Eat Your Heart Out Read online

  Suzie shook her head thoughtfully. “Gracie’s right. You gave up on men too easily. You could make this work for you.”

  “How?”

  “Look, he’s of at least average intelligence, right? And he’s got a job. That’s a big plus, Dimi. Think about it. It means he can afford not to live with his mother.”

  “I made a no-dating rule,” Dimi said firmly. “I’m sticking to it.”

  “Did I mention he’s heart-stopping to look at?”

  He was that. “But I promised myself,” she said weakly. “I really promised.”

  “He’s going to teach you things,” Gracie said wistfully. “Things that make my knees weak to even think about. Do you suppose he likes sex as much as he likes torturing people at work?”

  “See, now that’s a valid question,” Suzie decided. “You can find out for us. And you can ask him if he’s going to give us all a raise if you learn how to swing your hips.”

  “And maybe ask him if he’s got any equally magnificent friends from Hollywood for me,” Leo added hopefully.

  “Oh, sure,” Dimi said. “And why don’t I just ask him if he knows that his entire crew is insane?”

  “Okay.” That low, husky, all too familiar voice was right behind her. “Ask away.”

  Dammit. Dammit! Slowly, already mentally slapping her forehead, she turned.

  Mitch stood there, all big and tough and cool, leaning against a van. “Is this where you usually meet to discuss the new boss?”

  “You’re our first newbie in a while,” Leo said, scrambling out of the truck with the others. “Um…gotta run.” He flashed Dimi a look of apology, but still hurried away like a terrified mouse with the rest of the crew.

  One by one, they deserted her. Again.

  Mitch looked at her, his eyes dark and full of secrets. “The answers are yes, no and yes.”

  “What?”

  “Yes, if we succeed, your crew will get a raise. No, I don’t have any gay friends who are single for Leo. And yes, I realize my entire crew is insane.” He pushed away from the van and came toward her, until they stood only an inch apart. A light wind rustled her hair, and a blond strand escaped to slide over his face, clinging to the slight stubble there.

  With one callused finger, he stroked her cheek and tucked the strand behind her ear. “And yes, absolutely yes,” he said softly. “I enjoy sex as much as I enjoy torturing people at work.”

  She felt her saliva glands kick in.

  “That look on your face,” he said, still speaking in a low voice that made her tummy flutter. “That’s the look I want you to wear on the show, starting tomorrow. You look a little ruffled, a little rosy. A little…needy. Even hopeful. Like you really need your lover to satisfy you.”

  Good Lord.

  She’d publicly given up men. So what was she supposed to do with the wildly sexy man standing in front of her, looking at her as if she were good enough to eat? “I can’t do this.”

  “Yes, you can.”

  Having already humiliated herself, both in front of Mitch and also on live television, Dimi was not going to grovel. She straightened her weak knees and backed up a step. “Fine.” She wanted her job. She wanted the job more than anything. It was her life. “I’ll help you save the show.”

  “Good. But, if you don’t mind my asking, how?”

  “I’ll…smile.”

  “Beautiful as that smile probably is—I wouldn’t know, you understand, as you’ve not yet shown it to me—it’s not quite enough.”

  She wanted to slug him. “I’ll do the rest, too.”

  “What rest?”

  He was going to make her say it, the jerk. “I’ll get…sexy.” Dammit. “But let’s get one thing straight. Only on the air.”

  He just smiled.

  “The rest of the time I’m going to be me.”

  His smile widened. “I’d expect no less from you.”

  Not only was she going to stick to her word, but she was going to ignore this infuriating man whenever and however possible. Starting now. “I have no earthly idea what’s so funny.”

  “I know. Just keep looking at me like that during the show, and we’ll do great.”

  “Keep looking at you like what?”

  “Like you need me to take you right here and now.”

  CHAPTER 3

  THE NEXT MORNING, Dimi was in her dressing room, pretending not to be nervous, reading over her notes for the show, when Cami walked in. Her twin sister took one look at Dimi’s teal blouse—buttoned to her chin—and shook her head.

  “You told me you had to be sexy,” she said, reaching out and unbuttoning the top button. “There. That’s slightly better. Stand up.”

  “I’ve got to study these notes. We’re going over barbecue techniques today and—”

  “Stand up.”

  Dimi sighed and stood because there would be no getting rid of Cami until she had her say, whatever that might be.

  Cami looked her over. “Lose the flats. You need heels.”

  “Heels are uncomfortable.”

  “Heels will help you swing your ass.” Cami grinned and started rifling through the closet. “Still can’t believe you’re going through with this.”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve developed a fondness for little things like eating.”

  “Here.” From the floor of the closet came a pair of spiked heels. “These will do nicely. Just don’t break your ankle. Now where’s this new guy?”

  Dimi recognized that matchmaking light in her sister’s eye. “No. No way am I letting you meet him.”

  “Makeup,” yelled Suzie from the other side of the closed dressing room door, and she entered the room with the makeup woman in tow. “Go for the slutty look today,” she told Lucy. “Red lipstick and dark eyeliner. Ooh, nice shoe choice,” she told Dimi.

  “See? Told ya.” Cami gloated.

  Dimi sighed. Then slapped at Suzie’s hand when she reached out and undid the second button on her blouse. But she sat obediently for makeup, her heart starting a slow, heavy drumming.

  Nerves, she realized in surprise. She was nervous.

  Because of Mitch.

  Pressing a hand to her chest, she concentrated on breathing. And Lucy’s tsk. “What now?”

  Lucy undid button number three.

  “Better,” Suzie declared, pulling Dimi out of her chair. “Now what was that I was supposed to tell you?” She pondered this, then grinned widely. “Oh, yeah. Go swing some ass, girl.”

  * * *

  Dimi debated the button issue as she walked from her dressing room, down three different hallways, all the way to the kitchen set.

  One undone button seemed okay. Two buttons…well, she supposed it could be construed as sexy.

  But three, coupled with the come-do-me heels and the red lipstick… Yikes.

  A low, appreciative whistle sounded as she entered the soundstage. And then another. And then another, as one by one, the crew noticed her new look and stood to salute her as she passed.

  “Stop it,” she grumbled, walking by all of them to stand beneath the bright lights on the set. Lucy followed her with the ever-ready powder puff. So did Suzie, with the clipboard that was more a part of her than her own limbs. The two of them were preening and accepting applause for Dimi’s current look, as if it had been all their doing.

  Which of course it had.

  Dimi tried to concentrate on her notes instead of the attention she was getting. So when another hand reached out for her buttons, she slapped it away without looking up.

  A big, warm, very masculine hand grabbed hers, and her gaze jerked to the dark, amused one of Mitchell Knight.

  “You should know I’ve really had it with people putting their hands all over my cleavage,” she warned him, jaw tight. “So if you don’t mind—”

  “I just—”

  “Look, I’m wearing the lipstick, see?” She rubbed her lips together and ignored the heat that flared in his gaze. Kicking out a leg, she tapped his booted foo