Taming Her Hollywood Playboy

by Emily Forbes

  He picked up the bill when it was delivered to their table but it seemed he wasn’t ready to say goodnight just yet. ‘It’s only early. Don’t you think you need to keep an eye on me a little longer? Shall we have coffee? Dessert?’

  ‘We can have dessert at the next stop.’ Kat was pleased that he didn’t seem keen for the night to end. She had other plans for them.

  ‘There’s more than one thing to do in town on a Saturday night?’

  She bristled. ‘There’s plenty. I’m just not sure how much you’ll appreciate.’

  ‘Relax. I’m kidding.’

  She unlocked her car and climbed in as Oliver held the door for her. She reached into the back seat and handed him a baseball cap.

  ‘What’s this for?’

  ‘Protection.’

  He raised an eyebrow and smiled. ‘For you or me?’

  ‘You.’

  ‘You sure do things differently out here,’ he said as Kat pulled onto the main street and drove back through town, turning right at the far end and onto a dirt road. She drove past a chain link fence. On the other side was a large screen.

  ‘We’re going to the movies?’ Oliver asked.

  Kat nodded. ‘Outback style.’

  She handed over cash at the gate before driving in to the outdoor theatre and reversing into a spot.

  To their left was a small building housing the projection unit which also doubled as the kiosk. A couple of long benches were bolted into the ground in front of the kiosk for any patrons who hadn’t driven, but these had been ignored in favour of a few, more comfortable, deckchairs. The whole set-up was very basic. Money had recently been spent on a new screen but funds were desperately needed to upgrade the rest of the facilities.

  Kat tuned the radio and opened her door.

  ‘Are you sweet or savoury?’ she asked.

  ‘Sorry?’

  ‘The dessert I promised you. I’ll get us something from the shop.’

  ‘My buy.’

  ‘No—’ she started to argue, but he cut her off.

  ‘I was buying dinner. If this is dessert then technically it’s still part of dinner.’

  She looked at him. Even with the baseball cap he was recognisable. His clothes were too city. He was too neat and tidy, too well-groomed.

  ‘Thanks, but let’s call it movie snacks, not dessert, and let me go.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Because I think it’s better if you stay out of sight.’ He frowned and she could see she’d confused him. She couldn’t blame him. He had no idea what movie they’d come to see. ‘I don’t want you to be hassled.’

  ‘No one has bothered me since I got to Coober Pedy. I don’t think anyone could care less that I’m in town.’

  Kat believed him. The locals were, by and large, unfazed by anything that happened outside of their world. Coober Pedy was a popular filming location for everything from documentaries to local horror flicks to Hollywood blockbusters and the locals couldn’t care less. The ones who made a living from the tourists might be the exception but, while they liked the additional revenue that a film crew and any associated publicity might bring, even they wouldn’t make a nuisance of themselves by hassling the stars. The locals were focused on making money, making a living, surviving. Movies being made in town was a good drawcard for tourists, which made the town money. That was all the locals worried about, so she wasn’t surprised that they were leaving the movie contingent alone, but the tourists in town might be a different story.

  ‘Most of the town, probably not. But the people who are here tonight might. The first movie is one of yours.’

  ‘One of mine? Which one?’

  ‘This Is War.’ She waited to see if he was going to object. ‘Do you mind watching one of your own? We’re a bit limited for choice out here. There’s a different double feature every Saturday night and tonight it’s one of yours, but we could come back later for the second movie if it’s a problem.’

  Oliver glanced over his shoulder at the mound of pillows in the back of the car. ‘If we stay, do I get to lie in the back with you and fool around?’

  ‘Yes, to the first—’

  ‘I know how this movie ends,’ he interrupted with one of his slow smiles; ‘you can afford to miss it—I can catch you up later.’

  Kat laughed. ‘My point was, that I will get the snacks because you’re bound to be recognised here and I don’t think it will make for a relaxing experience.’

  ‘Relaxing in the back of your car with you was exactly the experience I had in mind.’

  Kat raised her eyebrow and gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘Sweet or savoury?’

  ‘Surprise me.’

  ‘Make yourself comfortable,’ she said as she hopped out.

  She returned with an armload of sweets and some cans of soft drink, passing everything to Oliver before climbing into the back. ‘Take your pick. I have popcorn or FruChocs.’

  ‘Fruit chocs?’

  ‘FruChocs—chocolate-covered apricot balls. You have to try one. I’ve got beer too,’ Kat said as she popped open a can, ‘but you should probably steer clear of that if you’ve got a headache.’

  ‘My headache seems to have gone,’ he grinned. ‘I’m feeling much better.’

  The opening credits started to roll and Kat settled back. She was looking forward to the movie; it was a romantic comedy, which was much more her style than science fiction, but she knew she’d be happy to see anything that Oliver was in and was more than happy to be curled up in the dark with him. He had rearranged the pillows, making more of a semi-circle, encouraging the two of them into the middle of the car, like a little nest. She had to sit close, their shoulders and thighs touching. She didn’t mind that at all.

  She enjoyed the movie. At some point she felt Oliver’s arm wrap around her shoulder. She was tucked against his side in the dark. Despite the fact they were surrounded by other cars, it had felt secluded and private and the nervous tension she usually felt when she was around him had dissipated. Maybe it was because she couldn’t see him, but she was still aware of him. The nervous tension had been replaced by a heightened awareness. She had felt every movement he’d made, every breath he’d taken.

  She’d felt his fingers twirling the ends of her hair and making tiny patterns on her bare shoulders. Her skin had come alive under his touch and she felt as if she could have stayed there for ever, cocooned with him in a world of their own.

  ‘What did you think?’ he asked as the final credits started to roll.

  The film had made her cry. And laugh. And, not that she’d admit it, she’d got a little turned on in the sex scenes. ‘I thought you were great,’ she said, grateful for the darkness as it hid the fact she was blushing.

  ‘You don’t have to be nice. It’s OK if you thought it was terrible.’ He was looking at her, his blue-eyed gaze bright even in the dim light. He was smiling. She wondered if he was always happy.

  ‘No, really, it was fun, but do you find it weird watching yourself on screen?’ She had wondered if he’d enjoy it or find it uncomfortable.

  ‘A bit. I tend to focus on everyone else’s characters. Especially in the sex scenes.’

  ‘About those. Were you sleeping with the lead actress in real life?’ Her imagination had run away with her during those scenes. Lying in Oliver’s embrace, it was all too easy to imagine that she was watching him make love to her.

  ‘She was engaged.’

  ‘That doesn’t change my question.’

  ‘You don’t think much of my acting.’

  ‘On the contrary. Those kisses looked pretty authentic. I just wondered if you really are that good.’

  ‘At kissing or acting?’

  She noticed he still hadn’t answered her original question but she was prepared to let it go for now. She had other things on her mind. She wanted t
o know how it would feel to be kissed the way he’d kissed the heroine. She wanted to know what it would be like to be kissed by Oliver.

  ‘Kissing,’ she replied.

  ‘Those kisses were nothing. It’s just part of acting.’

  ‘Is it true there are acting classes to teach people how to kiss?’

  ‘Yes. But I’m not going to admit to having to learn how to kiss a girl properly.’

  ‘So, you’ve never done one of those classes.’

  ‘No. I’ve never needed to.’

  She would bet he hadn’t. She was sure he knew exactly what to do in the bedroom, exactly how to get a girl into bed with him and what to do with her when she got there. He would have had plenty of experience. All he’d have to do was look into her eyes and then smile. Say a few charming words. Kat knew that if she spent enough time with him and he kept up his charm offensive it would only be a matter of time before she succumbed. She was horny just watching him on screen, let alone having his arm around her, his thigh resting against hers. She could still feel his breath on her cheek, his fingers in her hair. Her heart was pounding and she wondered if he could hear it. Her hands were sweaty, her underwear damp.

  ‘Don’t confuse real life with acting. In a movie you have to think about everything except the act itself. That’s scripted. In a movie you have to get the angles right. You don’t want hands in the wrong places, noses getting in the way, too much tongue, too much saliva. It’s usually all make-believe. And there are lots of different kisses.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Think about the way you kiss your dad or your cousins and then think about the way you kissed your first boyfriend.’

  She cringed at the thought. ‘I’d rather not think about that.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I was fifteen and it was a disaster.’

  ‘Your second boyfriend, then.’

  ‘That was a bit better.’

  ‘How many boyfriends have you had?’

  ‘A few. The choices are a bit limited out here, and you said it yourself—everyone is connected somehow. We all went to school together or are related.’

  ‘I’ve learned that’s not completely true. Plenty of people seem to have moved here from somewhere else. Surely there’s an opportunity there. And what about when you were in Adelaide?’

  ‘Yes, there were definitely more options then.’ With the added bonus that they didn’t have to be introduced to any of her over-protective family. But the only serious relationship she’d ever had had ended when she came back to Coober Pedy. She’d hoped he might follow her, but what was there here for him? She couldn’t blame her ex for not wanting to live here. She had never intended to still be here at the age of twenty-seven. She had wanted to see the world but she felt duty bound to stay in Coober Pedy. She was waging a constant battle between her own desires and her beliefs as a daughter. ‘What about you?’

  ‘No boyfriends,’ he smiled.

  ‘Girlfriends?’

  ‘Not as many as you might think. Now, where were we?’ He reached towards her and ran his hand from her shoulder down her arm as he redirected the subject. Kat’s skin tingled and her body sprang to life. He flipped her hand over and his thumb made slow circles over the sensitive skin of her wrist. She could scarcely remember her own name, let alone what they’d been talking about. ‘We were talking about kisses, I think.’

  Kat took a deep breath, closed her eyes briefly and then forced herself to refocus as she opened them. ‘What’s next after the first kiss?’

  ‘Technically, the second. But in reality, there are always more first kisses.’

  ‘How do you figure that?’

  ‘Every new person is a new kiss. Another first kiss.’

  ‘Until you find the person,’ she argued. ‘The one you want to spend the rest of your life with.’

  ‘Let’s forget about numbering the kisses and just think about the way you want to kiss me.’

  ‘I never said I wanted to kiss you.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ he teased and she nearly gave in. But she wanted him to make the first move. ‘Anyway,’ he said when she stayed silent, ‘there are plenty more types of kisses.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘The kiss between two friends.’

  He leant in close and kissed her on the cheek. His hands were on her elbows. The kiss was chaste.

  The light from the movie screen played across his face, illuminating his eyes. He was looking at her closely and she was spell bound. He lifted his hand and ran his thumb across her cheek, stopping just in front of her ear. His fingers slid under her hair, gently caressing her neck.

  Her eyes were locked with his. Her lips parted.

  He brought his face close to hers and said, ‘And then there’s this one.’

  CHAPTER FIVE

  HE PRESSED HIS lips close to her ear. She felt them on her earlobe as he ran his fingers down the back of her arm. The hairs on her arms were tingling. She’d never known the back of her arm could be an erogenous zone. Her whole body was tingling, desperate for his touch.

  His other hand was behind her neck, his fingers splayed along the bones of her spine. His head dipped towards hers as her eyes drifted closed.

  His lips pressed softly against hers.

  She sighed and parted her lips on a breath.

  Oliver’s touch grew firmer and Kat opened her mouth further. His tongue was inside her, touching her, tasting her. He tasted like chocolate.

  She melted into his embrace as the kiss deepened.

  Their first kiss.

  ‘I’ve wanted to do that since I first saw you,’ he said when they finally came up for air.

  ‘Was it worth waiting for?’

  ‘You tell me.’

  She nodded. It had been everything she’d hoped for. And more.

  ‘Now do you believe me? My acting kisses are very different. That was me. All me. There’s a big difference to kissing someone when you’re surrounded by cameras, and when you’re alone under the stars.’

  ‘We’re hardly alone.’

  ‘You’ve been on set. You’ve seen how crowded it gets. This is as much privacy as I need when I’m kissing someone.’

  ‘Can I have that one again?’

  He shook his head. She was disappointed; it had been a pretty amazing kiss.

  ‘We only get one first kiss,’ he said. ‘That’s why it had to be perfect.’

  ‘What comes next?’

  ‘This one.’

  He rolled her over, resting her back on the pile of pillows, trapping her under his weight. He pressed his lips to the side of her face, in front of her ear, before moving lower, dropping kisses along her jaw. His mouth moved lower still as he dropped feather-light kisses down her neck and along her collarbone.

  He flicked the strap of her sundress off her shoulder and his fingers grazed her breast. Her nipple peaked as his lips pressed against the swell of her breast.

  She put her index finger under his chin and lifted his head, bringing his lips back to hers. She slid her arms around his neck as she pressed herself against him.

  His tongue explored her mouth. Tasting. Teasing, deeper and harder this time. There was an urgency to their movements now.

  His mouth moved back to her jaw line, her neck. He pushed the fabric of her dress aside and cupped her breast with his hand as his thumb deliberately stroked across her nipple. He pushed the lace of her bra to one side, exposing her breast to the caress of his lips. He ran his tongue over her nipple and Kat dissolved.

  She felt his hand trace over the curve of her hip, the thin cotton of her dress no protection against the heat of his hand. His mouth was still at her breast, his fingers were on her bare knee. Now his fingers were on the inside of her thigh.

  Her skin was on fire. A waterfall of heat and desire sta
rted in her belly, overflowed and ran through her like a river.

  His fingers moved higher until they came to rest just below the junction of her thighs. It took all her willpower not to spread her legs for him and beg him not to stop. She needed to remember where they were. Who she was. But it was almost impossible. He was sending her crazy.

  He seemed to sense just when enough was enough. His movements stilled, pausing right at the last moment, the moment before they wouldn’t be able to rein in their desires.

  Kat was panting. Dizzy. ‘What was that one called?’

  ‘That was called “Your place or mine?”.’ His lips were on her neck again. She could feel her pulse under the gentle caress of his mouth. He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. ‘Would you like to come and spend the night with me?’

  She wasn’t surprised to find herself giving his suggestion serious consideration. She wasn’t ready to say goodnight.

  ‘I think my concussion still needs monitoring,’ he added.

  ‘You told me your headache had gone.’

  He grinned. ‘It has. I seem to have made a remarkable recovery.’

  ‘Did you even have a headache?’

  Oliver lifted his hands in surrender. ‘I swear I did. But it has gone, and it’s fun to wind you up.’

  ‘And you’re all about fun, aren’t you?’

  ‘Yes. I am. That’s not a crime. Fun can be very satisfying. You’ve had fun tonight, haven’t you?’

  She nodded.

  ‘And the fun doesn’t need to stop now. I’ve seen this movie.’ Kat hadn’t even noticed that the second feature had started. ‘What do you say, shall we blow this joint?’

  Kat didn’t hesitate. She didn’t think about her answer, she just went with her feelings. She knew her night wasn’t over yet. She nodded again. Decision made.