Silbie Luna dug her fingernails into Logan's chest, letting him know she wanted his tongue out of her mouth. But once again, he ignored the signal, leaving her no other choice than to cup his nuts and squeeze.

A little gurgle came from the back of his throat, but he held the lip lock. Then, he layered his hand over hers and massaged his balls at her expense.

She jerked away. "Damn it!"

"Cut!"  In one motion, Director Sam Spelchek yanked his headphones off and rushed toward the pair. "Logan, this is your last warning. Do the scene the way it's written or—"

Silbie didn't let him finish. "It's okay, Sam. One more take and I'm sure he'll nail it." She zeroed in on the troublemaker, held his gaze for a long moment, then scowled. "Right?"

Logan ran his hands over his face and pressed fingers to his temples as if to keep his head from exploding. "Yeah. Sure. Just having a little fun. Clearly, I'm the only one here with a sense of humor."

"Not true." Silbie rocked back on her heels and fought the urge to dig the wedgie out of her butt. All she wanted was to rip off the irritating costume and soak in a hot bath, and that wouldn't happen until Logan cooperated.

"My sense of humor is as healthy as the next person's, but honestly, you don't know when to stop. Pull a prank once, it's funny. Twice, amusing, three times, it's downright exasperating, and right now, you're annoying the shit out of me. One more take, right or not, I'm out of here."

Red-faced and tight-lipped, Sam sighed so hard it was a wonder smoke didn't shoot from his nostrils. He squared up to Logan. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear. Test audiences hate the ending. They want Rayne and Cruz to share a kiss at the end. A sweet kiss. So, stop trying to perform a tonsillectomy on Silbie! Just remember, with the few scenes you have, it won't be difficult to replace you. Hell, this reshoot is already putting us over budget, so recasting your part will be easy. Got it?"

Oh, he got it all right. Silbie could tell by the way his face blanched and his Adam's apple bobbed. Not a good sign for a superhero. If the threat of losing his budding career didn't whip him into shape, nothing would—except maybe his agent.

So, how long would it take before Jo stepped in? Since she represented Silbie and Logan, she stood to make a boatload of money off this picture. Jo must have been telepathic because she pocketed her phone and hurried toward Logan. She looped her arm in his, then flashed Sam a smile so sweet it's a wonder it didn't attract bees.

"Don't you worry bout a thing. Just do it once more, and I promise he'll be a good boy." She glared at Logan and stretched her Georgia drawl as tight as it would go. "Won't you, sugar pie honey bunch?"

"Absolutely."

Silbie marveled at how skillfully the woman managed him. Then again, she'd landed him the part over hundreds of other unknown actors and two Hemsworth's. And with social media buzzing, it looked as if this would be a top-grossing film. Not to mention the ridiculous charade of an off-screen romance Jo invented. Taking advantage of Silbie's inexperience, Jo kept insisting having Logan as a fake boyfriend would make Silbie off-limits to unwanted advances.

That was the biggest selling point. Since Silbie's heart already belonged to Owen Filgard. But unfortunately, he was halfway around the world, ensuring America's freedom. Maybe he was even on his way home. She'd not heard from him in months, but that was normal. He'd been gone over a year and as much as she admired his patriotism, enough was enough. Let someone else defend our country.

And, in case he read anything in the tabloids, at least he'd know the relationship was a ruse. She'd written to tell him about the ridiculous scheme.

The whirlwind of stardom kept her busy, but a combination of missing him and homesickness made her heart ache. Because of that, she had her own plan, and as soon as she made it back to Parkers Prairie, she'd remedy the problem.

"Okay, places everybody," Sam said. "We're going to try this one more time. Keyword, one. Right, Logan?"

He rolled his eyes, then flicked his finger. "Sure."

Sam replaced his headset, plopped into his chair, and motioned to the assistant director. She held the clapperboard in front of the camera. "Quiet on the set. When Rayne Comes, take seven. Action!"

An hour later, Silbie sat in the backseat of a stretch limo headed to 4 with Erica Moore daily show. She hated interviews, having to repeat the same information over and over. How did singers perform a song thousands of times without going nuts? Perhaps the sound of their own voices made them happy. No way her Texas twang brought joy to anyone in TV land.

Jo nudged her shoulder. "Hell-loooo? LA to Silbie."

She snapped from her trance. "What?"

"What's on your mind, sweetie?"

"Having to answer the same old questions, yet again. With my private life picked apart on social media, you'd think people would be sick of me."

"Loosen up, buttercup. No matter how many times you're interviewed, people still want to hear about your rise to fame. And with my clever co-star boyfriend angle, they're more intrigued than ever."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Silbie announced her decision, "Yeah, about that. So far, it's been speculation. But the minute I'm asked a direct question about my relationship with Logan, I intend to tell the truth."

"Okay."

Silbie blinked to clear the confusion. Okay? Was that all she had to say? That couldn't be right. Way too easy. "Did you hear me? I'm not willing to pretend Logan and I are an item."

Jo rummaged in her purse, retrieved a compact and a tube of lipstick. "Loud and clear."

"You're not upset?"

"Listen, dumplin'. It doesn't matter what you say. The more you deny it; the more fans will believe it because it's what they want. In Hollywood, nothing's more believable than a lie."

"So, even though I'll be telling the truth, they'll think I'm lying?"

"Right on, honeycomb. The more vehemently you deny it, the more tumblr believes it."

Silbie pressed her fingertips against her pounding temples. Sometimes having an agent proved more trouble than it was worth. She shifted in her seat. "There's one thing fans love more than an off-screen romance."

Jo smoothed her lips with cherry red, then snapped her compact shut. "Which is?"

"A messy breakup. I can announce our split today. That should fix the problem."

"Okay, and how will you explain this sudden turn of events?"

"I'll just say it wasn't working, or better yet, no comment."

Jo shook her head. "That'll never work, cottonball. If you ditch Logan for no apparent reason, you'll come across as shallow, and your fans won't like you. If left open to interpretation, they'll decide he cheated, and then they'll hate him. Either way, not a good idea."

She opened her briefcase and removed a document. "I planned to save this news for later, but given your problem with telling a little fib, I'll share it now. The studio sent over a contract last night for two Rayne sequels. They plan to franchise the hell out of the character. A clothing line, games, dolls, the whole works. They've offered twelve million, but I think I can negotiate up to at least fifteen."

All the air left Silbie's lungs. She put her hand against her throat. "What?"

"Listen, little Luna. When Rayne Comes is going to be huge. I'm talking bigger than End Game, which is about to gross two billion dollars worldwide. That's billion, with a B. You announce a breakup, you can kiss your career goodbye—and what about me and Logan? We'll go down with you. Is that what you want? The last thing you want to do is be as problematic as LiLo."

The dilemma took Silbie right back to the game she used to play at slumber parties. Given the right circumstances, anyone would bend their moral code. Like, would she ever commit murder, even if the person deserved it? Easy answer, no. But if the murder cured cancer? Damn, she hated that game and here she was again, stuck in the middle of it. Tell the truth and wreck her career? Fine. But could she destroy two other people's hopes and dreams?

Especially these two. At one time, Jo was homeless and managed to claw her way out with pure tenacity. Logan was raised in foster homes, not all of them loving. Silbie's good fortune came easily. She had a cushy upbringing. Maybe this one little lie was her way of paying her dues.

Besides, who would it hurt? Logan knew it wasn't real, so it wasn't like she was lying to him. A sharp pain twisted in her chest. Yeah, not to him, just millions of other people.

The limo driver wheeled into the station parking lot, and Jo patted Silbie's knee. "Look, sunshine, I know this isn't easy. So, here's the deal. Don't deny or confirm the love affair. Be vague. That will keep you from lying outright. Besides, people believe what they want to believe. In a few weeks, you and Logan will start the movie junket and will be traveling all over the country together. Paparazzi will eat that up."

The knife of guilt plunged deeper. "We won't be booked into the same hotel room, will we?"

"No worries. I've reserved all suites."

"Fine," she grumbled. As the driver opened the door, Silbie looked back over her shoulder at Jo. "By the way-I've decided to hire an assistant and if all goes well, she'll travel with me."

"A companion? Anyone I know?"

"No. She lives in Parkers Prairie. When I go home this weekend, I plan to make her an offer she can't refuse." She stood on the curb and waited for Jo to slide out. Anxiety bubbled up in her stomach and she felt as if she were being marched down the streets to the guillotine. "Now, let's get this over with."

Fifteen minutes later, Erica Moore clipped on her microphone and eyed her guest. "Don't be nervous. I promise not to ambush you with any questions not cleared with your agent."

Silbie shot her a nervous smile.  "Thanks, I appreciate that."

The producer counted down. The music swelled. Erica plastered on a smile and focused on the camera. "My next guest is the hottest star of the most anticipated movie on the planet. When Rayne Comes. Silbie Luna is in the house! Welcome, Silbie."

"Thank you, Erica."

"Well, let's start with your rise to fame. It literally defines overnight sensation."

Silbie pretended it was the first time she'd heard the question. That was the only way she could muster enthusiasm. "It really is. I took part in a TV promo for the UT, and director Sam Spelchek, who happens to be alumni, saw it and contacted me to screen test for the movie. It was really just a stroke of luck. You know, right place, right time."

Erica slapped the air as if swatting a fly. "Don't be so modest. This is a huge production. You wouldn't have gotten the part without talent. So, let's talk about the film. Since it's a superhero movie, it goes without saying that it will have a lot of action, but that isn't what it's all about. I understand it also speaks to relationships. Especially between Rayne and her mother. I'm lucky enough to have seen a couple of snippets. One involves you and your onscreen mom, Soleil, and I have to tell you, I really believed you were mother and daughter. How did the two of you develop chemistry in such a short time?"

Silbie cocked her head and shrugged. "I suppose it has something to do with the great relationship I have with my own mother. We've always been close. Those scenes were the easiest for me."

"Well, let's talk about some scenes that weren't easy. This is a role with lots of physical demands. How hard did you train?"

Silbie widened her eyes and sucked air between her teeth. "Extremely hard. I used to be on UT's derby team, so I thought I was in great shape." She chuckled. "I discovered, not so much. But I had a great trainer. That's one thing I like about Rayne. She isn't naturally powerful. Well, I mean she does have powers, but she trains every day. I think that's important. Especially to younger viewers. To know that even superheroes have to work hard. There's no two minute work-out montage where she's automatically better than those who've been at it longer."

Erica leaned forward. "Speaking of young fans, especially girls, how proud are you to be a strong female lead and role model?"

Silbie commanded her emotions to stay in check. It was the main reason she'd taken the part. "So very proud. Not just about this movie, but the direction the industry has gone in the last year, featuring more women in roles like this."

Erica relaxed against the back of her chair. "Well, we're almost out of time, and I can't pass up the chance to ask about your co-star. Is he a snack or what?" She fanned her face with both hands.

Silbie giggled. "He is that, for sure."

"Oh, come on, Silbie. Spill the tea. The two of you are all over social media and gossip magazines. Is any of it true?"

Silbie gave Erica her best bashful grin and pictured the cameraman naked to achieve a blush. "I don't know. I haven't read any of those articles or had time to keep up with social media." Maybe lying wasn't so hard for her after all. Those rolled out of her mouth with no trouble.

"I can't let you slide with that answer. Are you a couple or not?"

After a long pause, Silbie grinned. "All I'll say is—he is very special to me." Vague, but true.

Erica pressed her palms together as if praying, then clapped and squealed. "There you have it. You heard it first on 4 with Erica Moore. Silbie Luna and Logan Foster are officially America's hottest couple!"

Once back in the car, Silbie gulped water to cool down. Not from the weather, but the reaction caused by lying to Erica's viewers. When the TV host made the false announcement, more than Silbie's pants caught fire. She gave new meaning to the word liar.

Jo patted her shoulder. "Take a deep breath. You didn't lie. You consider Logan a good friend, right?"

Silbie frowned. "I went along for the ride when Erica said we are a couple. Same thing."

Before Jo could offer what would surely be an argument, Silbie's phone chimed.

"Hello, Mom. What's up?"

"You're still coming home tomorrow, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I won't be there until after midnight."

"That's okay. Matthew's planned a family meeting. Oh, that isn't the right word. Brunch. Saturday morning. That'll let you sleep late and give Dante time to arrive."

An odd feeling crawled up Silbie's spine. "Mom, what's wrong? You don't sound like yourself."

"I guess I'm just tired from cleaning out the garage. Have a safe flight and we'll see you tomorrow night. I love you. Bye."

"Don't wait up." Silbie said, but Mom was already gone.

"What was that about?" Jo asked.

Silbie stared at the blank phone screen. "I don't know, but something is definitely wrong because Mom sounded weird."