Madam Personalityx

7/28/2019 Madam Personalityx

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Miss Personality

Everythings going along perfectly forDani Monroe: shes worked her way up

from mail-room-girl at a cheesy, B-

movie studio to a plum gig as the right-

hand-girl to a Hollywood legend,

producer Burt Mueller. But when thesexy executive she fled her last job to

forget shows up as the director of a

new reality show produced by her boss,

Dani is forced to decide is she ready

to trust her heart to a Hollywoodplayboy?

Chapter One

If reality TV was the wave of the

future, this particular show had to be

the pond scum at the bottom of thatwave.

Ms. Personality, Dani Monroe

muttered in resignation as she fingered

a black-velvet hood, which would be


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worn by one of the contestants on the

show. Ms. Bimbo in a Catsuit is more

like it.

She idly wondered which non-genius

here at Generations Studios had

thought up the show, where masked

women would compete for a bachelor,relying on personality instead of looks.

Obviously someone who doesnt know

some men dont even consider a womans

face when it comes to looks.

More like the stuff below the face.Which would be prominently displayed in

ridiculously tight catsuits.

Did you say something?

She jerked her attention away from thehood. Feigning innocence, she smiled at

her boss, uber-producer Burt Mueller.

Nope. Not a word.


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Mueller nodded, distracted enough to

believe her. Not unusual. Mr. Mueller

had plenty of things on his mind otherthan his lowly assistant. Danis job was

to make his life as easy as possible, and

to keep herself practically invisible

while doing it. The fact that he

sometimes didnt even remember hername -but had given her a hefty raise

after her first month on the job

-proved shed done exactly that.

What time does my masseuse come in?he asked, his voice a rough bark that

intimidated nearly everyone.

Two. After your meeting with Mr.

Winchell from Fox.

Burt grunted and rolled his eyes.

Better push the masseuse off by a

half-hour. Winchells chattier than a

ten-year-old after a six-pack of

Mountain Dew. Dani grinned. Mueller


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called em like he saw em, and hed been

a Hollywood legend long enough to get

away with it.

To say she was lucky to have landed

work with the icon -who was planning his

comeback by producing reality TV shows

-would have been an understatement.This job had been a lifesaver. First, it

had gotten her out of the mailroom of

slimy Schtick Studios. Plus, in the two

months shed been Muellers right hand

girl, shed met TV superstars shedidolized since childhood. Imagine, she,

Dani Monroe, had shaken hands with

Bob Barker. Her mother was still

crowing over that one.

But there had been another reason hercareer change had come at the perfect

time. It had gotten her away from

What time is Carruthers coming in?


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Crap. Him. Josh Carruthers. The man

her boss was meeting with today for

some unknown reason.

Four, she said, planning to make

herself scarce when her former

colleague showed up.

Not that hed ever considered her acolleague. No, the sexy, arrogant young

director had never noticed her at all,

though shed delivered mail to his office

every day for two years. Why would he

notice her, a short, strawberry-haired,freckle-faced mail girl, when the man

had a bevy of busty actresses

constantly trying to sleeper, audition

their way into a Schtick Studios

production.

She hated to think of Josh Carruthers

being the type of director who had a

casting couch -much less cast from one.

The rumor mill said he did, but Dani


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wasnt so sure. It didnt seem in

character with the man shed once seen

delivering bags of sandwiches to somehomeless guys outside the studio.

Then again, maybe even letches could be

generous.

Im going upstairs, Mr. Mueller said.To the smoking lounge.

Ha. The building was non-smoking. Not

that Mueller cared -his office reeked

of smoke. But she didnt question him,

knowing he liked to prowl his domain to

keep his finger on the pulse, as he

called it.

After Burt left, curiosity got the

better of her. Dani lifted the velvethood, rubbing it against her cheek, then

gave in to an unexpected impulse. She

wanted to know what the contestants

whod be wearing these things would


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feel. So she gingerly slid it on, pulling it

into place, surprised by its silky warmth.

Glancing into the mirror over Mr.

Muellers stocked bar, she stared in

wonder. The jet black fabric covered

her hair, and much of her face, falling

to a curved hem just above her lips.Only her mouth, her jaw, and her eyes

-revealed through two small openings

-were visible. She looked almost

mysterious.

Enough, she whispered, knowing shewas about as mysterious as a fifth

grader. Boring, nobody little production

assistants from Iowa were not

mysterious.

Before she could lift the mask off her

head and return to plain old Dani

Monroe, however, she heard someone

enter the office. She whirled around.

Sorry, I couldnt resist.


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Then she saw the person whod entered.

She froze in place. Because it wasnt

her boss. Wasnt his secretary. No. Shewasnt that lucky.

The person staring at her in interest

and avid curiosity was Josh Carruthers.

* * * Josh had shown up for his meetingwith Burt Mueller to find the reception

area outside the mans office empty. It

was lunchtime, but his message had said

their appointment was at twelve oclock.

He did not want Mueller to think hedbeen late -not with everything he had

riding on this meeting.

This interview could get him out of

directing garbage movies for SchtickStudios and into a production company

with a real track record of success.

Legitimacy. Integrity, even.

Okay, most people would think going

from the movies to television -reality


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television, at that -was a step back. But

to Josh it was a lifeline. And he planned

to grab it.

Figuring the man might be having a

sandwich at his desk, he pushed on the

slightly open door and entered Muellers

office. No one sat at the desk, but theroom wasnt empty.

Excuse me, he said, staring at the

person standing by the bar. It was a

woman, a slim, petite woman, wearing

Is that an executioners mask?

She said nothing, merely shaking her

head.

Blinking, he said, Im looking for Mr.

Mueller. We have a noon appointment.

Noon? said the woman, who was

incredibly curvy beneath her tight blue

skirt and silky blouse.


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The mask took the sexiness quotient

and shot it up exponentially, leaving

Josh feeling a little short of breath.Yes, he muttered, wondering why he

was suddenly feeling so alert. On edge.

There must have been a mixup. He just

left.Her voice was soft, not much above a

husky whisper, and it intrigued him.

Hell, the whole package intrigued him.

He stepped closer, wondering if shed

whirl away or whip off the mask.

She did nothing. She merely stood

there watching him step closer. Finally,

though, when he was mere inches from

her side, she said, Maybe you shouldcome back later.

Her voice echoed in his brain, so soft,

so evocative. And suddenly he felt sure

hed heard it before.


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He wanted to know who she was. Had to

know. Then maybe he could understand

why his reaction to her had been sostrong. So instant and powerful.

And maybe you, he replied in a husky

whisper of his own, should take off the

mask.Chapter Two

He wanted her to take off the mask?

Dani Monroe stared at hot-shot

director Josh Carruthers through the

small openings in the black velvet mask

shed donned in her bosss office. Shed

wanted to get a sense of what the

contestants on the new reality show,

Ms. Personality, would feel. She hadntintended to look foolish.

Which was why she in no way wanted to

take off the mask shielding her face

from Joshs heated stare. Bad enough if

he recognized her and was amused by


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her silly idea that a mask could make a

seductive mystery woman out of an

Iowa farmgirl. Particularly if heremembered her as his mail delivery

woman from Schtick Studios.

But worse, what if he didnt recognize

her at all? Talk about humiliation-having made absolutely zero impression

on a man shed been a little infatuated

with for two years.

Come on, take it off, he urged, using

that silky voice that had been known toget even the worst diva actress to

behave. Youve definitely aroused my

interest. She wanted to refuse.

Wanted to pop off some sultry, wicked

remark about what else she hoped shedaroused, then saunter out of there,

leaving him quivering with lust. Or if not

lust, at least curiosity.


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But she didnt have any choice. She had

to take it off.

She was reaching up to do exactly that

when Burt Muellers voice boomed in the

room. Carruthers? What are you doing

here? Youre early.

Saved by the producer.Josh swung around to greet Burt. In

that split-second when he was

distracted, Dani whipped the mask off,

letting it fall from her fingers to the

floor. Then she sidestepped Josh and

beelined for the door, barely sparing a

nod for her boss.

Behind her, Josh called, Wait, whats

your

But she was out the door before his last

word left his mouth.

*** Josh Carruthers hadnt stopped

thinking about the woman in the mask all


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walked out the door. A flash of light

hair swept back in a short braid.

Everything except her face.

He was on the lookout for her at

Generation Studios when he showed up

the next week for a meeting, for which

he was now fifteen minutes late. Hedgiven his notice at Schtick, and theyd

reacted with typical vindictiveness,

making it nearly impossible for him to

get any time off to prepare for the job

transition. They were holding him to theletter of his contract, so he had to stay

a full three weeks.

In the meantime he was participating as

much as he could in the planning for thenew show -which meant dealing with his

new bosss assistant, a Ms. Monroe,

whod been a snooty, annoying pain in

the ass during their few phone calls.


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And who he was now about to meet,

face-to-face, for the first time.

Youre late, a womans voice said as he

approached a sixth floor boardroom

where todays meeting was taking place.

HmmMs. Monroe, he presumed.

He watched her walk out of thatboardroom, her body stiff beneath her

severe, tightly buttoned-up navy

pantsuit. The clothes didnt work. Suits

were meant for tall, statuesque women

with iron in their veins. Not cute little

sweethearts like this one.

She was petite -probably only came up

to his neck -and had shoulder-length

red hair. Playful, wispy curls bounced ather temples as she moved; again, a

sharp contrast to the shapeless, boxy

suit in which she was dressed. She had a

great mouth -with lips that were

probably impossibly sexy when she


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smiled -and dark green eyes dominated

her cute, pixie-like face.

But her expression wasnt cute and

those lips sure werent smiling.

Mr. Mueller has a thing about

tardiness.

And I have a thing about no place topark, Josh shot back, staring hard at

her, realizing that, for some reason, she

seemed familiar to him. You are Ms.

Monroe, I imagine?

As if sensing his curiosity, she lowered

her gaze and turned slightly away. Yes.

Sorry. Were working on getting you an

assigned spot. I called this morning and

asked the parking attendant to directyou to Mr. Muellers backup spot.

They forgot. Then he thought about

it. He has a backup parking spot?


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She nodded, sending those curls

bouncing. Hes got kind of a car thing

going on and usually has two on hand.

Rich, eccentric producers and their

passions. At least Muellers was just

cars; Josh had definitely heard of

worse.Has the meeting started?

No. Hes on the phone, and it might

take a while.

For some reason, Josh didnt mind thedelay. He suddenly had the urge to

figure out just who this woman was, and

why shed been so cold to him.

*** Dani cursed the phone call that had

given her boss a chance to delay the

start of the meeting -and had thrown

her right into a private moment with

Josh. Because the longer they talked,

the more likely it was that hed


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recognize her. Shed seen that flash of

something in his eyes.

She should have known changing the way

she dressed, and the way she wore her

hair, wouldnt be enough of a disguise.

It sure had amused her boss, though,

whod seen right through her efforts tokeep Josh from figuring out who she

was. Knowing Burt, hed probably

arranged for the phone call.

Suddenly, her worst fears came true.

Joshs eyes narrowed and his headtilted. Wait a minute, he said, stepping

closer to peer into her face. I know

you.

Dani didnt say anything, she hardly evenbreathed while she waited for him to

continue. Because she couldnt be sure

exactly how he remembered her

Chapter Three


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Dani Monroe held her breath, waiting

for Josh Carruthers to tell her how he

remembered her. Did he recognize heras the hooded mystery woman hed

spoken to so briefly, or as the lovelorn

mail girl hed once worked with?

Youre her. The woman in the mask,Josh said, a confident smile creasing his

sexy mouth.

The confidence wasnt surprising; theyd

shared a very intense moment in Burts

office that day. The words hedwhispered, Youve aroused my

interest, had played over and over

again in her brain many times since. So

she should have felt elated that he

remembered her as his mystery woman.

But she wasnt. Because how much of a

fat-headed jerk did this guy have to be

to have worked with her for two years -

right up until a few months ago - and


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not remember her when they came face

to face?

Her jaw tightened. My, arent you the

observant one.

He stepped closer, close enough so she

could smell the heady warmth of his

cologne. Or maybe it was his ownmagnetic essence that filled her every

inhalation. Blinking, she dug her

fingernails into her palms to try to

maintain her righteous anger.

What can I say? Youre unforgettable,

he replied.

Unforgettable? He had to be kidding.

Dani no longer had to use pain to keep

herself from falling under the youngdirectors spell. His own words were

doing a fine job of that. Gee, thanks.

So who are you, really? Josh asked,

his eyes twinkling. Are you the hard-


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nosed assistant whos been sending me

snippy e-mails every day? She started

to sputter, but he leaned closer,lowering his voice to an intimate

whisper. Or are you the sultress in the

black velvet mask whos filled my

dreams every night?

Hmm, what should she do? Punch his

lights out? Or just melt into a puddle of

brainless, hungry woman right at his

feet? Because, man, the guy was hot,

even when he was ticking her off withevery word he spoke. She settled for a

hasty retreat.

Lifting her chin, she fought to keep her

voice from shaking with hurt. Or lust.

Both of which battled for control ofher emotions. Im someone youll never

know, because your own words prove you

dont really see me at all. Then Dani

whirled around and marched down the

hall, blowing off the meeting, needing to


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be alone to gloat over her brilliant

comeback.

And to cry at the knowledge that it had

been entirely true.

*** He didnt see her at all? Ha. Dani

Monroe filled his vision even when he

closed his eyes.Josh had been surprised by her

coolness when shed admitted shed

been the woman in the mask. And

downright stunned by her cold

comeback and abrupt departure.

What the hell had happened? How could

she be so changeable - from seductress

to aloof businesswoman, to, well,

wounded girl was the only way he coulddescribe the last look on her face.

He tried to find out. In the days that

followed, he dropped her friendly e-

mails and tried to engage her in


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conversation whenever he saw her. She

was always professional but reserved.

Except when they really got into somereal planning sessions about the show,

Ms. Personality. Then she was energetic,

enthusiastic, and intensely creative.

And, God help him, Dani was back towearing short, tight skirts and silky

blouses like shed had on when they met.

The kind that reminded him daily of the

sexy, sensual creature lurking beneath

her cool exterior.Cool? More like sub-zero, at least

around him. Only him. To her boss, the

costume person, the set people, she was

bubbly and sweet. Him she treated like

something shed scraped off the bottomof her shoe.

If he didnt know better, he would have

thought hed offended - no, that wasnt

the right word - hed have thought hed


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actually hurt her in some way. But that

was impossible.

Unlessunless that little voice in the

back of his head that had been telling

him he knew her from somewhere was

right. Hed ignored the voice. Because

whenever he tried to grab the memory,to pull it to the forefront of his mind, it

had proved elusive. Hed had a quick

visual of someone who looked like Dani,

but who hadnt had those deep green

eyes. Theyd been blue. Blue andjudgmental. And every time he thought

of them, he squirmed a little inside, as

if whoever it was she reminded him of

had been someone whod disapproved of

him.Which was probably what made him go

out of his way to tease her, to try to

get her to smile at him.

Like now.


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So when are you going to try on one of

the costumes the contestants are going

to wear on the show? Josh asked herfrom the other side of her desk. He was

waiting on the late-again producer, and

Burts secretary had suggested he could

wait in Mueller's office. But Danis was

more fun, despite the fact she wasgoing about her business as if he wasnt

there.

Danis brow shot up as she worked on

her computer. How about never?Come on, you were curious enough to

try on one of the masks. He kept his

tone light and playful, wanting to make

her smile, or at least not frown. He held

out absolutely no hope that shed put onone of the ridiculously tight catsuits.

Which was just as well, since seeing her

in it would probably turn him into even

more of a stuttering idiot that hed

been around her so far.


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Obviously, she wasnt in a smiling mood.

She scowled as she got up and walked

around her desk. I wish youd forgetthat, she muttered, stepping around

his chair to reach for her printer, which

had just spit out the notes for todays

meeting.

Forget it? Hed be more likely to forget

his own name. Looking up at her, he

stared into her eyes, about to admit

exactly that. Her face grew pink, and

her lips parted as she pulled in a breath,as if shed read his thoughts. Then she

shook her head, hard, and reached for

the papers. Only, fate had something

else in store. Because Dani suddenly

tripped over the power cord to theprinter and stumbled.

Right into Joshs lap.

His arms quickly encircled her waist, to

hold her steady, even as his whole body


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reacted to her closeness. They were

nose to nose, eye to eye. Almost mouth

to mouth.

Which left him with an overwhelming

urge to taste that mouth, to see if his

kiss could bring a smile to his lips, even

if his words couldnt.Not knowing how shed react - if shed

kiss him back or leap up in outrage - he

gave in to temptation and caught her

soft mouth in a hot kiss.

Chapter Four

It took a few seconds for Dani Monroe

to process what was happening. Shed

fallen onto Joshs lap - his firm,

welcoming lap - and now, amazingly, hewas kissing her. He, hotshot director

Josh Carruthers, the man shed had a

crush on for two years, was kissing her

like she was the most desirable woman

on earth. The kiss was sweet, hot and


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playful. Josh nibbled on the corner of

her mouth, then gently licked the seam

of her lips to tempt her tongue to comeout and play.

She groaned, tempted to do just that,

to deepen the kiss and enjoy this

unexpected embrace for the puresensual pleasure of it.

Logically, she knew she should leap up

and slap his face. But logic never had

called the shots when it came to her

feelings for Josh.

Kiss me back, Dani, Josh whispered

against her mouth. One kiss so Ill know

for sure that you taste as sweet as you

look.With a soft sigh of surrender, Dani

tilted her head for a deeper kiss. Their

tongues met and mated and Josh and

Dani fell into a perfect rhythm of

breaths, tastes and touches.


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This time, Josh was the one to groan.

That throaty sound of pleasure sent

lazy desire throughout Danis entirebody. Because he wanted her. This man

whom shed wanted for so long truly

wanted her back.

And he wasnt kissing the stranger inthe black velvet mask. He was kissing

the woman hed gotten to know, the

woman she was now.

We should stop, Dani whispered.

Josh kissed his way down to the hollow

of her throat, cradling her when she

leaned back to give him access. Do you

really want to stop? The sultry

whisper scraped across her skin withdelicious sensitivity.

No, I dont. Then, hearing someone out

in the hall, Dani regretfully

straightened up. But we have to.


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They definitely had to. Because if the

man went any lower, she wasnt going to

want to stop until they were naked onher desk.

They both drew in a few deep, ragged

breaths, then, Josh finally said, Wow.

Wow is right. That was unexpected.Dani pried herself from his embrace,

trying to calm down. As much as she

didnt want to, she realized she had to

get off of his lap before someone

walked in on them.

You dont regret it. His tone dared her

to deny it, but before she could reply,

he added, Because I dont. Ive wanted

to do that for a long time.Well, now youve got it out of your

system, she said as she rose, smoothing

out her top with her hands.


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Josh chuckled, then shook his head

ruefully. I dont think Im ever going to

get the desire to kiss you out of mysystem, Dani.

The certainty in his voice brought out

such an unexpected rush of pleasure

that Dani couldnt help breaking into awide smile.

Joshs eyes narrowed and he stared at

her intently. She blinked, wondering if

one of her tinted contacts had fallen

out, praying now wouldnt be the timefor her to have to deal with

explanations about who she was and

where theyd really met - not when she

was still warm and dizzy from his kiss.

Ten minutes ago shed been bothered

that he didnt recognize her. Now, she

wanted to keep things like this for just

a bit longer. Something had shifted

when theyd kissed, it was as if that kiss


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had brought them back to square one,

starting from scratch in a whole new

type of relationship.

Besides, shed had time to think about

things over the past few days. Maybe

she didnt have quite as much reason to

be angry as shed thought. She no longerlooked much like the mail girl hed

occasionally passed in the hallways of

Schtick Studios. When shed gotten her

new job, shed made herself over,

getting rid of the wide-eyed young girllook. Shed cut off most of her long hair

and lightened it from dark red to

strawberry blonde. She certainly didnt

wear the silly little uniform shed once

worn.And then there were the green contact

lenses - the ones shed started wearing

after Josh had first seen her in the

velvet mask, hoping he wouldnt

recognize her when they met again.


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Once hed seen her green eyes, it would

have been really tough to explain a

sudden eye color change.

So, no, it wasnt necessarily a sign that

Josh was a selfish jerk for not

recognizing her. Maybe more that she

wasnt recognizable.Which meant telling him the truth

about who she was might prove to be a

bit sticker than shed imagined.

Josh lost himself for a moment in Danis

smile. It was dazzling. And, for some

strange reason, seemed familiar. As if

hed seen that joyous expression

before.

Have dinner with me tonight, he said.

Are you sure thats a good idea?

No brainer. Uh, yeah.

I mean, because we work together.


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If Burts got a no-fraternization policy,

maybe Ill have to bail on this whole Ms.

Personality thing.

Youre just saying that because you

know as well as I do that this show is a

really stupid idea.

Joshs jaw dropped. He had beenthinking along those lines, but hadnt

wanted to shoot his job out of the

water by saying so to the producers

assistant. You really feel that way?

She nodded. Im sorry, Im not trying

to ruin your job before you even

officially start. Now back to your

invitation

Yes?

She gave him another of those wide,

genuine smiles. Yes.

*** Dani had never enjoyed a date with

a man more. Once shed lowered her


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defenses, and let go of her annoyance

that he hadnt remembered her, shed

found Josh to be an entertaining,charming companion. He was smart,

quick-witted and a perfect gentleman.

Shed actually been looking forward to a

little non-gentlemanly behavior on hispart, particularly when theyd been

walking hand in hand on the beach after

dinner. The surf had rolled onto the

sand in a soft, gentle rhythm, the

moonlight had danced on the waves -the moment had been ripe with

expectation. The perfect setting for

romance, straight out of a movie.

But nothin. No kiss, no embrace. Nada.

Just clasped hands and lots ofconversation. Interesting conversation

though not as interesting as the other

things the man could do with his mouth.


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Which was all she could think about

now, a few hours later, as they stood on

her front porch about to say goodnight.Dani didnt want to say goodnight. Not

yet. As Josh leaned close to kiss her

cheek, Dani found herself whispering,

Are you sure you have to go? You

couldcome in.

Josh breathed deeply, as if inhaling the

scent of her hair. He said nothing for a

long moment, then, when shed begun to

kick herself for being a needy fool, headmitted, Id like that. But Im afraid

to. He pulled away and looked down at

her, his expression tender, but also

intense.

Afraid? Why?

Because, he said softly, if I come in

tonight, I dont think Ill be leaving until

tomorrow.


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Chapter Five

Dani Monroe stared at Josh Carruthers,

pondering her next move. If sheremained silent, he would walk away

after just a kiss on the cheek. If she

spoke up, she might get to spend the

night with the man of her dreams.

Hmmwhat was a girl to do?

Come in, she urged after about two

seconds. Josh looked at her with

surprise, so she added, If youre here

tomorrow morning, it will be because itsright for both of us.

He grinned. If?

Yeah. If. Ever heard of just coming in

for coffee and a little making out?

Making outs good. Its the stopping

that worries me.

Right now, it seemed more important to

start. Grabbing Josh by his arm, she


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pulled him into her apartment, then slid

her arms around his neck. Ive wanted

to kiss you all evening.

So she did. She touched her mouth to

his, lightly, before Josh put his arms

around her hips and tugged her closer.

Their tongues met and mated - hot andhungry - until Dani was whimpering with

pleasure.

Suddenly, Josh bent and picked her up

in his arms. Shed always figured shed

be insulted if some guy tried tomanhandle her. But Josh wasnt

manhandling.he was adoring her.

Pressing gentle kisses on her cheeks and

neck as he carried her to the couch and

set her down. When he knelt on thefloor between her knees, the contact of

their lower bodies sent molten want

through Danis blood.

So much for coffee, she whispered.


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Then she couldnt think at all. Joshs

touch was amazing. He stroked her hip

and her side, teasing the skin at herwaist with feather-light caresses. Dani

arched toward him, wanting more. When

he finally slid his hands under her

blouse and cupped her breast, she

moaned and laughed, all at the sametime, delighted at the sheer pleasure of

it.

One of his eyebrows shot up. Should I

be flattered or worried?I cant help it. I laugh when I feel

good.

Well, then, lets see if I can have you

rolling in the aisles, he said with athroaty chuckle.

Moving his mouth down her body, he

scraped his lips against her silk-covered

breast, making her quiver. As Dani

threw her head back in ecstasy, one of


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the cushions poked at the corner of her

eye, but she barely noticed. At least,

not until Josh stopped, looked up andstared at her in confusion.

He frowned, pulling away slightly. Then

his jaw dropped.

Its you! Josh was stunned by therealization hed just made. Dani used to

work with him at Schtick Studios. She

looked so different, from her hair to

her clothes. Damn, even the color of her

eyes! One of which, he now saw, was aclear, sky blue.

Shed been wearing contact lenses and

one had fallen out.

Josh? she asked, her tone cautious.

Your eyes arent green, theyre blue,

he snapped.

Nibbling her lip, Dani nodded. Im

wearing tinted contacts.


42/58

Why?

II like green?

Josh rose to his feet. Bull! You were

trying to hide your identity from me.

Which wasnt very hard to do, Mr.

Observant, she shot back. How could

you not know who I was after weworked together for two years?

The disgust in her voice pierced the

anger hed been feeling about being

deceived. You look completelydifferent. You cut off half your hair

and its lighter.

Besides, when Dani had worked at

Schtick Studios shed looked like a

fresh-faced girl. Now she looked like a

mature, devastating woman.

Your clothes are different, you even

act differently, he said, wondering


43/58

which of them had more right to be

upset. Only your smile is the same.

That smile. Josh had often noticed the

incredible smile of the former studio

mail girl. Mainly because shed never

bestowed it upon him. Shed barely met

his eye at all, and whenever she had,shed looked nervous, tense. Almost

disapproving with those big blue eyes.

As if shed judged him and found him

lacking. As if hed disappointed her.

Which made him even angrier. Sorry,

Im not up for game-playing. He didnt

even trust himself to look at her as he

strode to the door. Goodnight, Dani.

And then he walked out.

*** The next day, Dani couldnt stop

thinking about what had happened with

Josh. Yes, shed been mad that he

hadnt recognized her. But by hiding her


44/58

identity, shed made him think she was

playing some kind of childish game.

She was still stewing over it that

afternoon; so much so that she barely

registered what her boss had just

asked her to do. Then it sunk in.

You want me to put on one of thosecostumes and talk to the potential

bachelors?

Yeah, Burt said. You can do it. Our

usual stand-in called in sick, and we need

to see how these guys interact with a

masked woman.

A masked woman in a ridiculously tight,

Cat-womanish ensemble. Forget it. Uh-

uh. No way.

She should have known better. Burt

always got his way. Which was why, by

3:00, she was dressed in a devil-red

spandex get-up that clung to every inch


45/58

of her body, outlining her curves and

making her want to dive into a closet or

put on an overcoat.

The black velvet mask - which had

seemed so sultry when shed worn it

with Josh - proved heaven-sent now,

because it helped hide her disgust forthe bachelors. So far on the show there

had been an arrogant jock, a whiny

mamas boy and a patronizing chauvinist.

One thing theyd had in common - theyd

all been droolers. Which left her morecertain than ever that this whole Ms.

Personality concept was doomed,

because not one of them had looked

above her chin. And that was when she

had been dressed in regular clothes.

The only thing she could be grateful for

was that, because of another

commitment, Josh wasnt around to


46/58

witness this. And she planned to be long

gone by the time he arrived.

*** Josh arrived at the studios and was

directed to one of the sound stages,

where Burt Mueller was meeting with

the final five candidates for their

bachelor. I was able to make it in earlyafter all, he said to Burt as he walked

in the door. My other meeting was

canceled.

Burt shushed him, staring intently

toward the other side of the roomwhere two people stood. One of them

was a burly guy. The other was Dani?!

Joshs jaw dropped. There was no doubt

it was Dani - he recognized the delicatecurve of her jaw, the sweet fullness of

her lips.

He froze, still affected by her despite

his anger. Hed hoped to get a chance to

talk with her today about what had


47/58

happened, but this room was a little

crowded. Primarily by the burly jackass

who was, right at this moment, standingover Dani, peering down her top.

His fingers tightened instinctively but

he ordered himself to stay calm. He had

no claim on Dani. Maybe she liked anymans attention and wanted this guys

hands on her.

Whoa! His hands! The guy had just put

his hand on her shoulder, brushing his

forearm against Danis breast in a movetoo deliberate to be accidental. Then he

grabbed her around the waist.

A part of Josh wanted to grab the jerk

and throw him across the room. Butanother part - the part that didnt know

if Dani was just a game-player who

craved male attention - wanted to know

how she would react.


48/58

Chapter Six

Dani Monroes brothers had taught her

long ago that a knee to the groin or afist to the throat could bring any jerk

down. So the fathead whod just

grabbed her was cruising for a one-two

combination. She smacked at his beefy

paw, which rested on her hip.

Get your hands off me or youll be

talking soprano for life.

Well put, someone said.

It wasnt until the guy let her go that

Dani looked to see whod spoken.

Oh, great. It was Josh Carruthers.

Must you always be around when Im

looking like an idiot?

You look perfect.

Then Josh turned and leveled an icy

stare on the bachelor. If she doesnt

turn you into a soprano, I and the two


49/58

security guards right outside the door

sure as hell will. Now... get out.

The guy nearly ran. Once he was gone,

Dani said, Thanks for the backup - not

that I really needed it.

I know you didnt, he replied. We

need to talk.Oh, great, thats another one off our

list! Burt shouted.

Dani had almost forgotten Mueller was

there. She looked at Josh. Yes, we do.But first I have to talk to Burt.

It was time to come clean, to say what

she thought. That would be especially

tough with Josh watching her with

unexpected tenderness. What she had

to say could hurt him.

But she had no other choice. Taking a

deep breath, she turned to face her

intimidating boss. Burt, I have


50/58

something I have to say, and its not

going to be easy to hear. This, she told

the producer, has got to be thestupidest reality show in the history of

television.

She held her breath, waiting for Burts

reaction. And Joshs.To her surprise, Burt merely stared,

puffing, as always, on his cigar.

To her greater surprise, Josh stepped

to her side and placed a hand on her

shoulder. Shes right, he said. Ms.

Personality is a disaster.

*** Josh hadnt been sure what to do

about the show, not until Dani threw the

truth into their bosss face. Shed beencompletely honest... how could he be any

less? Having gone this far, he went all

the way. The whole things a

nightmare.


51/58

Burt didnt argue. Instead, he listened

calmly while Josh and Dani pointed out

the problems with the show. Eventually,the three of them went upstairs to

Burts office to talk. There, the man

surprised them by saying, Youre not

telling me anything I havent thought of.

I didnt want to pull the plug too soon,but I do have some other projects Im

developing.

Josh and Dani exchanged a relieved

look. This might just turn out okay forall of them.

Hey, is this a private party or can

anyone join in?

Josh looked toward the doorway andsaw a young woman. Her spiky black hair

and dark clothes were a stark contrast

to her pale - but pretty - face.

Burt grinned widely. Jacey!


52/58

The woman joined them, hugging the

notorious producer.

This is Jacey Turner. My daughter,

Mueller said to Josh. Shes the best

damn camera operator on the coast.

Jacey rolled her eyes. And you wonder

why they called him the King ofSchmaltz back in the 70s?

Their banter brought a smile to Joshs

lips.

Dani rose. Hey, Jacey, good to see youagain. Motioning for Josh to join her,

she added, Im sure you guys have a lot

to catch up on. Well get out of your

hair.

Well talk about the reality shows

later, Burt said with an appreciative

look. Im hoping to convince Jacey to

work with us.


53/58

As Josh followed Dani to the door, he

heard Burts daughter say, If you think

Im ever gonna work on the set ofanother reality TV show, youre whacked

in the head, old man.

Josh grinned, liking the sassy way Burts

daughter treated him. Just beforeexiting, his boss called, By the way,

Josh. Ive got something else in mind

for you. How do you feel about crime

dramas?

How did he feel? Abso-frigging-lutelyfantastic! Giving the man a nod of

thanks, he pulled the door closed.

Now there was only one thing left to do:

fix things with Dani.*** Lets go, Josh said, grabbing her

hand as they left Burts office.

Dani stumbled to keep up. Go where?

Someplace private.


54/58

Considering she was still wearing the

hideous red cat suit, private was good.

He led her to her own office, pulled her

inside, then shut the door. She moved

towards her desk, turning to face him

as she perched herself on its edge.

Before she could open her mouth, hesaid, Now listen.

She held her breath.

I was a fool for not recognizing you.

You changed, but the basic person was

always there. Funny, sassy and sweet.

Josh shook his head. To be honest, I

think thats why I looked at you but

never really saw you. Because the sassy

mail girl I worked with looked at me likeI was pond scum.

Danis jaw dropped. Shed feared looking

like a lovesick puppy... and hed thought

she didnt like him?


55/58

Last night... when I recognized you, I

thought you were punishing me or

something with a weird head game.Because you believed the lies about me,

he explained.

I didnt really believe them.

Then why were you nice to everyone,but wouldnt even smile at me?

She smiled at him now. Because I

thought if I smiled at you, youd see the

truth. That I was crazy about you.

This time, his jaw dropped.

Dani slid off the desk and stepped

close, putting her hand on his chest,

feeling the strength of his heartbeat.

Back then I had a goofy crush on you.

Taking a breath for courage, she

continued. Now its more than that. Im

in love with you. Emotion flashed in his

eyes, then he asked, So why the


56/58

games? Why did you hide who you

were?

That was a tough one. She explained as

best she could. I thought Id been

invisible before. So I tried to keep that

girl invisible... maybe hoping youd come

to care for the woman I am now. Thewoman youve spent so much time with

these past few weeks.

He leaned down and tenderly brushed

his lips against hers. You were never

invisible. I definitely saw you. And nowthat I know the woman in the mask is

also the buttoned-up producers

assistant... and the sassy redhead who

drove me nuts for two years, Im never

going to be able to let you go.

He was hinting at it, but Dani needed

the words. Why, Josh?

He brushed a wisp of hair off her brow.

Because Im in love with you, too, Dani.


57/58

She almost didnt believe it, but the

warmth in his eyes couldnt lie. Dani

threw her arms around his neck andtugged him close, pressing her mouth to

his for a tender kiss that quickly turned

hot and intimate. Dani moaned, loving

the taste of him and the warmth of his

hard body.

We gonna stop playing games now? she

eventually asked, pulling back to look

him in the eye.

Yeah. You up for another date?

And this time you really will stay for...

breakfast?

Josh pulled her tight again, caressing

her waist, her back, then the side ofher breast with deliciously light

strokes. Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner, he

whispered. Today and every day.


58/58

Then lets go, she said, already

shivering in anticipation.

Do one thing for me, okay? Looking

down at her clothes, he gave her an evil

grin. Keep the cat suit on.

The End

Madam Personalityx

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Transcript of Madam Personalityx