The crowd cheered and walked in, a cacophony of excitement.
Four and a half unnaturally long weeks had passed. But the days were getting quicker—sure they were. Being super busy at work helped. She’d progressed from the day and overnight tours, to the longer three to seven nights. This was good, because being responsible for the well-being of up to a dozen people twenty-four hours a day meant she had little time to dwell on what might have happened had she not gunned the car and gone from zero to ninety in less than three seconds.
‘OMG this is amazing!’
‘I can’t believe I’m actually here.’
‘Xaynethe—at last!’
Ellie grinned as she took photos, photos and, oh, yes, more photos for the tourists as they posed outrageously in front of the mother of all rocks that had been used in the penultimate scene of the mock-Greek-myth movie franchise.
Yeah, she too was the kind of girl who’d want to dance in the Sound of Music summerhouse if she ever got to Salzburg. She’d go to Tiffany’s and eat breakfast with her nose pressed to the window pane...so she totally got where her attendees were coming from. And she wanted them to have that experience of their lifetimes, for it to be worth the massive journeys they’d taken. They were die-hard fans, and die-hard fans did not like to be disappointed.
‘Okay, random dialogue time—spot prize to the person who answers this.’ She broke into a speech, one of the less famous quotes that eventually led into one of the film’s greatest scenes.
One guy stepped up immediately, answering her bit-part player’s throwaway comment with the hero’s ‘impassioned plea’. She continued the scene—taking another character’s part, wanting to see how far he’d go and whether he could achieve UFS—Ultimate Fan Status. She set the bar super high so not many did, but she had a good feeling about this guy.
As she’d suspected, her tour ‘hero’ kept the exchange up for the entire scene—and when it ended, the rest of the group clapped and whistled. Laughing, Ellie took his hand and guided him to take a bow. Yeah, it really was the best job ever.
She checked her watch to ensure they weren’t getting behind schedule. The movie re-enactment had gone on longer than she’d expected when he’d made it to UFS. ‘Okay, everyone, you’ve got another fifteen here. I’ll be at the bus finding Kenny’s prize.’
Back outside the rain had eased—slightly. She bent her head, getting ready for the dash across the car park.
‘You can’t tell me you don’t want to be an actress.’ A drawl, right in her ear. ‘Diva.’
She jumped, dropping her clipboard as she clutched her chest—stopping her heart from literally leaping out of it.
‘Ruben,’ she puffed as she turned. ‘You’re here because...?’
He handed her the clipboard he’d already retrieved. ‘I was visiting the cave. Lucky coincidence, huh?’
Ellie wasn’t convinced—not when his eyes twinkled like that.
‘You’re amazing,’ he continued, ignoring her astounded snuffle. ‘You have them eating out of your hand. They’re loving it. Even in the sodding rain they’re loving it.’
He’d been watching them in there? Oh, that wasn’t embarrassing at all.
‘It’s not me.’ She rushed to snuff that burn in his eyes—and douse the roaring inferno that had combusted in her belly at the mere sight of him. ‘It’s because they’re such fans of the film. Doesn’t matter what I do, they’re still going to be blown away by being here.’
He shook his head. ‘No, you do everything for them and more. No small hassle too much trouble. Your patience with the camera posing is phenomenal.’
He’d been watching a while, then? She giggled—and immediately cringed at her girlishness. ‘I’m gritting my teeth over some of it. There are always one or two more difficult clients.’
‘And one or two desperate to get into your pants.’
‘Oh, that’s not true.’ But she blushed.
‘That guy Kenny was all over you.’
‘He was acting the part.’ And she hadn’t let him end that scene with the kiss that had happened in the movie.
‘No, you’re his leading lady now,’ Ruben teased, stepping nearer. ‘He’s over his comic-book-heroine crush and fixed on someone real for the first time in his life.’
‘He’s just being friendly.’
‘He’s just being unsubtle.’
‘And you’re not?’ She raised her brows at the way he’d moved in on her while speaking.
‘Naturally I’m being as unsubtle as possible to let him and the rest of them know that you’re not available.’
She glanced over his shoulder, panicking that some of her charges might come out of the cave and see her standing unprofessionally close to a random stranger. ‘But I’m not available for you either.’ A breathless rush of determined denial.
‘I’m conveniently forgetting that for this moment.’
Hadn’t she known he’d be difficult to handle? Totally the kind to tumble a girl to her back, and have her breathless and delighted before she’d so much as blinked. ‘This isn’t a good time,’ she began.
‘It’s a perfect time. You have fifteen minutes before you have to round them back up on the bus.’ He took her hand and led her across the car park, to the shelter of the trees on the far side. Out of anyone’s view. ‘Fifteen minutes...’
‘Ruben...’ Oh, this was not a good idea, but her heart was skipping and her limbs already sliding towards that warm, supple state. She inhaled deeply and valiantly strove for sanity. She was at work.
‘Have you got any idea how gorgeous you look?’ He sounded as if he wanted to eat her.
She needed to get a grip on both of them. ‘I think you need to get to an optometrist—your vision appears to have gone soft-focus.’
He chuckled. ‘Oh, no, I’m seeing very, very clearly. In fact, I’ve got X-ray vision. I can see the lacy knickers even now.’ He sighed. ‘Lacy knickers under denim jeans.’
She couldn’t help smile back at the sound of his laughter and the sight of his gorgeous—outrageous—face. So enticing. And exciting. Yeah, the rough denim was working its thing on her sensitive bits right about now.
‘They are lacy, right?’ he muttered in her ear as he swept her into his arms.
‘What are you doing?’
‘What do you think?’ He laughed. ‘I’ve wanted another kiss for weeks.’
She shook her head as she gazed up at him. She couldn’t be so reckless again—certainly not now. ‘You can’t kiss me, you’ll kill my lipstick.’
‘It’s
