What the Heart Wants ; Sealed with a Kiss

by Donna Hill

  Chapter 25

  Kendall was the last one to meet the crew in the lobby and hoped her sunglasses hid the effects of her love hangover. She could hardly keep from smiling. If only the crew knew who she had been with hours before.

  Our dirty little secret. She heard Tyson in her head. The mystery made things more enticing. Kendall felt like she was part of a sexy covert operation. But was she ready for this? A new relationship? Tyson was another media magnet. Did she really want to be with him, or was she caught up in the fun and mystery of their discretion? Kendall felt like she was indulging in forbidden fruit—and she liked it.

  If no one knew, they couldn’t assume she hadn’t gotten the part on her own. There was so much to consider. One thing was for sure—she wasn’t ready to give Tyson up. The fun had just begun.

  Storm eyed her suspiciously. He was probably wondering why she had ditched them the night before. What did he care? She didn’t owe him any explanations.

  “The cars are here!” one of the production assistants yelled. Everyone piled through the hotel doors toward the waiting vehicles.

  “Ken.”

  Kendall turned. “Hey. What’s up, Storm?”

  “There’s something I’d like to talk to you about. What are you doing later? Are you joining us for dinner?”

  “Yeah. Sure.”

  Kendall continued toward one of the cars that had yet to be filled.

  “What did you do last night?” Storm persisted.

  “Nothing.”

  “Oh. I came to your room when we got back from eating. You didn’t answer. I figured you were out.”

  “Oh.”

  Kendall climbed into the small car. Unfortunately, Storm climbed in with her, and another actress, Mila Canton, climbed up front. The only noise in the car was the driver’s music. Kendall tried to mentally retreat back to her and Tyson’s time together, but it didn’t work. She couldn’t concentrate enough to bring Tyson back—not when she was focusing on trying to ignore Storm’s blatant stares. Kendall looked at her phone. She had told Tyson to let her know when he landed. He had at least six more hours of flying ahead of him, but she couldn’t wait to hear his voice again. In a few more days, she’d be back home and in his arms. She put her head back, closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep until they arrived at the location for the day’s shoot.

  Just as she had anticipated, the makeup artist had to add extra touches around her eyes.

  “Somebody partied hard last night, huh?”

  Kendall smiled inwardly. “Just super tired. Didn’t sleep well,” Kendall said. It was true. They’d hardly slept a wink.

  Finally, it was time to shoot. Kendall’s psychedelic dress and wig, teased high and flipped upward at the ends, made Kendall feel like she had become the Jocelyn James of the sixties once again. She’d taken her seat at the Parisian café, pretended to puff on a cigarette and waited for Storm’s character to enter the scene. He did as he was instructed, sitting directly across from her and engaging in a painful interaction where Benny Dickson, the man who had become Jocelyn’s late husband, pleaded with her to forgive him for his betrayal. The heartfelt scene caused a dense silence to descend upon the set. Tears flowed from both her and Storm’s eyes. She looked at her costar. She couldn’t deny Storm’s talent. In that moment, he was Benny. She believed, as Jocelyn had all those years before, that Benny was truly sorry. He looked into her eyes, pleaded with his soul. Kendall blinked. She saw Benny one minute and Storm the next.

  Had Storm actually been sorry for his betrayal, the scene could have felt more like déjà vu. Instead, it felt surreal, and ended with Storm on one knee before her, holding and kissing her hand. He slid a velvet ring box from his sports jacket, and then his shaky voice asked for her hand in marriage. She swatted at him. Wanted to dismiss him. Kendall took a long drag of her cigarette, slammed it into the ashtray and swiped at the tears falling down her face. Storm stood to his feet, pulled her up with him, gently took her face in his hands and kissed away those tears.

  Before the director could say cut, the cast and crew applauded. The thunder of their applause snapped Kendall from the recesses of her character. She had to agree that they had just created one of the most intense and beautiful scenes of the movie. She and Storm. Again, Kendall wished they had chosen another costar. The beauty of the scene made her uncomfortable, reminded her of Storm’s real betrayal. Even then, she wasn’t sure if he was acting or had been sincere.

  They’d filmed into the night, shooting several more scenes packed with raw emotion, and were ready to head back to their hotel. Kendall was hungry and tired, looking forward to a shower and a good meal. After that she’d talk to Tyson until she fell asleep. That had become her evening routine. When she thought about Tyson, a smile radiated from the inside out. Kendall texted him a simple Hey as she headed to the cars.

  “Kendall!”

  She turned in the direction of the voice calling her name. Storm jogged toward her.

  “Yes?” Her voice was formal, even. She was back to her normal, cool self with him. The warmth exuded in the scenes they’d shot earlier had evaporated.

  Storm caught up with her and looked at her for a brief moment, wearing an inquisitive expression. “Can I talk to you?”

  What’s this about? “Sure.”

  “Over dinner? I’m hungry.”

  Kendall shrugged. “Sure. Me too.”

  The two climbed into one of the waiting cars with another actress. There was minimal conversation on the ride back. Kendall spent most of the drive fighting fatigue and looking out the window. She couldn’t get enough of the Parisian landscape. When they arrived at the hotel, the driver had to wake all three of them.

  Kendall stretched, maneuvering her body in catlike movements. The driver opened the door and helped her out. Storm waited by the side of the car.

  “I’m gonna go freshen up a little. Meet you back in about twenty minutes,” she said to him.

  Inside the restaurant twenty minutes later, Storm was the perfect gentleman. After they placed their orders, he turned to her.

  “So, what’s up?” Kendall wanted to get right to the point. Had they been in America, she never would have agreed to dinner. Paparazzi would have been all over them. She could see the cheesy headlines now: Storm and Kendall, Rekindled?

  “You’re not wasting any time.” Storm chuckled and reached for her hand. Kendall recoiled slightly. Storm sat back, letting his hands slide back into his lap. “You hate me that much?”

  “I don’t hate you, Storm.”

  He leaned closer and spoke almost in a whisper. “Then why do you seem so uncomfortable with me on the set?”

  “What?” Storm was right. Having to pretend to love him, sleep with him and dote on him wasn’t easy considering their past. But she at least thought she was giving a good performance. She wanted to give this role her all. Had anyone else noticed? “But—”

  “I know you. I can feel it,” Storm replied, answering the question in her mind. Kendall exhaled, sat back and dropped her shoulders. She didn’t like him claiming such an intimate connection with her.

  Their food arrived. Kendall leaned aside so the waiter could place her steaming plate down. Storm ate in silence while she pushed her food around, taking a bite here and there. Her appetite had waned.

  The quality of her performance was foremost on her mind. Kendall would have to work harder to keep her character authentic.

  Storm closed his lips over a forkful of roasted duck and looked at her. He put his utensils aside, reached across the table and took her hand in his.

  Once again, Kendall recoiled just a bit. Her reaction was instinctive. She looked up to find Storm’s eyes right on her. Had she been doing that on set?

  “We need to at least be friendly.”

  Kendall huffed. “We are friendly.” She really didn’t want to have this con
versation with Storm. This was about as friendly as she was capable of being with him. Had he forgotten his betrayal? She was no longer angry with him, but she certainly wasn’t interested in rekindling any kind of friendship with him either.

  Storm peered at her as if he were looking over glasses. “Like real friends.” After several moments of quiet he added, “Or maybe more.”

  Kendall threw him a sharp look. He’d actually looked hopeful. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “Are you seeing someone?”

  Kendall narrowed her eyes at Storm. “That’s none of your business.”

  It was Storm’s turn to look exasperated. “We could have gotten past that, you know?”

  Kendall wasn’t going to do this. The wounds from his infidelity had been healed. The bitterness was gone. She wasn’t going backward. “We did get past it, Storm. We broke up.”

  Storm looked annoyed for a moment, as if the reminder had stung. “We were good together—we looked good together.” He leaned forward over the table, close to her. “Our reunion would be the hot topic of every rag and entertainment show. The exposure would be amazing.”

  Kendall felt her jaw tighten. Storm still hadn’t gotten it. If Storm knew her—really knew her—he’d know that wasn’t the kind of spotlight Kendall desired.

  She stood, and Storm stood as well, his expression confused. Kendall dug in her purse and dropped enough money on the table to cover her meal. Storm caught her arm as she rounded the table. Kendall stopped walking. He moved closer to her, close enough for her to feel his breath on her cheek. For a few moments he didn’t speak, but he rested his forehead on her temple. Kendall remained still, hoping to avoid a scene. She glanced around the restaurant. They hadn’t attracted too much attention. A few patrons looked and turned away. To them, it could have seemed as if Storm were whispering in her ear.

  “Kendall.” There was more breath in his voice than volume.

  “What, Storm?”

  “I’m sorry.” He kissed her cheek. She felt nothing. “For everything,” he added.

  “Good night, Storm.” Kendall walked out of the restaurant without looking back.

  Chapter 26

  Tyson couldn’t wait to lay eyes on Kendall. He waited as patiently as possible while his driver went to get her from the exclusive airport in Burbank. This was one of Los Angeles’s top seven terminals for private jet travelers. The rest of the crew would fly out together the following day.

  She’d only been filming in France for a week and a half, but that was far too long for Tyson. He’d missed Kendall. Somehow, she had fastened herself to his soul, and he needed to see her, touch her, kiss her as soon as possible. Her absence left a hole in his existence. No one had ever left him craving her presence the way Kendall did.

  The last time Tyson talked on the phone to someone until he fell asleep was when he was a teen with a crush on one of the cheerleaders in prep school. The entire time Kendall was away, her sweet voice lulled him to sleep every single night. They never ran out of topics to talk about. Tyson had laid his feelings on the line and was ready to move swiftly in sealing their relationship. He didn’t mind the secrecy at all. In fact, he welcomed it. It proved to be less distracting because it allowed him to always have Kendall all to himself.

  Tyson heard a commotion and rolled the window down slightly. Several people ran toward the terminal exit. Some had cameras and microphones; others held cell phones high in the air. Tyson wondered what poor soul would be the next to be inundated by the media’s attention. Obviously, someone had been tipped off to some entertainer or famous politician’s life. The scene made him curious, but Tyson pulled up the window anyway. He had his share of media attention for the time being and was still getting some of it.

  A moment later, the car door was yanked open and Kendall was stuffed inside. Tyson’s eyes widened. He reached for Kendall and pulled her into the car.

  “What’s going on?”

  Kendall sat back with her hand across her heart and panted. “I don’t know. As soon as I came through the door, they surrounded me. Carl had to practically fight them off.”

  Tyson could hear his driver still yelling at them to back off. He was confused. “How did they know you were coming to this airport? What were they asking?”

  “I couldn’t even tell. I just kept walking. Some asked about me and Storm getting back together, but that’s what they usually ask. I don’t know what’s happening. Did something happen here in the States?”

  “Are you okay, Ms. Chandler?” Carl asked, turning toward the back of the car.

  “Yes. I’m fine, Carl. Thanks!” She turned her attention back to Tyson. “Were there any announcements about the movie?”

  “Not really. They’re working on some promotional stuff now, but nothing has been released.”

  Kendall finally caught her breath and huffed. Tyson felt the car moving and was glad to get away from the frenzied scene. Kendall was definitely the type of woman who could handle herself, but he suddenly felt the need to protect her.

  “Come.” He scooted closer and placed his arm around her. She rested in the crook of his arm. Kendall’s breathing slowed, returning to a normal rhythm as they drove. “You must be tired.”

  “Exhausted.”

  Tyson kissed her forehead. Kendall’s eyes fluttered. His lips craved more, but he resisted his own urges so she could rest. He caressed her arms and watched as her breathing found its sleeping rhythm. In his arms was where she belonged. Tyson was ready for the long haul.

  They rode silently for a while before Kendall’s phone rang, startling her awake. Tyson wished she had placed it on vibrate. She fished for it.

  “Hello.” She sounded sleepy. “What!” She sat straight up, listening to the caller. Tyson recognized Randi’s voice through the phone. “No. No. No. No. No! This can’t be happening.” Kendall grunted. “He’s right here.” Tyson’s brows furrowed. She looked at Tyson but quickly averted her eyes.

  “What’s wrong?” Tyson asked. Kendall frowned and huffed over and over again. The suspense wore at him. “What’s going on?”

  Kendall held up a finger to him, listening to Randi, who seemed to be talking a mile a second. She slapped her free hand onto her forehead. “Okay...yes... I’ll try...tell me what she says. I’ll be in the car for at least another hour... I will.” Kendall hung up the phone, looked at Tyson and dropped her head again. She massaged her temples.

  “What!” Tyson barked. Kendall flinched. He hadn’t meant to startle her, to be so sharp with her, but he needed to know what the hell was going on.

  “Someone leaked photos of me and Storm in Paris.”

  Tyson paused and took a breath before asking, “What photos?”

  Kendall groaned. “Randi is texting them now.”

  Kendall’s phone buzzed and Tyson forgot his manners. She typed her pin number and hit the message icon. Tyson turned her hand so he could see the screen as well. Ping after ping, followed by photo after photo flashing in her texts. Pictures of what looked like Kendall and Storm tangled in bedsheets, holding hands across a table inside of a restaurant, standing close with Storm’s head against hers. Each looked more compromising than the last.

  “What is this?” Tyson couldn’t hold back the anger in his voice. Were these from scenes they’d shot or something else? The temperature of his skin rose a few degrees. Though it felt like someone had shoved a dagger through his heart, Tyson didn’t want to overreact. He asked another question in a softer tone. “Where are these from?” He realized they could have been old pictures that resurfaced. “When—”

  “Paris,” Kendall said and closed her eyes.

  Inside he yelled. Paris! Had she cheated on him in Paris? Could he even consider this cheating? He had to give her the benefit of the doubt. “I don’t understand.”

  Kendall took a deep breath. She started talking even tho
ugh her eyes remained closed. “Some of these photos were taken while we were shooting, and someone snuck pictures while we were at dinner.”

  “Dinner.” Tyson felt air circulate in his chest. “You and Storm went to dinner together—alone?”

  “Yes.” She sighed and still hadn’t looked at Tyson. Her eyes were open now.

  Tyson shifted, putting some space between them. “You went to dinner with Storm by yourself.”

  “He...he asked if he could speak to me. I figured since it wasn’t LA we’d be safe, so I said yes. Someone must have been watching, possibly following us.”

  “Why did you go with him?”

  “It wasn’t like that.”

  “Then what was it like?” He couldn’t contain the sharpness of his tone.

  “Tyson!”

  He looked at her directly and tilted his head, refusing to back away from his question.

  “I know you don’t think I was fooling around with Storm!” she charged.

  Tyson held her glare.

  Kendall shook her head. “I can’t believe you.” It was clear that she was angry too, but he needed answers.

  It was hard enough to watch her and Storm folded in each other’s arms when he had visited the set. He could tell by the way Storm looked at her that he wanted her. It was harder to know that they would be in Paris together for ten whole days, while he waited for her back in the States. Men knew when other men had an eye for their women.

  Yes. Kendall was his woman. He’d made his intentions clear before leaving France. If she didn’t agree, she would have ended it there. This was what he wanted, and he knew she wanted it too.

  “Tell me what to believe, Kendall.”

  “There is nothing between me and Storm—nothing!” She swiped her index finger across the air as she spoke. “I’m insulted by the fact that you even question that. I don’t owe you any explanation, but I have no problem telling you that I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  Tyson reared his head back. “You don’t owe me anything?”

  Kendall balled up her fist and growled. “It’s not like we’ve even defined this...this thing that we’re doing.”