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--cut.” The drag queen turned quickly and spoke to cameraman about the exclusive and took out his cell phone and started pushing buttons furiously as he broadcast the news via social media .
    Jessie was speech less. The instant Ruby Star’s back was turned; Lex propelled her away from the ravenous cameras and into the shadows of a portico.
    “Why did you . . . how could you--” Her protest was cut short as his lips captured hers in a hungry embrace. Startled, she surrendered to the warmth of his caress. Liquid fire enveloped her with the devastation of a lightning bolt.  A hunger grew deep inside as Lex lingered, brushing frenzied kisses over her mouth like a lover who had just been reunited with his lady after a long, tortuous separation. 
    “Jess,”  Steve loomed behind them. “They’re asking for you.”
    Breathless, Jessie edged away fr om Lex, unable to speak about what just happened between them as she brushed the moisture from her swollen, tingling lips.
    Steve took her arm, leading Jessie to the platform where Kyra, Jack, and Darrell had assembled for group publicity shots arranged by their manager and StarSign Records. “Are you all right?” He stopped at the foot of the platform. “You look upset.”
    “Y eah. ” Jessie breathed, looking past him to the corner of the room where Lex leaned against a white marble colonnad e, his arms crossed. He was a dark silhouette against the pale marble . He was watching her . S he could feel the blaze of desire i n those sultry blue eyes.
    She didn’t know if she should be happy . . . or afraid.  
    Jessie clung to Steve’s arm after the cameras were sated from their frenzied feeding of star flesh. She tugged at him, urging him behind the platform where they would be undetected.
    “What’s up?”  His intuitive sienna eyes scanned her face with worry. She wanted to hug this man for his instinctive protectiveness of her. Without hesitation, she flew into his arms. “Hey . . . Jess . . . Jess, that dude didn’t do anything I need to go over and bust his nose for, did he? Darrell’s right over there, let me get him--”
    “No, Steve. Please, just hold me, talk to me. G od, I can't believe he did that . ”
    “What?” Steve drew her from his slender frame, his eyes traveling up and down her body w ith worry. “I’ll kill him, Jess. This time, I swear I will . Kevin was lucky. I was stoned that night , but this time--” 
    “No. Steve, listen to me. It’s not like that. He told that obnoxious Ruby Star I was the girl he was going to marry . On camera . And now Star is tweeting it to his followers . . . Oh, God, this is crazy . . . what do I do? Steve, tell me what to do. ”
    “ What? ”
    “ It’ll be all over L . A . tomorrow . ” Jessie went over the scene again, quoting his exact words for Steve , and then related the effects of his scorching kiss afterward.
    Steve grew somber. His arm was about her waist as he scanned the crowd for a sign of the peculiar Rock legend.
    Jack stumbled toward them. “Hey guys, why you hiding in there? A love tryst, Steve! Hey dude, I didn’ t know you had it in you . ”  His speech was slow, lazy, and languid. Jessie knew he’d found the magic white powder again.
    “Keep your voice down. ” She command ed. “We’re just talking.”
    “Lex is looking for you. I don’t know, man, he’s getting most of the media attention. I thought it was supposed to be our party.”
    “No, it’s Kyra and Mike’s party, Jack. We’re here for her, remember? ” Jessie wanted to shake him senseless and scream at him. Why did he always do this to her? Jack was infatuated with the glitz of Hollywood, the heady sound of camera shutters snapping as their light flashed across his face. A nd worst of all---Jack was becoming a slave to the magic powder flowing freely in the City of Angels.
    “W hy don’t you go find Lex for us? ” Steve told him patiently, as if spea king to a dull child. “Find Lex and bring him here,