by North, Cara
The Director
Hollywood Nights
By
Cara North
www.musesandsirens.com
Dedication
For my readers, you are the best and I am grateful for each one of you! Thank you Katie, Beverly and Lisa for the feedback!
A special thank you to my Muse, JG for inspiring my stories.
A very special thank you to Yvette Hines for the kind of quote that makes me remember why I love to write complex characters.
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright© 2013 Cara North
Cover Artist: Stella Price
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews. Contact: [email protected]
Prologue
(Epilogue to Personal Assistant)
Shay was just happy to be there. Frankie, her best friend, and Jonas, Frankie’s fiancé and superstar extraordinaire, had invited her to the wedding. She was happy for them. She was earning her place in Frankie’s life. It was easy to do once Shay stopped trying to be someone else. Harvey, her new agent, had done that for her. He broke through her bull-shit. He made her deconstruct every part of her life and rebuild it. She was his last client. His last project as he called it.
Her agent was really his son, who would be taking over the family business now that he had earned it by turning her into a viable actress. He did that by making her stop pretending in real life. Some people get addicted to drugs, alcohol, and other substances. She was addicted to an image. It took longer than a normal rehab program to get her off the bitter pills of life she swallowed by the handful. She was free, but lonely. Damaged, but recovering. A working actress, but not a star, and for once, that was all okay.
“Hi,” Jed Gunner, older brother of the groom, said in that rich voice of his as he leaned against the wall next to her. “Friend of the bride?”
Shay nodded. He was stunning. Same blue eyes the family seemed to pass on genetically, but Jed was older, wiser, and darker. A warm feeling ran through her veins causing her to shift a little on her six inch heels. A slight breeze drifted over them and she could smell the scent of his cologne, or aftershave, or whatever it was that made him delicious, subtly on the air.
“I’m Jed,” he extended a hand.
“Shay,” she replied and accepted it. The rough texture was softened by the grip and careful way he held on to it a moment longer than necessary. The energy between them pulsed. Something unexpected was happening. A feeling she was unfamiliar with coursed through her veins. Maybe it was because he had crossed the lawn to talk to her. Maybe it was because when he looked at her, as he did now, she felt every bit as attractive as she had tried to be her entire life. Only he wasn’t ogling her body, he was looking into her eyes, past them, into her very soul it seemed.
They stood there silently, awkwardly. She was sure it was just her imagination. She was certain this feeling of vulnerability was due to her new found ability to be vulnerable. She wasn’t sure she liked it. He leaned against the wall and looked out at the crowd. He glanced at her a couple of times, she knew because she made no attempts to disguise her looking towards him. He smiled. She smiled. He lifted off the wall and with a tone that made it sound obligatory he said, “Do you want to dance?”
She slowly shook her head no. It was a risk, but one she had to take. He might walk away. Maybe all he wanted was a dance. Somehow, it didn’t feel like that was all he wanted. She wouldn’t mind talking to him. She loved the way his timbre carried on the air, caressed her like a touch. She wasn’t wearing dancing shoes tonight.
“Thank God!” He grabbed his chest with such relief she had to giggle. “I was afraid you would say yes.”
Shay watched as he tilted his head to the side. A slight hesitation followed with, “Do you wanna get out of here?”
She bit into her lower lip and shook her head yes. Shay looked over to the happy couple and realized they were consumed with each other. No one would miss her if she left. Someone might miss him. This could be the biggest mistake of her life. Somehow, looking at him, the way he was looking at her, she didn’t think so. Harvey had told her to trust her gut more often. Everything inside of her warmed, liquefied, and wanted Jed Gunner. She decided tonight was a fine time to start. “Where to?”
“I like the beach.” He looked down at her.
Shay stood five-five on bare feet. She didn’t look him eye to eye even in the heels. He was a large man. About Jonas’s height, maybe an inch taller, but he had a broader shoulder, or maybe it was just a larger presence. She couldn’t tell and didn’t care.
“Then I guess I don’t need to walk in these heels.” She tugged at the strap on the back of one as she lifted it, then the other. She held the shoes in her hand, it shrank her height considerably.
He laughed and nodded his approval. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 1
Shay was certain that following Jed Gunner to the parking lot was not on the list of things to do in order to get back into Frankie’s good graces. However, one look in those smoldering blue eyes, and she was ready to follow him anywhere. She had seen him a couple of times around the set when he came to visit his brother. Shay made special effort to remain away from Jonas. She didn’t want him or Frankie to think she was interested. She wasn’t. In fact, the moment she got close enough to speak to Jonas in person the only thought that came to her mind was “spoiled brat”. She smiled. When she suggested Frankie apply for a job as a personal assistant, Frankie had commented that she would kill Shay if she was stuck babysitting a spoiled brat.
Shay supposed marrying a spoiled brat was okay. It seemed to be working out pretty well for Frankie. Jed was not a brat; he was a full grown man. Rough, rugged in a way his brother couldn’t even pretend to be. He was nothing like any man she had ever attempted to date before. He wasn’t a typical Hollywood pretty-boy, yet there was no denying the fact that she was attracted to him. He looked good in his tux even with the beard.
“Where did you park?” he asked. Shay savored the rich timbre of his voice. She wondered how many times someone had approached him to be the voice behind their audio book. Certainly if she knew he read one, she would listen to it repeatedly just to hear him talk.
“I got a ride with the bride’s parents. I just sent her mom a text saying I have another ride home.” Shay liked that they walked leisurely through the lot. He wasn’t in a hurry, and since she was carrying her shoes, neither was she. The pavement was warm to her bare feet, but not unbearable. The sun was setting over the horizon. A nice breeze caressed her shoulder as it blew past them. She looked up at him.
“Excellent,” he grinned and she could see it though he had a full beard, not unkempt, but more facial hair than she typically liked to see on a man. Somehow, on Jed, even with the tell-tale patch of gray, it looked right, sexy even. He offered her his hand and she took it. The moment her fingers touched his she was aware of the electric spark, the heat at her core bloomed, and the pace of her heart kicked up a notch. She wasn’t a large woman. At five-five she was average height, her strict workout schedule kept her in prime physical condition. She was toned, not muscular, feminine but not too soft. She had curves that no time spent in a gym would remove and most people thought were purchased. Her body was her most valuable asset. Everyone knew that, especially Shay.
He led
her to a relatively non-descript black luxury sedan. He opened the door for her and closed it too. If Jed owned this vehicle he was more obsessive compulsive than Frankie. The car was immaculate. It smelled like a new car. It might have been for all Shay knew. Once he got in she asked, “Is this your car?”
“Nope,” he smiled. “It’s Frankie’s. On loan while they are on the honeymoon. I didn’t want to take one of my brother’s cars, everyone knows what he drives.” Jed looked at her for a moment.
Her heart began to thump, her blood raced as worry began to set in. She hadn’t done this in a very long time, longer than she would like to admit.
“No one’s going to be looking for you to come home tonight are they?” he asked as he started up the car.
“Why? Are you planning to kill me?” She said with a smirk.
He laughed, and then with a flirting glance said, “Maybe.”
“Maybe?” She giggled. He was kidding. She knew that much for sure. She didn’t know a whole lot about Jed Gunner, but what she did know led her to believe he had a dark sense of humor.
“Seriously,” he said as he sobered. He looked at her for a long moment and said, “I don’t want to give you the wrong idea. I’m not looking to grab a cup of coffee and talk all night.”
“Well.” Shay bit her lower lip as she considered it. This could be one huge mistake. Then again, it could be just what she needed. Thanks to her new agent she had been a very good girl over the past year. Didn’t she deserve one naughty night? “It’s too late for coffee. And, the ocean always gives me a sense of…hope.”
“Me too,” he whispered.
As it turns out, Jed wasn’t much of a talker. Shay wasn’t trying to pry into his life. She doubted she would see him again after tonight, so there was no point getting into the polite pre-fuck conversations where they pretended to care what the other thought about anything other than getting naked. She just hoped a cab wouldn’t cost her an arm and a leg later. The fact that her heart clenched slightly at the admission of the situation had her focused on living in the moment rather than wanting for tomorrow.
The drive was easy since they were not far from the coast. Jed drove down familiar roads, and then down roads she never knew existed, until finally he pulled down the road leading to an isolated house on the beach. It was dark but for the few lights on inside. The ocean air and crisp breeze welcomed them. The sound of waves crashing into the sand was the only sound she could hear when he opened the door for her to get out of the car.
She gulped and asked, “Is this your house?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I’m sort of house-sitting.”
“For who, Tony Stark?”
He laughed and shook his head no again. She watched him toe off his shoes in the driveway and then pull off the socks. His large masculine feet stood on the concrete. The tuxedo pants fell across the tops of his feet and she had the striking thought that even they were sexy. He tossed his shoes in the car with hers. Shay wondered if that meant he would be driving her home later. What a gentleman if that was true. What a brave guy if not. Frankie would kill him for leaving shoes in her car. He turned towards the house and said, “Come on.”
Shay followed him. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and punched a few buttons. A series of small white lights illuminated rooms in the house and the patio out back in a subtle, yet romantic, way. He moved to set his phone on a nearby table; she put her clutch next to it.
Shay took in the sight of the back of the house, the patio, the beach, and the blanket of stars visible in a way she had never seen them before. She admitted, “This is really beautiful.”
“Yeah,” he agreed. He pulled off the suit jacket and placed it on the table. He began walking towards the water. “It’s why I like to stay here when it’s available. I want to soak it all in before I head back to New York.”
Jed wasn’t as public as the rest of his family. His name surfaced when he released a project, mostly documentaries, or when he was seen with his siblings. He could step back into the spotlight any day he wanted to. He seemed to be comfortable on the indie circuit instead.
“What’s in New York?” She hoped he didn’t say a wife and kid, or anyone else significant. She wasn’t that girl anymore. She might be able to have a one night stand to scratch an itch she had been having for two long years, but she would not go back down the road of treacherous behavior.
“My place.” He shrugged. She took in the awesome sight of Jed Gunner, dressed up, standing against a backdrop of the ocean, under a blanket of stars, and looking at her with interest. “You gonna stand there all night?”
She shook her head no as she took a few steps onto the cool sand. She walked out to almost where he was standing. Her silk dress was a modest length, it hugged her curves, but not in an overexposure kind of way. No, she was no longer a “label whore” as her agent had called her. She was classy and classic. Her hair was pulled up in an old Hollywood style bun, her make-up subtle, and the only jewelry she wore was a pair of stud earrings.
He was standing on a wet patch and the water would be returning momentarily. With each step she could feel the sand getting wetter, not unlike her when he looked at her and smiled.
“Come on.” He motioned for her.
“The water is cold.”
“I promise to make it worth your while.” He winked at her.
That easy she was taking steps onto the cold, wet sand towards him. She shivered as the water touched her toes, flowed over the top of her foot, and wrapped around her ankle. She clenched her teeth to prevent a squeal of girlish discomfort at the shock of chill against her flesh. He had no idea how much she hated the cold.
He made good on his promise. She looked up at him right as he took her hand. The warm rugged feel of his hands told her that Jed was not pampered. Well, he didn’t have to be pampered. He obviously wasn’t afraid of work. He leaned in suddenly and kissed her. He wasn’t kidding around. He warmed her to the core instantly. His facial hair tickled, but his soft lips and skilled tongue made her forget it altogether. He let go of her lips and looked down at her. The kiss had ended too quickly for her. She tried to hold back a pouting lip. She wanted to kiss him again, more, now.
He licked his lips and said, “I came out to stand in the ocean like this once before and thought about how the sand moved from beneath me every time the water pulled back. I was losing ground, but I was still standing. I wondered how long I could stand there before I couldn’t move; how long it would take to sink into the sand and be covered up by the waves.”
It seemed a really personal thing to share. He appeared almost startled that he told her. He looked away from her quickly. She asked, “How long did you stand there?”
He got a little twinkle in his eye as he turned his head to face her again and he chuckled. “Until a piece of seaweed wrapped around my ankle, at which point I jumped about a foot and screamed like a little girl.”
She laughed with him. “How old were you?”
He stopped laughing, looked out at the water and then back to her, “Just a boy.”
She didn’t press any farther. The air between them was becoming odd, personal, when all she wanted, all he wanted, was physical pleasure.
“Well, you’re not a boy anymore.” Shay reached for the bowtie and pulled it loose.
“No.” She was sure his voice dropped an octave into the sound of seduction. “I’m not.”
Their lips met in a clash of fury. Both of them were broken souls and somehow still standing on the sand that slipped beneath their feet with every wave. One of his hands pulled her up at the back of her head and the other gripped her ass and pulled her closer. The moment their bodies lined up Shay pulled at his shoulders and lifted into him. His crotch at her navel, she was already burning to get her hands on him, to taste him, to feel him inside of her.
He bent just slightly while letting her head go, and lifted her off the ground. Both of his hands were on her ass and her legs wrapped around him as the
dress shifted up to her waist. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders as she held on. He began walking them back towards the house.
“I have to ask,” he said in a silky smooth whisper, “have you been tested?”
“A year ago,” she said against his neck. At least he started the conversation. She was still trying to process how to ask the things that needed to be asked of a one night stand. The things no one liked to talk about because they broke the mood or interrupted the flow of things. The things that in this day and age was necessary.
“And the last time you…”
“A little over two years ago.” Shay frowned. “I’ve recently discovered that I haven’t been approachable for…a while.”
He snorted, “I find that hard to believe.”
“You?” She tried not to think about what he would have thought of her had he met her two years ago. Hell, had he met her twelve months ago. It took almost a full year for her to recover, cleanse, and accept.
“I’m never approachable,” he teased.
“Now there’s a line.” She was sure of it. He may not be in the spotlight, but even in the dark, Jed looked pretty damn good to her.
He said, “But seriously, yes. I have been tested. Though, it’s been longer than two years for me so you may have to take it easy on me.”
“I’ll follow your lead.” It was a bit of a joke, but she realized as the words slipped out she had been doing that the whole time. He had initiated and led this whole scene.
They were at the patio and he stopped. He held her until her feet touched the ground. She looked up at him. He was tall, handsome, and rugged even in the tux.
“I’ve been working on a documentary for the past two years.” He looked away and then back. “I went through a dark period before that.”
If anyone knew what that was like, it was Shay. She noticed the aged scar at his wrist but didn’t say anything about it. It wasn’t straight so it might not have been something he did himself anyways. “I understand.”