by Maisey Yates
Julian couldn’t dispute that. If he’d waited around for someone to proclaim him an actor, he would have never had the balls to audition for any role.
“I’ll give you my notes. How about that?”
Julian studied her for a while. She was blinking so fast, it was certainly to hold back tears. What could be holding her back? She’d claimed to be excited about the project. All at once, the pieces snapped together in Julian’s mind. Why would she want to work with him? She was a respected artist. His legacy was synonymous with mud. With that realization blooming inside him, he turned away from her.
“We’ll leave it at that,” Frank said. “You must be busy, working on other projects.”
“If you don’t mind,” Nina said, rising to her feet. “I’m going to the ladies’ room.”
Julian immediately stood to help her with her chair. She rested a hand on his arm and eased him back into his seat. “I’ll be right back.”
He watched her go. It took a while for him to notice that Frank was staring at him. “God help you, my man! You’re in love with that woman.”
“No way!” Julian protested. “We’ve only just met.”
“What difference does that make?” Frank asked.
Julian pushed away his dessert plate. “What’s going on with you and Grace? Is that love?”
“Maybe? Who knows?”
“You ought to.” Frank seemed to know enough to comment on his state of affairs. Shouldn’t he be more self-aware?
“Here’s what I know,” Frank said. “Do the work, find someone to clean up the script and I’ll direct. But I have one other request.”
Julian was at the edge of his seat. All this talk of love had derailed him. This was the conversation he wanted to have with Frank. “I’m listening.”
“You assist me in every way. When we wrap this thing up, I want you to have the tools and know-how to do this on your own. No more shopping around for someone to direct the thing that you’ve conceived in your imagination. I understand that you need a push, a pat on the back, someone to believe in you, and I’m willing to step into the role. And it’s exciting. I’ll admit it. But after this, I’m done. And you’ve got a career ahead of you. Comprende?”
“Understood!”
So this was what paying it forward looked and felt like? If so, he’d have to give it a go, because it felt damn good. He reached across the table and shook Frank’s hand. “Thanks, man. I don’t know what else to say.”
“Say you’re ready to get to work. I don’t believe in wasting time.”
Julian was more than ready. And all he had was time.
CHAPTER TEN
Nina locked herself in the ladies’ room. With the scent of lavender swirling in the air and a gold toilet, it was as good a place as any for a meltdown. She lowered the toilet seat and sat down.
Why had she turned down such an awesome opportunity? She loved the material and had great ideas on how to improve it. Julian was open to criticism, which meant he’d be easy enough to work with. Plus, he really needed the help. Over dinner, she’d noticed how nervous he was. Francisco’s opinion mattered to him. It wasn’t every day that she got the chance to collaborate with people so committed to their work. Lastly, she needed the work. Her inbox wasn’t exactly crammed with offers. What was holding her back?
Her agent was going to kill her if she ever found out.
“Nina? Are you in there?”
It was Julian. How long had she been spinning her wheels in this restroom? Long enough that Julian had had to lead a search party. She strained to make her voice chipper. “I’ll be right out!”
“What are you doing in there?” His voice was low and muffled, as if he were speaking into the thickness of the door.
“What do you think?” To make her point, she stood and flushed the toilet that didn’t need flushing.
“I don’t know,” Julian said. “My guess is that you’re breathing into a paper bag.”
Nina did not gratify him with a response. Having flushed, she made a production of washing her hands, splashing water.
His next guess wasn’t any better. “Crying into a towel?”
“Oh, God!”
She twisted the gold faucets shut, dried her hands and yanked open the bathroom door. Julian was leaning against the frame. His relaxed posture suggested that he would have waited there all night. And he was so handsome. All that muscle fitted in an immaculate suit. All that smooth brown skin, turned golden by his time in the sun. All the sparkle and intensity in those endless brown eyes. She could barely stand it.
“I’m not having a panic attack, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“Good,” he said. “May I come in?”
This request coming from anyone else would have been bizarre. For whatever reason, she and Julian had skipped the awkward getting-to-know-you phase and were at the point of holding secret meetings in public restrooms.
“Did you leave Francisco alone at the table?” Nina asked.
“He’s gone,” he said. “He called it a night.”
Nina stepped aside and let him in. The generous restroom contracted in size. She eased down onto a tufted bench under a gold-framed mirror. He stood before her, looking down at her upturned face with concern. Why did she feel so exposed in his gaze?
“Julian, I’m okay. Really.” She sat up straighter. “I wasn’t expecting your offer, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have assumed you’d want to work with me.”
“What do you mean by that?”
His face was clouded. “Like you said, it’s not your area of expertise.”
For whatever reason, Nina didn’t believe his explanation. Julian was holding back from her, and the feeling disturbed her more than was reasonable. “Why wouldn’t I want to work with you? You’re a big Hollywood star.”
“I’m a big liability.”
“Julian!” Nina rose to confront him. “What are you talking about? I’d love to work with you.”
“Because you split your time between libraries and film festivals, you may not know that my reputation isn’t the best.”
“I don’t split my time—” Nina paused, took a breath. “And you’re being dramatic. So your movie tanked. So what?”
“It’s not just that.”
“I know,” Nina said, waving her hands to brush the whole ugly business away. “There was a boycott and everything. And I’m sure you’re not blameless, but you are not who those people say you are. You’re not.”
Emotion colored his face, prompting Nina to wonder about Julian’s carefree facade.
“Then why were you so quick to say no?”
“Because I suck at fiction!” Julian pushed out a dry laugh. She grabbed his shoulders to force him to listen. “I’ve been writing all my life, and the memoir is my only successful project. My editor turned down a collection of short stories just this week. I’d feel more comfortable if you hired a professional to do this job.”
He removed her hands from his shoulders and held them between his. “Would a professional care as much as you do?”
“Who cares? Nothing is better than competence.”
Julian’s voice was level. “I care a great deal.”
They stood like that for a long time, her hands in his, their eyes locked. Julian’s quiet confidence transferred onto her. Turning him down was the sensible thing to do, but would she regret it? Yes. Yes, she would. Certainty surged inside her. She was going to do it. She was going to jump into the deep. Only this time she was fully aware of the risk.
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
Julian asked her to repeat her words, as if he couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.
“I’ll do it,” Nina said. “I’ll take a chance. So long as you keep in mind that I’ve never done this type of work before.”
“You’re in good company,” he said. “Neither have I. But if you want to come aboard this sinking ship, I’ll be more than happy to have you.”
Nina planted her hands on her hips. “Permission to come aboard, sailor.”
“Permission granted.”
He flashed a grin so infectious that she couldn’t help but grin back. And then she snapped out of it. This was a negotiation, damn it! “I don’t work for free.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to,” Julian said.
“My agent will be in touch.”
“We’ll work something out,” he said. “You won’t be disappointed.”
“One last thing,” she said. “If at any point you’re not happy with my work, please let me know.”
“I’ll be straightforward with you,” he said. “But unhappy? I don’t see it.”
“Okay…” Nina said. What was left to cover?
“Now would be a good time to tell you that Frank signed on to be our director.”
“Julian!” Nina bolted forward to draw him into an ungainly hug. “That’s great! I’m so excited for you.”
“For us.” He held her close. “He’s your director, too.”
His breath fanned her cheek. Nina pulled back to look up at him. Those deep brown eyes… That flared nose… Those full lips… All within reach. I’ll do it. I’ll take a chance. As tall as she stood in her heels, she was not tall enough. She placed her hands on his shoulders one more time and, eyes half-closed, she tilted her head back, asking, imploring, for a kiss.
The kiss never came.
There was a knock on the door. Nina sprang away from him. If they were caught together in a public bathroom, social media would go nuts. Julian brought a finger to his lips and gestured for her to be quiet.
“Busy here!” he called out in a smooth voice.
A woman’s steely tone drilled through the door. “Sir, this is the ladies’ room!”
“You might want to rethink your gender norms, ma’am!”
An indignant cry, the staccato click-clack of heels, then blissful silence. Nina collapsed with laughter. Good thing Julian was there to catch her.
“I bet she’s headed straight to the complaint desk,” he said.
“With good reason. You shamed her and called her ma’am!”
“I’ll step out first,” he said. “Come find me in the courtyard.”
* * *
The courtyard was dark except for the light from a few lanterns and a silver disk of a moon. Nina found Julian walking in circles, pausing only to smooth back his hair. When he saw her, he straightened his shoulders and pasted a smile on his face. Nina wasn’t duped. Why did he look so conflicted?
Once she’d decided that she wanted him, she hadn’t stopped to consider whether the feeling was mutual. Did he…not want this? Nina could address the matter in a straightforward way. Yet she opted to play coy instead. Because that always worked. “Hey,” she said, taking a step forward. “We have a few things to celebrate tonight. Let’s order champagne.”
“Did you want me to kiss you in there?”
Oh, God! Why couldn’t he let her play coy? “Yeah…about that… Did you not want to?”
“I had to be sure,” he said. “You remember saying you didn’t want to sleep with me, right?”
“When did I say that?”
“The first night we slept together—or shared a bed, I should say.”
“Oh?” Nina replayed the tape in her mind. He couldn’t hold that against her! She was bent out of shape that night. “Nothing after drowning really counts.”
“Nina, I’m the mistake women make after a few drinks at a party. I don’t want to be something you regret.”
“That’s not possible.”
“Kiss My Ass” video notwithstanding, he was a good person. No amount of mean tweets and mean-spirited magazine articles was going to change her opinion of him. He was the man who dived into a pool, fully dressed, to rescue her after she’d spent the afternoon tossing back vodka shots. That man was the real MVP.
“I’m the woman who has never taken a guy home after a couple of drinks. Not ever.” He arched his brows as though impressed. She immediately set him straight. “I don’t say this to brag. It’s not fun. I overthink and overanalyze everything and everyone.”
“So, what’s your take on us?”
“Well…here I am in Miami, in this gorgeous mansion. By some strange twist of fate, I met a man. He makes me feel like a goddess, but I wish he’d stop treating me like one, because I’m ready to be reckless and toss caution out the stained glass windows.”
His grin broke like the dawn of a new day. “I’m your guy. Reckless behavior is my specialty.”
Nina rushed to him, grabbed him by the lapel of his exquisite blazer and drew his mouth to hers. This time, he crushed her with his kiss. She reciprocated, exploring his mouth, taking his moans deep into her own. As the night breeze brushed her bare back, Nina was reminded of where they were: out in the open, perilously exposed. That feeling of being watched returned, and it was all but confirmed by the sound of footsteps in the courtyard. Julian didn’t miss it, either. He groaned in frustration and pulled away to look around. Nina shivered, already missing his touch. She froze when she heard him say, “Hey there, Pete. Still on the clock?”
Pete! Why was he lurking around?
“On my way out, Mr. Knight,” the driver replied. “Good evening, Ms. Taylor.”
“Good night, Pete.”
Nina grabbed Julian’s arm and led him along the shadows of the cloisters toward the elevator. They passed the door to the bell tower. Julian pushed on the iron handle, and the heavy wood door swung open to a narrow stairwell with steep steps winding up to the top. Nina shot him a warning look. “Not in these shoes.”
He glanced down at her delicate heels. “Thought you were ready to be reckless.”
“I did say that, didn’t I?”
Julian drew her into the stairwell and shut the door behind them. He hunched low before her and ran his hands along her calves. His fingers found and worked diligently to loosen the many buckles and straps of her sandals. Then he eased them off and tossed them aside. When he was done, he looked up at her. “Race you to the top.”
“I don’t think—”
He charged the stairs before she could dissuade him.
“Hey!” Nina cried. Her competitive nature kicked in, and she might have caught up to him if she hadn’t stopped to gather her shoes before giving chase, then stopped midway to catch her breath. Julian stood waiting at the top of the stairs, hands in his pockets, a slice of moonlight adding extra sparkle to his cocky smile. She glared at him, and he laughed—the laugh of a man who had everything going for him. Nina vowed that he would have the absolute best sex of his life tonight.
“Come on,” he said. “You’re not dizzy, are you?”
“I’m fine. Thanks.” Nina reached the landing and, panting still, ignored his outstretched hand. She stole a moment to take in her surroundings—a circular space with a bleached wood floor and a steepled ceiling. The metal bell swung from an arch facing the courtyard. A built-in bench hugged the walls.
“It’s so beautiful,” she said, in a whisper.
“Absolutely.” He came to stand behind her. “But there’s a chance we may be admiring different views.”
He swept her braid away from her neck and pressed his lips on each knot of her spine. Her back to Julian’s chest, she shivered in his arms. He threaded a hand through the slit of her dress and brushed her inner thigh. She covered his hands with hers and inched it higher. When his fingers brushed between her legs, meeting the wet silky fabric, Nina’s back arched, and a moan escaped her. He cupped her face and drew her back for a deeper, more intimate kiss before pulling back.
“Here’s my dilemma,” he said, speaking softly. “I want to ta
ke you up to bed and I want to take you right here.”
Those options were not mutually exclusive as far as Nina was concerned. She swiveled around to face him. “Can’t you do both?”
“Sorry.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “I hate to disappoint, but I’m not prepared.”
“Is that all?”
Nina slipped out of his embrace and searched around in the semidarkness for where she might have dropped her small purse. It was clear across the floor. She picked it up and pulled out a square foil packet from the zippered pocket. “Problem solved.”
He smiled wickedly. “If you were hoping to get lucky tonight, I hope it was with me.”
“Don’t flatter yourself. I’ve kept one in every purse since college.”
“I love a girl with a plan.”
She made her way back to him on tiptoe, holding up the packet within two fingers. “Women have plans. Girls have hopes and wishes.”
Julian’s expression darkened as he focused on her. “Scrap your plans. Tell me what you wish for.”
That was easy. She didn’t have to mull it over. She had wanted to see him naked from the day they’d met. “Take your clothes off.”
He took her hand and brought her wrist to his lips. “Please and thank you go a long way, Nina.”
“All right,” she said, her pulse skipping. “Take your clothes off, please.”
Julian shrugged out of his impeccable dinner jacket and started working on the buttons of his shirt. She watched as the layers came off, revealing the broad shoulders, the narrow waist, the ripples of his abdomen and the sculpted thighs. He worked hard at maintaining his body and ought to be lavished with praise and adulation for it. Only Nina was limited and could only offer sarcasm.
“Wow!” she exclaimed when his boxers joined the heap of clothing. “It doesn’t take much to get you naked, JL.”
“I believe the words you’re searching for are thank you.”
Nina wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered her thanks in his ear.
“Now,” he said. “One good turn deserves another.”
If she had one wish remaining, it would be for her dress to miraculously fall away. Caught up in his kiss, she fumbled with the mini buttons and searched around for the zipper. Julian broke away abruptly. “Oh, for God’s sake, woman!”