by Aimee Duffy
The green scraps barely covered her breasts and made her skin appear milkier. It would be heaven to taste every inch of it. Her flaming curls tousled in the breeze, and she looked every bit as sexy as a siren out of his wildest fantasies, although he couldn’t ever dream Caitlyn up on his own.
As quick as it had last night, his erection sprung to life as she sunk gracefully onto the towel, stretching her legs out and leaning back on her hands. His gaze reflexively went to her bikini covered breasts. He was dying to get a glimpse of what lay beneath the silky material.
“You wanted to eat?” Caitlyn cocked a brow and he could see the smile in her eyes. She had to know exactly what she was doing to him, and it looked like she was happy about it. Definitely sardonic. Well, two could play that game.
Jake shucked his shirt and sat on the opposite towel. He then pulled the cooler closer. After removing two glasses and a bottle of white wine, he poured one and handed it to her. Caitlyn accepted it silently, placing it down on the sand beside her, and he went back to rummage around in the box.
* * * *
The muscles playing across Jake’s back as he fished out plate after plate of yummy looking food mesmerized Caitlyn. With the wayward feelings humming through her body her earlier hunger was forgotten. She wished fervently that the wine he’d poured her was ice cold water. Maybe that would cool the burning at her core. She never touched alcohol, not after seeing firsthand how easily it could turn someone into a monster. However, she wasn’t about to share this tidbit of information with Jake. Hot as he may be, he was not the kind of person she could share her burden with. He was too self-centered.
“Are you looking forward to tomorrow?” Jake asked as he removed a platter of pan bread sandwiches.
Her brows pulled together as she tried to work out what was so special about the following day. Nothing came to mind. “Tomorrow?”
Jake turned to look at her, the cheeky grin back in place which had her heart beating out an unsteady rhythm. “Our characters will share their first kiss.”
Her eyes widened as her face grew hot. How could she have forgotten? Probably because she’d been too busy stressing over the love scene to worry about much else.
“Not particularly,” she breathed. Jake studied her with a teasing glint in his eyes. Her face flamed.
“Not buying it.”
Irritation flared again and she clenched her hands into fists. She had to remind herself to keep her cool around him. She was supposed to be torturing him, not being tortured herself. Still, the thought that in less than twenty-four hours she’d have his lips on hers sent little heated jitters coursing through her body.
She forced her stiff shoulders to shrug, mortified by her lack of acting ability in his presence. “You can believe what you like.”
He pulled the cling film from a platter of sandwiches and offered her the plate. Caitlyn picked up a smoked salmon piece and brought it to her lips. She groaned as the flavor of the bread and fish played across her taste buds. Jake’s gaze went to her mouth and, feeling a little vindictive, she licked her lips. He swallowed and a thrill ran through her as she realized perhaps she really was torturing him.
With his focus still on her lips, he asked, “Do you really want our first kiss to be in front of the camera?”
The vindictive thrill vanished as panic started to creep in. She was alone with a man she barely knew for the second time in less than a day. Her thoughts were spinning with bad case scenarios and she couldn’t even hear the voice of logic in her head telling her she was overreacting. All she could think of was she was there—literally flirting with danger—alone with Jake and no one had any idea where she was.
“Hey, Caitlyn, what’s wrong?” Jake’s eyes were serious and he looked concerned. Her inner fear must have shown in her expression, but she couldn’t feel embarrassed about it yet. The panic was still forefront in her mind.
“Why did you bring me here?” She hated that her voice sounded small and frightened.
His eyes widened in surprise. “I brought you here because it’s the nicest place I’ve seen on the island and I wanted to spend time with you. Having dinner where we could watch the sun set was all I had in mind.”
She relaxed a little at his words. Jake sounded like he was telling the truth, and perhaps a little affronted she had doubted him. “I’m sorry, I overreacted.” The voice of logic didn’t have to whisper that in her head, it was obvious.
He shrugged and a hint of a smile played around the edges of his mouth. “I won’t force you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. That’s not my style.” He paused, took a bite of his sandwich, and swallowed before he continued. “Though if you wanted something to happen, I certainly wouldn’t protest.”
He winked at her and for an awful moment, Caitlyn had the wildest urge to close the distance between them and plant her lips on his, pulling herself flush against his well-sculpted chest.
Instead, she silently chided herself and wished she wasn’t a teetotaller so she could empty the wine glass. She would not be with a man like him, someone who couldn’t even make it to work on time and expected others to work around his schedule. Someone who had publicly dated half of the young, single starlets in the UK and America. No, she would not go there, no matter how much her body wanted it.
What Caitlyn needed was someone who would support her, who she could share her burdens with and rely on. Jake was not that man. If she could just convince her body, all would be fine and dandy.
“That won’t ever happen,” Caitlyn said with bite, trying to convince herself more than him.
Jake smiled his devil-may-care grin as he leaned into the empty space between them. “You never know what the future holds.”
The words on the script detailing the love scene between her character and Jake’s flashed in front of her eyes at the mention of the word ‘future’. How was she going to cope lying almost naked beneath him when he wore a thin pair of skintight briefs? Days and Nights was a daytime soap, so there was never any funny business.
It was hard enough sitting a foot away from Jake, her body reacting maddeningly to his proximity and masculinity. Imagine what it would be doing when he was between her thighs, rolling around with her in the sand…
Caitlyn’s throat dried up like the Sahara desert and, without thinking, she picked up the glass and gulped down most of the wine. Once she realized what she’d done, she placed the glass back down with too much force, almost snapping the stem. Jake watched her intently. Heat flooded her cheeks as she tried to push away the sensual thoughts.
She really had to get out of that scene. Maybe her stunt double could do it?
“Still hungry?” Jake asked, passing another plate to her, this one filled with Cornish pasties.
She picked a small pasty up and bit into it, hoping he wasn’t able to read her thoughts. Another moan of pleasure vibrated in her throat as the meat hit her tongue. God, it had been so long since she’d eaten these. Leaving the UK had been for the best. She couldn’t ever go back for fear her father would find her. Or worse, have her arrested for practically kidnapping Amanda. Still, she missed the food so much it hurt sometimes.
“Thanks,” she mumbled once she’d swallowed the delicious mouthful.
Jake, having apparently had his fill of grub, lay down on his towel and looked up at the sky. She watched his chest rise and fall for a moment, wondering whether it was rude to continue trying to torture him after he’d shown her this lovely place and fed her food she’d not had in years.
She also wondered whether the self-centered movie star he appeared to be was a decent man behind the selfishness. After all, he’d been kind to Julie and, although he’d annoyed the living daylights out of her since they’d met, maybe he would do her a favor if she asked nicely. He seemed to have the director’s ear and skipping the love scene would be in both their interests. Being so close would be hell for him too.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. “Jake, can I ask you to do me a f
avor?”
He turned to look at her, his grin stretching from ear to ear. “Shoot.”
Her throat dried up and she wished again that the glass was filled with water. There was no way she was drinking any more wine. It was too risky. She swallowed. “Would you be able to convince Sean to cut the love scene?”
He studied her for a moment, perhaps to see if she was kidding. Caitlyn ran the words back through her mind, internally squirming when she realized how silly and unprofessional her request sounded, but she held his gaze and waited on his reply.
“I’ll try,” Jake said, though his brows creased with confusion. Gratitude swelled in her chest, and she relaxed and enjoyed the sunset with Jake.
* * * *
Having been up for over an hour already, and gone for his morning run, Jake was fresh and ready to take on the day. He arrived on set at six forty-five and noted Caitlyn was already there, though she didn’t look bright and breezy.
She had snagged herself a sun lounger a few feet away. Steam rose from the polystyrene cup she held. He was about to make his way across the sand toward her when Sean approached him. Reluctantly, he pulled his gaze away from Caitlyn and turned toward his friend.
“Hey, man. You ready to go?” Sean mock-punched Jake’s shoulder and Jake bumped his fist into Sean’s arm in response.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Today he’d get to taste those luscious lips of Caitlyn’s and he couldn’t wait. He had hoped she would kiss him last night, but he’d take what he could get.
“Great. We’re just setting up. How’d the family crisis go?”
Caitlyn turned her head toward them, obviously having heard Sean’s question. Her look of puzzlement made him smile. He was pretty sure she’d assumed he was late because of some other, possibly self-centered, reason.
He turned back to Sean. “Still not over, but it can wait until we wrap up filming. My brothers have enough cash to keep the business going for a few months.” The reminder of the weight of his family’s flailing business on his shoulders brought back an echo of the suffocation he’d felt all those years ago. The sooner he convinced his brothers to sell, the better.
“If you need any more time off, let me know.” Sean was one of the better friends Jake had, which was why Jake had agreed to star in Sean’s movie even though he was pretty sure it would flop.
Jake’s grin grew as he imagined the hell Caitlyn would give him if he took more time off from filming. He resisted the urge to look over to where she was eavesdropping. “Thanks, man, but Tom and Sam can take care of it for a while.” Or so Jake hoped.
“Great. Hey, listen, the weather reports say there’s going to be rain on Friday. I’m thinking we’ll move the love scene with the two of you forward and do it then. I think filming it on the beach in the rain will have a better effect.”
Caitlyn’s question last night to ask them to drop the scene altogether popped back into his head. Something was bugging her about the scene, and until he found out what it was, he wasn’t going to ask Sean to do anything. After all, it was only acting. It wasn’t like they would actually be having sex in front of the cameras. She was overreacting, and he would make it his mission to find out why.
Chapter 4
“Right, guys, time for a break.” Sean boomed from the megaphone, though it wasn’t really necessary. He was only a few yards away.
They’d moved on to Rio today and were shooting a scene at the harbor. She glanced around until her gaze landed on Jake. He grinned at her, the one that made her legs feel like jelly, before he turned and headed over to a table spread with platters of sandwiches. Caitlyn, although not having eaten all day, wasn’t hungry. Her tummy was balled into a knot of nerves, knowing the next scene would bring her lips into contact with Jake’s. Her blood turned molten at the thought.
They’d been so busy today she’d barely had a chance to speak to Jake. Since she realized he was late because of a family crisis, Caitlyn felt terrible. Her gaze followed Jake as he filled a plate, picked up a can of soda, and made his way over to a chair. Everyone else was swarming around the table or moving equipment. He was alone, it was the perfect opportunity to apologize.
She made her way across the dried up grass toward him. “Jake, can we talk for a minute?” He looked up and nodded for her to go on. “I wanted to apologize for giving you a hard time the other day. I didn’t know you had family problems and that’s why you were late. I shouldn’t have assumed.”
He swallowed and took a sip of Coke, all the while studying her intently over the rim of the can. “It’s okay. I have the perfect way for you to make it up to me.” The teasing glint in his eyes flared her suspicion.
“And that would be?”
“Tell me why you want the love scene cut.”
Her face flushed. She was not going to tell him that! Wasn’t it embarrassing enough she was a twenty-six year old virgin, never mind the fact she had no idea how to actually act like she knew what she was doing? He’d think she was an amateur, or worse, feel sorry for her.
She turned to irritation in a futile attempt to hide her mortification. “I have apologized. I do not need to make it up to you, and I certainly don’t have to explain myself.” Attempting a glower, she crossed her arms and silently dared him to push further.
He laughed, raising her hackles and irritation. She couldn’t believe she’d bothered to try and apologize! The cheek of the man. Caitlyn spun and stomped toward the harbor. Soon they’d be finished filming and she would be away from him and his warped sense of humor.
“Hey.”
Jake’s hand encircled her wrist, pulling her to a stop a few feet away. She tried to ignore the dart of heat shooting up her arm from his touch and turned to glower at him. Her angry retort died on her lips as she looked up into his face. The sun shone from behind, casting his features into dark, sculpted shadows, and her hormones vibrated.
“You’re right. I accept your apology.”
The anger which had been building dissolved. Again, thoughts of kissing him intruded her mind. Though this time, it wasn’t nerves she felt in her stomach. It was anticipation. Her whole body was alive with it.
Her lips curved in a smile. “Thanks.”
“Jake, Caitlyn. Back to work.” Sean had moved his chair further down the harbor.
She could see all the extras milling about, like regular tourists. The criminal she and Jake’s characters were chasing was making his way onto the boat with the stolen prop cocaine. In this scene, Sandra fails to catch him. Evan Jones, Jake’s character, then convinces her not to do something stupid.
Once set up, Caitlyn pulled the plastic handgun from the waistband of her jeans and ran down the pebbled harbor, with Jake close behind. She dodged her way around the extras and her progress was halted by an overturned crate of apples. As she made her way around them, Jake caught up and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the shore where the boat’s engine revved and began to pull out of the dock. Darts of electricity shot up her arm.
“We’re going to be too late,” she huffed, trying to concentrate on her lines rather than the fact that in less than five minutes, she’d be kissing a man who made her body come alive with his touch.
The boat pulled out further, and she released Jake’s hand, then ran for the edge of the deck. Strong arms encircled her waist and her feet left the ground as she was lifted into Jake’s embrace. Her heart hammered from the exertion and something she couldn’t put a name to.
Caitlyn struggled. “Let me go, he’s getting away!”
A gunshot sounded and the fake bullet hit the deck next to Jake’s feet. He pulled her behind one of the other boats for cover. “Sandra, we’ll find him.”
He placed her on the ground and she spun around to face him. “I could have had him,” she insisted, pushing at his chest and trying to ignore how the solid muscle made her tummy quiver.
Jake grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her closer; his intense gaze made her skin burn. “No, you would have gotten
yourself killed. We’ll find him, Sandra. I promise.”
Caitlyn struggled to remember her next line. Her gaze was transfixed on his full lips. “What if we’re too late?”
Jake’s expression morphed into one so tender it pierced her heart and made her long for him in a way she’d never longed for any man. Right then, she forgot he was acting, forgot the cast and crew were watching, and where they were. It was just Jake and her, standing chest to chest in the harbor. The salty sea breeze mingled with Jake’s spicy aftershave. Her body went molten with want as the scent lingered in the air.
His hand cupped her cheek and his thumb brushed her lips making them burn and swell. “We won’t be. Trust me.” Jake’s head lowered and he brushed his mouth against hers gently.
The shock of the sensations rippling through Caitlyn made her mind go blank for a second. Then her lips parted and the taste of him filled her mouth along with his tongue. Caitlyn lost composure. Her hands fisted his lapels and pulled him closer, pressing herself tighter against him.
The electric current running between them seemed to act like a magnet, the closer she got, her need to be nearer grew unbearable. His hands circled her waist and while one slid to the nape of her neck, the other cupped her bottom, pulling her flush against his arousal.
The valley between her thighs throbbed and her panties grew moist. She was kissing him in the most desperate way imaginable, like she couldn’t bear for it to end. And she couldn’t. His spicy smell filled her nostrils and the taste of him was like a seriously addictive drug which she didn’t know how she’d ever managed to go without.
“Cut!”
Sean’s booming voice cut through the hazy fog of lust which had entrapped her and she broke the kiss. Jake was looking down at her like he’d never seen her before. His lids were heavy and his irises had turned the color of a stormy sky.
“Guys, that was perfect! Great chemistry. If that’s what you two can do with a kiss, I can’t wait for the love scene.”