by Tasha Black
Bea shivered with need.
Buck slid his tongue across her opening.
Desire exploded throughout her body, and seemed to set her on fire.
Buck lapped at her eagerly, stoking the flames.
Bea fought her instinct to lift her hips up to meet his tongue.
But Buck was slowly licking up over her clitoris now, sending pangs of need through her belly and making it harder for her to keep control of her sounds.
She felt him slide a finger against her opening.
He hummed against her clit as he pressed his finger inside.
“Ohhh,” she whimpered.
“Does it feel good?” he crooned.
Bea answered by lifting her hips to meet his mouth.
She felt his smile against her thigh, but he gave her what she wanted, thrusting that inquisitive finger inside her and caressing her pouting clitoris firmly with his tongue in a steady rhythm.
Stars began to form behind Bea’s eyes as a wave of lust gathered her up, lifting her higher and higher until Buck finally gave her the spark she needed, suckling gently on her clitoris until the pleasure detonated her like a firework and the ecstasy lit her up from within.
He continued to toy with her, drawing out the last shivers of pleasure, until she pulled weakly at his hair.
He crawled up to her, his mouth glistening with the evidence of what he had just done.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered to her. “Thank you for letting me love you.”
“Wow,” Bea managed to whisper back.
He smiled, dimples forming over his cheekbones.
“Do you have time for a little nap?” he asked.
“Don’t you want me to…?” she asked, embarrassed to say the words.
His jaw tensed, then he exhaled.
“No, I think we’d better not,” he said. “Although the idea is… very tempting. But I would like to hold you, just for a little while?”
She nodded and slid over to make room for him.
Buck wrapped his arm around her and she rested her cheek on his chest.
He pressed a kiss on top of her head.
Bea closed her eyes, intending to rest for just a moment.
The last thing she remembered before drifting off to sleep was the sensation of his fingertips lightly caressing her shoulder blades.
12
Beatrix
Beatrix awoke in a cocoon of comfort, with Buck’s warm arms wrapped around her.
There were sounds in the hallway. The others must have come home.
Bea moved to sit up, but Buck held her tightly and deposited a kiss on top of her head.
“Think about what you want to say to them before you dash out of this room,” he murmured in her ear.
He had a point.
Her first instinct had been to go dashing out into the hallway to extricate herself from him.
But of course they would know anyway.
And was that really such a bad thing? She and Buck were adults. And she liked him.
“I would never kiss and tell,” he whispered into her hair, sending shivers down her spine. “Unless you wanted me to. In which case, I’d go out there singing the news.”
“Maybe put some clothes on first,” Bea suggested. But she couldn’t keep the grin from spreading across her face.
“Excellent choice,” Buck replied.
He pulled himself out of bed and pulled on the robe he had come in wearing.
“Oh dear,” she said.
“I will gladly wait in here until they all go to bed and then get clothes,” he told her. “You can tell them I’m out running an errand.”
“It’s fine,” she said. “I’m not embarrassed.”
He smiled as proudly as if she had just handed him an Academy Award.
Beatrix slipped into her clothes and they headed out into the hallway together.
“Hey, guys, how was dinner?” Beatrix called as they entered the living room.
“There you are, sleepyhead—oh…” Kate trailed off as she noticed Buck in his robe.
“Be right back,” he said, heading across the living room to the boys’ shared room.
Beatrix watched Kate watch Buck until he disappeared into his room.
Kate turned slowly back to Bea.
“So, uh, did you guys have fun while we were at dinner?” she asked.
Beatrix could tell that Kate wanted to ask her if they had formed a mate bond yet.
Bea shook her head slightly.
Kate made a pouting face.
“Give us a little more time,” Beatrix whispered with a smile.
“Did who have fun?” Cecily’s head popped out of the kitchen.
“I’m gonna let you handle that question,” Kate said to Bea, throwing her blonde ponytail over her shoulder.
Cecily’s mouth formed a tiny “o” as she looked back and forth between Bea and Kate.
“Did you and Buck—?” Cecily began.
But the guys were pouring out of their room before Beatrix had time to think of how to answer her friend.
Buck was pulling a t-shirt over his head. Bea tried not to drool over his swoon-worthy abs.
“So how did your day go?” Kate asked Beatrix, as if they had not been gossiping about her love life.
Bea shot her friend a grateful look.
“It was exciting,” Bea replied.
“Exciting is good,” Cecily said, coming out of the kitchen with a bottle of white wine, condensation beaded on the glass, and a pizza box. She placed them on the table.
“We brought you guys back our leftovers,” she said over her shoulder as she headed back to the kitchen.
Kirk seated himself next to Kate, wrapping an arm around her.
Kate’s relieved smile was radiant, as if she had been in actual pain until he was touching her again.
Bea wondered if their bond could really be so strong, or if she was imagining things.
Buck stood before Beatrix and she patted the seat beside her.
He settled in next to her, and though he didn’t put an arm around her, they were tucked in close enough that their thighs were pressed together.
“So how did it go?” Kate asked.
“I kind of got stage fright in front of all those kids,” Beatrix admitted.
“But you’ve done so many conventions,” Cecily said, coming back in with three glasses.
Solo followed her with three more. He set them on the table and sat next to Cecily.
“This was different,” Bea said. “You know I don’t do well with showing my process. Besides, kids are different. They have built-in bullshit detectors.”
“So what did you do?” Kate asked.
“I didn’t,” Beatrix said. “I froze up. Thank goodness Buck was there. He’s fabulous with kids.”
“It was nothing,” Buck said.
“It was not nothing,” Bea told him firmly.
“You’re going to have to get used to the spotlight, Bea,” Kate said.
“What do you mean?” Beatrix asked.
“I mean this movie,” Kate said. “You can’t make a big movie and not wind up with a lot of people paying attention. You have to learn to put your shyness aside.”
“I’m not going to be that famous,” Bea said dismissively.
“Maybe, maybe not,” Kate said. “But no matter what happens with the movie, when the truth comes out, Buck is going to be crazy famous. Way more than I’ve ever been. How are you going to deal with that?”
Beatrix felt her throat tighten.
“I’m not going to be famous,” Buck said firmly.
“You can’t hide forever,” Kate said.
“I can and I will,” Buck told her. “Keeping my origins secret is the most important thing to me. Not just to protect my brothers back in Stargazer and the others who escaped, but also for myself. I would never, ever want to be the object of public curiosity.”
Bea looked up at him and saw in his eyes that he was serious.
And crazy a
s it sounded, she was sure that if he wanted to live as a regular human it was likely possible. He was huge and unusually good looking, but he had an easygoing nature and a sweetness that made him seem less alien than his brothers.
She smiled up at him and leaned her head against his shoulder for a moment.
“To privacy,” Cecily said handing out the glasses she had poured.
“To privacy,” they all repeated, clinking glasses all around.
“Not to change the subject, but I did a little digging today,” Cecily said.
Bea felt her heart skip a beat. Cecily had been trying to get investor leads for her.
“I had two people who seemed pretty interested, but neither of them got back to me,” Cecily said. “It’s weird. I mean I know we’re at a con, but usually these guys would be all over a chance to get in on the ground floor of something this promising.”
“It’s my fault,” Kate said suddenly. “You thought that bringing me on as the star would push your project over the edge. But, of course no one wants to work with me if Spencer is out there saying I’m hard to work with. He’s an idiot, but his dad is a big deal in this business. If it helps you, I can step down.”
“That’s not it,” Bea said firmly. “And even if it were I wouldn’t care. I can’t wait to have you in this movie. It’s a dream come true. We will find the money.”
Kirk kissed the top of Kate’s head and Bea was relieved to see her perk up a little.
So Bea might have to work a little harder to get the funding. That was fine. She had a brilliant star, good friends, and a great guy by her side. Everything would fall into place.
13
Buck
Buck leaned against a table the next day, watching Bea work.
She was walking among the tables of children, greeting them with a quiet confidence that made his heart swell with pride.
It was hard not to wonder what Bea would be like with children of her own.
Something Buck hadn’t shared with her yet was that it would not be enough for them to be mated. He was supposed to experience human life in full, not only as a mate but as a father.
Yesterday, the thought made him anxious. He wasn’t sure how Bea felt about kids after she had frozen up in front of them. But today he could picture her coming around on the subject.
Some of the kids at the tables now had returned after the morning session she’d taught. They liked her a lot.
Buck could hardly blame them. He liked her a lot too.
“Close your eyes,” she was telling them. “I want you to picture a tree. It can be a young sapling or an ancient tree, big or small, but it is your tree. In Door to Everywhere Shayla’s tree was a willow, like the one she remembered from the pond on her grandmother’s farm.”
He looked out over the young faces, the closed eyes and peaceful expressions.
“Okay, you can open your eyes now,” Bea told them. “Think about the shape of your tree. Don’t worry about the details.”
Pens began scratching the paper.
She looked over at him and her smile made him feel almost dizzy with love.
He had slept in his own bed in the room with Solo last night. Though he longed to join her, he didn’t trust himself not to fall prey to his body’s temptation.
But soon, soon he hoped she would be ready to accept him.
She walked through an aisle of tables chatting with the kids, tapping a slender finger on something she liked.
The child whose page had been touched smiled up at her in delight.
“I guess this is going okay,” she said, joining Buck at the table.
“It’s going way better than okay,” he told her. “Great job.”
“It’s easier with you here,” she said. “But I understand if you want to go and stretch your legs.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world,” he said, shaking his head.
She looked down at her shoes and he wondered at how she could still feel embarrassed and shy around him when she knew he loved her.
One of the kids raised his hand and she was off again, her dark hair swinging behind her.
Soon it would be time for her lunch break. Buck was hoping that she would agree to eat at one of the restaurants downstairs.
He had learned that Beatrix’s surname was of Chinese origin, and the restaurant he had in mind had a sign declaring that it served authentic Chinese cuisine. Buck was eager to learn more of Beatrix’s heritage, and also to taste the food that had such an enchanting smell.
The work was pleasant but his belly was rumbling. Besides, he was looking forward to spending some time alone with his intended, hearing her thoughts about all that had passed during their day.
“Great job, guys,” Beatrix called to the children. “Our time is up for now, but feel free to come back later this afternoon for the final session.”
“Somebody’s feeling more confident today,” a man’s voice said.
Buck turned to find Dirk Malcolm standing beside him.
“Yes, she’s having a great day,” Buck agreed. He was glad to find that his happiness expanded enough to envelope this man, whom he had once seen as a rival.
Bea walked over to join them.
“Hey, Mr. Malcolm,” she said.
“Call me Dirk,” he said, smiling at her in a familiar way that Buck didn’t like.
“Cool,” Bea said. “How were your signings?”
“I hate to brag, but I was mobbed,” Dirk said. “And I can see your day went well.”
“Yeah,” Bea said, looking at Buck. “It was pretty awesome.”
“Listen,” Dirk said leaning in. “I’d like to have lunch with you.”
“We’d be glad to have lunch with you,” Bea said right away.
Dirk winced.
“Sorry, man,” he said to Buck. “But I want a little privacy with the lady to talk shop. Hope you understand.”
A river of molten lava flowed through Buck’s chest. He gasped.
Jealousy.
Surely it couldn’t be. No mere emotion could cause this kind of pain.
But there was no explanation. His heart was beating, and there was no lava in the convention hall.
Beatrix opened her mouth.
“That’s fine,” Buck said, before she could speak. “I wanted to check in with my brothers.”
“Neat,” Dirk Malcolm said with a dismissive expression. “Shall we?” he asked Bea.
“Sure, okay,” she said. “You want me to bring you back anything?” she asked Buck.
But he was too angry to do anything but shake his head.
She wants to talk business with him. Maybe he can help her get the money to make the movie, his more reasonable mind argued.
But the wordless emotion in him raged and roared in response.
14
Beatrix
Bea sat across from Dirk Malcolm at the cafe.
As unbelievable as she would have found this scenario just a few years ago, even more unbelievable was the fact that he seemed to be expressing a real interest in her project.
“At any rate, I’m very glad to know that you’re being careful about the film,” Dirk said. “So many authors would just sign those rights away without maintaining any artistic control.”
“Here’s your lunch,” a waiter said, sweeping in with two sandwiches.
“Thank you,” Beatrix said.
The waiter ignored her, instead gazing adoringly at her companion.
“I hope you don’t mind me saying, I’m such a fan of your work, Mr. Malcolm,” he said in a slightly strangled voice.
“Thanks, kid,” Dirk said magnanimously. “I get that a lot.”
The waiter grinned and then dashed off.
“Fame,” Dirk said, shaking his head. “Am I right?”
Bea had no earthly idea, but she was glad she wasn’t the only one freaking out over Dirk Malcolm.
“Anyway, Beatrix, I’m sure you’re wondering why I invited you,” he said.
“This isn’t easy to say, so I’m just going to spit it out,” he said. “The reason you’re having a hard time getting funding is that Carson is blackballing you.”
It felt like someone had punched her in the gut.
“I know I would want someone to tell me, if I were in your position,” Dirk went on. “The problem is not the book or the script, or you. The issue is that one of the biggest names in the industry is saying that anyone who invests in your project will be barred from investing in any of his for the foreseeable future.”
Beatrix took a deep breath and then let it out again slowly.
“Are you okay?” Dirk asked kindly.
“Yeah,” she said, nodding. “It’s not what I wanted to hear, but at least I know why I can’t get any traction.”
“You just need to regroup,” Dirk suggested.
“What do you mean?” Bea asked.
“Look,” Dirk said, leaning in. “I know Katie Henderson is your friend and she’d be fantastic in that role, but she’s not the only actress in Hollywood. And frankly, she hasn’t acted in almost ten years—”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” Bea said. “Using another actress is a non-starter for me. I’m not going to let Carson win by bullying.”
Dirk shrugged. “Okay, then you’ll need to strategize. The usual round-up of funding won’t work in this case.”
“So what do I do?” Bea asked. “What would you do?”
“Well, there’s private money,” Dirk said. “Do you know anyone who’s independently wealthy and interested in the arts?”
Bea shook her head.
“I didn’t think so, but it’s always worth asking,” Dirk said. “The only way to get traditional Hollywood money invested on this project with Carson against it is to guarantee success.”
“Okay,” Bea said. “I don’t have a crystal ball, but I will do what it takes to make the best movie I can. And the books have a good following, so that’s a built-in audience.”