Reaching out, Kellsie stroked his nose. She jerked her hand back and cradled it against her chest. It had felt cool and moist. Impossible. “Boy, this thing is real enough to play on the imagination.”
Chewing on her bottom lip, she studied his wide back. There were no painted-on saddles like on most carousel animals, just the creature’s broad body, which could easily hold her. Heck, her feet wouldn’t even come near the ground.
She put out her hand again and was surprised to see it was quivering. A combination of nerves and excitement, she supposed. She hoped she’d have to sit on him for the movie shoot for at least one of the scenes. The part of the script she’d read hadn’t specified which creature was supposed to come to life. Maybe she’d have to sit on all of them. Of course, there was always the off chance she wouldn’t have to actually ride any of them at all. Maybe her character released the mythical warrior in some other way.
If that was the case, she might never get another opportunity to be this close to the bear again. “You won’t hurt anything,” she promised herself. “Sitting on him won’t damage the paint job.”
Kellsie touched the bear’s flank. Shit, it really felt like fur. This was crazy. She should just go back to her trailer and get a good night’s sleep. The director would probably be back tomorrow, if he hadn’t already shown up while she was holed up in her trailer, and she’d have to get down to work.
And she really should hunt down Brittany and see about getting a complete script. There would be fourteen to eighteen-hour days of nonstop work for the next three to four weeks and she needed to be ready.
“I need to be rested if I’m going to run lines with Mordecai,” she muttered. She didn’t even know the guy’s last name. Something she’d have to remedy before the start of the shoot. She’d ask Brittany, while making the younger woman well aware of the fact that Kellsie had no interest in him beyond his acting abilities. No way was she getting involved in some sort of romantic triangle.
A low growl had her jumping back and slapping a hand over her pounding heart. She almost fell but managed to keep upright. “Great. Now I’m hearing things.”
She glanced around the tent, but only the carousel was spotlighted. Anyone could be standing in the shadows watching her. “Is anyone there?”
She listened but heard only silence. Maybe her stomach had growled in complaint of the junk food she’d stuffed in there earlier today. She made another turn of the carousel. The lion and wolf were quite spectacular, but nothing compared to the bear.
Returning to the creature’s side, she reached out slowly and placed her hand on his back. It was slightly warm, but no more than it should be when sitting under a spotlight. “Nothing but painted, carved wood.”
Why that made her so sad, she couldn’t say. But her heart ached at the thought this creature would be frozen in time forever. She wouldn’t want to really meet a bear this size. He’d eat her for lunch.
“You wouldn’t hurt me though, would you?” She stroked down his powerful right flank. Maybe when the movie was over she could talk the director into letting her buy the bear. She’d sell her kitchen table if she had to in order to make room for him in her tiny apartment.
“Would you like to come home with me when this is all done?” For some reason, she didn’t feel silly talking to the creature, which could, of course, mean she seriously needed therapy.
She nibbled on her lower lip as she studied the bear. He actually resembled a much bigger version of her tattoo. She was obviously meant to own him, or at least sit on him. He’d probably cost a fortune. Money she really didn’t have. But she knew she’d pay whatever they wanted in order to have him.
“I’m going to sit on you now,” she told him. “You won’t mind. Heck, you probably won’t even notice. Not a big fella like yourself.”
Kellsie slid off her coat and tossed it aside before stepping up onto the side of the carousel. She placed both hands on the bear’s shoulders, threw her right leg over his wide back and pulled herself on. It wasn’t as easy as she’d thought it would be. There were no stirrups to give her a foot up, no reins for her to hold.
But she was in good shape. She was determined and, seconds later, she settled onto him. “This is cool. Too bad I don’t know how to start the carousel. I’d love a ride on you.” Was the carousel even wired for movement or was it simply a wooden structure? She had no idea.
Enthralled, she leaned down and rested the side of her face against his neck. A sense of well-being, of belonging, melted through her entire body. For the first time in her life, she felt as though she was where she was meant to be.
The old Native American guy had said her life was about to change. Was this part of what he’d meant?
Slowly, the sound of music trickled into her consciousness. It was music with no name. She simply thought of it as carnival music. She straightened and peered into the gloom. “Who’s there?”
“Are you certain you want to ride him?” Mordecai stepped out of the shadows, looking rather large and imposing.
Kellsie swallowed hard. She was suddenly very aware of just how alone and isolated she was with this man. She didn’t know him at all. Not really. He was a fellow actor on the set, but that didn’t mean she could trust him. Quite the opposite really.
“Well?” He stepped closer, the light shimmering on his black hair. He stopped beside the wolf and stroked his broad head. “Do you want a ride?”
It had to be the atmosphere making her so jumpy, and she shook off her misgivings. Her fears suddenly seemed groundless and foolish. Mordecai wasn’t threatening her. He was offering her the chance of a lifetime.
“Would anyone mind?” She really wanted to ride the carousel.
He shook his head. His mouth firmed and his eyes darkened. He appeared almost angry, but it must have been a trick of the light because a moment later he smiled. “They won’t mind at all. In fact, they’d probably insist.”
“Cool.” She was right about her having to be on the carousel for the movie. This could be seen as an equipment test. Excitement shoved aside the last of her doubts. She was going to really get the opportunity to ride the carousel. “Start it up.”
He didn’t move, but the ride lurched forward. Kellsie had to grab onto the bear’s neck to keep from sliding off. There must have been someone else in the room with them, she figured. Probably the ride operator.
Mordecai took a step back as the ride picked up speed. The music grew louder until it started to hurt her ears. She wanted to cover them but dared not release her hold on the bear. “Turn the music down!”
Mordecai was a blur now. The carousel was moving dangerously fast. This was no leisurely ride, but a machine quickly spinning out of control. “Stop the carousel,” she pleaded. Sweat broke out on her brow as she clung to the bear.
“It’s too late.” Mordecai’s voice seemed to surround her and echo off the tent walls. “You asked for this. You wanted to ride the bear. Remember that.”
She was dizzy now and holding on for dear life. This had to stop eventually. All she had to do was hang on. The bear seemed to change beneath her, stiff wood softened and she dug her fingers into thick muscle. A low growl vibrated throughout the animal beneath her until it became a rumbling roar.
Lights flashed on around the tent. Kellsie could barely make out the people who seemed to be seated on benches. Everyone she’d met so far seemed to be there. Brittany laughed as Kellsie screamed at them to stop the ride. Frank and Bessie simply smiled at her. Harold laughed and waved. The old guy who’d been at the ticket booth this afternoon spit a wad of tobacco toward the carousel. The demon she’d seen earlier threw back his head and howled with glee.
Kellsie could barely breathe. The muscles in her thighs quivered where she had them clamped tight around the bear’s sides. The food she’d eaten this afternoon threatened to come back up. She was certainly going to fall.