Free Two Week Turnaround by Geneva Lee Page B

quickly before the electricity between them became awkwardly obvious. Taking her father’s offered arm, she forced herself not to look back at Isaac as she was led away.
    â€œIsaac,” Maxx called, stopping a few paces away. “I’m having some of the cast and crew to dinner tonight. I want to hear about the progress. I expect you’ll be there—” his gaze shifted to his daughter “—and you as well.”
    She opened her mouth to protest, but before she could voice her objection, Isaac nodded. “Of course.”
    Sofia would have to talk with him about speaking for her.
    â€œYou should invite that friend of yours from prep school,” her father suggested.
    â€œBelle? She would love that.” She eyed him suspiciously, waiting for the other Manolo Blahnik to drop. Arnold Maxx might be liberal, but he’d once interrupted her and a date getting too cozy while holding a prop gun. She was certain it had only had blanks in it. But still. “No lecture?”
    May as well get straight to the point.
He might have been in town, but there was no doubt he was checking in on her.
    â€œI’ll admit that I had no idea your methods were so unorthodox.” He patted her hand in perhaps the most fatherly display he’d ever shown her. “But Antonio says Isaac has been particularly focused today. Far be it from me to judge.”
    â€œChrist, I don’t sleep with my clients.” She wrenched away from him, but she wasn’t sure if she was disgusted with his insinuation or with herself.
    â€œI know that,” he assured her. “I’ve seen some of your clients.”
    â€œDaddy,” she said reproachfully.
    â€œYou have a history with Isaac. I was aware of that. I expected some complications, but I can’t complain about your results. They’ve covered more ground in two days’ shooting than in the last two weeks. I want you to stick around until it wraps. Two more weeks. Four at the most.”
    The no she expected to come out of her mouth came out as “okay” instead. She couldn’t stick around London for weeks. Not with clients in LA. She needed to get on a plane by the end of this week.
    The problem was that she no longer wanted to.
    He paused and narrowed his dark eyes. “As long as you know what you’re getting into.”
    â€œI know.” But did she really? Her feelings regarding Isaac were already confusing her. The sheer fact that she was even considering her feelings was proof enough of that. “Your movie will be done on time. Isaac needed a healthy way to fill his free time.” She didn’t add that her motives weren’t entirely selfless. The passion she’d felt for her ex had proven a tougher cross to bear than she’d anticipated.
    â€œHe’s not the boy you were in love with,” he warned her.
    â€œI know.” But the assurance only reminded her that he’d become so much more. The realization settled heavily in her stomach. She’d been in love with that boy, as her father called him, and now he’d become a man. But even if he was still charming and funny and sexy as hell, Isaac was also trouble with a capital T. Fixing bad boys was in her job description, but it wasn’t on her dating bucket list. Of course, it was becoming harder and harder for her to remember that he had issues. Maybe she needed to make his latest mug shot her screen saver.
    â€œOh and a word of advice.” Her father paused thoughtfully and wrapped a beefy arm around her shoulder. “Close the curtains in the future.”
    Sofia laughed and shook free. Trust Daddy to keep it real.
    * * *
    It was ridiculous to be nervous. Isaac had walked the red carpet, leaped from fifteen-story buildings and been on the cover of
People
magazine. He was accustomed to scrutiny. But spending time with Fia’s father was different. It had been a long time since he had gone to dinner with a