took being in the right place at the right time. Lady Luck ruled in Hollywood.
It had certainly been that way for him. That’s why he thought he was being selfish trying to break out of the mold that made him so successful.
That—and fear.
Self-doubt plagued every actor. Each movie that came out paralyzed Rhett with fear. What if he didn’t score? A movie became hit or miss based on its three-day opening take. If it tanked the first weekend, it would stink up the place throughout its release. Each time, he was expected to hit one out of the ballpark.
If he didn’t, he could be history overnight.
“I know you didn’t dream of running interference for me when you first came here but I think we’re going to work really well together, Cassie.”
She looked at him a long moment. “I think so, too,” she said softly, those sweet lips curving into a smile.
Damn. All he wanted to do was kiss her senseless. Rhett fought against leaning across the table but his body began moving without listening to the sensors screaming in his brain for him to stop. He must have some gap in his synapses because he could feel himself slowly moving in for the kill.
Suddenly, an orange blur dashed between them, flying over the table. Rhett pulled back and watched Shep racing toward them, barking wildly. He leaped, his back paw catching on the bowl, and the table turned over. Popcorn flew everywhere, along with their mugs of hot chocolate.
Rhett and Cassie turned to watch their pets race around the length of the pool and back toward them. Without warning, TJ stopped dead in his tracks and faced Shep down. A low sound between a yowl and a growl emitted from the cat as his fur stood on end and his tail bushed out.
Shep’s ears pinned back. The dog hunched on the ground, his chin resting on top of his paws. TJ took two steps toward Shep and lashed out in one swipe, making contact with the dog’s nose. Shep never blinked.
Satisfied, TJ sat down and stared at his opponent, daring him to retaliate. Shep sat patiently, as if he took the cat’s scolding to heart. Then as if some unseen signal passed between the two animals, they both stood and trotted off together, side by side.
Rhett finally broke the silence. “If I could only train the paparazzi that easily.”
Cassie laughed. “Naturally, they stuck us with the mess.”
She bent down and began putting popcorn back into the bowl.
He stopped her. “Let me clean this up. After all, it was my dog chasing your cat.”
Cassie started to protest and stopped. “You’re on. I’m tired and I have a cook interview tomorrow at eight. Then unpacking to do and scripts to read.”
She stood. “Thanks for stopping by and watching Jolene tonight, Rhett. For giving us a place to live. And for hiring me as your assistant. I can’t believe how much my life has changed in the past couple of days. I have a swanky Brentwood address and drive a cool car—as soon as the Range Rover is up and running again.” She smiled. “Most importantly, I have the best boss ever.”
“Glad to have you on board. Good night, Cassie.”
Rhett watched her return to the gatehouse and then began picking up the mess. It was the easiest mess he could deal with right now.
He’d almost kissed Cassie. He came that close before chaos occurred. Rhett couldn’t treat her that way. She worked for him. Besides, technically he was still with Randi. That would be the first thing to remedy before he tried to sort out the rest of the confusion. The trouble was, Cassie Carroll had lassoed her boss’ heart and hadn’t the faintest clue. This was not a good situation.
Rhett vowed to straighten out his personal life and keep his hands off Cassie.
For now.
CHAPTER 12
Cassie needed to clear her head. She’d already interviewed two more cooks and actually hired one. Mimi Morgan would start on Monday. Rhett had popped in at the end of the interview and taken to the grandmotherly woman.
“I insist you call me Mimi,” she told Rhett. “That’s what my seven grandkids call me. It’s a lot better than the name my mama saddled me with. Don’t ask, either,” she warned Rhett.
It pleased Cassie that Mimi didn’t seem flustered to be working for a famous actor. Cassie went over Rhett’s dietary preferences and explained how Breck ate anything within arm’s grasp. Leo also left a sheet on the table