Charles immediately began to make introductions as Seth approached the table. In the seconds that followed, everything became strangely surreal for Gia, both hazy and hyperfocused at once. She stared at Seth’s tall, rangy form as he shook hands with Madeline Harrington and greeted Charles familiarly. Charles introduced him to Alex Demonico. Seth hadn’t noticed Gia yet, or was his averted gaze intentional? Not understanding what the hell was happening only added to her disorientation. Joshua Cabot stood and grinned broadly as he shook hands with Seth.
“No need to introduce us,” Joshua assured Charles, shaking Seth’s hand heartily. “Dan and I are very familiar with Seth. It’s been too long, hasn’t it?” Joshua asked Seth enthusiastically.
“Since our days on Maritime,” Seth agreed, referring to the blockbuster multiple–Oscar-Award-winning film. His quiet, gruff baritone set Gia’s nerves to prickling. She’d forgotten his voice. Or she hadn’t, really. How could she? The intervening years had made her think she’d imagined the tangible impact of it on her body though. She rubbed her forearms anxiously, willing away the goose bumps that had arisen.
“Seth,” Dan Arden greeted, extending a hand.
“The best special effects–makeup artist in the business,” Joshua told Madeline, as if he were bragging about one of his daughters. “He won the Academy Award for his work on Maritime.”
“One of many Maritime won,” Seth said dryly under his breath, and it all came rushing back to Gia: his compelling, handsome face, the way he waved aside praise, the easy, graceful movement of his big male body, his vibrant, powerful presence, the way his golden brown eyes pierced straight through her . . .
“Have you had the opportunity to work with Gia yet?” Joshua asked when Seth turned and pinned her with his stare. Gia’s lungs locked. His face was a mask. Oh my God. He didn’t even recognize her. They’d spent a night of wild, abandoned, intense passion together two years ago, and he stared at her like she was a stranger.
Why should she be surprised? She had given him her number.
A number he’d never once put to use.
“I’ve never had the pleasure, no,” Seth said. He extended his hand. Gia’s stunned brain screamed at her to move.
“Hello,” she managed, lifting her arm. His large hand enclosed hers and something flickered in his eyes: there and gone.
He hadn’t forgotten. Her sudden certainty of that only made this bizarre situation worse.
“Do you mind?” Seth asked, pointing at the empty chair next to her.
“No, of course not,” she lied. He rolled back the chair and started to sit. She saw her purse at the last second and reached for it. As she snatched the purse away, the back of her hand brushed against his jean-covered ass cheek and the top of a rock-hard thigh. Embarrassment flooded her.
“Sorry,” she mumbled as he finished sitting, her gaze flickering anxiously to his face. His expression didn’t give much away—just as she recalled—but beneath the impassive surface, she sensed his amusement.
Annoyed at his smugness while she was reeling in shock, she shoved the cursed purse into her lap and slouched in her chair. Charles launched into his reason for inviting Seth Hightower—of all people—into these proceedings. As curious as she was, she was having trouble attending to his explanation. Her brain was zipping with wild thoughts and out-of-control speculations. She stared at Charles, but her consciousness was attuned to Seth’s nearby presence, like iron to a powerful magnet. Still, she was so curious about how the hell Charles Trew knew Seth and why he was being called in to consult on her case, she barely managed to get the gist of things.
“That’s your plan?” Gia asked disbelievingly after a minute. “Disguise me as another person and whisk me off into the mountains for three weeks?”
“You’ve insisted that you can’t abide being confined, Gia. After what happened yesterday, there’s no doubt we have to get you out of L.A. You have a very recognizable face, so no matter where we send you, we need Seth. We have the added advantage that because of his background in military intelligence, Seth is very familiar with security and safety issues. He’s helped us out in sticky situations in the past.”
Gia stared at Seth. You never told me you were in military intelligence, she accused him in the privacy of her mind. His poker face and ability to look straight through a person suddenly made more sense.
“And you agreed to this?” she asked Seth, her voice flat with shock.
“Not yet.”
Gia blinked at his rapid, quiet reply.
“I said I?
?d come for this meeting. That’s all I agreed to with Charles,” he finished, glancing away from her. He looked grim.
Madeline addressed Joshua, who looked a little bemused by Seth’s appearance and how the meeting was proceeding.
“Seth has worked for us before,” Madeline told Joshua with a sly grin. “He’s worked with some of Alex’s associates at the FBI too. I’ll bet you didn’t realize the intersection between our worlds until tonight.”
“It makes sense, now that I think of it,” Joshua said slowly, studying Seth. “Seth has told me a little about his background in Army intelligence. And I’ve seen him transform the most familiar faces in the world into a person I’d never recognize in a million years. If anyone can make Gia drop off the map, it’s him.”
“Excuse me,” Gia said sharply, anxiety simmering in her stomach that was about to escalate to a boil. “We’re talking about my life here. You’re all planning it as if I’m not even relevant. I haven’t agreed to any of this, and yet you’ve already altered film production—something I completely disagree about doing—and are making plans for me to go into hiding when I specifically told you I wouldn’t do it,” she said directly to Madeline. Madeline opened her lips to reply but someone else spoke first.
“Your movie will still get made eventually. Maybe you should get your priorities straight. Not even one of Joshua’s movies is worth sacrificing your safety. Neither is all the free publicity,” Seth said.
Gia turned to him, gaping in astonishment. The trace of dark sarcasm in his quiet voice had struck her like a lash.