Resonance of Stars (Greenstone Security #5) - Anne Malcom Page 0,100
Edwards. I love your movies.” He said this all in a rush, his cheeks flushing with what seemed like embarrassment. I’d had this reaction before—from teenage girls—but not from big burly men like this one.
It was wholesome and somehow sweet.
“Dude, way to geek out,” the hot blond, but still scary-looking surfer said with a chuckle.
Bald guy glared, and there was nothing at all wholesome about that glare. “She’s the Meryl Streep of our generation. Fuck off.” He then focused on me and extended a tattooed hand, expression changing from the deadly menace he’d shown surfer guy to a soft adoring smile. “I’m Lucky. I’m not going to say I’m your biggest fan, because I’m sure you’ve got people that go through your trash and send you ears and shit. But I’m definitely up there.” He paused. “Not in a creepy way. I’m totally and utterly dedicated to my wife. I’m a feminist. I don’t see you as a sex object. I admire your artistic talent and what you’ve done for movies and women in acting.”
I blinked rapidly at the man, the man who had been totally intimidating...until he started speaking.
Usually I was practiced at handling fans like this, praise like this.
But I was no longer Anastasia Edwards, movie star. I was just...Anastasia Edwards. I tried to grasp the former as best I could. That’s all I would be after this was over.
“Thank you, Lucky. That really means a lot,” I said, smiling. “And I haven’t had any fans that sent me an ear. I have gotten toenail clippings though.”
“Are you fucking serious?” Amy demanded.
I nodded. “Yeah, and that’s not even the worst.”
Her eyes brightened with a spark that I guessed was dangerous. “Oh, we’re going to have to talk about that over cocktails.”
“Church. Now,” a voice boomed from behind us. I jumped, but naturally, the other women didn’t. I guessed they were used to scary alpha males yelling at them.
Cade had entered the room at some point during the interaction with Lucky and he didn’t look happy. He had the whole murderous glower thing down to a T, but no one seemed to blanch in fear, so it seemed I was safe.
And that’s how I felt.
Safe.
Safe around these beautiful strangers, in a fucking biker clubhouse. miles away from the one person my entire body craved like a drug, the person who I could guess was either tearing apart the country to find me or on his way here. Duke was a smart guy. He would’ve made the Rosie, Sons of Templar connection, especially if he even suspected what I might’ve been wanting to do.
That was my mistake.
I should’ve thought this through more, should’ve taken my time to distance myself from him, start adopting my old coldness and bitchiness.
Then it would’ve made it seem like I’d left for different reasons, made him less inclined to find me.
Maybe.
It hadn’t even been three days and I missed him like a limb, missed his touch, his smell, fucking everything.
But this was for the best.
Cade pointed two fingers at Rosie and me. “Both of you, in there.”
Rosie smiled bitchily at her brother, the facial version of a middle finger. Something I made note of—that was a perfect expression to replicate in movies. I did that, collected gestures and expressions of interesting people. There was a total wealth of material here, but it remained to be seen whether I’d be able to put it to good use after all this was done.
“We’re finishing our drinks,” Rosie said when Cade continued to stare at his sister.
His jaw twitched ever so slightly, everything else on his face remained blank, empty, which made the jaw twitch all the more terrifying.
Rosie put her hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes, then took a slow drink of her margarita. It was a power move I recognized, and I’d done such a thing in boardrooms with executives who thought I was their toy. It was simple but effective.
“You can glare at me all you want, Cade. I’m still going to finish my drink, catch up with my girl, and we’ll come in in our own good time. Five minutes isn’t going to kill anyone.”
“It just might,” Lucky muttered.
I grinned then sipped my drink to hide it.
Cade gave Rosie one more measured stare, as if he was figuring out if he could win this. In my eyes, this man would win most things, if not by the air of danger about him then by the straight-up hotness.