Media Darling

by Fiona Riley

  “Hayley, you’re not.” Emerson took her hand.

  She entwined their fingers together. “I’m okay with being nobody. I’m more than happy to be sitting behind my laptop and writing stories for people like you to bring to life on the big screen. That’s what I want in this world, Emerson. To write and play and be creative.”

  She took a breath. “So like I said before, I have more than enough to finish your article. And if I’m being honest? It’s basically already done. Selfishly, I’ve been enjoying my time with you and dragging the process out for as long as possible. But in that bag—and in the cloud, because I’ve learned that horrible lesson more than once—is the skeleton of the entire article. Soup to nuts. Complete and requiring only a fresh set of eyes to edit and few big words to make me sound smarter than I am. But the content is essentially done. I wrote your story, Emerson. You gave me everything I needed to understand you and what you represent. Anything more you give me from this point on is just because you want to, not because I need you to.”

  Emerson’s face was unreadable. She looked almost confused, which Hayley hated, because she was pretty sure she’d just used way too many words to say what she’d been trying to say.

  “Hayley, if you don’t mention Rachel or her accusations in that article, you’re going to be dragged by the masses. People are counting on you to unearth the dark secrets that Rachel has been implying exist. Or at least, they expect you to counter those insinuations with my side of the story.” She paused. “A story that I asked you to write for me. I knew what I was getting into.”

  She rubbed her thumb along the back of Emerson’s hand. “That’s entirely the point, Emerson. You don’t owe anyone an explanation. So what if you did have an affair with Rachel? You’re both consenting adults, right? It doesn’t matter. And it shouldn’t detract from Willow Path and what you hope it will represent for audiences. It’s all distraction and noise obscuring the bigger picture.”

  “That’s all fine and good but…” Emerson looked pained. “Hayley, you have to write about the Rachel angle, or you’ll be ruined.”

  Hayley felt like that should concern her more than it did. She was feeling a lot of things right now, but concern for her career was not one of them. “Emerson, I don’t care. I’m happy to have you weigh in, but I don’t want anything from you.”

  She motioned between them. “Except this. Whatever this is, this friendship with the unexpected awesomeness of kissing or just a regular run-of-the-mill friendship without kissing, that’s fine, too. Less awesome, but still awesome.”

  Emerson laughed, and Hayley pressed on. “I care about this. I care about you. I don’t care about anything outside this room and this vacuum. If I’ve learned anything over the time I’ve spent with you, it’s that there is no controlling the uncontrollable. I don’t care to try.”

  “I’ve never met anyone like you.” Emerson kissed her and held her close.

  “The kissing implies that’s a good thing, right?” Hayley smiled against Emerson’s lips and stopped worrying when Emerson’s tongue slid along hers.

  “It’s a very good thing.” Emerson kissed away from her lips to suck on her pulse point and Hayley’s sex throbbed. Emerson shifted her flat on her back again and lowered her mouth to Hayley’s collarbone, licking and sucking as she went.

  Hayley closed her eyes at the sensation and threaded her hands into Emerson’s hair. The weight of Emerson’s body held her in place but her hips begged to cant up. She missed Emerson’s mouth on hers, but she loved the sensation of her lips caressing the skin of her chest and neck. “You feel so good.”

  Emerson unbuttoned Hayley’s plaid shirt and pushed it off her shoulders, trapping her arms by her side. She lowered her mouth to the swell of Hayley’s breast under the edge of the tank top and dragged her tongue along the curve of the fabric.

  “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to do this with you? To taste your skin and feel my lips on you?” Emerson’s fingers skimmed along her chest, palming over her breast, and settled just below her navel before moving lower. She stroked along the seam over the crotch of Hayley’s jeans and asked, “Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to feel your lips around me?”

  “God.” Hayley panted. “You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted you to. Please.”

  Emerson moaned and pressed harder against her crotch. Hayley rolled her hips up, seeking Emerson’s friction. She wriggled her arms out of the shirt and discarded it on the floor, as she pulled Emerson on top of her and held her there with one hand at her low back, while the other gripped Emerson’s jaw.

  Emerson kissed her hard and ground her hips against Hayley’s, her hand still trapped between them over the fabric of Hayley’s jeans. Hayley’s hand left Emerson’s back to flick open the button and unzip her fly. “Please, Emerson.”

  Emerson nodded and deepened the kiss, and Hayley saw stars when Emerson’s free hand traced circles over her nipple through her bra before twisting and pulling at the erect flesh. Hayley felt herself climbing. She wouldn’t last long at this pace. She begged, “Emerson.”

  Emerson pulled back and Hayley looked up into the dark, wanting eyes above her. “I’m not ready for this to end.” Emerson seemed as short of breath as Hayley felt.

  “Make me come and I promise I’ll come for you again and again.” Hayley had no doubt she’d carry her end of the bargain.

  Emerson’s mouth dropped open and she licked her lips. She shifted her hips to straddle Hayley’s leg and pressed her center down on it. Hayley could feel the heat of Emerson’s cunt through her jeans and she twitched. Emerson lowered her lips to Hayley’s ear and slipped her hand beneath the offending fabric that kept them apart. As she glided along Hayley’s lips and collected her wetness, she breathed out, “That is the single sexiest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  She slid inside Hayley and ground her hips down along Hayley’s leg and that was all Hayley could take. She bucked up against Emerson’s hand and the delicious weight of her body with a blinding climax that left her breathless. Her body tremored and shook with each thrust and rub of Emerson’s hand against her sex. She clutched at Emerson’s hips, encouraging her motion, and palmed at Emerson’s breast through her shirt.

  Emerson ducked her head and let out short sharp breaths as her rhythm got more and more erratic. Hayley struggled to keep her thigh still against Emerson’s movements while her clit continued to throb with Emerson’s fingers still firmly inside her, moving in and out just enough to prevent the blissful shock waves from subsiding.

  “Kiss me while you come, Emerson.” Hayley nudged her nose along Emerson’s jaw in an effort to reach her lips. “I want to taste your release on your lips. I dream about those lips, Emerson. Kiss me.”

  Emerson turned her head and connected their lips as she trembled against Hayley’s leg. She moaned into Hayley’s mouth and shuddered as Hayley slipped her hand under Emerson’s shirt and under her bra to cup her naked breast. The weight and swell of the tissue in her hand gave Hayley the boost of energy she needed to drive her thigh up against Emerson on her next thrust, and Emerson called out as she came hard and fast against Hayley’s leg. “Fuck.”

  Hayley held their lips together as Emerson slid out of her. She kissed her slowly and deeply as Emerson caught her breath, her body stretched out on top of her like the warmest and sexiest blanket she’d ever had. She released Emerson’s breast only long enough to help her out of her shirt. She sat up on her elbows as Emerson unhooked her bra and dropped it to the floor next to Hayley’s forgotten shirt. Hayley shrugged off her bra and settled back on her elbows.

  Without anything between them now, Hayley was able to see Emerson’s chest for the first time. It was everything she’d expected and more. She bent forward and took one of Emerson’s nipples between her lips. She stroked her tongue along it while she sucked gently. “You’re so beautiful, Emerson.”

  “You are unreal.” Emerson’s hand was in her hair, holding her lips in place as
she purred above her. “Hayley?”

  Hayley moved to the other breast and massaged the flesh with her lips. “Yeah?”

  Emerson gripped her chin and pulled her up until they were eye level. “I hope you meant what you said before because I have every intention to make you come like that all night.”

  Hayley kissed Emerson because she could. “What are you waiting for, then?”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “You never called me back last night,” Tremont said.

  “Oh?” She’d had more important things to tend to. Namely, making Hayley scream as often as possible. Hayley had more than kept to her promise last night. It was glorious.

  “There’s a picture of you in this gossip rag,” Tremont added dully from behind the magazine as he lounged on his couch. He had FaceTimed Emerson a few minutes ago to catch up with her and help her navigate her day at the movie studio while she was doing reshoots. She’d popped back into her trailer to review some script edits and enjoy some downtime while they set up the next few scenes. Tremont’s FaceTime call was a happy surprise but also a nerve-inducing one, considering the events of last night. She wasn’t sure she wanted to tell him about that yet. She had some things she wanted to figure out first.

  Emerson didn’t bother looking up from the script rewrites. “And that’s new and different because?”

  The sound of Tremont yawning in the background made her yawn as well. She hadn’t gotten much sleep last night. Not that she had any regrets about that. “Because this one is bound to stir up some trouble.”

  That got Emerson’s attention. “Why? What did I do this time?”

  Tremont cleared his throat and read the headline. “Emerson Sterling seen cuddling with mystery brunette and tiny fan on flight.” He turned the magazine and showed her a picture of her tickling Wendy on the flight to Boston. Hayley was seated to her right but turned in such a way that her face was hidden.

  “Her hair is auburn. Not brunette.” Emerson returned to her script review. “I don’t see what the big deal is. That could be anyone.”

  Tremont looked at her silently until she looked back up at him. “What?”

  He pointed to the picture again, holding his finger in place until she noticed what he was focused on: she was holding Hayley’s hand. The photo had been snapped during the tickle fight.

  Tremont spun the magazine and read on. “Emerson appeared more than comfortable with her seatmate, who is rumored by insiders to be the woman Emerson was spotted looking cozy with last week on the studio lot. Over the six-hour flight they could be seen snuggling close and laughing while playing cards. No news yet on this mystery woman, but if the smile on Emerson’s face was any indication, this lady is special.”

  Emerson cringed at that last part. The picture was innocent enough, albeit out of context. But she couldn’t dismiss the other information that had been true. She had enjoyed her time with Hayley. And that was before the time she’d enjoyed with Hayley between the sheets, all night long. Which was enjoyable in a much more significant and memorable way than the flight. She crossed her legs and smiled at the gentle ache from their play last night. She became acutely aware of how little clothing she had on. She’d had so many outfit changes on set today already, she’d decided the robe and her undergarments were enough for her downtime between takes. “It’s nothing, Tremont. You and I both know that people see what they want to see.”

  “This is coming right on the heels of Rachel’s most recent dish session, Em.”

  This was true. Rachel had leaked a little more of her side of the story last night while doing some press for a new movie she was working on. She was on Extra, flirting with the reporter, when he brought up Willow Path at the end of the interview. Rachel danced around it a bit before telling him that Emerson had seduced her by asking her to practice their kissing scene behind closed doors, to help set the tone for when they were in front of the camera. She made it a point to cry and blubber that she’d felt like they’d had a real connection, and he handed her a tissue, which of course made her cry harder. It was all hearsay—and total garbage—but damn, that woman could act devastated better than anyone she knew.

  Emerson scowled and pushed the script aside. “I can’t seem to get out from under that bitch, can I? Not everything comes back to who people think I am or am not sleeping with. Speculation is what got me in this mess to begin with. Ignore it.”

  “Funny, I always imagined you the top in that particular dance,” Tremont teased.

  Emerson just glared at him.

  “You know David is going to want to make a statement or pose you with someone at next week’s fund-raiser,” Tremont added.

  “Let him try and see where that gets him.” She focused her attention to the script in her hand.

  “What’s your plan with him?”

  Emerson raised her eyebrow but didn’t look up from her rewrites. “I haven’t figured that out yet. Right now, I need him to be a part of the team.”

  “And then? What happens when you don’t need him anymore?”

  Emerson sighed. “Then we go our separate ways. I can’t forgive him, Tremont. I tried.”

  “Fine by me. I never liked the little weasel.” He laughed. That was true. David and Tremont never got along. Just like Tremont and Rachel. But Hayley, on the other hand…No. She needed to focus.

  Emerson looked back at the page in front of her and willed the words to settle in her brain. They had finished filming so long ago she’d forgotten about the energy and the emotion in this scene. Reshoots this late in the game were unusual, but then again, firing one of the leads more than halfway through filming was also unusual. She and Johnny had other contract obligations, and trying to get everyone in the same place again had been near impossible. The last thing she wanted to be doing right now was reshooting a scene in Boston when her attention was needed elsewhere.

  “You know what I meant before about the headline causing an issue, right?” Tremont’s tone was gentle. That was all she needed to hear from him. She knew. How could she forget. She needed to call Deidre and see how Rory was doing from her perspective. She fired off a quick text to her sister while they talked.

  “I was hoping you were just worried about my image and bad press,” she said, hoping to deflect, but knowing it wouldn’t work. It was worth the try, she supposed.

  “Em.”

  She pushed the script away. This was hopeless. “That picture is going to piss Rachel off. We both know that.” Deidre and Rory were fresh in her mind, and she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t a little nervous about Rachel being provoked into shaming her family. She was wary of Rachel’s power and influence in the press. This was uncharted territory, and the privacy of her sister and her niece was at stake. The thought made her sick.

  Tremont nodded, his expression bleak.

  “Hey, T?” Emerson hadn’t broached this topic with him yet, but it was now or never.

  “What?”

  “I’m going to tell Hayley about Rory. I want her to include it in the article.”

  Tremont sat up taller. There was a pause. “Are you sure about that? It’s one thing to tell her about Rachel and have her write a little ditty about how great you are behind the scenes, but it’s a whole ’nother animal to tell her about Rory. David doesn’t even know about Rory. No one does.”

  Emerson sighed. “I know. But we need to make the first move. We need to be bold to limit the backlash. We need to—”

  “Thrust Rory into the spotlight?” Tremont seemed unconvinced.

  She closed her eyes to gather her thoughts. “I talked it over with Deidre and Tom, and I think it’s the best choice. It’s been my plan all along, I just wasn’t sure it would be necessary. But you said so yourself, Rachel is escalating. We need to act now. I don’t want her to take this from me. She’s taken so much already, but she can’t take my truth. I won’t allow it.”

  Tremont looked stunned. And Emerson felt the same way. She hadn’t meant to be so candid. She d
idn’t even realize that was how she felt until the words had left her mouth.

  “Okay.” Tremont nodded and let out a long exhale. “Shit is gonna get super complicated.”

  Emerson laughed. “Truth.”

  “Are you sure Hayley’s up to the challenge? Do you really trust her that much, Em?”

  “I do.” Emerson didn’t hesitate in her reply. She didn’t have to. She knew it in her soul that Hayley was the right person for the job. Hayley had the talent. She had lots of talents, actually, particularly a slew of new ones Emerson had just discovered last night, but none of those had to be mentioned to Tremont in this exact moment.

  “This is heavy stuff, Emerson. Are you sure you don’t want me there now? I could be there by midnight.”

  “I’m fine. Stay there, get better. I’m going to need you well.” She appreciated his concern, but she felt like she needed to have this conversation with Hayley alone. There were lots of things she wanted to do with Hayley alone…

  “Oh, I see, you’ve replaced me with Hayley.” He teased her and pointed to the photograph, tapping it. “You two do look awfully cozy.”

  “Don’t even start.” Cozy seemed to be the word of the day. She’d been awfully cozy in her bed this morning with Hayley. Hayley had stayed with her until the very last second because the bed was perfect, and Hayley was incredible and why not? By the time they reconvened and got down to the waiting car, Emerson was running forty minutes late. Hayley was adorably shy in the car ride with her to the movie lot. They sat close in the back of the hired car but didn’t have much time to talk since Emerson had to field a call from the studio during the ride. She’d peeked over Hayley’s shoulder and seen that she was working on something, but she couldn’t tell what it was. She’d reached out and stroked Hayley’s cheek while she typed because she’d wanted to. Hayley had nuzzled against her, and she felt like they had an understanding. She didn’t want Hayley to feel like last night was a one-off. To feel like she wasn’t important. Emerson had given in to her lust, that was for sure, but she cared about Hayley, too. “I don’t need you encouraging me to make any bad decisions. I do that plenty well on my own, thanks.”