To Paige’s relief, Kris straightened in her chair and took control of the meeting. “Gentleman, I need to speak with my client. Would you mind if we took a little break?”
Both men seemed relieved, and they all stood, Paige and Kris excusing themselves to the ladies’ room. Paige freshened her makeup while Kris returned a few texts. When the older woman was finished, she tucked her phone back in her handbag and leaned against one of the sinks.
“Talk to me, Paige. Tell me what’s going on in that brilliant writer’s brain of yours.”
Rubbing her temple where a headache was forming, Paige wasn’t sure Kris was going to want to hear it.
“I’m frustrated,” she finally confessed. “I feel like I’ve been lured to New York on false pretenses. They know what I want and they acted like everything was great but it wasn’t. They’re taking advice from Stella Riley of all people. Do you think one of them is dating her? Then they sprung this shit about Nate on me at the last minute. I’m pissed off, I guess.”
“They never mentioned it to me either,” Kris said with a harassed sigh. “I’m as angry as you are because these guys know better, but they’re trying to take advantage of you. They think you want this movie more than you want control, but I think they’re wrong.”
This was why Kris was Paige’s agent. She understood. “They are wrong. I’d rather not do this at all if it can’t be done my way. I’ve heard too many authors lamenting what Hollywood did to their books. I don’t need the money or fame and frankly, I don’t need the hassle. Anyone who would do this isn’t someone I want to trust with Flynn.”
Kris gave her a shrewd look. “And Nate? Is he a deal breaker?”
Lifting her chin, Paige nodded. “If they don’t want him, they don’t want me. He and I are a team and we’re going to make this movie together. We’ve talked for hours about what we want to do, and we’ve made so many plans. I won’t sell him down the river because these two guys can’t see any farther than their own hands. If they want the books so bad, there has to be others out there that also want them.”
“Maybe. Are you prepared to walk away knowing that this movie might never be made?”
She didn’t even have to think about it.
“Yes,” she stated, putting every ounce of certainty she could into her answer so there would be no question in Kris’s mind. “I’m prepared to do that without an ounce of regret. Are you angry with me?”
Kris laughed and checked her hair in the mirror. “You mean am I going to miss the huge commission that I would get for selling this to Hollywood? Of course, but I have to say that I admire your intestinal fortitude. You know what you want, Paige, and you’re not afraid to do the hard stuff to make it happen.”
That’s where Kris had it wrong. Putting Nate in the role and making this movie with him was the easiest thing Paige had ever done. This wasn’t about love, although she did love him more than she’d ever imagined. This was about Nate Mason being the perfect person to play Flynn and direct this film. It was more a business decision than anything although she was sure no one was going to see it that way.
“I know what I want,” Paige said. “I was happy before all of this movie talk and I’ll be happy if it all goes away.”
Or better yet, find someone else to help them bankroll the movie.
“I’m not giving up,” Kris warned her. “Let’s go in there and see if we can make it happen.”
It was clear Burt and Ernie had also spent their break retrenching and they weren’t inclined to budge. But it also became clear to Paige that the two executives thought this was simply a bargaining tool she was using and not a deeply held belief. They were destined to be disappointed.
“I just can’t see Nate Mason in that role,” Burt said, his hands folded on the table. “We can’t go forward with him as part of this project.”
Paige shot Kris a quick glance before replying in case the other woman wanted to do the talking, but she nodded in acceptance that this was her client’s show.
“I think you need to know that I am prepared to walk away from this deal if my choice cannot be accommodated.” She turned to Kris. “Is there anything left to discuss?”
The agent shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. “No, not really. I think we’re done here.”
Paige turned back to the two men who had both gone quite pale. “It appears we have nothing left to say. Thank you for your time, gentleman.”
She and Kris began to rise and the execs seemed to wake up from whatever stupor had come over them. Both men waved her back in her seat but she decided to remain standing until she heard what they had to say.
Burt spoke first. “You can’t walk away from a deal this big.”
They didn’t want to negotiate. They simply couldn’t believe she was walking away from millions. She already had money and she didn’t spend all that much. What she wanted was to see her work on the screen, but she wasn’t going to trust just anyone to do it.
She relaxed and smiled for the first time that day. The conversation was over and she had nothing to be concerned about. She wouldn’t be making a movie with these men. Thank goodness.
“Actually, I can.”
Turning on the heel of her black pump, she walked out of the conference room after shaking their hands, taking a deep breath of relief. She hadn’t had the best vibe from them but if they’d given her what she’d wanted she would have signed. Now she didn’t have to wonder if she’d done the right thing. She knew she had.
Kris didn’t speak until they were in the elevator. “I think you just shocked the ever loving shit out of them. I doubt they get turned down much.”
“Then it was time,” Paige said proudly. “I don’t have any regrets. I did the right thing. I could tell they wanted to turn my book into a Hollywood disaster just from the ideas they floated. By the way, thanks for that. You know, in there. Backing me up. I know you worked on hard on this and I don’t want you to think I’m not grateful.”
The doors of the elevator slid open and they exited into the large lobby. “I’ll be honest with you, I almost tried to talk you into it. But then I realized you were truly fine if the movie wasn’t made. And I have to admit it was fun to walk out like that. They looked positively sick.”
There was just one thing Paige needed to make sure of before she let Kris go back to her office.
“Can I ask you a favor?”
“Sure, what can I do for you?”
Paige ran her fingers through her tangled locks. “Don’t tell Nate about today. He doesn’t need to know that the execs didn’t want him or that Stella stuck her nose in this. He’s had enough of a smackdown to his ego lately. No need to make it any worse.”
“No problem. Honestly, Ellis and Thorpe aren’t going to be running to the press to tell them they lost the book because a little slip of an author wouldn’t play ball. They’re going to pretend it was all their idea and that they changed their minds. Only you and I will know the truth. But what are you planning to tell Nate?”
“I’ll just tell them they couldn’t accommodate my vision for the movie which is the truth. Keep it vague. If he asked more specific questions, I’ll tell him about the script they wanted and the locations. That was horrifying enough.”
Paige followed Kris out of the high rise and onto the busy sidewalk. Her agent turned to leave and then paused, swiveling back. “If you’re having second thoughts, I can go right back upstairs and talk to them. You don’t even have to go. I’ll do all the groveling. You’ve worked so hard and I just want you to have what you want.”
It was sweet of Kris but Paige was just as sure now as she was ten minutes ago.
“I wouldn’t do anything different. I have no regrets then or now.”
Kris pulled her into a big hug, unexpected behavior from the savvy agent, before heading down the sidewalk to her Fifth Avenue office. “I wish I could clone you a dozen times. Tell Nate I said hi.”
Paige – and Nate – would find a way to make
this movie. Their way.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Early morning sunlight filtered through a crack in the drapes. A quick glance at the bedside clock told Paige it was barely seven in the morning. They had flown back to London from New York yesterday and she was feeling every bit of the jet lag. She wasn’t someone who jumped out of bed all smiles ready for the day like Nate but for some reason she was wide awake with no hope of going back to sleep. Her mind was already whirling, thoughts and emotions making it hard to drift back to dreamland. A new book was beginning to take shape and her imagination wasn’t going to let her rest easily until she put it on paper.
She sat up carefully, not wanting to wake Nate and allowed herself the luxury of looking at him. Really looking. He was so full of energy, like a little puppy, that he rarely stood still. At this moment he was at peace, his expression one of sweet repose.
With his mouth open – snoring and drooling.
Okay, he wasn’t the most serene of sleepers, but he was all hers. Her gaze started at the top of his head and those adorable curls that she loved to run her fingers through. Nate would joke that she needed to be careful or his hairline would recede even farther. She didn’t care about his hairline or if he was completely bald. He’d be just as beautiful either way.
Her fingers itched to trace the elegant lines of his face – his nose, his scruff covered chin, and those impossibly high cheekbones. His head was turned to the side so the cords of his neck were exposed, his Adam’s apple tempting her to kiss or nibble. She restrained herself and let her gaze wander lower.
His lean but muscular torso, his flat male nipples that she’d traced with her tongue so many times. And those abs. Sweet baby Jesus, she wanted to lick every ridge of his stomach and then follow that treasure trail…
Ooooh! What do we have here?
Nate’s morning wood didn’t have a damn thing to do with her but that didn’t mean she couldn’t give him a lovely wake up call.
Easing the sheet down, she licked her lips at the bounty she’d exposed. He was long, thick, and half-erect. She could work with that. Bracing her weight on her palms, she leaned down to give the head a lick, then swirled her tongue around and around before sliding down and then up. He let out a grunt but didn’t wake and she watched in fascination as his cock grew longer and harder before her eyes.
She wrapped one hand around the base and her mouth around the head, moving them in unison as the fingers of her other hand played with his balls, already pulled tight to his body. This wasn’t going to take long.
Flicking her tongue, she tightened her lips determined to make him come even as his hips lifted up from the mattress and he pushed deeper into her mouth, nudging at the back of her throat. He was moaning now, his fingers tangled in her hair, and guiding her exactly where he wanted her to be. Even half asleep, the British bastard had to be in control of their sex life. Luckily she was happy to let him do it.
“Baby,” he choked out. “I’m going to–”
Of course he was. That was the whole point of this. She doubled her efforts and he thrust faster, his breathing more like gasps. With one last final stroke he pushed himself deeply into her mouth, his entire body bowed and tensed as his hot seed hit the back of her throat.
The one thing that she loved was watching his face as he orgasmed, his cock buried in her mouth. His eyes were squeezed shut, his head thrown back, his teeth gritted together as a string of expletives fell from his lips. Nate could talk dirty with the best of them but his language took a real turn for the gutter when she gave him head. If he’d been awake the entire time, he would have been talking nasty to her and loving every minute of it. She’d never known anyone who could mix Shakespeare with limericks from Nantucket, but he could.
Wiping her chin, she slid up beside him as he struggled to catch his breath. He finally opened his eyes and a grin spread across his face.
“That was quite a wakeup call, love. What did I do to deserve that?”
His long arms enfolded her, his chin resting on the top of her head while his fingers began caressing her spine. It appeared he had more on his mind than a morning run.
“Just being you,” she replied cheekily, pressing a kiss to his chest. “Isn’t that enough?”
“I won’t argue. When a day begins like that, you know it’s going to be a good one.”
Paige decided she’d have a little fun with this.
“Absolutely. I thought it might be a good way to send you off for your morning run.”
She scooted away from him and sat up as if she expected him to get up and get dressed and really go for that run. If he did, she’d never forgive him.
His forehead wrinkled and he propped himself up on his elbow. “Run? I can do that anytime today.”
“You should get it over with. Get it out of the way.”
His fingers trailed up the calf of her leg, a mischievous smile on his face. “Later.”
Paige shook her head but was swiftly losing this game. One touch from him and she was well and truly lost. “I don’t want to be the reason you get out of shape. You should go now.”
He’d already explained to her that his fitness routine for the play he had coming up in the new year was much more relaxed than for some of the other roles he’d had in the past. He had to stay about the same weight so the costumes would fit – which was why he ran five days a week – but he didn’t have to bulk up and eat massive amounts of protein either. He simply needed to be sensible.
Those devilish fingers slid to her inner thigh and she couldn’t hold back the squeak of pleasure and surprise when they brushed over that most sensitive spot between her legs. This was the great thing about sleeping naked and the worst thing. Every part of him was available but every part of her was too.
He chuckled and delved those long digits deeper, finding her quite wet and ready. “My lady, I think you doth protest too much.”
Time to give in and let him think it was his idea.
“Well…if you insist.”
The next thing she knew she was flat on her back, her legs thrown over Nate’s shoulders, and his face buried between her thighs. Half giggling and half moaning, she thrust her fingers in his curls as his tongue circled her clit, scraping the sides with his teeth and making her hips buck. He teased and tormented her until her voice was hoarse from begging to be allowed to come. This was one of his favorite games – keeping her on the edge until she couldn’t take it anymore. No matter how much she swore she wouldn’t plead, he always won. But she won too because her orgasms were always bigger and stronger when he did.
A white-hot bar of arousal had taken up residence in her abdomen as she sought her release, chased it desperately. Her fingers clawed at the sheets and she said his name over and over like an incantation, a spell of witchcraft.
Because he was so much bigger than she was, he could simply lift her and place her where he wanted her to be. He did that, rolling her to her stomach and lifting her up onto her knees. They’d never used this position before but it was hot to be manhandled in such a way, firmly but gently, his own desire for her so strong that he had to have her right now, this minute. Positioning himself behind her, he leaned down to whisper in her ear.
“Brace yourself, darling. This might get a little rough.”
* * *
Nate buried himself balls deep in one stroke, the sensation rocketing through his spine and straight to his cock. His fingers tightened on Paige’s hips and despite coming only minutes before he was ready to blow again.
So much for more control as he got older. This sexy little woman was going to be the death of him. Every time he had her it only made him want her more. He imagined it would be like this for the rest of his life.
He was one lucky bloke.
With each stroke he bottomed out, her walls clutching him greedily, like wet, hot velvet. He’d kept her waiting, not letting her fall over the precipice so she was already close to climaxing, those muscles milking him.
The
pressure was beginning to build in his lower back and his balls, a shimmering tide of pleasure blurring his vision. He reached back and landed his palm smartly on Paige’s creamy bottom cheek, leaving a vivid red handprint behind. Her body jumped and she moaned as her channel clamped down on him, sending shocks through his overloaded system. With his other hand, he landed another blow to the untouched cheek, leaving another handprint on the pillow of her bottom. If the gush of honey that followed was any indication, his naughty girl liked her spanking.
He leaned over her back to whisper words of encouragement right in the shell of her ear. “Do you like that, baby girl?” He gave her another smack. “Answer me or I won’t let you come.”
He would let her come, of course, but this was part of their game. She looked over her shoulder, her expression contorted with a mixture of pleasure and pain.
So fucking gorgeous.
“Yes,” she replied, her words breathless and soft. “Yes, I like it.”
He couldn’t hold back any longer, the pressure was too strong.
“Such a good girl,” he praised as his fingers found the swollen bundle of nerves that would send her into the stars. “Come now. Come.”
Paige screamed his name as she climaxed, every muscle in her body tightening. His own orgasm roared through him like a freight train and he thrust in one last time, holding himself there until he was spent and empty. They fell together in a damp tangle of arms and legs, Paige already giggling as he pulled her close. At moments like these, he needed to feel every inch of her beautiful body pressed to his. He could feel her heartbeat thumping in time to his own as the musk of their coupling hung in the air.
This was how it was supposed to be. This wasn’t the sex that he was used to with the other females of his past. This was mating, claiming. Deeply primitive, his instincts firmly in control. This was more and it was everything. He prayed she felt it as well. Every cell in his being was crying out to make her his and his alone. To protect her from harm. To bring her happiness every day. To give her everything in his power and then give some more. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
A Kiss For The Cameras (The Hollywood Showmance Chronicles Book 1) Page 20
