Playboy Billionaire (The Carolina Series Book 3)

by Jill Downey

  13

  Penelope leaned back in her chair watching the outtakes from last week’s shoot. Now four weeks into filming it was undeniable. She and Griffin were H-o-t! They lit up the screen. No reason for false modesty. You either had it or you didn’t. They had it. And then some. Noah was not happy about Griffin stealing the scenes. Right about now, he’d switch parts with Griffin in a heartbeat, even if that meant giving up the leading role. He was making that perfectly clear in this meeting.

  Noah scowled, arms crossed over his chest, “Look, I may be the actor with the most screen time, but Mr. Fifty Shades is sitting right next to me. I think I got screwed.”

  “Your part is complicated and dynamic and you’re nailing it,” Stewart said.

  “Yeah Noah, I’m playing a glorified cabana boy, Sydney’s boy toy. Doesn’t take nearly the acting chops that your part requires,” Griffin added.

  “What are you worried about?” Stew asked

  “Truthfully? That my career as a leading man is over.”

  “At forty, you’re far too young to be worrying about that.”

  Penelope threw up her hands, “For Pete’s sake! Imagine being a woman in Hollywood! You have a couple dozen more years at least. My shelf life is rapidly approaching.”

  “I’m quite a bit older than you are,” Noah said.

  “Still, you know how it is. I’m thirty-two, which is like fifty in terms of available scripts for women. I think you’re worrying over nothing. Most actors would kill to be a part of this film, let alone nab the leading role. Your character is complex, and remember, the better Griffin is, the better the film is, the better we are.”

  “I know all of that. I’m glad he’s killing it, it’s just that I don’t want to come off as the old man.”

  Penelope kept a poker face as much as it pained her too. She wanted to laugh. His ego was enormous, and they all had to baby him like he was a twelve-year-old boy. Men!

  “Noah, think Oscar! You’re that good. Leading man verses supporting role? You’re due for another nod and I think this is the vehicle to take you there,” Penelope said firmly.

  “I agree,” Stew chimed in.

  They could see Noah’s jaw soften and she and Griffin exchanged a look. Her lips twitched. The corner of his mouth tugged up and he winked. Her stomach flip-flopped. An unexpected shot of pleasure coursed through her at the intimacy of the moment.

  “Griffin, Penelope, we’re on schedule to shoot your first sex scene toward the end of the week. Are we clear about the contract? Any questions or objections? Have you both read ahead to the blocking?”

  Griffin cleared his throat, “Yes sir.”

  “Yes,” Penelope said. “No one but Griffin and I and the two camera operators allowed on set.”

  Stewart smiled, “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”

  She laughed, “Oh yeah, you.”

  “Griffin, I’m sure you’re a bit nervous, but Penelope is a seasoned professional and she’s had experience with nude scenes. She’ll coach you through it. It helps that it’s a closed set. We’ll make sure everyone is as comfortable as possible.”

  “I just hope my ass is buff enough for the part,” he joked, and everyone laughed, breaking the tension.

  “Nobody will be looking at you anyway,” Noah said.

  Griffin stretched his arms overhead, chuckling. “One hundred percent true.”

  “Today we finish the fight scene between Noah and Penelope, then if that goes smoothly, we’ll try to film the beach scene with you and Griff,” he said, looking at Penelope.

  She nodded and stood grabbing her script. “I’m going to my dressing room to have Dolly start on my makeup.”

  “Be on set at half past,” Stew said glancing at his watch. “That gives you forty-five minutes.”

  “Done.”

  “When should I check back in?” Griffin asked.

  “I’m going to say around two. If we’re way behind, I’ll have someone text you.”

  Griffin saluted everyone and left, and Penelope felt deflated when he walked out. Not good. Not good at all. She glanced up and caught Noah watching her and her face got hot. His eyes strayed to her breasts and lingered before bringing his attention back to what Stew was saying. She abruptly pushed her chair back and stomped out of the room.

  Griffin jumped onto his motorcycle and decided to head home. He thought he’d hop on his board to catch an hour of windsurfing. A quick sail was just what he needed to blow off steam. Perfect weather and he had several hours to play before he was due back on set. Plenty of time.

  He’d started to feel antsy after he and Penelope had exchanged that intimate moment during the meeting. It had taken him by surprise when she’d looked at him like they were both in on some private joke.

  Was she actually softening toward him? And when the hell had that happened? There had been a definite thaw since the party, but today seemed to be next-level. Scared the shit out of him. He’d always been the one in control of his emotions. Never go too deep…when things get serious…time to bail.

  Somehow, he doubted that he’d be able to put this genie back in the bottle once it was released. He’d read through their sex scene about thirty times. He’d also read their individual contracts, and the scene required them both to be nude except for a small cloth bag tied around his dick. No body doubles. Him and Penelope in bed…together…buck naked. He scrubbed his face with his hands. Jesus take the wheel, he thought dryly.

  He changed into his trunks and headed out to the garage. He’d caught the sailboarding bug in his teens and since moving back, the ocean was his back yard and he took full advantage. Pretty damn convenient.

  In no time he was out on the water sailing. Keeping close to the beach, he stayed in the lower levels of water. The conditions were perfect, and he sailed crosswind with good power. Bending his legs like a spring, he popped the board out of the water. His muscles strained as he deftly powered the sail. It was the best workout there was.

  There were a few others out on their boards, but today he kept to himself. He craved the solitude after the intimacy of the movie set. After an hour on the water his quads and arms trembled with fatigue, his cue to head back to shore. He hauled his equipment back to the garage and went in to shower off the sea salt.

  As he lathered his chest and arms, he remembered Penelope touching him and the intoxicating scent of her. He had three days to get his shit together before their first erotic scene. He’d read that some actors used alcohol to loosen up before a scene like this. He smiled, maybe a bottle of whiskey on set was a good idea. Just in case.

  14

  Penelope watched as Griffin paced the room, waiting for the crew to finish setting up their bedroom scene. She had managed to eat several bites of toast for breakfast, but her stomach was so full of butterflies that she’d barely gotten that down. She envied Griffin his confidence in broadcasting his nervousness. She was the opposite and kept it all bottled up inside.

  “Everybody, clear the set.” Stew looked over at Penelope as Dolly put the last finishing touches to her makeup and left the room. “Are you ready Pen?” She nodded. “Griff?”

  “Ready as I’ll ever be,” he said.

  “Places,” Stewart called.

  Griffin took a deep breath and concentrated on channeling his character Bryan. He faced Penelope and she smiled.

  “You’ve got this,” she reassured him.

  He grimaced, “No promises.”

  “Action,” Stewart announced.

  Bryan tenderly stroked Sydney’s face, running the pad of his thumb over her kiss swollen lips. “I can’t fight it any longer. You win.”

  “He’ll be out of town the entire weekend. We have the place all to ourselves.”

  “I don’t even care anymore. I have to have you.”

  “I’m yours. Take me Bryan,” she said breathlessly.

  His large, tanned hands stroked her, caressing her shoulders then sliding down her back. He groped her bottom and squeezed,
pulling her tightly against his pelvis. She slipped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down for a torrid kiss. He cupped the back of her head as he plundered her mouth. Lifting his head, his eyes smoldering with lust, he peeled her shirt slowly up her torso. She raised her arms overhead so he could pull it off.

  She took his breath away. A magnificent creature. Almost too beautiful to be real. His finger slid under her bra strap and he pulled it down over her shoulder and softly kissed her there. He could feel her chest rise and fall as her breath quickened. He picked her up and carried her to the bed. Ripping off his tee shirt and pants, the camera zoomed in on his muscular back and buttocks.

  He unzipped her pants and slid them down the long length of her thighs, leaving her bare except for her lacy bra and panties. Trailing kisses over her torso and belly, he nuzzled her through the silk when he reached her apex. He licked his way back up to her ripe cleavage and buried his head between her breasts. Reaching under her, he unfastened her bra and her breasts spilled out. He swallowed. Five seconds of exposure before he shielded her from the camera with his body.

  She gripped the sheet in her balled-up fists and arched her back, crying out, “Bryan, please now.”

  Positioning himself over her, his full buttocks on display, he faked entering her and began to thrust. His back and arm muscles bulged as he held himself over her. Pinning her arms over her head with one hand, she moaned and bit her lip, her eyes tightly closed. “Look at me,” he commanded.

  She looked up at him through her lashes. “Tell me you’re mine,” he said, his voice hoarse.

  “Yes, Bryan. I’m all yours.”

  He groaned as they both feigned orgasms.

  “Cut!”

  Griffin whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

  “I told you it’s okay.” She didn’t meet his eyes.

  Griffin wrapped the sheet around her before he rolled off the bed. With his back to the crew he slipped on his jeans. “I need a minute.” He walked off the set and went into another room and dropped to the floor and began doing pushups.

  Dolly came back on set and handed Penelope her a robe. “Let me touch up your lips. Pen, you’re shivering. Are you okay?”

  Trying to stop her teeth from chattering, she said, “That was intense.”

  “I’m sure. Not every actor can pull it off.”

  “I found myself becoming aroused. I swear it was like the cameras weren’t even there.”

  “What about him?”

  “Same.” Her lips turned up. “Poor Griffin can’t hide it like I can; fortunately, I don’t have the tell.”

  “No wonder he’s in the other room doing pushups,” Dolly whispered, grinning.

  Penelope suddenly got the case of the giggles and couldn’t stop. Picturing Griffin doing pushups was beyond funny to her. She held her belly, breathless, as she said, “Oh I needed that.”

  “Get a grip, he’s walking towards us.”

  Griffin came right up to them. Looking at Penelope with a penetrating gaze, he said, “Can I have a minute?”

  “Sure.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind him.

  “Let’s go outside,” he said.

  He didn’t release her hand until they found a spot away from everyone else.

  Griffin reached toward her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m really sorry about what happened in there. I mean no disrespect. I know I should be able to contain it, but with you it appears I don’t have any control.”

  “The important thing is that you’re taking responsibility for it. You’re human. We women are lucky that we don’t wear our arousal on the outside like you guys do,” she said, looking up at him through her lashes.

  “Are you saying that the scene was hard for you too?”

  “If it’s any consolation, yes.”

  He grasped her chin and tilted her face up. “Were you aroused Penelope Winters?”

  She met his gaze boldly this time. “Yes.”

  His face creased with a smile, “Thank God! You don’t know how relieved I am to hear you say that. I’m so fucking confused right now. This acting shit is hard. I want to be in character but then I’m not sure where Bryan ends and I begin. How do you do it?”

  “Some scenes are harder than others. True chemistry isn’t faked. We just need to harness it and use it to make our characters come alive. Then put it back in the box when the director calls cut.”

  “I’m not sure I can do that.”

  “You’re already doing it Griffin, don’t you see? We’re having a logical discussion about it. We’re both fully aware of what’s happening between us on set and not expecting it to spill over into our personal lives.”

  “You sound so sure, but I’ve got to be honest with you, I’m not leaving it on the set. I think about you all the time. I want to know you. I want to spend time with you off the set.”

  “That’s a terrible idea Griffin. Trust me. Lots of actors fall into that trap. They start relationships when filming…it’s only natural, you spend long hours together, you’re on the same team working on a common goal, you develop relationships because it’s so damn intimate.”

  “Why not us?”

  “What about your girlfriend?”

  He looked at her, puzzled. “What girlfriend?”

  “Isabella, I think that was her name. You brought her to the party.”

  “She’s just a friend. She’s engaged to my best friend. He was out of town, so she agreed to be my plus one.”

  Penelope chewed on her bottom lip, “I see. Well, anyway, as I was saying, when filming stops, all the reasons why it seemed like a good idea disappear. Then what? Do we really have anything in common? Throw in the utter craziness of fame, paparazzi invading your lives, crazed fans, no privacy at all…We can’t let our thinking get clouded by the circumstances.”

  “Is that your final answer?” Penelope looked away from the disappointment she saw in his eyes.

  “Yes, but we can be friends.”

  “Tell that to my heart,” he said. “I’m not feeling the friend vibe Penelope. I want to take you out on a date. Just you and me. No crew, no set, no camera. I’m a pilot…I’ve got my own plane. I can whisk us the hell out of here. No one will find us. Please think about it. Would you at least do that for me?”

  She sighed, “I’ll think about it. Full disclosure, I don’t have a very high opinion of men at the moment. You might want to take that into consideration.”

  He laughed heartily. “Shocking.”

  She punched his arm playfully. “We’d better get back to the set. This next scene should be easier since we’ve had a go at it.”

  “Yeah, you naked is so boring now.”

  It was all Penelope could do not to throw herself into his arms and kiss those sexy lips. Unfortunately, that was exactly what she’d be doing in a few minutes. She could hardly wait for this day to be over and yet contrarily…part of her never wanted it to end.

  15

  The set was cleared of extras again for the last shoot of the day, and Penelope and Griffin crawled back into bed together, naked again. This time there was something different about him…Penelope could tell he felt surer of where he stood. He seemed bolder and more confident.

  When he smiled into her eyes there was an intimacy and warmth that hadn’t been there before their talk. Her pulse quickened and she felt dampness between her legs.

  “Action.”

  “I love you Syd. You’ve got to leave your husband. This is no life for you…for us.”

  “That’s never been on the table. I told you that up front, Bryan. This is all it can ever be.”

  “That’s bullshit!” he said angrily. “Are you denying that you don’t feel the same?”

  “It doesn’t matter what I feel. There’s too much at stake. When you’re serving in the Senate, your life is no longer your own. It’s a service bigger than our pathetic little lives.”

  “Boy has he ever got you brainwashed.”

  “I
knew what I was getting into when I married him.”

  “Did you? You were just a kid; how could you have known? Listen to me, we’ll move away, out of the limelight. I’ll take care of you.”

  “Bryan!” she said sharply. “Stop…just stop.”

  He held her face between his palms and covered her lips with his, roughly pushing his tongue inside her mouth while she struggled to get out from under him. She tried turning her head away only to have him grip her face harder.

  “No!” She tore at his hands and thrashed underneath him, kicking out wildly.

  “Isn’t this what you want? A fuckbuddy? Well you’ve got him.” He shoved her legs apart and thrust wildly. With one last shove she managed to push him off her and she scrambled out of bed, pulling the sheet with her. Lips trembling and eyes shimmering with tears, she turned her back to him.

  He punched the pillow and swore, then stood up and wrapped his arms around her from behind. He cupped her breasts through the sheets holding her. Her legs were weak and unsteady. He nibbled her neck and murmured, “Babe, I’m sorry I got angry. We’ll do it your way. I’ll take anything I can get.”

  She turned in his arms to face him, rubbing her cheek against the soft hair on his chest. The scene called for one last kiss. She pulled his head down then slipped her arms around his waist holding him tightly.

  This time Penelope was expecting a response from Griffin and when it didn’t happen, she felt let down. OMG girl! You’d better get your shit together. You’re making a film…This isn’t real life.

  “Cut. It’s a wrap for today. Great job you two. We’ll meet to go over the dailies tomorrow morning. Be at the hotel by nine.”