by Olivia Evans
“Do you want to grab coffee or something?” His stormy blue eyes darkened and his lips parted when he thought of the different ways they could do the something.
As she pulled her phone from his hand, his words snapped Josie out of her lust-induced daze. The reminder that he had no memory of their something made her jaw clench with anger.
“Thanks, but I’ll pass.” Josie reached for Madison’s hand and without another word took off down the hall, leaving behind a shocked Anders.
“I thought you said Anders Ellis never sleeps with the same girl twice,” Madison hissed once they were alone.
“Apparently that only applies if he remembers sleeping with them the first time.”
Madison jerked to a stop and gripped Josie’s hand to keep her from moving any farther. “No,” she exhaled.
Josie sighed and turned to face Madison. “Yes. He has no idea. Well, perhaps some idea since he asked if we’d met, but no. He doesn’t remember.” She blew her hair from her face and gripped the strap of her bag.
“I’m sorry, Josie.”
“It’s okay, seriously. Yeah it sucks, but it’s not as if I like him or anything. Do I think he’s hot? Of course. Who doesn’t? But that man is nothing but an asshole through and through. Other than his looks, I can’t think of one positive thing about him. So really, it’s fine. Although, I wouldn’t be upset if he got hit by a bus either,” Josie muttered as she started walking down the hall again.
“Josie!” Madison laughed, moving beside her.
“What?” Josie feigned innocence. “Too much?”
Madison nodded.
“How about he just gets clipped and loses a toe?”
“Much better.”
“Gotcha.” Josie chuckled, pushing the door open to the conference room.
“He left.” Craig scowled as soon as Josie entered the room.
Josie’s face fell as she took in Craig’s appearance. His usually styled hair stood in several places where he’d tugged it and his loosened tie twisted to the side. “I’m sorry―”
Craig held up his hand. “I know about the accident. It was on television. I understand you can’t move cars out of the way and magically appear so people don’t have to waste their precious time waiting.”
Craig paced the room, his face twisted in agitation. She got the impression everyone who attended the meeting didn’t feel the same way. A sense of dread washed over her as she put the pieces together. The room spun making her dizzy and sick. Definitely sick.
Madison’s eyes widened when she realized the same thing as Josie. “So the actor got upset because he had to wait?”
Craig grimaced before nodding. “You could say that.”
“And this person, the new lead actor, wouldn’t happen to be Anders Ellis, would it?” Madison asked as Josie sunk into the closest chair.
“Who told you?” As soon as the words left Craig’s mouth, Josie groaned and dropped her head in her hands.
A humorless chuckle bubbled from her chest as she looked to the ceiling. If this was God’s idea of a joke, she wondered how many Hail Marys she’d have to say for throwing rotten tomatoes while booing.
“We just passed him in the hall.”
“Yes, he had more important things to do than sit around and wait on people all day.” Craig’s tone was dry, his face unamused as he pulled out the chair next to Josie.
“Darn, I was so looking forward to meeting with him.” It was impossible for Josie to sound more sarcastic.
“I know he’s...difficult, but we’re lucky to have him on the project. Walker left us in a real pinch,” Craig pointed out as Josie began pulling the sketches from her bag. “Also, we’ve worked with him before. I don’t recall you having any complaints working with him while filming the last movie.”
Madison pinched her lips together, fighting to keep a giggle from escaping her closed mouth. She failed. Josie’s head snapped up, her glare withering. Madison shrugged unapologetically and looked away. She couldn’t help but think of exactly how Josie had worked with Anders the last time she’d seen him.
“I avoided him like the plague.” Josie spread out the drawings on the table, putting them in order by scene. She wanted to get the meeting over with and go home to beat something.
“Well, just do whatever you did last time. I’m sure everything will be fine.”
Josie cut her eyes to Madison, warning her with one look that if she made a sound, she’d regret it. Madison schooled her features, her face a blank mask as she turned to Craig and spoke, her voice steady and serious.
“I’m sure Josie will have no trouble getting him in and out of his clothes without complaint.”
“Good, good,” Craig answered, not bothering to look up, which was how he missed the daggers Josie shot Madison with her glare.
Over the next hour they worked with Craig, tweaking a few things for the overall look of each character.
“You have his measurements, right?” Josie asked, stacking the papers in front of her.
“Yeah, you can just leave this stuff with me. I’ll take care of the rest.” Craig stood from the table and took the sketches from Josie.
“Sounds like a plan. Will you be sending these over to Mr. Ellis?”
Craig huffed and nodded. “Although, I’m sure everything will be fine. He just wants to look them over for final approval.”
“Well then, if there’s nothing else, I need to get the rest of these changes down to production. Josie lifted her bag to her shoulder, wanting to get the hell away from the studio in case her luck continued to plummet and Anders returned.
The next few weeks passed in a succession of disasters. No matter how many fires Josie put out, there seemed to be twice as many to take their place, and this morning was no exception.
Josie moved through the lot, weaving through the trailers that covered every square inch of asphalt. With her eyes glued to her phone, she typed with one hand and held a cup of coffee in the other. The constant beeping of her phone—countless texts and voice mails detailing several last-minute rewrites—woke her before dawn every day. Normally something like that wasn’t a big deal; however, these rewrites meant two of the dresses shipped to Italy for Aubrey were no longer suitable. Now she had to find two new outfits and prepare them for shipping in a matter of hours. She groaned when she finished her text only to find another waiting.
The only thing that had gone in her favor was her ability to avoid any run-ins with Anders. She’d seen him several times but usually when he was on set, so she’d never been in any danger of having to interact with him.
People bustled around the lot, their voices echoing as they darted between trailers too. Just as Josie took a sip of her steaming coffee something bumped into her from behind. Reflexively, her grip tightened around the cup. The lid popped off and hot liquid poured down her body, seeping through her shirt and scalding her skin.
“Shit!” she cried, dropping the cup and pulling her shirt away from her chest. She spun around just in time to see a couple of guys pushing a huge rack of clothing around the corner. Either they didn’t realize they had run into her or they didn’t care.
She pushed open the door to the trailer next to her and dashed inside, ripping her shirt over her head and using it to dab her stinging chest. She crossed to the far side of the room and stood in front of the full-length mirror, grimacing at the bright red color of her skin. When she glanced at the rack of clothing to her right, her heart stopped. One sweep of the room confirmed she had the shittiest luck ever, and all she could do was close her eyes and shake her head.
“Fuck.” Of course she was in Anders’ trailer. Dread sank in her chest as she looked at the coffee-stained shirt clutched in her hands.
Over on set the director yelled cut as he moved in front of the cameras. “That’s enough for now. Let’s grab lunch and meet back here in an hour.”
Anders nodded and crossed the lot to his trailer. He pushed open the door, halting when he noticed the half-nak
ed girl standing in the middle of the room.
“Well, well, well.” He smirked when she jumped and turned to face him. “I’ve got to hand it to Argent. They’ve made great improvements with how they stock my trailer.”
Josie’s mouth fell open. Her fingers tightened around the fabric in her hand as she chanted silently that she wouldn’t hit him.
“Sorry, I’m not part of your goodie bag. Argent only provides what you ask for, or have you forgotten?” She failed to keep the bite out of her voice when she emphasized the last word.
“No, I haven’t forgotten. Although, I’m not opposed to the idea either.”
“Oh my God,” Josie groaned. He was such a pig, such a devastatingly gorgeous pig.
“Well, if Argent didn’t put you here, and you’re not here on your own, why are you shirtless in my trailer?” He stepped closer; something about her face seemed familiar. He dropped his eyes to her chest. The lacy edge of her bra pushed into the soft swell of her breasts, causing them to spill out of their restraints.
He slipped a hand into his pocket and pursed his lips. She had great tits, but again, something about them seemed familiar. Not giving her a chance to answer, he spoke again, his voice lower, a roughness to it that wasn’t there before. “I know you.”
Josie shifted her weight when she realized he was staring at her chest. She wanted to slap herself for being attracted to him. She couldn’t deny it again, but she still refused to remind him how well acquainted they actually were.
“We met a few weeks ago. We literally ran into each other in the hallway here at the studio.”
Anders made a noise in the back of his throat as he remembered the girl who blew him off. For days every time he thought about it, his anger spiked. Only after hooking up with a busty brunette did his annoyance subside.
Silence hung in the air as Anders followed the rise and fall of Josie’s chest. When her breathing changed, becoming choppy and shallow, he lost all restraint. In four long strides, he covered the distance between them. Without pause he cupped her breast and squeezed. His cock twitched at the soft, pliant weight in his hand.
“What are you―”
“I do know you,” he insisted, brushing his thumb over her nipple, his nostrils flaring as her skin flushed. “I know these.”
Josie jerked away when he drew in a sharp breath, the sound pulling her out of her stupor. She took a quick step back and then another, needing to put space between them before she did something stupid, again.
His mouth curved into a devilish grin as she retreated, his eyes hungry as he advanced on her. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Touch me again and you’ll have to surgically remove your balls from your stomach,” Josie warned, jumping when her back connected with the cold surface of the wall. Her mind flashed to another time when she stood with her back against a wall as Anders stalked toward her.
She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to get it together. She needed to control her raging hormones and get as far away from the asshole in front of her as possible. Unfortunately for Josie, Anders had no intention of allowing any of those things to happen.
“You don’t mean that,” he argued, lightly trailing his finger up her side.
Josie shivered before narrowing her eyes in determination. She planted her palm flat against his chest and pushed. “Yes, I do.”
No longer caring about the coffee soaking her shirt, Josie pushed her hands into the bottom and raised her arms over her head. Anders’ eyes followed her movements, his jaw tightening when her raised arms pushed her tits together, making them spill out of her bra a little more.
His gaze swept over her taut skin, freezing when he saw the hint of ink peeking out of her jeans. In one quick motion he trapped her wrists and pushed them against the wall, his grip firm as she clutched the shirt in her bound hands.
He remembered her then―the girl who had approached him several months earlier―the one with real tits, killer long legs, and a sexy as hell tattoo. “You little liar.” He chuckled, moving her wrists together so he could hold them with one hand, freeing the other.
“Let me go, jerk.” Josie twisted her body to the side as his fingers curled into the top of her jeans and pulled.
“What do we have here?” Vivid images of her flushed and panting flooded his mind. He tugged the button of her jeans loose, then eased down her zipper. Josie’s stomach tightened when he pulled at the material until the top of her panties was visible.
Anders grinned as he traced the outline of the tattoo, wanting nothing more than to grind against her and relieve the building tension. “Why did you lie to me, Ivy?”
The reminder of why Josie lied caused her to snap. She lifted her leg and, without hesitation, kicked him in the shin.
“Fuck!” he yelled, stumbling back a few steps and grabbing his leg. “What the hell?”
Josie yanked her shirt on and fastened her pants in a few quick, angry motions. “Why did I lie? Gee, maybe because needing to remind a guy we had sex isn’t at the top of my ‘fun things to do’ list.”
Anders let go of his leg and straightened his back. The way she stared at him, her eyes blazing with anger and fists balled at her sides, made him want to strip her naked and fuck her senseless.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, holding his hands in front of him. “That was shitty of me. Let me make it up to you. I promise there’ll be no way either of us will forget this time.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Josie laughed, her expression incredulous. “I don’t know what shocks me more. Proposing we have sex so you can remember the last time or that you think for one second I would consider it.”
“I remember,” he assured her, advancing toward her once more.
“Now. You remember now. Tell me something, Anders, what’s my name?” Josie took two steps to the left and moved forward a little. Anders followed her movements with a sly smile on his face.
“Ivy.”
“No. My real name.”
His pause made her laugh. He was such an asshole. “This is why you should stick to your no repeat rule, Mr. Ellis. There isn’t enough room in that self-absorbed head of yours to remember trivial things like the names of girls you’ve fucked.”
Walking briskly to the door, Josie yanked it open and darted into the open air, making her way inside the building. She needed to change her clothes, figure out what dresses to use for Aubrey’s scenes, and get them shipped. But first, she needed a cold shower.
Anders adjusted himself, chuckling when he thought about her feistiness. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman rejected him or ever being so turned on because of said rejection.
In front of the vanity mirror, Anders smiled at his reflection and fixed the few strands of hair that had fallen out of place. His gaze slid to the wall he’d pinned Ivy against and without hesitation he decided to do something he hadn’t done in years. He was going to break his own rule and fuck her again, just to prove he could.
Craig pulled off his glasses, rubbing his tired eyes and sighing as he leaned back in his chair. He wondered how much longer he could handle this job. As much as he loved it, his current project was on track to give him a heart attack. First the casting drama, and now this.
With a resigned sigh, Craig picked up the phone and called Josie. He wanted to have this conversation about as much as he wanted to shove prickly pears in his ass. It only took a couple of rings before she answered. With a deep breath, he recounted his earlier conversation. By the time it was over, he wanted a stiff drink.
“Son of a bitch,” Josie muttered, ending her call with Craig as she paced the length of the room.
“What happened?” Madison asked, reflexively shrinking away from Josie’s angry glare.
“I’m going to kill him.”
“Who?”
“Anders.” The venom in Josie’s voice was deadly.
“What did he do?”
Josie leaned against the wall and slid to the floor.
She wrapped her fingers in her hair and pulled until her eyes stung. Anders Ellis was driving her insane. Since their confrontation in his trailer, he seemed to be everywhere. Like the time she was in the middle of a meeting and he’d waltzed into the room like he owned the place, his face blank and impassive as he crossed the room. It was only when his back faced the others that his expression changed. A devious smile curled his lips as he reached out and shook her hand.
“Josie Bane? I’m Anders Ellis. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.” He swept his thumb over the back of her hand, chuckling when her mouth fell open. Unable to form a coherent sentence, Josie settled for a scathing glare and jerked her hand away.
Offering a wink to accompany his gloating expression, he cleared his throat and wiped his face clean of emotion. He walked to the conference table and lowered himself into a vacant seat. The condescending superiority of his next words made Josie’s blood boil. “Since you failed to show up for our meeting, I thought I would have better luck catching you on your own schedule. I’m nothing if not accommodating.”
Mindful of the other people in the room, Josie offered him a polite smile. When she spoke, her voice was soft and non-confrontational. “Of course.” Fighting arrogance with animosity wouldn’t get her anywhere.
As soon as she called the meeting to a close, Josie wasted no time excusing herself under the pretense of another appointment. She knew Anders had tried to discreetly follow her, but luckily several interns accosted him for autographs before he could escape.
It was the first of many times Josie managed to give him the slip, creating a frustrating game of cat and mouse for Anders. Every time he cornered her, she outmaneuvered him. His latest stunt, though, turned the tables. He’d captured the queen.
“You know how he’s been complaining about his wardrobe? Always finding something wrong with every little thing?”
Madison nodded.
“Well this time he’s taken it a step further. He called one of the executives and requested I be the one to fit his clothes to make sure everything is in order.” Josie pushed off the floor and resumed pacing, her mounting frustration clear. “And the kicker is, I don’t have a choice. Craig agreed.”