Crashing Into Love

by Melissa Foster

  “How bad can it be? It’s dinner at a restaurant.” She’d asked Trace what to expect, and Trace had told her that it would be kind of crazy. That the stars who were in demand—Jake, Zane, and a number of others, as well as Trish as the up-and-comer—would be the center of attention. Fiona had expected that, and she felt secure enough to handle it.

  “Everyone’s there. The press, directors, producers, every cast member. It’s going to be loud, and half the people will be hyping the movie, while the other half will talk about what happens if it bombs.” Worry lines streaked his forehead.

  “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

  He looked away, and Fiona’s stomach sank. She wondered if he was trying to prepare her for another Megan Flexx encounter. He’d received a few sexy texts from women over the past few days, and he’d been honest about who they were. He’d even texted them back explaining that he was off the market. It had seemed a strange way to reference himself. Then again, social circles that revolved around single men and women were often linked to the term meat market.

  And Jake was damn meaty.

  “And…” Jake smiled as he sat up. “You’ll be there looking hotter than hell and men will be ogling you.”

  Fiona climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, relieved that jealousy was his issue and not something more ominous. She didn’t even want to imagine what else it could have been.

  “I have noticed, and it’s not like you have anything to worry about.”

  Jake’s phone vibrated, and she felt his body tense beneath her.

  She slid off his lap. “Go ahead and get it. I need to head back in a sec anyway.”

  “It’s okay.” He reached for her again.

  “Jake, we’ve made it through several sexy texts from women already. I think we’ll be fine.”

  He shook his head and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “I really hate who I was, Fi.”

  “I don’t. Well, I kind of do, but who you were helped you become who you are. Besides, out of all the beautiful women out there, you chose me. I feel special.” His phone vibrated again. “So answer your phone.”

  He sighed and pulled his cell from his pocket. She saw relief in his eyes. “Hey, Em.” He mouthed Emily to Fiona.

  “Really? When are they coming?” Jake pulled Fiona closer as he listened to Emily. “We’ll still be filming, but we could Skype with you.”

  Fiona loved hearing him say we.

  “Me and Fiona.” He held the phone away from his head.

  Fiona heard Emily squeal. Jake cringed; Fiona laughed. She heard Emily talking a mile a minute.

  Jake handed her the phone. “Chick stuff.”

  She pressed the phone to her ear. “Hi, Emily. It’s Fiona. Your brother relinquished the phone. How are you?”

  “Oh my God. Fiona. You guys are really together!” She spoke so fast that Fiona couldn’t help but laugh. “I knew he wasn’t over you. I knew you were meant for each other. I knew it. I’m so happy.”

  “So are we, Emily. Thank you.”

  Jake lay back on the blanket and rested his forearm over his eyes, keeping one hand on Fiona’s thigh.

  “I called to tell Jake our cousins Shannon and Sam are coming into town. We were hoping he could come home to see them. We haven’t seen them in years. But he said he’s still going to be filming, but you could Skype with us.”

  “Sure. Just let us know when and we’ll make sure we’re around.” Speaking of themselves as a couple felt really good. As if he was thinking the same thing, Jake squeezed her leg.

  “Okay. Hey, I have to run. Dae and I are meeting Ross and Elisabeth at the movies.” Emily gasped. “Oh my gosh! I just realized that when Jake does visit again, maybe you’ll be with him and we can double date.”

  Fiona loved that idea so much she couldn’t stop grinning after they ended the call.

  Jake slid his arm away from his eyes and smiled up at her. “You realize all of Trusty will know about us in about seven minutes, right?”

  “The Trusty grapevine is pretty rabid.” Not that she minded at all.

  Jake grinned. “The Trusty grapevine has nothing on Emily.”

  “Is that why you brought me into the conversation? I see. First you alert the paparazzi; now you alert Emily, Trusty’s equivalent of the paparazzi. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to send some kind of message.”

  He swept her beneath him. “I am. Loud and clear. Fiona Steele is now off the market.”

  Boy, do I like the sound of that.

  Chapter Sixteen

  LATER THAT EVENING, Fiona stood in Trish’s hotel room in a designer black strapless cocktail dress, astounded at her reflection in the mirror, while the makeup artist Shea had arranged for them added the finishing touches to Trish’s makeup.

  “You’re hot, Fi,” Trish said. “Isn’t she hot, Javier?”

  Javier, the makeup artist, turned with an eyeliner pencil in his hand, pursed his thin lips, which matched his pencil-thin, skinny-jeans-clad body, and ran scrutinizing eyes over Fiona. Her stomach quivered under his assessing gaze.

  “Honey, Jake Braden isn’t going to know what hit him. With those smoky eyes and crimson lips that look like they were made for kissing? Mm-mm-mm. The man will be in heaven.” Javier turned his attention back to Trish. “And you’re going to have all those other men lining up for your attention, sugar.”

  “Thanks, Javier, but I’m not on the hunt for a man. I just want to make it through this production without anyone hating me.” Trish waved Fiona over to her. “Can you FaceTime Shea? I promised she’d get to see us.”

  “Yeah, of course. I forgot she flew back to New York last night. I’ll use your laptop because it has a bigger screen.” Fiona connected FaceTime on the laptop and called Shea. The side of Shea’s head filled the screen.

  “Hold on.” Shea must have set the phone down, because her camera was pointing at the ceiling. “I’m just finishing up a draft contract. Hold on one sec.” A minute later Shea picked up the phone. Her eyes widened as Fiona twirled in her dress. “Fi! Oh my God! Look at you! You look like you belong on the red carpet.”

  “I don’t know about that, but Javier worked wonders, didn’t he?”

  Shea smiled. “You really do look amazing. You’ll be the prettiest one there tonight.”

  “Ahem,” Trish said loudly.

  “Oh, let me turn the laptop. You have to see Trish. She’s wearing an emerald-green dress that she had to paint on, and Javier did something awesome to her eyes that really brings out the green.”

  “I love your technical terms.” Javier finished with Trish’s makeup and touched his spiky black hair. “Awesomeness abounds, Shea. How are you, love?”

  “I’m excited for them,” Shea answered. “Thank you for everything, Javier. Is Mikaela still there?” Mikaela was the hairdresser Shea had sent over.

  “Mikaela had to leave,” Fiona answered. “But she was also amazing. Look what she did to my hair. It’s never been this shiny or this full.” Fiona turned slowly so Shea could see the fullness and curl at the ends of her long dark hair.

  “Gorgeous. Listen, Fi, I know I’m not your PR person, but I want to give you some advice.” Shea’s tone was so serious that Fiona’s smile faltered.

  “Okay.”

  “I know you’re not used to any of this, but you need to act like you are, at least in front of the cameras. For Jake’s sake, and for yours. Smile, keep your head up high, and no matter what happens, don’t let anything but a smile show on your face.”

  “No pressure or anything, right?” Fiona couldn’t imagine that she wouldn’t be smiling all night, even if she was nervous.

  “What I mean is, there will be people all over and eyes on you every second of the night. So, you know, if you scratch your nose, that’s the moment they’ll snap the pictures, so just be aware.”

  Fiona sighed. “That’s a lot of pressure.”

  “You’ll be fine. Just keep these in mind.�
�� Shea turned her phone toward her computer screen, where she had the photos from the paparazzi ambush of Jake and Fiona as her screensaver.

  “Aw, Fi. I love the way he’s looking at you. I’ll never get enough of those pictures. We should print them and blow them up really big.” Trish touched her shoulder.

  “That man, he has it bad,” Javier said as he gathered his things. “I’d give anything for Jake Braden to look at me like that.” He winked, and they laughed. “Okay, ladies. Remember, no touching your hair or faces. No wiping your eyes, so no crying tears of joy, either.” He leaned in between Trish and Fiona and whispered, “And only air kisses until you’re far away from photographers.”

  They thanked Javier and listened to a litany of directions from Shea about holding their shoulders back, sucking in their nonexistent stomachs—because the camera adds ten pounds—and other things that made Fiona ten times more nervous than she had been before talking to her.

  After they ended the call, Trish opened her mini-fridge and handed Fiona a bottle of Scotch and opened one herself.

  “We need a drink. You’re so nervous you’ve gone green.”

  “Green?”

  “Kidding. Drink up.”

  They clinked bottles and downed the liquor.

  Fiona cringed at the burning liquid sliding down her throat. “How do people drink that? It’s nasty.”

  “Liquid courage, my dear. You’ll feel better in a few minutes.” She tossed the empty bottles in the trash and turned to answer the knock at the door.

  “It’s him.” Fiona’s stomach flipped.

  “Of course it’s him. I don’t have a date, remember?” Trish opened the door and stepped to the side with a dramatic sweep of her arm. “Mr. Braden, won’t you come in?”

  Fiona’s heart was beating triple time as Jake stepped into the room in a dark suit that looked as if it were made for him. She’d seen him dressed up in magazines, but it had been years since she’d seen him all gussied up in person for their high school prom. He’d been handsome then, but wow! Back then she couldn’t imagine anyone looking more handsome. Now she realized how very wrong she’d been. Jake had filled out in all the right places, and although she’d already tasted, touched, and savored his delicious, naked body, there was something about seeing him in a suit that made her blood boil. She couldn’t tear her eyes away.

  “You look beautiful, Trish.”

  “Thank you.” Trish closed the door behind him.

  Jake’s eyes locked on Fiona as he crossed the room and placed his hand on her lower back, kissing her cheek.

  “You look ravishing,” he whispered. “Can’t I just take you home instead of going to dinner?”

  Her whole body heated up.

  “Okay, whatever you just said made the poor girl blush all over.” Trish laughed.

  Jake lifted Fiona’s chin and kissed her softly on the lips. “Well?”

  Fiona shook her head and smiled. “You can’t miss your big night.” She reached for Trish’s hand. “And I don’t want to miss your big night or Trish’s big night.”

  “You’ll have plenty of fooling-around time afterward.” Trish rolled her eyes. “Are you filming this weekend?”

  “They may need to do one scene, but as of right now, no.” Jake’s eyes ran between the two women. “Trish, do you want to ride with us? I’m sorry. I should have offered before now. That wasn’t very thoughtful of me.”

  Fiona felt her heart squeeze. He might not have thought of it earlier, but the fact that he was thinking of it now meant the world to her.

  “No, thank you. I promised myself that I’d show up alone. I’m making a statement.”

  “You are?” Fiona asked.

  “Yes, in all the years I’ve been acting, I’ve never gone to an event alone, and I think the world looks at actresses as always needing a man on their arm.” Trish smoothed her dress, stood up straighter, and drew her shoulders back. “I’m smart and secure and I want to arrive alone and smile so everyone knows it.”

  “I never knew you were such a feminist.” Fiona laced her fingers with Jake’s.

  “I’m impressed,” Jake said. “I don’t know many actresses who would show up alone to an event.”

  “Thank you.” Trish reached for Fiona’s free hand. “Help me with my hair?”

  Fiona wrinkled her brow. Your hair?

  “Mm-hmm.” Trish grabbed her hand. “Jake, we’ll be right back.” She dragged Fiona into the bathroom and closed the door behind them, leaning against it and breathing hard.

  “I don’t want to go alone. I’m never nervous going to events when I have a date, and tonight I feel like I’m red-carpet-for-the-first-time nervous,” Trish admitted.

  “Wow, you are? You just blew me away out there.” Fiona shook her head.

  “I was acting. I’m good, right?” Trish managed a partial smile.

  “You’re spectacular, and you’re coming with us.” Fiona embraced her.

  “I can’t do that. This is your date. I think I can handle it alone. Just tell me I’ll be fine. Tell me that acting is easy and that’s what I need to do tonight. It’s stupid that I’m nervous. I’ve gone to a bazillion events.”

  “No way. Who cares how many events you’ve gone to? Come with us. Jake won’t mind, and we can lean on each other. I’m nervous, too.”

  “You sure?” Trish asked with a furrowed brow.

  “Of course.”

  “You don’t think I’m lame? I’m always the one who’s strong.”

  “Well, tonight I’ll be strong and you can be the beautiful actress who is secure enough to show up without a date and with a best friend and her boyfriend in tow.”

  A smile spread across Trish’s lips. “Boyfriend.” She clutched Fiona’s hands.

  “I know!”

  They wiggled their shoulders and hips and grinned like silly kids doing a happy dance, then both inhaled a loud breath and blew it out. They drew their shoulders back and put their game faces—or rather, adult faces—on.

  “Ready?” Fiona asked.

  “Let’s do this.”

  JAKE AND FIONA sat across from Trish in the back of the limousine. Jake held Fiona’s hand while she fidgeted with the edge of her fancy black dress. Her legs looked a mile long in a pair of black spiky heels, and no matter how much Jake tried to distract himself, he couldn’t help but envision her legs wrapped around his waist, spiky heels and all.

  He tried to push away the dirty thoughts, knowing they’d be barraged by cameras in mere minutes, not to mention that Trish was sitting across from them looking like she was about to go to war. He touched Fiona’s cheek, bringing her eyes to his. The dark eye shadow she had on made her look even more alluring. He wanted to see her beautifully coiffed hair spread across his pillow as he loved her senseless. He didn’t give a damn about the cast dinner, but Luce, his public-relations rep, had given him hell about the paparazzi stunt he’d pulled last week and made him promise to behave tonight.

  He knew the rules of the celebrity lifestyle, and although he sometimes liked to break them, he knew that being with Fiona tonight would bring her further into his world. And he wanted that in a bad way. He wanted her to be comfortable in his world and to be seen with him wherever he went. He knew Fiona was nervous tonight, and he focused on making her feel at ease.

  “You two look gorgeous,” he said sincerely.

  Trish looked up at him through thick lashes. “Thank you. It’s crazy that I was nervous to go alone, wasn’t it?”

  “The first time I went to a cast dinner, I was alone, and I felt like I was going to be sick. Then I realized that everyone there was just a normal person. Like me and you.” Jake draped an arm over Fiona’s shoulder and hoped that she was hearing everything he was saying. He knew that Trish could handle herself, but he didn’t want to direct all of his advice to Fiona, for fear of making her even more nervous. “Everyone will be two sheets to the wind by the time we arrive, and they’ll carry on about the movie like it’s going to be the
best one yet. And it might. But they’re no different from the people Fiona works with. They just think they are.”

  Trish shifted her eyes to Fiona, as if she was hoping Fiona was listening, too. “Somehow I don’t think they’re just like Clark or Joe.”

  “Clark and Joe are two of the scientists I work with. They’re pretty…scientisty. You know, quiet, serious,” Fiona explained.

  “Don’t knock nerds,” Jake said. “You know I have an engineering degree.” Jake’s mother had insisted that he get a college degree as a backup plan to his stuntman career, and he remembered Fiona once telling him that his intelligence was the second thing that had attracted her to him. The first being the way he’d looked at her when she was a teenager—like no one else existed.

  “You are the sexiest nerd I’ve ever met.” Fiona leaned over and kissed him, then glanced at Trish. “Well, the sexiest male nerd. Trish is the sexiest female nerd. In fact, you guys should make a new Revenge of the Nerds movie and show them how unnerdy nerds can be.”

  They rode in silence for a beat, and then Fiona said, “Nice try, but I’m still nervous.”

  He smiled in a way he hoped was reassuring. “I’ll be right there with you. Think of it as having dinner with a bunch of really loud friends. Celebrities are regular people; they just have more exposure than other people.”

  Fiona shook her head. “Sorry, but Steven Hileberg is not a regular person. Zane Walker is not a regular person. You’re not a regular person.” She fidgeted with her dress. “Before I came here, I kept telling myself that you were just a regular guy. The same guy you were in Trusty, but, Jake, you’re anything but that guy. You’re a star.”

  Jake grinned. “That’s just my job. What does that have to do with anything?”

  The limousine parked in front of the restaurant.