And damn if she didn’t get a rise out of him.She wasn’t even his type.“Maybe I’ll let you, if you ask nicely,” slipped out of his mouth before he realized it.
“I don’t do nice, but I could make an exception”—she laughed, her eyes twinkling—“for the Road King.”She turned and threw over her shoulder, “Nice chatting with you.Take care of that baby.It’s truly a king among bikes.”
Lex didn’t say anything.He was still trying to find his balance.Who knew a woman’s laugh could have such an effect on him.When she’d paused atan exception, he’d expected her to say him.He’d never been jealous of a bike until today.
His eyes followed her, loving the sway of her hips, which was surely for his benefit.She confirmed it when she glanced over her shoulder, winked, and laughed.
That rise she’d gotten out of him was now a throbbing hard-on.Lex shook his head to clear it and focused on controlling his body.He didn’t know what had just happened, but he was finally looking forward to being at the Perris Valley Skydiving School todayandthe party this weekend.He had to know the identity of that woman.
“Excuse me?”A man wearing a security badge interrupted his musing.“The drop zone is off-limits today, sir.”
“I’m here to see BarbsRiggins.”Lex handed him his card.
The guard studied it.Of course, the man didn’t know Lex or that he was bankrolling this movie.“You need to talk to Mr.Gunter, the location manager.No one sees Mrs.Riggins without going through him.”
He’d made the necessary adjustments in his schedule for this detour, and the last thing he needed was to be given the runaround.On the other hand, he couldn’t take out his frustrations on a guy following orders.
“Okay, my friend, take me to Mr.Gunter.”
“This way, sir.”The guard headed toward groups of people under a tent at the edge of the field.Possibly actors and actresses.Beside them were several golf carts.
According to the studio, they were filming here for the rest of the day.The drop zone might not be open to the public, but he could see spectators by the club building.Another group was by the plane, which was already on their little runway.He could see the woman in the red suit talking to Barbs.
Barbs and her husband were a Hollywood power couple.He produced, she directed.Their romantic comedies often became blockbusters, but with theTerra Frostfranchise, they were branching out into a new territory.Because the last installment ofTerra Frosthad tanked, the studio almost canned it, until Barbs and her husband took it over and brought in younger actors to keep its target audience.Convincing his mother, Estelle Fitzgerald, to get involved hadn’t been hard.She liked a challenge.
“Which one is Gunter?”Lex asked.
“The one in a white suit,” the guard answered, pointing at a gangly man in a Dodgers baseball cap.He was with the group by the tent.
Mr.Gunter looked up and smiled when he saw Lex.He left the others and hurried toward him while talking into the earpiece of a walkie-talkie.
“This is a wonderful surprise, Mr.Fitzgerald.”He shook Lex’s hand with enthusiasm.
“I hope I’m not in the way,” Lex said.“My secretary called.”
“She must have talked to Barbs, but you are always welcome here, sir.Come and meet the rest of the gang.”Gunter was in the middle of introducing another assistant something when Barbs’ golf cart pulled up beside them.
“Lex!”she called, hurrying to his side and tilting her head for a kiss.“I cannot believe it’s taken you this long to come see us, you naughty boy.”
Lex chuckled.Barbs had known Lex since he was a child.He’d even had a crush on her at one time.Unlike his mother who was accepting her age gracefully, Barbs had nipped and tucked all signs of aging and could pass for a forty-something from a distance.Her dark hair was without a single gray strand.
“Why?Do you want me looking over your shoulder?”Lex teased.
She laughed, her hazel eyes twinkling.“As long as we’re within budget, my dear.”She took his arm and led him away from the others.Like his mother, she didn’t reach his shoulder, but she knew how to command attention.“Of course, if you had a few million more to throw my way, I wouldn’t cut corners.”
Lex grinned.He had bankrolled the production because of his mother.Estelle Fitzgerald was one woman Lex had never been able to refuse anything.
“I’m out of millions,” he said just as the plane’s engine kicked into gear.Lex’s attention shifted.The people on the ground moved away from the plane.The biker chick in red was gone.“What’s going on?”
Barbs shaded her eyes with her hand, despite her sunglasses, and studied the plane as its blade whipped the air.“A mid-air fight.It’s spectacular.We’ve done dry runs, and Lander timed down the sequence to the last second.”
Lex frowned.“I thought you did that kind of thing in a simulator.”
“We do,” Barbs said.“But we also shoot at a location for authenticity.The camera crew on the ground”—she waved toward the field—“and the one jumping with the actors give us views from different angles.”She touched the communicator piece on her right ear.“Oh, excuse me.I need to answer this.Yes?Go ahead.Give him whatever he wants to make him happy.”
Lex watched the plane taxi, anticipation making him edgy.Barbs touched his arm.“If I know you, you didn’t read the summary I sent you or the list of stars.”
Not until last week when it became apparent he needed help.“I’ve been busy.”
