My work cell phone buzzes across the countertop with a call from a local 213 area code I don’t recognize. I raise the phone to my ear, and a man on the other end shouts into the speaker.
Loud noise pierces my eardrum, which sounds like the rotary blades of a helicopter in the background.
“Hello,” I shout. “I’m having trouble hearing you.”
Nico turns around with two plates in his hand, looking like the sexiest cook in history. The only thing hotter would be him naked underneath a Kiss the Cook apron. A girl can dream, right?
“Miss Duvall,” the man says, now moving away from the chopper. “It’s Dean Patterson from Liberty Productions. Look, I’m about to take off and won’t be back in town for a few days, but I’d like to work with Nico Chase on The Fallen.”
“We’re looking forward to working with you.”
Nico gives me a curious look as he sets our burgers on the counter and comes around to my side to take the barstool next to me at the kitchen island. I hold up my finger and give Nico a smile that probably shows every tooth in my mouth. I’m so damn happy I have to strangle my inner cheerleader, who’s ready to scream.
“Karl Blake just dropped out of the role of Lord Marlon for personal reasons. It’s a small part if he’s interested. We film next week. Do you think Nico could get up to speed by then?”
“Yes. Where are you filming?”
“At our studio in LA.”
We discuss the details about the role. Nico won’t make as much money as he would have earned five years ago, but this is the start of something better.
“Can you have your assistant send over the script?”
“Will do,” she says, now fighting the loud noise in the background. “My assistant will be in touch, Miss Duvall.”
The line goes dead, and my mouth is hanging open wide enough to throw popcorn into it. I drop the phone onto the counter, shocked by the sudden turn of events.
“You won’t believe this,” I say to Nico. “Karl Blake bailed on The Fallen. That was Dean Patterson, studio head at Liberty Productions. He wants you to take Karl’s place as Lord Marlon.”
“So, I’d be what, a knight?”
I nod. “We should hear from his assistant soon. I can help you run lines if you need me… or maybe someone from your acting group can run through lines with you.”
Nico throws his arms around me, lifting me off the bar stool as he squeezes the life from my tired body. He kisses the top of my head, his grip so strong I can hardly breathe.
“Thank you,” he whispers.
“It’s not a starring role,” I point out.
“No, it’s a second chance.” He releases me from his grip and settles onto his stool, lifting the burger from his plate. “We should celebrate this week.”
“How about dinner?”
He sinks his teeth into his burger, speaking between bites. “Deal.”
Chapter Nineteen
Nico
Adrenaline courses through my veins as I mess up my line for the fifth time in a row. Combined with my rapid heartbeat and the nerves shaking through my limbs, I can hardly focus.
“I’m sorry,” I say to Willow for what feels like the hundredth time. “I thought I had it.” Shaking my head, I turn away from her and grab the script from the coffee table. “I’m a little out of practice.”
“It’s okay, Nico,” Willow says in a singsong tone. “Practice makes perfect. It’s just you and me. No one is here to judge you.”
Willow gets me on a deeper level, as if she understands all of my insecurities and welcomes them. She never judges me or makes me feel like an asshole. Even when I screw up, she’s there to coax me through the darkness that often consumes me when I get down on myself.
I sink to the couch, script in hand, and read through the scene once more. Willow drops to the cushion next to me, her silence somewhat comforting. I like that she gives me room to breathe and never pushes me too far. She’s starting to grow on me.
I look over at Willow, who’s staring out the window that overlooks the yard.
“You ready?” I ask her.
She cocks her head at me. “Start again from the top?”
I nod, and then we hop off the couch to get into position again. With the script behind Willow’s back, she stands tall, looking at me with those eyes that slice through me every time. Her full, pink lips part slightly, and she sucks in a deep breath. I have dreamed about tasting those lips for the past week. Every time she bats her eyelashes and gives me one of those dreamy fangirl looks, I want to kiss her until my lips hurt.
Willow waves her hand in front of my face. “You in there, Nico?”
“Um… Yeah, I was thinking about the scene.”
I slide my hand behind her back, pulling her into my chest. “I can’t fight it anymore, Princess Alora.”
She slips her arms around my neck and melts into me. “Then don’t,” she whispers.
I dip my head down, my lips inches from hers.
“Nico, we can’t,” she breathes.
“It’s part of the script.”
Willow takes a step back and throws her hands onto her hips. “I’m your agent.”
“The knight kisses the queen in this scene.”
She blushes. “I’m sure you’ve kissed enough women. You don’t need the practice.”
“I’m nervous about this scene. It would help if we walked through it together.”
“It’s so…” She turns her head away. “I shouldn’t. Maybe you should ask someone from Shay’s acting group.”
“I need you, Willow.”
Why is she so worried about a kiss? I’ve had to kiss dozens of women on camera, most of which did nothing for me. I only dated one of my costars after an intimate scene, and that ended almost as abruptly as it began.
Her eyes meet mine, her chest rising and falling with each breath. “Okay,” she says in a hushed tone. “But this stays between us. It’s for the movie, nothing more.”
“You got it, agent girl. Noting more.” I cock an eyebrow at her. “Let’s take it from the top.”
We repeat the same lines, my fingers digging into her hip, and she trembles in my arms. I can see the hesitation on her face, though there’s the desire in her eyes. Her words say one thing, but her body says another. My lips crash into hers, my tongue sweeping into her mouth. She slides her hands up my chest and links her fingers together, holding me in place.
Gripping her chin, I deepen the kiss, pinning her against my chest with another kiss that drains the air from my lungs. She moans when I suck her bottom lip into my mouth, soft and playful. We paw at each other’s clothes, and the kiss goes beyond what I had imagined.
In the movie, Lord Marlon scoops the queen into his arms and lays her on the bed. Willow doesn’t protest when I lift her off her feet, moving her to the couch with our lips melded.
I climb on top of her, rubbing the pad of my thumb along her cheek. She wants this as much as I do. But what am I doing? This beautiful woman is my agent, my shot at a second chance.
Our lips separate for a second. Willow stares at me, her chest rising and falling with each breath. I slip my fingers through her hair, and she leans into me, desperate for more. When our tongues collide, I kiss her like I need the air from her lungs to survive. She wraps her legs around my back. Her thighs squeeze me so tightly I have to remind myself that we’re rehearsing a scene.
The kiss is fake. So why does the swirl of emotions ripping through me feel so real?
When our lips separate, Willow’s eyes flicker with acknowledgment. She takes slow, shallow breaths, unable to meet my gaze.
“It’s okay,” I promise. “Things got carried away.”
“Yeah,” she whispers. “That felt a little too…”
“Real?”
She nods.
“I can’t help you with this scene anymore,” she says in a firm tone. “We just crossed the line, something I never thought I would do with a client.”
I wigg
le my eyebrows and give her one of my best boyish grins. “It’s our little secret. I won’t tell if you won’t.”
“I think you’re ready for tomorrow. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Do you have any free time this week?”
She bites her lip, considering my question.
“I could use a cheerleader if you can make it to the set.”
She giggles. “You only think you need someone to cheer you on. But sure, I’ll make time this week.” She shoves her palms into my chest. “So, make sure you bring your A-game, Chase.”
I slide off the couch and extend my hand to her. “Thanks to you, I’m bringing it.”
She winks, and I return the gesture. Then, she saunters down the hall, leaving me with blue balls and a lot to think about.
Chapter Twenty
Willow
As I flip through the channels, Nico walks into the living room without a shirt, a pair of black basketball shorts hanging low on his narrow hips. Nico plops down on the couch next to me, tugging at the hem of his shorts with a solemn look on his handsome face. We’ve only known each other for a few weeks, and my walls are already lowering around him. I can sense when he’s in a lousy mood and fighting his need for a drink, or anything that can quiet his nerves.
I drop the remote on the coffee table. “You can talk to me. I’m a good listener.”
He blows out a deep breath. “I’m fucking nervous.”
“Why? What happened?”
“I don’t know if I’m doing a good job.”
“If you weren’t, I would have heard from the studio.”
“The other day,” he says with his eyes downcast. “When we kissed… I’ve been off ever since.”
“What are you trying to say?”
He turns his head away. “I don’t know. Maybe I’m too much in my head. I haven’t played a secondary character in a movie in close to a decade.”
“Starting over is hard.” I cover his hand with mine. “It will be okay, Nico. You’ve already hit rock bottom, so there’s no place for you to go but up.”
I scoot my butt across the leather couch. “I was about to watch a movie if you need a distraction.”
“Yeah.” He smiles. “I’ll make nachos. You cool with guacamole?”
“Does a fat kid like cake?”
Nico chuckles. “Give me a few.”
He gets up from the couch and runs a hand through his dark, messy hair that brushes his forehead. My eyes lift to get a good look at his abs… the perfectly sculpted V that dips beneath his shorts. I roll my tongue across my lip, imaging what I would do with Nico if I ever got my hands on his delicious body.
So many dirty things…
Our kiss still haunts me, my lips burning every time I touch them. Nico kissed me like he wanted to prove he’s still the same actor. Like he needed to prove to me that the risk is worth the reward. If we were acting partners, I wouldn’t have given that kiss a second thought. But the kiss complicates our relationship.
Nico strolls into the living room with a heaping plate of nachos balanced in his palm. He sets it on the coffee table and plops down next to me on the couch. Shirtless and oozing sex appeal, Nico might as well be naked.
“Mmm…” I lean forward to take a big whiff as he sets the plate on the table in front of us. “I bet these look as good as they taste.”
“Dig in,” Nico says as he lifts a nacho to his mouth. “Nachos are my specialty.”
“I can see that.”
He layered the tortilla chips perfectly, each layer of cheese, beans, and meat arranged like an appetizer you’d get at a restaurant. I swipe a nacho from the plate, dipping it into the guacamole before stuffing the chip into my mouth. A moan escapes my throat as I chew.
“You were right,” I say between bites. “These are amazing.”
He flashes a quick grin and then stuffs a whole chip into his mouth. My eyes fall to his lips. I want to kiss them again. Now that I’ve had those lips on mine, I can’t stop thinking about how good they felt.
I click the remote to start the movie. Nico curls up next to me as if we’re dating, and this is a normal thing we do. He grabs a pillow and props himself up with his elbow, leaning into his palm. The movie credits roll across the screen, and my heart hammers in my chest. Nico is too close for comfort. One of the hottest actors in the world is inches from me. His fingers graze my thigh as he readjusts his position, leaving a trail of fire on my skin.
Nico laughs, pulling my eyes back to the screen. “I love the Wilkes brothers. They write the funniest scripts in Hollywood.”
“Burke reps them,” I choke out. “Everyone at the office was talking about Date Fail.”
He laughs, his eyes on the screen.
“Have you ever thought about doing a romantic comedy?”
Nico’s eyes meet mine. “Nah. Comedy requires too much timing. And I laugh too much.”
“You’d make the perfect rom-com love interest.”
He gives me one of his movie-star smiles.
Why does he have to be so damn gorgeous?
Be still heart…
People are laughing on the screen, but all I can think about is how my skin tingles from his touch. Nico stretches his long legs across the couch, his face in the pillow as he stares at the flat-screen. He taps his fingers on the couch, moving to the beat of the music.
I lean forward to grab a nacho, desperate for something to do other than think about Nico. Ash complained about his drinking, but I have a hard time believing he drank that much. Not with a body like that.
And why isn’t he wearing a shirt?
He moves his hand, and his fingers touch the tips of mine. A rush of electricity floods my veins. Distracted by Nico and his fingers that are still touching mine, I can’t process a single thing happening on the screen. I suck in a sharp breath. Nico shifts his weight, now on his side, as he covers my hand with his.
His fingers weave between mine. Okay, now we’re holding hands. What the hell is he doing? It’s bad enough we crossed the line the other day.
Does it count if it’s work-related?
But we’re not working right now…
Feeling his eyes on me, I glance down at our joined hands. He breathes heavier, and when I get the nerve to look at Nico, he’s watching me and my body’s response. Nico devours me with those beautiful blue eyes. His mouth grazes my knuckles, the heat from his breath, sending a chill down my spine. Men like Nico are aware of the effect they have on women. And he doesn’t miss a beat.
“I need a drink.” I jump off the couch, instantly missing his touch. “Do you want anything?”
He seems disappointed but quickly recovers. “Iced tea.”
Without another word, I walk out of the living room, unable to catch my breath until I’m in the kitchen. I grip the edge of the marble island. What the hell is going on with me? My pulse pounds like a jackhammer, my heart pumping so fast my ears are ringing.
Allowing myself a few minutes to recover, I wait until my head is clear before heading back into the living room with two glasses of iced tea. I hand the cup to Nico, and his fingers brush mine. He keeps touching me, weakening my defenses.
He’s your client! And a movie star.
I have to keep reminding myself that Nico isn’t a normal roommate. Our situation is temporary until I find him a higher paying job. There’s one problem. I have missed Harley, now that she’s living in Philly with her husband, and I enjoy having a roommate again. It’s nice having Nico around the house. He deals with groceries and most of our meals. I love coming home to dinner on the table and a man who makes me feel safe.
Nico sits up to sip his tea, his thigh so close to mine, his heat radiating off him. He gulps down his drink, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. We pretend to watch the movie, an impossible task with the sexual tension between us. His free hand finds my thigh, and he sets his glass on the table, testing the waters.
My mind races with incoherent thoughts, scrambled f
ragments that make it hard for me to concentrate. I should put a stop to this. But as Nico’s hand slides up my thigh, I part my legs for him. He leans into me, shoving his free hand through my hair. And then he kisses me. His lips brush against mine, a small peck to tease me. To see if I will push him away.
“You know we can’t do this.”
“Our relationship is unconventional,” he mutters.
“We shouldn’t have kissed.”
His breath warms my bottom lip. “That kiss doesn’t count.”
“You don’t have feelings for me. One kiss means nothing.”
“I do… and it did. When I’m with you…”
“You think you like me because I’m helping you with your career.”
He shakes his head. “No, it’s more than that. You’re the first person to believe in me without expecting something in return.”
“I expect a paycheck,” I point out.
Nico cups the side of my face. “You took a risk on me, knowing my reputation could ruin your career.”
“I’m not special, Nico. Plenty of agents would have done the same thing.”
“You’re not like other agents in this town. They only care about money. But not you…”
“Nico,” I whisper.
My protest dies on my lips as he crushes my lips with his. He kisses me, his tongue tangling with mine as he pulls me closer to deepen the kiss. With each flick of his tongue, it’s like Nico has a direct link to my throbbing core. I should push him away. But when his hand drops to my thigh, my brain shuts down…
I steal my lips from his, out of breath and panting when our eyes meet.
“Nico, we can’t do this.”
He shoves a hand through his black hair and sighs, leaning back against the couch. His emotions are out of whack. Nico only feels something for me because I’m helping him salvage his career. Once he gets back in the spotlight, he won’t want me. He will move on to a famous actress or a model, someone more in his league.
The Fame Game (Love and the City Book 3) Page 8