Saved by the Movie Star Read online

  Saved by the Movie Star

  By Michelle Pennington

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Copyright © 2018 by Michelle Pennington

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  Michelle Pennington

  P.O. Box 54

  Hartford, AR 72764

  www.michelle-pennington.com

  Publisher’s note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locals is completely coincidental.

  If you want more sweet romances, join my newsletter at www.michelle-pennington.com and get the latest on all upcoming releases.

  This book is dedicated to:

  Hemsworth, Pratt, Evans, and Pine

  Chapter One

  Ahhh, the best part of vacation is being able to turn off my phone and ignore the world.

  Veronica Pantoni leaned back on a sun-lounger and relished the peace to be found on the deck of her private, over-the-water bungalow in Montego bay, Jamaica. The only people who knew where to find her were family and her agent, Deborah Garner. With endless views of the Caribbean all around her and the infinite blue sky overhead, she could almost forget that half the world hated her.

  Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that many people, but one person was too many for her. And all because of rumor, conjecture, and ignorant innuendo.

  After a series of interviews and public appearances carefully set up by Deb, she was done pretending she was happy and carefree any longer. It was exhausting, even though she was an actress.

  Veronica’s rise to fame had been too fast after the release of the last movie she’d been in, Chain Reaction, and only part of it was due to her talent as an actress. The rest was all notoriety as the woman who broke up “Kis”—the ship name for Hollywood’s favorite couple: Chris Sanderson and Kim Donnelly. The fact that she’d had nothing to do with it at all didn’t seem to matter to anyone. Believing she was a home-wrecker was much more fun.

  Not that any homes had been wrecked. Despite being a couple for years, Chris and Kim had never tied the knot or even moved in together. Once she’d met them on set, she hadn’t been surprised.

  Chris and Kim had already made half a dozen films together, but regardless of the image they presented to the public, they were clearly on rocky ground before shooting even began. Day after day, their relationship deteriorated until it seemed like Chris was just humoring her to get through production. Kim, meanwhile, had clung to him like a vine while, ironically, doing her best to push him away.

  If Veronica hadn’t felt deeply sorry for Chris, she would have brought a bucket of popcorn to the set every day and watched the fireworks. If she’d known how it would all affect her in the end, though, she would have kept her distance.

  It had taken no more than one photo from the paparazzi to start a wildfire. Someone had caught them talking outside the hotel where the cast had stayed on location. An innocent chat while they waited for a car to take them to dinner with the crew had been made to look like a secret rendezvous. On top of that, the highly touted onscreen chemistry they shared had inextricably linked her with Chris during the media frenzy after word got out that “Kis” had broken up.

  But darn it, she wasn’t here to think about that whole mess. This was the first vacation she’d ever been on after years of barely surviving as she worked to break into Hollywood. She wasn’t going to let anything ruin it.

  And when she got back, no doubt everything would be better. The world would move on and people would forget. Chris would start dating his next celebrity beauty, and she could go back to the life she wanted. Even now, Deb was working to line up her next role, and she’d heard rumors that the movie of her all-time favorite book, Portent, was being cast.

  Deciding it was time to reapply her suntan lotion, Veronica stood up and went inside through the wide-open doors of the bungalow. Stopping at the fridge for some lemonade, she quenched her thirst and moved into the bathroom where she’d left her lotion. As she propped her leg up on the edge of the free-standing tub and oiled up, the breeze carried salty sea air through the open window—along with the sound of someone calling her name?

  Standing up, she hurried to the door that opened out onto the long dock that led to the main hotel. One of the staff members was running towards her bungalow. “Miss Pantoni,” he called again when he saw her. “You have a call in the main office.”

  Knowing it had to be something urgent, she slipped on her flip-flops and a sundress and then joined the man who’d been sent to fetch her in a quick walk back to the office on shore. He led her inside to the air-conditioned lobby where the woman at the desk pushed a few buttons and handed her a phone receiver with a smile.

  “Hello?”

  “Veronica, you’ll never guess what’s happened.”

  As curious as she was, Veronica relaxed. It was Deb, and she sounded excited. “So don’t make me. What is it?”

  The few seconds till Deb answered seemed to stretch on forever. “You’ve got a part in Portent.”

  Veronica let out a squeal. “Oh my gosh, Deb. You’re the best agent in the world. What part?” Veronica’s mind flew through the story. There were so few female parts. Surely it wasn’t…

  “You got the lead. You’ll be playing Eden.”

  It was too much. She’d never dreamed it was possible. Overwhelmed by the euphoria of a dream she’d barely dared acknowledge coming true, she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. Wiping them away with a trembling hand, she said, “Deb, if this is a joke, I’ll—”

  “I swear it’s true.”

  “I haven’t even auditioned for it.”

  “They knew they wanted you. But listen, there’s a couple of things you have to know.”

  “Okay, let me have it. I’m ready for anything.”

  “Shooting starts in less than five weeks, and you’ll need to do a fan panel at DragonCon in Atlanta this weekend.”

  Veronica thought it over in less than five seconds. She’d have to end her vacation early, but that was no big deal for the role of a lifetime. “You had me worried, Deb. I’ll be there.”

  “And you’d have to go on a strict diet and exercise regimen.”

  “Why? I’m in great shape.”

  “Yes, but remember your character lives in a world where food is scarce. So, no more carbs.”

  Ugh. Deb was right. Eden was supposed to look undernourished. “I can handle that.”

  “There’s one more thing.” This time, Deb really did sound hesitant, as i
f she was making some dire confession.

  “What?”

  “You’ll be starring with Chris Sanderson. He’s been cast as your love interest, Xander.”

  Stunned, Veronica dropped down onto the stool next to the counter. Chris.

  Surely fate couldn’t have served her a worse turn. This was literally the only reason she would consider passing on this role. How could she be associated with him like this again when the rumors were flying rampant around the internet? People still believed they were having an affair—even though she hadn’t seen him since Chain Reaction’s premier two months ago. And besides what people would think, she was going to have to shoot kiss scenes with him. She blushed for some ridiculous reason and then felt the blood drain from her face.

  She’d had a hard enough time not succumbing to his attractions when she’d been playing a villain and his real-life girlfriend had been on set. Now he was single and she’d have to be in close, close contact with him for weeks.

  “Deb, I can’t. I just can’t.”

  “You can and you will.”

  “No. You don’t understand.”

  “Of course I do. But think about it…if you say no, someone else is going to play the role you’ve always wanted. And can you think of anyone who would do it more justice than you would, loving the book the way you do?”

  “No,” Veronica said, her voice barely a whisper. But, Chris.

  Deb turned on her coaxing voice. “You’d get to meet the author, Julie Chambers, at the convention.”

  She closed her eyes, unable to believe what she was going to say. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

  Somehow, she’d just have to keep things with Chris as distant and professional as possible. Because she’d already learned one thing—getting too close to him was dangerous.

  Chapter Two

  After months of hard-core training to make him look as ripped as an animated superhero, Chris Sanderson was more than ready to move on to actually filming the movie Portent. But first, he had to go to DragonCon for a fan panel. The author and director would be on the panel as well—as would Veronica Pantoni, his co-star.

  Getting Veronica cast to play the female lead had been a major victory for him. There had been doubts about casting her because they originally wanted a bigger name. They also wanted his ex-girlfriend Kim, but he was determined to never do a movie with her again. Sure, she’d been the one to launch his career, but after the last few years, he’d wanted more than the stale, typecast roles he’d been getting. Even though he tried to avoid social media for the most part, he’d seen all the jokes about his bad acting.

  Breaking up with Kim had been just the fresh start he’d needed. He’d hired acting coaches of his own choosing and told his agent the kind of roles he wanted going forward. This movie was going to shift the trajectory of his whole career. And to make sure that happened, he wanted the best. After working with Veronica in his last movie, Chain Reaction, he knew that’s exactly what she was. Especially since they had great chemistry and her passion for acting brought out the best in him. The director and producer hadn’t loved having their hand forced when casting her part, but they’d be glad for it in the end.

  The only problem was how to deal with the awkwardness over the rumors that he and Kim had broken up because he’d had an affair with Veronica. Hopefully, he’d find a chance to pull her aside and talk things over to clear the air before production began.

  The day of the panel, he’d decided exactly what he was going to say to her. How he would apologize that she’d gotten tangled up in the fallout from his breakup. But when he saw her in the green room, everything he’d planned went straight out of his head.

  He always forgot how small she was, but somehow, she dominated every room she walked into with just her presence. When their eyes met across the room, he saw her whole face grow pale and anxious. His stomach sank. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

  Gathering his courage, he walked across the room to where she stood talking with Samantha Norman, the director. He smiled when Sam turned to greet him, but it was hard with Veronica so obviously avoiding his eyes.

  “Chris, I’m glad you’re here,” Sam said, her voice as brisk and businesslike as usual. “How’s your training going?”

  “If I go at it any harder, it might kill me,” he said in a dry tone.

  “Good.” Sam said. There was a small twinkle of amusement in her eyes, however.

  “Hello, Veronica,” he said, deciding it was now or never. He was smart enough not to call her by the nickname he’d used on set the last time he’d seen her—Curly Top. Her hair was unbelievable. Dark, glossy brown curls fell in natural ringlets to the middle of her back. Combined with her olive skin, delicate features, green eyes, and thickly fringed lashes, there was no doubt she was a beautiful woman—but her hair had become iconic.

  “Chris,” she said softly, nodding her head.

  Sam patted Veronica’s arm. “I need to go speak with someone. Excuse me.”

  As she walked away, Veronica’s eyes followed her as if she resented being left alone with him. He sighed, wishing he could break the ice with her. They’d once been friendly, and he’d enjoyed bantering back and forth with her. She had a sharp wit and dry sense of humor that matched his own, so this coolness between them felt off.

  “So, this is fun, right?” He cleared his throat. “Getting together again.”

  She smiled, but it was a polite smile, not the natural one he was used to. “Yes. I can’t wait to meet Julie Chambers.”

  “Who’s that?” he asked.

  Veronica’s lips parted in surprise. “The author.”

  “Oh, right. Sorry. I’m terrible with names unless I’ve met them. Have you read the books then?”

  She crossed her arms, as if she was squaring up to him. “Only about ten times. I’m a huge fan.” She leaned forward then and lowered her voice. “And that is the only reason I’m making this movie.”

  He swallowed. Well, at least that was the opening he needed. “Look, I don’t blame you at all for being mad at this whole situation. Your name has been raked through the mud, and you did absolutely nothing. I swear, if I could set the record straight, I would, but every time I’ve tried, it just makes things worse. They think I’m still covering things up.”

  She sighed and relaxed. “I know. I appreciated your effort. I’m just not used to this part of being a public name. All I wanted was to make movies, not lose my good name and privacy.”

  He wanted to comfort her somehow, take away all the dark emotions so visible on her face. “I can promise you one thing.”

  “What?”

  “The best way to change people’s perception is to give them something else to think about. Like an incredible movie. What do you say?”

  She nodded her head and even gave him a genuine smile. “I’m all in for that.”

  As he shook her hand, he was surprised at how aware he was of the soft warmth of her skin against his. His eyebrows drew together. Before he could collect himself, Veronica looked up as more people entered the room. She pulled away and turned toward the door. “She’s here.”

  The breathless awe in her voice had him spinning around to see a pretty and surprisingly young woman shaking hands with Sam. “Want to go meet her?”

  “Yes,” she said. But she didn’t move.

  Chris chuckled and took her by the elbow, leading her across the room.

  For the rest of the time before the panel, he enjoyed watching Veronica fangirl over her favorite author. When they went out on stage to face the fans of the series, he was amazed at the energy in the room. He wasn’t an arrogant man, he didn’t think, but it was the first time since he’d become a celebrity that he’d been completely upstaged…and it was by an author. He didn’t mind at all. One thing was clear, the fans in the room were only interested in him because he was playing Xander, who was apparently the fantasy man of every woman in the place. That was a lot to live up to, but his excitement grew expo
nentially. For the first time, he realized the full potential of what this movie could mean for his career—and for his life.

  Apparently, the only tricky part now was to continue fixing his relationship with Veronica—without losing his head over her.

  Chapter Three

  Veronica paced around the living room of her hotel suite, breathing deeply, trying to prepare herself for the ordeal ahead. Deb sat at the desk, working on her tablet. Veronica wished she had something to occupy her.

  As an actress, her life went in stages. During her years in acting school and early in her career, she worked constantly, taking every bit part in every independent or small budget film she could get. She’d always thought that when she’d finally “made it”, parts would be easier to get. To a point, that was true, but there were fewer parts. Now, she worked from sunup till sundown, and sometimes longer, for months at a time while filming, but if she didn’t have another project lined up right after it, she might not work at all for months. It was the downtime she hated, so she was ready to get going with Portent. But she was also sick with nerves.

  “Deb, I don’t know if I can do this.”

  Deb looked up from her screen, a streak of panic flashing across her expression. It was smoothed away a split-second later. “Of course you can. What’s wrong now?”

  Sighing, Veronica flopped onto the sofa. “Have you seen that people are saying that having Chris and I cast together confirms the rumors we’re having an affair?”

  Deb stood up and walked toward the mini fridge. She pulled out a bottle of cold water and handed it to her. “People are stupid. They’ll realize they were wrong when you go your separate ways after filming.”

  “I hope so. I almost wish I had had an affair with Chris Sanderson. At least then I would have gotten something out of this mess besides scandal.”

  Deb laughed. “Yeah, right. Not with your moral compass. But that man is tempting.” She dug through her bag and found a pill bottle. “Here, take some Advil. You look like you have a headache.”