“And he agreed to see you?” I demanded, trying like hell to hold my temper.
She nodded quickly. “I am trying to be better. A better... person,” she fumbled, gripping her designer bag to her side. “I need to apologize for bringing that man into our marriage, and for what he did to you.”
I narrowed my eyes, trying with all of my resolve not to think of the man in the cabin.
It was too late.
His filthy smile, he crazy eyes, the blood...
I turned my face to the floor, refusing to let her see me cry.
“You should leave. Now,” Kathy said to Kelsey, and I felt her arm around my shoulders protectively.
“Please,” Kelsey begged, tears thick in her voice. “I already explained to Keaton on the phone. I need to move on with my life, and this is part of my process.”
“I don’t owe you anything,” I hissed, brushing at my own tears with the back of my hand. “Forgiveness is something you give to yourself, not something that the ones that you hurt are obligated to give you. Keaton and I are a family. You are nothing to either of us.”
“Vivian.”
Keaton’s voice sounded from the hall, and the several people that he’d been meeting with in the conference room filed past us uncomfortably.
“What is she doing here?” I demanded.
“Let’s take this into my office,” he suggested curtly.
“No,” I snapped, backing toward Kathy who, apparently, was my only ally. “There is absolutely no reason for her to be here-”
“I gave him the script,” Kelsey burst, tears running freely down her cheeks now. Her shoulders shook with the force of her sobbing. “I gave Derrick a copy of Keaton’s script for Round-Up. He asked for it and I gave it to him. I had no idea that he... what he was planning to do...”
“Inside my office,” Keaton ordered again, this time holding the door open and meeting my eyes firmly. “Vivian.”
“You should be in prison,” I shouted at her, unable to hold back my anger for another minute. “Keaton almost died!”
“I know,” she cried. Her ugly tears could not have been orchestrated, and there was no way that she was acting. There was nothing pretty about the way that she covered her mouth, sobbing, pleading with me with her eyes. “I’m sorry Vivian. I’m sorry. You were pregnant, and what he did to you-”
“It’s over, Kelsey. I don’t blame you,” Keaton said finally, obviously accepting the fact that neither of us were moving into his office. “I blame him. I blame my reaction when I found you with him. The only one who truly had nothing to do with this was Vivian.”
“That’s awfully big of you,” I growled at Keaton, ignoring the fresh wave of tears. “To take responsibility for any part of what that monster did to us. To excuse her behavior, and to believe for one fucking second that she didn’t know that her lover- who you’d beaten within an inch of his life- was planning some kind of revenge? No,” I exhaled tearfully, shaking my head.
“I’ve known you for so long, Keaton,” she cried, turning only to him. “We were too young when we met. You know me. The real me. You know that I wouldn’t hurt you, or anyone,” she pleaded.
“Leave!” I screamed at her tearfully.
“Stop it,” Keaton snapped at me, and I stumbled backward, barely able to catch my breath. His eyes narrowed in my direction, and he shook his head once. “I didn’t agree for her to come here so that I could rip her apart. I let her come here for closure, Vivian. Something we all need.”
I dug for my keys from my purse, shaking my head disgustedly. “And I wasn’t invited. I get that now.”
“Come here.”
His authoritative tone prickled against my stubborn will, and I fought with my emotions.
“Fine.”
I stalked past Kelsey, moving into his office. I could hear her crying, and he turned to the doorway suddenly. “Kelsey, give us five minutes, okay?” he asked.
She nodded before he closed the door.
“I just want to go home to Charlie,” I whispered, stiffening as he wrapped his arms around me.
“My psychiatrist suggested this, V. Letting her apologize and closing the chapter on all of this.”
“Did your psychiatrist suggest that you get drunk, take a bunch of pills, and fuck me for two minutes until you pass out?”
My tongue. I never could hold it, and I wasn’t trying to anymore. So much for my new filter.
I realized at that moment that he brought out the best and the worst in me, all at the same time.
He pulled away, his eyes darkening. “I already told you I was sorry.”
“Then show it! Don’t secretly meet up with your ex-wife at your office! What in the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Obviously you’re not mature enough to understand what needs to happen here,” he snapped, and my jaw fell open.
“Fuck you!” I screamed. “You freaked out when I’d even talk about Matthew, and here you are, meeting up with Kelsey! You’re a hypocrite!”
“This is different. Matthew is married now. Kelsey has no one, and while I feel nothing for her anymore, I’m trying to be a little compassionate-”
“How did you know that he’s married?” I breathed, dropping my hands to my hips. “I never told you that.”
He crossed his arms over his broad chest, and I saw him wince in pain for a fleeting moment. “I heard somewhere.”
I scowled, clenching my fists at my side. “You heard? You liar. You’ve been keeping tabs on him, just like you’ve been watching my every move on your cameras at home. And accusing me of doing- doing God knows what with your own brother! I’m leaving,” I cried, making a break for the door.
“Luke needs to go. He has an apartment, an apartment that I gave him. You can be the one to tell him,” Keaton barked.
I didn’t even recognize his voice. He was someone else, someone that I didn’t know. Some stranger who had walked into my video store, made me laugh for one summer weekend, and had managed to take over my entire life from that moment.
I paused with my hand on the door handle, not turning to him as I spoke. “You know who deserves your compassion? Your brother. Luke, who loves you and looks up to you like no one else in this world. He took care of me, of me and Charlie, for you. Always for you.”
He crossed the room to step behind me, and I froze as his hands gathered my hair and pulled my long, auburn waves to the side.
Even in the heat of probably the worst argument we’d ever had, my stupid vagina practically leapt into his arms.
I cringed, fighting to even my breathing.
“I want you so much that I can’t imagine any other man not wanting you,” he breathed, his words hot against my neck as his mouth barely touched my skin. “It’s making me crazy.”
“You’ve always been crazy,” I argued, trying to steady my breath. “Don’t blame me.”
His hand slipped around my waist, dipping into my jeans. I jerked away from him, turning quickly to back against the door and face him.
His ravenous eyes settled on me, eating me alive, and I couldn’t resist the surge of satisfaction just knowing how much he wanted me.
The base of his palm skidded over my jeans, the heel of his hand pressing mercilessly between my thighs. I closed my eyes, trying like hell to fight the urge to rub against his hand.
I didn’t have to. He applied the slightest amount of delicious pressure, circling his wrist as his mouth fell on mine.
This time, I tasted only Keaton. No alcohol, no smoke, only raw masculinity, and the familiar way that he kissed me left me drowning in sensations that I hadn’t felt for so very long.
“Open your eyes and look at me,” he ordered, applying strong, steady pressure with his torturous hand.
“Keaton,” I breathed, my teary eyes fluttering open as I focused on his view of the Los Angeles skyline. I arched against his hand, searching for his kiss again.
It only took moments for me to come apart, panting softly as he cupped his hand between my l
egs. My knees were weak, and he caught me, locking my face in his other hand as he continued his plunging kisses.
“Don’t argue with me,” he murmured against my mouth.
“We need to communicate better,” I breathed, still engulfed in the waves of pleasure coursing through my body.
“We seem to communicate better when you’re coming,” he noted huskily.
I exhaled a reluctant laugh, dropping my forehead to his chest. “God, Keaton.”
He kissed me again before slamming his flat palm against the door behind me.
“Kelsey!”
I jumped at his deep voice as he spoke firmly through the door.
After an uncomfortable pause, I heard her clear her throat, realizing that she- and Kathy- must have heard us on the other side of the door. “Yes?” she called.
“We forgive you. Go home.”
His mouth crashed to mine again, and I wrapped my arms around him, already lost in his kiss.
Breakdown
K
“Vivian.”
“Hmm?”
“Did you really rearrange my ties? What am I looking at here? Style? Designer? Baby, please, I know where everything is, just leave it be-”
She peeked her head out of the bathroom, hairbrush in hand. I stopped short, leaving the closet behind as my eyes fell over her body.
She was stunning. Black dress, beaded halter, and a slit from her ankle all the way to her hip.
It was a long, long way.
“By color, like your shirts,” she explained, narrowing her eyes my way. “You can never find the tie you’re looking for, so I organized them. You’re welcome, you unappreciative ass.”
I smirked, crossing to her and reaching for her hairbrush. “Call me an ass again,” I murmured, wrapping one arm around her and tapping her perfect little ass with the back of the brush. “Try it.”
She wrinkled her nose, squirming and letting go of a playful yelp. “Keaton! We’re going to be late, and it’s my birthday party. We can’t be late. And I can call you anything I want on my birthday.”
I bent my lips to her neck, and she inhaled sharply as I dropped the slightest, brushing kisses over her bare shoulder. “V?”
She gave a weak little pant in response. “What?”
“Happy birthday.”
I felt her smile against my cheek, and she moaned softly.
“Let’s forget the party. I just want to be alone with you.”
I sighed, backing away to catch the truth in her eyes before she could look down.
Alcohol. I could feel the burden in her tone, the angst as she pleaded with me silently.
I narrowed my eyes. “I won’t drink.”
She shrugged, reaching for a long lock of auburn hair. “I didn’t say anything about you drinking.”
“You didn’t have to. You’re afraid I’m going to drink too much tonight.”
“I just want to be alone with you,” she corrected, lifting her pleading eyes to mine. I pinched her nose, and she ground her teeth in annoyance. “Ugh, don’t do that! You know I hate it!”
“You love it.”
She rolled her eyes, dropping her forehead to my chest. “I love you.”
My shoulder ached, but I lifted her up and against me anyway, determined to deal with the pain as I caught her lips in mine.
It’d been almost two months since that night in my office with Vivian and Kelsey, everything in our lives seemed to finally come together.
I’d cut back on my drinking, determined to be the man that Vivian deserved. As though Luke could see the shift in dynamics in our home, he voluntarily stayed at his apartment more often. He became a key player at the studio, working closely with Max as we prepared to start filming, and when I suggested promoting him to the title ‘assistant director,’ he’d nearly teared up.
“You think I’m good enough?” he asked me.
I gave him a half hug, reaching up the inch and a half that he had on me to ruffle his hair. “I wouldn’t trust this to anyone but you.”
Frank looked on, pleased as fucking punch, and Max eyed the script one last time. “Beauty and the Beast?” he had asked me. “We’re sure about leaving the title? We’ve got some big shoes to fill.”
“We’re leaving it, Max. It’s going to be dark, and sexy, and true to the story. That is what people want to see,” I’d replied firmly.
Hollywood had been buzzing with news on the filming, and a collective squeal was heard across the country when my role as the Beast, and Vivian’s as Belle, was officially announced.
The press during Round-Up was nothing compared to what we were experiencing now. The first time that a photographer had gotten in my daughter’s face, I’d punched him so hard that he ended up being taken away in an ambulance.
I fully expected to be labeled an asshole by the tabloids, but instead, photos of me protecting Vivian and Charlie circulated like mad with headlines like “Thane is a Sexy Beast” and “Don’t Anger the Beast.”
“I don’t want to be away from Charlie.”
I locked her in my arms, looking down at her firmly. “Charlie is fine. Between my mom and your mom, Charlie won’t have pee in her diaper for more than thirty seconds.”
She giggled, wincing. “But she wants me at night, and I-”
“And you can sneak away from the party for ten minutes to rock her to sleep. We already talked about this.”
She had practically tied her hair into a knot, and I reached to move her fingers away from the lock in her hand. “There will be strangers here. People that I don’t know. In my house.”
“You wanted to have your party here, and I have more security than the White House at this point. I’m pretty sure Luke took a sword from the set. We’re good.”
She laughed, stepping out of my arms to turn in a small circle. She raised her hands over her head, watching me the entire time she moved. “Do I look okay? Can you tell I lost eight pounds?”
I knew exactly what she was doing.
Instead of chastising her for distracting me, calling off the party, and taking her to bed, I did the next best thing.
I dropped to my knees, parting that goddamn slit and pressing my mouth to her thigh.
“Hold still, kiddo.”
“Keaton,” she breathed, trying to thread her fingers in my hair and keep her balance.
I slid my hands up her leg, not stopping at the tiny lace of her thong. “Happy birthday, V,” I hushed, running my fingertip along the edge of the string. Her blue eyes watered, glazing over with the lust that I knew that she reserved only for me. “You wore this on purpose. If you didn’t want me to be down here, you would have worn those underwear your Gram sent you.”
She laughed again, the musical sound forcing a grin to my own lips.
“Don’t forget the twenty-three dollars, all in singles,” she teased.
I drew my finger along the length of her leg, and she tightened her hold on my hair.
“Give me the singles. I want another sexy dance.” I remembered the night at the hotel, after Luke’s wedding, and she groaned.
“Shut up,” she cried, pushing me playfully. “I was so loaded.”
“So was I. And now, I want to see you dance for real. Sober.”
“I’m not doing a strip-tease for you right now. If you’re making me go, then we have to go now.”
“Fine. But pick a song for later.”
“What?”
She gasped as I slid my hand up the inside of her leg suddenly, thrusting one finger deep inside. She was so wet, and I grinned, pleased to know that I had done that to her.
“So I can think about it. Pick a song to strip to. After the party.”
Her hips ground against my hand, and I teased her, moving my mouth back to her leg.
“Stop...”
“Now, or I’m bending you over that ottoman and we’ll be very, very late.”
I could tell that my threat was tempting. She cried out sharply as I curved my fingers inside of h
er.
“Keaton!”
“Vivian.”
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star,” she breathed, and I caught her from falling just in time.
I chuckled, settling her back on her feet and shaking my head. “Really?”
She nodded, her heavy-lidded gaze both tortured and tempted. “Just take me to bed,” she demanded.
My phone rang, and I groaned, retrieving it from my back pocket. “It’s Luke.” I declined the call, turning her around to reach for the zipper on her gown.
“No, come on, he’s probably calling because the guests are arriving. Keaton, let’s go.”
I sighed dramatically. “Fine. Fix your dress, V. You look like you just rolled out of the backseat of a Ferrari.”
She shook her head at me exasperatedly, smoothing her gown and heading for the door.
. . .
Several guests had already arrived, and the DJ that I’d hired spun a fun mix of party songs as I gripped Vivian’s hand at the top of the stairs.
“What should I do?” she whispered, pressing against my side.
I knew that she was asking how she should make her entrance. Her constant wavering between wide-eyed, small town girl and confident movie star fueled my natural need for her, and I almost regretted not keeping her locked away upstairs.
“You should kiss me all night. You should never be out of my sight, not even for a few minutes. And you should dance with me,” I hushed, tipping her chin up to meet my lips in a soft kiss.
She gave me a fleeting smile, nodding. “Okay.”
I nipped at her lip, and she grinned wider. “Okay? Say okay... one more time,” I urged.
“There she is! The birthday girl!”
Robin’s excited voice drew everyone’s attention, and I held Vivian’s hand tighter, leading her down the grand staircase.
“It’s all you, beauty,” I whispered.
She stiffened, and her brows pulled together my way. “Please don’t call me that,” she murmured.
I realized what I’d said, and I nodded curtly, continuing down the stairs.
I hadn’t thought about Fowler in a while, and for some goddamn compulsive, possessive reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about him now.
I knew he was married, but I also knew that his new wife wasn’t even half as beautiful as Vivian. Though I knew that there were less shallow people in the world than myself, I also knew with absolute certainty that he’d leave his wife in a heartbeat for the chance to be with Vivian again.
Beyond Hereafter (The Movie Trilogy Book 3) Page 5