No Foolin' (Willowdale Romance Novel) by Lisa Scott Read Free Book Online Page A

the stairs, interested to hear more.
    The ranting woman continued. “You date the divas, the wild girls, and you should be shooting for A-list. Or B-list, but only if she’s up-and-coming or totally wild. What did you do with that chart I gave you?” The woman’s voice felt like shards of glass in Kate’s ears. “ Like people date like people, you know? But T-Rex jetting off to pick up his little hick-town girlfriend? Please! You’ve just unraveled a year’s worth of my work.”
    Kate held on to the cold metal railing and tried to think of ways to disappear.
    “It got me in the papers,” Teague said below. “And you said that’s what’s important.”
    “Sure it did, but this isn’t the kind of press you want. Feature film stars don’t date nobodies.” Her voice hit a high note. “If you want to land your first leading action-film role, you’ve just sent yourself five steps back.”
    Kate’s heart tumbled out of place. She’d been thinking how this would affect her, never realizing she could be bad news for him.
    Teague was quiet for a moment. “June, it’s complicated. And she’s nice. I think she’s just as pretty as any of the women I’ve seen here in Hollywood.”
    Pretty? He thinks I’m as pretty as anyone in Hollywood? Kate wrapped her arms around her knees. Then he’s an actor and a farmer, because he’s a hauling a load of you know what.
    “Then you better get her cleaned up. Because the pictures in the paper today ain’t pretty.”
    “She looks great.”
    “She looks small-town.”
    “She is. She looks real.”
    Ugh, real what? Kate thought about going back in the room and scouting for a second-story leap.
    “Think about ending this, Teague.”
    “You handle my public relations, not my private ones.”
    “Your private relations are public. I told you, you can’t keep a secret in Hollywood. Internet dating? What were you thinking?”
    Kate’s heart pounded like she’d just sprinted down the hall after one of her students who bolted from the oh-so-pleasant You and Your Body presentation. She stood on the stairs, trying to calm her heart, and watched a tiny woman with dark, cropped hair march out the front door.
    Teague closed the door and pressed his back against it.
    Kate turned to go back upstairs, but the stair creaked and Teague looked up. “You’re awake.” He rubbed the back of his neck. ‘I’m sorry. How much of that did you hear?”
    Enough to know I’m social suicide for you. “I just heard shouting and came down to see what was going on. Who was that?”
    “My publicist, June Meehan. She wasn’t entirely thrilled I sprung this on her.”
    Kate hugged her arms around her torso. “So, how bad are the articles?”
    He shrugged. “I’ve had worse.”
    She climbed down the stairs and went to the kitchen to see for herself. The tile floor was cold on her bare feet. She slid onto a stool and noticed the stack of papers on Teague’s kitchen table. She picked up the one on top. “Kissing Kate: T-Rex’s Online Love,” she read out loud. Not bad . “T-Rex Goes Country.” True enough, she was country . “Is Mighty T-Rex a Gentle Giant?” No, ma’am, he is not. “ Me T-Rex, You Plain Jane,” she said, incredulously. Well, now that’s just not fair. She slapped the paper down on the table. “God, I do look like a country hick.”
    “Kate .  . .” Teague didn’t argue.
    She studied the two of them kissing, and it certainly was a juxtaposition. Teague in his designer clothes, tanned and toned, kissing Kate in her frayed and faded jean shorts and flowered tank top. Her hair flew in a hundred directions. Tonya was going to get an earful about that new volumizer when she made it back to the salon.
    But Kate couldn’t take her gaze off the picture of his lips locked on hers. A sharp pain of longing shot through her, remembering the spark she’d felt in that fake kiss, which she quickly shooed away. He must be a good actor to put that kind of emotion into a