Her brain kept saying that, but her body didn’t seem to be listening.
‘See you tomorrow,’ she managed, her voice little more than a squeak, and with one abrupt nod Ben turned on his heel and left her suite.
CHAPTER FOUR
OLIVIA STARED AT her reflection with narrowed eyes. Her make-up was understated, just a little eyeliner and natural lipstick. She’d splurged on a blowout that afternoon, and her hair fell in perfect glossy waves, or at least would until the icy rain needling Berlin in February would turn it into a bedraggled, matted mess. As for her dress...
She turned this way and that, checking to see how far her hemline jerked up when she moved. It was a fine line between sexy and confident and professional and mature, without roving into demure or dull territory. She hoped this silver slip dress with the skinny straps and swingy skirt hit the right note. It had certainly cost enough.
She slipped her feet into a pair of silver stilettos and did a little twirl. Darn, had she just flashed her underwear? She wouldn’t be doing that again.
Her nerves jangled as she took her little black diamante-spangled clutch and made sure it held all the basics: lipstick, tissues, key card, debit card, phone. She was good. A deep breath and then another, and she resisted the temptation of indulging in a little Dutch courage—the executive suite had a fully stocked minibar—because alcohol had always gone to her head and if ever she needed all her wits about her...
Tonight was important, the premiere of the first serious film she’d had a supporting role in. Okay, twenty lines was not a lot. But she was on screen for a lot longer; she was going to be seen, and with the negotiations still going on for the role she really wanted, the role that would make her career, that would finally prove to her family and to herself that she’d made the right choice, that it had all been worth it, that she was worth something...she knew she couldn’t afford to mess this up.
Which meant making sure the whole world believed she and Ben Chatsfield were really dating.
And with that thought still sending alarm bells pealing through her brain, the doorbell to her suite rang.
She put on her airiest, most insouciant smile as she opened the door, and the breath bottled in her lungs came out in a rush as she caught sight of Ben. He wore a grey silk suit, the streamlined jacket and narrow trousers emphasising his incredible physique. He’d opted to go without a tie, and the top button of his crisp white shirt was undone. Olivia could not quite tear her gaze away from the lean, perfect column of his throat. The nerves that had been jangling through her all seemed to coalesce into a hot ball of longing in her stomach. She pressed one hand against her middle and then dropped it, afraid she’d revealed too much already by the way she was staring at him as if he were a chocolate-fudge sundae and someone had just handed her a spoon.
‘You look...’ She licked her lips and then forced her smile back into place. ‘Great. We match.’
His gaze roved over her, taking in the silver dress that now definitely felt too short. Too sexy.
‘So do you. Look great, that is.’ He spoke abruptly, as if he wasn’t used to giving compliments but had been compelled to honesty, which for some reason made Olivia smile.
‘Thanks.’ She grabbed her clutch and started out; Ben stayed her with one hand.
‘Don’t you want a coat? It’s freezing outside.’
‘A parka would kind of ruin my red-carpet moment.’
‘You could always leave it in the car.’
‘I thought we’d just take a cab...’ She couldn’t afford anything else. This festival was already straining her modest budget.
‘Good thing I hired a limo, then.’
Shock had her going rigid, her jaw dropping before she thought to snap it shut. ‘You did?’
He shrugged. ‘If we’re going to do it, let’s do it right.’
‘That—that was very thoughtful of you,’ she said. She was absurdly touched that Ben had considered doing anything above showing up. She knew he didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to pretend, but he had still gone the extra distance.
He shrugged again, as if he weren’t used to compliments. ‘It wasn’t a big deal.’
Olivia grabbed her coat, glad for its warmth as they left the hotel and stepped out into a sleeting February night. ‘I don’t understand why Berlin holds their film festival in February,’ she told him as she tried not to let her teeth chatter. ‘I’d much prefer July.’
‘I have to agree with you there.’ Ben reached across her to open the door of the sleek black limo idling in front of the hotel, and Olivia felt a thrill run through her, both from the fact that she would be arriving at the premiere in a limo, and the closeness of Ben’s body next to hers. She could smell his aftershave, something clean and woodsy, feel the heat emanating from him, and that alone was enough to send little jolts of awareness through her system.