'Race you there.'

She glared at his perfect muscled a.s.s as he jumped out of bed and ran into the bathroom.

'Some people are so compet.i.tive.'

His voice carried back to her over the roar of the shower. 'Some people are just bad losers.'

She had to laugh as she followed him into the steam-filled bathroom. Despite her worries, it was hard to be miserable around Dakota. He just made her react to him all the time. Her smile died as she opened the shower door. She'd only known him for a few days. How on earth was she going to move on without him? It frightened her to even think about him like that, as if they could have a future together, as if she might be in love with him . . .

She'd never been in love before, had no idea how to handle it. What did she know about love? Only that it hurt.

'Are you OK, honey?'

Dakota touched her shoulder and she managed to smile.

'I'm fine.'

But she wasn't and now she wondered if she ever would be again.

Chapter Seventeen.

Dakota grimaced at the guitar in his hands. He was supposed to be strumming it while a couple of his 'friends' danced around the fire, all wearing Jay's boots of course. He couldn't play the frickin' guitar, so how was he supposed to look relaxed and natural?

He glanced around the set, located Robyn talking to Joe the director in the corner and beckoned to them. They both turned and came over. Robyn pretended to bow.

'You called, master?'

'I can't do this, I feel like a complete a.s.shole.'

'You've said that about every take so far, Dakota,' Robyn said firmly. 'You can do it if you try.' She eased the guitar out of his grasp. 'I'll teach you a few chords if you like.'

He grinned at her. 'Of course, you sing like a bird, don't you? You were always singing on your show.'

'What show?' Joe turned to stare at Robyn, his gaze suddenly sharp. 'What were you in?'

Robyn's smile was tight. 'Nothing you've heard of, just small-town stuff. Dakota's trying to be funny and failing as usual.'

'Yeah, that's it and I'm just so not funny.' Behind Joe's back, Dakota grimaced an apology to Robyn but she wouldn't even look at him. How the h.e.l.l was he going to get out of this one? He cleared his throat. 'Teach me a couple of easy chords then, so I won't look so dumb.'

Joe walked away and Robyn muttered something under her breath.

Dakota cleared his throat. 'Sorry, honey, I forgot.'

'Yeah, I noticed.' She handed him back the guitar and stood behind him, her fingers over his. 'Put this hand on the frets and the other over the strings. I'll show you two chord changes so you can at least look like you're playing.'

He waited while she positioned his fingers and tried to memorize the order. Then she moved his hand again and resettled his fingers into a new configuration. After repeating the pattern several times, he realized he'd got it. The noise that came out when he strummed the guitar wasn't great but he didn't care. At least he looked like he knew something.

'Thanks, that really helped.'

'You're welcome.' Her smile was polite but not too friendly.

'Are you still mad at me?'

'When am I ever not?'

He fought a smile. 'True, but I don't think you need to worry. Joe doesn't know who you are. He's way too small a fish to swim in the circles you used to frequent, isn't he?'

She shrugged. 'Hollywood is an incestuous place, Dakota. People are either on their way up or on their way down. And trust me, they are far more dangerous on the ride down.'

'I hear you.' Dakota glanced around the set. 'I'm glad I don't have to do this as a job. It sucks big time.'

'I'm glad I don't have to do it either.' She laughed. 'I can't believe I'm saying that, but coming back to this artificial madness has made me realize I don't want it anymore.'

Surprised, Dakota met Robyn's gaze. 'I would've thought you'd want it all back. It must be hard to live without all that adulation and money.'

'At first I thought it would kill me, but I realized there are far better ways to live your life.' Her smile was crooked. 'I yearn for the day when no one on this planet connects me in any way with my TV career.'

Hope rose in his gut as he studied her face. Maybe he didn't need to watch her walk away from him after all. 'What are you going to do instead?'

She looked down at her feet, scuffed the toe of her sandal into the ground. 'I thought I might go back to college.' She raised her head to glare at him. 'Don't you dare say anything.'

Dakota pressed his lips together as firmly as he could and shook his head. He was so proud of her he wanted to pick her up and swing her around until they both got too dizzy to stand.

'There's just one problem . . .'

He raised his eyebrows at her. 'Can I speak now?'

'OK.'

'What's the problem?'

She sighed. 'Money of course.' Joe approached from the side and Robyn briefly closed her eyes. 'Do you think you could do without me for a few hours? I feel real bad.'

He caught her chin in his hand and looked intently into her pale worn face. 'You're not going to do anything stupid, are you?'

'Really stupid? No.'

'OK, I'll see you back at the hotel then.' He forced himself to step away from her. To his surprise she kissed his cheek and gave him a quick hug.

'Thanks, Dakota. Thanks for everything.'

She waved at him and disappeared into the crowd milling around the set. He stared after her, a bad feeling in his gut. That had sounded like goodbye. Would he ever see her again?

'Robyn . . .' He started after her, but Joe's voice interrupted his thoughts.

'OK, guys, let's get this scene done right.'

Reluctantly Dakota returned to his mark. He had to trust that she'd come back to him. He wasn't going to become a possessive overbearing lover like his real father had been. That was, until he tired of a woman, and then dropped her as quickly as a hot potato.

Dammit, Robyn was turning him into a man he didn't know, a man who'd risk anything to keep the woman he loved. What had happened to his calm easygoing nature? Why couldn't he simply smile and walk away? Because she'd gotten under his skin made him crave her like water in a desert.

'Dakota? Are you ready?'

He turned to Joe and nodded. The quicker he got this d.a.m.ned scene done, the more time to give his brothers a heads-up about Robyn and decide what they were going to do about Damien.

Robyn ignored her headache and headed for the bank. It didn't take her long to deposit her doc.u.ments for safe keeping and change the pa.s.swords on her cards, just in case Damien had somehow used them. She also drew out a large chunk of cash for Dakota. She knew he'd probably refuse a check, but if she stuffed the cash into his bags, he'd find it later and she'd be too far away for him to do anything about it.

She stepped into the balmy fresh air and stared up at the perfect blue sky. Why did it hurt so much to think of leaving him? She'd never felt like that about a man before. It would be so easy to stay and ask him to sort out her life. He certainly had the power and the connections to make stuffhappen for her.

The sidewalk was busy so she walked close to the shop windows and tried to avoid seeing her reflection. It had taken her years to realize that the only person who could save her was herself. She had to find a solution to her money issues, take care of Leda and get back to school. A cab appeared around the corner and she flagged it down. Time to face up to reality and visit the only person in her life who ever seemed to listen to her.

Dakota wiped his face on the towel someone handed him and half listened to Joe who was congratulating him on his performance. Jeez, it was only a commercial. He couldn't understand all the excitement. Jay and Lauren seemed to be enjoying it a lot more than he was, but then they didn't have to stand in front of the camera. He looked around for Robyn, knowing she probably wouldn't have returned, but hoping all the same.

Stephanie waved at him, her face alight with excitement. 'Mr Scott! Mr Scott!'

He shrugged into his shirt and reluctantly walked over to her. 'Hey, Stephanie, what's up?'

She grabbed his hand. 'The commercial is just awesome. Everyone thinks you could be a big star if you wanted to!'

Dakota withdrew his hand from her grasp and tried to smile. 'Thanks, but I've already got too much going on in my life to chase that particular dream.'

'Are you sure about that?'

Dakota paused to stare at the guy standing next to Stephanie who'd just spoken. His head was bald, his eyes shaded by black gla.s.ses and his suit shouted lawyer.

'Yeah, I'm sure.'

The guy stuck out his hand and Stephanie giggled.

'Oops I should introduce you! Mr Scott, this is Mr Pardini. He's one of the best agents in Hollywood.'

Dakota shook the guy's hand, just to be polite. Lawyers and agents were pretty much on the same level in his book. 'Nice to meet you.'

'I could make you a star, you know.'

Dakota smiled. 'Isn't that what they all say?'

'Nope, I really can. I've already talked to your brothers and I've invited them to a little party I'm holding at your hotel on Sat.u.r.day night. Perhaps we can talk then.'

'I'm really not that interested . . .' Dakota started to turn away but the guy blocked his exit.

'Just come for five minutes and have a drink. You can bring your girlfriend and your friends.'

'Where is Robyn anyway?' Stephanie pouted. 'I really wanted her to meet Mr Pardini.'

'She's off doing some errands this morning. I'm not sure she'll be back today.'

Mr Pardini shrugged. 'No problem. I'll get to meet her at the party. Have a great day, Mr Scott, and see you on Sat.u.r.day.'

'Not if I can help it,' Dakota muttered as he turned away and walked back to the relative privacy of his dressing room. Something about Stephanie and Pardini's eagerness to flatter him into thinking they were his best buddies riled him. He'd noticed it a lot in LA, a falseness and lack of sincerity, a sense of people wanting something from you that didn't sit well with him. He supposed that in a town where everyone wanted to be a star, reality was in short supply. G.o.d knows how Robyn had survived for so many years.

'You OK, Dakota?'

Jay's blond head appeared around the door followed by Grayson's.

'Yeah, come in. I'm just taking a breather.'

His brothers came in and pulled up a couple of chairs. Jay sat directly in front of him, his expression intent. Dakota shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

'What?'

Jay grinned. 'The commercial looks fantastic.'

'I'm pleased for you.'

Jay punched him on the knee. 'You look fantastic.'

'Thanks, so do you.'

'Is that all you've got to say?'

'What do you want tears and a hug?'

Jay laughed. 'What I meant was that you look f.u.c.king amazing on the big screen. I've heard all this buzz about you being the next great cowboy hero. Joe says he's been offered about a dozen scripts for you to read already.'

Dakota sat up straight. 'Jay, I'm glad the commercial looks good but I don't want to be a movie star.'

'Why not?'

'Because I want to have a real life, not all this artificial c.r.a.p.'

'You don't like it here?'

'What's to like?' Dakota shrugged. 'Most of the people are phony, acting is a lot harder than it looks and I hate standing around without a shirt being told what to do.'

Grayson slapped his hand down on the table. 'See, I told you he wouldn't go for it. You owe me ten bucks.'

'But Robyn lives here, right?'

Dakota frowned. 'So?'