by Bianca D’Arc
“Snogging?” he repeated the word. “We’re not in England yet,” he teased her.
“I watch a lot of British murder mysteries,” she admitted. “I’ve picked up some of the slang.” She shrugged, and he felt her breasts move against his chest. Damn. “I think it’s a fun word.”
“I suppose,” he replied, too distracted by the feel of her soft body against his to make real conversation.
“Okay, we’re ready to go again. All we need is more kissing,” Sonia told them in a loud voice. “We’re going to pan around on the track,” she told them. He’d seen the track they’d set up for the cameras already and knew what she meant. This shot would set the camera in motion while they stood still. Kissing. Hallelujah. “And… Action!”
Ren resumed kissing Kat, his lips learning the feel and shape of her mouth. The camera did what it did, and he was barely aware of it. For the first time in, perhaps, forever, he was more aware of the woman in his arms than all the people around them on the set. Never had he kissed a woman more distracting than Kat.
Of course, he’d never kissed his mate before.
The thought circled his mind, his soul feeling an epiphany. He had a mate. Thanks be to the Mother of All. Now, he just had to figure out how to tell Kat and make her understand that they were meant to be together for all time. He’d have to find a way to explain what he was, as well.
There were hurdles ahead of them, to be sure, but the biggest one—actually finding each other—had been covered. Many shifters never found their mates, which made life incredibly lonely. Ren had figured he wouldn’t be so blessed as to find a mate if he hadn’t by this point in his life, but he was happy to admit he’d been wrong. So, so wrong. Thanks be to the Mother of All.
He couldn’t stop thinking grateful thoughts toward the divine. He couldn’t stop kissing Kat, even if it was part of a script and he was playing a part. He’d ceased to be Robin to her Marian the moment their lips had met. He was all Ren, and he hoped against hope that Kat was responding to him as Kat and not just because she was a better actress than he’d suspected.
Surely, she felt this amazing chemistry, too? Dear Goddess, what if she didn’t?
Ren felt resolve fill him. If she didn’t feel it now, he would work hard until he made her fall in love with him. No way was he going to let Kat slip through his fingers. Not when he was so sure they were meant to be together.
It had hit him like lightning. A massive bolt of awareness. Of rightness. That first kiss had told him all he’d needed to know. They were meant to be. Simple as that.
And…as complicated as that. There was going to have to be a lot of adjustment and revelation, but he’d find a way. He had to. It was a biological imperative.
They spent an hour or more kissing, as Sonia asked for different camera angles and lighting effects. Ren didn’t mind one bit, and neither, it seemed, did Kat. In between, while the camera or lights were being repositioned, they would chat quietly, getting to know each other’s senses of humor a lot better than they had before.
Ren knew his cat was in his eyes. Kat kept staring at him, mesmerized by the cat’s green glow. He knew it, but he couldn’t stop it. Nor did he want to. She would soon come to learn how the beast lurked beneath his skin and how they were one, even if they didn’t always get along as they should.
There would be no secrets between him and Kat. Not from this day forth. He would take his time, but he’d find a way to reveal all to her. In fact…
“What are you doing this weekend?” he asked as they waited for the camera rig to be repositioned for one of their last takes of the day.
“I was going to go home on Friday, then fly from New York to England on Sunday,” she told him. They were scheduled to start filming in England next week, but they had a weekend off in between.
“A bunch of us are going to Jaguar Island for the weekend. I have a home there, but Mark Pepard has a mansion and has invited us to stay over for a day or two. Have you met Mark before?” he asked, knowing it was unlikely that Kat had ever crossed paths with the reclusive billionaire jaguar Alpha.
“No, I haven’t,” she replied. “I don’t really run in those kinds of circles, you know.”
Ren smiled at her. “You will,” he assured her. “This film is going to shoot you into the stratosphere, and hey, you’re my friend now, and I’m friends with Mark. So, you’re already running in those circles, if you look at it that way.” He tried to come up with points to make her accept the invitation, but he didn’t want to scare her off. “Mark got married recently, and his right-hand man married Sullivan Lane shortly after. They’ll all be there, and most of the cast is going. You should come along.”
“Sullivan Lane?” Kat’s voice held admiration. “I’m a big fan of her work.”
“Well, if you want to meet her in a casual atmosphere, this is your chance,” Ren offered. “There’s plenty of room. Mark owns the entire island. Well, except for my little part of it,” Ren clarified. “I built a home up on the ridge of the dormant volcano that overlooks the ocean. It’s where I plan to retire in a few years.”
“My folks were expecting me to come home for a few days, but I guess it is less travel, all told, if I go to England via Jaguar Island, right?”
Ren grinned, trying to hide his feeling of triumph. He wanted desperately to get her to the island, where he could explain everything to her with his Clan around for support.
He had to admit, he was feeling a bit uncertain about how to break all the news about him and his existence to her. Doing it on an island devoted to his Clan and people seemed like a good idea. If he couldn’t find the right words to tell her about himself, maybe one of the others would take pity and help him out.
And she couldn’t run away. The island was isolated and completely owned by jaguars. If he somehow ended up scaring her, there were plenty of non-magical mates who could help. He’d be the laughingstock of the single men for a while, but he’d suffer any embarrassment if it meant having Kat as his mate for the rest of his life. He’d take all the advice and help he could get from the mated jaguars and let the bachelors laugh if they wanted. He knew having a mate was something every shifter wanted. Ultimately, he would have the last laugh, though he wasn’t mean enough to rub it in.
“Mark is sending a private jet to an airfield near Virginia Beach on Friday. We’re all going to the island as a group, then we’ll take that jet to England on Sunday,” Ren told Kat. “You’re right, though. It is a quicker trip from the island to the U.K. but not so much due to the miles. It’s more the fact that you’ll be on a sleek corporate jet that doesn’t have to sit in line. You’d be in the jet set, well and truly.”
He watched her expressive eyes closely, and he could see she was torn. He wouldn’t push. He still had a few days to get her to agree. The seed had been planted. Now, he just had to wait and see if it would grow.
Sonia signaled action once more, and Ren did his best to kiss Kat senseless. It was hard work, but somebody had to do it.
Kat felt a little dizzy when Sonia finally called a halt to the kissing. She was both relieved and disappointed that she wouldn’t be able to go on kissing Ren anymore. Only an hour or so of intermittent kisses, and she was very much afraid that she was already addicted.
Anything she had expected of Ren’s kiss had been grossly mistaken. He kissed even better than he looked, and that was saying something. If she’d been wearing socks, he would’ve knocked them clean off. Her head had spun from the moment he’d touched her, and it had only gotten worse—or better, depending on your point of view—as the kissing had gone on.
She had a quick scene to film that afternoon, where she needed to look a little shell-shocked from the kiss, so she stayed on set when Ren left. Sonia worked with her to get just the shots she wanted, mostly consisting of close-ups. As time passed, Kat felt the reaction high from kissing Ren fade from her body, and by the time she was done filming, she felt almost normal again.
That is, she felt norma
l until she stepped beyond the pool of bright light in front of the cameras and into the darker recesses of the large stone building. Ren was there. Watching from the shadows. The moment she saw him, her body went on high alert, once more.
“Have you been here the whole time?” she asked, surprised as he walked closer to meet her.
He shrugged. “I wanted to see how you were getting along. Looked good to me. Lots of money shots there, if I’m not much mistaken.”
She walked beside him as they headed for the exit at the back of the building. “Really? How can you tell?”
“You get a feel for these things after a few years of doing this,” he replied vaguely. “Sonia was right to cast you in this. The camera loves your face. You’re ridiculously photogenic.”
She laughed and looked over at him as he walked beside her. “Coming from the most photogenic man of his generation, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
He held up one hand palm outward in a sign of denial. “Oh, I can’t take any credit for what other people think. It’s just these peepers that people seem to find interesting.”
“Your eyes?” She was surprised at his humility. “Yeah, they are mesmerizing. Until I met you, I thought maybe there was some photo enhancing going on.”
He shrugged again. “An accident of birth. Not something I can control, really. But they brought me to this career and made me what I am, so I can’t complain.”
He opened the door for her as they went outside, and they both heard Sonia call lunch for the crew at about the same time. He escorted Kat toward the picnic pavilion. She knew the buffet tables would be overrun shortly, if they didn’t get there first. Of course, they were still both in costume, so they’d probably have to detour through the costume trailer before it would be safe to eat.
“Are you hungry?” she asked, then thought better of her words. “What am I saying? You’re always hungry.” She laughed and rolled her eyes at him as she picked up her skirts, preparing to make a dash for the costume trailer. “If we hurry, we might be able to get back to the buffet before everyone else demolishes it.”
“You’re on,” he replied, a smile lighting his face and sparkling in those famous green eyes. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Eleven
Katrina began jogging toward the costume trailer, which was parked on the other side of the picnic pavilion. Ren, politely, didn’t run ahead of her but kept pace solicitously, as if ready to catch her if she fell. Unfortunately, that was an all-too-real possibility, running in a long gown that kept wanting to slide out of her grasp.
She felt younger than she had in a very long time, reaching the trailer out of breath and laughing like a kid. Ren, of course, physical specimen that he was, wasn’t even breathing hard. He went ahead with one of the helpers that would take his costume from him and care for it. There were separate little cubicles for each of them, to give them a little privacy while they changed.
Catching her breath, Katrina went into hers and quickly changed into her own clothes, giving the gorgeous dress to another helper, who would clean it, if necessary, and hang it up for her. She found Ren waiting for her outside, at the steps of the trailer. They’d both changed quickly and were right next to the pavilion, so they were able to get to the buffet before too many of the crew had arrived.
“Good timing,” Ren observed, looking around the pavilion. “You’re faster than I thought you’d be.”
“I’m not exactly sure how to take that,” she quipped, making a face at him, “but if it means we get first pick of lunch, then it has to be a good thing, right?”
“Absolutely right,” he agreed and ushered her to the very short line forming at the end of the buffet line.
Ren handed her a plate, and they both took their choices from the spread in front of them. Ren, she noticed, loaded up with meat, of which there were many varieties. She made herself a decadent salad with hard-boiled egg, chickpeas, cheddar and a dash of ranch dressing. Not quite what she normally ate, but she was done filming for the day, so she felt a little indulgence was in order.
“I see you’re really going to town with that ranch dressing,” Ren observed with a glint of humor in his gaze as he looked at her plate.
They had sat down a table on the outskirts of the pavilion where others could join them, if they wished. As the place filled up, Katrina was sure they’d have company at their table, but for now, they had it all to themselves.
“I honestly don’t know how you eat the way you do and still look as good as you do,” Katrina replied.
Ren puffed out his chest, looking very pleased with himself. “So, you think I look good?”
She punched his shoulder playfully, exasperated. “You know you do. You’ve made a career out of it. But I still don’t get how you—and a lot of the cast and crew—can eat the way you do and not be rotund. If I ate like you guys, I’d explode.”
He laughed, but his eyebrows lowered as he seemed to consider his reply. “There is a reason we’re the way we are,” he told her in a quiet voice. “I just can’t tell you what it is right now. Soon, I promise, okay?”
“Please don’t tell me you’re all on some kind of drug,” she said, putting her fork down, aghast.
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. I promise.” He told her quickly. “If you come to the island this weekend, all will be revealed,” he said, surprising her. “And I promise you we’re not some kind of cult or anything. Or, at least, not much of one.” He laughed at his own words. “No pressure, but if you want to know our secret, there’s your opportunity. Of course, I’m not trying to talk you into anything.”
“What is he not trying to talk you into?” Franny asked as she sat down beside Katrina, placing a heaping plate in front of her.
“Going to Jaguar Island this weekend,” Katrina answered immediately, wondering just how many people constituted the bunch Ren had claimed were going.
For a moment, Franny looked at Ren then shifted her focus back to Katrina. “Well, if Ren invited you, then you really should join us. It’ll be educational, I’m sure. Plus, the island is gorgeous, and Mark and his wife really know how to make invited guests feel welcome.”
Katrina wondered, with an inner spark of humor, how they made uninvited guests feel, but then, she remembered that the Pepards were among the richest people in the world. They probably had bodyguards or even a private army ready to defend their home.
“So, you’re definitely going?” Katrina asked Franny, just to be absolutely certain.
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Franny confirmed. “I think the plane Mark’s sending seats a dozen, at least, and you can bet that every seat will be filled. A lot of us know Mark and never pass up an invitation to hang out on the island. You should come,” Franny enthused. “You’ll love it. I promise.”
Others joined them at the table at that point, all with heaping plates of food. Katrina wanted to take Ren up on his offer just to find out how they managed to eat so much and not gain a pound. Franny announced to their tablemates that Ren had invited Kat to the island, and suddenly, she was subject to a lot of questions and encouragement. A few of the men even slapped Ren on the back, which made little sense to Katrina. It was as if they were congratulating him on something, but if so, she was in the dark.
One and all were friendly toward Katrina and promised she’d have a great time on the island. A few went on to describe the mansion, the lush jungle atmosphere, the warm weather, and the other amenities, all encouraging her to come along with them.
By the time lunch was over, Katrina was leaning mostly toward going on the trip to the island. It would mean not seeing her parents over the weekend, as she’d planned, but this job was really the adventure of a lifetime. She was pretty sure her folks would tell her to go to the island and meet all the famous people, and that she’d be home with them again soon enough.
Honestly, the fact that the movie star Sullivan Lane was going to be there was incredibly tempting. Katrina was a genuine fan and didn’t know if she
’d ever get another chance to meet the highly accomplished actress. Sully, as she was known, had real acting chops. She starred in dramas and period pieces with equal aplomb. She really made you feel what the character was feeling, and after the first scene or two of one of her movies, you forgot you were watching Sullivan Lane and a bunch of other actors, and you really began to believe she was the character she was portraying. She had that knack of drawing the viewer in and making it all believable. It was her gift.
Katrina didn’t pretend to have that kind of talent. She aspired to it, of course, but she didn’t think she’d ever be as good at the craft as Sullivan Lane. Still, to meet her was an incredibly rare opportunity. To meet reclusive billionaire Mark Pepard and his wife was also a rare thing. And, even though she’d spent the morning kissing Ren, being in his company was going to come to an end at some point. She might as well spend what little time they had working together around him as much as she could.
Maybe she’d learn something that would help her acting. He’d already coached her into better performances. She could feel it.
She steadfastly refused to examine the massive crush she’d always had on him that was only getting bigger and more intense the more she was around him. The fact that he was such a great guy—if a bit confusing, at times—was not helping her get over her infatuation. In fact, it was only getting stronger. If she wasn’t very careful, she could find herself madly in love with the guy, which she knew was a road that could only lead to heartbreak.
Ren had never been married. His liaisons had been many and short…and well-publicized. She’d never heard of him hooking up with any of his leading ladies, which was something to be thankful for, she supposed. It would be awful if he took their screen kisses into the personal realm, only to leave her in the dust once the film shoot was over. She would be shattered.
No, Katrina had to guard her heart well around this most dangerous of men.
