Turn Back the Dawn by Nell Kincaid Read Free Book Online Page A

parting her own.
    He drew back and his amber eyes searched hers. "When?" he asked.
    She said nothing — she could say nothing, with her voice caught inside, under layers of desire.
    "When?" he repeated, and she was suddenly aware of the hardness of his thighs, and a wild liquid warmth plunged through her body. ^Tonight?" he murmured.
    She smiled dreamily and said, "Yes."
    He reached up and stroked her cheek with the back of his warm hand, and she inhaled his scent, brushing her lips across his skin.
    He smiled.
    "What?" she asked quietly.
    "I'm just thinking about how we're in here enjoying ourselves and we're keeping two dozen nervous young kids out there quaking." He brushed back a strand of her hair. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to concen trate with you at my side." He took a deep breath. "I guess that's what casting directors are for."
    She widened her eyes. "Getting derelict in your duties already, just because of a little personal influence?"
    He smiled. "Don't worry. When I first met you and said that your account would be important to me, Kate, I meant it." He smiled into her eyes. "But if we're ever going to go out there, I think we should go now."
    "Just one more kiss," she murmured, lips close to his.
    He smiled, a look of pleasant surprise in his eyes. And then he tantalizingly brushed his lips across hers and winked. "They'll all be too old for the call by the time we get out there."
    She laughed. "Okay. But, oh, I have to tell you some thing." She explained Alexandra Dayton's presence, leav ing out her opinion about the young woman for the moment. She wanted to see what Ben and the casting director had to say about her first, and she also had some serious concerns about hiring her.
    Kate and Ben went down to the casting room together, met with Andrew Coates, Blake-Canfield's casting director, for a few minutes, and waited while Coates went and brought the auditioners in. Coates was a young, slightly whiny man, good-looking until he began to speak. But' Kate was impressed with the way he discussed the cam -j paign, and from the looks of the auditioners she had seen out in the reception area, he had fairly good taste.
    After Coates left, Kate looked around at the rows of beautifully cushioned seats, the slightly raised area at the far end of the room that apparently served as a stage, at the bare walls and floors that wouldn't afford perhaps- needed distractions to the anxious performers. There was video equipment everywhere, with a glassed-in control room at the back of the room and several cameras and microphones on and near the stage. She and Ben sat in the middle row of seats, and she imagined how threatening they probably would look from onstage: the client and the account executive, there to criticize, perhaps encourage in minor ways, but probably not to hire.
    A few minutes later the door opened, and a stream of young men and women poured in, followed by Coates and a young woman with a clipboard. As Kate settled back to listen to Coates give his spiel, she was once again impressed. Ben had obviously conveyed the sense of the campaign quite well; and many of the concepts in it wen- less than obvious. Coates went on with some specific points about the script, a few hints about relaxing, and then called the first names.
    Kate's stomach jumped as if the names were her own And then, what seemed like only seconds later, Andrew Coates was thanking the first two auditioners as they
    stepped off the stage, and Kate realized she had missed their performance. And she wondered why she was so nervous. She was utterly distracted, completely in a daze. And then she remembered: just before the audition, she had agreed to see Ben tonight. In a dreamy, sensuous, lazy haze, she had said yes to more than just seeing him. She had said yes to much, much more.
    As she felt Ben's presence next to her, knew every inch of him without even looking, a surge of pleasure erupted inside her, a thrill of anticipation that nearly