Free Seven Night Stand by Nicole Helm Page B

exactly a hardship. Besides, adding Ryan to the mix would help her focus. And focus would be what she needed to come out on top in this battle of the wills.
    She followed the brothers to the small shop building, pulling her phone out of her purse. She’d just take a few short videos, test out Nate’s camera-readiness. A phone wasn’t the same as giant cameras and microphones shoved in a man’s face, but just knowing filming was going on often rattled some people.
    Maybe once he saw himself he’d see the potential. Maybe once she fleshed out her other ideas, she’d get him there. One way or another, she wasn’t leaving empty-handed.
    They began to work and Vivvy held up her phone to record them. The guys worked well together. Either they’d discussed what they were doing beforehand, or they intuitively knew what to work on and how to approach it as a pair. Maybe it was a twin thing, a kind of higher frequency they both thought on.
    Nate slid his hand across the engine, studying a part and then retrieving a tool. Ryan took some long drill-looking thing Nate handed him.
    Vivvy held up her phone, moved around to get some decent light. “Explain what you’re doing,” she said, her heartbeat already picking up. She was on to something.
    Nate took the lead explaining, unfazed by filming. Ryan needed some more coaxing, but eventually he relaxed and joined in with the explanation as organically as if the whole thing had been scripted.
    They were gorgeous, but she found herself forgetting Ryan was there. Nate would be the star of this show. He had that special indefinable something that could make someone a star. She’d been around enough actors—successful and failed—to know it when she saw it.
    But while that something was what she needed professionally, personally it was a threat to her confidence, to her impartiality, to everything. Because if she was already having little pricks of feeling after only a handful of days, how might she feel after a week?
    If she was already worried about the connection she tried so hard to avoid, what would she be tempted to do if she convinced him to do the show? If they were connected, through Tyson?
    Vivvy looked down at her phone, worked on pushing all nonbusiness thoughts out of her head. This whole emotion stuff was new unchartered territory. Dealing with it would be dangerous. So, she wouldn’t.
    Vivvy watched the playback of the few clips she’d taken. Deleted the first one where Ryan looked like a rusty tin man with all his awkward, stiff movements.
    When she looked back up, Nate was studying her. She felt awkward, which was yet another new feeling for her.
    “You know, we may be on to something here,” she offered, meeting Nate’s shrewd gaze.
    “Something?”
    “More possibilities, different angles. You and Ryan make a good team, on camera and off.”
    The brothers stared at each other for a moment. “You don’t know us very well,” they responded in unison, frowning when they realized she was laughing at their simultaneous answer.
    “Ry’s not part of this, Vivvy.”
    “He could be.”
    Ryan looked stricken. “I—I don’t even live here.”
    She shrugged, undeterred. “If my bosses liked the idea enough, they could work around your schedule. You can take vacation time at work, can’t you?”
    “Of course, but I go on vacation. I don’t come to Demo.”
    “You enjoy working on these engines, with Nate. It’s obvious. I’d think that would be a kind of vacation.”
    “Ms. Marsh—”
    She held up a hand and grinned at Nate, who was still gaping at her. “It’s just an idea, fellas. Think about it. Now, I want to do some work on my computer with these. Send some clips to my bosses. You mind if I go use your office for a bit, Nate?”
    “Go for it.”
    Vivvy sauntered back toward the office, knowing both sets of green eyes watched her retreat. She wasn’t going to think about how she only cared for one pair of those green eyes.
    She had work to