Shocking Sapphires - Ann Omasta Page 0,33

I saw that he was indeed taking me toward a small, hidden entrance to the set.

Once there, he boldly announced his name and said simply that I was with him. The guard checked a clipboard and granted him access to the closed set.

“Well, that was much easier than being herded like cattle and standing in the sun all morning,” I mumbled.

“What’s that?” Cole asked, but he proved he really didn’t care by not waiting for my answer before saying, “It shouldn’t take me long to wrap this up. I’m generally a one-take kind of guy. Stick around, and I’ll take you to dinner.”

I didn’t appreciate that he made it sound like he would be doing me a favor by going out with me. This guy’s ego was out of control. I was just getting ready to tell him that when I heard someone yell, “Cut!”

I whirled around to see if I could catch a glimpse of Grant. My movement caused Cole to tighten his grip on me, hugging my body to his chest.

In that moment, I locked eyes with the movie star I adored, who also happened to be the man I loved, and was stunned to see the look of fury emerge on his face.

Blinking and staring at him, I tried to imagine what I had done that could make him so angry. Perhaps Eva had been right and he truly didn’t want to see me again. I just wished I knew why.

He angled his wheelchair in our direction and began rolling himself toward us. Panic nearly overwhelmed me as he kept his steely gaze locked on me. Whatever he was coming to say was not going to be pleasant.

His progress was halted when a beautiful woman, whom I immediately recognized as Kristen Lawrence, one of my favorite actresses, launched herself onto his lap and gave him a big kiss on the lips.

The tiny bit of hope that I hadn’t been able to keep suppressed shattered into a million pieces as I watched the beautiful couple kiss. Their chemistry was undeniable both on-screen and off.

With renewed heartbreak, I struggled out of Cole’s arms and jogged away, ignoring the minor pain in my scraped knee.

I barely registered when Cole called out after me, “Where you going, babe? I’ll meet you at Captain’s Point Lighthouse at eight o’clock tonight.”

27

Grant

Rage had me practically seeing red. What had sweet, down-to-earth Molly been doing with that arrogant, billionaire jerk?

She could do so much better than him. Even if she didn’t want to be with me, she deserved far better than that asshole. But at least he had working legs. He’d been showing them off by carrying her in his arms––something I would never be able to do without the assistance of my chair.

I tried to smile at Kristen’s warm greeting, but it didn’t quite reach my eyes. She immediately noticed something was off. “What’s wrong, buttercup?”

She shifted in my lap to wait for my answer.

“It’s about a girl,” I finally mumbled.

“Oh, good,” she said as she stood up. “That’s an easy fix because no woman in her right mind would be able to resist you for long.”

“That’s not really the case anymore,” I said, splaying my hands out to indicate my useless legs.

“Rubbish!” Kristen yelled, sounding outraged by the mere idea that my stock as boyfriend material had been lessened by my injury. “If your young lady can’t see what a catch you are, point me in her direction. I’ll knock some sense into her. You’re Grant Chandler, for Pete’s sake.”

The mere idea of Kristen’s delicate frame knocking anyone around was preposterous. When she held up her fists, pretending to be a tough guy, I couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling up.

Still smiling at the ridiculous woman, I said, “Thank you for the offer, but that won’t be necessary.”

“When I first saw your expression, I was afraid the garlic pasta I ate on the flight here in preparation to greet you with a big, sloppy kiss had been too much,” she teased me.

“Never,” I assured her before adding, “But you know I’m going to get even.”

“There’s the feisty Grant Chandler I know and love,” she said warmly before whirling around to ask where her trailer was.

I grinned like a fool as I watched her walk away. Her wide range of believable emotions made her the perfect actress to play Claire in this movie.

Although I had assumed that she was one of the few people that wouldn’t be weird about my chair, it was a