by Marie Tuhart
Table of Contents
Adam
Publication Information
Dedication
PRAISE FOR AUTHOR
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
About the Author
Also Available
Also Read
Thank You
Adam
by
Marie Tuhart
Doms of the Silver Screen
Book 2
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
Adam
COPYRIGHT © 2017 by Marie Tuhart
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Contact Information:
Cover Art by Diana Carlile
The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
PO Box 708
Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708
Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com
Publishing History
First Scarlet Rose Edition, 2017
Digital ISBN 978-1-5092-1668-0
Published in the United States of America
Dedication
To my editor, Trish, who always make my books stronger.
To my readers: This really is the book of my heart, I’m glad I could finally get it into your hands.
PRAISE FOR AUTHOR
Marie Tuhart
AND HER BOOKS
BOUND & TEASED
“This story is sizzling from the beginning and scorches through until the end. I think the love the men have for each other and Katie is beautiful.”
~Mary Ann, Sizzling Hot Books
“The erotic parts of the book were excellent, with great writing and they managed to show the dynamics between the characters. It’s definitely a hot and heavy book, and erotica fans will enjoy it.”
~Majanka, I Heart Reading
MELT MY HEART
“This is a good story I’d recommend to readers interested in starting to read BDSM stories that aren’t too hard-core.”
~Long and Short Reviews
Chapter One
His kiss would be the death of her.
“Oh, darling.” Michael’s breath panted hot and moist against her ear.
“Mmm.” She rubbed her body over his, giving the performance of her life. Her hands tightened on his broad shoulders, his soft hair just brushing her skin. His earlobe was soft between her lips.
“Bedroom?” His tone was strained.
Reaching down, she slipped her fingers between his hard stomach and jeans then pulled him by his belt buckle. She kept the barest of distance between their bodies while walking backward. The bedroom lay at the end of the hallway.
Once inside, their legs tangled, and they fell upon the blue satin quilt. His hard body pressed into her softness. The bed quivered.
A crack and a snap filled the air and then air filled the space between her and the mattress. She didn’t even have time to let out a scream as the bed collapsed beneath them.
“Cut.” A commanding voice yelled.
Nicki Masters laughed as she lay under her co-star. The bright lights almost blinded her, and the chuckles from the filming crew floated in the air.
“This isn’t funny.” Michael Levin pushed to his feet before holding a hand out to her. His dark hair was mussed from her hands, his expression stern.
She took it and allowed him to pull her upright. “Lighten up, Michael.” Nicki reached up and smoothed the lines on his forehead.
He frowned. “It’s taken us all day to get to this scene. I don’t know about you, but I’m having a hard time keeping in character.” He captured her hand in his.
“True.” Nicki rubbed the small of her back with her free hand. After being sandwiched between Michael’s muscle-bound frame and the bed, she was going to have a bruise on her backside. “But I really think the bed collapsing is hilarious.”
“Damn it. What next?” the director, Adam Bainbridge, asked. He marched over to the pair, his glance landing on her and Michael’s entwined fingers. “Anyone hurt?”
“Just my pride,” Michael said.
“Pride, my ass. Your libido is more like it.” She let out another laugh. Michael and Adam were taking this way too seriously. “I think we should leave the scene in, add a little humor to this movie. What do you say, oh mighty director?”
“Aw shit,” Michael whispered.
Adam’s mouth opened and closed. His gaze narrowed in on her, and a shiver chased up her spine. “This picture, in case you’ve forgotten, Ms. Masters, is a serious drama. Humor doesn’t play into it.”
The room temperature dropped below freezing at Adam’s words. He was one of the most wanted directors in Hollywood, and all six-foot two inches of him were commanding. A brilliant and authoritative director in the power body of a movie star. He was also egotistical, stubborn, and bordering on emotionless.
God help her, despite his shortcomings, she still wanted to get into his pants. Outrageous for her, considering the man didn’t have a sense of humor. He was too uptight, too unfeeling. His nickname around Hollywood was Stoneface. So why couldn’t she match his indifference? She glanced at his left hand. The gold band was still firmly on his third finger. Her heart stuttered. He was still wearing it? What did that mean?
Nicki fought not to reach for her neck. She’d taken the necklace off before coming out to the set. She couldn’t do a love scene if she was wearing her wedding rings on a chain.
“Sorry, Mr. Bainbridge, but I’ve never had a bed collapse under me before.” Her voice dripped with honey, and she batted her eyelashes at him. Stuff that and smoke it.
“That’s not what I hear, Ms. Masters.” He spun away from her. “Fix this bed. Now,” he bellowed at the hovering stage crew.
Adam walked away, and a smile crept over Nicki’s face. He’d heard the rumors about her love life from the tabloid rags and believed them. Good. Let him. Better to have him angry at her than giving her those sexy, devastating smiles of his.
“Keep it up, Nicki, and he’ll fire you.” Michael released her hand and snagged her around the waist, holding her lightly in his arms.
“He won’t fire me.” She laid her palms on Michael’s forearms. Why couldn’t she be attracted to him? He was safer than Adam, but then when had she ever chosen safe? Besides, Michael was totally committed to his fiancée, Kelsey. “And only the executive producer can fire me. It’s written into my contract.” She had wondered why Chris had insisted the clause be in her contract at the time, now she wondered if he knew he’d have to hire Adam as the director.
“Why do you keep needling Adam? The man has a short fuse with you as it is.”
“I didn’t make the bed collapse.” She extracted herself from Michael’s hold. There was only one man’s arms she wanted around her. But he was off limits.
“Don’t play innocent with me. All you have to do is flash a smile and bat an eyelash or two at one of the prop boys and presto, the bed falls down.”
Her laugher rang out across the set. “You give me too much credit.” She turned. “I’ll be in my dressing room.”
Better to get away now, before she acted on the desire coursing through her veins—desire to corner Adam and have he
r way with his gorgeous body. Fighting her feelings for Adam was getting harder each day, and they’d only been filming two weeks. She and Adam couldn’t have a future together. Not even in bed.
Nicki crossed the set and into her dressing room. Who would have thought Nicole Masters, scream queen from twenty B-grade movies, would ever do a drama? Let alone one directed by Adam Bainbridge, the golden boy of Hollywood, and her former lover.
She pushed the door shut, strode over to the small refrigerator, and pulled out a bottle of water. She grabbed her cell phone before plopping down onto a chair. Swiping her finger across the screen, she went to the picture gallery and scrolled through the pictures until she found the one she wanted.
She stared at the happy couple in their wedding day finery. Her stomach clenched, and her heart skipped a beat. It had been a lovely day. The sun was bright, their families were being civil, and they were happy. Happier than they ever thought they could be. And it had lasted all of nine months.
Nicki sighed and set her phone down. This wasn’t the time to dwell on her failed marriage. She had a job to do. But her emotions kept getting in the way, as well as fear. Fear that the press would get a hold of one tiny fact.
She and Adam were still married.
****
Adam slammed the door to his office, causing one of his Golden Globes to teeter close to the edge of the shelf. Damn Nicki with her venom-spiked voice and sensuous body. And damn him for wanting her so much.
Taking the director’s job on this movie had been a mistake. Why hadn’t he done more research on the actors in the movie before he accepted the job? Maybe because Chris assured him they were top notch. Not that they weren’t. He’d seen Michael’s commercials and guest TV appearances. But Nicki?
His jaw clenched. Her scream queen days were behind her with her movie featuring a dramatic roll. But her attitude had put him on edge from day one. Nicki had never done anything quietly. She’d showed up with all the fanfare of a top-notch star—not a second-rate scream queen.
He sat back in his chair, thinking back to her arrival that first day. She’d emerged from the white limo in back stiletto shoes accenting her slim, delicate ankles. And the view only got better from there. Skin tight black pants encased long, shapely legs, a black silk blouse clinging to every curve. Dark sunglasses concealed her sparkling blue eyes. Her blonde hair brushed her shoulders.
She’d cut her hair, had been his first thought as he’d fought to take a breath. He’d loved her long hair and the way it had brushed against his body as they made love. His cock tightened. Why had she cut it?
His fist slammed on his desk, causing pens to dance over the wood. He needed to stop thinking about Nicki and what they’d had together. Their marriage was over. But it didn’t stop him from wanting her. He spun his chair around and gazed out the window.
Maybe having the film shot on his Oregon property was a mistake. He loved the huge studio he’d built, and the coast was perfect for outdoor shots. But today, not even the panoramic Oregon coast line could erase Nicki from his mind. Where had things gone wrong? Too many places was the sad truth. Their jobs took them to opposite ends of the country and then there was the baby… His heart stopped. Had it only been six months?
Seeing her in Michael’s arms was a torture of its own. There was nothing between the pair except the friendship that comes with being co-stars and co-workers. But the knowledge didn’t stop his jealousy from rising to volcanic proportions.
He grabbed her contract from the folder on his desk. What the hell had Chris done to make Nicki take this part? Not that the role wasn’t perfect for her, but there had to be something. She was acting like she wanted him to fire her.
Twenty minutes later, Adam strode back onto the set to find Nicki holding court with the camera crew. Her blonde hair flittered around her shoulders, and her expression was animated. His blood pressure rose when she bestowed one of her most flirtatious smiles on the guys. She didn’t need to butter them up; they already loved her. His gut clenched. His dominant side flared up. During their marriage, they’d had the full Dom/sub relationship, but he'd messed it all up when he’d left her. Now, he wanted her to flirt only with him.
“Masters,” his voice boomed over the set.
Her smile faded, and a mask took its place, one he was beginning to hate because she only wore it around him.
“You bellowed, oh powerful director?” Her saucy tone heated his blood and had his cock twitching.
“Damn right, I did.” He motioned to her. “It’s time for us to have a talk.”
She stopped in her tracks several feet from him with a frown. “About what?”
He put his hand on her lower back and led her away from the cast and crew. “This movie.” A lock of her blonde hair fell over her eyes, and he brushed it back without a second thought. “These delays are killing me. I want you to stop playing around.”
“I’m not.”
“Who caused the bed to collapse?”
“It wasn’t me.” She stepped away from him and wrapped her arms around her waist. “I’ve done some goofing off, but I didn’t cause the bed to fall. And it isn’t my fault you can’t control your temper. That’s causing a lot of our delays.”
“My temper has a lot to do with you.” His gaze focused on her face. Her high cheekbones were a camera man’s dream, and her complexion was so fair and smooth she only needed minimal make-up. Her blue eyes…they were dark like a storm, but when she was happy, they were light blue. Then there was her hair. So soft and silky. Unable to help himself, he trailed his fingers through her tresses.
“Why did you cut your hair?” he asked.
“What?”
Seeing the confusion in her eyes, he repeated the question. “Why did you cut your hair?” But it pleased him when she didn’t pull away from his touch as she once had. His fingers slid down her neck then he drew them between her breasts.
A small gasp left her lips, and her tongue swept out to wet them. He started to lean down, and her eyes widened.
“Adam,” she whispered.
Her mouth came closer to his then male laughter caused him to pull back. The sensual haze cleared from his mind. This couldn’t happen—not here. He gazed down at his wife, wanting nothing more than to sweep her into his arms and take her away from prying eyes.
“Adam?”
“You’re driving me crazy.” He cupped her shoulders, fighting to get his desire under control, but his body had other ideas. It always did around Nicki.
“If you’d just loosen up and relax…” She squirmed under his hold.
“Behave yourself.” His grip tightened. “I want to know about the firing clause in your contract.”
“I had nothing to do with it.”
“Chris isn’t about to fire you, is he?” Jealousy and failure welled in him.
“No,” she admitted. “Chris and I understand each other.”
“I bet you do.” His lips strayed to her ear, remembering the stories he’d read in the tabloids. “How long did it take you to go from my bed to his?”
Her body stiffened. Her hands rose to his chest and she pushed. Taken off guard, he stumbled back, releasing her shoulders.
“Bastard,” she whispered before spinning away from him and sprinted across the room.
“Come back here,” he yelled, raking a hand through his hair. Then he heard it—deafening silence.
The crew stood gapping, and Adam swore under his breath. What was he doing? While the crew wouldn’t talk, they knew better, he didn’t need to air his dispute with Nicki in public. Scrubbing his hand down his face, he went after her.
****
Nicki slammed the door to her trailer, locking it behind her. She paced seven steps to the bedroom door and then back to the front. How dare he? She’d been faithful to him, but the damn man wouldn’t believe her. What had she done to make him distrust her so much? She needed to calm down; otherwise, she’d never be ready to go back on the set.
Adam
’s jealousy would always stand between them. It was like having a third person in their marriage, always there and always causing trouble. She sighed. Adam wasn’t going to change, but that didn’t stop her from hoping.
A knock on her door caused her to jump. Hand over her heart, she took a deep breath and called out, “Yes?”
“It’s Adam.”
She sighed and unlocked the door. He was perfectly capable of standing out there and banging on the door all day. It would be better to get this over with so she could move on.
Adam opened the door and walked in as she retreated to the other end of the trailer. His gaze sought her out with a wary glance. She almost laughed. Only once had she thrown something at him after he’d made a snide comment, and it had been a pillow. Given what he had just said, he probably figured on something more lethal.
“My hands are empty.” She held them up as proof while trying not to laugh at the surprised look on his face.
“I had no business saying that about you and Chris.” He closed the door and stepped up into the trailer.
“You of all people should know not all the rumors you hear or read about are true.” Nicki’s stomach turned over as he shrugged. “I should have found a way out of this picture when I found out you were directing.”
She wrapped her arms around her waist. In her small trailer, Adam’s fresh scent filled every inch, a reminder she didn’t need. She carried one in her heart every day.
“This is your big chance.”
“Some big chance.” Bitterness filled her mouth. After years of being a scream queen and doing bit parts on soaps, this part had come up. A part she could sink her teeth into and show her worth. A part that could put her career into overdrive, yet it was more a matter of pride, to be near Adam and not fall apart. Her fingers itched to touch his rough skin, to run her fingers through his silky hair, to trace the veins on his cock and drive him wild. She wanted to have the special power exchange they’d had before their marriage had collapsed.
“This is what you’ve wanted,” he said. “A lead role in a drama.”
“No, Adam.” She marched up to him. “It’s what you always wanted. You wanted me to legitimize my acting by doing a real movie.” He just stared down at her, and she spun on her heel. “Why did I let Chris talk me into this?”