Friends and Lovers Trilogy 02 - Charmed by Beth Ciotta

her liquor better than most. She’d spent the night crying on Anthony Rivelli’s shoulder. Crying over Chaz. Instead of ending their platonic date after drinks as planned, Anthony had driven her back to his apartment so they could talk at length. This was the second time since they’d met that he’d shirked his business responsibilities to rescue her from a meltdown. It helped that he was going through a similar crisis. He too was hung up on someone who wasn’t good for him. Difference was
he
didn’t cry at the drop of a hat. Feeling like a total loser, she poured another shot into her coffee before replacing the bottle on the back of the shelf.
    Murphy said nothing.
    “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” She was used to men staring. But this was different. She didn’t get a sexual vibe off Murphy. Nope. She felt scrutinized. Worse.
    “I was just thinking that you and your sister don’t look anything alike. There’s a similarity about the eyes. Other than that—”
    “Same father, different mothers.” She cocked a hip against the counter, took another sip of her spiked coffee, welcoming the stiff burn. “So what’s going on? What are you doing here?”
    He reached behind him and then set a silver seashell on the counter in front of her.
    “The infamous gift?”
    “Open it.”
    She did. A pearl thong. Dread rippled through her as she studied the naughty lingerie. “So?”
    “It was addressed to
Girl of My Dreams.
Lulu thinks it’s for you. Thinks it’s from your agent.”
    “Exagent.” Though she schooled her expression, her body hummed with betrayal. She’d been seduced by a handsome face, the “L” word, and the promise of success. She and about ten other actresses on Chaz Bradley’s roster. She shrugged off a bout of self-disgust. One of these days she was going to learn
not
to mix pleasure with business. She dropped the thong back in the shell and snapped shut the lid. “It’s not from Chaz. He would’ve signed his name.” Would’ve wanted her thinking about the great sex she was missing. What she
missed
was what she thought she had. A grip on her future.
    Murphy cleared his throat. “Lulu mentioned that there’ve been quite a few gifts lately.”
    She nodded. “Flowers. Chocolates. Perfume.”
    “All from Chaz?”
    “Some from Chaz. Our relationship … our
business
relationship,” she clarified when he raised a brow, “ended badly.”
    “The other gifts?”
    She shrugged. “I assumed they were from some of the men that I’ve met at the Carnevale. High rollers. Executives. Some of them are very persistent.”
    “You’re a striking woman.”
    She braced herself for a come-on, marveled that it had taken him this long to turn this into something sexual, but instead he topped off his coffee, and leveled her with a look that was all business. “I think this particular gift was intended for your sister.”
    She tightened her grip on her cup as she rode out another ripple of dread. “People give Lulu teddy bears and homemade cookies, not pearl thongs.”
    “I’m going to be straight with you, Sofia, because I think you can handle it.”
    Her pulse hammered. “I can.”
    “And I might need some help.”
    “If it has to do with Lulu, I’m there.”
    He sipped his coffee, gazing over the brim at her, dark eyes intense. “I’m acting on a tip from a trusted source. Your sister’s in danger. Seems she’s picked up an admirer.”
    “What, like a stalker?”
    He nodded.
    Deranged fan obsessed with local celebrity.
A scenario ripped out of any one of a dozen bad movies. Her stomach clenched. “I knew it.” She set down her coffee cup, shoved her bothersome hair off her face with a weary groan. “I’ve warned Lulu to keep those oddballs at arm’s length, but she’s polite to everyone, including the watchers. Claims they’re not weird, just eccentric. Trust me. They’re weird.”
    Murphy angled his head. “The watchers?”
    “Devoted fans of the casinos’ free