He stepped backward toward the bed, leading Des with him. “I might have forgotten what I was going to say.”

She pushed him onto the bed and he rolled her onto her side, tugging her against him. But she smiled as she laid her palm on his chest. “That’s okay. I don’t feel much like talking tonight.”

And that’s why he liked her. No relationship talk. No What Does This Mean Now That We’ve Had Sex? conversation. Just the two of them enjoying each other. No thinking about tomorrow.

Which worked just about perfectly for him. And, apparently, for Des, too.

He bent his head and kissed her, with no thought at all about that whole tomorrow thing.

Chapter 10

DES HADN’T EXPECTED to ever see Logan sitting in the makeup trailer of her movie set.

She’d challenged him and baited him about it, of course, mainly because he’d criticized her weaponry moves. She’d had to fight back, right? And she figured he’d never agree to get into costume, and especially not makeup. Most men would laugh and say they would, then never follow through. She should have known Logan wasn’t most men.

While they were lying in bed two nights ago, he’d asked her when she wanted him to fulfill his obligation to act as an extra in her movie. Shocked, she’d told him today, and he’d said he’d make arrangements for him and Martha to be here.

Bright and early this morning, they’d shown up on set and had been directed right away to makeup. When she’d heard he was there, she wandered over to find him being fitted for a giant alien head, his face already being painted a hideous shade of purple on one side and green on the other, horns sticking out from his brows.

Des stayed mostly out of the way as she sipped her coffee and leaned against a nearby desk. “You look attractive,” she said.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “I think this is a new look for me. It makes me look mean. I think I’ll get a lot of respect from the hands.”

She laughed. “I think you’ll scare the cattle.”

“Maybe they’ll respect me more, too.”

She laughed. “Maybe. I’m going to go check on Martha.”

Martha was in the trailer next door. Des could hear her talking as she walked in.

The makeup team was laughing as Martha told them stories about the ranch.

“Hey, Des.” Eddie, one of the makeup guys, nodded to her.

“Hi, Eddie. How’s it going?”

“Great. Martha’s going to be hideous.”

Martha laughed. “Thank you, Eddie. That might be the nicest compliment I’ve had in ages. Good morning, Des.”

“Morning, Martha. Are you having fun?” She regarded Martha in the mirror. She had hair sticking up everywhere, black and white and purple to match the alien race, and her face makeup was moving along nicely.

“I’m having the time of my life. I can’t wait for the hideous teeth of the Quazena people.”

“They are pretty hideous. I hope you have a wonderful day on set, and you don’t find it too tiring.”

“Are you kidding? This is a lifelong dream.”

Des patted her arm. “Great. Have fun, and I’ll see you on set.”

Des had to get her own makeup and hair done, so she was busy for a while. She didn’t see Logan and Martha again until they were setting up for the scene. It was a crowd scene in a courtyard. The Quazena people were gathered for Des and Colt’s trial. It was a loud and raucous scene, and the extras who were brought on were supposed to gesture in grunts and monosyllabic tones, which would be dubbed in later in Quazenic language tones—whatever those were going to be. The lead actors who were playing aliens had been trained to speak in the Quazena language, but the extras would mainly be panned over, so getting the language perfect wasn’t an issue for them.

The assistant director came out and explained the scene to the extras, then Des and Colt and the other actors came out and got into position. Theo then called for action, and the high council of Quazena called out and asked the people to pass judgment for the invasion. Colt looked over at Des, and she gave him a look that told them they were going to be judged for crimes they hadn’t committed. When the crowd rallied behind the council, shaking fists, some of the assigned actors throwing things at Des and Colt, she looked over at Colt, who tried to fight his bindings. She shook her head at him.

And then Des began to speak in Quazena, at least the first few words, something that shocked the council. She switched to English so the movie viewers would know what she was saying, but it would be understood she was speaking in the alien language.

“You judge us, but you don’t even know who we are. My father brokered for peace for your nation. You knew him. You fought alongside him. He died trying to free your people.” Des brought forth the tears needed for this emotional scene as the crowd and the council quieted to hear her speak. “He told me many stories of how peaceful the Quazena were, how they only wanted this war to end.”

She looked out over the crowd, spotted both Martha and Logan standing near the front, their expressions giving nothing away.

“And now all you want is war. Where has your compassion gone, your quest for peace?”

“It died along with our mates and our children, when your people tore it away with your weapons.”

“That’s not true!” Colt tore against his chains. “Tell them that’s not true.”

She shook her head. “They won’t believe us.” She lifted her head to the council. “Someone is lying to you, trying to make you believe that it was the humans who betrayed you. We are your allies. My father was your friend.”

The leader stood and came over to her, lifted her chin with one of his claws. “We have no friends.” He took a step back and looked out over the crowd.

“They die.”

The crowd exploded with cheers.

“And . . . cut,” Theo said, loud enough to be heard over the roar of the crowd. “Thank you, everyone. That’s a wrap for this scene.”

Everyone clapped. Des and Colt were released from their chains and Colt hugged her. So did Richard, the actor playing the alien king.

“Incredible scene, Des. You killed it,” Richard said.

“Thanks, Richard. So did you.”

She wandered down the stairs and through the crowd of extras to find Logan and Martha standing together.