Free Vamps And The City by Kerrelyn Sparks Page B

face, so he would stop ogling her gorgeous body.
    “Hello.” Her cheeks flushed a becoming pink. She slowly shut the door. “This is a bit of a surprise, Mr. Cartwright.” Her gaze landed on the cup in his hand, and her face turned pale.
    “Sorry.” He shoved the cover back on and set the cup on her desk. “It sure smelled good. Chocolate milkshake?”
    “Not exactly. I—” She rushed forward, grabbed the cup, and dropped it in the trash. “I’m… lactose intolerant. Would you like something to drink, Mr. Cartwright?” She motioned toward the door. “I could get you—“
    “I’m fine. Thank you.” He smiled, trying to put her at ease. “Since we’ll be working together, why don’t you call me Adam?”
    “Okay.” She slipped past him and around the desk. “What can I do for you… Adam?”
    “It’s about the contract.” He opened the clasp envelope and removed the papers.
    “Shouldn’t you have your agent help you with that?”
    “Frankly, it has Ms. Stein confused, too.” At least, Austin figured it would. He turned to page six and pointed at the tiny print at the bottom of the page. “Here it is. DVN will assume no liability for injuries incurred during the term of employment. This includes loss of blood, puncture wounds, and fatalities.”
    He glanced up at Darcy. Her face had turned deathly pale. “It seems a bit extreme, don’t you think?”
    She tucked her hair behind her ear with trembling fingers. “It’s fairly standard for DVN. They like to cover all the bases. People tend to sue over the most trivial of things these days.”
    “I wouldn’t call puncture wounds or fatalities trivial.”
    She waved a hand in the air. “Anything could happen. We’ll be filming in a huge penthouse. You could fall down a flight of stairs, or trip on a rug and—“
    “Fall on a fork?”
    “Excuse me?”
    “Puncture wounds, Miss Newhart. How exactly do you expect me to be punctured?” With a pair of fangs?
    Her eye twitched. “I agree the wording is a bit unusual, but the intent is clear. DVN cannot be held responsible for any injuries that may occur during the show.”
    “Are you going to require us to do anything dangerous?”
    “No, of course not. Believe me, Mr. Cartwright, I’m going to great lengths to insure your safety.”
    “You’re concerned for our safety?”
    “Of course. I hate to see innocent mort—people get hurt.”
    She’d almost said mortals, which seemed a bit odd since she was a mortal herself. Wasn’t she? Dammit, this indecision had to end. “You’re a kind person, Miss Newhart.” He took her hand in his. Her fingers were cold.
    “Thank you.” Her gaze dropped to their joined hands. “But I’m not the one you need to impress. There will be a panel of five female judges deciding the outcome of the contest.”
    He enveloped her hand with both of his. “I’m not interested in your five judges or the contest.”
    Her gaze jerked up. “You don’t want to be in the show? Please don’t let the wording in the contract dissuade you.”
    He slipped two fingers around her wrist. “Do you think I could win something called The Sexiest Man on Earth?”
    “I—I think you have a sporting chance. And it would certainly look good for your acting career, don’t you think?”
    He pressed his fingertips into the soft skin of her wrist. “I really don’t want to be seen as a sex toy.” Except by you.
    “I understand. I would feel the same way.” Her cheeks blushed. “But you haven’t heard the latest news. Our producer, Mr. Bacchus, has just announced that the winner will receive a million dollars! Surely that will convince you to do the show?”
    “Not really.” He concentrated on his fingertips. Yes, there! Wasn’t that a pulse?
    She frowned at him. “I don’t understand. If you’re not interested in winning the title or the prize money, then why are you asking questions about the contract?”
    Yes! That was definitely a pulse. It was throbbing rapidly