Alter Ego

It was a miracle. Most coma patients either recovered within a few days, or they never came back at all.Kayla Farrell was in a coma for three long years. Everyone had given up hope-except for one courageous nurse who was willing to try anything to revive her patient! But waking up to the sound of her favorite actor's voice is only the first step on Kayla's long, arduous road to recovery.Alex Matthews, lead star of the award-winning series "e;The Bureau,"e; has heard all the rumors. How the sound of his voice pulled this unknown little writer back from death's door. How the first word out of her mouth was his character's name. And how, despite her infirmities, she's written the most amazing script ever to cross a producer's desk. The entire thing sounds too weird to be true.The prospect of dealing with a cripple scares the daylights out of him. So when Kayla and her devoted nurse actually arrive on the exotic "e;Bureau"e; set to watch her movie being filmed, Alex must confront his deepest fears.Yet despite her confining wheelchair, Kayla Farrell is beautiful, vibrant, full of life. Try as he might, Alex is drawn by her clever wit, and her tenacious struggle to walk again.But Alex isn't the only one who enjoys Kayla's vivacious company. He's lost out to his co-star Tommy Anders' boyish charm before--but never when it mattered so much.His timing for the camera is impeccable. But in his personal life, somehow he manages to botch it every time. Can he manage to overcome his fears, and win Kayla's love, before their return to civilization separates them forever?~~~~~ Excerpt ~~~~~Kayla would always remember that first golden glimpse of Alex Matthews looking like a guilty little kid caught in the cookie jar, while his normally-sober partner roared with laughter.Akeen pang of disappointment lanced through her heart. Of course she hadn't really expected them to act just like their TV roles-yet somehow she had, anyway! Foolish of her.She knew their screen characters intimately. She knew what they'd say, how they'd say it, how they'd react to any given situation. But these two glorious, larger-than-life people were total strangers to her. Suddenly she felt very shy, and more than a little awkward.Alex was just as much at a loss. You're the one she's here to see. Allie's cheerful voice echoed in his ears. He drew a deep, steadying breath, and tried to still his racing pulse. Let's make her week a memorable one.He was an actor. He could handle this. No one else needed to know how his heart was pounding.Resolutely he stepped forward with a beaming smile pasted on his face. "e;It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Kayla Farrell. Welcome to Paradise Island!"e; And he forced himself to clasp her outstretched hand.Heat exploded in his palm, and seared all the way up his arm and shoulder. Startled, he took a hasty step back.Whatever he'd expected, her skin was vibrant and warm from the overhead noon sun.He became aware of a fierce thudding in his belly-one that had nothing to do with the dreaded wheelchair, and everything to do with the heavy anvil still gut-punching him