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Ethan stared out the kitchen window in Justin’s apartment, his mind a million miles away. From this vantage point, he could clearly see the back of Blair’s house. Not that seeing her house was a good thing—it only served to remind him how cautious he needed to be around his new neighbor. He found himself drawn to Blair, and he was spending far too much time thinking about her.
Which no doubt explained why he was so tense this morning. Even his jog hadn’t soothed his nerves, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was getting himself too deeply involved in Blair’s life. First by joining the play, then by agreeing to stay in Justin’s apartment, now by helping her look for a new car. He was getting pulled in, and he needed to be careful. He could end up getting hurt. Or worse, he could end up hurting Blair. He knew she felt the same attraction he felt. This could turn out badly.
Refusing to even consider the possibility, he headed to take a shower. After jogging five miles, he certainly needed one, and hopefully it would relax him.
He showered and dressed quickly, wanting to head over to the hospital and visit with Justin. Maybe seeing his friend would get rid of this nagging feeling he had. With any luck, after his visit, he’d be able to put everything in perspective. Then by the time he picked up Blair this afternoon, he’d be in control again.
As long as he kept his mind off of Justin’s baby sister, this visit would work out fine.
**
“THIS ’VETTE LOOKS PERFECT for you.”
Blair glanced at Ethan, who was leaning against a shiny red sports car, looking too handsome for words in his blue jeans and T-shirt. His aviator sunglasses blocked the devilment she knew she’d see in his blue eyes.
“I think I’ll pass on the Corvette. But thanks anyway.” She turned back to the small black sedan she’d been considering. “This one is nice.”
“Hmm.” Ethan came over to stand next to her.
This close, she could smell the woodsy soap he used. “What do you think?”
“You’re kidding, right?” He pulled open the door and studied the dash. “I’ve seen hearses with more pizazz.”
He was right. The car was boring, especially when the other cars on the lot seemed to be either sporty or elegant. But she needed something reliable that wouldn’t break her budget.
“I’m not interested in pizazz.” She refused to look at Ethan. He’d taken off his sunglasses, and she knew looking at him would be distracting. “I want a dependable car.”
“Dependable doesn’t mean it can’t be fun,” he pointed out.
Blair studied the sedan. It certainly didn’t look fun.
“Let’s check it over.” Ethan reached around her and popped the hood. After walking to the front of the car, he looked at the engine. Blair came to stand next to him.
“This may come as a surprise, but I do know how an engine works,” she said, humor lacing her voice. “I even know how to change the oil.”
He turned toward her, a smile on his handsome face. “I never thought for a minute you didn’t. I just wanted to take a look. Did you expect me to make a sexist comment?”
“I guess. I’m used to men assuming there are a lot of things I can’t do.”
“Does Justin treat you that way?”
“He used to, but not anymore. I think I may have finally broken him of his bad habits, but it took a while.”
Blair watched as Ethan ran a hand through his hair. The sun highlighted the strands, and she curved her fingers into her palms to keep herself from reaching for him. What was it about Ethan that made her act like a kid in a candy store?
His look was direct. “So who made you feel dumb, a boyfriend?”
Truthfully, she was sorry she’d started this discussion, but she didn’t want him thinking she didn’t know the front of a car from the back.
“Let’s just say my father had, actually he still has, a rather narrow opinion of what women should and shouldn’t do.”
Ethan gave her a rueful smile. “Yeah, parents have a way of making their expectations known.”
“Your parents did that too, huh?”
He hesitated for several seconds before he said, “Yeah. They let me know what they thought, and since they seldom agreed with each other, it made life confusing for me. But that’s ancient history.”
When he let the conversation drop without further explanation, Blair knew he didn’t want to talk about this any more than she did. Deciding to change the subject, she leaned over and studied the engine. This model car had a solid reputation for being reliable. “The engine looks good.”
She started to move away from the car to find a salesperson, but Ethan stopped her by placing his hand lightly on her arm. As happened every time he touched her, a tingle danced across her skin.
“Forget the car for a second,” he said. “Your dad really made you feel there were things you couldn’t do just because you’re female?”
“Yes.” Honesty forced her to add, “He was almost forty when I was born, so it was the way he was raised. You know, believing women couldn’t do certain things.”
“Such as?”
“Lots of things.” She turned her attention back to the car, not wanting to dwell on her childhood. “I’m really starting to like this car.”
Ethan snorted. “Yeah, and I’m hoping a falling star lands on me.” He followed her as she walked around the car, studying it closely. Finally, he said, “So, considering your problems with your dad, why are you doing Cinderella? Isn’t that the ultimate putdown of women? Cinderella doesn’t tell the stepmother and stepsisters to take a hike; she just lets them walk all over her. And she only manages to get to the ball because a fairy godmother makes it happen. Not to mention the reason the prince falls for Cinderella is because she’s a knockout, not because she’s a nice person. Which, come to think of it, means the prince is kind of a doofus, too.”
By the time he finished speaking, Blair was laughing. “It’s not that bad.”
He cocked one black brow. “Yes, it is.”
She laughed again. “Well, my version isn’t that bad.”
“Your version?”
“I’ve made some minor adjustments to the play.”
Ethan took a couple of steps forward until he stood next to her. He was several inches taller than she was, so she had to tip her head to look at his face. “What kind of adjustments? You’re not going to have me out there begging Cinderella to kill a mouse for me, are you?”
Blair was fighting back her humor when her gaze met his. Attraction zinged between them, and out of the blue, she couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like to kiss him.
Yikes. Pulling her thoughts back from that dangerous direction, she said, “I promise Prince Charming isn’t mocked, but I do make certain the audience understands a few things." Her voice trailed off when Ethan took another step forward.
“What kinds of things?”
Blair struggled to keep track of the conversation. Ethan was so close, he almost brushed against her. But he didn’t have her trapped. She could slip around him if she wanted to—except she didn’t want to.
“Oh, like how Cinderella has to become brave and learn to believe in herself in order to change her life,” Blair said.
Her words seemed to catch his attention. His gaze moved from her eyes to her mouth. “So does she learn that lesson?”
“I think she does, or at least as much as any of us do.”
Ethan stood there, so close, and yet in some ways, he seemed so far away. Finally, he took a couple of steps back. While Blair struggled to regain her composure, she realized a salesman in a bright-yellow jacket had come over to join them.
“Can I help you folks?”
With effort, Blair turned her attention back to the car. “I’m interested in this sedan,” she said, glad her voice had lost the husky, wistful sound it had earlier.
The salesman smiled broadly, then launched into an ornate description of the car’s positive points. Blair kept her gaze firmly off Ethan and forced herself to pay attention to the car. She did fairly well, even managing to ask the salesman a few questions. She may have glanced once or twice at Ethan, but that was all. Unfortunately, each time she did glance at him, he was frowning at the car as if it had done something to offend him. So the car wasn’t flashy or fun. It did seem to have everything she was looking for—dependability, good mileage, wonderful safety features. Yet when the salesman suggested a test drive, she hesitated.
“I’d like to think about it some more,” she said evasively. The salesman took her rejection in stride. “No problem. Are there any other cars you’d like to look at?”
Glancing up, she found Ethan watching her intently. He’d been right, and she knew it. The car lacked pizazz. And just because she was looking for something dependable didn’t mean she was dead. Deep down, she suspected her change of heart might have something to do with Ethan.
Okay, so the Corvette in the next aisle over was too pricy for her, but now that she thought it over, she did want something fun to drive. Oh, nothing dangerous or fancy. Just something a little sporty. A little adventurous.
Unable to resist, she turned to the salesman. She gave him the amount she was looking to spend, asked if he had any moderately priced sports cars, and then added impulsively, “And do you have anything in red?”
**
HE’D LED HER ASTRAY, Ethan realized as he followed Blair to the high school auditorium for rehearsal a couple of hours later. He hadn’t led a woman astray since . . . well, maybe ever. Even as a teenager, he couldn’t remember ever having that effect.
But he knew without a doubt Blair would have bought the sedan if he hadn’t been there. In his opinion, the snazzy little red sports car she’d bought suited her better. She might think of herself as sedate and practical, but she had adventure in her soul. It might be well hidden, but it was there.
Which meant he needed to be careful because he could easily get in trouble.
When he pulled up in front of the auditorium, Ethan parked his truck next to Blair’s new car. They’d been lucky to get everything done on the car today. After a short test drive, Blair had pronounced the car perfect and paid for it. Since they hadn’t had time to swing by her house first, she’d driven her new sports car, and he’d followed in his truck.
Judging from the ear-to-ear grin on her face when she got out of the car, Blair was thrilled with her choice.
“I’m so excited. I can’t believe I have all these fancy features plus a great sound system.” She came over to Ethan, still grinning. “I just love this car. Thank you for talking me out of the sedan.”
She leaned over and gave Ethan a hug, which surprised him. For a moment, he hesitated. Then, unable to resist, he loosely wrapped his arms around her.
Ethan suspected Blair hadn’t really intended to hug him. She’d been caught up in her excitement. But now that he had her in his arms, caution seemed to be melting faster than an ice cube on a summer’s day.
He was glad when Blair made a slight move closer. He wanted to keep her close, to savor the sensations rushing through him that made rational thought difficult. He kept thinking less about what was the right thing to do and more about what he wanted to do.
When Blair glanced up at him, he could tell she was struggling with the same confusing feelings as he was. Leaning toward her, he said, “Blair?”
He wasn’t sure if he was asking her permission or questioning what was happening between them. But common sense had deserted him, so when Blair rose up on her toes toward him, he bent his head and met her lips with his own.
Her kiss tasted of heaven, of promise. Quickly, the gentle kiss ignited like straw touched by a match. Emotions he didn’t want to feel zapped through him like lightning, leaving him shaken. But he didn’t move away.
Instead, the kiss went on and on, tangling him in desire. He had no idea how long they kissed. But finally, the sound of a car on the road in front of the auditorium acted like a bucket of ice water on his heated brain.
Reluctantly, Ethan ended the kiss and dropped his arms from around her. For a moment, they looked at each other. Then when the car turned into the parking lot, they moved apart.
“Blair, about the kiss—”
She shook her head. “Let’s not talk about it now.” Then she turned and headed inside.
Ethan followed, glad that she didn’t want to talk about the kiss. After all, what was there to say? He had no idea why he’d done something so stupid. But then, with a glance at Blair, he understood. He felt a connection with Blair, something he couldn’t remember ever feeling before. It wasn’t just attraction. Something else was going on.
This was not good . . . not good at all.
He wasn’t the right type for small towns and families. That wasn’t his style. He’d been worried about this trip turning messy, and kissing Blair was one sure way of guaranteeing a mess. Blair was sweet, but she also wanted a life in this small town. Without her even saying so, he knew what that meant. She wanted a home, a husband she could count on, children to love.
So he had to make certain he didn’t lead her astray anymore. He had to fight the chemistry bubbling between them. It was the only solution, and it was the only fair thing to do. For both of them.
When they got inside the auditorium, Blair introduced him to the other cast members. He was shaking hands with the man playing the King, Bob Julian, when the cold-looking blond woman he’d spotted the day before came down the aisle.
“I have had the most awful day,” she said loudly as she joined the group. “Absolutely nothing has gone right, starting with . . .” She stopped talking when she noticed him. Instantly, her face transformed into a flirty smile and an almost savage gleam settled in her pale-blue eyes. Ethan avoided eye contact, but it did no good. The woman was locked on him like a heat-seeking missile. When she reached his side, she stood so close he could feel the warmth from her body.
“Hello, there,” she said. “I’m Olivia Donnelly. Cinderella. Since you’re here, I guess you’ll be my Prince Charming.”
Ethan gave her a polite smile, wanting to keep things friendly without giving her any ideas. “Ethan Wilson.”
“I know. We almost met last night. It’s nice of you to help with my play. Did Blair tell you that all the money goes to the hospital?”
“Yeah. I think it’s a great idea.” He shot a quick look at Blair, but she was now talking with Tara. “Blair tells me you organize this event every year.”
“Yes.” Olivia shifted subtly, her movement bringing her even closer to him. Before he could move away, she wrapped one hand around his arm and squeezed. “I get the feeling you and I are going to get along great.”
Said the spider to the fly. Ethan took a deliberate step away from Olivia. He didn’t want to make her mad, but he didn’t plan on being the main guest at any party this lady had planned.
“I’m sure we will,” he said, not meaning it in the least. He glanced at Blair and then back at Olivia. Talk about the devil and the deep blue sea. Whoever had said that big cities were more dangerous than small towns had never been to Falling Star, Texas.
**
“SHE’S ACTING LIKE HE’S a brand-new toy you just bought her,” Tara complained, looking at Olivia and Ethan.
Blair didn’t say anything, but there was no doubt that if Olivia got any closer to Ethan, she’d become another layer of his skin. Glancing away, Blair deliberately focused her attention on the script, not liking the picture the two of them made. Not that she had any claim on Ethan. Okay, they’d shared a phenomenal kiss, which had been a mistake. She shouldn’t have kissed him. She figured she’d temporarily lost her mind after buying her new car—that had to be the reason. Why else would she kiss Ethan, knowing he was completely wrong for her?
“Well, they certainly look like Cinderella and Prince Charming,” Tara commented dryly. “Must be nice to be so good-looking. Life is probably a snap for people like those two.”
The trace of bitterness in her friend’s voice made Blair look at her. “You really think so? I don’t know. Olivia doesn’t seem all that happy to me.”
“She’s rich.”
“But lonely,” Blair pointed out.
Tara chuckled. “Not for long, from the looks of things. Olivia keeps trying to wrap around Ethan like a vine around a post.”
Blair glanced back at the couple. They did look cozy, but it was difficult to tell from this distance if the attraction was mutual. Olivia stood next to Ethan, and although her hand was on his arm, he made no move to touch her. In fact, as Blair watched, he took a step away from Olivia.
Maybe Cinderella wouldn’t get Prince Charming after all.
Deciding it was time to get down to business, Blair found a spare copy of the script for Ethan to study while the others started rehearsal. From the front of the stage, Blair monitored a variety of things—the actors, the lighting, and the props. When the dance scene between Prince Charming and Cinderella started, Blair couldn’t help but groan. Ethan was doing a fairly good job playing Prince Charming, especially considering he’d had almost no time to study his lines. The only problem was he kept frowning at Olivia rather than looking dazzled.
Blair rubbed her throbbing temples. This wasn’t going well. She decided to see what she could do to help Ethan out.
“Olivia, please don’t dance so close to Ethan. When you’re both in costume, dancing like that will wrinkle your dress and his suit.”
“Not to mention embarrass the audience,” Bob Julian muttered.
Olivia stopped and looked at Blair, a half smile on her flawless face. “I danced with all my husbands like this. They never complained.”
“Just cut it out, Olivia,” Blair said, not missing the silent thanks Ethan sent her way. She released a pent-up breath when Olivia gave in and moved a respectable distance from Ethan, but Blair suspected it was only a temporary reprieve.
Although Olivia wasn’t truly malicious, she did have a renowned weakness for gorgeous men. Ethan more than qualified as gorgeous. Sure, he was perfectly capable of handling Olivia himself, but Blair wasn’t going to sit idly by while Olivia or anyone else made a cast member uncomfortable.
When the dance sequence was finally over, the lighting dimmed. Ethan and Olivia sat on a fake brick wall. As they said their lines, Blair listened closely. This was one of the places in the script where she’d made a few small changes. She had the characters talk to each other and share some experiences, so the subtle message went out to the audience that these two people were more than a rich man and a beautiful woman. Blair wanted, if possible, to make them look a little more like real people falling in love. A few times Ethan forgot his lines, but overall the scene went well.
After the conversation, the clock started to strike midnight. Olivia ran off the side of the stage, followed by Ethan. She was supposed to reappear at the top of a short flight of stairs leading down the right side of the stage. As she ran, she would lose one of her silver heels.
But Olivia didn’t appear. Neither did Ethan. After a minute, Blair stopped the action and went behind the stage to see what the problem was.
The staircase was actually a large ladder with one flight of stairs behind the stage leading up, a platform at the top, and another flight of stairs on the other side leading down to the stage. They had borrowed the prop from the high school’s pep team, which used it during rallies. At the moment, Olivia and Ethan were standing in front of it, studying the stairs. At least, Ethan was studying them—Olivia’s attention seemed focused on her handsome costar.
“What’s up?” Blair asked, coming to join them.
Frowning, Ethan glanced at her. “I have some concerns about this staircase.”
Olivia moved around him and came toward Blair. “Me, too. Ethan asked me if I think I can run up the stairs when I’m wearing that long, heavy costume, and I’m not sure I can. I have trouble negotiating the stairs during rehearsal. What will it be like when I’m in the long dress during the real play wearing those heels? Plus, these stairs look weak to me.”
Since the stairs had been Olivia’s idea, her sudden change of heart surprised Blair. Still, the woman had a point. The stairs might be dangerous. Blair walked over and tried to wobble the structure. It didn’t budge.
“The stairs seem stable, but I see your point about running up them in a long dress wearing heels.” Blair continued to study the staircase. “I guess it is a bad idea to have actors chasing each other on stairs. Someone could slip and fall.”
They hadn’t had any problems so far, but who knew what would happen once the actors were in their costumes. Blair certainly didn’t want anyone to get hurt, and she was glad Ethan had spotted a potential danger.
“Why don’t I just chase her across the stage?” Ethan suggested. “That has to be easier on Olivia if she’s running and kicking off her shoe at the same time.”
By now, most of the cast and crew had joined them. Blair turned to Olivia. “How’s that sound to you?”
“I like it. I can run across the stage with Ethan chasing me and lose my slipper. Either way we do the scene, I don’t think we’ll be nominated for a Tony.” The group laughed while everyone offered their own humorous suggestions for the category they could be nominated in.
With effort, Blair got the actors back on track and continued the rehearsal. Thankfully, there were no more problems until the very end when Olivia and Ethan were to kiss.
Olivia practically threw herself at Ethan, who was obviously caught off guard. He barely managed to keep them from falling over when Olivia emphatically wrapped herself around him and kissed him hard. When Ethan attempted to pull away from her, Olivia simply placed one hand against the back of his head to try hold him in place, but he pulled away from her.
“Olivia!” Blair exclaimed, “Stop that.” She stood and crossed the stage, noticing that Ethan looked about ready to snap. He leaned down and said something to Olivia that made her eyes grow wide.
“I was just kidding,” Olivia said, almost defensively. “But if you can’t take a joke, then fine.”
With a flounce, she walked off stage. Blair turned to look at Ethan. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea she’d act like this. We could barely get her within speaking distance of Kyle, our previous Prince Charming.”
“Don’t worry about it. I think she and I now understand each other,” Ethan said.
“Well, it’s unacceptable. No one should be subjected to harassment.” Blair could feel her own anger growing. “I don’t care who she is; she doesn’t have the right to treat you this way.”
“Like I said, don’t worry about it.”
But she couldn’t help worrying. Unfortunately, she knew Olivia. The woman wasn’t used to the word no. Sure, the play was important, but not so important that Blair would let Olivia harass Ethan.
Even if it meant losing Olivia as a client, Blair had to prevent a repeat of tonight’s disaster.