Love For All Time. Kianna Alexander

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СКАЧАТЬ reasonable. We’ve had an influx of folks coming onto the island recently, so you’ll need a healthy budget in order to secure a unit at this point.” He scratched his chin, waiting. He’d been property manager at MHI for over a decade now, and he never used a hard sell. He simply listened to his clients and tried to meet their needs.

      She quoted a number. “Will that be enough?”

      He smiled. “Certainly. I have just the place in mind for you.” With her generous budget, she’d have her pick of some of the choicest units in Cape Glenn or Shoreside Manor, the two most upscale developments on the island. “You’ll have a lot of flexibility with that.”

      “Great. I figured units would be hard to come by, what with the show filming here and all that.”

      His brow hitched. “So, you know about The Shores?”

      She nodded, her expression brightening. “Sure do. I love that show.” She looked wistful for a moment. “My late husband was always on me about watching the soaps, but I never did give them up. I love a messy plot.”

      He chuckled, shaking his head. “From what I heard, messy plot is at the heart of the show.”

      “You don’t watch it?”

      “No. Can’t say I have much free time these days.” Since his little sister, Hadley, had married actor-turned-producer-and-studio-head Devon Franklin, she’d been pulling a lot fewer hours at the office. That meant that the pile of work he often left for her went unfinished, unless he did it himself. Her absence had forced him to take on more of the workload than he was accustomed to.

      “To be honest—” she lowered her voice to a whisper “—that’s why I wanted to meet you at Della’s. It says on the website that the show films here sometimes, and I’m hoping to catch a bit of the action while I’m here.”

      Amused, he nodded. “Who knows? Maybe you’ll luck out.” He’d seen the headlines in the local paper, and the reviews comparing the show to the old nighttime soaps like Knot’s Landing. While his mother had been a fan of those shows, he didn’t really remember much about them. So far, the only compelling reason he saw to watch was Sierra.

      “I hope so.” His client glanced around, then pointed to the wall mural depicting an undersea scene. “I recognize that wall. I’ve seen it on the show.”

      He thought it better to steer the conversation back to her search for property. “So, how long will you be in town?”

      “About another week. I’m staying with my son and his wife over in Wilmington.”

      “Great. Then we’ll need to schedule a time that’s good for you to tour a few units, and...”

      He stopped midsentence as a menagerie of cameras, flashing lights and bodies burst through the door into the deli’s interior. Knowing right away what was up, he shook his head. Looks like Mrs. Fairbanks is getting her wish.

      Mrs. Fairbanks whirled around, then stood. “Goodness. It’s happening.”

      The gaggle of bodies by the door parted long enough for two women to make their way through to the counter. The cameras were trained on them, recording their every step.

      Campbell watched them, too. The tall, youthful one with the red purse was attractive, and looked somewhat familiar. He knew some of the cast, just from interacting with them. The island wasn’t terribly large, so he’d met a number of them. That’s, uh, what was her name? Megan? Martha?

      He shifted his focus to the more petite woman. Sierra Dandridge, the famed actress, didn’t require an introduction. The newest, and possibly the most famous cast member of The Shores, she’d only recently arrived on the island. A formfitting black dress with long sleeves hugged her shapely, compact frame, and she stood confidently on a pair of tall, impossibly narrow black stilettos. She wore her hair in long waves down her back, and it was currently dyed a silvery lavender. The color of her hair, along with her closed-off stance, perfectly fit the “Ice Queen” image the press ascribed to her. Still, Campbell couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen anyone so strikingly beautiful. He’d had a crush on her since he’d seen her in the spy thriller Waltz at Midnight several years ago. It amazed him that she was just as gorgeous in person as she was on screen.

      Mrs. Fairbanks, vibrating with excitement, stared in the direction of the cast and crew. “I’m not going to go over there. I know better than to interrupt the filming. But this is so exciting!”

      Campbell chuckled. He’d managed to avoid the filming for most of the three months it had been going on. But his turn to be a part of the madness had apparently come around.

      Once he got Mrs. Fairbanks to sit back down, he scheduled an appointment with her for later in the week. By then, Sierra and her costar were in a booth on the far side of the room, with the show’s crew clustered around them to capture their conversation. That freed up the front entrance, making a much appreciated path of escape.

      He stood, extending his hand toward Mrs. Fairbanks. “It was lovely talking to you, and I look forward to our meeting.”

      “Thank you, Mr. Monroe.” She barely took her eyes off the hubbub near the booth. “Are you really rushing off? Don’t you want to watch the filming?”

      He shook his head. “Nah. I’m not really into that sort of thing. Besides, I have a ton of work waiting on my desk.”

      “Okay, then. Have a good day. I’m gonna stay, and see if I can get some autographs when they finish!” The giddiness came through in her voice.

      “Best of luck.” With a chuckle, Campbell turned and walked away. With a parting wave to Della and her staff, he swung open the door and stepped out into the humid afternoon air.

      As he climbed into his black-on-black convertible, his mind strayed again to his beautiful celebrity crush, currently sitting less than fifty yards away from him.

      With a wry smile, he dropped the top and started the engine.

       So close, and yet so far.

       Chapter 2

      Tuesday morning, Sierra’s hand grasped the cool steel of the door handle at Monroe Holdings, Incorporated. Before she could pull it open, she noticed a tall, handsome brotha approaching from the other side. She stepped back as he pushed the door open.

      She started to introduce herself. “Good morning, I’m...”

      The man smiled, his teeth as brilliant and white as a polished string of pearls. “I know who you are. Good morning, Miss Dandridge. Welcome to MHI.”

      “Thank you.” She entered the building and he closed the door behind her. They stood only a few feet apart, and with each inhaled breath, she took in a bit of his cologne. It smelled expensive, woodsy and masculine.

      She looked him over. He towered over her by a good four inches. He had dark hair, trimmed close, and dark brown eyes flecked with gold. A thin, neatly trimmed goatee framed his full lips, and a small diamond stud sparkled in his right earlobe. His body, fit and athletic, made the perfect canvas to display his tailored royal blue suit, crisp white СКАЧАТЬ