Panty Dropper (A Sexy Standalone Contemporary Romance) by Paige North Page B

the door, or how he knew my apartment number.
    “Delivery for Ms. Adams?” said the man when I opened the door.
    “That’s me,” I said.
    He handed me a thick envelope, and left. Inside was a screenplay. Untitled Armstrong , said the cover page. A note on thick cardstock was attached.
    Discuss by the ocean tonight? —L
    My phone rang, making me jump. I didn’t recognize the number, but it was local.
    “Good evening, Ms. Adams. This is Steve, Mr. Armstrong’s driver.”
    “Oh, hey, Steve,” I said.
    “Mr. Armstrong would like to know if you received the package he sent over, and if you’re available to spend time with him this evening?”
    “Yeah, I got it,” I said. I quickly set the stack of papers down on the table by the door and flipped through the pages, curious.
    “Mr. Armstrong would like to work with you tonight, if you’re available.”
    “Well, I…”
    “And you’re under no obligation.”
    “I know, it’s just…”
    “If you’d like to join him, I can drive you now,” Steve said. “I’m just around the corner from you.”
    My phone buzzed a new text. “Hang on, Steve,” I said, and checked the text. It was Ava Marie: Hurry up!
    I looked back at the script on the table, and a thought came to me—had I come to Los Angeles to socialize, or to start my career?
    “Steve?” I said. “Come get me.”
    Afterwards, I send Ava Marie an apology text, stating that I’d been called into work for an emergency edit on an important article.
    She never responded, so I assumed she was angry, but I couldn’t let that distract me from my mission.
    Soon after, I was in the car, headed for my rendezvous with the infamous Panty Dropper yet again. That name held more meaning for me now than it had originally, that much was for sure…
    We drove up Pacific Coast Highway, the sun still shining over the horizon. I watched as we passed by the beaches, surfers carrying their boards back in from the ocean. We arrived at a sushi restaurant, and Steve helped me out of the back of the SUV.
    As I walked across the restaurant I had flashbacks of the last time Leo invited me to dinner and we ended up dining at thirty-nine-thousand feet. I hoped he would show, and we would actually sit and have dinner. I wanted the after-dinner stuff, too. But I wondered what he wanted with me and the screenplay. Also, I needed to hustle on the story for Kait.
    I needed more info, the pressure was mounting for me to really deliver.
    My eyes scanned the room for Leo. When I found him at a small table by the window, tucked in the shadows, my heart skipped a beat. It’s not that I’d forgotten how he looked or how handsome he was. I suppose I’d just forgotten how gorgeous he was in person. He caught my eyes at the same time, and I froze. I thought I might collapse to the floor as a smile stretched across his face and crinkled the corners of his eyes.
    Just the way he looked at all the other girls in those photos I’d seen online, I tried to tell myself. But this time, I realized, he was looking at me.
    He stood up from the table and greeted me with a kiss on my cheek, his hand on the small of my back. The closeness of him, his hand on my body, his breath on my cheek—it was all more thrilling than I wanted to admit.
    You’re falling for him! I cried inwardly.
    But he was like a vampire, even if you knew what to expect—looking too long into his eyes would guarantee your seduction.
    “You should walk across rooms more often,” Leo said, keeping me close. “You look absolutely stunning.” I felt the heat of my skin blushing, and I moved to cover my face. He gently took my hand. “Remember,” he said, kissing it, “no hiding.” He pulled out the chair for me.
    “Wow,” I said, sitting down. I’d walked across the restaurant toward Leo, and he’d been all I’d seen. Now, though, sitting at the table, I saw that the restaurant was actually perched on the beach, waves hitting a large rock barrier just below us. The sun