Role of a Lifetime: Out of Hollywood Romance

by Cora Davies

  As he climbed into his truck his mind turned to kissing Hailey. He would have taken her right there in the bed of her truck if she had asked him. If Jason had not pulled up right then-he would have made her ask him. Did she mean what she said about wanting to kiss a movie star? Was that really all he was to her? Or had it just been a joke to protect her feelings? She seemed upset because he had pushed away, but it was not because he did not want her.

  It was because he wanted her too much. It was because she was on his mind more and more since he had met her, and very little of it was business. He caught himself thinking about her in the morning when he woke up wondering if she was awake yet-if he'd see her that day. He thought about her when he lay down at night to sleep. He wondered if she ever thought of him as anything other than that annoying guy here to get the movie rights to her book?

  And now all he could think about was seeing her tomorrow.

  ***

  Eric called Scott first thing the next morning. Scott owned the security company that most of the big names in Hollywood used. He was discreet, fast, and expensive. He would not be able to come out to the ranch that day like Eric had hoped, but could come in two days. That would have to do. After Eric worked out a contract with Scott that would allow Hailey to think she was paying for the brunt of the operation while Eric was actually covering most of the costs, they hung up.

  Eric was hoping to talk to Hailey first thing on the ranch that morning about Scott, and about the night before, but Jason kept him too busy mending fences far away from the house. It was not until after his lunch break that he finally saw Hailey.

  Eric was walking back to the barn adjusting his tool belt and feeling a limp come on from a blister on his foot. Ted teased him that it looked like Eric was walking like he had just gotten off a long horse ride. Or riding something else. Jason was not amused. Eric spotted Bill with a wheelbarrow of potting soil walking to the house where Hailey and her mother were potting small plants just off the driveway. "Here, I'll take that for you."

  Eric grabbed the handles from Bill and walked straight for Hailey-music growing louder as he got closer to the house. She always had music on. She did not look up until he was right in front of her.

  "Thank you," she said then turned red as she looked up and made eye contact with Eric.

  "I wanted to tell you Scott, my security guy, can't make it out until Thursday." Eric watched as she began to shovel dirt into the pot that rested in front of her.

  "That's fine." She nodded. He wanted to ask her about last night but Rebecca was sitting nearby, obviously listening to their conversation. The air around them felt awkward.

  "Can I help?" Eric asked, not wanting to walk away.

  "No," Hailey answered at the same time Rebecca said, "Yes."

  Hailey sighed and handed Eric a small shovel. "Fill them but don't pack them."

  They worked in silence for a few minutes filling small clay pots. Eric kept searching for something to say, some way to ask about last night but came up speechless each time. He caught Hailey looking at him a few times while she worked. He was sure she thought she was being discreet. A new song came on, and after a second Eric recognized it. "I know this song. I loved it when I was a teenager."

  Hailey stopped working and plopped her butt on the ground. "I imagine you were one of the people who were like 'It's about time they wrote a song about us' weren't you?"

  There was a hint of humor in her voice, but Eric did not get the joke. "Well yeah, I mean, there were a lot of really depressing songs out in the nineties."

  "Tell me about it," Rebecca said joining the conversation. "Give me Stevie Nicks pining away any day over the cry baby stuff Hailey considers music."

  Hailey laughed and Eric sensed it was not the first time she and Rebecca had this conversation. She playfully pushed Eric and his chest felt like it compressed. "I don't think Nada Surf meant for Popular to be anything other than sarcastic."

  "Whatever you say, Hailey." Eric stopped working and just stared at Hailey's lips as she laughed. She waited a beat-looked at him and paused while retrieving a small plant from the large tray.

  Rebecca cleared her throat. "I am going to get something to drink."

  She stood up and walked away, leaving the two of them alone.

  "Why do you grow those plants over there first? Instead of just putting the seeds right in the pots?" Eric asked glancing at her hand as she picked up another small plant and replanted it in the pot.

  "We put them in here to start them in the greenhouse. They don't all thrive-we just replant the healthiest. We'll sell these when the season opens." Hailey spoke for a few minutes about planting before Eric asked if he could plant one.

  She nodded and he quickly grasped a small pad of dirt with a green stem sticking out. "Not so roughly," she said wrapping her fingers around his. "Gently."

  They lifted the small plant from the tray and moved it into its new home in the clay pot. Her fingers entwined around his. When they took their hands out of the dirt, Eric grasped her hand within his. Dirt fell from between their fingers and stuck under their nails. Eric looked at his own hand in marvel at the dirt sticking between the lines on the back of his knuckles. They did not move for a minute. Hailey pulled her hand away.

  "Do you want to talk about last night?" Eric asked, looking at her quizzically. It came out wrong. He meant to say, "I want to talk about last night."

  "No. We don't have to." Hailey shook her head and backed away from him and sat on her bottom. She leaned against a wooden pillar attached to the porch and began to dig the dirt out from under her nails.

  "Hailey, I really like you," Eric said finishing with a sigh. The sigh was long and complicated. They both could hear the complicated.

  "You don't have to say anything. In fact, don't say anything."

  "Why?"

  "Because whatever you say, it's just to prove you can get the movie rights. This is just a big game to you."

  "What are you talking about?"

  Hailey sighed and stood up. "Guys like you... girls like me... It's just, this isn't Hollywood. This isn't some romantic comedy. And you don't have to sell your body to me to get the movie rights. I already told you what you needed to do."

  "Whoa now," Eric stood up feeling the anger bubble up. "Who said I was trying to sell my body to you? I just thought we were having a little fun on the side, that's all. You said yourself you always wanted to make out with a movie star."

  "Don't raise your voice," Hailey said between her clenched teeth as she looked over to where Jason was working. "I don't want people to know I made out with someone like you."

  Eric took a step to Hailey and she backed up smacking into the pillar. Eric leaned over her and put a hand on either side of her head and dropped his face to within inches of hers. So close he could smell the mix of lavender and earth. She was breathing heavily and looking up at him. Her eyes kept dropping to his lips but he made sure not to look away from her eyes.

  "If I want people to know I made out with you, believe me, there's nothing you could do about it." Eric brushed his lips against hers quickly then shoved himself off the wall. He did not look back as he returned the wheelbarrow back to the barn and headed out to fix another fence.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Hailey was not watching a shirtless Eric James from the corner of the blinds. She was merely making sure Jason was giving the men the appropriate amount of breaks. Who takes a break without his shirt in the shade of an oak tree anyway? Eric Fucking James-that's who. She went to bed the last few nights wishing he would be gone in the morning. She was so embarrassed. She practically threw herself at him the other night out in the field and he pushed her away. Then he almost kissed her in front of her entire staff the next day! And she would have kissed him back if he had.

  He could have had her completely out in the field-one look into his brown eyes and she was his for the taking. But he had turned her down. Now she still had to see him for the next week on the ranch. Not on
ly that, but he sent word up to the house that his security team would be here in a few hours and he would introduce her to them personally. She was preparing herself by looking at him through the blinds right now. Hopefully, he'd be wearing a shirt when his team got here because if he came in here with muscles showing, she'd probably punch him in the face-if she did not make a fool out of herself again that was.

  "Whatcha looking at?" Hailey's mom asked next to her ear and Hailey jumped forward smacking her forehead on the double paned glass.

  "Holy crap, mom! You scared the shit out of me!" Hailey squeaked as she rubbed her forehead. She watched as Rebecca pulled the blinds open and looked outside.

  "Oh, well that is something isn't it?" Rebecca smiled and winked at her daughter.

  "Ugh, mom."

  "Tell me it's not."

  Instead of arguing with her mother-something she rarely won at-Hailey decided to change the subject instead. "I've been talking to Dana about having Risa go stay with her for a little while."

  "Risa?" Rebecca smiled. She had turned to look out the window again and Hailey wanted to drag her away before Eric saw them.

  "I'm trying it out," Hailey said defensively. She felt as young as her daughter sometimes when talking to her mom. "Anyways... I talked to her school and they are fine with her doing a study from home thing for a while. They'd give us the syllabus for the next few months and she could do her homework from Dana's. I've been wondering... What would you think about staying there too?"

  "Are you trying to get rid of me for a reason?" Rebecca asked pointing out the window.

  "No no no. Absolutely not. I was just thinking; you know... It would be good for Dana to get your help for a while too. Her children never get to see Grandma." Hailey put her hands on her mom's shoulders, willing the woman to listen. The head of Eric's security team had called last night and reviewed the entire situation with her. He recommended that Hailey, Risa, and Rebecca leave until they were able to find the man who was sending her the letters. Hailey was unwilling to leave her ranch behind but she was afraid to tell her mother about the conversation. Rebecca would probably say Hailey was crazy if she thought they would leave her here alone.

  "Have you told Risa about this yet?" Rebecca asked. Hailey shook her head. She planned on telling her daughter when she got home from school this afternoon. She figured there would not be much of a battle, as Chrissy, no, Risa idolized her Aunt Dana.

  The doorbell rang, and Hailey left her mom to see who it was. She opened the door and was greeted with an up close and personal look at Eric's chest. Holy muscles.

  "Hey, Scott just called and they're about fifteen minutes out-do you mind if I use your bathroom to clean up?" Eric bent down and Hailey tore her eyes from his chest to look at his face. Just as bad. Stupid dimples. He lifted a small black gym bag. "Change my clothes, wash my face, put on deodorant? Especially if I'm going to be talking to him, helping set up... are you okay?"

  Hailey shook her head no. Then nodded. She had been staring. She had been fantasizing. "Yeah, I'm great. Here, come on in. You can use my bathroom. My mom and Risa's bathroom looks like it was hit by a tornado at all times."

  Hailey hoped hers looked better. She led him upstairs to her bedroom, catching her mother's eye as she went. Her mom actually winked at her. She pushed open the door to her room-glad that she had, at least, made the bed today, even if a pile of clean clothes was lying at the foot of it. She pointed to the bathroom. "There are clean towels in the cabinet in there."

  He nodded. If she was not mistaken, he looked like he wanted to say more. She took a step to leave the bedroom, but he blocked her way. Hailey was eyes to chest and had to force herself to look up. It felt like a mistake instantly as his dark eyes felt like they were drawing her in. "I'd better let you..."

  Eric stepped to the side and Hailey skirted around him running down the stairs. She walked straight into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of ice water. Had to cool down. He's making me feel like I'm in heat or something. She looked out the window over the sink and saw her mom talking to Jason down by the barn. It looked like Rebecca was doing all the talking and Jason was doing all the nodding. She filled her glass again and watched the two of them. Jason was so good to her mother and her mom definitely deserved that. Hailey's father had been a great guy, but he had passed away almost twenty years ago in an accident. Rebecca had spent most the past twenty years alone. Hailey was glad she seemed to be finding love again.

  Even if it did mean that Rebecca now liked to argue with Hailey that it was possible for everyone to find love again. Lust. People can find lust and companionship. But not everyone finds love again.

  She was lost in her thoughts looking out the window when she heard Eric walk into the room. She did not turn around-she was still too embarrassed to see him. To let him see her. How could she have just thrown herself at him like that the other night?

  "Do you have your contract and stuff from your old security company? Scott will probably need to see that. He wants to know what has been set up already. See what lines he can override and which ones he'll have to put in from the ground up," Eric said. Hailey turned around and was surprised at how close he was to her. At least, he was fully dressed now. She moved to step around him but he grabbed her wrist.

  Hailey looked up and his eyes were so intense-she almost felt like she could melt into a puddle here in the middle of the kitchen. "My contract is on the table. Listen, I just wanted to apologize for the other night. I know you just broke up with your girlfriend which is probably why you kissed me. You pushed me away the first time and I should have gotten the hint. But then... ugh, I've been going over it in my head, and I just wanted-"

  Hailey never got to finish her sentence. Eric's mouth was on hers, greedy and possessive in his kiss. She was lost, her body weak, her mind numb. He seemed to sense her weakness and before she could melt his arms were under her, lifting her up onto the kitchen counter. Her hand hit the open box of cereal left on the counter and it spilled across the kitchen floor. Neither looked at the small pieces when Eric's shoes crunched a handful of the cereal pieces as he stepped closer against her. His mouth was hard on hers and she lashed out with her tongue seeking him.

  He rewarded her with pressure back from his own tongue dominating the control, the speed, the depth. Hailey would cry out for his hands to be as dominating on her body as his tongue, if only her mouth were free. Her fingers were tangled in his messy hair-wet from his quick shower-and she grasped it as though the strands were reins-she pulled him tighter still to her mouth.

  Hailey arched her back as his hands grew rough on her, pulling her body against him. It felt as though there was not enough space for anything, even air, to come between them. Eric picked her up and she wrapped her legs tightly around him as he walked to the other side of the room and pushed her against the wall. He finally broke his mouth away from hers and she gasped to catch her breath as his mouth began to travel down the side of her neck-kissing, teasing, and nipping at her flesh. She moaned and felt the hard line of his cock as he grew in front of her. It pressed against her sensitive bits and stomach. She knew she had not imagined him being turned on the other night.

  Hailey felt a loss of control as the bottom half of her body began to roll and grind against his hard shaft. Eric broke away from her neck and leaned his forehead against hers-his hand traveling to her breast. His eyes were on hers as he began to toy with her already hard nipple through the thin cotton of her old t-shirt. She reached down to stroke him through his pants and smiled as she felt him throb against her hand.

  "This," he whispered. "This is why I pushed you away. Do you feel that? As soon as I touch you... it's like I have to have you immediately. You have no idea the kind of dirty thoughts I've had about you. How often."

  She shuddered as his hand traveled under her shirt and found her bra. He pushed the cotton cup out of the way and Hailey's breast spilled into his hand. "And all I am to you is something on your bucket list."

/>   Eric dove in and found her mouth again-pressing hard against her and she began to grow wet between her thighs. He has dirty thoughts about me. All she could think about was how much she wanted him. She wanted him to carry her up the stairs and throw her onto her bed. She imagined him naked and driving hard into her. He picked her up and carried her to the kitchen table releasing her mouth again to travel down her neck nibbling at her skin. As he did, she glanced out the kitchen window when a car pulled into the driveway. Three men in black suits stepped out of the red car. One commanded the situation immediately, most likely Scott. He was tall, dark skinned, and broad shouldered. Eric's hand moved lower on her body as the workers outside noticed the men.

  "Eric," she moaned as he set her down and his hand immediately went for the button on her jeans. His hands were under the waistline of her jeans and over her panties before she could speak again.

  "You're so wet," Eric muttered as Jason walked up to the men outside. "And here I thought you didn't like me."

  His finger slid down the side of her panties by her inner thigh and pulled at the elastic; his finger just inches from her wet folds. The men were just one hundred feet from the house; they'd be here in less than a minute. As much as it killed her, she shoved his arm away. "Your friends are here."

  Eric looked confused for a second, his eyes still on her lower body. Then he pulled away and looked at her following her gaze out the window.

  "Fuck." It looked like introductions had been made outside and the men were headed for the porch with Hailey's mother and Jason. Eric looked back at her with a lopsided smile. "Or I should say no fuck."

  In spite of the moment, Hailey snorted at Eric's stupid joke. Eric's fingers were on the zipper and button of her pants placing her back in order before he pulled away. He leaned in and kissed her once-quickly yet firmly on her lips. She watched as he adjusted himself within his pants then looked around the room.