His answer was almost immediate.
Oh, yeah? Pix?
She laughed and shook her head, charmed in spite of the fact that she knew he wanted her to take a picture of herself naked and send it to him.
The thought didn’t shock her as it might have before.
Still grinning, she took her phone into the bathroom and snapped a picture . . . of the wet shower walls.
Another almost-instantaneous response.
Tease. You’ll pay for that.
She broke out in goose bumps at the thought of what he might do to make her “pay.” She knew a few things she wanted to do to him.
Not what you wanted?
You know it’s not but I’m patient. Come down when you’re ready.
Half an hour later, she knocked on his door, trying not to grin like a fool. It seemed like it’d been weeks since she’d seen him. She wanted him to kiss her the second he saw her. She didn’t care if they went out to eat. In fact, she’d prefer if they didn’t. Of course, there was no way she was going to tell him that.
The door opened seconds later, and she knew she was about to get half of her wish.
“Hey.”
He looked stressed, his mouth pursed like he was gritting his teeth, his hair a mess.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing I can explain right now. Daisy’s inside, crying her eyes out on my bed. Sebastian’s sleeping off the liquor from last night in the other room. Trudeau will be here in a few minutes to take care of Daisy, but I have to go talk to Neal before I can leave.”
“We can resched—”
“No.” As if he knew she was about to take a step back and away from him, he grabbed her hand. “I don’t want to reschedule.” He tugged her closer. “Come in and as soon as Trudeau gets here and I make sure Neal isn’t going to do something stupid, we can go. I fucking miss you.”
He’d stolen her breath with those last four words, with the force of the emotion behind them. She froze and his eyes narrowed as he started to pull away. Which is so not what she wanted. Tightening her hand around his, she got him to stop.
“I want to go out with you. I just don’t want to get in your way. I understand this is a busy time for you and—”
“And I know that’s no excuse for treating you like a toy, which someone accused me of last night.” He stared intently into her eyes. “That’s not how I think of you.”
Smiling, she nodded and watched his expression lighten just a little. “I’m glad to hear it. But the next time I see Sebastian, I’m going to smack him.”
She didn’t need someone else fighting her battles. Especially not one as personal as this. Besides, she still didn’t know exactly where the battle lines were being drawn. Or even if there was a battle to be fought.
“He’s got a hard head.” Greg smiled now and tugged on her hand. “Come in. Sit down. I’ll be back in five minutes and we’ll leave. Sebastian’s still asleep and Daisy’s probably passed out by now. They won’t know you’re here.”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded and followed him inside.
The second he had the door closed, he had her back pressed against the door and his mouth sealed over hers.
Her arms automatically went around his shoulders as she arched into him. She blocked out the fact that they weren’t alone, that Sebastian or Daisy could walk out and find them on the brink of tearing off their clothes. Which she totally wanted to do.
Greg kissed her like he wanted to devour her. It made her want to wrap her legs around his waist and let him do her right against the door.
She had no idea where her inhibitions had gone. And honestly, she didn’t care.
As long as he wanted her, she’d be willing.
Finally, he pulled away, breathing hard as he pressed his hips against hers, letting her feel his erection. Groaning when she pressed back, he moved his hand from her hips to her ass to hold her against him. “Don’t leave until I get back. Promise.”
“I’ll be here.”
Another kiss and he pulled away. “Be back in a five.”
Then he was gone and she took a deep breath, trying to regain her equilibrium.
Walking to the couch, she eased down onto the cushion. She couldn’t have been sitting there more than thirty seconds when the door to Greg’s bedroom opened and Daisy emerged.
The other woman shuffled toward the kitchen, dressed in a man’s T-shirt and apparently nothing else. She looked like she’d been fucked hard and well.
Her body reacted like she’d been kicked in the stomach even as she tried to get her thoughts under control.
Had he slept with his ex?
No, she couldn’t believe he’d do that.
Sure he could.
No. She was being totally unfair to Greg.
“Who the hell are you?”
Sabrina’s gaze snapped to Daisy, who was holding an empty mug and glaring at her. Sabrina recognized that glare. She’d gotten the same one last night.
“Hi. I’m Sabrina.”
“What are you doing in Greg’s room?”
“Waiting for him to get back.”
“That doesn’t tell me who the hell you are.”
Daisy spoke to her like she didn’t belong, as if Sabrina were encroaching. The words “screw” and “you” popped into her head but she managed to hold them back, knowing Daisy’s life was in a pretty shitty ditch at the moment.
Still, Sabrina refused to be a pushover. Or a whipping post.
“No, it doesn’t.”
Daisy’s eyes narrowed. “Wait. I recognize you. You were the clerk listening in on my conversation the other night.”
Sabrina took a deep breath and reached for calm. “I wasn’t listening. You happened to be talking loud enough that I could hear from the desk. I’m sorry you thought I was eavesdropping.”
Daisy’s sneer made Sabrina’s blood pressure spike. “You know what? I don’t really care. Just leave.”
Sabrina silently counted to five. “I’m waiting for Greg to get back.” Then she took a page out of her mother’s book. Sugar, not salt, her mom used to say all the time. You attract more bees with sugar than you do with salt. Although why you wanted to attract bees was beyond her. They stung. “Why don’t you let me make some coffee? You look like you could use some.”
Daisy’s mouth dropped open and Sabrina swore she could hear the other woman’s gears grinding. As Sabrina headed for the kitchen and pulled the coffee out of the refrigerator and the filters out of the cabinet, Daisy’s expression slowly loosened from pinched anger to understanding. Leaning back against the counter, Daisy watched Sabrina handle the coffeemaker.
“So you’re sleeping with him. I wasn’t aware he’d lowered his minimum age to teenagers.”
“You’ll have to talk to Greg about that.”
“Can’t speak for yourself?”
She’d have to try for a little more patience, as she nearly cracked the coffeepot when she set it in the sink to fill.
“Actually yes, I can, but I don’t respond well to bitchy innuendo.”
Damn it. Shit, shit, and shit. She’d sworn she wasn’t going to get involved in a pissing match then she’d gone and let Daisy get under her skin anyway.
“Well, good for you.” Daisy sighed. “And hell, I’m sorry for being a bitch. It’s been a crappy couple of weeks. If you don’t mind, could you finish filling that? I could really use the coffee.”
Blinking in shock at Daisy’s complete one-eighty, Sabrina finished getting the coffee ready to brew then turned to face the other woman, who’d pulled herself onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar. Daisy had her chin propped on one hand and stared at Sabrina with a curious expression that made her even more nervous than Daisy’s previous attitude.
“So, you’re the woman Greg’s been keeping und
er wraps. I knew he was seeing someone. He’s never been good at hiding things from the people who know him really well.”
Was that another dig? Sabrina was still trying to wrap her head around Daisy’s personality adjustment and wasn’t sure what to make of anything that came out of the woman’s mouth. Was she needling her for information?
And what the hell was taking Greg so long?
“So how did you guys meet?”
Now the woman looked positively friendly, although sadness lingered in her eyes and Sabrina remembered why Daisy was here in his apartment. And why Greg wasn’t.
“Last spring when I modeled a friend’s lingerie for her portfolio. Greg took the photos.”
“Ah, yes.” Daisy’s smile appeared for a second. “Greg and his camera. I used to think it was an extension of his hand sometimes. The man certainly has a gift.”
“Yes, he does.”
Daisy laughed, though the sound was muted. “And you’re probably wondering when I’m going to turn my head in circles and become the bitch again. Sorry about that. It’s been a seriously bad few months. I’ve been lucky enough to have Greg at my back and he actually seems to be more stable than I’ve seen him in a while. And now I’m wondering if that has something to do with you. So how old are you? I’m guessing not much more than twenty-five.”
The coffee gave a last gurgle and Sabrina turned for the pot. By the time she’d turned back with another mug in her hand, she’d come to a decision.
“Twenty-three. Greg and I started our . . . relationship in November, when we were snowed in together at the retreat for a few days.”
Taking a swallow of the coffee Sabrina poured into her mug, Daisy cocked her head to the side. “Huh. I wondered . . .”
“Wondered what?”
She paused, took a sip of coffee. “He’d been having trouble with the script. Did he tell you that?”
Sabrina blinked, her brain stuttering at the abrupt change in direction. “Um, not really. I mean, I knew he was having trouble but I didn’t know with what.”
“Hmm. Did he tell you most of the actors signed on without having a finished script? Most of the cast and crew have known and worked with Greg for years, so when he decided he was going to direct his first film in a decade, we all signed on. I’m not sure he realizes this, but in his very tight circle of friends, he’s beloved. We would do anything for him. So when he asked, we said of course.”
Sabrina understood that completely. If he asked, she’d give him whatever he wanted. Hopefully he hadn’t realized that.
“The guy can be such a pain in the ass, and when he wants something, he doesn’t stop until he gets it,” Daisy continued. “He’s really choosy about who he loves but when he decides you’re one of his, he’s pretty damn loyal. Almost to a fault.”
Was Daisy warning her away? That’s what it sounded—
“He shouldn’t have signed Neal.”
Sabrina shook her head, not quite sure what Daisy had said. She’d spoken in barely more than a whisper but Sabrina heard the pain in her voice.
“I should’ve warned him. Should’ve told him about the problems. But I thought if Neal had something to do . . . if he had something to work for . . .”
Sabrina didn’t know what to say. Didn’t figure anything she did say would help.
But she couldn’t sit there and not respond at all to the pain in Daisy’s voice. “Don’t you think Greg already knows this? I mean, the man is somewhat of a genius with people. Yeah, he’s pushy and can be a bulldozer and he’s too much of a smartass for his own good and sometimes I just wanna smack him but he genuinely cares about his friends.”
Daisy snorted then covered her mouth with her hand and continued to laugh. “Wow, I think I understand what Greg sees in you. You really fell hard for him, didn’t you?”
She almost didn’t say anything before she realized that Daisy had just poured her heart out. And Sabrina, like everyone else, had fallen under Daisy Devlin’s spell. It wasn’t hard to understand why the woman was one of the most beloved actresses of her generation.
“It’s kind of hard not to.”
“Oh, honey, ain’t that the truth?” Daisy sighed, sipping her coffee. “The only problem with those kind of men? They’re tough to get over, too.”
* *
Greg walked back into his suite to find Daisy and Sabrina at the breakfast bar, apparently bonding over coffee.
He knew he shouldn’t be surprised. Daisy and Sabrina were a lot alike. They had the temperament to put up with difficult men.
The women turned to look at him as he closed the door.
“How is he?”
Daisy’s question was almost timid, as if she was afraid to hear the answer.
Greg raised an eyebrow, asking a silent question. He had no problem discussing anything in front of Sabrina, but this was Daisy’s private life they’d be talking about.
Daisy smiled and nodded. “Ever gallant, aren’t you? It’s okay. I like your Sabrina. She seems like good people.”
Which for Daisy, Greg knew, was the highest praise.
“Did you know his mother’s dying?”
“What?” From the screech in her voice, Greg took that as a no. “I didn’t even know she was still in touch with him. Jesus, why the hell didn’t he tell me?”
Walking to the counter, he saw Sabrina turn and grab a mug, fill it, and set it in front of him. It was such a simple gesture and it made him want to get on his knees and profess his undying devotion.
But would she accept it?
“Maybe because he didn’t want anyone to know,” Greg continued. “She’s a pretty hardcore addict. Has been for most of his life. The drugs are finally taking their toll and she’s not expected to make it more than a couple of weeks.”
Daisy’s eyes had started to fill with tears and now they dripped down her face. And when Sabrina reached for her hand, Daisy gripped it like it was a lifeline.
“I’m so sorry, Greg.”
Greg frowned. “What? Why?”
“About Neal. I should have figured out what was wrong. I should’ve warned you. I knew he wasn’t up for filming—”
“Daisy, none of this is your fault.” Greg shook his head. “And Neal’s been holding it together for the most part. The footage we’ve got so far is amazing. Seriously. He’s waiting for you. He wants to talk. Just let him, okay? Then take tomorrow off. I’ll rearrange the filming schedule. I wanted to get a few more takes with Amanda anyway.”
Nodding, Daisy set her mug on the counter, gave Sabrina a smile, then walked over to him for a hug. Minutes later, Daisy was dressed and headed back to her own room.
As the door shut behind her, Greg couldn’t stand the silence any longer.
“Seems like you and Daisy hit it off.”
Sabrina’s smile was sweet. “She reminds me of my mom a little. Crazy in love with a guy who isn’t all that good for her.”
Not “good enough.” Neal just wasn’t “good” for Daisy. Sabrina had nailed that on the head.
“So,” he said. “Brunch.”
“Are you really sure you can take the time? We can—”
“Yeah. I’m sure.” What he really wanted to do was take her to bed, get her naked, and stay inside her for the rest of the day.
But he also wanted to get out of the city and away from everything making his life hell at the moment. He wanted to spend some time alone with Sabrina doing something as normal as sharing a meal.
He’d given some thought to surprising his parents with a visit but knew it’d probably freak out Sabrina. You didn’t just throw a woman into a meeting with your parents. She’d want to take a knife to his balls.
“Let me leave a note for Sebastian, then we’ll take this show on the road.”
* *
They left the hotel in his car, a sleek, black D
odge Challenger that Sabrina loved on sight.
“Do you mind if we drive for a while?” he asked. “I feel like I’ve been cooped up in either the hotel or the farmhouse. I need a change of scenery.”
“Sure. I’ve got the day off.” And there was nowhere else she’d rather be.
“First, I’ll feed you. Wouldn’t want you to expire from starvation.”
She laughed, like he’d wanted her to. “Which just means you’re hungry.”
“And here I thought you didn’t know me that well.”
They drove for a while, but Sabrina turned to him when it became obvious that they were headed out of the city.
“So where are we going?”
“Up to Chester County, to one of my favorite diners.”
“Didn’t you grow up outside of West Chester?”
“Yeah. My parents still live in the area and so do my sister and her family.”
“Have you seen your family recently?”
“They came down to the set a few days ago.”
He hadn’t asked her to come to the set. The thought made her chest tighten. She couldn’t help but think he didn’t want her there. Then again, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be exposed as the woman sleeping with the director.
And yet, here she was in a car with him.
Make up your mind.
“So this place,” she said instead of asking more intimate questions, “what’s so special about it?”
“Well, it’s still owned by the couple who opened it thirty years ago. Their children run the place now. Haven’t changed a thing. It still looks like a dive and no one would ever consider changing it.”
“You know the owners?”
“Yep. Went to school with their daughter and son-in-law. Pam runs the dining room. Her husband, Tim, and I go way back. He’s a year older but we graduated together because he lost a year fighting leukemia.”
“Oh, wow. That must have sucked.”
Greg’s mouth tightened. “It was fucking awful. But Tim . . . he never complained. Just put his head down and barreled through. He was supposed to go to Hollywood with me but he knocked up Pam our senior year and I left without him.”
“Are they still together?”
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