They sailed into the argument, moving closer and closer to one another as they traded insults. Then his hands shot out, his fingers wrapping around her upper arms as he dragged her close. She tilted her face up as he lowered his.
“You have to let me keep you safe,” he said, his voice rough. “You’re all I’ve got left.”
“Yes!” Edward said, punching the air as Juliette slowly drew away and Dominic pushed his hands down into his pockets. “That’s absolutely perfect! The parts are yours.”
Before either of them had a chance to rejoice, Albert held up his hand. “There’s paperwork to sign first,” he said. “Come with me.”
Dominic rolled his eyes when the producer’s back was turned. Juliette hid her smile by pretending to brush her hair back. It had gotten messed up when Dominic had pulled her close.
“It’s a fairly standard contract,” Albert said, sliding a copy to each of them over his desk a few minutes later. “There’s just one clause that I want to go over with you both.”
“What’s that?” Dominic asked, his brows drawing in sudden suspicion.
“This one here.” The producer turned a page of his own copy of the contract and said, “Section fourteen.”
Juliette’s eyes found the section and her lips parted as she read the words. Dominic read them out loud in clear shock.
“If the lead actors are discovered to have embarked on a relationship with one other during the course of filming, they will each forfeit two-thirds of their salary.”
Dominic stared at Albert. “Are you serious?”
“Oh, I’m quite serious,” the producer said, leaning back in his chair and looking at both of them with a level gaze. “It’s not in the contract, but you should know that in addition to cutting your pay, I will personally do my best to make sure that you do not work in this town again.”
“I…” Juliette trailed off.
Edward rubbed the back of his neck. “Is this really necessary, Albert?” he murmured. “It seems a little—”
“You remember the shitshow of the last movie,” Albert said crisply. “I won’t run those risks again just because Dominic Hawk thinks he’s God’s gift.”
“I’m right here,” Dominic said, a muscle beginning to jump in his cheek as he clenched his teeth.
“I’m aware. And I’m making it clear,” Albert said. “You do not dictate the rules on one of my productions.”
“And what if I won’t sign your contract?”
The producer gave a small, tight smile. “That’s up to you. I’m more than happy to find another actor to work with Ms. Dietz.”
Edward made a small gesture, and Dominic looked his way. “I don’t want another actor. It’s only a small clause,” the director said, his embarrassment clear as he spoke. “My only concern would be that it would stifle your creativity. There are some…intimate moments in the film.”
“Oh, but we’re dealing with professionals,” Albert said with a wide smile. “Aren’t we, Dominic?”
Juliette glanced at him. His eyes seemed much darker suddenly. Fear flashed through her. What if he refused to go along with the idiotic clause?
She knew that she was talented, but she also knew that she was there because Edward had thought that the two of them were perfect together. Would he still want her for this role if Dominic was out? Would he get her a new co-star or would he simply cast the next couple in line?
“I don’t think it’s a problem,” she said. “I’m not interested in anything more than a professional relationship with Mr. Hawk.”
Juliette didn’t miss the look that passed over Dominic’s face. Was it surprise? Or was there something else in those dark eyes?
He cleared his throat. “You heard the lady,” he said, turning back to face Albert and Edward. “Now that you know that she’s not in danger of falling for me, can we get to discussing the production schedule?”
As he spoke, he signed his name on the contract in bold, black script. He didn’t look her way again as the director and producer began to speak. Somehow, as she signed her own contract to secure the job she’d always wanted, Juliette felt less elated than she’d expected.
Chapter 7
“You’re back!” Tami said excitedly when Juliette finally walked into her apartment nearly a full twenty-four hours after she’d left it. “Hang on, that’s not what you left wearing.” Tami frowned slightly. “Or is it? Has pregnancy brain already gotten started on me?”
Juliette collapsed onto the couch and nodded in affirmation as she held up the bag with her other clothes folded into it. Dominic’s assistant had pressed them and folded them more neatly than she’d ever folded anything in her life. It was no wonder that Dominic always looked so put together on the red carpet and in pictures from parties.
“I’m back,” she agreed. She hadn’t realized how exhausted she was until all the excitement was over. Now it was all that she could do to keep her eyes open. She owed Tami some conversation though. She knew that her friend was just curious and hopeful for her. “And it really is a different dress. You don’t have to worry about the ravages of pregnancy brain just yet.”
“That’s a relief,” Tami said, her eyes sparkling. “So? Tell me everything that happened.”
“I got the role,” Juliette said, her voice trembling with excitement. “I’ll be working with Albert Price and Edward Ainsworth. They haven’t had an unsuccessful movie together in a decade.”
That was true, she realized. It hit her all over again that this really was it. This was her break. She was working with a powerful producer and a sought-after director and a co-star who was at the very top of the A-list.
This was the beginning of the career that she’d wanted since she was a little kid. It was the culmination of years of stress and hard work and scrimping and saving. She couldn’t hold back her smile, so she leaned forward and pressed her fingers over her lips to hide it. She didn’t want to sit there grinning like an idiot.
Tami laughed and reached out, catching Juliette’s hands and pulling them away. “I know it’s exciting,” she said. “Grin all you want to.”
“I just can’t believe that it happened,” Juliette said. “I never thought I’d get a role like this so soon!”
“I told you that you would,” Tami said. “You have this thing called talent. Now, is talking about work your way of avoiding telling me about the sex with the hot movie star, or is it okay if I ask about that? Because I am dying to know what’s going on with you two.”
Juliette sighed, resting her chin in her hands. The question reminded her of the contract. That was the one dark spot of the day.
“You can ask,” she told her friend. “But don’t get too excited because it’s already over.”
“What?” Tami leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. “Why? Is he a jerk? Is he terrible in bed? Do not tell me that he’s awful in bed. I think every woman in America has had at least one fantasy about that man.”
Juliette chuckled and shook her head. “No,” she said honestly. “It’s not that. Not at all. He’s…” She paused for a moment and then shook herself out of the pleasant memories of last night. “He’s amazing in bed. And in other places. He’s also surprisingly nice. He tips fifty percent, and he opens doors for me.” A smile flickered over her face. “He’s so funny too. And he plays the guitar and sings. I didn’t even know that. He’s pretty good.”
She cleared her throat and tried to get the stars out of her eyes when she saw the way that Tami was looking at her. “Anyway, we had a good time. That’s the gist of it.”
“Okay…” Tami trailed off. “Then I guess I’m not sure why it’s already over when you seem so happy about him.”
“It’s kind of complicated,” Juliette said. “It wasn’t really our decision.”
Tami’s eyebrows drew together. “Then whose decision was it?”
“When we went in to sign the contracts, we found out that Albert Price had included a clause that says that we can’t date e
ach other. If we do, we give up two-thirds of our income on the film. He also said he’ll do his best to make sure neither of us works again.” She pushed her hair back and sighed. “And let’s be honest. Both of those things will affect me so much more than they’ll affect Dominic. He’s already such a big name that he’s almost untouchable.”
“I don’t know about that,” Tami said seriously, shaking her head. “Albert Price has a whole lot of power in the industry. He’s cut careers short before. And Dominic has made some pretty bad relationship choices.” She paused, picking at the pale pink polish on her thumb, clearly weighing her next words carefully. “I know that I’m a little down on men as a species at the moment,” she said with a flicker of a sad smile. “But will you take my advice?”
“Sure,” Juliette said, surprised at the serious tone in her friend’s voice. “I’m always going to listen to you, Tami.”
“Just…be careful? You’re right to say that you have a lot more to lose than Dominic Hawk. I’d hate to see your career tank before it picks up because of tension between Price and Dominic. I don’t want you to feel like what happened last night between the two of you wasn’t special, but…well, he sleeps with all of his co-stars. It’s pretty much what he’s known for. And, I mean, it’s not like his relationships ever last past the premiere. And usually not that long.”
“Of course,” Juliette said, relieved that it hadn’t been more serious news. “I mean, the sex was amazing. I’m not denying that. But I’ve worked for a really long time for this role. I’m not just going to toss it all out the window to chase a guy who’ll move on as soon as the film is a wrap.”
She stood up, trying to ignore how empty the words she’d just spoken had made her feel. They had been in the back of her mind, but it still wasn’t fun to say them out loud. On the other hand, Juliette hadn’t been lying to herself. She wasn’t looking for a relationship, especially not if her career was going to take off. She wouldn’t have the time to devote to a partner anytime soon. Even if she had wanted to pursue something, she certainly wouldn’t go after a Hollywood playboy who was known for loving and leaving every single one of his co-stars.
A memory flashed through her mind suddenly. There had been that look in his eyes when she’d agreed to the contract clause so quickly and cheerfully. That brief moment of something very close to hurt and surprise. What the hell had that meant? Had he wanted to pursue something with her? After just one dinner? Of course, maybe he always moved that fast, and that was why the relationships burned out so quickly.
“I think I’m going to go and take a nap,” Juliette said. She was tired of thinking in circles about what Dominic felt for her. And even more exhausted by figuring out what she felt for him. She hadn’t had nearly enough sleep to deal with these kinds of emotional intricacies.
She rubbed her forehead. No. They didn’t matter. She’d signed the contract. She knew how she was going to proceed—no Dominic Hawk.
“Everything’s fine. I just haven’t really gotten much sleep lately,” she said when Tami looked at her concerned.
Juliette walked into her small bedroom and undressed, pulling the whisper-soft silk sundress over her head and draping it over the chair that sat near her window as she kicked off the sandals. She pulled down the blinds and then pulled the curtains as well. She couldn’t sleep unless the room was totally dark.
Of course, that wasn’t possible because the late afternoon sun was spilling onto her side of the building. That was why she didn’t typically take naps, actually. The blinds and curtains helped a lot though, and she was determined to do her best to get some sleep. There wouldn't be much of a chance for sleeping late once rehearsals and filming got started.
She realized that she’d thrown all of her laundry into the washer and then into the dryer before she’d gone on her date. Including all of her pajamas.
With a mental shrug, she unclasped her bra, letting it fall to the floor. She dropped down to the bed and snuggled under the covers wearing only her panties. She’d slept completely naked the night before, after all. This was really no different. Except that she didn’t have a sexy, equally naked man wrapped around her. Thinking of that was probably why she wasn’t able to drop off to sleep as fast as she’d thought that she would.
Images of the night she’d spent with Dominic kept running through her mind as she lay there. She rolled over onto her stomach and pulled the pillow over her head to block out the remaining light, but that didn’t do anything to control the images that ran riot behind her eyelids.
She relived the way he’d picked her up to sit her on the balcony rail when he kissed her and the strength that she’d felt in his body when he’d carried her in through the door. They’d both been impatient when he bent her over the couch because he couldn’t wait any longer to know what being inside her felt like. She could swear that she could still feel the grip of his hands on her breasts as he thrust into her from behind. He had made her come faster than she ever had with anyone else before.
Her whole body flushed with heat as she remembered the things they’d done over the course of the night. The feeling of his mouth on her breasts as her body went tense with pleasure. The way her nails had left scratches down his back when he’d braced himself over her once they’d finally made it to the bedroom. The sensation of him filling her more tightly than she’d ever felt before.
It was really too bad that it couldn’t happen again. Not because she was falling for him, she told herself firmly. Just because the physical pleasure had been damn near perfect.
She jumped when her phone rang and pushed the pillow off of her head. Juliette reached over to her small night table and picked the phone up from where she’d left it to charge. Dominic’s name flashed on the screen, and her heart kicked into overdrive just from that.
She took a deep breath before she accepted. Hopefully, her voice wouldn’t betray her excitement at the call, which was probably just an innocuous question about work.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Hey,” he said. “I wanted to talk to you about that clause in the contract. I didn’t really get a chance to when we were at the studio. I didn’t want to make Price more suspicious than he already is.”
“Oh?” she asked cautiously. Was he suggesting that they break it this soon after they’d signed it? And why was her breath coming faster at the thought of being with him again? Probably because she’d been lying there naked and daydreaming about how good the sex had been.
She cleared her throat and sat up, pressing her back to the upholstered headboard. She was determined to be professional here. That was their relationship now. And that was perfectly fine. Perfectly.
“I’m really sorry about it,” Dominic said. He sounded sincere. “I knew that Price wasn’t really my biggest fan, but I didn’t know he’d try to pull anything like this. Or that he’d drag you into it.”
“Do you really date that many of your co-stars?” she asked, unable to hold the question back any longer.
A sigh came down the line. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I would say that I date most of them.”
“Does it usually cause a lot of problems?” Juliette asked cautiously.
She wondered if she was prying, but since she was now having to sign special contracts because of his dating life, she thought that she’d probably earned the right to ask a few questions. It wasn’t at all because she was curious about who he’d brought home before her. Not even close.
“No, not often,” Dominic said. This time he sounded a little less honest. After a second he sighed. “Sometimes. It’s just that…the last movie I did for Price, I got involved with the actress. Things went south. Fast. She didn’t want to be in the room with me, let alone film any of our remaining scenes. And I…”
She let the silence fill the line. She didn’t want to put any words in his mouth, and she definitely did not want to admit that she’d read the story on a tabloid website. She simply wanted to hear what he would say about a scandal tha
t could have cost him his career early on. His fame, marketability, and charm had been the only thing that had saved him.
Dominic sighed again and then spoke a little hurriedly as if he didn’t like what he was about to say. “I didn’t handle it as well as I could have. As I should have. I was younger then. It was one of my first big movies.” There was another pause, and then he went on. “Anyway, it really screwed with the schedule, it cost the studio a hell of a lot of money—and Price lost his shit. He’s all about that bottom line.”
“I could tell. Maybe we could recommend a yoga class to him next time we see him,” Juliette said, trying to lighten the mood.
Dominic sounded miserable. Of course, she would be too if she’d basically been called out like he had today. No matter how much money Dominic might have cost Horizon Studios in the past, he was guaranteed to make bank for it now. Even if Price had wanted a clause like that, he could have taken Dominic aside privately and made him sign his own contract. There hadn’t been any real reason to do the whole thing in front of Juliette.
Dominic laughed. “That probably couldn’t hurt,” he agreed. “Either way, I just wanted to call and say that I thought it was a damn shame.”
She hadn’t quite expected that. The statement left her winded. “Oh really?”
“Yeah. I really enjoyed last night. More than I’ve enjoyed anything for a long time.”
She bit her lip when his voice went low. For just a second, she couldn’t help but consider inviting him over. After all, how the hell would Albert know what they did in Pomona?
Then again… Tami’s warning splashed over her like a bucket of ice water. She was his co-star. He routinely dated and dumped his co-stars. How many times had he said something to one of them in that same voice?
“It was really good,” Juliette said. She forced a quick laugh. “Maybe after the movie wraps we can do it again.”
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