She was safe with him. She could explore with him, and he wouldn’t sell her out to some tabloid, wouldn’t show up on the cover of a magazine to talk about his wild night with Vanessa Hale.
He liked Vanessa Jones.
Kyle Hawthorne stood at the desk at the beginning of a hallway. The low illumination and red sheen from the dungeon cast the man in eerie shadows. He was attractive, but there was something dark and dangerous about him that couldn’t be denied.
Had her sister given in to the temptation he offered only to realize he was more dangerous than he seemed? Or had she known from the start to stay away, and that was what had set him off?
“Kyle.” Michael held out his free hand. “I reserved a room.”
Or maybe the man was completely innocent. He wasn’t the only top whose name started with a K. There was also a Kevin and a Kirk, according to what Ruby had been able to find. Probably more, since she’d only been able to see who was on the work schedule list.
Kyle shook his hand and nodded toward the hallway. “Of course, Michael. I stocked it myself. Welcome to The Club. Let me know if you need anything, and I hope we can talk sometime later. Perhaps I can give you a guided tour of the facilities.”
“I think I know where everything is, but thank you.”
“Oh, there are some tricks to things around here,” Kyle insisted. “And The Club always gives McKay-Taggart guys shit. I’ll be sure to find you later.”
Kyle held Michael’s hand for what she would consider one second too many, but then he seemed like a kind of intense guy.
“Of course,” Michael said and then pulled away.
“You’re in room three.” Kyle turned her way, and that darkness seemed to flee for a moment. He grinned. “Hi, Ms. Jones. It’s a pleasure to have you here. Please let me know if you need anything at all.”
So he could turn on the charm when he wanted to. When he smiled like that there was a boyish look about him that made her want to smile, too. “Thank you so much, Master Kyle. I appreciate the warm welcome I’ve been given. Your brother and Tessa have been lovely.”
“I’m glad to hear it. I hope you’ll be here on a night when I’m not working,” Kyle said. “I would love to buy you a drink and ask you twelve million questions about working with Jason Fray. I love all his films.”
“Sure,” she offered, a little viciousness bubbling up. She didn’t lie about this stuff anymore. “I can tell you a lot of stories about what a massive dick he is. Good director. Hates anyone who questions him, especially women.”
Kyle’s smile dimmed. “Yeah, I had heard that. Maybe we can talk about what it’s like to work with appliances that turn into robots.”
It sucked, but she would do it. She would talk to him and get a feel for what his relationship had been with her sister. “I’ll take you up on that.”
“I’m sure we’ll find some time later.” Michael’s hand tightened slightly around her own, and then he started down the hall.
She followed, grateful she wasn’t in heels because he had a long stride, and the plush carpet under her feet would have been hard to jog on. He was suddenly tense, and she wondered if he was angry she’d disrupted his plan. He’d wanted to watch some more scenes before they came back here.
He closed the door after she’d made it inside, and then she was alone with him.
He turned on her, his jaw tight. “Have you changed your mind? We can go to the lounge. I think Kyle’s shift ends at midnight.”
“Why would I do that?” She stared at him for a moment. She’d never seen him this way. He was always calm.
“You’ve been loo…” He stopped and took a long breath.
Surprise rushed through her. “Are you jealous?”
His eyes closed, and he seemed to take control of himself. “Viciously, and I’m not used to the emotion. I’m not this guy.”
He seemed so sincere, so confused, and she couldn’t help but move toward him, reaching out. “I’m not interested in him. I liked Tessa and David. He’s David’s brother. I was being polite.”
“You were watching him earlier.”
He was obviously paying close attention to her. “I was curious. I still am. I read in my sister’s diary that she’d spent some time with him.”
Michael frowned. “I didn’t know that. You found her diary?”
She nodded, feeling a flush steal across her skin. “She kept a pretty detailed journal. I found it and wanted to feel close to her. We weren’t for a lot of years. That was starting to change. So yes, I read it. I wasn’t trying to come on to Kyle.”
He let out a long sigh, and his head dropped down, bringing his forehead to rest against hers. “I’m sorry I was jealous. He’s younger than me.”