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Chapter One

Smith Sullivan loved his fans They'd supported hiross nearly two billion dollars ide Without thein fil the most important movie of his career

So, even though he had at least a dozen other iin, Sroup of beautiful woathered outside the barriers his crew had erected around Union Square where they'd be fil children with them, but most of them were alone, and quite clearly available

As he approached, he said, "Good ," with a smile that held even as the crowd pushed in closer to him

One smile and two simple words was all it took for a woman to reach out to shake his hand She pressed a piece of paper with her name and phone nuht V-neck top and short skirt despite the cool fog hanging over the square

"I'm so excited about your new movie, Smith," she purred She ran her hand up his arh that he'd want her to touch him

"Thank you" He paused for her to fill in her na

"Brittany"

He s it, Brittany"

"Oh, I can't wait," she said in a husky voice "And I want you to know that I', if you want to talk about it Or - " She licked her lips " - for anything else you want to do while you're in San Francisco"

Taking her lead, one after the other, the women shook his hand and passed hi him that he was their favorite actor and they'd seen all of his movies The same scene had played out hundreds of times over the past fifteen years, and the truth was that if he'd still been in his twenties, Smith would have been more than happy to take his pick of the beauties back to his place for a night, a week, or even longer, if the woh to be with

But thirty-six was a long way fro up next to nad women whose nah, whose families he'd never s had recently found love and were gettingchildren Every week he updated the screensaver on his phone with a new picture of his little niece, Emma Soon, his sister Sophie would have her twins, and he couldn't wait to put a picture of all three Sullivan babies on there

Still, even after witnessing just hoerful real love could be, and just what as could come from that love, it was hard to stop the cycle Because without those strangers in his bed, he was alone

Alone in another hotel Alone in another city Alone in another country Away from his family and friends Surrounded by people who either wanted sood rather than a man

Yes, he could have his pick of these women, but he knehat they wanted: to date Smith Sullivan And as the past couple of years had ticked by, part of hiun to wonder if he would ever find a wo beyond a few hot hours between the sheets, but who also wanted him for more than his fame

Of course, Smith was still a man A very sensual man who adored woh he knew a few nights of hot sex didn't add up torun, Smith would never be immune to beautiful women

More specifically, he thought as Valentina Landon walked past in a thick, long wool coat to fight the early athered and giggling around him, he was drawn to one woman in particular

"Valentina," he said, with the intention ofher stop in her tracks

She turned to look at hihtest bit of the flirtatiousness that the two dozen wo all over him "Yes?"

"Do you and Tatiana have everything you need this ?"

"Everything's perfectly in order, thank you," she said in a crisp voice "Do you need anything froins in - " She looked at the slim watch on her wrist " - an hour?"

"Just to letfrom me at all"

She nodded, her pretty htly as she said, "Thanks We will" Unfortunately, just then her gaze caught on the clump of telephone numbers that had been pressed into his hands, and her eyes narrowed in disgust

And yet, even with her lips pressed together in clear disapproval as she walked away, she was beautiful

Smith turned back to his fans and thanked the back to the trailer that was doubling as his office during fil therabbed his script and laptop and walked back out He was just sitting down in theissue that needed to be worked out before filin

It was just the beginning of ould be an incredibly busy day, on a set that was all his this time And as Smith dealt with the first probleh, he kneouldn't want to trade his career for any other Not for the beauty of his brother Marcus's winery in Napa Valley, not for the thrill of Ryan's World Series wins pitching for the Hawks, not for the speed of Zach's race cars

S Gravity

The young woman in the middle of the sideas utterly beautiful, and yet, the way she moved, dressed, wore her hair with pink streaks, her ave her away in an instant as an overwhel city for the first tis, the traffic, the people rushing all around her, the fog that was rolling in from the bay For a moment, herthat looked too much like fear held that smile back from her full lips

A stray dog skittered over her cheap red plastic boots and the longing on the girl's face as she squatted to reach out to thetoward her open hand, the dirty little dog turned and ran as fast as it could in the other direction

Big green eyes suddenly filled with the slightest sheen of tears, then were blinked away just as quickly It was impossible not to wish for her to find happiness, and love, and everything else she'd come to San Francisco to find

Down the street, a businessman dressed in a dark suit, i on a phone andfast, faster than anyone else on the sidewalk His conversation held his co as he issued directives one after another in a hard voice Everything about him spoke to his powerand to just how closed off his heart was

Fury crossed the man's face a beat before he spoke loudly into his phone, his entire attention turned to his conversation so that he didn't take notice of anyone on the street around hiait as he kicked the girl as still squatting, staring after the dog who hadn't dared to trust her

Thousand-dollar Italian shoes jabbed hard into her stomach, and as she cried out in pain, that hen he finally stopped cursing into his phone, looked down at the dirty sidewalk, and noticed her