One-Click Buy: April Harlequin Blaze

by Kathleen O'Reilly

  The women all nodded agreement.

  “Here’s Doctor Nite,” Jillian said, motioning toward him. “What do you think of his message to men to stay single?”

  The women turned and booed him.

  “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.” He raised his hands in mock surrender. “You don’t want a guy who’s not interested, right? In the meantime, ladies, I’m here to dry your tears.”

  Brody tapped his beer against the blonde’s wineglass and she couldn’t help but smile. Before long, the women were joking with Brody, taken in like everyone else.

  In a bit, Brody signaled to Jillian that he was ready to leave and they headed out of the bar toward their van.

  “You still pissed at me?” he asked as they stepped into the cool night air. “For a while I thought your posse was going to break beer bottles over my head.”

  “No way. They melted. Doctor Nite charmed them as usual.”

  “Yeah. I get sick of that guy.” He sounded disgusted.

  “Really?”

  “Nah. I’m just messin’ with you.” He tried to laugh, then grabbed her camera bag to carry it to the back of the van. But he’d meant what he said. She stood and stared at him.

  He caught her looking. “Let’s go. Forget it. It’s been a long night and too many people bought me beers.”

  But she had to know more. Brody had all but confessed what she hoped was true—that Doctor Nite’s life made him miserable.

  They made small talk on the way to the hotel and in the elevator Brody caught a call from Eve, who wanted to be sure the evening’s shoot had gone okay without her. When the elevator opened on their floor, he was ready to barrel down the hall away from her. She had to catch his arm to stop him. “How about a nightcap?” she said, flustered, but anxious to get deeper with him. “We can unwind, look over the footage or just…talk.”

  “You want to talk?” he said, arching an eyebrow. After what happened last night? was the unspoken question.

  “I’m too wound up to sleep. How about you?”

  He smiled, intrigued despite his reluctance.

  “Come on, then.” She waved him toward her room, then let him in, nervous as she fetched a scotch for him and a Grand Marnier for herself from the minibar.

  “I’ll get ice,” he said, picking up the ice bucket.

  As soon as he was gone, she set up her camera in case she could use something Brody said to her. She shifted the nightstand lamp closer to the one on the table and set both on their highest setting to maximize the light. Then she placed a chair where she wanted Brody, setting a glass and the whiskey bottle there to cue him where to sit.

  Brody returned, smiling when he saw her standing at the table. “So you’re serious about this talk, huh? The table instead of the bed?”

  “This seems better,” she said, scooping ice into their glasses. The sound seemed loud in the night-quiet of the room. She twisted off the lid on the scotch.

  “Just a hair,” Brody said, holding his hand partway over his glass. She’d noticed he actually limited his alcohol intake, only pretending to keep pace with his fans at the bars.

  She poured half the scotch and all of the Grand Marnier into the glasses, the silky liquids slipping silently over the ice.

  They sat down facing each other.

  “Cheers.” Brody held her gaze for a moment before taking a sip, then putting down the glass. She was aware of his cologne, the clink of the ice, the privacy of the room.

  “Cheers,” she said back.

  They watched each other in a silence that was suddenly awkward. She didn’t know where to start and Brody seemed to have something on his mind he didn’t really want to talk about.

  “So, Kirk called me…” he said, clearly avoiding what was on his mind. He explained about Kirk’s threatening phone call and the investigator who would be contacting Brody.

  “So this is a big deal, then?”

  “Seems to be, yeah.” Silence settled between them again.

  Abruptly, Brody leaned closer. “Are you okay with us? I know I offended you six ways from Sunday, but I didn’t mean to.”

  “I’m fine. Really.”

  “I would love more time with you, Jillian.” She loved the way he said her name, low and slow, using all three syllables.

  “No. I got testy. It’s because I don’t do this kind of thing very often.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “Please. You have women sneaking into your room every night, you told me yourself.”

  “Not in a while.” He evidently read the doubt in her face. “You think you’ve got me figured out, but you don’t.”

  “Correct me, then,” she said softly, caught off guard, realizing her camera had been a mistake. This conversation would be too personal. She would delete this afterward, along with the foot massage clip, which she hadn’t taken care of yet.

  “You were right. It gets to be overkill and you end up going through the motions.” He sighed. “I mean, face it, these women aren’t sleeping with me. They’re after Doctor Nite. And Doctor Nite gets old, believe me.” He steadied his gaze on her. “You are way too easy to talk to, you know that?”

  She held her breath, not saying a word, letting him talk.

  His smile was so sad. “After a while, it’s just too many parties, too many bars, too much booze, too many strangers who want to be my best friend.”

  His words were perfect for her movie. Perfect. But she couldn’t use them. He was speaking from the heart to her alone. “I’ve noticed you seem weary,” she said. “Kind of lost.”

  “I am, I guess.” He swallowed, as if there were more he wanted to say. “The thing is…” His eyes traced her features. He smoothed her hair, one side, then the other. “I feel good with you. You’re different from the women I know. I like being with you, but I might be hiding out, you know? I’m not in shape to be with anyone right now. And that’s not bullshit, okay?”

  “I understand,” she said, startled by the pain in Brody’s eyes. He was so different now, so real and open and human.

  Except, he suddenly seemed to regret what he’d said and gather himself. He slapped his palms on the table as if at the end of a meeting. “So it’s late and you’re too good a listener.” He smiled softly. “Thank you, Jillian.”

  “You’re very welcome, Brody.”

  “I should go.” Then he stopped. “Unless…how about if I give you another interview. I think I can ad-lib something—say, Doctor Nite’s Top Dating Tips? You could contrast it with all that bitching the bar girls were doing about men.”

  “You want me to interview you? Now?” Watching him become Doctor Nite again before her eyes was like being dragged awake from a great dream, but this was what she was after. “Okay. Sure.” In a haze, she moved her camera to its tripod, checked the card memory, brought out a fill spot, and in a few seconds she was set to shoot.

  “Okay,” Brody said, “Doctor Nite’s Top Ten Tips for Dating. This is guys-only, ladies, so go powder your noses for a tick.”

  He pretended to lean forward. “Listen up. Write these down. Tip Number Ten…don’t call it a date. You make it official and she’ll drag out The Rules—three dates before you screw, must call the next a.m., all that BS. Ask her to catch a flick, grab a beer, get a meal. Never take her on a date.”

  He held up nine fingers. “Nine…keep her guessing. Get predictable and you’re dead. Change up the nights you go out and when you call. Resist habit. In her heart, she doesn’t want a routine, either.” He shifted, working the angle perfectly.

  “Next, Number Eight…give her a plausible story for why you have to stay single. Workaholism, a bad breakup, elderly parents who need you, your therapist says you’re a hazard to women, whatever. Give her an it’s-not-you-it’s-me rationale for when her girlfriends start nagging her to pin you down.”

  As he retreated deeper into his Doctor Nite role, Jillian realized she felt relief. The tender, troubled man who’d looked at her across the table was entirely too a
ppealing.

  “Seven…” Brody continued, getting into it now, “if you’re stupid enough to say you’ll call, for God’s sake, call. Women treat those words like an oath of office. If you don’t want to see her again, be so dull she’ll beg to hang up. Talk about your athlete’s foot, all the pets you had from birth or your fave video game. And never, never dangle another get-together unless you mean it. That way lies madness, my friend.” He winked.

  “Six…spend money. Even women who make more than you want that. It proves you’re an adult, not some girlie man who cries at Julia Roberts movies. Besides, with women, we always pay, don’t we?”

  Ouch. But this was just what she needed. He’d volunteered the Ten Commandments for Peter Pan Boys, which hit her theme head-on. She should be thrilled, but she felt strangely disappointed in him.

  “Five…appearances count. Don’t let women tell you they don’t care what you look like. Check her out—she’s bleached her teeth, shaved herself in special ways, done her nails, bought a dress. How you look counts with her, believe me.” He raised a hand as if swearing to the truth.

  “And if you’ve ever worn a pair of sweats into a restaurant, boyo, get female help with your wardrobe. Accessories are key. Save dough on Kmart pants, if you must, but break the bank on shoes, belts and a watch. Women know.

  “Subset of that is the car. It’s like whipping it out, men. Rent or borrow if you have to, but do not show up in a Focus, unless it’s nitro’d out and has a sound system that makes you bleed from the ears. It’s all about your genitals, man. The boys make the man and the car makes the boys.”

  He laughed, and something flickered in his face for a second. That weary look again. He seemed to catch himself and continued in his smart-ass voice.

  “Four…listen more than you talk. This will blow her mind. Cosmo and her mom have taught her it’s all about the guy’s ego. When you don’t blab on about yourself, she’ll be awed. Good Listener Geek gets laid ten times more then Garden Variety Geek.

  “Three…use what you learn. When she tells you she loves spring flowers or Barenaked Ladies, she’s giving you ammo, man. Swing by the drugstore on your way over and snag some daisies or a CD. Be casual. No big deal. You’re just a thoughtful guy. She’ll be so weak in the knees you’ll have to carry her to the door…and help her out of her clothes, while you’re at it.”

  Again he paused, looked away, then seemed to struggle onward. “Two…she calls the shots on Go Time. Seriously, man. Walk her to the door, tell her you had a nice time, act like you’re leaving, but keep condoms in your wallet and a Tic Tac in your mouth, bro. Because if she thinks you can take it or leave it, you’ll get it, I guarantee.”

  “And the number one tip…?” He paused, took a breath. “Number one…” He looked straight at Jillian and his expression changed completely. His eyes blazed with heat and when he spoke, the showman’s tone was gone. “Don’t listen to another word from Doctor Nite. Turn off the TV right now and find yourself a woman you want to spend time with. One who keeps you guessing.”

  He was looking at her, not letting go, talking to her behind the camera. “Someone smart, who makes you laugh, whose smile lights your world. Find someone who believes in you, someone you want to be proud of you. Then make her proud.”

  “Brody?” she said, moving away from the camera to stare.

  “I’m quitting the show,” he said softly. “I’m done with Doctor Nite, Jillian.”

  “You are?” she said. “You’re…done?”

  “Turn off the camera.” He pushed to his feet and walked toward her, holding her gaze as he strode closer, his hunger for her taking over his expression, making her melt.

  She turned off the camera, her heart pounding.

  “I don’t know why I told you that,” he said. “I don’t know why I’m here, either. I’m just glad I am.” He cupped her face, his dark eyes huge, his face raw with emotion. “I don’t want to figure out what it means. I just don’t want to fight it anymore. What about you? Are you in?”

  Her heart turned over in her chest. “Yes,” she whispered, not hesitating. “I’m in.”

  11

  THEY STUMBLED TO THE BED, pulling at each other’s clothes, desperate like before. Except this was different, Jillian knew. This would change everything. She could tell by the way Brody looked at her, how he touched her and how her whole body seemed electrified by the brush of his skin, his lips, his gaze.

  This wasn’t finishing what they started or getting it out of their system or even that ludicrous thing she’d said before, releasing tension. This was not Brody’s intimate handshake, either. This was different for him, too.

  She refused to consider the consequences. She’d had enough of consequences. Instead, she grabbed the remaining fruit-flavored condoms from where she’d placed them in her nightstand, as if she’d known all along she would need them.

  This time when Brody kissed her body, he seemed to take possession of each part—her mouth, her throat, her breasts. He held her with his eyes, fully hers, while his body moved over hers, lowered and entered her. Diving deep, scooping into her, he seemed to take her and give himself at the same time.

  She lifted her hips, welcoming every inch, taking and giving, too. She’d never felt this way before, been so consumed by desire, so sure this was where she belonged.

  She closed her eyes, focused on the wonder of the way their bodies fit, the smoothness of Brody’s skin, his deep groan of pleasure, his power and grace, the way her own body tightened, reaching for the climax she knew would arrive as effortlessly as the first one had. And the second. And third.

  There. She was off, riding through space and time, holding on to Brody, feeling connected to him somewhere deep, their differences gone completely.

  “Jillian,” he breathed and surged inside her body, holding her, too. His heart pounded so hard against her own she got their beats confused. He kissed her hair, breathing hard and fast. She buried her face in his neck, feeling so close to him, feeling like part of him.

  Gradually, gradually, they settled down, calmed. Brody looked down at her, smiling softly.

  Somewhere she was still holding her breath. Could this be real? She knew not to hope too much. Maybe it was just good sex between two people in the right mood at the right moment.

  No, her heart cried, this is more. She didn’t buy that nonsense about finding a soul mate. You counted on yourself and maybe worked something out with a compatible person. But her heart remained stubborn. This is big.

  Or maybe she was as much a fool as her mother had been.

  “I knew you were trouble the minute I met you,” Brody said with a soft smile. “I just didn’t know how much.”

  “Sorry,” she said, managing a quiet laugh.

  “You’re the only person I’ve told about leaving the show.”

  “Brody…” She was so touched she didn’t know how to put it in words. “I’m honored that you would trust me.” Now she knew what the weary, empty-eyed look had been about.

  “I think I told you because I’m starting to have doubts. I mean, my life is good. Why quit? Maybe I should ride this train to the end of the line.”

  “You have to trust your instincts,” she said.

  “Maybe I just need a break. Maybe it’s just burnout. The devil you know, right? The network will go nuts. I’d be throwing away tons of money. My friends won’t get it at all.”

  “You need to feel passion again, Brody.” She held his troubled gaze, willing him to truly hear her. “You pretend you took the easy road, that you slept your way to the top, but you push. I see you. You’re ambitious and determined and smart and you have good instincts. That’s what got you here. Use those traits to take the next step.”

  “You don’t really know me, Jillian.” He stroked her hair.

  “You forget I’ve studied you through my camera for days now.”

  “And you see more clearly through the lens. Yeah.”

  She liked that he remembered every
thing she said. She’d never been with a man who paid so much attention. On the other hand, she’d never allowed anyone to get that close. Or wanted to.

  “I don’t have to tell you to keep this to yourself, do I? If it gets out, it’s trouble. I hinted to Eve I was bored and she flipped right out. That’s why she’s always watching me, keeping me busy, overdoing everything.”

  “I wondered what was going on.”

  “Before I tell the network, I’m going to try to hook Eve and Kirk and the crew with new projects.”

  “That’s nice of you to look out for them.”

  “They shouldn’t suffer because I can’t do this anymore.” Brody was a loyal person with a big heart. She’d clearly underestimated him. She was used to being surprised by the true story when she worked on a movie, but this shook her up in ways she wasn’t ready to examine.

  “You inspired me, you know,” he said. “When you talked about your work. You’re so sure. No shortcuts, no compromises. I want to feel that way, too.”

  “I’m no saint, Brody,” she said, her heart sinking at how much credit he’d given her. “I make compromises. I have doubts.” She had some right now. She’d secretly taped the man, after all.

  But she wouldn’t use any of the private conversation. Should she explain her original intent? Was that important now? Would it ruin what was between them? And what, exactly, was between them?

  Things were getting scarier by the second. She was in over her head, and whichever direction she flailed her arms seemed to take her farther from shore.

  YOU’VE DONE IT NOW, Brody realized, running his hands across the smooth skin of Jillian’s warm stomach, looking down into her beautiful face, so glad he was here, holding her, despite the fact he’d just blurted his biggest secret to her.

  Why had he done it? Was he crazy, losing it for good?

  No. It had been Jillian’s steady eyes, her integrity, the way she made him want more, made him think he could be more. Smack in the middle of his bullshit dating tips, he’d wanted her to know the truth about him.