Trouble in Tinseltown

by Aimee Duffy

  ‘So earlier you called me fat and now you’re calling me ugly?’ Ciara demanded, stung by his comment.

  ‘Girls,’ he mumbled shaking his head. Then he came closer, put his hands on her shoulders and turned her all the way around, too slowly. ‘I like what it hides, better than what it shows.’

  He winked at her, then turned back to Gem. ‘You better drag Elle away from the mirror or you’ll be here all night.’

  With that he was gone. His clean cut, slightly expensive scent still lingered, making her feel a bit dizzy.

  ‘Should I go up for her?’ she asked, when Gem just stared.

  ‘Oh. My. God. Elle’s hot cousin is totally into you.’ Gem’s voice was just a whisper, but her cheeks flamed when she thought of him hearing.

  ‘Get real, Gem. He’s way out of my league.’ And then some. But there had been a little flirting, hadn’t there? He did say her curves were sexy, her accent was adorable then sort of complimented her tonight. She got a glass out the cupboard and poured a mouthful of wine to distract herself.

  ‘You didn’t see the way he checked out your arse. I swear. He’s probably away to relieve himself with that image ingrained into his retinas.’

  Ciara wrinkled her nose, but really. The thought of Zack on his bed, all naked and pleasuring himself to visions of her arse wasn’t off putting at all.

  ‘Don’t give me that, you’d totally nail him.’ Gem just wasn’t going to quit.

  ‘I wouldn’t, actually. If he was a random guy we met in a bar, I’d probably go back to his place but Zack is Elle’s cousin.’

  Gem poured another drink. ‘Cousin, not brother and anyway it shouldn’t matter. We’re here for another day. Why not spend the night with him? You might learn something.’

  ‘I know plenty,’ she protested, smiling. ‘But it feels… weird.’

  ‘What does?’ Elle asked.

  They both turned and, though Ciara was used to being outshone by Elle’s elegant, snow princess beauty, this time she was stunned. The dress Elle picked hugged her all the way to mid-thigh, where it broke off into strappy things that had studs on the ends. She looked like she should be walking down the red carpet with the other stars of the show, not arriving five minutes early to be escorted in the side entrance.

  ‘Zack’s got the hots for Ciara, and she wants him too.’

  She was going to kill Gem.

  ‘Eww,’ Elle said. ‘Zack’s disgusting.’

  Since Elle then rushed them to the door, Ciara didn’t think there would be any repercussions for lusting after her cousin. And during the limo ride they sipped champagne, listened to Rita Ora, reassured Elle that leaving her phone at home because it was out of charge was not the same as being without her liver, and debated over which of the actors would show up stag (of course Gem knew Aiden would). There was no mention of Zack, no change in the way Elle spoke to her and Ciara decided to forget Gem’s slip up, friend’s cousins she shouldn’t be thinking about and enjoy the fuzzy effects of the bubbly.

  ‘How fun would it be to show up late and walk down the red carpet? I bet E! would dig our dresses.’ Elle sighed.

  ‘I think we should stick to the plan. I don’t want to spend the night in jail,’ Ciara said, more because the thought of being on the red carpet with all the attention and flashing lights filled her with icy dread.

  Gem and Elle grinned at each other, no doubt finding it funny because she was the only one out of the three of them that couldn’t afford the bail fee. ‘I mean it. I don’t want to repeat Easter Break.’

  They burst into giggles, no doubt remembering the donkeys they ‘borrowed’ in Brighton to get back to the hotel instead of walking the extra half mile to the taxi rank in high heels.

  ‘Easter break was tame compared to what I have planned this summer. Relax, Ciara. We’ve just finished university after studying for the best part of our lives. We’re due some fun before we start real life,’ Elle said, reassuringly.

  Ciara didn’t disagree. If only she could just go with the flow and stop worrying about the future.

  ***

  ‘Wait for it,’ Gem said to Elle.

  Ciara would bet the rest of her savings on this latest scheme falling flat on its face but Elle and Gem were too determined to move onto the after party to be talked round.

  ‘Okay, go.’

  Gem and Elle linked arms with her and pushed their way through the crowds of superstars to the weakest link – a group of supporting actors with minor roles. They were young, their eyes gaped when they saw the three of them and Ciara tried to hold her face in an expression Elle had assured her was sexy.

  ‘You were amazing,’ Elle purred in the oldest guy’s ear – though he couldn’t have been older than 19, 20 at a push. ‘Much better than that Aiden what’s-his-face. Sexier too.’

  ‘You girls English?’ the low-grade actor said. ‘That’s hot.’

  And that was Ciara’s cue to keep her mouth shut. She didn’t have that well-bread, smouldering, Lady of the Manor thing going. She nodded with Gem.

  ‘We are, and we wondered if you three wanted to join us for a drink? Maybe go to a club?’ Elle asked, just like they’d planned.

  ‘Can’t,’ the gangly, younger looking guy said. His face was clearly plastered in make-up, giving a baked bean effect. Better than showing off the red spots, but not by much. ‘We’re heading to the after party but you girls are welcome to come with.’

  Looked like Ciara would have been down her last few grand. She should never underestimate the power of Elle throwing off sex kitten vibes. They were escorted to another, bigger limo with lots more champagne. She didn’t have to worry about speaking in front of them. The guys only cared what Elle had to say anyway, and Gem seemed more interested in necking the Crystal at record breaking speed.

  Her mind drifted to Zack, wondering if he was out in the city picking up gorgeous girl after gorgeous girl, just like these three actors were out to do.

  But her mind was soon distracted when they got to Nobu in West Hollywood where the party was hosted. It was flashy, the outside was surrounded by paps and everyone who was anyone in the spotlight was there. Suddenly she was supremely grateful for her designer getup, and even more grateful that Elle had thought of a way to get it.

  Everyone at the party dripped in designer tags, cracking hairstyles and accessories that made her drool a little. Gem scanned the crowd the second the poor escorts had slipped drinks into their hands and she couldn’t help feel sorry for them. Elle had her eye on a rock star, but her face fell when she saw him grinding against a bleached blonde.

  The boys fawned over her, oblivious to her disappointment but Ciara wasn’t. She took her hand and squeezed hard. Then the three young actors noticed her.

  ‘Hey, if you two are bi you up for a threesome?’ one of them asked.

  ‘What?’ Elle asked, her hurt being replaced by her fiery temper. ‘Who do you think you are, asking us that?’

  ‘Lady, we’re stars. We don’t have time for teasing sluts who won’t put out.’

  Ciara had a flash of what would happen next, but she wasn’t quick enough to stop her friend. The contents of her champagne flute soared through the air, splatting the middle boy and dripping down his – was that colour really gold or shiny beige? – shirt.

  His face turned red and she got the feeling Elle had only just started, so she grabbed her and pulled her into the crowd. Gem didn’t follow, but Ciara didn’t have time to worry about that. Gem was the more laidback of the two and could look after herself.

  She got Elle into the bathroom and the other girl whirled on her. ‘Can you believe the nerve of that Z list loser!’

  ‘If he tells security we’ll be thrown out. Deep breaths, Elle. Come on.’

  Elle squeezed her eyes shut and did as she was told – for once. ‘You’re right. We need to get out there and have fun. Who cares if some vagina starved tween gives us shit?’

  Ciara released the breath she’d been holding. ‘Exactly.’ />
  ‘Let’s go have fun!’ Elle, seemingly having done a one-eighty, linked arms with her and dragged her to the bar.

  Pink champagne this time, and lots of chat with a few starlets who were not so down with the drinking – you couldn’t be too careful with the press waiting outside to snap every slip-up. Ciara was glad that would never be something she had to worry about.

  A while later, she scanned the swarm of people there. ‘I wonder where Gem’s gone?’

  Elle laughed. ‘Find a hot actor and you’ll find her.’

  She pointed across the room to where Gem was standing close to Aiden Price, chatting away and grinning. Gem might not be coming with them after all. But then she leaned forward in what felt like slow motion, grabbed Aiden by his shirt collar and dragged him down for a kiss. He stiffened for a second, then seemed to get into it, and Ciara just had enough time to sigh in relief, before Gem clearly decided to live up to her YOLO motto and took it a step too far.

  She wrapped herself around the actor like he was her personal get-off toy, grinding against him, right there in the middle of the room. Heads whipped round to stare and gossip. What made it all worse, Aiden was pushing her away but he couldn’t extract himself from her hold.

  Shit.

  Two security guards managed to do what Aiden couldn’t and ripped Gem right off him. Ciara shared a WTF glance with Elle before they were both putting their stilettos to work, scampering after Gem who was being carted off by two huge, scary looking men in uniform.

  When she spied an unattended magnum of Moet on a table, she shared a quick glance with Elle, swiped up the bottle and they both burst into giggles.

  Chapter Three

  ‘He was so amazing,’ Gem said, swaying a little until she grabbed onto the bar of the cell.

  Police cell. They’d only gone and gotten bloody arrested. Again!

  Elle giggled. ‘So worth it then?’

  ‘Am I the only sane one here?’ Ciara asked.

  The champagne buzz had quickly died when they’d tried to stop security from calling the cops – and holding a bottle of the restaurant’s Moet didn’t help convince the man she was an upstanding citizen. They’d been asked for their invitations, to which Elle had told them the actors had invited them but of course that just made matters worse as the guy she’d doused in champagne told security the ‘crazy British girls’ had attacked them.

  Now they were all locked up for the night, until they ‘sobered up’ but Ciara was feeling far from giddy. Unlike her friends.

  ‘I’d kiss him again and again, even if it meant having to pee in front of my friends,’ Gem said, making her way to the stand alone loo in their cell.

  ‘Eww,’ Elle complained. ‘Can’t you wait till we get home? There are pervy looking cops in here.’

  Gem ignored her and went on with her business. They stood in front of her to shield her modesty, though Gem was too far gone in an Aidan Price induced fantasy fuelled by too much bubbly to notice.

  ‘How are we going to get home, Elle? It’s not like we can grab a cab. We’ve been locked up!’ It felt silly to have to state the obvious, but really. One of them had to at least try and be a bit responsible.

  Gem flushed, then had her second good idea for the day – just a pity she’d won the eejit award in between. ‘Call Zack. He’d bail us out.’

  Elle said, ‘I don’t know the number by heart and my phone’s at home.’

  ‘I have his number,’ Ciara admitted and both of them turned to stare at her with wide eyes. She held up her hands. ‘I didn’t ask for it, he just scribbled it down in case we got into trouble.’

  ‘I’ll bet he did,’ Elle frowned. ‘But this does spell trouble, so bugger it. Let’s ask for our phone call.’

  It took a lot of sweet talk to persuade the cops to let them get Zack’s number out of her bag, and then she was dialling with shaking fingers, not sure if she’d rather he was asleep already. This had to be one of those worst firsts she kept hearing about. How many people could say the first time they phoned their crush it was to ask for a bail out instead of a date?

  When Zack answered, her hands started shaking.

  ‘Zack, it’s Ciara.’

  ‘Are you okay? Is Elle?’ he asked, sounding a little bit sleepy and a lot confused.

  ‘We’re all fine, sort of. Shit.’ How did she ask someone she barely knew to get them out of prison?

  ‘Ciara, what’s going on? You’re worrying me.’

  Taking a deep breath, she blurted everything out, apologising every chance she got.

  He listened all the way through her convoluted confession, never interrupting her and when she finished, there was a pause before he said, ‘Give me an hour.’

  The line went dead. Her heart melted. He’d just dropped everything in the middle of the night to rescue them from this Hell hole.

  But then she realised something worse. She was starting to feel things for Zack. Real honest to god warmth and then some.

  She really was in trouble now.

  Zack didn’t speak much in the car, but she supposed anyone would be fecked off at having to bail out three idiots in the early hours of the morning, then help two of the said idiots up to their rooms. Gem had long since passed out and Zack had to carry her up. Elle was dead on her feet but able to walk, so Ciara managed to get her into bed.

  When her friend was tucked in, she tried to sneak along the corridor unseen but he was leaning against her room door with his arms folded and what looked like a frown marring his pretty face in the dim light. Shit, why couldn’t Elle be awake for this? She’d never wimp out of an argument with anyone.

  ‘I’m sorry we woke you,’ she said. It was the best she could think of.

  He sighed. ‘When those two were little I took so much shit for them that our granddad threatened to send me to boarding school. I thought that would end when they grew up.’

  ‘We thought it would be fun to gatecrash a celeb party,’ she defended

  ‘And you all got carried away?’ he asked, his expression too cynical.

  She scowled at him. ‘Something like that.’

  Zack lifted an eyebrow. ‘So stealing a bottle from the restaurant, assaulting an actor and pouring a drink over another was all in the name of fun?’

  She gritted her teeth and sucked in a breath. It didn’t help with the irritation bubbling beneath their skin. ‘Exactly.’

  There was no way she was going to apologise for getting carried away. Nobu, Aiden and the Z listers were not going to press charges so really, there was no harm done.

  ‘I only came because you were in trouble, Ciara. A night in the cells would be a good reality check for them. Although now I think that might be the case for you too.’

  She didn’t know whether to be outraged or insanely pleased that he cared enough to rescue her.

  Zack didn’t allow her time to think. He came close, far too close until her chest was flush against his. ‘But I’m glad I didn’t leave you there.’

  Her breath caught in her throat and the attraction she’d felt today seemed magnified in the hall. They were alone, or as good as. He smelled spicy, delicious and a lot like he’d been in bed for hours and hours. The buzz that thrummed between them had the same kind of affect as the champagne had on Gem earlier with Aidan Price, and she wanted to wrap her arms around Zack and use him for her own pleasure.

  She had to tilt her head to keep eye contact. Even with just the moonlight from the massive windows at either end of the hall, she could see him and he was too gorgeous. And, mad as it might be, she was just pleased that he’d helped them out for her.

  ‘Are you going to kiss me now?’ she asked.

  Maybe it was the intense look in his eyes drawing out delicious anticipation, or maybe the champagne had blasted her patience and inhibitions, but she couldn’t hold the question in. Or regret asking him.

  ‘Do you never wait for a man to make the first move?’ he asked, stroking her cheek with his finger.

  Lit
tle jolts zapped from his touch, all the way under her skin and shivered down to her belly. She wanted more. She needed more.

  And why couldn’t she have more? She’d spent so long worrying about this trip, what happened after, her future. She’d already missed out on having fun. And she’d miss out on having him if she let it continue.

  No more.

  ‘Life’s too short.’ And she was only here two more nights. Whatever the reason for not asking him sooner had fled her mind, if there ever was one. Right now it was just him and her, about to kiss – she was sure.

  ‘Some things are worth taking your time over.’

  His breath swept her face, warm, tickly and far too teasing. His finger outlined her lips, making her breath hitch a little and her stomach flip.

  ‘Maybe,’ she whispered in the darkness. ‘But not things with a time limit.’

  Instead of waiting, she pushed high on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. Zack didn’t pull away or admonish her for the assault. He pulled her flush against him, taking control of the kiss until her blood hummed and her knees got a little bendy.

  He opened the door, dragging her into her room and still not taking those taunting lips off hers. When she parted her lips his tongue breached her mouth and she did the same to him, eager to taste. And it still wasn’t enough.

  Ciara wanted to feel that defined body against hers, without the silky dress or his cotton shirt in the way. But the only problem was she didn’t want to stop kissing him either. He was definitely a hottie and lacked the washing machine technique she’d been treated to more than once by the guys from uni.

  With the two warring urges – getting him naked and refusing to stop kissing him for a second – strong, she fisted her hands in his hair, ground her hips into his erection and let out a frustrated groan.

  Zack made the decision for her, pulling away with a smouldering grin. ‘We need to get naked for the rest to work.’

  Ciara went straight for his belt, ignoring his chuckle. He whipped the shirt off then helped her shove his jeans down, pausing to remove a foil package from his pocket. She grabbed his dick, thrilling at the thickness of it and growing more and more impatient to have it inside her. He groaned, the sound vibrating through her right to the spot between her thighs that ached for him.