I didn't want to be hyperaware of everything she did. I told myself it was my job—it was, after all. But it was also more than that. Since getting to know her a bit, since kissing her, holding her in my arms, it was as if our cells had aligned. I was so much more aware of her than I had been before. And it was almost physically painful to be apart from her. And though I thought about going to talk to her, the employer relationship we still shared made things more complicated than they would have otherwise been. I was at work. She was my client. It would be inappropriate to interfere.
I'd passed the day studying in the kitchen, taking breaks here and there to try my brother and check in with my mom. Jarred was still MIA, which meant soon I'd need to go looking for him. I was afraid of what I would find.
By the time evening fell, I was beginning to wonder if Juliet had sneaked out somehow. She hadn't appeared for lunch, hadn't come down for dinner. But just as I was going to give into my concern and head up to check on her, Chad radioed from the front gate to let me know we had company.
"Movie star douchebag alert," his voice crackled from the walkie beside me on the table where I was closing up my books. The last visitor we’d had made Juliet disappear all day. I wasn’t eager for another.
"Keep it down, moron," I said. Chad never stopped to consider that movie star douchebags were why he had a job. A damned good one. And he had no way of knowing if Juliet was nearby when he said things like that. "What's up?"
"Incoming. Ryan McDonnell to meet with Juliet."
I felt my concern tick up a notch. I had a schedule of Juliet's meetings, and today had been blessedly blank. Something was up. "Got it. Come in with him, okay? He's not on the schedule. I need to go up to talk to Juliet. Is he on your schedule?" I thought maybe I’d just missed it somehow, though the day Chad was more on top of things than me was the day I’d have to quit.
“Negative.”
A moment later, Chad escorted a man through the front door and into the formal living room just to one side of the door. I'd seen the guy before, plenty of times. He was a B-list Hollywood action star. I knew he'd been in a few things, nothing huge. And I was pretty sure his association with Charade of Stones would haunt him forever. Even though his character had a decent ending in that long-running series, fans were pissed about the way the whole thing had wrapped up, and there'd been plenty of backlash. And flying monkeys, for god’s sake.
The guy was good looking, I supposed. He declined a chair, stood by the hearth instead, examining the photos Juliet had there. I'd looked at them plenty of times—nothing that told you anything about her life, really. One photo of the woman I now knew was Gran, but other than that, it was all glad-handing with other stars. Probably pretty interesting for a guy like McDonnell.
I took the stairs quietly and knocked on Juliet's door. "Juliet?"
The door opened and Juliet stood on the other side, stealing my breath. Her hair was piled on top of her head, and she wore a light pink sweatshirt that fell off one shoulder, revealing skin that looked smoother and softer than rose petals. I swallowed hard. "You have a guest downstairs. Mr. Ryan McDonnell."
She didn't say anything for a long moment, just looked up at me, like she was deciding something. She held my eyes and my heartbeat thudded into a rapid-fire rhythm. Something was up. Before I could figure out quite what, she stepped close to me, one hand reaching for my face. She cupped my cheek, and lifted up on her toes. My body instinctually followed where she led, and a heartbeat later my arms were around her, my mouth on hers. Her tongue pressed past my lips, sweeping my own, sending a signal of pressing desire through every cell in my body.
And then, as quickly as it began, it was over. She stepped back, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and adjusted her top. I let my hand linger on her shoulder, rubbing a finger over that soft smooth shoulder. I'd been right—that skin was like heaven.
"I have to do something," Juliet said. "If Ryan agrees."
Was she signing on for a film? Telling me we were going on location? "All right."
"I don't like it. I don't think you will either."
That wasn’t good. Worry sprouted roots in my gut. "Okay."
"But it's just a strategy. It doesn't mean anything, okay?"
Her green eyes stayed fixed on me, waiting for a response. But I didn't know what to say because for one thing, all my thinking at that moment was occurring in the wrong head. For another thing, the woman was not making sense. "Gonna need more than that," I told her, unease working through every vein in my body.
She laughed, her posture relaxing a bit. "You'll figure it out. Basically I have to pretend to be in a relationship with Ryan for a while. To distract the media."
A vague hazy red haloed my vision as my mind threw images at me of what “pretending” to be in a relationship would look like. "What?" The word was more of a growl.
She put her hand on my chest again. God, I loved it when she did that. "Jace, it's not real. Just remember that, okay? It's just for the press. And only for a little while."
The fact she felt she had to justify it to me should have made me feel good. It confirmed that I wasn't losing my mind. Although, that kiss a second ago confirmed it too. There was something here. Wrong side of the tracks or not, there was something here. I just needed to figure out if I was willing to risk my job over it. I kind of already knew the answer.
"Okay," I managed, forcing myself to remember there was something between us, something real. I took deep breaths, in and out.
"And we have to go to Maryland. Next weekend. Okay?"
"We, you and him?" I hated this idea, the thought of her out of my sight. There was no way she’d be going anywhere without security.
"We, all of us. There's a party and my agent has set up a magazine feature." She said this slowly, like she was asking my forgiveness as she did it.
"Fine." A mass of anger and jealousy twisting inside me was making it hard for me to speak. And movie star McDonnell was waiting. "Your guest," I reminded her.
"Right. We'll talk later, okay?" She smiled weakly at me and then went downstairs, Elvis trotting at her side and shooting me a glance over his little doggy shoulder as if to say, "you coming?"
I followed.
Chapter Eleven
Juliet
Ryan McDonnell stood, shifting his weight back and forth and stretching out his arms as if trying to work out a kink, in the middle of my formal living room. I swallowed hard, hating what I was about to ask Ryan, hating what I knew it would do to Jace and me. Chad stood in the doorway, watching him with interest.
I nodded at Chad, who winked at me and then turned, returning to his post outside, I assumed. I heard Jace come down the stairs behind me, and knew he would stay nearby. Jace was like my security blanket. My hot, muscular, sweet security blanket.
"Hello again, Ryan," I said, greeting my former co-star with a hug as he kissed my cheek.
"Juliet, good to see you," he said. "You have a beautiful home."
"Thanks very much," I said, refraining from adding the part about how Zac would like to take it from me. "Can I get you a drink or something to eat?"
He shook his head. "Nah, that's fine. My agent said there was some kind of deal to discuss? Oh hey, who's this?" He bent down to offer a hand to Elvis, who snuggled the offered hand and then promptly sank to the floor on Ryan's foot, asleep.
"Uh, that's Elvis. He has a bit of a sleep issue."
Ryan stood and smiled a little uncomfortably as he carefully slid his foot out from under Elvis’s fat little snoring body. Jace stepped into the room, lifted Elvis gently and carried him to the corner to deposit him in his electric blue satin dog bed.
“A sleep issue, huh?”
“Narcolepsy. Doesn't hurt him as long as he doesn't fall asleep in his water dish.”
“Aha.” Ryan’s mouth formed a half smile, and I knew he was picturing this. Poor Elvis.
"Anyway, yes, the deal. Thanks for coming." A little lump formed in my throat. I'd
hoped maybe this could all be worked out at the agent level, but it seemed I'd have to lay out the ridiculous plan myself. "Yeah, there’s something I’d like to ask you. Will you sit?"
Ryan sat on the couch, and I took the wing chair across the coffee table, perching myself on the edge and crossing my ankles. How did you ask someone to pretend to be your boyfriend?
God, my life was weird.
"So," Ryan said, his dark eyes full of concern as his brows came together. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs.
"So," I echoed.
Talk, Juliet.
"So here's the thing." I laid out the blackmail plot Zac was involved in, the painful settlement he was demanding, and the potential media fallout. I made sure to be clear that while it would certainly affect my career, it could blow back on some of my former co-stars too, especially Ryan, since we'd been romantically linked in a few articles. Purely speculation, but still, I thought it might motivate him to agree.
"That's awful," he said. "I'm sorry you're dealing with all that. What can I do to help?"
I wrung my hands in my lap and then forced myself to take a breath and pretend to be relaxed and nonchalant about this whole thing. "Well, my agent has had an idea. One that could help us both."
"Okay." Ryan looked uncertain, and I didn’t blame him. This was all so weird.
It was now or never. I dove in. "We wondered if you might be willing to play a little role. Be my boyfriend for a weekend event, just for the press. We'd let ourselves be photographed together, stir up media speculation over the relationship, and capitalize on the chemistry we had onset. Hollywood loves that sort of thing, and my agent thinks that a juicy new love story will overwhelm whatever scandal Zac can stir up in the background."
Ryan pursed his lips, his lids dropping over the thoughtful eyes for a moment. "And that's good for me because ..."
I worried I was offending him, but forged ahead. "Sorry, right. Well, my agent is pretty sure she can get the director of my next film to cast you as the male lead."
"So you're bribing me with a role? Because you feel sorry for me after that Antarctica disaster?" He grinned as he asked this, letting me know he wasn't offended. His last movie, some kind of pirate zombie thing in Antarctica, had been awful.
"Would it work if I was?" I tilted my head, put a little flirt in my voice. I needed him to say yes, even if him saying no would be a relief in some ways.
"It might. Honestly, between that and Charade of Stones, man ..." he trailed off, rubbing a hand over his jaw.
"I know it's not the easiest thing to agree to. Not ... normal. But I guess Hollywood isn't really a normal people kind of place, right?"
He laughed. "Definitely not."
"Oh, and there's one more part. The event. I have to go home to Maryland next weekend for my Gran's ninetieth birthday party. Clarissa has set up a magazine interview to happen out there—a 'Juliet's roots' kind of thing. Would you be able to go as my date?"
Jace coughed from the doorway, and my heart twisted a little bit inside me. I glanced to where he stood, but could only see his shoulder in the shadowed dining room. I wanted to be with him, not in the middle of the Juliet Manchester telenovela that was my ridiculous life.
"So I pretend to be falling for America's favorite actress for a while, take an all-expenses paid trip to Maryland next weekend, and get a great role in a movie?" Ryan's uncertain smile cranked up to a grin.
"Not sure about the 'favorite' part, but the rest sounds right." A thought occurred to me as I glanced at Jace again. "Do you have a girlfriend, Ryan? Someone who might be hurt by this pretense?"
He laughed and shook his head. "Nope. I'm free and clear in that department."
For a brief second, I’d thought maybe we could still get out of this stupid plan, but it seemed we were diving in headfirst. "Oh, okay." I felt awkward suddenly, waiting for him to decide.
"I guess we'll let our agents work out the details?" he said. "I'm sure there'll be something to sign?"
I sat up straighter. "So you'll do it?" Something like relief rippled through me.
He nodded, getting to his feet. "I'm happy to help, Juliet. And I guess it's helping me too. It's a win-win, right?"
I wasn't so sure. Jace's dark eyes flickered through my mind. "Yeah, I think so. I hope so."
"Then I'm in." Ryan hugged me lightly, kissing my cheek again. "See you soon, okay?"
"Yeah. And thank you." I opened the door for him, and watched as he walked down the front path, confident and strong. Ryan McDonnell was a good guy. It would be easier if I really did want to date him, but I didn't find the spark of interest inside myself that burst into flames whenever Jace was nearby. There was no use fighting it. I wanted my bodyguard. And I decided right then that tonight, before this insanity kicked up a notch, I was going to have him.
Chapter Twelve
Jace
I could feel myself clenching as I listened to Juliet and Ryan talk. He was so agreeable, so easy to get along with. And the guy was handsome, too. Of course he was willing to play the part of Juliet's boyfriend. Hell, she could ask any red-blooded human male on the planet and he'd say yes.
I'd say yes.
Only, I hadn't been asked. And I wouldn't be.
Instead, I'd stand by and watch while another guy—another lucky clueless guy who'd had every opportunity gift-wrapped for him, including this one—got to touch the woman I wanted for myself.
But this was what I'd signed up for.
My jaw was aching by the time I heard the front door click shut again, and I knew I'd been grinding my teeth. A shitty habit, but it was better than destroying things, and right now I wanted to tornado through this fancy dining room and rip the place apart.
I heard Juliet come back into the living room and forced myself to release, to take a deep breath. I wondered what might happen now. Would we talk about this? Was there anything to talk about? All I could imagine was pulling her into me again, holding her close and assuring myself I hadn’t imagined what I’d felt with her, hadn’t imagined that just maybe something could happen between us.
"Jace?" her voice came through the quiet room. "I'm going to head up for bed."
Disappointment washed through me unexpectedly. What had I thought was going to happen? She needed to focus on planning out her fake relationship. I needed to get a grip. "Okay," I managed, wishing I were a better actor.
"I'll take Elvis up. Maybe you can go ahead and shut down the house, and then you'll be off the clock, right?"
"Sure," I answered, beginning the process of checking the perimeter as I did each night. I radioed Chad to let him know I was shutting down inside. He'd keep watch until the overnight shift replaced him out front and then he'd be off the clock too, out in the guesthouse.
I walked through the enormous first floor of the house, checking windows and switching off lights, forcing myself to calm down, to breathe. By the time I'd set the alarm and begun climbing the stairs, I'd just about talked myself into a state of rationality.
But when I opened the door to my room, any semblance of calm I’d achieved washed away as my heart rate skyrocketed and my vision tunneled.
Juliet was there, on my bed.
Soft candles glowed on surfaces around the room, and music played from a bluetooth speaker on the table, something soft and low. Norah Jones, maybe? I didn't spend much time trying to figure out what I was hearing because my body was too busy reacting to what I was seeing.
My beautiful blond client was leaned up against the headboard of my bed. She wore a red silk nightshirt with long sleeves and little white buttons down the front. It ended just at the tops of her thighs, and her long slim legs were out in front of her. She was smiling at me—uncertainly. Shyly. Like she wasn't sure if this was okay, like there was a chance I might tell her to leave.
"Hi," I managed, as every cell in my body flared and pulsed. She was perfect, laid out for me like an offering on my bed. But, I told myself, she was still a client.
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No matter what had happened before, we still hadn’t slept together. I could argue that I hadn’t really crossed a line. Taking a step closer now could change everything.
"Hi," she said, her voice a soft breath that moved hot into my mind and then exploded there, sending shards of fire through me. "Is this okay?"
At a complete loss for words, I blew out a long breath. "Yeah."
"Then maybe you could come a little bit closer?"
I blinked hard, just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Maybe I was just dreaming this, while in reality I was downstairs destroying the dining room in a fit of jealous rage? Juliet moved on the mattress, and the squeak of the bed assured me this was real.
I toed off my shoes and closed the door, twisting the lock. Then I turned back to her and took a deep breath, finally crossing the room to stand next to the bed.
Juliet looked up at me, and I was nearly leveled by what I saw in her eyes. Hope and a little fear, maybe. As if this famous movie star was every bit as nervous about what might happen here as I was. I pulled my T-shirt off over my head and sank to the edge of the bed. She reached for me, and I scooted closer, pulling her into my lap as our mouths connected.
There was no uncertainty in the kiss, and all the restraint we'd both practiced in the past fell away as quickly as Juliet's red nightshirt and the belt around my waist. We kissed and caressed and undressed, and a few minutes later, I held her in my arms, every inch of her perfect form pressed up against me, my rigid cock between us against the soft flesh of her belly.
I should have been more careful, should have been thinking about my job, my family. But all I could think about was that I was really here, every part of my body pressed against Juliet’s soft yielding skin. There was no turning back now.
We didn't speak, but we did hold ourselves there for a long moment, each of us lost in our thoughts, or in each other, as our chests moved in unison, breathing in the heady anticipation of what was surely to come next.
Juliet's hands skimmed my back and sides, her cool fingers coming to rest just above the throbbing heat between us, teasing my stomach.
Happily Ever Hers: Movie Stars in Maryland, Book Two Page 6
