by Miranda Lee
‘Would you please join me in the shower?’ he asked politely, his dark eyes glittering with wicked intent.
She hadn’t forgotten what he’d done to her the other night in Sydney when they’d showered together. The experience had been both thrilling and utterly seductive. She sighed, then shook her head at him, her own eyes glittering as well. She’d claimed she didn’t play games, but this one was such fun. And wasn’t that what he’d promised her from the start? That sex could be fun?
‘I shouldn’t,’ she said. ‘You will only take wicked advantage of me.’
‘What if I promise not to, on the proviso that you take wicked advantage of me?’
Kate wasn’t given to having lurid sexual fantasies, but her turned-on mind was suddenly filled with a clear image of how she could do just that. She could see herself now, taking a soapy sea sponge and slowly washing Blake all over. All over. She would order him to turn this way and that, so that not an inch of his body was unknown to her. Only one area would be neglected.
Kate would refuse to wash him there until he was going crazy with need...until his erection was hard and painful and, oh, so impatient, quivering wildly for her touch. Only then would she press the hot wet sponge around its base, squeezing it tightly and sliding it up and down. He would gasp at first, then groan, and finally he would come—right there in the shower. The violence of his release would send him lurching back against the wall, his outspread palms bracing himself against the wet tiles. His breathing would be ragged and his eyes glazed as they stared at her with shocked pleasure...
Of course it didn’t quite work out that way. It started well, with Blake happy for her to wash his body, and amused at first when she bypassed his penis. But he was not a man to let any woman take control of things indefinitely.
‘I thought you didn’t play games?’ he growled when she turned him around and began washing his buttocks.
‘When in Rome...’ she quipped, echoing what he’d said the previous night.
He sucked in breath sharply when she turned him around again and brushed the sponge across the tip of his swaying erection. His eyes darkened and his right hand shot out to grab her wrist, forcibly bringing the sponge to where he wanted it to be.
‘You seem to have lost your sense of direction,’ he said, his voice thick and his eyelids heavy.
Using his superior strength, he forced her to do at once what she’d planned to do eventually. But he stopped her before he came—stopped her and tossed the sponge away. Then he took her face in his hands and kissed her ’til she was lost in a haze of desire. It was Kate, then, who found herself pushed back against the wall, bracing herself whilst Blake sank to his knees before her.
‘Oh, God,’ she moaned when he spread her legs wide, because she knew how good he was at this. She had no hope of holding out—no hope at all. But she had to try. She didn’t want to come like this.
So she lifted her eyes to the twin shower heads and watched the water gush out, trying not to think about how glorious it felt to have his lips and his fingers doing what they were doing, how her insides were twisting tighter and tighter, how she was already balancing on the edge of the abyss.
Her mouth had already fallen open in readiness for her release when Blake abruptly wrenched away from her and stood up.
‘You can’t stop now!’ she cried out, her frustration acute.
He just smiled. ‘Don’t be greedy.’
He snapped off the water and bundled her out, grabbing a towel from a nearby rack and rubbing her roughly dry before doing the same to himself. Her hair was still dripping wet when he pulled her over to the double vanity unit and wrapped her hands over the edge, showing her flushed face reflected in the overhead mirror.
She could have protested...could have refused. But she did neither, just staying where he’d put her whilst he rummaged in one of the drawers and extracted a condom.
His entry was rough, but not painful—her body was supremely ready for ravaging—and their climaxes were simultaneous, their release more violent than ever.
He pulled her upright whilst their bodies were still shuddering together, holding her hard against him and nuzzling his mouth against her ear. ‘God, Kate,’ was all he said.
She didn’t reply, her mind too dazed for her to make coherent conversation, her eyes tightly shut.
Never in her wildest dreams had Kate imagined sex could be like this. Because that was all it was that they’d just shared. It hadn’t been making love. It had been just sex. Yet she’d thrilled to it all the same.
Her eyes opened and she stared at their reflection in the mirror, stared at his hands as they roved languidly over her breasts, down over her stomach, then between her legs.
‘No,’ she groaned when he started touching her in her most sensitive place.
He ignored her, and soon she gave up any hope of protest...
* * *
‘You’re very quiet,’ he said to her over breakfast.
‘I was just thinking,’ she replied.
‘About what?’ He picked up his coffee and searched her face over the rim of the mug.
‘About my screen test,’ Kate lied. She’d actually been thinking that she wanted him again. ‘When will I actually be doing it?’
‘Probably Monday,’ he said between sips. ‘I’ll organise an actor and a studio today.’
‘I wish you didn’t have to go to work,’ she said, quite truthfully.
She would have loved to spend the whole day in bed with him. Or wherever he might want to have sex with her. The bathroom again. Or on the sofa in his study. She didn’t care where. Kate suspected that if Juanita hadn’t been hovering in the kitchen she might have tried to tempt him right here and now. She was only wearing her robe, nothing on underneath, and it was making her hotly aware of the moistness between her thighs.
She moved restlessly on the chair, desire squirming in her stomach. And lower...
Oh, Lord!
Love had turned her into a sex addict. Or maybe it wasn’t love. Maybe it was just lust. Maybe she was deluding herself.
‘Have to, I’m afraid,’ he replied, putting his coffee down. ‘I’m juggling several projects at the moment, all of which need my personal attention. Now, speaking of work, I’ll need to get my lawyer on to your visa ASAP. I hope you were able to get everything I asked you to bring? Not just your references from NIDA, but the reviews of that play as well.’
Kate blinked at him, her mind having wandered to other things. Like how gorgeous he looked in that business suit. Gorgeous and sexy and...
‘Kate?’ he prompted, frowning at her.
‘What? Oh, yes—yes. I got everything, and more. I remembered that the director of that play actually filmed our last dress rehearsal. I contacted him and he gave me a copy of the DVD.’ She’d meant to tell Blake yesterday but she’d totally forgotten.
‘That’s fabulous. Because seeing is believing. Much better than a letter just saying you’re good. Something like that DVD could tip everything in your favour.’
‘Only if my acting is good, though.’
‘You know it is.’
She sighed. ‘I thought so. But maybe people over here won’t be impressed.’
‘Now, don’t start with that negative talk. Negative talk never gets you anywhere. Come on,’ he went on, standing up. ‘Let’s go and get everything.’
After Blake had left Kate had another shower, then dressed in dark blue jeans and a lemon cotton top which suited her colouring and was not too warm, although the ducted air-conditioning was keeping all the rooms at a pleasant temperature.
It was only when she went out onto the deck or into the pool area that she felt cool. And then, not too cool. No doubt the day would warm up. There were no clouds in the blue sky. The weather reminded her of spring in Sydney.
Kate talked to Juanita for a while, offer
ing to help her, but Juanita refused.
‘No, no—you are a guest,’ the housekeeper said. ‘And you must be tired. Flying that far is very tiring. Or so I am told. I never fly anywhere. The thought terrifies me. Go and have a lie-down. Or watch a movie—Señor Blake has thousands.’
It was only then that Kate remembered Blake had left a printed copy of her script on the desk in his study upstairs, suggesting she read the whole thing through in order to fully understand the context of her part.
After getting herself another mug of coffee, Kate carried it upstairs and went into his study, settling herself onto a comfy leather sofa and placing her coffee on its built-in side table. She had just begun to read when the tell-tale ring of her phone infiltrated faintly, from where she’d left it on the bedside table.
Thinking it might be Blake, she hurried to answer it.
But it wasn’t Blake.
It was Maddie.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
‘MADDIE!’ KATE EXCLAIMED. ‘What are you doing, ringing me? You’re supposed to be on your honeymoon.’
‘Honeymoon? Huh. Darling Lachlan spends more time on his phone than with me. His new American agent is negotiating some big movie deal for him. A franchise, apparently, all with the same hero. Rather like James Bond, only sexier. Not sure how it could be sexier... Anyway, he’s very excited about it. Can’t say I am. The money’s fabulous, but all the films are going to be shot in Europe and he says I can’t go on location with him. I’m supposed to stay home in Sydney like a good little wife.’ She laughed. ‘As if I’m going to do that. Anyway, that’s not why I’m ringing you...’
Kate had an awful suspicion that she knew exactly why her sister was ringing her.
‘I know all about your going to LA,’ Maddie rattled on. ‘Mum told me everything. And I know you’re staying in Blake Randall’s house.’
‘Yes...’ It was only one word but it carried a whole heap of meaning. Such as It’s none of your damned business, Maddie.
‘Look, I’m not against what you’ve done. Hell, sis, I was all for it. Remember? But Lachlan’s appalled. Lord knows why. I moved in with him the day after we met. Maybe things are different in America. Anyway, he wanted me to warn you about what people will soon be saying.’
‘What people, exactly?’
‘Hollywood people. Lachlan says they can be very small-minded and downright malicious. He said they’ll be nice to your face but they’ll snigger behind your back. They don’t like unknowns like you getting the star treatment just because they’re sleeping with the boss. He said you haven’t paid your dues and that’ll get right up their noses.’
‘Well, thank you for the warning, Maddie,’ Kate said, sounding much cooler than she was feeling. Why couldn’t Maddie be happy for her? She had everything she wanted. ‘But I don’t much care what Lachlan says. As for my getting star treatment—Blake’s only offered me a supporting part in this movie. It’s not like I have the main role.’
‘And you won’t get one, either. Lachlan says he’ll screw you ’til the movie’s finished and then he’ll toss you out on your ear. Lachlan says that...’
‘I don’t give a monkey’s uncle what Lachlan says,’ Kate bit out. ‘He’s just jealous. And possibly so are you.’
‘That’s not true!’ Maddie denied. ‘I’m just worried about you. I don’t want you to get hurt.’
‘Oh, really? Were those your sentiments when you honed in on the one man you knew I had a crush on?’
‘I’ve already apologised for that.’
‘At the same time admitting that you don’t even love him,’ Kate swept on angrily. ‘You just want the good life, you said. Well, I’m having a better life now—with a man I do love,’ she threw down the line without thinking. ‘And you obviously don’t like it one bit!’
Kate might have said more if Maddie hadn’t hung up on her. She stared down into the silent phone, swamped by a mixture of frustration and fury. Finally she turned off the phone and threw the damned thing on the bed, determined never to speak to her sister again.
It was only when she sat down in Blake’s study and picked up the script again that she realised her hands were shaking. No—her whole body was shaking.
It was then that she started to cry.
* * *
Blake tried Kate’s phone again but it was still turned off. Damn it. She’d probably turned the darned thing off and gone back to bed for that rest he’d advised. Yet he really wanted to talk to her. Excitement was still fizzing through his veins.
What to do? He couldn’t go home yet. He had a meeting with the head of Fortune Films this afternoon. To cancel at this late stage would not be wise. They were the only distribution company worth having, in his opinion.
Blake glanced at his Rolex. It was twenty past one. No way could he get home and back in time for the meeting at two-thirty. A light suddenly popped on in his brain, solving his problem. Juanita. He would ring her and have her go in search of Kate.
If she was asleep then it was high time she woke up, otherwise she wouldn’t sleep tonight. It was a thought which brought a wry smile to his face. Maybe he should let her stay asleep...
But, no, his news simply couldn’t wait.
* * *
Kate was sitting out on the deck, dry-eyed, when Juanita found her a second time. She’d come up an hour ago, insisting Kate come down for some lunch. But Kate hadn’t felt like eating, and had told Juanita she would be down a little later.
Now she was back, looking at Kate with concern in her dark eyes.
‘Señor Blake has just rung me,’ she said. ‘He said he has been trying to ring you but your phone is turned off. He said he has good news and could you please ring him?’
Kate sighed, but did not move. She could not imagine any news which would make her feel better. It was silly of her to believe anything Maddie had said, but she was only human and doubts had crept in. Doubts about what she was doing. Doubts about Blake. Doubts about everything. On top of that, she hated it that Maddie had hung up on her—hated herself for trying to hurt her sister. Revenge was not good for the soul.
Juanita hovered. ‘Señor Blake...’ the housekeeper went on. ‘He...he is a good man but not always a patient one. Please... He will think I did not give you the message if you don’t ring him straight away.’
Kate heard the worry in Juanita’s voice and immediately stood up. Juanita’s relieved smile made Kate feel guilty. It wasn’t like her to be so thoughtless.
‘Sorry, Juanita. Please don’t worry. I’ll call him now.’
‘That is good,’ Juanita said, and bustled off.
Kate hurried into the bedroom and retrieved her phone and turned it on. Within a few seconds Blake was on the line.
‘I hope I didn’t wake you,’ were his first words.
‘No, no. I wasn’t asleep. What’s up?’
‘I watched that DVD of your play and I have to tell you, Kate, I was more than impressed. You were fantastic. In fact I was so impressed I had a copy made and had it couriered over to the agent I think will suit you best. He promised to look at it this very afternoon and get back to me.’
‘Oh,’ she said, somehow unable to react normally, with her old friend depression having taken hold of her. ‘That is good news.’
‘You don’t sound very enthusiastic.’
‘Sorry. I think I might be a bit jet-lagged. I tried to read through that script, like you told me, but my eyes kept glazing over.’
‘Then you really should try to get some sleep. I want to take you out to dinner tonight. To celebrate. Because there’s no way they’ll knock back your working visa once they see you in that play. You’re a shoe-in, sweetheart.’
Kate couldn’t tell him she didn’t want to go anywhere. So she said nothing.
‘Kate?’ he said after a few moments’ awkward silence. ‘What is i
t? Something’s wrong. I can tell.’
Kate sighed. ‘Maddie rang me.’
Blake swore. ‘And what did your darling sister say to upset you this time?’
Tears suddenly swam in Kate’s eyes. ‘It wasn’t what she said so much. It was what Lachlan had told her to say.’
‘About what?’
‘About me coming to Hollywood with you.’
Blake swore again. ‘That bastard needs sorting out. Tell me what he said. And I want to hear every single word.’
Kate swallowed the lump in her throat. Then she repeated every single word of Lachlan’s warnings. But she didn’t tell Blake what she’d said back to Maddie about loving him.
He didn’t swear this time. He just listened.
‘When I accused them both of being jealous,’ Kate finished, ‘Maddie hung up on me. That’s why I turned off the phone. So she couldn’t ring me back.’
‘I see. And do you believe what Lachlan said about me this time?’
‘No...’
‘You don’t sound so sure.’
‘I... I thought he had a point saying that people will believe I’m sleeping my way to success. They will think that, Blake.’
His sigh was heavy. ‘You can’t spend your life worrying about what other people think.’
‘I suppose not. It’s just that I want to feel I’m succeeding as an actress through my own efforts.’
‘That wasn’t working so well for you when we first met, was it?’
‘That’s because I was not in a positive frame of mind at the time. Maddie getting together with Lachlan had affected me badly. I coped whilst I was doing the play. It was the perfect escape from my melancholy, playing an upbeat girl who refused to let anything get her down. But when the play folded I lost what was left of my confidence. I was terrible at all my auditions. And I looked terrible. I can see that in hindsight. I wouldn’t be terrible now. I know I wouldn’t.’
‘So are you saying you don’t want this part in my movie?’
She hadn’t thought that. Not until this moment. ‘I think perhaps it’s best I decline, Blake. I’m sorry. It was very generous of you to offer it to me, but...well...it just wouldn’t feel right. Not now.’