I lift my chin in response, letting him know I heard and agree with the move. I’ve worked with Jackie as assistant director a couple of times and she’s good. She should have been in charge from the fucking beginning.
Nicole tugs on my shirt and I look down to see her watching me curiously. “You had the writers cut out all the intimate stuff besides a few kisses?”
I nod firmly. “Your touches, the sweet sounds you make, those are for me alone. I can barely stomach the idea of people getting to see what you look like after you’ve been thoroughly kissed. I only agreed to that much because it will show the world that you’re mine.”
Ty snorts. “And because he knows he’ll never get you to agree to have his name tattooed on your forehead.”
“Shut the fuck up, Tyson,” I growl.
“You think kissing me on screen is going to keep people from gossiping about who I’m dating?” she laughs and shakes her head.
I grasp her cheeks and lift her face up so our eyes are locked. “Maybe not completely. But a ring on your finger and a round little belly should do the trick.”
CHAPTER 8
NICOLE
I stare up at Austin, thinking he can’t possibly be serious about his declaration, but the expression on his face leaves no room for doubt. There isn’t even the tiniest bit of humor in his dark eyes. Instead, they’re lit with an unmistakable determination, and it’s one-hundred percent focused on me. “You really mean it?”
“About putting a ring on your finger and a baby in your belly?” he asks for clarification. I nod hesitantly, unsure if I’m worried that I’m wrong…or right. His lips kick up in a satisfied smirk as one of his hands slides down to my stomach. “I’ve already got a head start on the latter, and I have a plan in place for the former.”
A head start on the...it takes a moment for the meaning to hit me. When it does, Austin has to keep me from falling to the ground because my legs can’t hold me up. I was a virgin a mere twenty-four hours ago, but he’s come inside me a lot since then. Like so much that “a lot” is a major understatement. I’m so full of him, I’m surprised his cum isn’t spilling out of me hours later. I vaguely remember that we’d started to have the birth control conversation but…well crap. “You might’ve gotten me pregnant!”
My low hiss is soft enough that only Austin should’ve been able to hear me, but Tyson’s amused snort lets me know it wasn’t as quiet as I thought. I’m super embarrassed, but I don’t have long to worry about it because one of the production assistants calls out, “Hayes and Callahan, you’re needed on set.”
Austin gives the poor girl the evil eye for interrupting us. I understand his frustration—I mean, we’re talking about the possibility of us making a baby—but the horrible timing isn’t her fault. I flash her an apologetic smile and tug Austin away so he won’t scare her off from a job she probably needs. “C’mon. We’ll finish this discussion after work. I don’t want to be late. It’ll only make me more nervous.”
“Nervous?” Austin echoes, throwing his arm over my shoulder and pulling me close. “Don’t worry, little starlet. Today’s call sheet doesn’t have you in any scenes without me. I’ll be right there beside you every step of the way.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Why do I have the feeling that you had something to do with what’s on the schedule for today?”
“How’d you guess?” His eyes twinkle, and he winks at me. “When Tyson called last night, I asked him to make sure we’d only shoot together today.”
“There he goes, trying to take all the credit when it turned out that they’d already planned to focus on scenes with the both of you,” Tyson mutters from behind us.
“Busted,” I chuckle, enjoying the banter between the two men.
Austin gives me a little squeeze as we near the set. “Of course I am. I’ve got to work at it if I want to impress the most beautiful girl in the world.”
I wrap my arm around his waist. “Don’t be silly.”
“Haven’t you heard? Goofing off on set is my specialty.” I laugh, figuring he’s joking around to get a laugh out of me because he wants me to relax. He’s been so intense since we met that it’s hard to picture him as a jokester. But about an hour later, I realize he’s completely serious when we’re on the fourth take of the first scene we’re shooting and I’m laughing so hard, tears are rolling down my cheeks. Makeup grumbles as they come on set to fix me up…yet again. Then, on the next take, I truly understand what he meant when he pulls a prank on me.
The set-up is that it’s my character’s eighteenth birthday, and Austin’s character has organized our first official date to celebrate. We’ve just finished a romantic dinner for two and he sets a beautifully wrapped present in front of me after the waiter clears our plates.
“This dinner is already such a wonderful surprise. You didn’t need to buy me something, too,” I exclaim, pressing my fingertips to my mouth in a gesture of surprise.
He nudges the gift closer to me with a smile. “I’ve waited much too long to be able to pamper you the way you deserve. Now that I can, I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity, beautiful.”
I offer him a watery smile, happy tears rolling down my cheeks as I carefully unwrap the present. I remind myself to look surprised when I lift the lid off to find the easel, paints, and brushes that have been in there during the last three takes. Only this time, I don’t need to act. My awe is completely spontaneous because a swarm of orange and black butterflies come flying out of the box.
“How? What? Oh, my,” I breathe, my eyes going wide as I track the swirling path of Monarch butterflies.
Austin scoots his chair closer to mine and bends to whisper in my ear, “You like?”
“This is amazing. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.” He throws his arm over the back of my chair and I lean into his side. “I can’t believe you did this for me. Aren’t you worried about getting in trouble for messing around while we’re supposed to be filming?”
“Nah, this is mild compared to some of the stuff Austin has pulled before. He has a reputation as the best prankster around,” the cameraman directly in front of us calls out, his voice filled with laughter. “If it was anyone else he was pranking, it probably would’ve been crickets in there or something else that would freak his co-star out.”
“Crickets?” I shiver a little at the thought of them hopping out of the box instead. Austin gives me a squeeze, but the rest of the crew chuckles at my reaction. I focus on the butterflies to get that image out of my brain. As they flutter towards the ceiling, my head tilts back to keep them in view.
“So beautiful,” an unfamiliar masculine voice says from close behind me. I’m too entranced by the butterflies swirling around to pay much attention to it until a couple of minutes later when I realize Austin has turned to glare at someone. I glance over my shoulder and find a guy around my age staring at me instead of the butterflies. When our eyes meet, he grins at me. I feel Austin’s body tense, and I lower my hand to his thigh and squeeze. Unfortunately, the guy is completely clueless to the danger he’s in so he doesn’t head in the other direction. Or at the very least stop talking. Instead, he adds, “Now I get why Austin had us go to so much effort to get those butterflies. You’re the prettiest woman I’ve ever seen.”
“What.” Austin’s arm drops away.
“The.” He pushes his chair back.
“Fuck.” And stands up.
Each movement punctuates the words he’s spitting out. The lighthearted moment inspired by the butterflies is gone, replaced by a tension so thick it could almost be cut by a knife. Luckily, Tyson isn’t as clueless as the guy—who I’m assuming is one of the production assistants based on what he said about helping with the butterflies—and he yanks him by the back of his shirt. Once the guy tears his attention away from me, Tyson whispers something to him that I can’t hear. But whatever he says must scare the heck out of the guy because all of the color washes out of his face. After a gulped, “Sorry,�
�� he turns and runs from the room.
Austin takes a step forward, like he’s going to go after him, so I jump up and wrap my hands around his waist. I press against his back and nuzzle against him until I feel most of the tension leave his body. Then I circle around to look up at him. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” he captures my lips in a claiming kiss that lets anyone looking on know I belong to him. We receive some good-natured ribbing from the crew, but none of it bothers Austin. He’s just happy to have made his point...although he apparently has plans to drive it further home. “I’m going to need to make another call to the jeweler to light a fire under his ass. I want your ring sooner than he’d originally said he would have it ready.”
If Austin’s goal with the butterflies was to get my mind off any fears about my performance, at least he’s been successful. Between his beautiful gesture, my fear for the dim-witted assistant’s life, and him mentioning an engagement ring again, messing up while we’re filming is the last thing I’m worried about.
CHAPTER 9
AUSTIN
I clench my hand into a fist and glare at Preston. “Don’t ever talk about my grill like that,” I seethe.
Preston’s face breaks into a wide smile. “Never again. I’ve had your steaks before, I would never insult your grill.”
“Cut!” The director yells, her tone completely exasperated. My co-star bursts out laughing and Nicole dissolves into a fit of giggles. I shake my head as I join in their merriment. “Damn. What is it with this line?” It’s the sixth or seventh time I’ve messed up this line of dialogue. “I swear, I’ll get it right this time,” I promise.
Preston snorts, and I glare at him. “Twenty bucks says we have to shoot this scene again tomorrow,” he challenges.
“You’re on.” We shake and I yell, “Take-kick Preston’s ass!”
Nicole is laughing uncontrollably now, and I can’t help staring at her. She is so damn beautiful. I can only imagine the dopey smile on my face, but I don’t give two shits if everyone knows how whipped I am. So long as they know she’s mine. I pull her into my arms and smack a kiss on her lips. “I love you,” I whisper before I think about what I’m saying.
Nicole’s head flies up even as the rest of her body goes totally still. “You what?” she breathes.
I didn’t mean to tell her now, like this. But fuck if I’m going to take it back. Her eyes are searching my face and I nod, my expression serious. “I love you, baby.”
She softens everywhere and melts against me. “I love you, too.”
The words wash over me like a balm to my soul. I grab her hand and start dragging her off set. Ty is standing next to one of the producers just behind the director’s chair. I march over and hold out my hand. “I need a twenty,” I demand.
He frowns at me. “Don’t you pay me? Not the other way around?” I just stand there, hand out until he sighs and digs out his wallet and hands me the money.
My fingers close around it and I turn back towards the set, Nicole’s hand still firmly clasped in mine. Preston had followed behind us, so I toss the bill at him, then spin on my heel and head to my dressing room, yelling over my shoulder, “We’re wrapped for today!”
I don’t bother to wait for anyone’s reaction to my announcement. Once we reach the door with my name on it, I stalk inside and slam it shut and flip the lock before pressing Nicole’s back into it. I cage her in between my arms and press my forehead against hers with my eyes closed.
“Tell me again, baby,” I command.
“I love you.” Her soft declaration lights me up like the fourth of fucking July. Need pulses from my every pore, and I’m right on the edge of losing my control. I almost lose it right here, but I’m sane enough to know that I don’t want anyone hearing her sounds or even thinking about my girl and fucking. So, I lift Nicole into my arms and walk over to the couch against the back wall where I lay her down.
In the blink of an eye, I’ve stripped us both and I’m buried balls deep in her hot, tight pussy. I drag out slowly, sucking in a breath when her walls fight to let me go. “I love you,” I say, punctuating my words with a hard thrust. I repeat it with each plunge as I drive us both spiraling up.
Her body tenses and I know she’s close. I bend my head and take her mouth in a wet, consuming kiss. She sucks my tongue into her mouth and my hips surge forward, releasing a gush of cum. She pulls back and looks straight into my eyes. “I love you so much, Austin.” Then she shatters and I press my hand over her mouth to stifle her cries as I push in twice more before breaking apart along with her. “Fuck!” I shout as I continue to buck my hips in small pulses, not leaving her warmth so nothing leaks out. Just keeping her body shuddering with sensation so her womb stays open as I fill her. Still, despite my efforts to keep every drop inside her, she is so full it spills out between us.
Finally, I’m empty and I collapse on top of her for just a second, before holding her close as I flip to my back. “If you weren’t pregnant already,” I pant, “I’m sure as fuck that I just put my kid inside you.”
Nicole’s head lifts from where she was resting it on my chest, and she looks at me warily. “You really want me to have your baby?” she asks softly. I smile when I see the hope flickering in her eyes.
“Babies,” I correct as I cup her cheek and guide her head back down so I can cuddle her closer.
“Um, just how many babies?”
“We’re going to fill each and every one of our extra bedrooms.”
Nicole pops up, planting her elbows on my chest and making me grunt from the pain, but it turns into a groan at the feeling of her pussy shifting around my cock. He hasn’t exactly gone down since I spent inside her, more like he’s just been re-energizing. As though pulling the thoughts from my head, Nicole raises a single blonde brow. “Seriously? You’re like the dang Energizer Bunny, Austin.” I chuckle and it lightly bounces her on my dick, making her moan.
“Complaining?” I ask smugly.
“No,” she says with a cute little pout. “But I want to finish our conversation before you turn my brain to mush again.”
I open my mouth to respond but she slaps her hand over it and glares at me, making me laugh even harder.
“Back to that bedroom thing. Aren’t there four extra bedrooms in your house?” Her tone is slightly incredulous.
“Our house,” I mumble against her palm.
“Fine, our house,” she snaps. “Four?”
I don’t answer right away, waiting for her to remove her hand. She rolls her eyes and takes it away, then watches me expectantly. “We can always build more,” I tell her cheekily.
Nicole’s jaw drops and I quickly distract her by sealing our lips together. My tongue sweeps in to mate with hers and things start to heat up again. She ends up riding me and then when we get up to get ready, I end up bending her over the couch and taking her once more.
Might as well hedge my bets by stacking the deck.
“You look so beautiful, Fiona,” I praise. I gaze at her with absolute adoration, making her blush prettily. “I am so in love with you, I can barely see straight when you are around.”
Tears well in her eyes and her voice trembles. “Then why haven’t you called off your engagement?”
“You know it’s complicated, baby. Don’t give up on me,” I plead. “You’re the only one I want.” I lift her hand to my mouth and place a soft kiss in the center of her palm before flipping it over and brushing my lips over the back.
If I wasn’t so great at my job, my face would clearly display how much I hate seeing Nicole’s naked ring finger. It has been a month since I slipped her four-carat, cushion cut, engagement ring on her hand three days after we said I love you. She woke up to the sun sparkling on the diamond and gasped before tackling me and making us very late to the set. Not that I had any complaints.
I hated that she would have to remove it for filming, but at least my “proposal” (as if I would really ask) was splashed all over the tabloids so the w
orld knew she was officially mine.
“You tipped them off, didn’t you?” Nicole asked me the next day while we were on a break and relaxing in our trailer. I just grinned and she rolled her eyes before laughing. “You’re such a Neanderthal sometimes.”
I’d stood from where we were snuggling on the couch and scooped her up into my arms. “I am man,” I grunted, making her giggle. “Claim woman.” Then I marched into the back bedroom and did just that.
“Let’s just eat and enjoy the little bit of time we have left,” Nicole says sadly, bringing me back into the moment.
I nod and lift a piece of pastry to her mouth. She smiles sweetly and opens but when she inhales the lemon scent, her face drains of color and she jumps to her feet. “Baby?” I ask, worried by how pale she suddenly looks.
“Cut!” Jackie yells as she stands. “Nicole? Are you all right?”
Nicole slaps a hand over her mouth and bolts off set. I run after her, seeing her dart into our dressing room. I dash in after her but don’t see her anywhere. Then I hear the sound of someone getting sick in the bathroom. I enter and see her on her knees losing the contents of her stomach. I quickly wet a wash cloth, then drop down beside her and lift her hair back, placing the cool rag on her neck.
After a few minutes, she sits back and takes the towel I hand her to wipe her mouth. “Well that was embarrassing,” she groans. “For some reason, lemon turns my stomach lately. Which is weird because I usually love it.”
“You’ve been getting sick and didn’t tell me?” I growl.
“I didn’t think it was a big deal. It’s just a bug. I always feel better after, so maybe I got food poisoning from something with lemon in it?”
“Just lemon?” I clarify as an idea begins to form.
She shrugs and moves to stand. I hastily hop up and help her to her feet. “Well, I felt queasy when they brought me bacon with my breakfast yesterday.” Grabbing a toothbrush, she brushes her teeth and the color returns to her face.
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