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herself. He couldn’t help but fear that she was sad and, well, lonely.
    Sometimes that made him question his own decision to be alone.
    But then he’d remind himself that he was nothing like Lulu. She’d given up love for a career and it hadn’t worked out. Micah’s sacrifice had worked out. He had the life most people only dreamed of. He had the life he’d dreamed of. He didn’t want for anything.
    Well, almost anything.
    He snuck a peek behind him at Maddie. He’d moved nearer to her to look out the window, but didn’t have the luck of brushing against her again. Now he saw why. She was leaning against her window, her beautiful body pressed against the door, away from him. Thick irritation emanated from her like a barrier between them. So thick it bordered on loathing.
    Good. Hate him. It would make it easier to avoid her if she was also avoiding him.
    He sat back in his seat and closed his eyes again. It was simpler now to fight any urge to make amends with Maddie. Now that he saw how turned off by him she was, he had no desire to ease the tension between them.
    He closed his eyes again and succeeded in putting her out of his mind until they pulled up in front of his hotel. As Sam retrieved his luggage from the trunk, Micah stole one more glance at the brunette beauty beside him before he stepped out of the car. Only then did he realize that Maddie’s expression didn’t read as angry—it read as hurt.
    Aw, shit. That wasn’t what he was going for at all.
    He should have left it at that, painful as it was to see her distressed. But he couldn’t stand it. He swallowed. “Hey, Maddie Bauers.” She looked up at him, her eyes big with curiosity. “I got to know Adam when we were filming in L.A. He’s the best cameraman I’ve ever worked with. You must be pretty stellar to get his recommendation. Welcome aboard.”
    “Thanks,” she said softly.
    That wasn’t so bad. He remained professional yet seemed to lift her spirits. Problem was the smile she gave him had his cock jumping again. He shifted, hoping she didn’t notice as he stepped from the car.
    Fudge joined Micah at the bellhop station. He chuckled as Micah watched the SUV pull away down the mountain.
    “What?” Micah asked.
    “Nothing.” But the amusement remained on his face.
    Damn. Fudge knew Micah too well. He was much more than an employee. The two had met in middle school when Fudge stood up for Micah after a bully had teased him about a commercial he’d appeared in. They’d been good friends ever since. Half the reason Micah employed him was for the company. The life of a famous Hollywood bachelor wasn’t as friend-filled as many people thought.
    Not much later, Micah tipped the bellhop and closed the door behind him in his room. He threw his jacket over a chair and crossed to the large windows. The small town didn’t have the luxury hotels Micah usually stayed in, but the view from his room—a breathtaking landscape of mountains and wildflowers—couldn’t be topped. He took a moment to memorize the scene, wondering if Fudge had a similar view across the hall.
    Maybe he would invite Lulu. She’d go gaga over this place.
    And maybe being with her would make them both feel less lonely.
    With a sigh, he drew the fire curtains. Heavy window coverings were one of his best friends. They shut out zoom lenses and the prying eyes of fans.
    He rummaged through his carry-on for his iPad and stretched out on his king-size bed. Checking his email, he found his schedule for the next day. Seven a.m. call time. That left almost thirteen hours before he would see Maddie again.
    Had he really just calculated that? Yes, yes he had.
    He ran his hand over his stubbly chin, debating how to handle his Maddie thoughts. The night was still young. He could try to find a pretty young fan in the hotel bar, someone willing to suck off a star just so she could brag to her friends.
    Or he could try to find her.
    No, bad idea. Instead, he used the newly discovered