by Aimee Duffy
Jake shrugged and pulled his expression into his best I-don’t-give-a-crap look. “Sweetheart.” Caitlyn visibly bristled and he had to fight a smile. He grabbed the finger still prodding his chest and for a second, saw fear flash in her eyes before she pulled her hand out of his grasp. “We all have commitments. So we’re stuck on a fancy island off the coast of Rio with all the luxuries we will ever need for the next few months. I don’t see what the problem is. I could think of worse places to be.” The last part was true. Back home, shouldered with the responsibility of his family’s company, was one of them.
“You are beyond selfish!”
Caitlyn spun around and headed for the door. Her black leggings clung to a perfectly shaped bottom. His heart raced at the sight and arousal hit him like a knee to the groin, effectively dissolving his irritation. With his exhaustion from the long journey forgotten and the whiskey creating a warm glow inside—not to mention her sexy body messing with his head—Jake decided to at least try to make amends. Being at odds with her while filming was a headache he didn’t need, regardless of what he thought of her. Time to turn up the charm.
“Caitlyn, don’t go. Come on, let’s have a drink. We can get to know each other.”
Meeting his gaze head on with eyes burning green fire, she said, “I think I already know enough about you.”
Jake cursed under his breath. Yeah, he’d acted like a shallow arse, but mostly just to annoy her. Even though she reminded him of his witch of an ex, he liked it when she was all fiery. It suited her. But working with someone for three months who couldn’t stand him would be a nightmare.
She had the door open by the time he reached her, but he managed to grab her hand, turn her around, and then close the door. With her petite curves squeezed between him and the exit, he forgot what he was supposed to be doing. The scent of pine and berries drifted from her damp hair and those nipples straining against her top were now piercing his chest.
He was harder than a steel girder instantly and he despised his body’s reaction to her. Hadn’t it learned the first time around with Sarah? Her eyes grew huge as she stared up at him, but she didn’t push him away. He noticed her lips stood out like a single red rose in a bouquet of white against her angular face. This close, he could see her skin was bare of makeup—a sight he didn’t see very often.
The women he dated would never leave the house without makeup. Hell, half of them made sure they woke up before him just so they could be polished and pristine by the time he was up. He found Caitlyn’s natural look appealing, and although it irked him to no end, he couldn’t pull himself away. He wondered if Caitlyn tasted as good as she smelled.
With a different part of his anatomy overpowering his judgment, Jake decided to find out and lowered his head. The need to taste those lips and find out for himself whether she tasted as sour as she appeared overruled his common sense.
* * * *
One moment, she’d been storming away, intent on avoiding Mr. Big Shot as much as possible, and now she was squeezed between the door and an undeniably magnificent chest. Caitlyn’s breath sped and her heart pounded. With her thoughts in a confused muddle and the heat from Jake seeping through her wet shirt, the anger drained away, replaced by a fierce fire burning at her core.
His head tilted toward her and his blond waves cascaded around his head like a halo. With a face seemingly carved from tanned marble and eyes the color of Swiss chocolate, he truly was beautiful.
For a moment she was lost in his eyes, which seemed to turn darker as she stared. Before she knew what was happening, Jake’s head descended toward her and she caught a whiff of whiskey on his breath.
Her thoughts spun back almost ten years. It wasn’t Jake in front of her anymore, but her father pinning her to the floor, his beefy hand bruising her shoulder and the smell of stale alcohol on his breath choking her senses as he yelled at her.
Fear burned adrenaline through her veins and she dashed to the side, maneuvering away from both him and the door. The old terror of entrapment made her heart pound wildly in her chest. She edged into the hall, trying not to resemble a skittering rabbit and failing horribly. He stepped closer and Caitlyn feinted back.
She knew he wasn’t her father, but still the fear gripped her. She’d spent her whole life carefully avoiding the opposite sex as much as possible. The intoxicated beatings her father had subjected her to were only one of the many reasons for her wariness.
And now, here she was, flirting with danger, all because she was angry he was making her late. It wasn’t any of her business if Jake Campbell was a self-centered, unreliable, egotistical male. The possibility of missing her sister’s fashion show was hard to accept, but she’d work something out. She would work with him and do nothing else. Why had she been so stupid as to come over to confront him?
“Caitlyn, are you all right?” Concern etched Jake’s forehead.
Some of the terror eased. Logically, she knew she was overreacting and now her cheeks burned with embarrassment. “I have to go.”
His eyebrows shot up his forehead. “I’m sorry.” He held both his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “How about we start over?”
His grin made her knees weak and her pulse race—but not from the fear. No, her body’s want for him had almost eradicated that. Jake really needed to put a shirt on. She couldn’t think around the jitters in her tummy his near-naked state was causing.
As he was blocking the door, she didn’t have the option of leaving. For now. “Could you please put on a shirt?”
Jake’s grin grew huge and she immediately regretted saying anything. Now he knew his half-nakedness bothered her, she wouldn’t be surprised if he slipped off his jeans.
For a second, she was distracted by the idea, but she forced herself to focus—no easy task when he stood in front of her, muscles rippling and smooth, velvety skin on display.
“Does my shirtless state offend you?” The teasing glint in his eyes contradicted the note of innocence in his voice.
“No, it’s just rude to be half-naked when you have company.” Caitlyn bristled at her prissy tone.
Jake stepped closer and panic tightened her chest. She tried to quash it. He wasn’t her father, he was in the public eye and if he was prone to violence, wouldn’t the world know about it? But then again, so was her ex-boyfriend, and it didn’t stop him from dishing out verbal attacks.
God, get a grip, Cait! You’re acting like a crazy person.
Jake bent down outside a closed door in the hall, unzipped a suitcase, then pulled out two white cotton t-shirts. After slipping one on, he held the other out to her. Caitlyn’s brows drew together as she looked at it.
“Put this on. You’re not topless, but you might as well be. Water makes most white clothes transparent.”
Caitlyn glanced down at her top and to her utter horror noticed it was see-through! Without thinking, she grabbed the shirt, turned her back on Jake and pulled the soft cotton over her head.
“I’ve clearly pissed you off,” Jake said, stating the obvious.
She nodded, even though it wasn’t a question. The familiar prickle of fear tingled her spine and, though a part of her thought it was sensible to feel it, she felt utterly stupid. She’d been alone with men—albeit in public places—since she ran away from her abusive father. But men in general scared her. Especially after Archie had turned nasty when she’d refused to sleep with him.
“Because you have somewhere to be after the scheduled filming?” Jake pressed, dragging her from the murky thoughts. Caitlyn nodded again. Before he could carry on with whatever it was he was going to say, his mobile rang. Jake pulled a Blackberry from his front pocket and cursed when he read the caller display. “This won’t take long. You can wait in the lounge. I’ll just be a minute.”
He stalked through to the end of the villa and closed the kitchen door behind him. Along with the annoyance crossing his expression when the phone rang, she’d also seen guilt flicker across his features.
/> Caitlyn stared at the closed door and saw it as her only opportunity. Now that most of her anger had gone, she felt horribly embarrassed for her outburst, not to mention the fact she’d shown him fear.
She’d learned from early on if she showed fear in front of a bully, the beatings were always much, much worse. Not that she had proof Jake was one. No, he was just an inconsiderate ass. Still, old habits died hard.
She needed to get away, regroup, and figure out how to work with someone who both infuriated her and made her feel all hot and bothered at the same time.
She removed her flip-flops, sneaked toward the front door, and fled before his call ended, realizing the only danger she was in now was from her own wayward feelings.
Chapter 2
An irritating ringing woke Caitlyn from a wonderful dream where she was somewhere far away from the miserable island, the torrential rain, and Jake Campbell. She reached her hand out the side of the bed and scooped the offending mobile phone from the bedside cabinet. She hit answer without opening her eyes. It still felt ungodly early.
“Caitlyn, where are you? We start shooting in an hour.” Sean’s voice sent a jolt of shock through her, clearing the last of the sleep from her mind.
She sat upright on the bed, catching the bright sun shining through the cracks of the Venetian blinds. “Um, I’ll be there soon,” she croaked and hung up on the director without waiting for a response. Diving out of bed and straight to the en-suite, Caitlyn felt a fresh flare of anger toward her co-star. She supposed he thought now that he was there, everyone should do as he said whenever he snapped his fingers.
Caitlyn was showered and dressed in record time, although her hair was still damp, she clipped it away from her face. Her anger simmered hotter as she realized she was going to have to sit through hair and makeup, effectively making filming start late.
She made her way down the cobbled path leading to a small road which was used for travel. Although the island was only a few acres big, it housed many villas. All of them faced the makeshift road and had their own grounds and private swimming pools. The island was owned by a rich man who had invested in oil or something, and from what Caitlyn had heard, he used the island for extravagant beach parties. She was surprised he’d leased it out for the movie.
Glancing at her watch, she noted with a spike of irritation that she was already five minutes late. She picked up her pace, deciding she needed to refocus her anger and play Jake at his own game. After all, she was one of the stars in this movie too. Not as famous as Jake, but most of America knew her face. If he wanted to play the teasing, laid-back actor who expected everyone to work around his schedule, then so be it.
Laid-back she could do, teasing would be harder, but she’d give it a bash. As for the expectation of people working around her, she would make sure he knew she wouldn’t be working to his schedule.
A flurry of cast and cameramen came into sight at the coast. Filming would start on the island today and then go out into the sea. It was a good scene—with very few lines or interaction required from her. Her character, Sandra Fell, wouldn’t officially meet Jake’s character until the next scene, which meant, depending on how long filming lasted, she wouldn’t have to see him for most of the day, if not the next. Caitlyn’s mood lightened.
“Caitlyn! Hair. Makeup. Move!” Sean bellowed from the far end of the beach where the sand met the sea. He was surrounded by a swarm of cameramen, setting up the speedboat for the arrival scene.
Guilt settled heavy in her chest, but she did as he asked and headed for the dressing room. If she were Jake, the actual star of the movie, there was no doubt he’d be able to charm his way out of it. Caitlyn stomped across the beach, kicking sand up behind her heavy steps. She wouldn’t have let Sean down if she’d known the schedule. If she’d known Jake was going to demand they start filming straight away.
To her utter displeasure, Jake already lounged in one of the chairs with his back to the dressing table. The portable hut which also coupled as the dressing room for the cast was so small that Jake took up most of the space. If she was to sit in the opposite seat, their legs, at the very least, would touch.
A part of her warmed at the prospect of touching him again. She still remembered how his body felt pressed up against hers, the smell of his aftershave, and the darkening of his melting eyes. Caitlyn shook the thought away and resisted the urge to scowl at him. At the sight of her, he grinned and gave her a wink.
Caitlyn was about to make a smart-alec remark when a dark-haired girl ran through the other door of the hut, almost toppling over from the weight of the huge makeup chest she had clutched in one hand and an array of hair styling equipment in the other.
“Sorry I’m late,” the woman addressed both Caitlyn and Jake. Her forehead creased with worry. Did she expect Caitlyn to yell at her?
“No problem, Julie. Caitlyn just arrived herself. Take some time to get your things organized. Can I get you an iced tea?” Jake asked.
Caitlyn’s eyes almost bulged out of her sockets. What happened to the arrogant movie star?
Julie’s face relaxed into an easy grin which she directed at Jake as she refused his offer of a beverage. With her dark hair and sparkly blue eyes, Caitlyn decided this wasn’t about Jake being nice. He was flirting. A pang of jealousy pierced her.
Get a grip, Cait!
As the two continued to smile at one another, Caitlyn’s anger rose again. She cleared her throat. Both heads snapped toward her. “Do you mind if I go first? They’re filming my scene soon.” Plus, she couldn’t bear to sit through a flirt fest while Jake was getting ready, for what, she had no idea. The fact that filming was running this late could only mean he didn’t start filming until tomorrow.
Did he come to annoy her, or flirt with Julie?
“Of course. Ladies first.”
The charming smile spread across his face made her suspicion flare. Instead of calling him on it, she slid into the chair next to him and, as she’d expected, her bare calf brushed against his. Caitlyn tried to pull her leg back an inch, but the chair’s solid base made it impossible. With her back to the mirror and no room whatsoever to stretch her legs out to the left in fear she knocked Julie over, Caitlyn froze in place. The expression three’s a crowd came to mind.
Julie unpacked enough makeup to cover the surface of the small counter. While Julie started creating what she referred to as a “base” on Caitlyn’s skin, Caitlyn grew ever aware of Jake’s bare leg settled against hers. The room became warmer—whether from the heat of the Caribbean sun or from Jake himself, Caitlyn wasn’t sure.
However, she was sure that when he moved, the soft scattering of hair on his leg tickled her skin, raising goosebumps. Caitlyn kept her focus on Julie, but felt his eyes on her. She wondered if he knew what kind of effect his close proximity had on her and flushed as she realized he probably did. After all, if what the papers said were true, he’d been around his fair share of women. In fact, probably the whole of the UK’s fair share of women.
“This is your first movie?” Jake asked and again, shifted in his seat. The subtle move caused his skin to rub against hers. Caitlyn’s blood heated and her pulse raced.
“Yes. I’m sure you already knew that.”
She tried to sound confident, steely even, but instead her voice was shaky and breathless. Darting a glance at him, she saw his full lips pull up in a knowing grin and his chocolate eyes sparkled with mischief. Butterflies swirled in her stomach.
Julie pulled Caitlyn’s head back around. “You have to stay still, ma’am.”
It took some effort for Caitlyn to stop her mouth from falling open at the words. She was only twenty-six for crying out loud! Was that old enough to be considered a ma’am?
* * * *
Jake resisted the urge to chuckle at the look of horror on Caitlyn’s face. He could tell she was offended by the way Julie addressed her; although she didn’t call Julie on it, even though she’d barreled into his villa last night and gave him he
ll for being late.
He thought he had Caitlyn pegged last night. With her obvious temper and sneaking off when things weren’t going the way she wanted, Jake assumed she was one of those diva actresses. Someone who created holy hell when she didn’t get her own way. But now, seeing her force a polite smile onto her face when she was clearly pissed off made him wonder if he’d been wrong.
That’s why he’d been so quick to jump in and greet the young makeup artist earlier, to prevent a full-blown diva tantrum. When she didn’t even acknowledge the fact that Julie had been late, doubts started to creep in.
“You’re right,” he replied, knowing full well she was in a popular daytime American soap opera, something about days and nights. Jake had never seen it. “Why the change to films?” he asked, his curiosity about her growing. It seemed the initial labels he’d placed on her last night were unfair assessments.
Caitlyn tried to turn her head again, but Julie was doing something to her eyes and halted her. “I was offered the part.” She shrugged it off as if getting offered parts in movies happened everyday. Somehow, her nonchalance appeared to be forced. Especially when he noticed her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of pink.
“What about the show? Do you have to go back after filming?” That would explain her outburst last night, at least.
A hint of a smile played around the corner of her mouth before she answered, “That really isn’t any of your business.”
“Pout,” Julie commanded, her voice steely.
Jake frowned as he watched her apply gloss to Caitlyn’s lips with a tiny tipped brush.