An Accidental Love Affair

by Davida Ann Samenski

  He laughed, nodding. “She’s a firecracker, that one. One moment she was blasting me for hurting you, and the next moment she’s practically giving me the keys to the kingdom.”

  “It seems all is forgiven.”

  He tugged on her toes. “Is it, Sweet Nicole? Have you truly forgiven me?”

  She smiled, running her hand down his arm. “I wish I knew why you told your brother those things.”

  Reece frowned in concentration over the arch of her foot, his thumb digging in. She flexed her hips at the sensation. He smiled at her reaction, but never stopped his massage. “I didn’t want him to know how I really felt about you. You and I were just starting to proclaim it to each other. I wasn’t comfortable letting the world in just yet.”

  “Maggie knew.”

  “Maggie knows everything. She was suspicious the moment I walked through the door with you.”

  “Why?”

  After rubbing over the heel of her foot and around, his hands moved up to her ankle and calf. “I’ve never taken a girl home with me before. I’ve always kept the public me separate from the private me, but you . . . you were different. I wanted you to know both sides of me. I wanted you to like Colin best.”

  Nicole bent her knees, scooting close to him and nudging her feet between his legs. “I do like Colin the best. Don’t get me wrong, I like Reece well enough, but Colin is real. He’s the one who captured my heart.”

  He lifted her off the seat, draping her across his lap and nuzzling his face into her shoulder. “I hope I can hold on to it this time. It’s a slippery little sucker.”

  She swung her arm across his shoulders. “You just need to know how to handle it. You have the right equipment.”

  He smiled against her neck. “You can handle my equipment any time you like.”

  She laughed, leaning away. “Is that all you ever think about?”

  “No,” he said, his mouth at her ear, “only ninety-nine point nine-nine-nine percent of the time.”

  “Down boy. Give it a rest, or it’s going to break.”

  “I can’t help that I want to be inside and surrounded by you all of the time.” He sat up straight, a sudden thought freezing him to the spot. “Nicole, we haven’t used a condom since I’ve been here.”

  “Is that a problem?” She watched his mouth flop open, gasping for breath like a fish out of water. “I assure you, I haven’t been with anyone since our last time together. I made sure I was tested after I arrived home from England.” She frowned. “Perhaps I need to be tested again.” She squirmed to move off his lap.

  “Stay still. I didn’t mean to imply . . . I just . . .” He looked down at her stomach.

  She sighed. “Relax, Colin. I’ve been on the pill since I was sixteen.”

  The confession caught him by surprise. “You lost your virginity that young?”

  “Yep, my brother and cousins took turns,” she replied tartly.

  Incredulous, he shook his head. “What?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m joking. I didn’t do the deed until I was nineteen. No, it wasn’t with my cousin. I lost it to a guy I dated in high school.”

  “Why did you start the pill so young?”

  She blushed. “I had an irregular cycle. I’ve also been boy crazy since I was eight years old. I never went through a ‘boys are yucky’ stage. Mom didn’t want to take the chance of any unexpected surprises.”

  He frowned. “I suppose that makes sense.”

  She tilted her head. “Why don’t you look relieved? You just dodged a bullet.”

  His head shot up. He tugged her closer, digging his fingers gently into her hip. “The thought of you carrying my child would thrill me immensely. I want to chain you to my side in any way possible.”

  She grinned, raking her hand through his windblown hair. “Aren’t you jumping the gun a bit? The rhyme clearly states, first comes love, then comes marriage . . .”

  He smirked. “And then comes Nicole with a baby carriage. Who says I’m not steering in that direction?”

  Nicole flared backward, nearly falling off his lap. “Whoa, slow it down a bit, Mr. Woodhouse. Just because we’re back to doing the nasty doesn’t mean we’re in it for a lifetime commitment.” Was he serious? He was looking to marry her?

  “First comes love.” He held up a finger. “And you know how I feel about you. Then comes marriage.” Another finger shot out. “I want a lifetime commitment with you.”

  She sprang up, moving across the deck. This couldn’t be happening. She wasn’t ready for it. “Do you remember the other day when I asked you to take it slow? Why the sudden rush?”

  He stood, stalking toward her. “Because the real world is closing in on us. I want you in my life.” Her eyes were huge in her face. “I know I’m spooking you by talking this way, but I don’t want to lose this—to lose us. I just got you back.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, Colin. My feelings aren’t going to change overnight. We can take our time and do it right.” She stared out at the waves.

  “Don’t you want to marry me?”

  “Are you kidding? Every woman in your fan base fantasizes about marrying you, but real life is not a fantasy.”

  He nudged her shoulder. “No, real life is better than a fantasy.”

  With the sunlight in her eyes, she squinted up at him. “You think so? In that case, we’ll both be out of a job soon.”

  He tucked his hands in his pockets, leaning his hip against the porch rail. “You haven’t answered my question, Nicole. Don’t you want to marry me?”

  Her brow furrowed. “If you were just Colin Woodhouse, I’d jump at the chance to be your bride, but you’re not. You’re Reece Collins. That name comes with an image and expectations. You could lose a lot of fans. I could too.”

  “I’m not following you.”

  “I’m not proud of it, but a lot of my initial success stemmed from the scandal. The publishing company decided to strike while the iron was hot and while my name was circling around the water cooler, so to speak. Women came to the book signings, hoping to hear about you. It got so out of hand, I stopped doing anything unless it was at conferences or workshops. Even then, there were rabid fans asking about you, speculating. When I started out, I wanted to be a success because my books were good and the stories were enthralling. I’m starting to build a solid fan base now. Women are buying my books because of the stories inside the pages. I don’t want to revert to feeling like the only reason I’m popular is because my name is linked with yours. Does that make any sense?”

  He was silent, staring out toward the endless water.

  “Then there are your fans, the ones who live off those magazines. They have expectations of you. They want you to be with who they think you should be with. And that’s not always the same as who you want to be with.”

  She combed back the hair blowing in her face. “Besides, I don’t think I’m built to live with a camera in my face all the time. I’m a private person, Colin. I don’t like my name, my face, or my ass being spread across a front page of a magazine for the world’s pleasure.”

  His body jerked in her direction. “And you think I do?”

  “No, but you’re used to it. I’m not.”

  “So, you won’t marry me.” He turned completely away from the beach, facing into the house with his buttocks propped against the wood rail.

  Nicole knew this wasn’t the answer he wanted. She moved between his legs, rubbing his chest soothingly with her hands. “I’m not saying I’ll never marry you, Colin. I’m saying not right now.”

  He frowned down at her, frustrated as hell but understanding her reasoning. He wrapped an arm around her waist, using the other to cup her cheek. “I suppose a maybe is better than nothing.”

  ~ ~ ~

 
Nicole was in the kitchen fixing them dinner when the phone rang. She moved to grab it as she stirred the pot of tomato sauce. “Hello?”

  “Who is this?” an irate voice demanded.

  “This is Nicole. Can I help you?”

  “He’s with you again? Every time I turn around, he’s chasing after you. Is your vagina plated with gold?”

  Nicole dropped the phone on the counter. “Reece!” she yelled.

  He came in from the deck, a look of sheer disbelief on his face at her screeching tone. Her face was flushed. He didn’t think it was from the heat of the stove. “What’s wrong?”

  “The slime-ball is on the phone. How he tracked down this number I’ll never know, but I’m going to block him as soon as you hang up,” she ranted as she stomped out of the kitchen, slamming closed the sliding glass door behind her.

  Reece walked over to the counter, picking up the receiver. “Hello?”

  “What in the bloody hell are you doing? You walked out on a scheduled event then cancelled all your other planned appearances. Why haven’t you returned my messages? Where are you?”

  Bugger! He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m on a sabbatical, dear brother. I needed some time to myself.”

  Marcus’s tone was full of derision. “You’re with her?”

  “Yes, I am. What the hell did you say to her?” His voice rose in anger. “You have no right to insult her.”

  “I have every right. I own you.”

  “You don’t own me, Marcus. You may be my brother, there’s nothing I can do about that, but I’ll fire you if you ever disrespect her again. Do you understand me? We’re going to have a nice long chat the next time I see you.”

  There was a small silence on the other end of the line. “Where are you?” his brother asked in a calmer tone of voice.

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “It is when I need to send you the script for a new movie.”

  Reese sputtered. “What new movie? I didn’t sign on for anything.”

  “I signed you. Tell me where you are?”

  “Piss off, Marcus. You’re not going to swoop in here, ruining my reunion with Nicole. If you must, send the script to her publisher’s office. Her editor will forward it on to me.”

  “So, everyone else in the world knows where you are, but not your brother.”

  “If you were only my brother, I would tell you, but since you’re also my interfering manager, I’m not giving you any information.”

  “How am I supposed to handle your career?”

  “I don’t know, Marcus. You’re the manager, you figure it out.” He hung up, following Nicole outside. Bloody hell!

  She wasn’t on the deck. He scanned the beach but didn’t see her. Just then, he noticed an odd smell coming from the house. He turned back inside to see the kitchen filling with smoke as the tomato sauce scorched to the bottom of the saucepan. He flicked off the burner, moving the ruined pot to the sink and running water into it to soak.

  Tugger whined, scratching at the door. He let him out, the dog high-tailing it around the side of the house. Reece had no idea where the animal was going but followed him in case he decided to chase cars.

  He found both Tugger and Nicole, sitting on the driveway beside her car. Her back was resting against a tire, and her knees were drawn up to her chest with her face buried under her crossed arms. She was sobbing dejectedly. He wished his brother was standing in front of him. He wanted to punch him in the mouth.

  “What did he say to you, Nicole?”

  “He asked if my vagina was plated in gold.” She looked up—her nose blood red and her cheeks splotchy.

  Reece clenched his teeth to keep from laughing. “And you let this offend you—why?”

  Her eyes widened. She huffed out her exasperation. “It was offensive. He thinks I’m a whore. You’re laughing at me. You must feel the same way.”

  He crouched in front of her. “You know I don’t think you’re a whore. My brother is an arse, Nicole. He’s been that way since we were kids. Don’t take what he says to you personally.”

  She sniffed. “How did he get this number? He’s not going to come here, is he?”

  “Lord, I hope not. Lindsey gave me a list of contacts when she told me where to find you. I forwarded them to Maggie in case of an emergency.”

  “But why would she give them to him?”

  He smirked. “Because although she’s like family, she’s also a servant. She has to do what is required of her.”

  Nicole sniffed. “I really don’t like your brother, Colin.”

  “I’m not a fan at the moment either.” He stood, holding out his hand. “His phone call ruined a perfectly good dinner.”

  Her eyes widened. “I left the sauce on the stove, didn’t I?”

  “Yes. Now it’s sludge in the bottom of the pot.”

  “Damn it,” she said, pulling herself to her feet. “Now, what are we going to eat?”

  He licked his lips, his eyes traveling down her body. “I could think of a lot of things.”

  She burst out laughing. “I need more sustenance than a Reece Collins special protein shake, no matter how tasty it is.”

  He pretended to pout. “Fine, go ahead and ruin all my fun.”

  Chapter 9

  The script arrived the next afternoon, so Reece hunkered down to read it. Within twenty minutes, he was throwing it across the room, cussing up a blue streak.

  Nicole was watching him from behind the desk, a worried frown on her face. “Did you read something you didn’t agree with?” She bent over to collect the pages.

  “Leave them. I’ll sweep them up. Or you can use them for Tugger.”

  “Is the story that bad?”

  “It’s worse. I’m expected to be a spy again. I’m tired of playing the same type of character over and over.” He reached down, snapping a page from the heap on the floor. “Oh look, I’m naked as usual.”

  “I like that part,” she joked.

  He threw the page back to the floor. “I’m done. If this is all I’m good for, I’ll go into porn.”

  She smiled. “You’d win awards for sure.”

  He leveled her with a grimace. “Nicole, as much as I adore your sense of humor, please shut up.”

  She set the script on the edge of her desk. “What type of role would you like to play?”

  He threw himself down on the couch. “I want to do something serious, something with depth and emotion. I hear they’re considering another remake of Pride and Prejudice. I’d love to take a whack at Mr. Darcy.”

  “Mr. Darcy was played with perfection by another of my favorite Colin’s. No one has ever played the character better than him. Although Matthew’s version was superb; I loved the scene when he’s walking across the fields in the early morning, with his shirt unbuttoned and his coattails flying. That stride was to die for. Lindsey prefers Sam Riley’s rendition. She says his voice is all scratchy and sexy.”

  He rolled his eyes at her over the top descriptions. “All right, no Mr. Darcy, but you understand what I’m saying, don’t you? I want to break out of this niche Marcus has pigeonholed me into.”

  “Do it. Break out. Refuse this role and every role like it. Start at the beginning. Go on calls and read for the parts. Let the casting directors see what you have to offer.”

  His cell phone rang at that moment. He’d turned it on this morning, bombarded with calls ever since. “This is Reece. Talk to me.”

  “Did you get the script?”

  “Yes, I did, brother. The answer is no. I’m not doing it.”

  “You have to do it. You’re already signed on.”

  “Then get out your magic eraser. Un-sign me.” He glanced at Nicole. She was smiling, nodding in app
roval.

  There was silence on the other end of the connection. “This is going to cause major problems, Reece. Why are you being difficult?”

  “I’ve been telling you for some time now that I want a different type of role. You haven’t been listening.”

  “I have listened. I’ve tried, but no one is biting. Everyone likes you as a spy.”

  “Unless I’m nominated for an award, I’m officially hanging up my tuxedo. Find me a new role, Marcus, or find yourself a new job.”

  “You’re going to fire me?” his brother asked in disbelief.

  “Yes, you’re supposed to be my manager, working in my best interest. Find a script I can agree to or find yourself new employment.” Reece ended the call, tossing his phone down. “That felt good.”

  Nicole stood, dancing around the room. “Yeah, Reece Collins finally grabbed his cohunes and gave his manager the what for.”

  Reece was mesmerized by her antics. “What are you doing?”

  She stopped dancing. “I call it my ‘Snoopy’ dance.” She pressed a hand to her hip. “What, you don’t like it?”

  His eyes dropped to her chest, grinning. “No, I like it a lot.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re a pervert. Do you have to make everything about sex?”

  The phone went off again. He picked it up. “This is Reece.”

  “I’m on my way there. We need to talk.”

  “I’m not leaving, Marcus.”

  “Yes, you are, unless you want me to make a call to TMZ, telling them you’re shacked up again,” his brother threatened. “They’ll love running another sleazy story on you, their favorite playboy.”

  Reece pressed his lips together. “You’re now issuing ultimatums to me? You don’t know where I am.”

  “You’re in North Carolina at the beach.”

  “How did you know that? Did you put a trace on my phone?”

  “Yeah, it’s what good managers do.”