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More Than Her Leading Man

Written by Kathryn Cantrell

Love in the City Series, Book 4

More Than Her Leading Man

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How can she trust him with her heart when he’s built a career on make-believe?

Eliza Moore’s safe, sweet online romance is exactly what she wants. Mostly. She’s been burned in the past, so she ignores her longing for a man she can see and touch. Introducing reality to her fantasy relationship would ruin it.

Joaquin Cortez plays the part of a celebrity during the day and at night, he escapes into a virtual relationship with the only woman he’s ever shown the real man behind the curtain. Ironic since she has no idea she’s been chatting with a Hollywood A-Lister.

When fate lands them face to face on the set of a movie, their chemistry is instant. Undeniable. Impossible. Falling for each other is a complete and utter betrayal of the person on the other side of their computer screens. Isn’t it?

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Mr. Movie Star’s gaze slid over Eliza as he lifted her hand into his despite her not being quite sure she’d intended to offer it. But it was too late. Their palms nested together with shocking intimacy and she drowned in a sea of sensation that shouldn’t be so vivid given the fact that they were in public.

She flushed. Desperately, she cast about for a way to stop the tide of too much Joaquin Cortez in her system and then he said her name. Eliza. The same name she’d been using since birth, but on his lips, it sounded exotic and mysterious simply because he’d voiced it full of color.

No wonder people paid him lots of money to be in their movies. Women probably fell all over themselves to buy tickets to his films, strictly to hear his voice in the dark.

Not her though. She yanked her hand from his and finally—blessed relief from his stranglehold on her senses.

“Nice to meet you,” she muttered and hoped she wouldn’t be struck by lightning for the lie.

There was nothing nice about this man. That much was clear. And it had also become painfully obvious why she preferred the safe, slightly reverent feelings she had for her online love. He never made her feel like she needed to claw her skin off to have room to breathe.

Hugo was talking again like nothing monumental had happened, and in his mind, nothing had. He didn’t walk around disturbing women on a continual basis just because he’d opened his mouth. His accent was cute and he had lovely mannerisms that set him a cut above most men.

Present company most definitely included. Mr. Movie Star’s gaze trailed back to Eliza openly as Hugo rambled on about how great it was to have the production company on site. The nerve. Watching her while someone else talked was almost as rude as walking away from the assistant-type a moment ago.

She almost opened her mouth to tell him off when she caught the tail end of what Hugo had been saying.

“…longtime friends so I hope I can count on you ladies to show Joaquin around.” Hugo beamed at Carolina and Lilith who were nodding with genuine smiles. “I have to fly to London unexpectedly, which is unfortunate timing to say the least.”

Great. Eliza nearly groaned. Hugo and Mr. Movie Star were friends. It all made a terrible sort of sense now why a huge movie star would agree to film in a podunk place like Vivo. Which was an amazing place to live and Eliza loved it, but it did not have the Hollywood flair that someone like Joaquin Cortez must be used to.

“You should come to lunch with us,” Lilith suggested brightly and somehow managed to step out of the way when Eliza elbowed her. “We’d love to have you, wouldn’t we?”

Carolina, who had just been added to the persona non-grata list alongside Lilith, nodded eagerly. “Sure. I’d be happy to help hold off the throngs of admirers that you’re bound to attract.”

Joaquin laughed which of course came out as richly as his voice. Did he practice that in the shower so he could deliver the exact right cadence to settle warmly in a woman’s insides?

“It’s a date,” he said and then winked at Carolina.

So that was his thing. He just went around charming all women without censor. Didn’t that just make Eliza feel special? Maybe she could plead a headache or something and escape this madness that had just befallen her.