Thankfully, her anxiety was put to rest by Wednesday morning, when she stood in line for breakfast and felt a sudden tap on her shoulder.
She turned around, expecting to see Sally or Julio, or Marlow and Liz from makeup, the usual people she sat with over lunch, but instead she was greeted by Rico’s smiling, gorgeous features.
“Hey there,” he grinned.
“Hey!” Ashleigh exclaimed, really surprised to see him and suddenly feeling a rush of nerves as she remembered her fears about him avoiding her.
“We seem to keep missing each other at breakfast and lunch,” he remarked.
“Yes, we do,” she agreed.
“I normally swing by really early, get mine before anyone else joins the line. Either that or I wait till everyone’s gone, but then all the best food is gone too.” He winked at her.
“Ah, so that’s the trick, is it? I’ll remember that for lunch.”
“Speaking of eating,” Rico continued with a sparkle in his eyes. “I was wondering whether you’d like to go for dinner again sometime soon?”
Ashleigh’s heart felt like it was in her throat. She swallowed it down and excitedly nodded, hoping no one else in the line was listening in on this conversation, once again wondering whether it would be considered inappropriate for her and Rico to be seeing each other outside of work like this.
“That would be great, yeah. I’ll pay this time.”
He tutted and shook his head. “Don’t be silly.”
“I mean it. I’m gonna start feeling bad if you take me out and pay for dinner all the time.”
Rico sighed and twisted his lips a little as he thought about it. “Well…if it would make you feel better, I suppose I could let you share the check this time…but I’m not going to let you pay for the whole thing yourself. Consider it a compromise, and the best I can do.”
She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Fiiiine. I’ll take the compromise.”
He chuckled. “Great. How about tonight then?”
“Tonight?” She was surprised he wanted to do it again so soon, but obviously took it as a massive compliment. She had been overthinking this after all. Thank goodness. This was great news – the best! She internally squealed, and then nodded, externally keeping her composure. “Sure, tonight sounds perfect.”
They moved along the line a bit, shuffling closer to the front, and Rico turned the conversation to asking how her day had been yesterday, the two of them making idle small talk about the shoot.
Once Rico had his food, he said a polite goodbye to Ashleigh in front of everyone else and made his way to his trailer. She wondered whether he was making a show of things on purpose in order to throw of any kind of suspicion that something was going on between them, and she did feel a little put out that he wasn’t coming to sit on the dining bus with everyone else but she did understand, in a way. Some of the supporting actors and background artists could easily get star-struck, and she’d already heard stories about people coming up to him on sets and bothering him, asking for photographs and autographs when he was trying to work. Rico was the kind of actor that liked to get immersed in his part. He spent a lot of time studying and getting into character, and for that he needed space.
She sat with her usual friends over breakfast, but Ashleigh was distracted, already thinking about dinner that evening and looking forward to getting to know Rico better.
Once she’d finished eating, she took her plate back to the catering bus and grabbed herself a coffee. She was just crossing the courtyard to get back inside the main studio building when she saw Francis Romero appearing out the door she was heading towards. She kept her head down, a little, uncertain of him after their first encounter the other night, but she knew their paths would invariably cross and, sure enough, Francis recognized and remembered her.
“Ah, it’s Ashleigh, isn’t it?” He stopped her as she walked, placing one hand on her forearm briefly before letting go.
She looked up and smiled at him, actually rather surprised and pleased that he’d remembered her name. “Yes.”
“You’re just the person I wanted to speak to…”
That also was surprising. Why on earth would Francis want to speak with her, just a lowly runner?
“May I have a moment of your time? Alone?”
Vaguely worried that she might be in trouble for something, she nodded in agreement, then he turned on his heel and led her back inside the studio the way he’d just come out of. Down the corridor they went, neither of them speaking, Francis striding along importantly with a swagger in his walk.
He took her in one of the spare office rooms and closed the door behind them.
Suddenly, she didn’t exactly feel very comfortable being alone with him, but she didn’t say anything. This wouldn’t take very long, whatever it was.
“When I saw you the other night,” he began with a smile, looking into her eyes. “I have to admit, I was enchanted…”
Now, the creepy feeling was intensifying. She was starting to think Francis had some sort of crush on her, which was unnerving to say the least. He was twenty years her senior and, although she didn’t mind age gaps in theory, he wasn’t exactly the most attractive older gentleman either, especially when compared to the beauty and grace that Rico exuded by the bucket-load.
“I want to get to know you better,” he continued. “Are you available this evening?”
Oh God. She began to internally panic. What did getting to know her better even entail? It all sounded rather dodgy and weird. Besides, she already had plans to go to dinner with Rico that evening, and although she might have been able to squeeze in time to spend half an hour or so with Francis, she didn’t particularly want to.
“Actually, I’m uh…I’m really kind of busy this evening,” she mumbled, stumbling over her words a bit in her nervousness. Francis was an imposing, intimidating figure, made more so by the great power he so clearly wielded in Hollywood. It wouldn’t be a wise move to annoy him if she wanted to make gains in her career. “I’ve kind of already got plans.”
He frowned and looked deeply disappointed, so much so that she even felt a little sorry for him. “Hmm, that is unfortunate,” he sighed. “We’ll have to make plans for another time then.”
He wasn’t exactly leaving her with much choice. It sounded more like a demand than an option.
“Yeah, I’m sure we can do that,” she nodded vaguely, not suggesting a particular day or time.
He smiled and reached out to pat her on the arm. “That would be wonderful. You really do have so much potential. I can see it.” He turned and opened the door. “Well, I’d better get back to work. See you very soon, Ashleigh.”
And with that, he walked out, leaving her clutching her cup of coffee with a feeling of dread, trying to shake it off and put the positive thoughts of later that evening in her mind instead.
Chapter Eleven
The evening with Rico went amazingly well again. They went to a small Italian place. It wasn’t as posh or as fancy as the first one, but she suspected Rico was trying to make it cheaper on her as they’d agreed they would be sharing the cost. He got recognized by a couple of people who asked for his autograph, but they were very polite about it and so was he. He didn’t seem to mind. It was Ashleigh who was more self-conscious than anything, wondering whether people would talk about the fact that they were seen together, and that Rico had a mysterious new lady in his life.
Over dinner, they expanded their conversation from movies to books and music, finding that they still had a few things in common even when it came to such varied topics. She felt herself becoming more and more besotted and fascinated by him.
“I’ve got some news for you,” he announced over dessert.
“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow.
“I had a talk with the production office today, and they agreed we need a runner on set. It will just be small things like making cups of coffee for the actors from the machine, holding onto costumes when they’re not being used
, fetching things when they’re required, putting tape down to mark places on the set floor, stuff like that. We could always use an extra pair of hands.”
“So, I’ll get to see some of the filming?”
“Yes, you will. It’s what you want, right?”
“Of course it is, thank you!”
“There’ll still be admin work to do in the offices, of course, so you probably won’t be able to stay on set all day but…”
“No, no, that’s fine, I understand. I just want to get as much of an overall experience of the whole workings of a film set as I can.”
“And this is definitely the best way,” Rico nodded. “Come on. Let’s pay the check and get out of here. I want to take you for a ride on the bike.”
“Yeah? Sounds like fun.”
And it was.
Rico took her on her own personalized tour of LA on the motorbike, and although he couldn’t speak to her while they were driving, she still got a chance to take in all the sights of the city as they zipped in and out of the traffic, hardly having to stop except for the lights.
They rode for about forty-five minutes, before he finally pulled off the main road and found somewhere to park.
They ended up at the beach, but not the one that was near her hotel. This was the famous Venice Beach, and she recognized it immediately, even in the darkness.
She dismounted the bike, shaking off her legs to stretch them a bit before removing her helmet and handing it to Rico, grinning at him.
“Why are we here?” she asked, not because she wasn’t grateful, but out of excitement and eagerness.
A smile played on Rico’s lips and he offered her his hand. “I thought we could take a walk along the beach. I’m guessing you’ve never been here. It’s a little way out of where you’re staying.”
“I haven’t,” she admitted, taking his hand and beginning to walk at his side, thrilled at the idea. “But I’ve heard so much about it.”
“Yep. The famous Venice Beach. It’s much better at night. Not as busy. And even more beautiful.”
They made their way onto the beach itself and towards the water’s edge, the ocean lapping gently on the shore but not quite reaching their feet.
The pair of them walked in silence for a while, just looking out at the sea and the glittering lights of Los Angeles. It truly was beautiful, and no words were needed.
A couple of times, she glanced across at Rico and caught him looking at her at the same time.
Then it happened again, and again.
Was she imagining things? It felt like he was literally staring at her, almost with an expression of awe. Even when she was looking in the other direction she could feel his eyes boring into her.
Surely, she was just imagining this…
But then he stopped walking, and she felt him tugging on her arm a bit.
“Ashleigh,” he was saying her name with a smile.
She stopped walking too, and turned to look at him in a daze.
He let go of her hand, lifting his own up to her cheek and cupping it gently as he gazed into her eyes.
This time, she knew it wasn’t going to be a simple peck on the cheek though, but the setting couldn’t have been more perfect for their first kiss.
He smiled, then leaned down to close the gap between them and Ashleigh closed her eyes, standing on tip toes slightly and leaning up to meet his lips with her own.
Her hands lifted up and went to his waist, holding him lightly, and she tilted her head slightly to one side as she parted her lips to receive the kiss.
Rico let out a soft noise and deepened their kiss straight away. He slid one hand around her body and kept the other on her cheek, sucking on her bottom lip slightly.
Deep down in her heart, Ashleigh knew that Rico didn’t exactly have the best reputation in the world when it came to women. He’d pick them up, see them for a while, then drop them again, and was known more for short flings and one-night stands rather than serious relationships. He’d always said in interviews that he wasn’t ready to settle down yet, and that was fine. Ashleigh had told her friends (and herself) the same thing, even though a part of her would secretly love to find that one special someone she could spend the rest of her life with. Realistically, she knew that wasn’t going to be Rico, but she certainly wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to kiss (and potentially do more with) one of the most handsome men in show business. He was sweet and charming too, which made it even more tempting, although she had to keep reminding herself not to actually fall for him. This was just a fling, she repeated silently in her mind, even as his tongue slid into her mouth and began to roll over hers.
She responded immediately and gave a little whimper of pleasure.
His lips were soft, but firm and in control, and he tasted good. Sweet, with a hint of that chocolate dessert they’d had at the restaurant. And his smell, now that she was up close to him; it was almost intoxicating, making her physically weak and giddy as she practically melted in his arms.
It had been quite a while since her last kiss, but it had been a long time since anyone had kissed her like this, if ever.
She wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but by the time they pulled away from each other, she felt dizzy, and her eyes were half-closed in bliss.
He took both her hands in his and stared at her intensely. “Will you…will you come back to my hotel with me tonight?”
Ashleigh might have been young at just twenty-two, but she wasn’t an idiot. She knew what it meant when a handsome Hollywood star you’d just been kissing invited you back to his hotel room. It wasn’t just going to be for coffee and cake.
Still, she nodded breathlessly. She wanted it.
“Come on, let’s go,” he murmured softly, keeping hold of one of her hands and leading her back to the bike.
Twenty minutes later, they were strolling through the lobby of Rico’s hotel towards the elevator, arm in arm.
It was at least three stars better than Ashleigh’s place and extremely exclusive, but she wasn’t really paying too much attention to the décor; she was far too wrapped up in Rico as the two of them hurried into the elevator. He pressed the button for the fifth floor and then placed both his hands on her waist and pulled her close.
“You…are so gorgeous,” he smiled and looked down into her eyes.
“Pff. Says you.”
“Come here.”
“I am here. Couldn’t get much closer.”
“Shush.” He leaned down and pushed his lips to hers, and they kissed until the doors pinged open on the fifth floor.
He grabbed her hand and tugged her along the corridor to his room, quickly unlocking the door and pulling her inside, crashing his lips to hers again as soon as they were safely alone.
He pushed her against the wall, and she was slightly taken aback –and incredibly turned on– by how in control and dominant he was. It was hot, and she had no complaints.
He pinned her hands back a moment while they kissed, then let them go so he could start undressing himself, shrugging off his leather jacket and dropping it to the floor behind him, then working on his tie and shirt buttons.
Once she realized he was doing that, she began to join in, fumbling at his bottom buttons to help him, then moving to his pants, unbuckling the belt.
By that time, his shirt was undone and he shrugged it off, his toned, muscular arms reaching behind her to undo the clasp and zipper on the back of her dress. She ducked her head down a bit to assist, and also so she could keep her eyes on what she was doing.
She couldn’t help but check out his chest and upper body at the same time and, she wasn’t disappointed. Just as she thought, he was toned and perfect, his olive-colored skin delicious and gorgeous in the dimly lit atmosphere of his large hotel room.
Suddenly she felt a coolness on her back as Rico managed to undo her dress and push it off her shoulders. She wriggled them a little to help and then shrugged her arms out, the dress dropping to the floor and leaving her
standing there in just her bra and underwear. She definitely felt exposed and slightly self-conscious, but then Rico’s lips were on her neck, kissing her most sensitive sweet spot, and she melted against him again, her body going weak in his arms as they wrapped around her.
She whimpered and felt him take her by the hand, breaking off to lead her over to the bed, leaving their clothes in a pile by the door where they’d stripped, both of them clearly too eager and excited to make it to the bed in the first place.
Once they were over there, he let go of her and sat down, smiling up at her.
“You’re gorgeous,” he reiterated, making her blush, her arms naturally going to cover herself slightly.
After Rico had taken off his pants, Ashleigh bit her lip and checked out his legs. They were firm and muscular, and a little hairy. Again, perfect, just like everything else about him.
“Come on… come over here.” He smiled and held out his hand, both of them naked now except for their underpants – and her bra.
She took his outstretched hand as he pulled her to the bed, sitting down next to him on it. He twisted around and leaned in for a kiss, throwing one leg over her straight away and then placing his hands on her shoulders, pushing her backwards, once again asserting his dominance.
She whimpered in surprise and pleasure, her legs automatically lifting up in the air and wrapping around his waist as if they were already making love.
She felt his bulge pressing into her crotch and realized he was already quite hard down there.
It forced out of her another involuntary moan, and Rico responded by running his hands up and down her body, his fingertips dancing over her bare skin and making her shiver while he kissed her deeply.
PRIZE: An MMA Fighter Secret Baby Romance Page 40