Sh
e wanted a little romance--even contrived romance had to be better than constantly being considered just a good friend.
“People convince themselves every day they’re in love when things are bright and sunny. It’s when the rain comes that the truth is exposed. What they thought was love turns out to simply be lust.” Rob’s gaze bore into hers. “I want you to put these guys in situations to bring out their true nature. Make them work to show their charm.”
She rolled her eyes. Oh, she knew quite a few ways to kill the look of romance in a guy’s eyes. She had a lifetime’s experience. “Jeez, just put me in a game of one-on-one with them.”
Rob’s dark brow rose.
“I’ll win,” she clarified. She took a deep breath, trying to stifle her frustration at this whole set-up, and failed. She glared at the overabundance of testosterone at the table. “Men don’t like to lose to a woman. At anything, but especially not at sports.”
Several snickers sounded around the table.
“Okay, we’ll let you play them in a game of basketball.” He turned to an assistant. “There’s a gym here, isn’t there?”
“Yeah, some NBA star leased this place for a month of R and R after a media fiasco. He had one put in,” one of the assistants answered.
“Make sure cameras are installed.” Rob scribbled on his notepad.
“Cameras are already everywhere except the bathrooms and the west wing,” one of the crew assured.
“Why not in the west wing?” Jill asked. Heck, she’d been here for several days and had yet to make it through the place. But she hadn’t known she wasn’t supposed to go in certain areas of the castle.
“The west wing is off limits to everyone, including the crew. The castle owner’s private quarters are located there,” JP answered.
“How are we going to liven up this to make it more interesting to the viewers?” Rob’s gaze touched each crewmember.
The sound of JP’s pen tapping against the tabletop grated on Jill’s nerves. Several tossed out ideas. Rob rejected each one. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Jill forced herself to ignore the tapping. Unfortunately, this left her mind free to ponder Rob. She snuck a look. His lips pursed as the wheels visibly turned in his head. What would those lips feel like against hers? Would Rob’s kiss steal her breath? She closed her eyes, daydreaming of Rob jerking her to her feet and lowering his mouth to hers.
“What are you thinking, Jane?” Rob’s voice murmured in her fantasy.
“Kissing.” Jill blinked. That had sounded as if she’d actually spoken. Had she just said what she thought she had? Out loud? Her wistful voice had been all too real.
“Kissing?” Rob and JP asked simultaneously. “What does kissing have to do with you playing the bachelors in a game of basketball?”
Thinking fast, she grabbed JP’s pen, wrote “kiss” across the top of her notepad, and slid it across the table.
“Instead of playing regular basketball, we’ll play a version of H-O-R-S-E, only we’ll call it K-I-S-S. If my opponent beats me, I’ll kiss him.”
Rob’s throat worked, his eyes narrowed, then he nodded. “Okay, each bachelor will be given the opportunity to ‘score’.”
A harassed crewmember rushed into the studio and headed straight for Rob. He looked like the bearer of bad news who feared for his life. Jill’s watched curiously as the man leaned over and whispered something in Rob’s ear.
“What?” Rob’s pen landed on the table with a clangity-clang. “You’re kidding.”
The man grimaced and shook his head.
“Aw, hell.” Rob looked directly at JP. “William’s agent called and says he’s canceling. Personal reasons.”
Every male mouth at the table dropped open.
“So some guy canceled. We’ll just have eleven bachelors instead of the twelve. No big deal.” Jill shrugged. Eleven, twelve, it made no difference. She was afraid an entire army of men wouldn’t be able to distract her from Rob.
“William wasn’t one of the bachelors,” Rob corrected her mistaken assumption. “He was the host.”
“There isn’t time to line up someone else,” JP announced, not looking worried one bit. “We’ll just have to use someone here who’s already available.” The older man shot a glance in Rob’s direction. “Rob’s got showbiz experience. He’ll just have to fill in.”