THANE ADJUSTED HIS bowtie and smoothed down his jacket. He was surprisingly excited about the event tonight, even with the weight of success on his shoulders. He’d financed the majority of this project and if it failed, he’d take the hit.
Pam arrived with Niall and Charlotte in tow. Charlotte wore a corseted modernized version of one of the gowns she’d worn in the film. It had been her favorite and the deep blue matched her eyes perfectly.
Thane kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful, Charlotte.”
“Thank you.” She sighed with a grin. “I feel like a princess.”
Niall pulled her close and kissed her temple.
“Where are Max and Grace?” Thane asked.
“They’re going with the band,” Niall said. “I offered to go with them as well—”
“But I need you with me,” Charlotte rushed to say.
“Which is why I’m here.” Niall chuckled. “So, breathe...”
She took a deep breath. “Thank you, honey.”
“Where’s the baby?” Thane asked.
“With Megan,” Charlotte said.
“Some lovely grandmother, granddaughter time, then.”
“Exactly.”
“Car’s downstairs,” Pam said as she walked back into the room.
“Ready?” Thane asked.
Charlotte clapped her hands. “Yes. I’m nervous and excited all at the same time.”
Thane grinned. “I am as well, lass.”
He and Niall stepped back and let Charlotte precede them out of the hotel. It took a few minutes to get her and her dress loaded into the limo, but they made it and headed to the theater.
* * *
“Mmm, champagne and popcorn,” Sydney murmured somewhat sarcastically. “My favorite.”
“Champagne with just about anything works for me,” Lucy added, and took a sip. “Especially when it’s good.”
Lucy’s parents and brother were on the opposite side of the cinema lobby speaking with an acquaintance of her father’s, so Lucy had pulled Sydney over to the refreshments. Neither of them were particularly interested in the fascinating conversation of finance and the world economy.
“When do we get to sit down?” Sydney stepped from one foot to the other. “My feet are starting to scream at me.”
“Mine as well. I can’t imagine it will be long now. It’s almost seven.”
Before Lucy could get the words completely out of her mouth, the roar of the crowd outside grew and Sydney figured the stars were arriving. They’d gone through thirty minutes of the lesser known actors of the film, but now was the moment the crowd outside had been waiting for. “Let’s go somewhere else,” Sydney whispered.
“Where?”
“It doesn’t matter. We can join your parents. I just don’t necessarily want to be in the way.”
Lucy shook her head. “We have a chance to be within spitting distance of both Fallen Crown and Thane Allen. I’d very much like to be in the way.”
“I had no idea you had llama tendencies.”
Lucy giggled. “Nice.”
Sydney smiled and stepped behind Lucy in an effort to hide... hard to do when she was almost two inches taller than her cousin. Her hands were shaking, so she set her drink down on the counter and linked her fingers together in front of her.
She couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement as the band members filed in, and when Max MacMillan arrived, she felt her heart race and found herself star struck. He had one of the most amazing voices in the world and was drop-dead gorgeous to boot. His wife was stunning as well with her dark hair swept into an ornate up-do. Although he took time to sign autographs and speak with fans inside, he was never far from her. It was very sweet.
Lucy giggled and craned her head to look at Sydney. “Here comes Thane.”
Sydney bent her knees and peeked over Lucy’s shoulder, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, but was still unable to stop herself from watching him walk in. Truly, the man was beautiful with a full beard and his thick, dark strawberry-blond hair. She wanted to run her hands through it.
He was speaking with his costar, Charlotte, and her husband, Niall, the drummer for Fallen Crown, and Sydney felt the sudden need to escape.
“I’m going to the restroom,” she whispered, and dashed away from the crowd. Lucy followed and they spent a few minutes pretending to fix their already perfect makeup. Sydney hoped it was long enough in order to sneak in just before the movie started.
Lucy checked her watch. “Two minutes, love. We should really get in there.”
Sydney nodded and squared her shoulders, leading Lucy from the bathroom. They walked toward the theater and as they stepped through the door, Sydney stalled.
“I wondered if I’d see you again,” Thane whispered. He was standing just inside, leaning against the wall. He pushed away with a smile. “You’re difficult to find, Sydney Warren.”
Sydney chewed on her bottom lip, dumbstruck.
“I’m Lucy.” Lucy stuck her hand out and Thane shook it.
“You’re the cousin?” Thane asked.
“I am,” she said. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
“Lovely to meet you too, lass.”
Sydney stood frozen to her spot on the carpet, unable to form a coherent sentence as her cousin and crush carried on a pleasant conversation.
“Syd?” Lucy squeezed her arm.
“Hmmm?” she mumbled.
“I’m going to find the fam. I’m sure Thane can make sure you find a seat?” Lucy made it both a statement and a question, which didn’t really help Sydney’s nerves.
“I’d be happy to,” Thane said.
“I should come with you,” Sydney managed to say.
“No, love, you stay,” Lucy argued. “I’ll save you a seat.”
“But the movie’s going to start.”
“It won’t start until I sit down,” Thane said.
“Have a little fun, cuz,” Lucy whispered, and kissed her cheek before walking away and out of her sight.
Sydney bit her lip again and stared at the movie star. Good Lord, he was gorgeous, especially up close.
“Hi,” he said, and smiled.
“Hi.” She took a deep breath. “How did you know I’d be here?”
“I didn’t,” he said. “But I saw you rush away when I came in, so I waited. Will you sit with me tonight?”
“What?” She let out a quiet gasp. “No. I couldn’t.”
“Why not?” he challenged.
“Because you’re the star of the movie and I’m a nobody. What will people think?”
He chuckled. “I’ve never much cared about what other people think, lass. It’s served me well in life. At least so far.”
“I’m here with my family, though. It would be rude.”
“How about you introduce me and I’ll ask them directly?”
Sydney narrowed her eyes. “Do you ever take ‘no’ for an answer?”
“Not when I’m in the strange position of having to convince a beautiful woman to sit with me in a movie theater.”
Sydney shivered. Lordy, he was sexy. “Aren’t they waiting on you to start?”
“Aye, lass they are, but we can stand here all night if you’d like to.”
He gave her another sexy little grin that caused her to blush. “Oh, for the love and glory be. Come on, I’ll introduce you to my family.”
“Excellent idea.” Thane held his arm out and she slid her hand around it.
They walked into the large theater. All eyes were suddenly on them and Sydney instantly wanted to run away. She tried to pull her hand away, but Thane laid his free hand over hers and gave it a squeeze as he led her to a very official looking woman, headphone and microphone on. As they got closer, Sydney recognized her from the hotel, complete with impressive glare aimed at Thane.
Before the woman could say anything, he raised a hand. “I know, Pam. Just give me one more minute and I’ll be ready.”
She sighed and nodded as Sydney found her family in the crowd.
“Ready, love?” he whispered.
Sydney nodded and led him up the stairs. Her aunt was aflutter as Thane introduced himself, and Sydney felt a little embarrassed by all the attention.
“I do hope you won’t mind if I steal Sydney for the rest of the evening,” Thane said, still holding her aunt’s hand.
“Of course not,” she said. “She’s all yours.”
Sydney noticed he waited to release Aunt Clara’s hand until Uncle Cary nodded his approval.
“Thank you.” Thane faced Sydney and smiled. “Shall we?”
“Um, sure.”
He linked his fingers with hers, guiding her to his seats in the front. Sydney thought she might die of nervousness right then and there. Next to Thane sat Niall MacMillan, then Niall’s wife and Thane’s costar, Charlotte, then Max MacMillan’s wife, Grace, then Max. Oliver Bardsley, the bass player from Fallen Crown was next to him. Henry Keys, the keyboardist, and his wife and older children sat in the row in front.
She noticed the men stood as she sidled to her seat and was surprised to be pulled into a warm hug by Charlotte. “Hi Sydney. Thane hasn’t been able to shut up about you.”
“You’re American.”
Stupid, stupid, stupid thing to say!
Sydney felt heat creep up her neck. “Sorry, that was dumb.”
“Not at all.” Charlotte giggled. “Portland, Oregon. Until this one swept me off my feet.” She pointed to Niall, who shook Sydney’s hand.
“Lovely to meet you lass,” Niall said.
“You too,” Sydney said, and smiled at Charlotte. “I love Portland.”
“It’s a gorgeous city, for sure,” Charlotte agreed, and after she’d introduced Sydney to Max and Grace, took her seat.
Sydney did the same and once everyone was seated, the lights dimmed and the movie began. She was surprised to find that she liked... no, loved... the way Thane held her hand throughout the film. And what a film it was. She had to admit, it was very surreal watching intense love scenes while sitting in between the two who were acting out said love scenes. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear these two would give their lives for each other. Their chemistry was off the charts.
Thane’s character, Jamie Ford, knelt at the empty bed of his missing wife and whispered, “Where is she? Where is my wife?” and thus began the emotional roller coaster that Sydney was strapped into for the next two hours and four minutes.
She was completely swept up in the story of the couple sent back to the Civil War as they miraculously find their way back to each other. She found herself gripping the armrest or gasping aloud, especially when Richard Madden tried to take advantage of his friendship with Sophie. Then when Sophie saw Jamie and he didn’t recognize her, Sydney was devastated. She was a little embarrassed when Thane offered her his handkerchief. “Thank you,” she sniffed.
He gave her hand a squeeze, lifting it to his lips after she dabbed at her eyes, trying to avoid smearing her makeup.
Throughout the rest of the movie, she barely managed to keep her emotions at bay. Luckily, she kept her sobbing to a very quiet internal struggle; the copious amount of tears pouring down her face were the only indication she was moved. As the credits rolled, she took advantage of the dark and pulled herself together.
The lights came up and the crowd gave a rousing round of applause. Thane leaned close and asked, “Will you stay here?”
Sydney nodded and he rose to his feet, helped Charlotte to her feet, and guided her down to the front.
Thane raised his hands and waited for the din to quiet down. “Thank you so much for joining Charlotte and me for the premiere. We are grateful you came and would love to hear your thoughts... unless they’re negative, of course.”
The group responded with laughter and more clapping.
“My assistant is probably going to kill me because we have a reception to get to, but does anyone have any questions?” he continued.
An older gentleman stood. “Thane, what did you like the most about your character, Jamie Ford?”
“I liked his absolute devotion to Sophie. Even when he didn’t remember her, he still felt committed to her in his heart. He was sensitive, but didn’t lose his sense of being a man.”
“So, you liked that he wasn’t whipped,” the man said.
Thane chuckled. “Exactly.”
A young woman stood and smiled. “This question is for both of you. Do you feel a connection with the character you played? And was there anything you didn’t like about your characters?”
“You first, lass,” Thane said.
“Hmmm.” Charlotte hummed in thought. “I definitely felt a deep connection with Sophie. This is a woman who was thrown back in time and, although she was passionate about that period in history, she was without the only man she’d ever loved. I’ve only been married to my husband for a couple of years and I couldn’t imagine losing him even after a hundred years together, so I could feel her pain on a deep level. There wasn’t much I didn’t like about her, really. Except that at times I felt she forgot where she was and spoke a little more plainly than might have been wise.” She smiled at Thane. “Your turn.”
Thane stared at Sydney and a slow smile spread over his face. “The struggle I had with Jamie was that it took him a long damn time to find his woman and when he did find her, he didn’t remember her. I know that if my wife walked up to me, I’d know her with every beat of my heart and every breath of my soul. When you find the one you’re supposed to be with forever, you don’t forget.”
Sydney’s heart raced as he spoke directly to her and the crowd let out a collective sigh at his words. Sydney licked her lips and closed her eyes for a brief moment to compose herself.
Thane and Charlotte graciously took questions for almost thirty minutes before Thane’s assistant called a stop to the Q&A time.
“Alright, folks, please feel free to file out and help yourselves to food and beverages. It is an open bar tonight, so we’ll have taxis at the ready to drive you home should you need it,” Pam announced.
“We’ll wait here until the crowd’s out,” Niall told Sydney. “Everyone wants a chance to meet the stars.”
“Good plan.” Sydney shifted to face him. “How do you handle watching your wife kissing another man?”
“I close my eyes,” he admitted. “And then I kiss her over and over again so she never forgets who her real man is.”
Sydney smiled. “I’m pretty sure she couldn’t forget if she tried.”
He chuckled and Sydney watched the guests walk by Thane and Charlotte as they filed out to the reception. Her family waved to her as they passed her seat, but didn’t stop to chat, and then the room was empty and Thane came to collect her.
“Sorry, love,” he said, and held his hand out to her.
“Don’t be sorry.” Sydney smiled as she took his hand and stood. “It was fascinating watching everything.”
“Do you want to get out of here?”
“Don’t you need to stay?”
“Not if I don’t want to.”
Sydney raised an eyebrow. “Really?”
He chuckled. “Okay, I should stay, but I’d rather go somewhere with you.”
“That’s sweet.”
“It’s not bloody sweet, love.” He sighed. “It’s the truth.”
Sydney giggled. “Still sweet.”
“Cheeky.” He kissed her palm and smiled. “I’ll have to take you out tomorrow night to make up for it.”
“Don’t do anything on my account.”
“You don’t want me to take you out?”
“That’s not what I’m saying.” Sydney shook her head and took a deep breath. “It’s just that you unhinge me in a way.”
He chuckled. “Good.”
“Good?”
“Aye. Because you slay me, love, so if I can have a fighting chance with you, I’m on the right path.”
Sydney folded her lips between her teeth and then smiled. “You can have a fighting chance.”
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Bloody hell, love, you’re adorable.”
That was the last chance they got to speak for the next hour. When Sydney’s family was ready to leave, she wasn’t sure if she should say something to Thane or just walk out. She chose to walk out, but was stopped by Niall. “I’m going to grab him.”
“You don’t need to do that,” Sydney said.
“He’d want me to. Believe me.” Niall smiled at Sydney’s uncle. “Would you please give us a moment? I won’t keep her long.”
“I can do that,” Uncle Cary said.
“Thanks.” Niall cupped Sydney’s elbow and guided her to the crowd surrounding Thane. “Sorry folks, I just need to steal Thane for a moment.”
Thane smiled and shook a few hands before stepping from the group and taking Sydney’s hand. “You’re not leaving, are you?”
“I am. My family’s waiting, so I should go.”
“I’m sorry I’ve neglected you, love.”
“You haven’t,” she argued. “This was your night; I’m the one who crashed it.”
“So...” He smiled and stroked her cheek. “Can I take you out tomorrow?”
“I think that will work.”
“Excellent.” He pulled out his phone and handed it to her. “Put your contact information in here and I’ll give you a ring.”
Sydney glanced over at her uncle, who was watching intently. He gave her a nod, so she entered her cell phone number and handed the phone back to Thane. He moved his fingers over the screen. “I just sent you a text. You now have my information. I’ll trust you not to share.”
She widened her eyes. “Oh, I wouldn’t.”
“I know, love. I’m joking.” He smiled. “Are you a night owl or an early riser?”
She shrugged. “I don’t sleep, so I’m both, I guess. Why?”
“Just seeing what my odds are if I text you later, whether or not you’ll respond.”
She giggled. “I guess you’ll have to take a chance and find out.”
Thane leaned down and kissed her cheek. “I will definitely do that.”
“I should go.”
“I’ll walk you out.”
“You don’t need to do that, Thane,” she said. “You have a crowd of people wanting your attention.”
“And they can wait.”
She sighed, her heart racing as he laid his hand on her lower back and guided her to her family. Thane shook her uncle’s hand. “Thank you for letting me steal her this evening.”
Uncle Cary chuckled. “It was all up to her.”
Sydney stared at her uncle. He’d just told her it wasn’t up to her and that she was being protected whether she wanted to be or not. Now, this man waltzes in, and he’s ready to hand her off to him without any information? Not that she minded, but she still found it strange.
Thane kissed Lucy and Aunt Clara’s cheeks and then shook Anson’s hand before pulling Sydney in for a gentle hug and kissing her cheek again. “I’ll text you later.”
“Maybe I’ll respond,” she retorted.
He released her with a chuckle and Sydney walked with her family to the waiting limo.