by Maree Green
As the lift doors opened, Gardner pinned me with a sharp look. “Don’t stop, and don’t talk to them. Smile if you want to, but don’t stop walking. If you stop, it’ll be harder for me to get you out, okay?”
I nodded. Don’t stop. Keep walking. Smile.
Sam handed me a pair of sunglasses. “Here, put these on.”
I had no idea why, but I didn’t ask. I just did as I was told. Preparing myself to step out into the chaos, I had to ask myself if this was something I was willing to do every day of my life. As the memory of being wrapped in Josh’s arms filled me with warmth, I knew what the answer would be. Always a yes.
Chapter 54
Josh
“Cut!”
My body sagged as soon as the words were out. It was the eleventh take we’d done, and my endurance was waning—not only because it was a physically challenging scene, but because Hannah kept stuffing up her lines. If I was to be honest, it was really starting to piss me off.
“That’s a wrap for today!” Steven yelled, clapping his hands. “Hannah, a word, please.”
Grabbing a towel from the PA, I dabbed the back of my neck and made my way toward where Daniel was waiting at the back of the room. Breathing deep, I tried to repress my irritation. I was supposed to be done by now. I had plans to already be back at the hotel, showered and dressed.
“Where’s Liv?” I asked, walking through the door as Daniel fell into step beside me.
“She just got off the plane,” he said. “They should be here in about twenty minutes.”
It wasn’t going to give me much time, but there wasn’t much I could do about it now. An extra ten takes tended to eat into a bit of time. Sighing, I slipped into the backseat of the waiting car. I had no idea what was going on with Hannah today. She was usually so professional when it came to smashing out the takes. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she was sabotaging, but that hardly made any sense.
“Are you still planning on lying low for the weekend?” Daniel asked as the car pulled out of the lot.
“Yeah, man. Other than the scene tomorrow, I’ll just be trying to spend some time with Liv. We probably won’t even leave the hotel.”
Daniel nodded. “Gardner says she seems to be handling it all okay.”
He’d told me the same, but it didn’t stop me from worrying about her. “Actually, I’m surprised she hasn’t been more resistant.”
Daniel surprised me by laughing. “Me too. Amy thinks it’s because she’s used to having security measures in place from when she was in Uganda.”
I’d considered the same, but at the end of the day, I didn’t care where it came from. I was just happy she could see sense in the need to be safe. It made things a hell of a lot easier for me. “I just need her to be safe, man. I don’t think I’d be able to live with myself if anything happened to her.”
He met my gaze as we pulled up to the hotel. “We’ll take care of her.”
His sincerity meant a lot to me. I trusted these guys with my life, and knowing they’d extend their loyalty to Liv without even being asked was testament to their ethics, not only as my security team, but as human beings. “Thanks, man. I appreciate that.”
As Lance and Cain appeared at the curb, Daniel released the lock and opened the door, stepping out to push the crowding fans back enough to let me get through. I’d been making sure I spent a bit of time around town, mingling with the locals, since I’d been here, so they were a lot tamer when I appeared now. Thank God.
Pulling out my fluffy pink sharpie, I scrawled my name over a few of the things pushed my way before slipping inside and straight into the elevator.
“Do you want me to message you when she arrives?” Daniel asked as we sailed upward.
I let out a huff to stifle a yawn. The 3:00 AM starts were killing me. I’d be surprised if I didn’t fall asleep on Liv while she was here. “Nah, just let her in. I’m going to have a shower. I feel like I’ve got half the set embedded in my skin.”
As the elevator came to a stop, I left the guys to sort out their duties while I went to get my shit together before Liv arrived. I hadn’t been joking when I said I felt dirty. I’d been rolling around on the goddamn floor for a fucking hour and a half before Hannah could get her shit together and remember her lines.
Turning on the shower, I stripped and stepped under the hot spray, letting go of the stresses of the day as much as I could. Grabbing the shampoo, I lathered myself up, using the suds to wash the rest of my body while I was at it, then I just stood under the streaming water, closing my eyes and letting it fall over my head while I simply breathed.
“Am I invited?”
My eyes flashed open at the sound of Liv’s voice. A split second later, my cock was standing to attention. “More than you could know,” I said, my need for her taking over now I knew she was right here.
The door swung open slowly, and Liv appeared, naked, with her hair falling down her body in loose waves.
I growled, reaching out to her and pulling her to me as fast as I could. She squealed with laughter before I crushed my mouth to hers, bringing her under the spray, running my hands over the slick softness of her curves. Memories of being in the shower with her back at the beach house invaded my thoughts. I wanted her like that again, but this time, I wanted to be inside her. I wanted to make her scream out my name as she came around my cock.
“God, I missed you,” I murmured against her jaw. “I need you so much.”
Liv laced her fingers in my hair, gripping, tugging, as she tilted her head back, moaning as I licked the drops of water off her neck, the taste of her driving my need higher. Running my hands down her body, I gently squeezed her boobs, my thumbs brushing over her nipples, before I lightly pinched them between my fingers.
“Josh,” she breathed. “Feels so good.”
Stroking down her stomach, I ran my hands over her hips, gripping her ass, squeezing before pulling her to me and pressing my cock against her stomach. Liv’s hands tightened, clenching in my hair, forcing me to her as she kissed me hard, her tongue meeting mine, stroking, tasting.
“Take me, Josh,” she murmured. “I want to feel you inside me again.”
A growl rumbled in my throat. She didn’t need to ask me twice. Lifting her ass, I pressed her against the wall as she wrapped her legs around me. My cock strained, trying to find a way inside. I felt him there, ready, my desire almost blinding me.
Then reality hit. “Fuck,” I said, dropping my head onto the tiled wall above her shoulder.
Liv stilled. “What’s wrong?”
“So many reasons not to do shower sex,” I mumbled. “No condom.”
Sucking on her lip, Liv quietly assessed me. “I’ve got the implant thing for contraception, if that helps?”
I stared at her. “You did? When?”
“Last week. I thought it might make things easier,” she said softly.
My hands tensed. The memory of how she felt last time was still so fresh in my mind. Knowing I was so close to feeling it again was painful. “Is it effective now?” I asked, almost choking on hope.
She clung to me. “Yes.”
That was all I needed. Taking her mouth, I lifted her higher against me, shutting the water off and carrying her straight out of the bathroom and to the bed.
“Josh!” she squealed. “You’re going to wet the sheets.”
Pressing myself down on her, I kissed along her jaw. “I’ll get them to bring dry ones, Liv. I don’t care. I need you, and if I take you in the shower, it’ll make you sore.”
But she wasn’t really listening to me anyway. Her hands scratched at my skin as her body squirmed underneath me. Pressing her legs farther apart, she rolled her hips, bringing my cock right to where he wanted to be.
As I pushed inside, feeling Liv sigh and relax against me, the stresses of the last week evaporated into nothing. I just wished I could keep her with me.
Chapter 55
Olivia
Taking Josh’s han
d, I let him escort me into the elevator, trying to hide my smile as we moved. Since the moment I’d stepped into the shower with him, he’d been nothing but attentive and affectionate. It may have been silly for me to think, but it reinforced my decision to try this crazy thing with him.
As the elevator descended, Josh gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Ready?” he asked.
I drew in a breath and pressed my lips into a smile. This was the first time we were going to be seen together since the covert snaps had been taken at the game premiere. Josh had warned me that things could get a little crazy. “Let’s do it.”
As the doors slid open, Cain and Corey stepped out before us, leading the way to where the chaos was waiting outside. Lance and Daniel followed closely behind us.
Josh’s hand tightened around mine the second the screams started. We only had a short distance to cover, but it felt like forever when you had dozens of screaming people trying to get to you—or Josh, as the case may have been. I was just another thing for them to get through to reach their real target.
With my sunglasses in place and my head bent low, I tried to remember Sam’s rules about keeping a pleasant expression on my face, while I stayed as close to Josh as I could. Questions were yelled at us from all angles. It was similar to what I’d been getting back in LA, but a hundred times worse. It was actually terrifying.
As Corey opened the back door, Josh pulled me around him so I could climb in first, and I couldn’t get inside fast enough. I honestly didn’t know how Josh did this on a regular basis.
When we were all securely in place, I finally released the breath I’d been holding and tried to calm myself down. My pulse was racing.
Josh’s concerned gaze met my slightly overwhelmed one. “How’re you doing?”
I took another breath to determine. My hands were shaking. “Uh . . . can I get back to you on that one?”
The other guys laughed, but Josh was nothing but worry. “You’ll get used to it,” he said, taking my hand and holding it tight. “I promise.”
I stared into his eyes for a while, trying to let him know I’d try, without actually saying the words in front of all the guys. “I think I’d equate that with the time rebels infiltrated the village in Gulu and started demanding supplies,” I said, thinking out loud.
Josh’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. It can’t have been that bad.”
“That was pretty scary, Josh. I nearly peed my pants.”
Corey burst out laughing from the front seat, while Josh gave him a withering look.
“I’ll deal,” I said, knowing I would. “But in a weird way, that was kind of easier than the times I was followed around in LA.”
Josh frowned, worry creeping into his gaze again. “Why? What did they do?”
I shrugged. “It’s not that they did anything. It’s just, when they followed me to work or home, I knew they were following me. When they’re like that back there, they’re following you, and I’m just tagging along like the nobody I am.”
Josh inhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing. “You’re not a nobody, trust me. That back there, was a fight to get the first picture of us together. You were very much a somebody.”
I grinned at his analogy. “Well, it’s done now. Does that mean we can go and relax and enjoy ourselves now?”
He let out a soft laugh, drawing me into him and kissing my forehead. “I wish. I’m sorry I have to work today, but it shouldn’t take too long. It’s only a small scene.”
It was like the fourth time he’d apologized, so I thought that deserved a little teasing. Mock sighing, I shifted my gaze to Cain. “I don’t know. What do you think, Cain? I mean, I made all this effort to come see him, and he hasn’t even bothered to take some time off so we can see each other. I think that’s pretty crap boyfriend material, don’t you?”
The guys laughed, while Josh gave me a dry smirk. “Ha-ha, very funny. You know I feel guilty enough as it is, don’t you?”
I shoved him playfully. “That’s why it’s so funny. I’m not delicate, Josh. I can manage an hour without you.”
“That’s why he’s so cut,” Corey said, laughing over his shoulder at Josh’s sulking face.
Josh rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t stop the smile that crept to his lips as well. “Yeah, you’re all a bunch of comedians.”
“I am looking forward to seeing how it all works, though,” I said in all seriousness. “I want to know all your movie magic secrets.”
“I can’t guarantee any magic, but behind-the-scenes fuck-ups are usually on offer.”
I was going to tease him about how I doubted that, but the car slowed to a stop at some sort of security checkpoint, making all the guys go quiet. As the guard ushered us through, Lance drove around a corner, pulling up next to a flashy black trailer.
I couldn’t help but be intrigued by the way the guys worked as a team. They seemed to have everything streamlined in a weird sort of way. Like they were all in sync with each other, and each of them had a specific role of when to move and where they needed to move to. And at every step of the way, they had Josh shielded. I loved that.
As soon as we stepped from the car, a tiny little dark-haired girl strode from the shadows toward us. She looked annoyed as she handed Josh a slip of paper. Or maybe it was boredom. I couldn’t tell.
“The filming schedule’s changed,” she said, waiting for Josh’s reply.
I watched Josh read the paper, his expression turning dark. “Are you serious?” he asked the girl, but she simply shrugged.
“I’m just the messenger,” she said.
“For fuck’s sake. Where’s Steven?”
The girl raised her eyebrows. “On set.”
Josh turned to me and exhaled. He looked as though he was trying not to lose his shit. I wasn’t so sure he was actually going to achieve it, though. Taking my hand, he started towing me toward a large building. “Is everything all right?”
Josh’s jaw was set tight. Whatever the note said, it obviously wasn’t good. “I just need to find out what the hell’s going on,” he said, pushing through the doors.
We hadn’t gone far when he dropped my hand, half turning to me as he continued walking. “I won’t be a minute,” he said, his voice hard. I slowed my steps, taking his not-so-subtle hint that I needed to wait for him. “What the hell’s going on, Steven?” I heard him say as he approached a short, gray-haired man. I wondered if he knew his voice was carrying. “This scene is supposed to be on tomorrow’s shooting schedule.”
The man nodded. “Hannah can’t be on set tomorrow, so I’ve had to move things around. We can do the den scene tomorrow instead.”
Josh ran his hand over his head. “Why can’t she be here tomorrow?”
The man crossed his arms, his gaze flashing to me for a brief moment. “She has an appointment. Do you have a problem with running the midnight scene?”
I watched Josh put his hands on his hips. “Fuck.” He turned his body away from me a little more. “No, I can do it.”
“Hannah’s asked for a closed set, Josh,” the man said.
Josh threw his hands in the air. “Of course she has!” He looked up to the ceiling for a second before sighing. “I need to go prepare. How long have I got?”
“We start rolling at eleven. I need you to have a quick look over yesterday’s take before you go. I think we may have to go again.”
Rubbing his hands over his face, Josh nodded. Turning to me, he gave me a tiny smile. “I’ll be back in a minute, Liv. Sorry.”
I waved him off. “That’s okay. I’m fine.”
I had no idea filmmaking could be so stressful. As I watched him disappear through a door, I wandered over to a wall of posters and pinned up schedules, reading over them to bide my time. Most of them were time schedules of upcoming shoots, by the look of it.
“Oh, hey,” a voice called out behind me. “Do you know where Steven is?”
I turned to see a small girl with long black hair and vibrant green eyes walking toward
me. She was gorgeous. “Uh, he went through that door,” I said, pointing.
The girl cocked her head to the side. “I haven’t seen you before. Are you new?”
Well, this was awkward. I hadn’t had to introduce myself to anyone Josh knew before. “Oh, um . . . I’m here with Josh.”
Her eyes widened. “Ohhh! You must be Olivia.”
Oh my God. I was never going to get used to people knowing my name. I smiled instead of answering.
The girl stepped forward, holding out her hand. “I’m Hannah Bryant, Josh’s costar.”
Crap.
Taking her hand, I gave it a little shake. “Nice to meet you, Hannah.”
She watched me for a little while, her smile slowly slipping from her lips before she sighed. “You seem like a real nice girl, Olivia. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I feel like I should warn you—girl code and all.”
Confusion swam in my gut. I had no idea what she was going to say, but I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be good. Any sentence that included the word ‘warn’ couldn’t be.
“What you and Josh have, can’t last,” she said, her tone sympathetic and slightly patronizing. “I’ve seen it too many times with actors like him. He’s a method actor, honey. That means he gets right into his role to the point that he almost believes he is the person he’s playing. I mean, the fact that he’s dated three of the girls he’s starred with should tell you something to that effect.”
I blinked at her stupidly before my head finally processed what she’d said. Drawing in a slow, steadying breath, I gave her a kind smile. “Thank you for the warning, Hannah. I really appreciate it. I might not know much about this industry and how it works, but I’ve seen enough pain and suffering to not let things like that worry me. I may be innocent in some ways, but I’m far from insecure.”
A calculating air spread through her features. Her eyes hardened and her mouth tightened. She looked very much like she was about to unleash something vile. But then the door opened and Josh appeared, striding toward me with urgent steps.
Hannah smiled. “I’m so glad,” she said, seeming far from sincere. Then she lowered her voice. “Because I’d hate to see you get hurt by the darker side of this industry.”