by C. J. Thomas
I smiled. “I’m good.”
“I suppose sleeping during the duration of the class would do that.” His gaze traveled the length of me.
“I was listening.” I weaved my fingers together and held my hands down in front of me. “I swear.” I cocked my head to the side, playing cute.
“I know.” He winked. “And you’re doing an excellent job.”
I rolled my eyes and glanced back at Val, still standing at the top of the stairs.
“Really, Alex.” He reached out and grabbed my shoulder. “I want you to know how much I appreciate all the hard work you’re putting in to make this work.”
My ears burned hot at the embarrassment I felt.
Yes, I was giving it my all, Professor Fields was right about that. But Nash had me wrapped around his finger and made sure that I did what he said. And if I followed through, he’d move me up in the industry. At this point, I wasn’t sure if hard work mattered anymore. My future was in Nash’s hands.
“I hear that Brooks is keeping the Assistant Director spot open. Is that true?”
A loud bang hit the floor at the top of the stairs. I turned to find Val shrugging her shoulders in apology. “Oops. Dropped my books.”
My eyes narrowed and I turned back to Fields.
He waved up at her and smiled.
I was certain she did that on purpose. Like she was listening to my conversation and didn’t want me to know about the opening next to Nash. And knowing her, she probably thought I was brown-nosing just to get one leg up on her.
“So, is it true?” My thumb hooked the shoulder strap of my shoulder bag and I tightened my grip.
Fields looked at me for a minute without saying a word and I watched as his face went pale.
I wondered why he didn’t want me to know about this. He was the first to let me in on anything as soon as it hit his desk. “You know he made me clean Moran’s trailer?”
He dropped his head and stroked the stubble sprouting on his chin. “I didn’t hear that.”
“I’m better than that. We both know that. I’ve done everything I’ve been asked to do.” When I blinked, I held my eyes shut for a second longer than normal. It was important I didn’t lose my cool. There was nothing worse than an entitled young adult.
When I opened my eyes, he smiled. It was tiny and closed mouth, but his eyes were crinkled enough to make me believe that he believed, and knew, that what I was saying was true.
“Keep doing what you’re doing and it will all work out.”
I nodded.
“You look great, by the way.” His eyes fell across my skirt.
“Thanks.” I liked the way my new clothes made me feel. Kendra promised this outfit would be perfect for bar fucking—I wouldn’t even have to take it off to get laid—and free drinks. But that wasn’t why I bought it. I liked it because it made me feel sexy and empowered, just as all women should feel.
I turned and watched Professor Fields tell Val to have a good afternoon, and I moved up the stairs in her direction.
Kendra never asked how I could afford this skirt. It hadn’t occurred to me how I’d tell Kendra I now had money, either.
When I reached the top of the steps, Val had her lips pursed together, kissing the air. I glared at her straight on.
“Better practice kissing ass because that’s the only way you’re going to beat me out of the Assistant Director chair.”
I didn’t bother to stop. She wasn’t worth my time.
And I was really starting to hate her.
22
Nash
I LIFTED my wrist and looked at my watch.
The diamonds glittered beneath the florescent lighting and the time was getting close. Class would be over any minute now.
My thigh hit the corner of the desk as I moved behind it.
I opened another drawer, surprised that none of them were locked, and proceeded to finger through a dozen folders—searching.
Everything inside me said that he knew about the money. The way he acted on set, letting his eyes roam to the same dark corners I found myself drawn to—everything.
My fingers crawled to the back of the drawer.
Nothing.
Each folder appeared to be filled with syllabi, tests, and lecture notes. All worthless to me and what I was after.
I sat back up, listening to the leather seat crumble beneath my own weight, and drummed my fingers on the armrest as I thought about where any clues might be found.
Where would Ted keep notes?
I continued my search on top of the desk, going straight for the notepad next to the phone.
It was blank.
I pinched the corner of the pad between my fingers, tore the top paper free, and held it up to the light. The last thing he’d scribbled down would be pressed into the pad.
Maybe Wes had called him and he’d written something down.
There was something about dinner, a time, but it was impossible for me to see with who or where. Probably nothing worth digging into. Ted was single and spent his evenings frequently socializing. This could be anything and completely unrelated.
I sighed and knew that I was running out of time.
If Ted knew what it was I was looking for, what it was I thought maybe he had the key to, or if I accused him of lying, he’d certainly lose his trust in me.
But we went back. Had a history. It wasn’t all that unusual for him to find me lounging on his futon sofa, waiting to steal some of his time after he was finished lecturing. I could easily talk my way out of this one if I was caught.
Except that Alex was nearby.
Because of her, I wasn’t supposed to be here. Not with his warning for me to stay away from her. That was my real reason for stopping by the school today. And when I found them still in class, I thought I might as well kill two birds with one stone—surprise Alex, and see if my suspicions about Ted knowing anything about the missing Blake-Stone-money might be true.
I leaned back in his executive chair and laced my fingers on top of my head.
My eyes scanned over each of his walls. They were all covered in diplomas, awards, and photos—him with students, celebrities, and famous movie and TV producers. It spoke volumes about the man he was and the career he had.
Ted was well accomplished, but he could have had so much more.
It was a shame, really. Having the kind of talent he did all get wasted on academics. Instead of his name in the credits, right next to mine, he devoted much of his time to the teaching of the craft.
There wasn’t anything wrong with it. I just never understood it.
Where he liked to stand behind a podium, I liked to play in the trenches and surround myself in the vices that gave Hollywood its magnetic name.
I leaned forward and started sliding papers across his desk. With each piece I moved, I made a mental note of how and where they were arranged so I could put them back in their exact same location without him ever knowing I’d been snooping around his desk.
It was all about covering my tracks.
Backstabbing, deceit, lies, bribes, and the whole nine yards. That was what defined this town. The good, bad, and certainly the ugly. Anything to get ahead.
Even if we considered ourselves friends.
If Wes did in fact let him in on what he implied to me, then it would be here. Inside Ted’s office. Somewhere. Just one little clue. These walls were his home away from home and where he spent the majority of his day.
I searched while keeping my ears perked and my eyes glancing to the office door.
It wasn’t like I needed the money.
Fuck. I had enough of that.
My net worth could feed millions and was more than several small developing nations combined.
No.
Money was just a number—a very large number—sitting in my back account.
All ones and zeros.
Sure, it allowed me to have a gigantic mansion in the Hills—much too large for just myself. Because
of my success, I owned second and third homes in some of our country’s most desirable locations. And continuing right on down that list, I also had a private jet, all the cars I could have ever wanted, and plenty of stuff I didn’t need but purchased anyway just to let others know that I was filthy fucking rich from the movies I’d made.
My ego was as big as my cock.
For me, finding this missing money first was about staying ahead and getting my hands on it before Wes.
Plus, $250,000 would throw one hell of party, I laughed.
My gaze cast down and the moment I saw her name, my face zipped tight.
I pulled the paper from the middle of the pile.
I scanned it.
It was about Alex.
She needed a recommendation. Needed money. Had a goal to produce a small, low-budget film. She’s applied for grants and venture capital to make it a reality. Planned to do it quick. She’d written the script and everything.
Now that would be a nice party. I took my eyes off her paper and glanced at the door.
Down the hall, I heard it come alive with conversation. Class was finished.
In one motion, I pulled out my phone and swiped it alive. I took several quick photos of Alex’s paper and made sure to include Ted’s notes on her.
I’ll need this for later.
She wouldn’t need grants, seed capital, or Ted.
All she needed was me.
23
Alex
HE CAME out of nowhere and pulled me into his arms.
I hadn’t even had time to digest my conversation with Professor Fields. And not to mention Val, who was probably waiting outside to fill my ear with more of her bullshit.
“Nash!”
He tugged my arm and led my down a side hallway.
“What are you doing here?”
He quickened his pace.
I tripped over my own feet, struggling to keep up with his swift movements down the hall.
He didn’t answer my question. Ignored me completely.
We passed a couple students walking in the opposite direction and I wondered if they recognized Nash’s face.
He had his dark tinted sunglasses down over his eyes and was dressed in a blue striped suit that not only hugged him in all the right places, but also made him look like the $10,000 I was sure it cost him.
My skirt rose off my thighs as he tightened his grip around my wrist and pulled me into the men’s bathroom. “Nash. What the fuck?”
He spun me across the floor and pushed me into the far corner against the sink counter. He held his finger up to his lips and shushed me quiet. Then, one-by-one, he opened each stall, checking for possible intruders.
The bathroom was empty.
“You could have just called.” I smoothed out my eyebrows, suddenly feeling self-conscious that I wasn’t sexy enough for him.
He locked the entrance door, turned on a dime, and marched straight for me.
My breath hitched when he squeezed my cheeks tight, his dark eyes darting across me. And just like that, there was a swamp pooling between my thighs.
“You look amazing.” His hand released its hold on my cheeks and brushed over my jawline before coming to rest around my neck like a collar.
I swallowed the knot forming in my throat.
And just when I thought he was going to kiss me, he spun me around and bent me over the countertop, checking the skirt’s tag. “How much did you pay for this skirt?”
“How much did you pay for your suit?” I asked, staring at his hungry gaze devouring my backside.
His hand raised above his head as he flung my skirt up over my lower back.
Then he spanked me. “How much?”
“Eight-hundred dollars.” The corners of my eyes pooled with tears at the shame I felt for spending so much money on a stupid skirt.
He smiled. “Not bad.”
My face lifted to see his reflection in the mirror.
“But you can do better.” He massaged my ass before pulling my panties to the side.
Heat spilled across my face as his thick fingers spread my folds.
“I thought I made myself clear.” He plunged his fingers deep inside me.
“You did,” I cried out.
“Then why haven’t you shaved?”
“I will.” I bit my bottom lip when he curled his finger deep against my walls. “I need more time,” I whimpered in sweet agony.
“When I tell you to do something, I expect you to do it.” He increased the speed at which his fingers were lunging in and out of me.
My heart beat wild against my chest. I was about to come. Hard and fierce. I squeezed my eyes shut, letting him spin my world into another earth-shattering climax.
And just when I was about to release, he pulled away.
“You disobeyed my instruction.”
My head spun around as I pleaded with him to push me over the edge. “I’m sorry. Today. I was planning to do it today. Nash, I was so close. You can’t do this to me.”
He gripped my elbow and twisted me around so fast, I was facing him before I even knew what he’d done.
His carnivorous gaze fell to my lips.
His mouth was so close to mine; I could have craned my neck, tilted my head, and kissed him myself. “Please, Nash. Finish what you started. Don’t tease me like that.”
He shook his head. “No. I don’t reward that kind of behavior.” He stood and pushed me down to my knees. “Unbuckle my belt and open my pants.”
My fingers worked fast. His bulge pressed hard against his zipper and when I pulled his pants down, his cock sprang free.
“Suck it.”
My tongue wet my lips.
He held his shaft at the base and circled my wet lips with its purple head. Then he pushed it past my plump lips, sliding it back and across the roof of my mouth.
I’d never given head to someone of his size. And it was a bit frightening to know that he was going to want me to swallow as much of him as I possibly could.
He pulled out.
I took a breath.
He slid back in.
My cheeks hollowed and my tongue flattened.
He pushed further inside.
He tasted like the ocean, and when his pre-cum hit my tongue, it was a saltwater taffy flavor that drew my nipples tight.
“Open wider.”
My jaw was already stretched as much as it could.
“This is your punishment.” He held his cock straight. “Now, open wider.”
My eyes teared and a sharp pain rippled over my jaw muscles as I did what he told me to do.
He gripped my head with both his hands and thrust into me quick and hard. With each lunge, his cock hit the back of my throat.
I gagged.
My eyes watered.
And I took the punishment like the responsible woman I knew I needed to be.
“Fuck. That’s it. Right there.” He thrust harder; clamped his fingers on my skull tighter. And a second later he roared through his release, shooting it down my throat.
I licked him until he went limp.
My knees hurt from crouching on the tile floor for far longer than what would have been considered comfortable. And finally, he pulled away, leaving me to wipe my mouth dry as he zipped himself back up.
He pulled out a business card and left it on the sink counter. “Here are my digits.”
I smoothed down the front of my skirt.
He walked to the door. “Put it in your cell. I’ll be calling you soon.” He stopped to look over his shoulder. “And I want that pussy shaved.”
24
Nash
“I HAD a feeling I might be seeing you sooner rather than later.”
I didn’t bother turning around to greet Ted. Even with my brief distraction with Alex, I still beat him back to his office.
He stepped forward and stood by my side. “She was promising.”
We both took a moment of silence to study the photograph.
&n
bsp; Ted’s expression was flat. And I had a dullness in my chest that took me back to that point in my life—when I was with her.
No doubt. She was incredibly promising for such a young woman.
The photograph was of her and Ted. She was one of his students. An intern. And, indeed, a very intelligent, motivated, young woman who I couldn’t keep my hands off of.
Ted turned to look at me but I didn’t bother to meet his gaze.
Her long, straight blonde hair was pulled back tight into a ponytail and it wasn’t difficult for me to remember how her silky strands felt between my fingers. Her breasts tempted me even now, after all this time, poking through her shirt, screaming for me to press them together.
And those lips.
God, those hot pink lips.
I remembered the first time I kissed those lips. They were incredible. And if Alex didn’t just suck me off, I would probably be painfully hard as memories of my old life came rushing back to the foreground.
“Wouldn’t you agree?” Ted’s voice hardened and rose up a notch.
There was no way I was going to take the bait. I knew what it was he was trying to lure me into. He’d never forgive me for her disappearance.
“Now, with her gone,” Ted turned back to face the photograph, “the industry is left to wonder what kind of impact she would have made if only you didn’t do what you did.”
My brow quivered in a pained expression.
He slapped the center of my back—hard—acting like he could feel the anguish I was feeling, too.
My chin dropped slightly and I closed my eyes when he turned to skirt around his desk.
“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think how things would have been different if I’d never put her on your set.”
I swallowed down the tight knot forming in my throat.
He was right.
I’d pushed her too far.
It was a mistake.
I knew it better than anybody.
She wasn’t ready for the aggressive sex life I introduced her to. Because of me, she was no longer here. No one felt worse about what happened than I did.
“Nash.”
I turned on a heel.
Ted leaned back in his chair and gave me a stern look. “Don’t make the same mistake with Alex.”
