Stormy Vows/Tempest at Sea by Iris Johansen Read Free Book Online

mind had been the idea that it would be the usual movie studio lot like Paramount or Universal. She should have known better.
    Twin Pines was as unique as the man who had created it. Located at the edge of a small Oregon lumber town, it looked more like a country club than a movie studio, with low modernistic buildings in redwood and glass, wide streets, and several tree-shaded park areas furnished with picnic tables and benches.
    “Impressed?” Walters asked, arching his eyebrows quizzically, as she turned back to him from her eager perusal of the passing scene.
    “Who wouldn't be?” she asked dryly. “It's perfectly charming, but not exactly what you'd expect of Michael Donovan.”
    “On the contrary, it's exactly what you'd expect of him,” Walters said briskly. “He's gathered the most gifted and skilled people in the industry here at Twin Pines. People that usually work freelance have been formed into a sort of repertory group. When they're working, he drives them unmercifully. It's just good sense to provide them with the most pleasant surroundings possible to enjoy in their free time.”
    “You admire him very much, don't you?” Brenna asked curiously.
    “You're damn right I do,” he replied unequivocally. “There are a few men in every generation who combine creative genius with irresistible drive. When you find one, if you're smart, you grab hold of his coattails and let him carry you to the top.”
    “I wouldn't have thought you'd be interested in a free ride,” Brenna said thoughtfully.
    Walters snorted derisively. “There's nothing free about it. Donovan extracts the last ounce of effort from the people around him. You give until you have nothing else to give. Then, somehow, you find he has expanded your limits, so that there is a whole new reservoir for him to tap.” His dark eyes were reflective. “He's a complete workaholic, a nit-picking perfectionist, and a totally ruthless exploiter of the talents of his employees,” he continued, almost beneath his breath. “But, by God, it's worth it!”
    “You don't paint a very comforting picture of my new boss,” Brenna said wryly.
    “I didn't mean to,” Walters said bluntly. “If you need a security blanket, you have no business around Donovan. He'll tear you to pieces.”
    “I can believe that,” she said with a shrug, rememberingDonovan's steamroller tactics in her own case. “Well, I can always leave if I find him too impossible,” she said lightly.
    He shot her an appraising glance. “I wouldn't count on that,” he said coolly. “I have an idea that Donovan has plans for you. And Donovan always gets what he wants.”
    “Plans?” Brenna asked blankly. She shook her head. “I have a small supporting role in one of his pictures. I'm not important in his scheme of things. What plans could he possibly have for me?”
    “Who knows?” Monty said, with a shrug. “Maybe he sees you as the next Sarah Bernhardt.” He grinned boyishly. “Whatever it is, you're being given very special treatment, Brenna Sloan. I'll have you know, I'm a very important cog in Donovan's organization,” he said with mock conceit. “It's not an ordinary occurrence for me to be ordered to act as chauffeur to an unknown actress. I must admit that my ego was very badly dented when he gave me my instructions.”
    She smiled in amusement. “I hate to disillusion you, but I'm afraid your original supposition was correct.”
    He slanted her an oblique smile. “We'll see,” he said composedly.
    He pulled into a circular driveway that led to a long two-story building, which, like the other buildings in the complex, was constructed of redwood, stone, and glass.
    “Employee's quarters,” Monty said briskly, in answer to her inquiring look. “You'll find your accommodations are part of your fringe benefits. You're provided with a small apartment at Donovan's expense. The units also supply maid service at your own expense. There's a cafeteria in each residence hall