Cool.
That was it. Better than nothing, Cosimo thought, his heart sinking. What the hell would that weekend be like with a monosyllabic teen in tow? Shit. Maybe he should have thought it through a little more. He wondered if he could persuade some of the younger members of the crew to help him out, help him find common ground. Rich and Gunter certainly would help—Nicco would find their antics fun and cool. …And what about Biba? She couldn’t be more than twenty-two or -three at the most.
God. So young. Cosimo was feeling every one of his forty years lately. Today, although he couldn’t really sanction the loss of his supporting actor for even one day, he’d finally been shaken out of the listlessness he’d been feeling by laughter. God, he missed just hanging loose and laughing at silly stuff, anything, a dumb TV show, or just friends being goofy. He had seen the friendship, the kinship between Biba, Rich, and Gunter—also Biba’s deep friendship with Reggie Quinn, the geeky, sweet—and Cosimo presumed, gay—cowriter of the film. He envied them the trust they had between each other, the connection.
When Grace had died, he had let the friendships they’d shared slip away, unable to spend time with the people who had known them as a couple. It was just too damn painful. But now, he wished he’d tried more. Maybe he should call one or two of them and test the water.
You sound like such a sad sack. Cosimo sighed and grabbed his pack of cigarettes. He swore to Olivia he would quit smoking before he was forty, but he would have one at night, just to relax and decompress.
He walked out into the night air, turned towards the lake…and heard her scream.
A hand clamped over her mouth and the man’s body pressed hard against hers. Biba’s panic made it hard for her to identify her attacker until he spoke.
“You little cunt.” Damon. Oh God. “I know it was you with the Krazy Glue. What the fuck did you think you were doing?”
“It wasn’t me! Now get your filthy hands off me!” She tried to push him away, but he was twice the size of her and the product of steroids. He shoved her harder into the trailer wall.
“No, I don’t think I will. Not until you’ve made it up to me, and since Stella seems to have shut me out, you can take her place.”
Biba was terrified as Damon tugged her jeans down to mid-thigh. “No, no, no…” She wriggled and panicked, but he covered her mouth as he stuck his hand between her legs.
“Come on, beauty, give it up. I know you’re not fucking that little cocksucker Quinn, so what’s the difference?”
He was tearing at her panties now. Biba bit down hard on his hand, and as he released her with a pained shout, she screamed at the top of her lungs. Damon, raging now, cuffed her viciously on the face, and Biba slumped to the ground. In an instant he was on her, and she felt the warm flesh of his penis against her bare thigh. No! No way, this wasn’t happening!
“Please! Stop! No, I don’t want this…”
“I don’t give a fuck if you don’t want it, you little cunt. Who the hell are you to decide? Open your damn legs.”
Biba clamped her thighs tighter together, and Damon, growling, punched her hard in the stomach. All the air was pushed from her lungs as she gasped in pain, and then Damon pushed her legs apart and started to push inside her.
Then, from out of nowhere a whirlwind of rage and fury yanked Damon up and threw him bodily across the ground away from Biba, and then gentle arms were wrapping a coat around her.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, we’ve got you. Rich, Gunter, detain this asshole until the police get here. Reggie, go call the police…I’ll take care of Biba.”
Through the fog of shock and terror, Biba realized it was Cosimo holding her so tenderly. She couldn’t help but nestle into the comfort and safety of his arms. He picked her up and carried her into the manor house. The owner of the house took one look at Biba and rushed to help.
“Let’s take her to the Lakewood Suite,” her gentle voice said, “the bed’s comfortable, and there’s a fire going. I’ll make some tea.”
Cosimo carried her into the room as if she weighed nothing and set her down onto the counterpane. Biba panicked at the thought of him leaving her, but as he tucked the sheet around her, he stayed, his arms wrapped around her.
“It’s okay, sweetheart. The police will be here soon, and we’ll get you checked out by a doctor.” He was stroking her hair away from her face, and she felt his lips press against her temple.
Biba let the shock and terror seep from her bones. “I’m so sorry, Cosimo,” she said, “I didn’t see him coming.”
“Don’t worry, Biba. Damon won’t ever bother you again if he wants to keep his career. He should be in jail. Did he hurt you?”
She nodded. “But he didn’t… I mean, I didn’t let him…” She couldn’t say the word ‘rape’ out loud.
Cosimo moved so he could study her face. “You did good. You did exactly what you were supposed to.” There was a knock at the door and Cosimo looked at her. “Are you ready?”
She nodded. “Please don’t leave me alone.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “Never,” he whispered. “I’ll never leave you.”
And in that moment, they both knew something had changed irrevocably between them.
Chapter Four
The police interview was harrowing, hearing Biba having to relive what just happened. Damon was arrested, but the police warned them that with his connections and his money, he would be out on bail soon. Cosimo assured the police that security on set would be upped. “He won’t get near anyone here,” he said, his voice like stone.
He called Rich and Gunter to him, and, after giving them an ass-kicking for dragging Biba into their antics, he told them to hire some more security. “Any sign of Tracy, he’s toast, you understand?”
Both Rich and Gunter looked shell-shocked by the evening’s events. Rich looked past his boss to the closed door of the suite. “Can we go see Biba? I need to apologize.”
Cosimo shook his head. “The doctor is in with her…he’s…collecting evidence.”
Both Gunter and Rich’s faces looked as sickened as Cosimo felt. “Mein Gott.” Gunter shook his head, and Cosimo sighed.
“I think she needs some peace and quiet.”
No sooner were the words out of his mouth when Stella came crashing into the room, her robes and scarves flying, her face pale—but still beautifully made up. “Cosimo, thank God.” She put her hands on his chest and gazed into his eyes. “How is she? Is she badly hurt? Are you?”
Cosimo extracted himself from Stella’s grip and gently pushed her away. “Biba’s going to be fine. She just needs rest and T.L.C. for a day or two. Will you cope without her?” The way he framed it, the tone of his voice was very clear. You will cope without her whether you like it or not.
Stella had obviously decided to go with being magnanimous. “Of course, of course. Oh dear, what a terrible thing to happen. I blame myself.”
Cosimo nodded his head at Rich and Gunter, at his signal, made their escape. Cosimo sat down, wishing he could smoke inside, and instead braced himself for Stella’s drama.
Stella threw her hands out wide. “I knew he was trouble. I should have protected Biba, protected myself. I’m sorry, Cosimo. I really am.”
Oh God, it was going to be a long night. “Stella…I think we’ve dealt with Damon now. There’s no point in recriminations. Damon was the one to blame, no one else.”
Stella picked at her nails. “Have you fired him?”
“Obviously. Luckily, we already had someone lined up in case we ran into trouble with Damon.”
Stella smiled. “You obviously knew his reputation.”
“He wasn’t my first choice with this film. The studio wanted him. I think they wanted to capitalize on your off-screen relationship.”
Stella laughed softly. “Such as it was. It was never serious, Cosimo, you know that. I wasn’t ready to get serious about anyone until…” She slid her eyes demurely away from his. “Well…”
&
nbsp; Cosimo had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Luckily, the next moment, the doctor came out from Biba’s room. Cosimo stood to shake his hand.
“She’ll be okay—physically, at least. Obviously, it’s not my place to discuss my findings, so you’ll have to ask Miss May. I have prescribed a sleeping tablet for tonight and advised her to take it. Just to make sure she gets some rest.”
“Thank you, Doctor. I hope—”
“Can she have visitors?” Stella interrupted Cosimo, and the doctor finally noticed her. His eyes widened a little—obviously a little starstruck.
“Well…she did say only Mr. DeLuca or Mr. Quinn…”
“Then that’s final,” Cosimo said firmly. “Doctor, thank you.” He waited until the doctor had gone before turning to Stella. “Stella, thank you, but I’ve got this from here. I’ll let you know in the morning if anything changes.”
Stella was about to argue, but at that moment, Reggie, breathless, fraught, came into the room. “Is she okay? Is Biba okay?”
Cosimo calmed him down. “You can go in,” he said gently, patting his shoulder. “She wants to see you.”
He nodded to Stella—a dismissal—and was relieved when she took the hint. “Let me know if you need anything.” She touched his chest again, then left. Her scent, heavy and seductive, followed her, and Cosimo sighed.
He sat down heavily, finally alone, and tried to process the horror of what had happened. No doubt the studio would be outraged, but at least he could defend himself there. Damon had been their choice. They would scramble to spin the story how they wanted it, and they would want Cosimo and Biba to keep their mouths shut. Cosimo didn’t care about himself, but if the studio decided she was replaceable…no. He would protect her until they backed off—that was a no-brainer. They didn’t get to employ a rapist and then blame the victim. Fuck them.
Anger was roiling away inside him, but more than that, he couldn’t stop hearing that scream—her panicked, soul-crushing scream. Biba struck him as someone who didn’t scare easily, but the cry she gave was one of pure terror. God, poor kid.
He rubbed his eyes, drained. Fuck this world, fuck all the predators in it. He didn’t care that now he would have to scrap a couple of days filming. He knew who he would call to replace Damon—his old friend Sifrido Tofaro. Sifrido was just making it in Hollywood after being an A-plus lister in Italian movies for over a decade—he would be perfect for the part of Henry in this thing. He’d call him in the morning.
Cosimo heard Reggie come out of Biba’s room and looked up. “She okay?”
Reggie nodded, looking drawn. “Yeah, she’ll be fine. Just shocked, I think. It…well…it’s not the first time… Never mind. Look, thanks, Cosimo, truly. Thanks for looking out after her.”
“Anytime.”
Reggie nodded. “You staying up here?”
“For peace of mind.”
Reggie smiled at him. “Cool. Biba’s still awake if you want to go in. I know she wants to thank you herself.”
“There’s no need, but I’ll go and say goodnight. Thanks, Reggie.”
“See you in the morning.”
Biba heard the soft knock at the door, and her heart began to beat a little faster. “Come in.”
She almost sighed with pleasure when Cosimo came in. God, the man was so freakin’…beautiful. That was the only word for him. The sedative the doctor had given her was kicking in, and her mind was a little swirly. She smiled at him. “Hello, again, savior.”
His smile was sweet. “Nothing anyone else wouldn’t have done. How are you feeling?”
She nodded. “Alright. A little dopey—the doctor gave me the good stuff.”
Cosimo laughed. “Good, you deserve it. Look, take tomorrow off. Hell, take as long as you need off.”
She held out her hand, and he took it, winding his fingers between hers as he sat on the side of the bed. His thumb stroked a gentle pattern over the back of her hand. “Thank you, Cosimo. I mean it.”
Cosimo hesitated before tracing a finger down her cheek. “I’ll never let anyone hurt you,” he said, his voice breaking. “Damon is in jail. If he doesn’t want to stay there, he’ll never come near you or this set again, I promise.” He sighed. “I’m so sorry this happened, Biba. I’ve already kicked Rich’s ass.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Please don’t fire them.”
“I won’t, don’t worry. Damon…was a ticking time bomb. Reggie tells me he was harassing you before.”
“A little. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”
Cosimo smiled. “I believe you.”
They gazed at each other, still holding hands. The silence stretched, but neither felt awkward. Finally, Cosimo, his eyes curious, gave a short laugh. “What is this happening here?”
Biba, her face burning, smiled. “I don’t know. But I…I like it.”
Cosimo stroked her hands. “Me, too.”
God, she wanted to kiss him so badly, but she knew it would be wrong. He was her boss, and he’d just saved her from being raped or worse. “Friends is always a good start,” she said quietly, and Cosimo nodded.
“God knows I could use a few.”
Biba squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry about your wife, Cosimo. Reggie told me about her.”
“Thanks, sweetheart. Hey, listen, my son is coming down from Seattle in a week or so. He’s…let’s just say he’s sixteen and not that fond of his dad at the moment. If you have any ideas on how to entertain him, I’m all ears.”
Biba smiled. “I’ll get thinking about it.”
Cosimo nodded and reluctantly, it seemed, released her hand. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. “Get some rest now, Beebs. See how you feel in the morning.”
Her whole body was crying out for him to kiss her mouth, but he got up and left the room, shooting her a final, devastating smile before he closed the door behind him.
Biba lay back, feeling sleep begin to creep over her body. Her stomach ached where Damon had punched her, but she didn’t care. She was okay. And she had a new friend.
In the moments before she fell asleep, she told herself she wasn’t falling for Cosimo DeLuca, but she knew, deep down, that wasn’t true.
Chapter Five
In the morning, Biba woke, her head foggy from the sleeping tablet. She rolled over in bed and looked at the alarm clock. Five a.m. She lay back sighing. So much for the tablet. Her stomach growled, and she realized she was starving, her hunger probably what had woken her up. She slid from the bed and tugged a robe around herself. Opening the door to the suite, she was amazed to see Cosimo, sprawled in a chair, his head resting on his hand. He’d stayed.
Her emotions in turmoil, Biba crouched down by his side. “Cosimo?” Her voice was a whisper. He didn’t move. Biba, her hand trembling, touched him, her hand resting on his stomach lightly. “Cosimo?”
Cosimo opened his eyes slowly and gazed at her. Biba was almost breathless. Cosimo’s hand covered her hand resting on his stomach, but he stayed silent. Biba leaned in and kissed his mouth, just once, lightly…
His hands were in her hair then, his mouth rough against hers as he kissed her back, almost ferocious in his desire for her. As he stood, pulling her to her feet, he looked intently into her eyes. “Are you sure?”
Biba nodded, knowing this moment was the one where her life changed forever. In the bedroom, she pulled off his sweater, running her hands lightly over his hard chest. His hands were at the waistband of her jeans, and as they stripped, they kissed, lips demanding and hungry on the other’s.
He laid her back on the bed and hitched her legs around his waist. “Biba…” he whispered
as he gently slid into her…
Biba opened her eyes. Damn. Oh, damn. What a dream to have now…and damn her subconscious for waking her up before she could imagine what it would be like to make love to Cosimo DeLuca. She pushed the sheets on the bed back, her body a bit cold and stiff. Her stomach ached badly and when she pulled her T-shirt up, she saw the bruised
imprint of Damon’s knuckles on her skin. Bastard.
Biba rolled out of bed, giving a little groan. It was still early, the pale blue light of dawn peeking through the window. Biba pulled her sneakers on and crept out of the room. Just like in her dream, Cosimo was asleep in an easy chair in the sitting room, and she smiled to herself. She found a wool throw and gently draped it on him. He looked like he needed the sleep, and she found herself longing to trace the violet shadows under his eyes with her fingertip.
She found a scrap of paper and hurriedly scribbled a note before he woke up.
Cosimo,
Thank you so much for what you did for me last night. I can never repay you.
I’m feeling much better today, so I’ll be back at work. I’ll try to think of some fun things you can do with your son.
Thank you again,
Biba.
Biba paused, then erased her name and wrote: Your friend, always, Biba. She balanced it on his stomach where she was sure it wouldn’t fall off, resisting the temptation to stroke the hard muscle beneath the light cotton shirt, and left him to sleep.
She walked slowly back to the trailers, wondering if she should go straight to Stella’s—it must be nearly six a.m. already, and they had a seven a.m. call. She opened the door to the trailer to see Stella already awake and dressed. Biba half-smiled at her boss. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.” Stella studied her. “How are you feeling?”
“Sore, but otherwise fine. Did you want me to get some coffee?”
“I have it coming. Breakfast, for both of us.”
Biba blinked. “What?”
Stella smiled. “I’m not a total bitch, Biba. You’ve been through a bad night. Come on, sit down. You’re not working today.”
Stella, of course, wouldn’t be Stella unless she got the gossip on any situation, and so she made Biba tell her everything. To Biba’s relief, Stella didn’t linger on the attack, but rather how Cosimo acted afterwards.
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