His attention goes from his wrist to me, like I have the answer to his missing model problem.
I shrug and point to the open door leading to another room. “Don’t ask me,” I answer. “I’m already in charge of one drama queen, and he’s in that room getting spray tanned … oiled up … glittered … something along those lines.”
“Screw you, Libby,” Knox yells from the room. “I’m getting dressed, not fucking glittered.” He lets out a chuckle. “If you don’t believe me, you’re more than welcome to come see for yourself.”
I swear I’m seriously working for one of the biggest man-whores in the industry.
Thomas starts nervously pacing in front of me. He’s a control freak who expects everything to always go according to plan. He’s the best in the business and is business all the time, Monday through Sunday, twenty-four-seven. It’s like hitting gold getting him to crack a smile. He’s not married, has no children, even though he’s drifting into his late fifties. His receding hairline and stray grays tell me his job takes a toll on him. He’s the one who discovered The Grave Diggers and worked his ass off to get them signed to a label. Then he went on to give other people, like Knox, the ticket to fame.
I open my mouth, ready to volunteer to hunt down this MIA model, but the sound of Thomas’ phone ringing stops me.
“Tell me you found her,” he barks into the speaker. Sweat starts to form at the base of his forehead. “You’ve got to be kidding me? Yeah … fine … I’ll figure it out, as usual.” He ends the call and tosses the phone on the table in front of me, curse words flying from his lips.
I click my tongue against the roof of my mouth, my nervous habit, and wait for him to tell me what’s next. “So … no model?” I finally ask.
“No model. Apparently, she can’t make it in today. She cancelled because she has some audition for a movie role that’s a better opportunity.”
“Should we reschedule for tomorrow?”
He scrubs his hands over his face. “Everything is already a go for today. The director is the best of the best and did this as a favor to me. He’s leaving the country tomorrow and won’t be back for another week.” He stops his pacing and looks straight at me.
Shit. Stare-downs are never a good thing.
I bring myself up from the couch, fully ready to scurry off and find some bullshit errand to run. He stops me before I get the chance.
“Libby will be filling in for the model today,” he calls out.
I freeze.
What the?
Knox dips his head out the doorway and looks at me, a grin on his face. “Sorry Thomas, but I don’t think Libby is going to want to do that considering what happens in this video.”
He’s absolutely right.
“We’ll cut down the sex a bit and make it work,” Thomas argues. “That way, today won’t be a total waste, and we won’t have to wait another week to get the video done. We need everything released on schedule.”
I shake my head violently. “Uh no, Libby isn’t going to fill in,” I fire back. “I’m an assistant, not some video vixen.”
I read what this video consists of.
It’s sex. All sex.
Correction: it’s supposed to look like sex.
And there’s no way in hell I’m fake-fucking my boss.
“Exactly, you’re an assistant,” Thomas argues, grabbing his phone from the table. His mood has changed from pissed off to chipper now that he’s decided to ruin my life. “And your assistance is needed today.” He gives me a reassuring look. “Don’t worry. I can see the look on your face. You think we’re shooting porn, but that’s way off. Everything will be PG and tastefully done.”
“Don’t you have a back-up?” I ask, my voice almost pleading. I’m reaching for anything to prevent me from doing this. Hell, I’ll even go pick up some random girl off the street. “Surely there wasn’t only one woman who auditioned for this part.” There was probably a line out the door for women who wanted to be his love interest.
“It’ll take hours to call in a replacement. You’re here now.” He shoves his hands into his pockets. “You’ll be getting paid for this. Five grand.” He grins, like that should immediately change my mind. “Not too shabby, huh? Hair and makeup will be in to get you in a few minutes.”
He walks out of the room without waiting for a response from me.
Thomas isn’t dumb. He knew to throw in the fact that I’ll be getting paid a decent chunk of change.
Knox walks into the room – not glittered up or looking much different than when we left this morning. The only difference is he’s now wearing a white t-shirt and dark jeans. It seems to be his signature look. It’s basic yet sexy. I also know all of those articles of clothing don’t stay on throughout the entire video.
“Oh come on,” he says, giving me a mischievous smile. “It won’t kill you to act like you’re attracted to me for five minutes.”
“Sorry to burst your ego, homeboy, but yes it will. Not every girl wants to have sex with you,” I argue.
He rests against the wall and crosses his arms. “So are you one of those girls?” I nervously nod while he pushes himself forward to come my way, getting so close I can feel his breath against mine. Is he trying to get me worked up so I say yes? “You’re telling me if I asked you right now, no strings attached, to fuck, you’d turn around and walk away?”
My chest tightens as he stares down at me and grins. He’s fully aware of the reaction he’s pulling out of me.
I stumble back, hitting the arm of the couch. Shit. He crowds in closer.
“Damn straight,” I say, trying to keep my voice straight. “I’d actually kick you in the balls and then turn around and walk away.”
He puts his hands up and retreats backward. “Okay then. Let the games begin.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I shout.
He shrugs and disappears from the room.
Jackass.
Chapter 9
Knox
I walk away from Libby with a satisfied grin on my face.
Excitement ran up my spine at her reaction when I asked what she’d do if I tried to fuck her. I didn’t miss the way her breathing changed or how her eyes suddenly refused to meet mine.
Libby is fighting her attraction to me. She may not like me personally, but that doesn’t mean she repulses my sex appeal or looks.
I’m not saying she’s ready to straddle my dick and ride it into the sunset, but there’s some internal conflict within herself, and I want to make her question it even more.
Which is a bad fucking idea on my part.
Thomas has told me since day one not to fuck the people who work for you. Venturing into that territory never ends well.
Period.
And I’ve done a good job of sticking with it.
Libby is a good assistant so far, and I’d hate to lose her.
The crew is almost finished setting up the scenes for the shoot. I’m co-producing the video and have spent over a month planning out every single detail with my team. Thomas and the director, Mike, are immersed in conversation, most likely trying to figure out how to shift shit around so Libby feels more comfortable, yet not change the entire concept of the video at the same time.
Thomas looks at me worriedly when I reach them. “Please tell me you didn’t say something to piss her off?”
“Really?” I question, giving him a dirty look.
“She’s a good girl, Knox.” His face goes soft. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him show an ounce of emotion.
“Let me remind you that her being in the video was your idea. If she’s not cool with it, we’ll reschedule. It’ll be a son of a bitch, but not the end of the world. I can handle it.”
“It would be too complicated.” He juts his finger towards me. “Be on your best behavior, so everything goes smooth.”
“You know I always am.”
He snorts at my response and then snaps his fingers when my stylist comes into
view to get her attention. “Mallory,” he yells. She whips around to look at him. “Change of plans. Libby, Knox’s new assistant, is doing the video with him now. Find her something to wear and then send her straight into hair and makeup. Do it quickly, but don’t half-ass it, either.”
“Got it,” Mallory answers, brushing her blonde hair over her shoulder. “Are we going for a more modest look now?” Mallory has worked for me for two years and is damn good at her job. She’ll have this under control.
“Let her pick whatever she wants to wear,” I say. Mallory raises a brow. “I’m not saying give her a moo-moo, but options.”
She nods in response and scurries away.
“You sure this is a good idea?” I ask Thomas. “There are already pictures of us leaving a club together last night.”
“What? Why the hell were you at a club with her?”
“I wasn’t there with her. I ran into her, was about to leave, and she needed a ride home.” He nods, but I’m not sure if he actually buys my story. “Now we’re doing this video together? People are going to speculate we’re fucking. I can guarantee that.”
Thomas shrugs. “Maybe that will be good for your image, make it look like you’re settling down and making better choices.”
This better not be some kind of setup by my team.
“No, it won’t be good for my image. It will fuck it up more. If I’m seen hanging out with any other chick that’s not her, it’ll look like I’m cheating. So make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Let’s not worry about that right now. Today’s goal is shooting this video. We’ll figure out all of the necessary PR later.”
I salute him. “Got it.”
He walks away to talk to someone else. I sit down on a stool and pull my phone out. I search my name on the internet – something I haven’t done in years. It makes me sick to my stomach when I read the bullshit lies they write up.
That’s what sells, though.
Sex and lies.
I start to scroll through the results.
Knox Rivers Has a Wild Night Out at Emeralds: Booze, Partying, Drugs, and Women!
Knox Ditches Stella for Mystery Blonde! Stella Leaves in Tears!
New Girl For Knox Rivers?
Jesus Christ, it’s worse than I thought.
At least they don’t have her name yet.
I look away from my phone when Libby comes stomping out of the room, her make-up halfway done, with a copy of the script in her hand.
“There will be no tongue. You need to do a rewrite,” she tells me.
“I’m not rewriting it. If you’re not comfortable making out with me, say it right now and we’ll leave. I’m not changing this entire video.”
“What if we change it to light kissing?” Thomas suggests, making his way over to us. He looks over at Libby. “It won’t be as bad as you think.”
“It’ll be much better,” I add, resulting in a dirty glare from the both of them. “You’ll probably be proposing to me when it’s over.”
She rolls her eyes at me.
“It’s one minute of kissing,” Thomas goes on. “You need the money.”
“Why does that make me sound like a hooker?” she snaps.
“She’s right,” I say, nodding. “It does.” I bring myself up from the chair and stand in front of her. “But there’s a lot less needed in this job than that of a hooker, considering you don’t have to blow me. So are you in or out?”
She looks at Thomas, who gives her a slight head nod. “In,” she answers. “I’ll be fine.”
I don’t believe her.
This video is sexy, and the storyline is that of a forbidden romance. I’ll be playing Libby’s boyfriend’s best friend who she sneaks around and has an affair with.
The set is going to look like we’re in a cheap motel room in the middle of nowhere. The actual “building” is a cardboard cutout that will look like the real thing once the video is finished and editing gets their hands on it.
It takes Libby another twenty minutes before she comes back out.
My jaw drops.
Goddamn, she looks fucking stunning.
My hands are already itching to peel that black tank top from her chest.
She slowly comes my way, giving me time to appreciate the cut-off jean shorts that barely cover her thighs, and I can already feel my dick starting to throb.
Fuck, don’t let me pop a boner while we film this.
“So … how do I look?” she asks, throwing her hands down her body.
“Damn good. I can’t wait to take those clothes off,” I say, causing her to blush and look down at the ground. “You ready to do this?”
“I think so. I popped a Xanax about ten minutes ago, so I’ll probably feel better when it kicks in.”
“What?”
She slaps my chest, a smile cracking on her lips. “I’m kidding! Let’s make this fun, okay? Otherwise, it’s going to feel and look like we’re uncomfortable, which won’t be good for your image and take away from the entire video.”
“I completely agree.”
I grab her hand and lead her to where we’re shooting the first scene – on a bed.
“And we’re starting with the big one,” she mutters. “Don’t you believe in saving the best for last?”
“Nope, the first taste is always the best.” My tone turns serious. “I know you read the script, but do you want to rehearse a few times before we shoot?”
“No, it seems pretty basic, so I think we’ll be okay. If we mess up, we’ll reshoot it.”
“Pretty basic, huh? You make out with random dudes on camera pretty frequently?”
She nods. “All the time. Make-out porn is all the rage, the most hardcore stuff out there.”
I’ve never shot a video without rehearsing first. I’m a perfectionist in the sense that everything has to be planned and done right before we start shooting, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. I don’t think she understands that by not rehearsing, we’re most likely going to have to kiss and touch more.
I twist around on my heels and tell everyone we’re going straight into shooting. They all look at me like I’ve lost my damn mind but start to move into their places.
Mike shrugs. “I guess we’ll get started then.”
I shake my arms out and start to bounce on my toes before they turn the music on.
“Action!” Mike yells.
My heart begins to pound at the start of my song, and I have no idea why. I’ve shot dozens of these videos. I’ve kissed and done more with plenty of other models, so why does it feel like my heart is about to come barreling out of my chest?
I shrug off the feeling and push myself forward to start walking through what’ll look like a deserted parking lot. Libby is in one of the rooms, pacing back and forth nervously, waiting for me.
A rush of adrenaline punches through me when I knock on the door. She peeks through the peephole before letting me in and lets out a gasp when my arm immediately spans around her waist as soon as I make it through the doorway.
She’s apprehensive.
Hell, we both are.
She pulls in a breath when I push her against the wall, my body moving into hers, and I tilt my head down to look at her, waiting for the right time to advance. I edge in closer to draw her lower lip into my mouth, sucking on it gently, and press my lips against hers.
They’re as soft as feathered pillows, and she expels a deep breath before kissing me back. She tastes delicious, like fresh citrus and peaches.
The attraction between us sparks to life.
I don’t want this scene to end.
Hell, I’ll do this entire video with my mouth and hands on her.
I tighten my hold on her hips, and my body is begging for more when I sense her excitement.
I have to stop myself.
I have to keep this professional.
But it’s taking all of my strength not to wrap her legs around me and give it to her against this wal
l … and we haven’t even made it to the bed yet.
Chapter 10
Libby
Knox kisses me like he owns me.
I believed I was safe – that I wouldn’t be able to focus on anything except the camera, but I was so wrong.
Right now, all I can think about is how I want more of him.
This attraction, this pull, is blindsiding me.
The song’s sexual lyrics playing in the background isn’t helping, either. They’re only driving my desire harder.
I’m dizzy, so damn dizzy, as Knox keeps me pinned against the wall with his lips on mine. My knees start to wobble, and I’m grateful when he picks me up in his arms and carries me across the room to the bed.
My pulse is pounding so hard I can almost hear it over the music. I gulp as he levels me down on the bed and starts to crawl over me. Goosebumps take over my skin when he draws out a long breath against my exposed neck before his lips find mine again.
My tongue darts into his warm mouth, demanding more, and surprising the shit out of him.
I mean, I’m only doing my job, right?
I have to make our attraction look as real as possible.
My thighs tingle when I lose his mouth, and he starts to drag my shirt over my head, messing up my hair. That’s my cue to do the same to him.
Everything is so fast paced.
I need him to slow down.
I want this to last longer.
“Goddamn,” he hisses between his teeth while drinking me in underneath him wearing a red lace bra. I tried convincing Mallory to find me a sports bra, but she wasn’t having it.
I brace myself, aware of what’s coming next, and gasp at the feel of his soft lips hitting the skin right above the button of my shorts. Heat pools through me as he circles his arm around my back to bring me closer to his mouth.
He trails kisses up my stomach, and everyone around us fades away.
It’s only him and me.
The pressure builds up, and reality starts to hit me.
He’s going to make me come.
Wild Thoughts Page 16