? Get out of here. Right now.” She waved her arms like a wild woman. Part of the crowd backed off. The rest clicked away, huge grins on their faces.
“You’re giving them what they want,” Rhett whispered in her ear. Tingles rippled through Cassie at the slight touch. “They feed on this stuff. Come on.” He took her elbow and led her back across the street. He limped due to whatever injury she had caused; she limped because that’s what a person did trying to walk in one high heel.
Rhett briefly stopped at the patrol car parked near the now-smoldering cars. “I’m Rhett Corrigan, Officer. We’ve had a little fender bender here.”
The cop laughed. “You ain’t joking, pal. Crushed City is more like it.” He paused. “Could I take a selfie with you, Rhett? My wife would leave me for you. It’d be great to get a picture with you.”