Secret Mistress

by Victoria Arabpour Pinder

  He poured the glasses of juice and then cut the bread and cheese like they were having a European-style breakfast. She loved bread and cheese. “I’d have traded my last name and my inheritance at one point growing up, and early on in my career.”

  “Why?” She stirred the espresso and sugar for the right consistency of the brew.

  He took out a knife and cut the hard bread. “To prove to everyone that I’m here in LA because I have talent and drive, just like everyone else; instead, I have to work extra hard to show I’m not entitled.”

  Wow. She’d have thought his money would be an advantage. Money usually was and he could honestly get people to produce whatever his heart desired. Right?

  Maybe she was wrong, so she pressed her lips together to keep quiet, but she couldn’t stop the question from bubbling forward. She finished making the cafesita. “So being a Morgan has hurt your career?”

  He let out a sigh like he’d held it in too long and then said, “It’s type-casted me. I get a lot of scripts for the ruthlessly rich.”

  She thought of every movie of his that she’d seen and there hadn’t been one where he’d played such a character. “You’ve never played that role.”

  She helped him cut the cheese into small squares, then put it onto their plates as he grabbed fruit and washed it. “I don’t want to even pretend to be my father.”

  They sat down together and she popped a grape into her mouth then had a sip of her coffee. Caffeine hit her veins. “Can I ask why you took this role?”

  A huge smile grew on his face, like he wanted to laugh but didn’t. “Where I’m playing my brother?”

  Axel was interesting. Most of his brothers were bankers. She tilted her head. “It seems something you’re family wouldn’t want with my cousin as a costar.”

  “Axel agreed to let them make a movie on his life, and it’s a rock epic.”

  Oh. Axel. He was a scruffy-looking version of Matt, but she’d always preferred Matt’s shade of blue eyes and his stronger build. She remembered the French half-siblings all joining the American siblings as she’d cleaned Elizabeth’s house. She put her cup down. “Wait. I never confirmed with Jennifer to know her role. Who’s playing Emily then?”

  “Eva Bishop.”

  She’d outshone Jennifer in the last movie as the pregnant “evil” sister. Her cousin had been furious she’d been the weaker actress, so Jennifer had studied and taken two more serious roles to perfect her craft.

  But Jennifer and Eva were both dark-haired and Axel’s wife had lighter brown. She sipped her coffee—which made her insides jump wide awake. “Why not her sister…”

  Matt put his coffee down and picked up his orange juice. “Linsey is getting out of rehab. Brandon thought it would be fun to make the movie more dramatic by me first dating Jennifer, who’s playing Linsey, but then I fall for her sister/assistant Emily, played by Eva.”

  Dramatic and fictionalizing his own brother. She scratched her head as she couldn’t quite grasp how that worked. “Is it weird since it’s about family?”

  He took a few grapes for his plate. “It’s strange that it’s not weird. So much news out there about my family is strange, untrue and surreal that this is no different.”

  “I see.”

  Jennifer was probably who he was referring to causing half of the untrue news about his family, but she wasn’t sure and didn’t want to know. Her life was usually better when she didn’t. She chewed her last bite of bread with the soft creamy cheese, a gourmet version of feta, and ate a few grapes. Matt finished his cafesita and winked. “I might have to marry you if you make me this coffee every day.”

  She curled her legs under her seat and ignored the buzz in her heart—marriage? He was teasing but she would love it. “Well, if I’m this happy, waking up in your bed, I won’t go anywhere, Matt.”

  They brought their plates to the sink, his hand free hand resting on her lower back. “Ashley, I do wish I’d noticed you when we met earlier.”

  Stirrings that should be well-satisfied by now flared. However, the bright light of day and her full stomach tempered her desire to a sigh. She crossed her arms as she glanced at him and said, “Well, I’m here now. Can I ask you a personal question?”

  He playfully elbowed her side. “You’ve seen me naked. I think you can ask a few personal details.”

  Her heart was open to him—could he see that?

  Today had been a perfect morning. Today was a taste of what heaven on earth might be like if she and Matt were real, but she didn’t want to think about that and ruin it with expectations.

  It was better to just be here, with him. They walked out of the kitchen in sync and she didn’t care where they went but he motioned toward the stairs. She joined him. “What is with the blonde comic book art in every room of this house, and in your dressing room?”

  They went up a few steps when he took her hand and asked, “The truth?”

  “Yeah.” Excitement hummed in her veins at getting to know something important about Matt.

  They made it to the top step. “Roy Lichtenstein was said to parody and copy comic book artists…”

  She tilted her head and stopped at one of the paintings with the girl in a red dress and read the signature. “Roy?”

  “The artist.” He nodded.

  They continued down the hall, side by side. “You are obviously a collector. So why this?”

  He opened the bedroom door and she crossed the threshold inside. “To me acting is parodying and copying real life as well. Movie work is never original thought, original expressions or anything. So I bought a series of his work, the blonde woman, and hung it up as a reminder to never take my work so seriously that I forget there is a real life too.”

  Interesting. In her experience, just living her life never let her forget that there was hardship. He closed the door and her blood stirred. “So it helps with your work?”

  He walked her backwards toward the bed. “I’m a bit of a method actor so the paintings help me remember that what happens to my character is not something that happens in my life too.”

  Maybe she hadn’t needed to dye her hair to catch his eye, though she liked herself in the mirror. She’d needed drastic change. Her heart beat faster. “I see. And the real-life blondes?”

  He traced her face with his fingers, setting off fireworks inside her as he said, “Clearly bad copies of you.”

  “You didn’t know me.” Her eyes fluttered closed and she went on her tiptoes.

  His lips claimed hers and she forgot the rest of the world existed.

  All that mattered was that she was here, in Matt’s arms.

  The kiss ended and he held her hand as she took a few moments to come back into her skin and feel the soles of feet again. He said, “I was too stupid to realize the best was right there, waiting for me, until you found me.”

  “Oh Matt… let’s turn off the lights and not leave.” The backs of her thighs bumped the mattress.

  He let her go and flipped the switch to dim the lights as she tugged off his t-shirt he’d lent her, and crawled onto his bed. She scooted higher on her knees, wanting him. “Matt, I’m all yours.”

  “Perfect.” He offered seconds of another searing kiss.

  For right now everything else in the world could be ignored. Matt held her in his arms. It was enough.

  Chapter 10

  Matt’s arms were snuggly holding the beautiful woman he couldn’t get enough of as Ashley dozed in his arms.

  He was still fascinated with her, which he didn’t understand, but she only made him want to stay where he was and never leave his bed.

  No woman had made him crave her so much. If this was how his brothers felt when they’d met their wives, maybe he had a better understanding of why they’d changed.

  He could see why his brother Luke wasn’t happy for years after undergraduate school, when he didn’t have Caro in his life.

  The last thing he wanted to be was sad—he was an actor, meant to prov
ide entertainment to the masses.

  Sad meant he’d land darker roles that weren’t the leading man. What would his life be like without acting?

  If his career, always center stage, shifted priority?

  Anything was possible. He’d raced toward super stardom as an end goal, all his life, never needing anyone.

  Matt thought of the contract downstairs in the living room, and wanted to trash it.

  Ashley stirred in his embrace, her body warm. If she didn’t sign, maybe they had a chance to have a real relationship.

  And he’d know what being “real” was. Like she’d read his thoughts, Ashley murmured, “What would you do with your life if you weren’t acting?”

  “Why do you ask?”

  “I’m figuring out my own wants so I figured I’d ask you what your backup plan was.”

  Ashley was sweet in a way he hadn’t seen. “I was trained to be a banker.”

  “You are nothing like your brothers.” She turned in his arms to look into his eyes.

  “And you Ashley, what are you thinking about doing?”

  “I’m going to put my degree to use.”

  “You should.”

  Ashley let out a sigh. “Matt, your phone is ringing.”

  He shook his head, focusing on the vibrations coming from the night stand as he’d turned the ringer off. He held Ashley closer and said, “I don’t care.”

  She reached out and handed it to him, where he saw his agent’s name on the screen. What could Andy want? Maybe something about the role he was up for. She scooted out of bed and slid on his t-shirt. “I’m hungry and want to get lunch started. Meet me downstairs?”

  The way her hips swayed caught his attention and he seriously wanted her again already. He nodded instead. “Be right there to help.”

  At the door she turned back toward him and winked. “I don’t think you know how to cook but you can show me what you’ve got.”

  “I’m a fast learner when I want to be,” he called out but she didn’t say anything back. She continued her sexy strut down the hall.

  Once she was out of sight, he answered right before his phone went to voicemail. “Andy, what’s going on?”

  Andy’s voice had a gleeful tone like he’d just won an academy award or something as he asked, “Who’s the blonde you were with? Is it true she was a maid?”

  Wow. Someone must’ve taken a photo yesterday at the hotel and the press had already identified Ashley. Yes, this was the age of the internet, but he still blanked on when exactly it had happened. He ran his hand through his hair, longer than normal. “Yeah, she used to work for my sister as her maid in Miami.”

  “Talk about working class,” Andy said.

  Was that a dig or a compliment? Either way, Matt paused. He’d never meet a woman who was on paper his equal and even if he did, he doubted that he would like himself with her. He picked his cotton pants up off the floor. “Look, Ashley’s the real-ist person I know.”

  Andy snorted and continued, “Don’t get upset with me. Your popularity points with the public just went up. The studio wants you to audition.”

  His brain fired. Andy knew he wanted to be an action hero, but this could be anything. His eyes narrowed as he walked over and glanced out his tinted windows like he needed the sun to filter on his skin. “For what?”

  Andy’s voice turned serious. “For the franchise. The seven movie deal.”

  Matt’s muscles tightened and he fist-pumped the air as he asked, “Audition?”

  Andy laughed like he knew what Matt would do as he said, “You know that you have to. It’s how the game is played.”

  He could do it. Nail it. He looked at the clear sky outside the window and his lush green lawn behind the tall fences. He backed away and crossed his arms.

  The speed of this happening made him hesitate to accept the good news. “How did you know Ashley was the maid?”

  Andy said, “Your PR went into overdrive. You were in love for a year but keeping it under wraps because she volunteered to be your brother’s surrogate.”

  They’d talked about that story last night, but hadn’t given an interview. They hadn’t said anything or discussed it at the table where someone might overhear. His pulse skipped like he’d missed something. “We didn’t tell anyone that.”

  Andy sounded like he opened his computer and typed as he said, “It’s in every article. You should have told me you were already getting married.”

  “Wait. That’s not true.” Matt’s heart raced now. “Where did you read that?”

  “It’s all over the Mom Blogs.”

  This wasn’t the work of someone online who’d figured out Ashley’s former profession—could it be?

  Not that it should matter, his mind screamed.

  Andy said, “Well, don’t dispel that rumor until you’re filming the first movie.”

  But he had no contract with Ashley to be his pretend girlfriend, and he hadn’t wanted one.

  Not now.

  He’d hoped Ashley was his for real and that maybe they had a shot at something more, not love, but not temporary either.

  Andy wasn’t exactly someone he was friends with. He walked toward the door and heard Ashley humming.

  Okay he probably didn’t from upstairs, but he’d heard her singing and dancing while she’d cooked yesterday and assumed she’d do the same now—he imagined her lighting up his kitchen and wanted to be there.

  “Look, I’ll talk to you later, Andy. Email the details on where I’m supposed to go for the audition.”

  “On it,” Andy said like he was already hitting send.

  He hung up the phone, cleaned up and headed down the stairs.

  As he neared the first step he heard the humming he’d assumed he’d hear from Ashley. She was a breath of fresh air in his life.

  His insides settled as she hummed along with salsa music.

  The way her hips swayed both calmed him and made him ache for again. He walked over as she cut an avocado and pressed his hand on her lower back. “Ashley, have you read the news about us?”

  Her lips pursed as she met his gaze. “Is it bad? Do people hate my hair?”

  He chuckled. There was no way Ashley had a PR machine that might help him, unless it was Jennifer. The thought hit him hard as an obvious answer. He didn’t want to be in Jennifer’s debt. “No. It’s the opposite. We didn’t even have to set up an interview to tell anyone you were my sister’s maid or my brother’s surrogate.”

  Ashley sliced the bready while wearing his t-shirt that was more like a dress on her with her long legs bare and bare feet. “Wait. What?”

  He took out his phone and searched for one of the articles with their names. The first looked good and he took out one of the articles for her to glance at as he said, “According to the articles, we were secretly dating the whole time and just waiting for Peter and Belle to get their baby.”

  She put the knife down and turned toward him. “We talked about telling that story. Did you-”

  “No,” he interrupted. She hadn’t told Jennifer—they’d been wrapped up in each other since they’d come home from the hotel. There’d been no time. He reached for her hand. “I was just as surprised. There’s also speculation we’re planning a wedding.”

  “A wedding?”

  “Yeah. The blogs say you want to be a June bride.”

  Her tossed her already long hair and she tilted her head. “Hmm. My cousin, Jennifer…”

  Her voice trailed off and like it was perfectly timed, his phone rang. He took it back from Ashley. “And my sister’s calling. She must have heard the same thing.”

  Ashley picked up her knife and shrugged. “I’m slicing the carrots. Talk to her.”

  Right. He nodded and clicked his phone to answer. “Elizabeth.”

  Her peppy voice meant she was happy as she asked, “Is Ashley with you?”

  Yes, but why would she want to know that? He paused, glanced at Ashley, who added the carrots to a frying pan. “She’
s right here.”

  His sister said, “Put her on speaker. I want to talk to her.”

  Interesting. He hadn’t expected that reaction, but he pressed the button and said his sister’s name so Ashley heard, “Liz…”

  “Matt,” she said and came through. Ashley turned from the oven and he walked over, holding his phone in his palm.

  He pressed his hand on her lower back and said, “Okay… Ashley, my sister wants to talk to you.”

  Ashley turned the burner to low and flinched, then smiled to hide her first reaction. “Hello, Ms. Elizabeth.”

  His sister laughed as she said, “Don’t hello me Ms. anymore. My son, Brandon, misses you.”

  Ashley stood taller and her facial features relaxed. “Ah, he’s a cutie.”

  “Look, I told Peter I was unhappy you were told to leave after being outed as a secret surrogate,” Elizabeth said. “When you and Matt come back home, you’re absolutely welcome in my house as a visitor and hopefully a friend.”

  Ashley’s face blushed as she stared at her feet. “You don’t have to do that.”

  He rubbed her back. His sister had always been sweet and it was good that his family liked his new girlfriend. The thought hit him fast but he didn’t say anything as his sister said, “I insist. Come and visit.”

  Ashley massaged the back of her neck. “Okay. Thank you.”

  After a few minutes of small talk, he hung up the phone and kissed Ashley’s cheek. Her face was still flushed but she focused on cooking. He held her waist and she smelled like her cafesita still which reminded him of home as he said, “I didn’t know what my sister would say but I’m happy that she reached out to us.”

  She turned toward him and her breathing warmed his skin and soul as she asked, “Why?”

  Ashley was the woman he’d never imagined in his life, yet she fit in perfectly. He hugged her. “Because… nothing is in our way for really dating and I think you’d be a great girlfriend.”