But no, he’d seen beneath the façade. He’d seen the ugly little slut . . .
Oh, God. How could she ever forget her father’s harsh words. And his blood . . . splashing over her . . . the chunks of charred flesh . . .
Abruptly she put her book down and forced herself to start getting dressed for the party.
The phone rang. She reached for it.
“How’s everything?” Nikki asked.
“Great!” she replied, falsely cheerful.
“Can’t wait until you’re here,” Nikki said. “Mick’s dying to meet you.”
“You’re getting along?”
“Don’t believe one word you hear about him. He’s a touch eccentric, but that goes with the talent.”
They chatted for a few more minutes. Lara was tempted to confide about Joey, then decided she had nothing to gain from revealing her schoolgirl crush.
As soon as she put the phone down she began thinking about Revenge and the grueling weeks of work ahead. Quinn was right—she should never have agreed to make the movie. The shooting schedule was a killer, and having just completed two major films back to back, what she needed was a long vacation.
If it was anyone else but Nikki . . .
No. She refused to let her best friend down, it wouldn’t be fair. Besides, making Revenge would take her mind off Joey.
She finished dressing for the party in a simple turquoise dress and strappy sandals. There would be dancing on the beach, and all the guys from the crew would expect to have their picture taken with her.
She brushed her hair, then added gold hoop earrings and a wide gold bracelet Richard had given her shortly after their marriage. Satisfied with her appearance, she went downstairs:
Joey was standing in the living room, talking to Cassie.
For a moment she was filled with confusion. Joey was back. Her Joey.
He’s not your Joey. Get your head together and stop fantasizing.
She stood very still.
“Look who’s here,” Cassie said, like it wasn’t painfully obvious.
Time to return to her movie-star roots. Chill him out. Nobody played Ice Princess better than Lara Ivory.
“Joey,” she said lightly. “What are you doing here?”
“I’ll go see if the car’s outside,” Cassie said, hurriedly heading for the door.
“Don’t!” Lara said sharply.
Cassie paused, unsure what to do.
“Uh . . . I’d kinda like to speak to you alone,” Joey ventured, giving her one of his intense stares.
“I’m sorry,” she replied, green eyes freezing him out. “We’re late for the wrap party. Maybe another time.”
He edged closer, speaking in a low voice. “You’re pissed, huh? Not interested in hearin’ why I had to split.”
For a moment she weakened. Then her strong side took over and she thought, To hell with him—he’s stringing me along like some nothing little bimbo.
“No, Joey, I’m not angry,” she said evenly. “Why should I be?” And as she spoke, she moved toward the door, adding an offhanded, “Right now you’ll have to excuse us.”
“Phillipa tried to kill herself,” he muttered flatly. “O.D.’d on pills.”
She stopped abruptly. “Oh, God!”
“Don’t you understand,” he continued. “I had to leave.”
“Wait in the car,” she said to Cassie, who quickly left. “Why didn’t you call me?” she asked, turning on him accusingly. “Why did you take off without a word?”
“Had to get my head straight,” he explained, running a hand through his thick, dark hair. “You’ve no idea what it was like . . . the guilt . . . sittin’ in the hospital . . . knowin’ that all I wanted was to be with you.”
“Oh,” she said, completely confused.
“Soon as she was strong enough, I told her there was someone else an’ came right back.” He moved closer, taking her hand in his. “Didn’t mean to let you down.”
A feeling of relief swept over her. Perhaps there was a future for them after all. “It can’t have been easy,” she said quietly.
“Hey—” he said, squeezing her hand. “It wasn’t.” And he knew, as he gazed into her eyes, that his plan had worked. She was all his. “If it’s okay with you, this time I’m stayin’.”
She felt the sheer physical thrill of having him close again, and her anger and disappointment slowly began to dissolve. “Yes, Joey,” she said, with a little sigh. “It’s perfectly all right with me.”
• •
“Holy shit!” Roxy shrieked. “Willya get an eyeful of who Lara’s comin’ in with.”
“Who?” Yoko asked, craning to see.
“Joey whatever his name is. And lordy, Miss Y—they are holdin’ hands!”
“No!”
“See for yourself.”
“Thought he was engaged.”
“One sniff around our Lara, an’ his engagement musta taken a dive.”
Roxy and Yoko weren’t the only two observing Lara’s entrance. The buzz was everywhere. Kyle, who’d flown in his estranged wife, Jean, for the party, noticed immediately. “What is Lara doing with that deadbeat?” he demanded of Jean, a pretty woman with curled brown hair and a long-suffering expression.
“What’s wrong with him?” Jean asked, wondering if her unfaithful dog of a husband had slept with the exquisite actress.
“He’s an extra for chrissakes,” Kyle said grumpily, nonplussed that Lara would show up with such a loser when she could’ve had him. “Jesus Christ!” he added, conveniently forgetting about his own many indiscretions. “Doesn’t she get it? Hollywood rule number one—never screw below the line.”
• •
“I gotta hunch we’re causin’ a commotion,” Joey remarked.
“What?” Lara asked, clasping his hand.
“I’m tellin’ you—we’re exhibit number one. Everyone’s starin’.”
“Really?” she said, completely unabashed. Let them stare, let them all stare. She was with Joey, and she didn’t care who knew it.
“Your hairdresser’s eyes are out on stalks!” he added, laughing.
“Hmm . . .” she said, with the trace of a smile. “I’ve a feeling you were starring in a few of Roxy’s fantasies.”
“I was?” he asked innocently.
“Come on, Joey,” she chided. “You must know how women feel about you. They consider you prey.”
“You say the cutest things!”
“It’s true,” she said, smiling broadly. “I’m sure you’re aware of your lethal effect.”
“I’m not interested in women,” he stated. “Only you.”
“How gallant,” she said, shivering with anticipation, because tonight they’d surely consummate their relationship.
“Cold?” he asked, concerned.
“No. Veree veree hot,” she murmured, teasingly.
“Hey,” he said, grinning. “You’re tellin’ me? I’m the lucky guy who was on the beach with you—remember?”
Their eyes met, fusing a connection that blew her away. “I . . . I’ve got to mingle,” she said, catching her breath. “You know, take pictures with the crew, play nice.”
“Are we goin’ to L.A. in the mornin’?” he asked casually.
“You’re coming?”
He grinned again. “Think I’d let you go without me?”
CHAPTER
30
“WHAT IN HELL’S GOING ON?” Roxy asked Trinee, raising her painted eyebrows.
“How would I know?” Trinee replied, irritated because she didn’t.
“You were tight with the guy. You should be able to give us the scam.”
Trinee shrugged. “Soon as he unglues himself from her side, I’ll ask him.”
“Do that,” Roxy said. “ ’Cause I know men, and this one’s a player.”
“Why do you say that?” Yoko interrupted. “We never saw him screw around, and he sure had plenty of opportunities.”
“I gotta hunch about hi
m,” Roxy said, nodding knowingly. “He’s not for Lara.”
“You’ve got a hunch ’cause you wanted him for yourself,” Yoko said. “Now our star has him, and you’re green, baby.”
“Not true,” Roxy objected. “I’m glad Lara’s landed herself a guy. I only hope he’s the right one.”
“Tall, dark and handsome. Something wrong with that?”
“Y’see,” Roxy responded, “Lara’s not street smart like us. She hasn’t been around the block three hundred times.”
“Speak for yourself,” Yoko said crisply. “Personally, I’m a one-man woman.”
“Yeah,” Roxy muttered. “One man at a time.”
• •
Joey found a corner and settled back in a chair. Lara had fallen into position—no problem. Keep ’em wanting more and they’ll always be there.
It occurred to him that maybe he hadn’t needed to play games, but it had certainly been a smart move.
After taking off, he’d checked into a nearby motel and holed up for a couple of days, doing nothing except stare at the TV. It had taken all his self-control not to call her. Now, as he watched her flit around doing her movie star thing—posing with the guys, smiling nicely and making conversation—he knew that she was his.
Every so often their eyes met, and the connection between them was like fire. Tonight he’d make love to her. She was more than ready, although anticipation always added to the event.
“So,” Trinee said, flopping down in a chair opposite him, interrupting his flow of thought. “I thought you were this engaged person—same as me. Now you’re here with Lara. What’s goin’ on, man?”
He regarded Trinee with narrowed eyes. She had her nerve, coming over and pestering him with personal questions. Didn’t she get it? Things were different now. “It’s like this, Trinee,” he said, feeding her the information he wished her to pass around. “Do you believe in fate?”
“Fate?” she repeated blankly.
“That’s what happened between Lara an’ me.”
“Yeah?”
“Unavoidable.”
“What about your fiancée? Man, she must be pissed!”
“She’ll get over it,” he said calmly. Across the room he caught Barbara Westerberg glaring at him. He avoided eye contact.
“You’re somethin’ else,” Trinee said.
“What I am is honest.”
Trinee flounced off.
Eventually, Lara came back, face flushed. She was clutching a gardenia one of the grips had presented her with. “Duty done,” she said breathlessly. “We can go now.”
“Good. The natives are not exactly friendly.”
“Who’s not friendly?”
“Barbara Westerberg’s been thro win’ me the cold fish eye all night.”
“She wanted you,” Lara said lightly. “They all wanted you.”
“And look who won the prize.”
“You know what they say about prizes?”
“Tell me.”
She laughed softly. “They’re to take home and play with.”
“Lara!” he said, pretending to be shocked. “An’ I thought you were a nice girl.”
“No, Joey, I’m not the perfect little prude everyone imagines.”
“Let’s split,” he said. “We got better things to do.”
She found Cassie and told her they were leaving.
“You sure you’re okay?” Cassie asked, frowning slightly. This thing with the actor was beginning to worry her.
“Okay?” Lara said, glowing. “I feel absolutely wonderful.”
“If you say so,” Cassie said, thinking she’d never seen Lara so out of control.
“Oh, c’mon, Cass . . . how long is it since I’ve been this happy?”
“I want it to be good for you, Lara,” Cassie said earnestly. “If you think Joey’s the right guy . . .”
She laughed. “I’m not marrying him, Cass, I’m merely having fun. Oh, and by the way, you’d better let the pilot know that Joey’s coming with us in the morning.”
Now Cassie was really confused. “To L.A.?”
“That’s right,” she said, running over and kissing Miles. “See you in L.A., my darling.”
“Lara, you’re the best,” he said, beaming. “You make my job easy.”
“The same applies, Miles. We’ll do it again.”
She nodded at Kyle and his wife, feeling sorry for the poor woman. “Jean, nice to see you again. Kyle, I’m sure we’ll meet in the dubbing rooms.”
“Be careful, Lara,” Kyle said, standing up.
“Excuse me?”
He leaned close to her ear so his wife couldn’t hear. “You got no idea where he’s been, honey. Make sure you get him tested for AIDS.”
She drew away, flushed with annoyance. “One rule for you, Kyle, another for me,” she said in a low voice. “You give chauvinist pigs a bad name.”
Joey was waiting outside in the car. She slid into the backseat next to him. He took her hand and they rode in silence until they reached the house.
Once inside he stopped her from switching on the lights by grabbing both her wrists, holding them above her head and roughly kissing her, bruising her lips. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” he said, releasing her at last.
“And I’ve been wanting you to,” she whispered back.
“How long’s Cassie stayin’ at the party?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yeah, it matters. We should be alone here.”
“She’ll be a while.”
“Lock the front door.”
“Joey . . . shouldn’t we talk?”
“Not now,” he said, and began kissing her again, long, deep soul kisses until she didn’t care about anything except him.
Soon he began peeling down the straps of her dress, easing it off her shoulders. Then he roughly unclipped her bra, tossing it across the room.
She was faint with excitement. Trembling slightly, her hands grabbed the zipper on his pants, boldly pulling it down, reaching in to explore.
He yanked her dress down over her slender hips, taking her bikini panties along with it. “Lie on the floor,” he commanded.
As if in a trance she did as he asked, watching as he stripped off the rest of his clothes.
She’d never wanted a man so badly in her life. With Richard things had always taken place in the bedroom; with Lee they’d been a little more adventurous; here with Joey, lying on the floor in the living room of her rented house, she was wild with passion.
Then he was on top of her—no foreplay this time, she didn’t need any as he moved smoothly inside her, causing her to moan deeply in the back of her throat.
Soon they were in perfect rhythm, riding a giant wave, balancing precariously on the edge . . .
In the distance she could hear someone screaming. Vaguely she realized it was her.
They reached the peak together, climaxing with a frenzy of moans. And it was all she’d ever hoped for and more.
When they were finished, he remained spread-eagled on top of her, neither of them moving. She was hot and sticky and totally ecstatic. “Joey,” she murmured contentedly. “Oh, God, Joey.”
“Was it good for you, baby?” he asked lazily, rolling off and throwing his arm across her.
“The best,” she whispered happily. “The absolute best.”
“Tell me,” he urged.
“Tell you what?”
“Tell me that there’ll never be anyone else for you. That I’m it. I’m your whole fuckin’ world.”
“Joey . . .”
A week. All he needed was a week and she’d tell him anything he wanted.
CHAPTER
31
“I WANT YOU TO SEE a rough assemblage tonight,” Richard said. “Meet me here at six, and we’ll drive to the screening room together.”
“Can’t wait,” Nikki responded, hoping she’d be able to get away from the production office early enough to accommodate him.
“Yo
u won’t believe Lara’s performance,” he raved. “She’s sensational.”
“I’m hardly surprised,” Nikki said, wishing that he wouldn’t carry on about Lara quite so much. Besides, didn’t he remember that it was she who’d designed every stitch of clothing that covered Lara’s gorgeous body in the movie, making Nikki a big part of the movie’s success? It was a costume picture, after all.
They were eating-breakfast out on the deck. Normally she would have left by this time, but as she was on her way out, Richard had announced he had something important to talk about, so she’d delayed her early start, even though she was anxious to get to the office.
Impatiently she glanced at her watch. So far he hadn’t come up with a subject that merited her staying any longer. “Lara flies back today,” she said, making conversation. “I thought we’d have her over for dinner tomorrow, and Mick, too, if that’s okay with you.”
“Why that asshole?”
“It seems a good plan for them to meet socially. Kind of a get to know each other before the movie starts.”
“Lara will hate him,” Richard said flatly. “She sees right through assholes.”
“She won’t hate him.”
“Trust me, she will.”
“Richard,” Nikki said, feeling defensive. “When I started this project you were supportive—now, every day, you seem to get less so.”
“Because you’re making the wrong choices,” he said, his voice a monotonous nag. “You refuse to listen. You should never have cast Lara, nor hired Mick Stefan.”
“Why not? He’s brilliant.”
“He might be brilliant, but he needs a producer who can control him. You’ve had no experience, Nikki. You need experience before you take on somebody like that.”
“Oh, gee, thanks. I appreciate your confidence,” she said, checking her watch again. “I have to get going, Richard. Was there anything else?”
“I promised Summer I’d talk to you.”
“What about?” she asked, annoyed, because if Summer had something to say, she should come out with it herself.
“She said that every time she tries to talk to you, the two of you end up getting in a fight.”
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