Tate gave a laugh that was part groan. “If they remake Dracu
la, think I should try out for the part? I’d bite beautiful necks right there.” Reaching out, he lightly touched the side of her neck with his fingertip—and an electrical current shot up his arm and ran through his chest.
Casey jumped away from him. “What the hell was that?”
“Static electricity, I guess. You okay?”
“Fine. But from now on, keep your hands to yourself.”
“Sure,” he said, then held the door open for her. “No touching, no trespassing, no anything. I got it.” He followed her through the gardens toward the big gazebo—and he was smiling. Static electricity, like hell! That was pure sexual desire in its most basic form.
Casey had put her phone in her pocket before she left the house, and she could feel it buzzing. She stepped back to let the movie star pass, then answered it. “Stacy!” she said in happiness at hearing her half sister’s voice. “When will you get here? Want me to meet you at the airport?”
“No. I’m, uh, Casey, please don’t be mad at me, but I’m not coming back. Not for a while, anyway.”
“But you’re supposed to dress the sets and take care of the costumes. The play can’t be put on without you.”
“I know you think that, but it can. I called Mom, and her book club is going to give up dissecting the latest prizewinner that they all hate and get their sewing machines out of storage. They’re going to make all the clothes for the women. And Dad is going to get the clothes for the men from some place in L.A. My drawings for sets and costumes are fairly complete, so they can be used. And I got an upholstery shop to do the curtains and slipcovers at a really good price.”
“It sounds great,” Casey said, “but I will miss you.”
“Sure about that? From what I heard, you and Tate Landers are the talk of the town. Did you really bawl him out onstage in front of everyone?”
“Sort of.” Casey didn’t want to talk about that. “Why are you staying in D.C.?”
“Because I’m falling in love with a man.”
“What?! Who? Where? When? How?”
Stacy laughed. “Remember I told you that I was going out to dinner with Kit’s son Rowan? He picked me up, but he brought his cousin Nate Taggert with him. And well, Rowan was a bit too serious for my taste. But Nate was funny and charming and very interesting.”
“I take it he’s the one?”
“Yes! It’s only been a week, but we’ve hardly been out of each other’s sight for the whole time. He’s wonderful! He got me a job decorating an apartment here for another of his relatives. I’m sorry, but I can’t leave now. Please tell me you understand.”
“Of course I do—and I envy you.”
“You’re living a few feet from Tate Landers and you envy me?”
“He’s a jerk.”
“Oh, no. Tell me that isn’t true. His movies are so great. He makes the whole theater sizzle. What dreadful thing has he done? Has he come on to you?”
“No. I mean, he nearly electrocuted me, but it’s more what he’s done to someone else. His brother-in-law is here and—”
“What do you mean, he electrocuted you? With what? A Taser gun? Casey, this sounds serious.”
“It wasn’t like that. I sort of called him a vampire and he put his hand on my neck and it hurt, that’s all.”
“Choking? I’m calling the sheriff. You need protection.”
“No!” Casey said. “It was just his fingertip. That’s all he used.”
“Oh,” Stacy said. “Tate Landers touched you with his fingertip and you tingled so badly you were in pain?”
“That isn’t the way it was. Not exactly, anyway. It was—” Casey laughed. “I do miss you! Bring your boyfriend here. You can redecorate your mom’s sunroom. It’s looking a little shabby.”
It was a town joke that when Stacy was studying interior design she’d practiced by redoing every room in her parents’ house—repeatedly. “All of you will do fine without me. And Casey…” She paused. “I know you can handle the props.”