Acting. It was his passion before he understood what that meant.
Dressing up. Losing yourself in a character so different from the real you that you forgot your name—your life—outside of that moment. You became the character—fully. It was exciting. Thrilling.
Colton loved the craft. He studied to hone his skills. Watched the masters at work. Olivier. Tracy. Davis. Hepburn. Hoping to find something—anything—he could use to make himself a better actor.
He would have done it for free. Luckily, he didn’t have to. Producers threw ridiculous amounts of money at him. They threw in perks. Private jets. Villas in the south of France. An island off the coast of Greece. One even offered to put his supermodel wife at Colton’s disposal for the duration of the shoot. Colt turned down the offer—and the movie.
The life he lived was a dream. A fantasy world few people would ever experience or fully understand. Hell, sometimes he wondered at it. He was loved by successful, smart, take no shit parents. His brothers were his best friends. Nothing bad had ever touched him. The closest was Wyatt’s marital drama, but that was a secondhand hurt. He could never understand what it felt like to experience that kind of betrayal and loss.
Some might say he lived in a velvet-lined bubble. Protected from the real world. Until a few days ago, Colt would have ignored it. Shrugged off the accusation with his usual ease and good humor. Now he wondered. Sable had lost so much all at once. She was such a strong woman. Funny. Intelligent. Brave. God, she was brave. Colt didn’t know how he would have handled what she went through.
The death of a friend was hard enough to fathom. But Sable walked away from the life she loved because she was given no other palatable choice. As a result, her father cut her from his life. Not a clean, merciful break. It festered. Her mother periodically gave a jab with her ego-riddled rants.
Admiring Sable had always been easy. His family adored her. She made friends easily and was loyal to her core. But now his admiration had taken on a new, deeper tone. And, if he were completely honest, the little corner of his heart that already belonged to her encroached on the rest.
“You’re quiet.”
“Am I?” Colt smiled at his mother. Sunny as always, both in temperament and wardrobe, her yellow dress brightened an already cloudless California day. “Maybe by comparison. Between the ruckus raised by Nate’s dog and the beautiful women chasing her around, anyone would seem subdued.”
“I love a noisy, happy house.” Callie sat beside him. She smoothed her skirt, then settled back with a sigh. “Are you happy?”
“Aren’t I always?”
“Yes.” Callie kissed his cheek. “I swear you were born that way. No crying for my Colton. You greeted the world with a smile and that’s the way you’ve continued.”
“There you go,” Colt said absently.
Following his gaze, she wasn’t surprised when she discovered what, or rather who held his interest.
“You and Sable have caused quite a stir.”
Colt looked at his mother and shrugged.
“It goes with the territory.”
And when he thought about the text Sable’s father sent her, he wanted to rip the territory to shreds.
“What’s wrong, Colton?”
“Everything is good.”
“Then why do you have those armrests in a death grip?”
“Gas.” Colt relaxed his fingers.
“Colton.”
“Mom.”
When it came to stare-downs, Callie always won. Her sons were no match for her Mom powers.
“It isn’t my story,” Colt sighed.
“Sable.” Callie’s gaze shifted to the lawn where Sable, Jade, and Paige were playing with Beauty. “She looks happy.”
“She’s—”
Colt almost said perfect but caught himself at the last second. His mother would read too much into that one little word. Though it certainly described Sable to a T.
It had been a week since her father’s text. Colt’s feelings were mixed. He wanted to ream out the man for treating his daughter so callously. But it was the catalyst that let her finally open up. He was humbled that she trusted him. And sick that she had to go through something so traumatic.
Sable was perfect. Colt was the one reevaluating his life.
“Sable is fine. Mom.” Colt hesitated. “I’m kind of worthless, aren’t I?”
“Where did you pick up such an asinine idea?” Callie’s eyes flashed indignantly. “Did Sable tell you that?”
“No! Of course not.”
Callie relaxed. “I didn’t think that sounded like her, but you never know.” She looked closely at Colt. “What’s going on, baby?”
“I want to make more of an impact on the world.” Colt had thought about this but putting it in words was harder than he expected. “I’m proud of my work. You’ve always said not to diminish the worth of a good movie.”
“That’s true. Shutting off your brain for a few hours is amazingly beneficial. How many times has a fan thanked you for giving them a laugh, or making them cry, exactly when they needed it most?”
“That feels great. But I want to do more.”
“Charity work?” Callie poured herself a glass of iced tea. “You never turn down a good cause.”
“It’s time for me to find something of my own. Something that I feel passionate about. I have a name and a face that gets attention. It’s time to use that for something important.”
“I think that’s a wonderful idea. Your father and I have our foundation and we sit on the board of several charities. We have always encouraged you and your brothers to give back.” She squeezed his hand. “You, all of you, make us proud. Do you have something in mind?”
A shout followed by a burst of laughter caught his attention. Across the lawn, Sable held the end of a thick piece of rope. On the other end, Beauty tugged with all her might. He didn’t know who was winning the battle, but it was obvious they were having a great time.
Colt’s lips curved when Sable threw down the rope and picked up the exuberant dog. When Nate and Paige brought Beauty home from Montana, she was a growing puppy. How big she was going to be when the growing stopped was anyone’s guess.
At the moment, Colt estimated the dog weighed close to seventy pounds, but Sable lifted her with ease, laughing when Beauty tried in vain to swipe her face with a big, wet tongue.
Colt had known the answer to his mother’s question before she asked it. But looking at Sable reinforced his choice.
“Something for returning soldiers.”
Callie couldn’t hide the tears that welled up in her eyes.
“I had hoped that would be good news.” Colt handed his mother a napkin.
“It’s perfect.”
“Perfect?” Colt frowned. Why would she pick that word?
“For Sable.”
“I—”
“Are you going to try and deny she’s the inspiration?”
“I suppose spending time with Sable has made me think seriously about our military and what they face when they return home.”
“You’re falling in love with her.”
“Mom.”
Jesus. What was he supposed to say to that? How could he admit it to his mother when he wasn’t ready to admit it to himself? Colt shook his head. And there it was. He didn’t know if she had done it on purpose, but she made him face the facts. He was falling in love.
“I have an Academy Award nomination.”
“I know. I popped the cork on the celebratory champagne.”
“Then why can’t I hide my feelings from you? I’m not as good an actor as I thought.”
“Sweet boy.” Callie’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Turn on a camera and you can fool the world. But here? In real life? You can’t hide your emotions. You never could. Those eyes of yours give you away. Just like your father. Transparent as glass.”
“Great.”
It was too soon. Sable wasn’t ready for declarations and he wasn’t re
ady to give them. According to his mother, his eyes were big expressive pools of goo. Colt couldn’t think of a better way to make a skittish woman hightail it out of town.
Callie grinned. “Don’t worry. It takes time and experience. Right now, Sable isn’t looking. She won’t until she’s ready.”
“What if that never happens? What if I’m in this alone?”
The thought made his stomach do a sickening flip. Unconsciously, Colt’s fingers tightened their hold on the chair. He couldn’t make Sable love him.
“I used to dream of days like this.” Callie rubbed the back of his hand. Slowly, Colt relaxed. But his insides weren’t as quick to settle.
“We visit all the time.”
“Look.” Callie inclined her head. “In love. Settled.”
Garrett and Nate had joined the fun on the lawn. It seemed to Colt that they were more interested in flirting with their women than playing with the dog. But who could blame them? Jade and Paige were more than beautiful. They were the whole package. Smart. Funny. And more important? In it for the long haul. They wouldn’t wilt at the first sign of trouble. Or run when things got hard. His brothers loved, and were loved, by women of character and strength.
“Sable fits.”
“Yes.”
Callie laughed. “Is that surprise I hear?”
“She’s not what I expected.”
“Let me guess. You wanted delicate. Sweet. Uncomplicated.”
His mother’s description wasn’t far off. Colt didn’t have a type per se. He knew what he liked. The type of women he gravitated toward. Easy to be with hit the nail on the head.
Not that Sable was high maintenance. Far from it. But she was complicated. She came with a truckload of baggage. Big, heavy pieces that had a tendency to shift at inconvenient moments. If a man weren’t prepared, it could send him careening off the road and into a tree.
Until the other night, Colt hadn’t thought he wanted to deal with the kind of drama Sable brought with her. He was wrong. For the right woman—for Sable—he was willing to take on anything.
“Tastes change.”
“SABLE? MAY I speak with you for a minute?”
“I should hope so. If you don’t speak to me, how will we pass the time?”
Sable handed Jade a washed crystal goblet. She, Jade, and Paige had volunteered to clean up the kitchen. After another amazing meal, it only seemed right. Callie demurred, but the Landis men had no problem with the suggestion.
“We’ll be in the game room,” Garrett called out as he and Nate hustled their mother along.
Chuckling, Caleb and Wyatt followed.
“Where did Colt disappear to?” Paige handed Sable two more glasses.
“He was the first one out the door. The man loves to cook, but he hates the cleanup.”
“Colt cooks?” Paige and Jade asked. Shocked didn’t begin to describe their expressions.
“I had the same reaction. He’s very good at it. Excellent, in fact.”
“Garrett can open a can. Barely.”
“Nate does a mean scrambled egg.” Paige put the last of the plates in the dishwasher.
“Neither of you are marrying them for their culinary skills.” Sable dried her hands. She pumped out a dab of lotion from the bottle by the sink and smoothed it over her skin. “Let’s sit down and you can tell me what has you looking so serious.”
“It’s nothing bad,” Jade assured her.
When they had first met, Jade was fifteen pounds underweight and unnaturally quiet. Now, she glowed with good health and had no problem speaking her mind. She found the strength to change her life and Sable admired her for it.
“We need a favor.” Paige joined them, bringing three cups and a full pot of coffee.
“We?”
“I told Paige about an idea that I’ve been mulling over for a while now. And she suggested talking to you.”
“So talk.”
“I belong to a group.” Jade took a deep breath. “A domestic abuse survivors group.”
“That’s wonderful, Jade.”
“It’s been a big help.”
“Tell her about the video,” Paige urged.
“A few of the women in my group saw the video from the other night at the bar.”
“The one where you had that creep crying for mercy?”
Jade smiled sheepishly. “That’s the one. I can’t understand why it caused such a fuss.”
“Can’t you?”
Paige’s name drew attention. Plus, she was a beautiful redhead. That always drew attention. Those things coupled with her high-profile fiancé tended to up the interest factor.
“Fine. By now I should be used to it.”
“Nate says you never get used to it. You simply learn to tolerate it.”
Jade nodded. “Paige is right. But never mind the attention. It’s died down, thank goodness.” She laughed. “I was about to say, to make a long story short, but that train left the station long ago. Sable, the women in my group wanted me to teach them the move.”
“You should.”
“I’m not qualified to do it.”
“It doesn’t take any special training.” Sable took a sip of coffee. “Take it step by step. The way I did with you.”
“I was hoping you would show them.”
“Me?”
“One class.” When Sable hesitated, Jade hurried on. “When I was frightened and unsure of myself, you gave me confidence, Sable. You made me believe I could take care of myself. That I didn’t have to be a victim ever again. That’s what these women need.”
“I’d like to learn a few moves, too,” Paige said. She pushed her blonde hair over one shoulder. “Nate has tried to teach me, but every time he puts his hands on me, we end up doing other things. If you know what I mean.”
“He’s a Landis.” Jade’s green eyes sparkled. “Of course we know what you mean.”
Sable didn’t want to go there. It might be common knowledge that she and Colt were sleeping together, but she felt a little uncomfortable talking about it. Even with Jade and Paige.
“I have a job. I can’t promise anything until I talk it over with Colt. His schedule changes from day to day. Next week, the movie is shooting in San Diego. Then Las Vegas for three days.”
“We understand. But if we can coordinate everything, will you do it?”
Jade’s expression was almost comically earnest. How could she say no to that?
“Okay. One class.”
“Thank you, Sable.” Jade jumped up and hugged her from behind. “This means the world to me. And to my friends.”
“I hope I can help.”
“I know you can. You have no idea how much it means to take control of your life. To stop being a victim.”
Sable understood exactly what that meant. No woman should ever feel as though she had no choices. Knowing how to defend herself was one more way to take back her life. Her power. She would do this. For Jade and her friends. And for herself.
SABLE HADN’T exaggerated about Colt’s schedule. To save time and money, the majority of the night scene shoots were bunched together over one week. It meant getting to the set around five in the afternoon and working until dawn. It threw everyone’s body clocks out of whack.
Everything was flipped. Or as Colt put it, cattywampus. It was strange eating dinner at five in the morning, trying to sleep through the afternoon, and catching breakfast just as the sun was setting.
Handling the change took some creative measures.
Colt dealt with it by increasing the length of his workout routine. Drinking plenty of water. And having sex as often as humanly possible. In his case, that meant every chance he got—no matter the location.
“I should say no.” Sable buttoned her shirt.
“Okay. Next time say no. I promise to stop.”
“Mmm.”
“You don’t believe me?” Sable could tell that bothered him.
“I believe you. I was trying to imagine a scenario where
I would want you to.”
In lieu of a comb, Sable ran her fingers through her hair. Another benefit of keeping it short. Quick post-coital grooming after heated sex in a potting shed.
“You like my improvisational style?”
Sable tried not to smile. Why encourage him? But God, he was adorable. And gorgeous. And sinfully sexy. Colt needed a comb more than she did but on him, messy hair simply added to the allure. The rumpled shirt, the crooked grin. He looked like a man who had women falling at his feet—all day, every day. And he did. Sable could attest to the fact that he did.
“I’m an enabler,” she declared. “My actions have turned an arrogant, cocky bastard into a mega-arrogant, cocky bastard. Sex. Sex. Sex. We can’t keep up this pace. Can we?”
Colt pulled her into his arms. His lips nuzzled her ear, sending a familiar tingle through her body.
“First. I’m not arrogant or cocky. I’m confident. And charming.” His chuckle told Sable that he knew exactly how that sounded. Cocky and arrogant. “Second. Do you want us to cool off? For the pace to slacken?”
“No.” That was the last thing she wanted. The sex was amazing and she couldn’t get enough of Colt.
“As long as we’re enjoying ourselves, does it matter where?” He kissed the side of her neck. “Or how often?”
“No.” Sable moaned. Automatically, she tipped her head to give him better access. Then she realized what Colt was doing. “No!” she said firmly. “You need to get back to work.”
“We’re on a thirty-minute break. We still have,” Colt looked at his watch, “three and a half minutes.”
Sable thought about pushing Colt out the door. But when his lips brushed her ear, her knees went weak. His touch made her ignore the fact they had done this just minutes before.
“Condom?”
Colt’s lips curved. “Front pocket.”
Sable fished out the packet. “Three minutes and counting.”
He unsnapped his jeans and took the condom.
“I love a challenge.”
“I love an orgasm. Think you can pull it off?”
“You mean, can I get you off?”
Flipping up Sable’s skirt, Colt pushed her panties to the side and entered her without missing a beat. The breath left her lungs in a fast whoosh.
Dreaming Of Your Love (Hollywood Legends #3) Page 20