Chapter 1

A Hollywood producer pays stunt performer Mara Keene half a million dollars to move in with her movie-star son.

She'll get another half million if she can keep Theo Mercer away from the actress who's been taking advantage of him.

Theo opens the door, learns what his mother has done, and tells Mara to get out.

Mara is ready to return the money—until his mother offers the second payment.

She turns back with her suitcase.

Theo can hate the arrangement all he wants; Mara isn't leaving.

But sharing a house with a man who refuses to be managed may prove harder than taking the job.

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Theo Mercer opened the door, looked at Mara Keene's suitcase, and said, "No."

Mara had barely lifted her hand to knock. "Good afternoon to you, too."

"Whatever you're selling, I don't want it."

"Your mother sent me."

That got his attention. He was the same Theo she'd seen on billboards all over Los Angeles, only here he was barefoot and wearing a faded T-shirt. He looked at her again, this time from her face to the suitcase.

"She sent you to stay?"

"For three months."

"Doing what?"

Mara had been wondering how Vivian Mercer expected her to deliver that part. The money was already in Mara's account, and her suitcase was on his doorstep. There wasn't much point in dressing it up.

"I'm supposed to be your girlfriend."

Theo stared at her. "You're joking."

"I wish I were."

"My mother hired me a girlfriend?"

"She hired me. You weren't part of the conversation."

His expression closed. "Then here's my part. Get out."

He started to shut the door. Mara put a hand against it, not to force her way in but to keep him there long enough to hear her.

"I'm not asking you to like this," she said. "I'm telling you why I'm here."

"And I'm telling you to leave my house." He stepped back and held the door open, pointing her toward the driveway as if she might have forgotten which way she'd come.

Mara let go. She'd worked on sets where the actor whose face appeared on screen never learned her name. She could deal with a rude star. Living in his house when he'd made it clear she wasn't welcome was something else.

She pulled her suitcase off the doorstep. Its telescoping handle jammed halfway down. Mara tried the button once, gave up, and wheeled the case by its top grip to the end of the path.

Then she took out her phone and messaged Vivian.

Theo won't let me stay. I'll return the $500,000.

The reply appeared almost at once.

Stay three months. Keep him from dropping everything whenever Delia Wen calls. I'll pay you another $500,000 when the job is done.

Mara read it twice. Vivian had already explained that Delia, an actress Theo had helped repeatedly, could get him to show up whenever she wanted his name attached to something. Mara hadn't agreed to the job because she expected Theo to be easy. She'd agreed to live with him for three months at the price Vivian offered. Now Vivian had doubled it.

The front door was still open. Theo stood inside, arms folded, watching to make sure she was going.

Mara turned the suitcase around.

"What are you doing?" he called.

"Coming back."

"I said no."

"I heard you."

She stopped at the doorstep. The stuck handle was in her way again, crooked above the case. Mara caught the aluminum tube in one hand and pressed until it folded over. She held up the bent handle, then lowered the suitcase beside her.

Theo's eyes went to the metal. "Was that necessary?"

"It was broken." Mara met his gaze. "I can carry it now."

"You'll need to carry it somewhere else."

"Your mother wants me here. She paid me to stay here. If you have a problem with that, talk to her."

"I intend to."

His phone rang before Mara could answer. He glanced at the screen and showed it to her: MOM. He accepted the call and put the phone to his ear.

"Tell me you didn't hire a stranger to move into my house."

Mara couldn't hear Vivian's words, but she could see Theo's jaw tighten. He paced two steps into the entryway.

"I don't care what you think Delia wants. You don't get to choose who lives with me." A pause. "Then tell her to take the money back."

He listened again. Mara stayed on the doorstep, her fingers around the top grip of her suitcase. She wasn't going to shove past him while he argued with his mother. That wouldn't help her last a day, let alone three months.

"You're unbelievable," Theo said into the phone. "Fine. She can come in. That doesn't mean I'm playing along."

He ended the call and moved away from the door. Mara picked up the suitcase and carried it inside.

"This doesn't make you my girlfriend," he said.

"Good. We agree on something."

"And stay out of my way."

Mara set her suitcase down, keeping its bent handle turned toward him. "I'll need a bedroom. One with decent light."

Theo looked from her to the ruined handle. He opened his mouth, glanced at the metal again, and swallowed whatever he'd been about to say.