Red Carpet Romance by Jean C. Joachim Page B

shooting in a couple of months.
Are you ready?”
    “I suppose.” He watched Susanna
respond to a crewmember who was talking to her.
    “Suppose? This is important,” he
said, taking the actor’s arm.
    Quinn shifted his focus to Josh.
“What?”
    “Are you ready? Geez, guy. Where the
hell are you?” Josh’s eyes scanned the room. “I see. Watching that chick, eh?”
    “Yeah, yeah, Josh. I’ll be ready.
Always am. Studying the script now. This is a party. Chill, buddy,” Quinn
patted him on the shoulder then returned to watching Susanna. The crewmember
now had his arm around her waist as he moved her closer to the food table.
Quinn’s heart rate increased. Anger bubbled up in his chest.
    “Be right back.” He tossed down the
rest of his drink, then moved away from Josh and made his way through the
crowd, taking a few moments to shake a hand or sign an autograph. Still
smiling, he came up behind Susanna.
    “Wondered what was taking you so
long,” he said, placing a possessive hand on her shoulder.
    “Is she with you, Quinn?” The
crewmember backed away slightly, dropping his arm from her waist.
    “Yeah, Eddie. She’s with me.”
    “Sorry. Had no idea.” He backed off
and disappeared in the crowd.
    Susanna turned toward Quinn.
“Jealous?”
    “He was moving in on you.”
    “I can take care of myself,” she
sniffed.
    “Just making sure you were okay…”
    “And still yours, right?” She arched
an eyebrow at him as they reached the food table.
    An embarrassed smile claimed his
lips. “Guilty as charged.”
    “Thirty days in jail. Next case,”
she tossed off, making him laugh. Susanna picked up a plate and loaded it up
with finger foods—cold jumbo shrimp, tiny quiche Lorraine, stuffed mushrooms,
warm figs wrapped in bacon, and little meatballs. His hunger grew as he
watched.
    When she was done, he took her free
hand and guided her toward a window and a small round table with a white
tablecloth. Quinn grabbed two forks. They sat down, and Susanna put the plate
on the table between them. They tore into it.
    “I have two more hands to shake,
then we can go.”
    She nodded. “You didn’t really think
I was going to go home with that guy, did you?”
    “Eddie’s a mover.” He popped a
meatball in his mouth.
    “But I’m not going to be taken in by
that…and dump you? That’s crazy.” She picked up a quiche.
    “Is it? He’s taken women from me
before.”
    “Oh?” She lifted her eyebrows.
    “Well, maybe only one or two.
Still…” He bit off the end of a shrimp.
    “Have some faith in me. I’m not some
dumb chick looking for a night of fun and games.”
    He shot her a lustful look. “Shucks.
That’s just what I was hoping for.”
    She laughed, picked up the last shrimp,
and stuffed it in his mouth. He kept eye contact as he chewed the shrimp, then
leaned over and kissed her.
    “Finish that meatball and let’s go.”
Susanna popped the hors d’oeuvre in
her mouth as three more people stopped to congratulate Quinn. He took her hand
and led her outside. The car pulled up, and they were on their way home.
    Hands
off tonight? Can’t. She’s too, too much. He wound his arm around her and
she snuggled into his shoulder. Lights from houses twinkled in the darkness as
the smooth ride calmed him. Made it
through another premiere. Yippee. His fingers idly stroked her arm. Soft. She closed her eyes and sighed. I could carry her right into my bed.
    The limo pulled up and let them out.
“Wait here. You can take Mrs. Evans home.”
    They held hands on the way inside.
Quinn paid the babysitter while Susanna checked on Junior.
    “He’s asleep but his breathing seems
a little heavy. The babysitter didn’t report any trouble. Probably just my
imagination,” she said when she returned to the living room.
    “Want tea?” She asked Quinn, on her
way to the kitchen.
    “All I want is you,” he said,
pulling her into his embrace before lowering his mouth to hers. Her body
softened against his. His