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Miss Personality
Everythings going along perfectly forDani Monroe: shes worked her way up
from mail-room-girl at a cheesy, B-
movie studio to a plum gig as the right-
hand-girl to a Hollywood legend,
producer Burt Mueller. But when thesexy executive she fled her last job to
forget shows up as the director of a
new reality show produced by her boss,
Dani is forced to decide is she ready
to trust her heart to a Hollywoodplayboy?
Chapter One
If reality TV was the wave of the
future, this particular show had to be
the pond scum at the bottom of thatwave.
Ms. Personality, Dani Monroe
muttered in resignation as she fingered
a black-velvet hood, which would be
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worn by one of the contestants on the
show. Ms. Bimbo in a Catsuit is more
like it.
She idly wondered which non-genius
here at Generations Studios had
thought up the show, where masked
women would compete for a bachelor,relying on personality instead of looks.
Obviously someone who doesnt know
some men dont even consider a womans
face when it comes to looks.
More like the stuff below the face.Which would be prominently displayed in
ridiculously tight catsuits.
Did you say something?
She jerked her attention away from thehood. Feigning innocence, she smiled at
her boss, uber-producer Burt Mueller.
Nope. Not a word.
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Mueller nodded, distracted enough to
believe her. Not unusual. Mr. Mueller
had plenty of things on his mind otherthan his lowly assistant. Danis job was
to make his life as easy as possible, and
to keep herself practically invisible
while doing it. The fact that he
sometimes didnt even remember hername -but had given her a hefty raise
after her first month on the job
-proved shed done exactly that.
What time does my masseuse come in?he asked, his voice a rough bark that
intimidated nearly everyone.
Two. After your meeting with Mr.
Winchell from Fox.
Burt grunted and rolled his eyes.
Better push the masseuse off by a
half-hour. Winchells chattier than a
ten-year-old after a six-pack of
Mountain Dew. Dani grinned. Mueller
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called em like he saw em, and hed been
a Hollywood legend long enough to get
away with it.
To say she was lucky to have landed
work with the icon -who was planning his
comeback by producing reality TV shows
-would have been an understatement.This job had been a lifesaver. First, it
had gotten her out of the mailroom of
slimy Schtick Studios. Plus, in the two
months shed been Muellers right hand
girl, shed met TV superstars shedidolized since childhood. Imagine, she,
Dani Monroe, had shaken hands with
Bob Barker. Her mother was still
crowing over that one.
But there had been another reason hercareer change had come at the perfect
time. It had gotten her away from
What time is Carruthers coming in?
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Crap. Him. Josh Carruthers. The man
her boss was meeting with today for
some unknown reason.
Four, she said, planning to make
herself scarce when her former
colleague showed up.
Not that hed ever considered her acolleague. No, the sexy, arrogant young
director had never noticed her at all,
though shed delivered mail to his office
every day for two years. Why would he
notice her, a short, strawberry-haired,freckle-faced mail girl, when the man
had a bevy of busty actresses
constantly trying to sleeper, audition
their way into a Schtick Studios
production.
She hated to think of Josh Carruthers
being the type of director who had a
casting couch -much less cast from one.
The rumor mill said he did, but Dani
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wasnt so sure. It didnt seem in
character with the man shed once seen
delivering bags of sandwiches to somehomeless guys outside the studio.
Then again, maybe even letches could be
generous.
Im going upstairs, Mr. Mueller said.To the smoking lounge.
Ha. The building was non-smoking. Not
that Mueller cared -his office reeked
of smoke. But she didnt question him,
knowing he liked to prowl his domain to
keep his finger on the pulse, as he
called it.
After Burt left, curiosity got the
better of her. Dani lifted the velvethood, rubbing it against her cheek, then
gave in to an unexpected impulse. She
wanted to know what the contestants
whod be wearing these things would
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feel. So she gingerly slid it on, pulling it
into place, surprised by its silky warmth.
Glancing into the mirror over Mr.
Muellers stocked bar, she stared in
wonder. The jet black fabric covered
her hair, and much of her face, falling
to a curved hem just above her lips.Only her mouth, her jaw, and her eyes
-revealed through two small openings
-were visible. She looked almost
mysterious.
Enough, she whispered, knowing shewas about as mysterious as a fifth
grader. Boring, nobody little production
assistants from Iowa were not
mysterious.
Before she could lift the mask off her
head and return to plain old Dani
Monroe, however, she heard someone
enter the office. She whirled around.
Sorry, I couldnt resist.
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Then she saw the person whod entered.
She froze in place. Because it wasnt
her boss. Wasnt his secretary. No. Shewasnt that lucky.
The person staring at her in interest
and avid curiosity was Josh Carruthers.
* * * Josh had shown up for his meetingwith Burt Mueller to find the reception
area outside the mans office empty. It
was lunchtime, but his message had said
their appointment was at twelve oclock.
He did not want Mueller to think hedbeen late -not with everything he had
riding on this meeting.
This interview could get him out of
directing garbage movies for SchtickStudios and into a production company
with a real track record of success.
Legitimacy. Integrity, even.
Okay, most people would think going
from the movies to television -reality
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television, at that -was a step back. But
to Josh it was a lifeline. And he planned
to grab it.
Figuring the man might be having a
sandwich at his desk, he pushed on the
slightly open door and entered Muellers
office. No one sat at the desk, but theroom wasnt empty.
Excuse me, he said, staring at the
person standing by the bar. It was a
woman, a slim, petite woman, wearing
Is that an executioners mask?
She said nothing, merely shaking her
head.
Blinking, he said, Im looking for Mr.
Mueller. We have a noon appointment.
Noon? said the woman, who was
incredibly curvy beneath her tight blue
skirt and silky blouse.
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The mask took the sexiness quotient
and shot it up exponentially, leaving
Josh feeling a little short of breath.Yes, he muttered, wondering why he
was suddenly feeling so alert. On edge.
There must have been a mixup. He just
left.Her voice was soft, not much above a
husky whisper, and it intrigued him.
Hell, the whole package intrigued him.
He stepped closer, wondering if shed
whirl away or whip off the mask.
She did nothing. She merely stood
there watching him step closer. Finally,
though, when he was mere inches from
her side, she said, Maybe you shouldcome back later.
Her voice echoed in his brain, so soft,
so evocative. And suddenly he felt sure
hed heard it before.
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He wanted to know who she was. Had to
know. Then maybe he could understand
why his reaction to her had been sostrong. So instant and powerful.
And maybe you, he replied in a husky
whisper of his own, should take off the
mask.Chapter Two
He wanted her to take off the mask?
Dani Monroe stared at hot-shot
director Josh Carruthers through the
small openings in the black velvet mask
shed donned in her bosss office. Shed
wanted to get a sense of what the
contestants on the new reality show,
Ms. Personality, would feel. She hadntintended to look foolish.
Which was why she in no way wanted to
take off the mask shielding her face
from Joshs heated stare. Bad enough if
he recognized her and was amused by
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her silly idea that a mask could make a
seductive mystery woman out of an
Iowa farmgirl. Particularly if heremembered her as his mail delivery
woman from Schtick Studios.
But worse, what if he didnt recognize
her at all? Talk about humiliation-having made absolutely zero impression
on a man shed been a little infatuated
with for two years.
Come on, take it off, he urged, using
that silky voice that had been known toget even the worst diva actress to
behave. Youve definitely aroused my
interest. She wanted to refuse.
Wanted to pop off some sultry, wicked
remark about what else she hoped shedaroused, then saunter out of there,
leaving him quivering with lust. Or if not
lust, at least curiosity.
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But she didnt have any choice. She had
to take it off.
She was reaching up to do exactly that
when Burt Muellers voice boomed in the
room. Carruthers? What are you doing
here? Youre early.
Saved by the producer.Josh swung around to greet Burt. In
that split-second when he was
distracted, Dani whipped the mask off,
letting it fall from her fingers to the
floor. Then she sidestepped Josh and
beelined for the door, barely sparing a
nod for her boss.
Behind her, Josh called, Wait, whats
your
But she was out the door before his last
word left his mouth.
*** Josh Carruthers hadnt stopped
thinking about the woman in the mask all
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walked out the door. A flash of light
hair swept back in a short braid.
Everything except her face.
He was on the lookout for her at
Generation Studios when he showed up
the next week for a meeting, for which
he was now fifteen minutes late. Hedgiven his notice at Schtick, and theyd
reacted with typical vindictiveness,
making it nearly impossible for him to
get any time off to prepare for the job
transition. They were holding him to theletter of his contract, so he had to stay
a full three weeks.
In the meantime he was participating as
much as he could in the planning for thenew show -which meant dealing with his
new bosss assistant, a Ms. Monroe,
whod been a snooty, annoying pain in
the ass during their few phone calls.
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And who he was now about to meet,
face-to-face, for the first time.
Youre late, a womans voice said as he
approached a sixth floor boardroom
where todays meeting was taking place.
HmmMs. Monroe, he presumed.
He watched her walk out of thatboardroom, her body stiff beneath her
severe, tightly buttoned-up navy
pantsuit. The clothes didnt work. Suits
were meant for tall, statuesque women
with iron in their veins. Not cute little
sweethearts like this one.
She was petite -probably only came up
to his neck -and had shoulder-length
red hair. Playful, wispy curls bounced ather temples as she moved; again, a
sharp contrast to the shapeless, boxy
suit in which she was dressed. She had a
great mouth -with lips that were
probably impossibly sexy when she
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smiled -and dark green eyes dominated
her cute, pixie-like face.
But her expression wasnt cute and
those lips sure werent smiling.
Mr. Mueller has a thing about
tardiness.
And I have a thing about no place topark, Josh shot back, staring hard at
her, realizing that, for some reason, she
seemed familiar to him. You are Ms.
Monroe, I imagine?
As if sensing his curiosity, she lowered
her gaze and turned slightly away. Yes.
Sorry. Were working on getting you an
assigned spot. I called this morning and
asked the parking attendant to directyou to Mr. Muellers backup spot.
They forgot. Then he thought about
it. He has a backup parking spot?
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She nodded, sending those curls
bouncing. Hes got kind of a car thing
going on and usually has two on hand.
Rich, eccentric producers and their
passions. At least Muellers was just
cars; Josh had definitely heard of
worse.Has the meeting started?
No. Hes on the phone, and it might
take a while.
For some reason, Josh didnt mind thedelay. He suddenly had the urge to
figure out just who this woman was, and
why shed been so cold to him.
*** Dani cursed the phone call that had
given her boss a chance to delay the
start of the meeting -and had thrown
her right into a private moment with
Josh. Because the longer they talked,
the more likely it was that hed
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recognize her. Shed seen that flash of
something in his eyes.
She should have known changing the way
she dressed, and the way she wore her
hair, wouldnt be enough of a disguise.
It sure had amused her boss, though,
whod seen right through her efforts tokeep Josh from figuring out who she
was. Knowing Burt, hed probably
arranged for the phone call.
Suddenly, her worst fears came true.
Joshs eyes narrowed and his headtilted. Wait a minute, he said, stepping
closer to peer into her face. I know
you.
Dani didnt say anything, she hardly evenbreathed while she waited for him to
continue. Because she couldnt be sure
exactly how he remembered her
Chapter Three
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Dani Monroe held her breath, waiting
for Josh Carruthers to tell her how he
remembered her. Did he recognize heras the hooded mystery woman hed
spoken to so briefly, or as the lovelorn
mail girl hed once worked with?
Youre her. The woman in the mask,Josh said, a confident smile creasing his
sexy mouth.
The confidence wasnt surprising; theyd
shared a very intense moment in Burts
office that day. The words hedwhispered, Youve aroused my
interest, had played over and over
again in her brain many times since. So
she should have felt elated that he
remembered her as his mystery woman.
But she wasnt. Because how much of a
fat-headed jerk did this guy have to be
to have worked with her for two years -
right up until a few months ago - and
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not remember her when they came face
to face?
Her jaw tightened. My, arent you the
observant one.
He stepped closer, close enough so she
could smell the heady warmth of his
cologne. Or maybe it was his ownmagnetic essence that filled her every
inhalation. Blinking, she dug her
fingernails into her palms to try to
maintain her righteous anger.
What can I say? Youre unforgettable,
he replied.
Unforgettable? He had to be kidding.
Dani no longer had to use pain to keep
herself from falling under the youngdirectors spell. His own words were
doing a fine job of that. Gee, thanks.
So who are you, really? Josh asked,
his eyes twinkling. Are you the hard-
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nosed assistant whos been sending me
snippy e-mails every day? She started
to sputter, but he leaned closer,lowering his voice to an intimate
whisper. Or are you the sultress in the
black velvet mask whos filled my
dreams every night?
Hmm, what should she do? Punch his
lights out? Or just melt into a puddle of
brainless, hungry woman right at his
feet? Because, man, the guy was hot,
even when he was ticking her off withevery word he spoke. She settled for a
hasty retreat.
Lifting her chin, she fought to keep her
voice from shaking with hurt. Or lust.
Both of which battled for control ofher emotions. Im someone youll never
know, because your own words prove you
dont really see me at all. Then Dani
whirled around and marched down the
hall, blowing off the meeting, needing to
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be alone to gloat over her brilliant
comeback.
And to cry at the knowledge that it had
been entirely true.
*** He didnt see her at all? Ha. Dani
Monroe filled his vision even when he
closed his eyes.Josh had been surprised by her
coolness when shed admitted shed
been the woman in the mask. And
downright stunned by her cold
comeback and abrupt departure.
What the hell had happened? How could
she be so changeable - from seductress
to aloof businesswoman, to, well,
wounded girl was the only way he coulddescribe the last look on her face.
He tried to find out. In the days that
followed, he dropped her friendly e-
mails and tried to engage her in
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conversation whenever he saw her. She
was always professional but reserved.
Except when they really got into somereal planning sessions about the show,
Ms. Personality. Then she was energetic,
enthusiastic, and intensely creative.
And, God help him, Dani was back towearing short, tight skirts and silky
blouses like shed had on when they met.
The kind that reminded him daily of the
sexy, sensual creature lurking beneath
her cool exterior.Cool? More like sub-zero, at least
around him. Only him. To her boss, the
costume person, the set people, she was
bubbly and sweet. Him she treated like
something shed scraped off the bottomof her shoe.
If he didnt know better, he would have
thought hed offended - no, that wasnt
the right word - hed have thought hed
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actually hurt her in some way. But that
was impossible.
Unlessunless that little voice in the
back of his head that had been telling
him he knew her from somewhere was
right. Hed ignored the voice. Because
whenever he tried to grab the memory,to pull it to the forefront of his mind, it
had proved elusive. Hed had a quick
visual of someone who looked like Dani,
but who hadnt had those deep green
eyes. Theyd been blue. Blue andjudgmental. And every time he thought
of them, he squirmed a little inside, as
if whoever it was she reminded him of
had been someone whod disapproved of
him.Which was probably what made him go
out of his way to tease her, to try to
get her to smile at him.
Like now.
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So when are you going to try on one of
the costumes the contestants are going
to wear on the show? Josh asked herfrom the other side of her desk. He was
waiting on the late-again producer, and
Burts secretary had suggested he could
wait in Mueller's office. But Danis was
more fun, despite the fact she wasgoing about her business as if he wasnt
there.
Danis brow shot up as she worked on
her computer. How about never?Come on, you were curious enough to
try on one of the masks. He kept his
tone light and playful, wanting to make
her smile, or at least not frown. He held
out absolutely no hope that shed put onone of the ridiculously tight catsuits.
Which was just as well, since seeing her
in it would probably turn him into even
more of a stuttering idiot that hed
been around her so far.
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Obviously, she wasnt in a smiling mood.
She scowled as she got up and walked
around her desk. I wish youd forgetthat, she muttered, stepping around
his chair to reach for her printer, which
had just spit out the notes for todays
meeting.
Forget it? Hed be more likely to forget
his own name. Looking up at her, he
stared into her eyes, about to admit
exactly that. Her face grew pink, and
her lips parted as she pulled in a breath,as if shed read his thoughts. Then she
shook her head, hard, and reached for
the papers. Only, fate had something
else in store. Because Dani suddenly
tripped over the power cord to theprinter and stumbled.
Right into Joshs lap.
His arms quickly encircled her waist, to
hold her steady, even as his whole body
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reacted to her closeness. They were
nose to nose, eye to eye. Almost mouth
to mouth.
Which left him with an overwhelming
urge to taste that mouth, to see if his
kiss could bring a smile to his lips, even
if his words couldnt.Not knowing how shed react - if shed
kiss him back or leap up in outrage - he
gave in to temptation and caught her
soft mouth in a hot kiss.
Chapter Four
It took a few seconds for Dani Monroe
to process what was happening. Shed
fallen onto Joshs lap - his firm,
welcoming lap - and now, amazingly, hewas kissing her. He, hotshot director
Josh Carruthers, the man shed had a
crush on for two years, was kissing her
like she was the most desirable woman
on earth. The kiss was sweet, hot and
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playful. Josh nibbled on the corner of
her mouth, then gently licked the seam
of her lips to tempt her tongue to comeout and play.
She groaned, tempted to do just that,
to deepen the kiss and enjoy this
unexpected embrace for the puresensual pleasure of it.
Logically, she knew she should leap up
and slap his face. But logic never had
called the shots when it came to her
feelings for Josh.
Kiss me back, Dani, Josh whispered
against her mouth. One kiss so Ill know
for sure that you taste as sweet as you
look.With a soft sigh of surrender, Dani
tilted her head for a deeper kiss. Their
tongues met and mated and Josh and
Dani fell into a perfect rhythm of
breaths, tastes and touches.
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This time, Josh was the one to groan.
That throaty sound of pleasure sent
lazy desire throughout Danis entirebody. Because he wanted her. This man
whom shed wanted for so long truly
wanted her back.
And he wasnt kissing the stranger inthe black velvet mask. He was kissing
the woman hed gotten to know, the
woman she was now.
We should stop, Dani whispered.
Josh kissed his way down to the hollow
of her throat, cradling her when she
leaned back to give him access. Do you
really want to stop? The sultry
whisper scraped across her skin withdelicious sensitivity.
No, I dont. Then, hearing someone out
in the hall, Dani regretfully
straightened up. But we have to.
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They definitely had to. Because if the
man went any lower, she wasnt going to
want to stop until they were naked onher desk.
They both drew in a few deep, ragged
breaths, then, Josh finally said, Wow.
Wow is right. That was unexpected.Dani pried herself from his embrace,
trying to calm down. As much as she
didnt want to, she realized she had to
get off of his lap before someone
walked in on them.
You dont regret it. His tone dared her
to deny it, but before she could reply,
he added, Because I dont. Ive wanted
to do that for a long time.Well, now youve got it out of your
system, she said as she rose, smoothing
out her top with her hands.
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Josh chuckled, then shook his head
ruefully. I dont think Im ever going to
get the desire to kiss you out of mysystem, Dani.
The certainty in his voice brought out
such an unexpected rush of pleasure
that Dani couldnt help breaking into awide smile.
Joshs eyes narrowed and he stared at
her intently. She blinked, wondering if
one of her tinted contacts had fallen
out, praying now wouldnt be the timefor her to have to deal with
explanations about who she was and
where theyd really met - not when she
was still warm and dizzy from his kiss.
Ten minutes ago shed been bothered
that he didnt recognize her. Now, she
wanted to keep things like this for just
a bit longer. Something had shifted
when theyd kissed, it was as if that kiss
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had brought them back to square one,
starting from scratch in a whole new
type of relationship.
Besides, shed had time to think about
things over the past few days. Maybe
she didnt have quite as much reason to
be angry as shed thought. She no longerlooked much like the mail girl hed
occasionally passed in the hallways of
Schtick Studios. When shed gotten her
new job, shed made herself over,
getting rid of the wide-eyed young girllook. Shed cut off most of her long hair
and lightened it from dark red to
strawberry blonde. She certainly didnt
wear the silly little uniform shed once
worn.And then there were the green contact
lenses - the ones shed started wearing
after Josh had first seen her in the
velvet mask, hoping he wouldnt
recognize her when they met again.
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Once hed seen her green eyes, it would
have been really tough to explain a
sudden eye color change.
So, no, it wasnt necessarily a sign that
Josh was a selfish jerk for not
recognizing her. Maybe more that she
wasnt recognizable.Which meant telling him the truth
about who she was might prove to be a
bit sticker than shed imagined.
Josh lost himself for a moment in Danis
smile. It was dazzling. And, for some
strange reason, seemed familiar. As if
hed seen that joyous expression
before.
Have dinner with me tonight, he said.
Are you sure thats a good idea?
No brainer. Uh, yeah.
I mean, because we work together.
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If Burts got a no-fraternization policy,
maybe Ill have to bail on this whole Ms.
Personality thing.
Youre just saying that because you
know as well as I do that this show is a
really stupid idea.
Joshs jaw dropped. He had beenthinking along those lines, but hadnt
wanted to shoot his job out of the
water by saying so to the producers
assistant. You really feel that way?
She nodded. Im sorry, Im not trying
to ruin your job before you even
officially start. Now back to your
invitation
Yes?
She gave him another of those wide,
genuine smiles. Yes.
*** Dani had never enjoyed a date with
a man more. Once shed lowered her
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defenses, and let go of her annoyance
that he hadnt remembered her, shed
found Josh to be an entertaining,charming companion. He was smart,
quick-witted and a perfect gentleman.
Shed actually been looking forward to a
little non-gentlemanly behavior on hispart, particularly when theyd been
walking hand in hand on the beach after
dinner. The surf had rolled onto the
sand in a soft, gentle rhythm, the
moonlight had danced on the waves -the moment had been ripe with
expectation. The perfect setting for
romance, straight out of a movie.
But nothin. No kiss, no embrace. Nada.
Just clasped hands and lots ofconversation. Interesting conversation
though not as interesting as the other
things the man could do with his mouth.
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Which was all she could think about
now, a few hours later, as they stood on
her front porch about to say goodnight.Dani didnt want to say goodnight. Not
yet. As Josh leaned close to kiss her
cheek, Dani found herself whispering,
Are you sure you have to go? You
couldcome in.
Josh breathed deeply, as if inhaling the
scent of her hair. He said nothing for a
long moment, then, when shed begun to
kick herself for being a needy fool, headmitted, Id like that. But Im afraid
to. He pulled away and looked down at
her, his expression tender, but also
intense.
Afraid? Why?
Because, he said softly, if I come in
tonight, I dont think Ill be leaving until
tomorrow.
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Chapter Five
Dani Monroe stared at Josh Carruthers,
pondering her next move. If sheremained silent, he would walk away
after just a kiss on the cheek. If she
spoke up, she might get to spend the
night with the man of her dreams.
Hmmwhat was a girl to do?
Come in, she urged after about two
seconds. Josh looked at her with
surprise, so she added, If youre here
tomorrow morning, it will be because itsright for both of us.
He grinned. If?
Yeah. If. Ever heard of just coming in
for coffee and a little making out?
Making outs good. Its the stopping
that worries me.
Right now, it seemed more important to
start. Grabbing Josh by his arm, she
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pulled him into her apartment, then slid
her arms around his neck. Ive wanted
to kiss you all evening.
So she did. She touched her mouth to
his, lightly, before Josh put his arms
around her hips and tugged her closer.
Their tongues met and mated - hot andhungry - until Dani was whimpering with
pleasure.
Suddenly, Josh bent and picked her up
in his arms. Shed always figured shed
be insulted if some guy tried tomanhandle her. But Josh wasnt
manhandling.he was adoring her.
Pressing gentle kisses on her cheeks and
neck as he carried her to the couch and
set her down. When he knelt on thefloor between her knees, the contact of
their lower bodies sent molten want
through Danis blood.
So much for coffee, she whispered.
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Then she couldnt think at all. Joshs
touch was amazing. He stroked her hip
and her side, teasing the skin at herwaist with feather-light caresses. Dani
arched toward him, wanting more. When
he finally slid his hands under her
blouse and cupped her breast, she
moaned and laughed, all at the sametime, delighted at the sheer pleasure of
it.
One of his eyebrows shot up. Should I
be flattered or worried?I cant help it. I laugh when I feel
good.
Well, then, lets see if I can have you
rolling in the aisles, he said with athroaty chuckle.
Moving his mouth down her body, he
scraped his lips against her silk-covered
breast, making her quiver. As Dani
threw her head back in ecstasy, one of
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the cushions poked at the corner of her
eye, but she barely noticed. At least,
not until Josh stopped, looked up andstared at her in confusion.
He frowned, pulling away slightly. Then
his jaw dropped.
Its you! Josh was stunned by therealization hed just made. Dani used to
work with him at Schtick Studios. She
looked so different, from her hair to
her clothes. Damn, even the color of her
eyes! One of which, he now saw, was aclear, sky blue.
Shed been wearing contact lenses and
one had fallen out.
Josh? she asked, her tone cautious.
Your eyes arent green, theyre blue,
he snapped.
Nibbling her lip, Dani nodded. Im
wearing tinted contacts.
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Why?
II like green?
Josh rose to his feet. Bull! You were
trying to hide your identity from me.
Which wasnt very hard to do, Mr.
Observant, she shot back. How could
you not know who I was after weworked together for two years?
The disgust in her voice pierced the
anger hed been feeling about being
deceived. You look completelydifferent. You cut off half your hair
and its lighter.
Besides, when Dani had worked at
Schtick Studios shed looked like a
fresh-faced girl. Now she looked like a
mature, devastating woman.
Your clothes are different, you even
act differently, he said, wondering
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which of them had more right to be
upset. Only your smile is the same.
That smile. Josh had often noticed the
incredible smile of the former studio
mail girl. Mainly because shed never
bestowed it upon him. Shed barely met
his eye at all, and whenever she had,shed looked nervous, tense. Almost
disapproving with those big blue eyes.
As if shed judged him and found him
lacking. As if hed disappointed her.
Which made him even angrier. Sorry,
Im not up for game-playing. He didnt
even trust himself to look at her as he
strode to the door. Goodnight, Dani.
And then he walked out.
*** The next day, Dani couldnt stop
thinking about what had happened with
Josh. Yes, shed been mad that he
hadnt recognized her. But by hiding her
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identity, shed made him think she was
playing some kind of childish game.
She was still stewing over it that
afternoon; so much so that she barely
registered what her boss had just
asked her to do. Then it sunk in.
You want me to put on one of thosecostumes and talk to the potential
bachelors?
Yeah, Burt said. You can do it. Our
usual stand-in called in sick, and we need
to see how these guys interact with a
masked woman.
A masked woman in a ridiculously tight,
Cat-womanish ensemble. Forget it. Uh-
uh. No way.
She should have known better. Burt
always got his way. Which was why, by
3:00, she was dressed in a devil-red
spandex get-up that clung to every inch
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of her body, outlining her curves and
making her want to dive into a closet or
put on an overcoat.
The black velvet mask - which had
seemed so sultry when shed worn it
with Josh - proved heaven-sent now,
because it helped hide her disgust forthe bachelors. So far on the show there
had been an arrogant jock, a whiny
mamas boy and a patronizing chauvinist.
One thing theyd had in common - theyd
all been droolers. Which left her morecertain than ever that this whole Ms.
Personality concept was doomed,
because not one of them had looked
above her chin. And that was when she
had been dressed in regular clothes.
The only thing she could be grateful for
was that, because of another
commitment, Josh wasnt around to
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witness this. And she planned to be long
gone by the time he arrived.
*** Josh arrived at the studios and was
directed to one of the sound stages,
where Burt Mueller was meeting with
the final five candidates for their
bachelor. I was able to make it in earlyafter all, he said to Burt as he walked
in the door. My other meeting was
canceled.
Burt shushed him, staring intently
toward the other side of the roomwhere two people stood. One of them
was a burly guy. The other was Dani?!
Joshs jaw dropped. There was no doubt
it was Dani - he recognized the delicatecurve of her jaw, the sweet fullness of
her lips.
He froze, still affected by her despite
his anger. Hed hoped to get a chance to
talk with her today about what had
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happened, but this room was a little
crowded. Primarily by the burly jackass
who was, right at this moment, standingover Dani, peering down her top.
His fingers tightened instinctively but
he ordered himself to stay calm. He had
no claim on Dani. Maybe she liked anymans attention and wanted this guys
hands on her.
Whoa! His hands! The guy had just put
his hand on her shoulder, brushing his
forearm against Danis breast in a movetoo deliberate to be accidental. Then he
grabbed her around the waist.
A part of Josh wanted to grab the jerk
and throw him across the room. Butanother part - the part that didnt know
if Dani was just a game-player who
craved male attention - wanted to know
how she would react.
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Chapter Six
Dani Monroes brothers had taught her
long ago that a knee to the groin or afist to the throat could bring any jerk
down. So the fathead whod just
grabbed her was cruising for a one-two
combination. She smacked at his beefy
paw, which rested on her hip.
Get your hands off me or youll be
talking soprano for life.
Well put, someone said.
It wasnt until the guy let her go that
Dani looked to see whod spoken.
Oh, great. It was Josh Carruthers.
Must you always be around when Im
looking like an idiot?
You look perfect.
Then Josh turned and leveled an icy
stare on the bachelor. If she doesnt
turn you into a soprano, I and the two
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security guards right outside the door
sure as hell will. Now... get out.
The guy nearly ran. Once he was gone,
Dani said, Thanks for the backup - not
that I really needed it.
I know you didnt, he replied. We
need to talk.Oh, great, thats another one off our
list! Burt shouted.
Dani had almost forgotten Mueller was
there. She looked at Josh. Yes, we do.But first I have to talk to Burt.
It was time to come clean, to say what
she thought. That would be especially
tough with Josh watching her with
unexpected tenderness. What she had
to say could hurt him.
But she had no other choice. Taking a
deep breath, she turned to face her
intimidating boss. Burt, I have
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something I have to say, and its not
going to be easy to hear. This, she told
the producer, has got to be thestupidest reality show in the history of
television.
She held her breath, waiting for Burts
reaction. And Joshs.To her surprise, Burt merely stared,
puffing, as always, on his cigar.
To her greater surprise, Josh stepped
to her side and placed a hand on her
shoulder. Shes right, he said. Ms.
Personality is a disaster.
*** Josh hadnt been sure what to do
about the show, not until Dani threw the
truth into their bosss face. Shed beencompletely honest... how could he be any
less? Having gone this far, he went all
the way. The whole things a
nightmare.
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Burt didnt argue. Instead, he listened
calmly while Josh and Dani pointed out
the problems with the show. Eventually,the three of them went upstairs to
Burts office to talk. There, the man
surprised them by saying, Youre not
telling me anything I havent thought of.
I didnt want to pull the plug too soon,but I do have some other projects Im
developing.
Josh and Dani exchanged a relieved
look. This might just turn out okay forall of them.
Hey, is this a private party or can
anyone join in?
Josh looked toward the doorway andsaw a young woman. Her spiky black hair
and dark clothes were a stark contrast
to her pale - but pretty - face.
Burt grinned widely. Jacey!
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The woman joined them, hugging the
notorious producer.
This is Jacey Turner. My daughter,
Mueller said to Josh. Shes the best
damn camera operator on the coast.
Jacey rolled her eyes. And you wonder
why they called him the King ofSchmaltz back in the 70s?
Their banter brought a smile to Joshs
lips.
Dani rose. Hey, Jacey, good to see youagain. Motioning for Josh to join her,
she added, Im sure you guys have a lot
to catch up on. Well get out of your
hair.
Well talk about the reality shows
later, Burt said with an appreciative
look. Im hoping to convince Jacey to
work with us.
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As Josh followed Dani to the door, he
heard Burts daughter say, If you think
Im ever gonna work on the set ofanother reality TV show, youre whacked
in the head, old man.
Josh grinned, liking the sassy way Burts
daughter treated him. Just beforeexiting, his boss called, By the way,
Josh. Ive got something else in mind
for you. How do you feel about crime
dramas?
How did he feel? Abso-frigging-lutelyfantastic! Giving the man a nod of
thanks, he pulled the door closed.
Now there was only one thing left to do:
fix things with Dani.*** Lets go, Josh said, grabbing her
hand as they left Burts office.
Dani stumbled to keep up. Go where?
Someplace private.
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Considering she was still wearing the
hideous red cat suit, private was good.
He led her to her own office, pulled her
inside, then shut the door. She moved
towards her desk, turning to face him
as she perched herself on its edge.
Before she could open her mouth, hesaid, Now listen.
She held her breath.
I was a fool for not recognizing you.
You changed, but the basic person was
always there. Funny, sassy and sweet.
Josh shook his head. To be honest, I
think thats why I looked at you but
never really saw you. Because the sassy
mail girl I worked with looked at me likeI was pond scum.
Danis jaw dropped. Shed feared looking
like a lovesick puppy... and hed thought
she didnt like him?
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Last night... when I recognized you, I
thought you were punishing me or
something with a weird head game.Because you believed the lies about me,
he explained.
I didnt really believe them.
Then why were you nice to everyone,but wouldnt even smile at me?
She smiled at him now. Because I
thought if I smiled at you, youd see the
truth. That I was crazy about you.
This time, his jaw dropped.
Dani slid off the desk and stepped
close, putting her hand on his chest,
feeling the strength of his heartbeat.
Back then I had a goofy crush on you.
Taking a breath for courage, she
continued. Now its more than that. Im
in love with you. Emotion flashed in his
eyes, then he asked, So why the
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games? Why did you hide who you
were?
That was a tough one. She explained as
best she could. I thought Id been
invisible before. So I tried to keep that
girl invisible... maybe hoping youd come
to care for the woman I am now. Thewoman youve spent so much time with
these past few weeks.
He leaned down and tenderly brushed
his lips against hers. You were never
invisible. I definitely saw you. And nowthat I know the woman in the mask is
also the buttoned-up producers
assistant... and the sassy redhead who
drove me nuts for two years, Im never
going to be able to let you go.
He was hinting at it, but Dani needed
the words. Why, Josh?
He brushed a wisp of hair off her brow.
Because Im in love with you, too, Dani.
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She almost didnt believe it, but the
warmth in his eyes couldnt lie. Dani
threw her arms around his neck andtugged him close, pressing her mouth to
his for a tender kiss that quickly turned
hot and intimate. Dani moaned, loving
the taste of him and the warmth of his
hard body.
We gonna stop playing games now? she
eventually asked, pulling back to look
him in the eye.
Yeah. You up for another date?
And this time you really will stay for...
breakfast?
Josh pulled her tight again, caressing
her waist, her back, then the side ofher breast with deliciously light
strokes. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner, he
whispered. Today and every day.
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Then lets go, she said, already
shivering in anticipation.
Do one thing for me, okay? Looking
down at her clothes, he gave her an evil
grin. Keep the cat suit on.
The End