Reed moaned against her lips, holding her tightly. It wasn't like their kisses before, which had always been hungry and forceful and so full of need. This was soft and sweet, almost—dare he get his hopes up—loving.
She cradled his face in her hands, then finally released him. "I should probably go."
"If you have to," he said, kissing her softly once more.
Teagan smiled. "Bye, Reed."
"Bye, Teag." She left him standing there, watching her walk away. Everything inside him was warning him to stop, to stay away, to not let himself think that was anything more than what it was. And yet, his heart was already leaping, hoping, wanting it to mean so much more.
Chapter Twelve
"This is a goddamn disaster," Mario said, tapping the office desk with the back of his pen. "We'll need to reshoot all her scenes. We need to find another actress who can not only dance, but can learn all the routines in less than a day." He groaned. "Oh, and who's close by because we're a fucking six-hour drive from Los Angeles."
Reed shook his head. "There's no way we're going to find someone to take Taylor's role. Can't filming wait until after her surgery?"
The doctor had said she'd pulled a ligament in her ankle, and it needed surgery if she wanted to ever be able to dance again. The recovery time was months, and when it came to filming a major motion picture, that was an eternity.
"We'd lose hundreds of thousands of dollars," Mario replied. "Not an option. I'll call the exec, Ben Lawson, and see what he says, but I guarantee you he's going to say to replace her. It's cheaper to reshoot her scenes than to wait."
"Well, how can I help?" Reed still wasn't sure why Mario called him in here, because it wasn't often he dealt with studio executive issues. "What can I do?"
"I was hoping you'd have some suggestions—other dancers, actresses, someone you know?" Mario asked. "You've been seen with a shit ton of actresses, so surely you can give one of them a call up and they'll drop everything for you."
Reed laughed. "I don't have a little black book that I can use to go around calling in favors."
"Fuck." Mario sighed, pulling out his cell phone. "All right, I'll call the casting agent."
"Wait!" An idea suddenly popped into his mind that was so obvious he couldn't believe he hadn't said it from the start. "Teagan. Cast Teagan in Taylor's role."
Mario furrowed his brow. "Teagan's a choreographer, not an actress."
"Think about it—she already knows the routine, because she created it. I know for a fact she can act, because she did it in college. I've seen her, and she's good," Reed assured him. "Though dancing is where her passion is, she can do this."
"She does already know the routine…" Mario contemplated the suggestion. "She's gorgeous—and she's here."
"Honestly, she'd be the perfect fit," Reed continued. "It's not a huge role, so there's not a ton of lines to remember, but I know she can do it."
"All right. Let's do a screen test. I'll get her a script and a couple hours to memorize it, then we'll shoot it and see how she does."
Reed nodded. "I'll let her know."
"Sure." Mario waved his hand, as if to say the subject matter was settled.
Reed stood and headed out of the office in search of Teagan. After a good thirty minutes trying to locate her, he finally found her at the top of the hill overlooking the vineyard. She was sitting stoically on a yoga mat, her hands on her knees and her eyes closed.
"Teag?"
She blinked her eyes open. "Hey. What are you doing all the way up here?"
"I could ask you the same thing." He chuckled. "It took me forever to find you."
"Needed a little peace and quiet," she replied. "A little meditation is good for the soul. Come, sit." She patted the grass next to her mat.
Obliging her request, he sat down next to her and stretched his legs out in front of him. "It's a nice view, that's for sure."
"Gorgeous," she agreed. "But you didn't come here for the grapes."
"No," he started, wondering how she'd take the news. Most people would probably be overjoyed and ecstatic for a break like this, but he knew Teagan. She wasn't going to take the news of replacing her friend well. "I wanted to talk to you about something."
She turned her body to face him, stretching her legs out as well. "Okay, shoot."
"They're offering you Taylor's role. She isn't going to be able to complete filming."
Teagan narrowed her eyes. "What?"
"She needs surgery, and the recovery time is too long. The studio wants to replace her, and I suggested they give it to you."
She reached out and smacked him on the shoulder. "What would you do something as stupid as that?"
"Hey!" He rubbed his arm, chuckling. "This is good news for you, you know."
"Oh, yeah, sure. It's great news that one of my friends is so hurt, she's going to lose her job."
"Obviously not that part," he replied. "But there's nothing either of us can do about that. The role is open and you're perfect for it. You already know her routine, and all you'd have to do is learn a few lines. They want to do a screen test tonight."
Teagan pushed up to her feet and shook her head. "Nope. Not doing it." She began rolling up her yoga mat. "I'm not an actress anymore, Reed. I'm not even a dancer. I'm a teacher. That's it."
"We both know that's not true. I saw you in dozens of plays and indie productions in college. You're a great actress." Reed grabbed her hand and stopped her. "And you're by far the best dancer I know. You should be on a stage."
She kept her eyes down, refusing to look at him. "I'm not at that level anymore, Reed. I'm a behind-the-camera person. Okay?"
"Not okay,” he shot back. “You'd be amazing at this, Teag."
"I can't do it," she repeated, letting go of his hand and tucking her yoga mat under her arm. "Not anymore."
"I don't understand," Reed said, his volume raising slightly. "You had such drive back in college. You wanted to be on any stage that would book you. You wanted to be famous, not helping others become famous. This isn't the Teagan I know."
She turned on her heel and narrowed her eyes. "You don't know me anymore, Reed. That's the whole point. You want to know why?" She was practically yelling now. Then, she grabbed the top of her yoga pants and shimmied them down her legs, stepping out of them entirely.
“What are you doing…” He glanced around to make sure they were alone, since apparently stripping was part of this conversation now.
“Look.” Teagan pointed down at her leg and ran her finger across a long scar that stretched from her hip to her knee. "I was in a car accident. I couldn't walk for almost a year. Couldn't dance for another two after that. It took me years to get to where I am now, and I'm damn proud of myself. But, there's always going to be things I can't do. Being a serious dancer? Being on camera? Those are things that are forever out of my reach now."
He blinked slowly, trying to wrap his mind around everything she was telling him. All he could think about is how long she spent suffering, chained to a bed, or a chair, and he hadn't been there. He'd been off filming movies and fucking fans and had never once taken a moment to check up on how she was doing. "I…I didn't know."
"I didn't tell you," she stated matter-of-factly. "But that's the truth. So, I can’t do this."
No. He wasn't letting her off that easy. He might need a damn second to process everything he'd just learned, but he wasn't about to let her walk away from this opportunity. "Well, it's fucking stupid."
"Excuse me?" Her expression was taken aback, her hand on her chest. "What did you just say?"
"The fact that you think that accident means you can never be on stage, never be a star—it's fucking stupid." Reed stepped closer to her again. "I've seen you dance. I've seen you act. I know with every fiber of my being that you can do this role if you want it. So, that's the question. Do you want it?"
She tensed her jaw, gritting her teeth. Finally, she licked her lips and took a deep breath. "Of course I want it."<
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He shrugged. "Then it is that simple."
She shook her head for the millionth time. "It's not. Just because I want it doesn't mean I can do it."
"Do you think I know what I'm doing on set? Do you think I'm good at my job?" Reed asked.
Slowly, she nodded. "You're great at what you do."
He took her hands in his. "Then trust me when I tell you I know you can do this."
Teagan let her gaze finally reach his, her eyes lined with tears. "Reed…"
He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her flush to him, kissing her softly. She kissed him back, hungrier than he'd expected. She dropped her yoga mat to the ground and threw her arms around his neck, completely ignoring the fact that she wasn’t wearing pants.
He dipped her backwards slightly, kissing down her neck and bringing his lips to her ears. "You can do this, Teag. I'll help you. But there's no part of me that doubts you, not for a second."
He heard her sniffing, her grip on his neck tightening slightly. "Okay," she whispered. "I trust you."
His heart leapt in his chest. "You do?"
She nodded her head, pulling slightly apart to look at him.
"Teagan…" he began, unsure of what to say, or how to thank her for giving him a gift like that. "Are we doing this?"
"I think so," she admitted, her hands on his chest. "I think…I think I can try again."
He grabbed her face and kissed her hard. "Thank God."
She laughed lightly, twisting her hands in his shirt. She slid her hands down to the bottom hem of his shirt and began pushing it up his chest. "Another perk about being completely alone out in the middle of nowhere…"
Reed growled and pulled his shirt the rest of the way off. He gripped her waist and slid her right down to the grass beneath him, climbing between her bare legs. She anchored her knees to either side of his hips. He quickly took off her shirt next, then unbuckled his jeans.
Her lips were back on his, and he nipped her bottom lip before letting his tongue dance with hers. She moaned against his mouth, and every part of him burned with desire at the sound of her pleasure. He pushed his pants down farther, letting himself spring free. She gripped him and slid her hand up and down the length of his shaft.
"Fuck," he groaned, nearly ready to burst just from the feeling of her touching him. He placed small kisses down her neck until he got to the top of her bra. Pushing it down, he let her breast spring free and took her nipple between his teeth.
Her back arched off the grass, and she gasped, pushing her hips against his. She continued to pump her hand against his dick as he sucked and licked her nipples until she was nearly shaking.
"I can't wait," she said, gasping. She pulled him toward her core, but he stopped her.
"I don't have a condom," he admitted. Of all things to cockblock him right now. "I didn't think to bring one."
"Ugh." She groaned, this time with displeasure. "It's my turn to take care of you then."
He lifted one brow, loving the sound of that. "Is that so?"
She pushed at his chest, flipping them over until he was laying in the grass and she was on top of him. She kissed him slowly, then worked her way down his body until she was between his legs. Her tongue slid over the top of his dick, and he nearly came then and there. When she took him into her mouth, it was every bit the bliss he'd remembered it to be. He pumped his hips against her as she sucked and licked him until he was certain he couldn't stand another moment of it.
"I'm going to come," he warned, barely able to hold back. His hands twisted in her hair, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she moved faster and harder until he came, the wave of his climax coursing through his entire body.
He gasped for air as he fell back onto the grass, trying to come down from the amazing high she'd just given him. "Shit, Teag…that was amazing."
It was even better than he'd remembered. She'd definitely grown up since the last time they'd been together, and her confidence was incredibly sexy. She knew what she was doing, and wasn't shy at all. He loved this new side of the Teagan. He loved who'd she become in more ways than one.
Teagan straddled him, smiling and looking proud of herself, but there was no chance he was letting her off without getting her off. He reached between their bodies and placed his thumb against her clit, rubbing circles against her. "Mmm…" She moaned and dipped forward, her eyes closing as she bit her bottom lip.
He used his free hand to play with her nipples until she began to tremble against him. Hooking a finger inside her, and then two, he continued to rub her clit with his thumb.
"Oh, God…" She moved her hips against him, and his dick returned to life at the movement. Damn, he wished he'd brought a condom. Within seconds, she fell apart and collapsed on top of him, then slid to his side, resting her head on his chest. Reed kissed her neck, wrapping his arm around her back.
Suddenly, Teagan sat up and quickly began pulling on her clothes. "Shit!"
"What?" He reached for his shirt and pulled it on. "What's wrong?"
"I've got lines to learn!"
Reed laughed and handed over her shirt as he stood. "Go study, co-star. We've got scenes to film."
She scrambled to her feet, fully dressed, and picked up her yoga mat. Turning back to face him, she quickly ran back and kissed him smack on the lips. "Thank you, Reed. I'm…just, thank you."
He kissed her back. "You earned this."
Teagan smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling with a mischievous look. "Maybe I finally did."
Chapter Thirteen
Teagan inhaled slowly, trying to find her center. Trying to find any place of peace when all she felt was anxiety. Nerves tumbled through her as her stomach somersaulted.
“Ready?” Mario called out from off stage, slightly behind the cameraman. “We’re starting from the top of page forty-seven.”
She nodded, glancing right at where Reed and Elena were standing. Their arms were linked and they were posed, ready to begin the group dance number. There were six people on set, and each had a part to play in the intricate dance Teagan had choreographed for the vineyard.
She’d never for a second thought she’d be one of the dancers doing it.
Reed glanced over at her, catching her eye. He winked.
The nerves in her belly slowed, and the smiled, despite herself. His confidence in her had a calming effect, and as she thought about it, she realized that she should be the least nervous one on this set. She’d practiced this routine dozens of times while she was creating it. She knew it better than anyone.
Mario signaled the entire set. “Action!”
Teagan pressed forward on her toes, taking care to stay on her mark. Music suddenly filled the air, and they were off. Waiting for her partner to make his move, she shook her shoulders in rhythm to the beat. He stretched out one arm toward her—a tall, beefy young man who she’d enjoyed training because he was certainly talented. Unfortunately, he was also incredibly dimwitted and couldn’t hold a simple conversation without staring down her shirt.
She took his hand and let him twirl her into his chest, pretending to swoon as she kicked up her legs to rest on his thigh. He balanced her there for a moment, and then with the beat, she pretended to fall to the floor.
Excitement pounded in Teagan’s chest with every movement, every turn, every placement of her foot. It was all a dance she’d done before in practice, but there was something exponentially different about being on stage…on camera. There was a fire inside her that felt like it’d been put out for so long and was finally roaring back to life.
Her back on the vineyard’s dirt ground, she kicked up her legs in time to the other female dancers doing the same thing. They moved in rhythm together, each leg perfectly coordinated as they circled in tangent.
She could see Elena’s feet moving with hers, and spotted Reed performing his solo routine perfectly. Pride welled inside her that not only was he so talented, but that those were her moves. And now she was beside him, sharing t
he stage with the man she…liked a lot.
It felt like they were doing this together, and somehow that made it seem even more special than she already felt.
Popping back up to her feet, Teagan leaped into her partner’s arms and let him swing her around his body until they landed, faces inches apart and staring at one another as the music came to a close. Their chests were heaving with the extreme workout of the dance, and it looked like they were seconds away from kissing one another.
“And scene!” Mario yelled out. “Damn. I really believed you all wanted to fuck each other just then.”
Teagan glanced over at Reed. Elena’s hand was on his face, and her lips inches from his. Damn, they really did look like they were about to make out. She took a deep breath, exhaling it forcefully in an attempt to push away the thoughts of jealousy. It took her reminding herself sometimes to remember that he was only acting.
Despite not liking that image, Teagan couldn’t put a damper on the pride she was feeling at her first performance. Her smile seemed permanently plastered to her lips, and she, very literally, felt like she was dancing on air. Years and years of physical therapy had left her thinking that this was never going to happen for her—that it wasn’t possible.
But here she was, doing the impossible. And it felt freaking amazing.
Reed stepped backward, clapping his hands. “I think that’s the best one we’ve filmed yet.” He looked over at Teagan, giving her a wicked grin.
Her stomach somersaulted again, but for an entirely different reason. She began walking toward him, wanting to congratulate him on how well he’d done.
Elena suddenly tossed her arms around his neck and hopped into his embrace, her legs wrapping around his back. He grabbed her, mainly to keep her from falling over, but looked startled. “Reed, you were fantastic!” She placed a big kiss on his cheek and wiggled her hips.
Reed held her waist and removed her from his body like he was unpeeling sticky Velcro. “Uh, thanks.”
She pouted then grinned as she was back on her own two feet again. “Want to go grab some wine? Get in the mood for our next scene together?”
BARE: A Hollywood Romance (Exposed #2) Page 7