by Black, Tasha
“Kent?” she whispered, suddenly feeling shy.
“Please,” he whispered back, nuzzling her, his breath sending waves of sensation rippling through her.
She parted her thighs slightly in surrender.
Kent stroked her thighs as if to praise her.
She closed her eyes and nearly melted under the sensation of his tongue against her opening.
He explored her sex with as much careful focus and patience as he had her mouth.
Margot quivered and sighed as he discovered her most sensitive spots and visited them again and again, sending her so close to the edge and then lapping his way downward to thrust slightly inside her.
When she was so far gone she couldn’t control her sounds or the insistent tilt of her hips, he eased a finger against her opening, pressing inward until he caressed a place inside her that made her eyes roll back in her head.
“Kent,” she moaned helplessly.
“Margot,” he murmured and flicked her clitoris with his tongue.
The world seemed to stop spinning on its axis for a moment.
Then she was splintering into a thousand diamonds with a pleasure that seemed to go on and on, annihilating her with ecstasy.
When the throes released her at last, Kent rested his head against her belly.
She could feel his rough jaw, and his smile.
“How did you learn to do that?” she whispered, amazed.
“You taught me,” he said simply.
Margot laughed and ran a hand through his hair.
He took her hand and pressed a kiss to it.
“Here,” he said, standing and lifting her shirt up for her to put on.
“Oh,” Margot said, surprised.
“Are you not satisfied?” he asked. “I understand human females are capable of many more climaxes than males. It would be my honor to pleasure you again.”
Her body shamelessly shivered with lust at the thought.
“No,” Margot said firmly. “I thought you would want… more. You know? For yourself?”
He smiled down at her and her heart felt like it would burst.
“Thank you, my mate,” he told her. “But I’m afraid I cannot take my pleasure with you without clicking with you fully. And that I will not do until you are ready.”
She glanced down at the bulge in his pants.
“Are you sure?” she asked hopefully.
“I am sure,” he said. He cupped her cheek in his hand and smiled at her indulgently. “I want everything to be just right. To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.”
“Are you quoting the Bible?” she asked in wonder.
“No. It is a song from a movie that came in the time capsule, a movie about a terrible Earth war,” he replied. “But the concept of a time to each purpose is very beautiful, and familiar. We do not have music on Aerie. But if we did, a song like that one would be created. There is a right time for each thing. And tonight was just right for everything that has passed between us.”
She smiled up at him and he bent to kiss her gently again.
“It is late,” he told her. “And you need rest in order to compete optimally.”
She nodded.
He was right, even if she would rather have stayed on the forest floor with him all night.
She let him help her get dressed again, feeling beloved at every gentle touch.
They walked back to the yard of the theater building in sweet silence.
“I’ll leave by myself from here,” she whispered to him, squeezing his hand. “Just in case anyone else is up early. We shouldn’t be seen together.”
“I will see you again soon, my love,” he told her, nodding.
She smiled up at him and then slipped her hand from his before she changed her mind.
He headed back into the trees to wait for her to leave.
She darted into the yard and looked around.
The lights were still off in the building.
She breathed a sigh of relief and headed toward the door.
When she had nearly reached it, she turned back, wondering if she might catch a glimpse of Kent in the woods.
Instead she spotted one of the cameramen from earlier.
He turned on his heel and headed back into the trees the moment she laid eyes on him.
15
Margot
Margot paced the backyard of the theater, not particularly caring if anyone saw her or not.
For all his romantic words and all his claims of being her fated mate, Kent had wooed her in front of a cameraman again.
But it was real. It felt so real…
But it also felt too good to be true.
And in Margot’s experience, things that felt too good to be true were rarely true.
How many girls did he wake up tonight to get footage? she wondered furiously to herself. Or was I the only one stupid enough to go with him?
Suddenly his selflessness in the woods felt more like deviousness.
He had exposed her on camera.
And he had declined her offer to reciprocate because he didn’t want to be similarly humiliated in front of a camera.
Margot had done a lot of embarrassing things on film. She’d done peanut butter commercials when she was barely twenty as the “mom” of a bunch of ten-year-olds. She’d voiced ridiculously stupid characters for radio jewelry store ads at Christmas time. Hell, she’d even done a drug commercial that suggested she had a rare form of whole-body rash.
But she had never felt as dirty as she did right now.
Kent wasn’t a generous lover.
He wasn’t even a friend.
He was a rat.
16
Lex
Lex Henshaw slipped down the alleyway, staying close to the buildings, hoping he was hidden in the shadows.
Wearing his cameraman’s coverall and bag allowed him to blend into the background all day. Camera work was difficult, but the workers were a dime a dozen.
But tonight… well, he didn’t want to be seen and give the game away.
Far ahead of him the supposed alien’s giant form practically blocked out the moonlight.
Lex shook his head in wonder and wished he hadn’t had to hide in the woods until the girl had disappeared into the building.
He’d been sneaking to the theater to try and break into Olivia’s office, find some evidence that this whole alien thing was a scam.
That had been a bust. No evidence that Olivia knew anything about the real truth behind the so-called aliens.
He should have known she wouldn’t go along with something like that. After all, Olivia had been part of the Hoax Busters show with him.
But Lex’s beloved show had been canceled as soon as the gullible world decided aliens were real. No one seemed to notice how suspicious it was that these aliens just so happened to look exactly like humans - humans who were hot enough to most likely be a bunch of unknown actors and models who were more than happy to go along with the scam in exchange for a shot at fame and some sweet endorsement deals.
No, the alien conspiracy went deeper than Olivia. He was going to have to dig into the other producers.
But on his way out of the building Lex had thought he heard something out in the woods and went to check it out.
He’d barely had time to hide himself behind a tree before the supposed alien and that brown-haired girl went right past him toward the theater.
He followed behind as soundlessly as he could.
But they parted ways at the theater with nothing more than a few whispered words he couldn’t catch.
Were they having a tryst? Was it for the show?
Or was this part of the subterfuge?
There weren’t any cameras around, so they obviously didn’t want anyone to know what they were up to.
And that girl looked very familiar.
But he couldn’t place her.
The alien impersonator had disappeared into his apartment buildin
g.
Lex waited outside another five minutes, hiding in the shadowy backdoor of a diner, before going in too.
He would sit in his own apartment, writing down notes on everything that happened tonight, probably until dawn. Any detail might turn out to be important.
It was thankless, lonely work. But it had to be done.
At some point the truth would reveal itself to him.
And then he would share it with the world.
He was done being behind the camera.
Lex Henshaw would have his time in the spotlight again.
17
Margot
Margot slipped in through the door of her suite as noiselessly as she could.
She opened her bedroom door and had just slipped inside when she heard footsteps in the living room.
“Where were you?” Ruby whispered.
“Um…” Margot hedged.
“Wow, you really do look familiar,” Ruby said softly. “Are you sure we never met before this?”
Oh boy.
Margot was breathless, and sneaking through the darkness.
She had probably never looked more like her TV character, the fierce Queen Esther, than she did at that moment.
“Come in,” she whispered back. “I need to tell you something.”
Ruby entered and sat on the chair by Margot’s dressing table. Margot seated herself on the bed and turned on the small bedside lamp, casting the room in soft light.
“I know why I look familiar to you,” Margot said carefully. “Can I trust you with a secret?”
Ruby nodded, her eyes wide.
“You said you used to watch the show, Space Love, right?” Margot asked.
“Yeah,” Ruby grinned.
“I had a tiny part on that show,” Margot said. “In the second season—”
“You were Thandar’s sister-in-law,” Ruby cried. “Oh my gosh! I didn’t recognize you without the costume. That’s crazy!”
“Yes,” Margot said, pleased. “I can’t believe you remember. I don’t think anyone else would.”
“Are you kidding?” Ruby asked, aghast. “You were hilarious, I can’t believe they didn’t write you back in. But wait… I’ve seen you in something else, more recently…”
Margot nodded, waiting.
“Holy shit,” Ruby breathed. “You’re on A Lion’s Game.”
Margot felt the familiar bubble of pride. A Lion’s Game was one of the hottest shows on television, even though it was on a smaller network.
Then she remembered her situation and her cheeks grew hot.
“Well, I was on A Lion’s Game,” she said. “They’re going to kill off my character.”
“Why?” Ruby asked. “Queen Esther is the best part.”
“I tested badly,” Margot admitted.
“Why?” Ruby asked.
“Audiences felt I wasn’t fit, they want Esther to be thin, like she is in the books,” Margot said. “They told me to lose twenty-five pounds in four weeks or I was out. I’m not going to do it.”
“Are you serious?” Ruby asked.
Margot nodded.
“There’s a lot to unpack there,” Ruby said. “But big picture, that seriously sucks.”
“Nah, it’s the reality of show business,” Margot said with a nonchalance she didn’t actually feel.
“It’s complete bullshit,” Ruby said. “What are little kids supposed to take from that?”
“Hopefully they’re not watching A Lion’s Game, so nothing,” Margot said.
Ruby laughed. “I guess it’s not the most appropriate show.”
“Definitely not,” Margot said. “Anyway, I busted out of a secret celebrity fat camp a couple of miles from here. Then the weirdest thing happened - another woman was leaving the competition just as I passed by. I picked up her number, got called inside, and the rest is history.”
“You’re not really Margot Chase,” Ruby said, nodding slowly. “That’s why you messed up her interview.”
“Exactly,” Margot said. “I’m Margot Lane.”
“This is totally amazing,” Ruby said, shaking her head.
“Will you keep my secret?” Margot asked.
“Of course,” Ruby said. “That’s what friends are for.”
Friends.
It was good to have a friend.
“Thank you,” Margot said. “I owe you one.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Ruby laughed. “Remember my cake?”
There was a sound on the other side of the door and they both went silent.
“Are you guys up?” Olivia called from the living room.
“Yeah,” Margot called back. “Sorry if we woke you.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Olivia said. “I’m going to make some tea. Do you guys want some?”
Ruby raised her eyebrows questioningly at Margot.
“Sure,” Margot called back.
Ruby hopped out of the chair and Margot joined her at the door.
Before they left the room, she turned to Ruby and put her finger to her lips, to remind her to keep her secret.
Ruby’s eyes twinkled as she mimed locking her lips together and throwing out the key.
18
Margot
Margot and Ruby headed to the rehearsal space together the next morning.
They arrived to the sight of most of the other contestants already warming up.
“Nice of you to join us,” one of Regina’s henchmen said and tossed her head back with a braying laugh.
“Go easy on her,” Regina said, giving Margot a nasty smirk. ”She hasn’t had her second breakfast yet.”
“Grow up,” Ruby yelled to Regina.
Margot elbowed her friend to be quiet, and then headed for a corner on the opposite side of the room, away from Regina and her friends.
Regina was being horrible, but there was no reason to have a confrontation. There was nothing to gain from it.
“How do you let her talk to you like that?” Ruby whispered angrily, trotting to catch up.
“It doesn’t help to argue with her,” Margot shrugged.
“It made me feel better,” Ruby said.
Margot laughed.
“Seriously,” Ruby said.
“Look, I’ve learned from years of show business that sometimes keeping my head down is the best policy,” Margot said. “Plenty of casting directors were unbelievably rude to my face about my body type, even though they had called me in with my height and weight clearly on my resume. But I kept my mouth shut. Then when my part in Space Love got some attention, a lot of them called me in for other work. If I’d burned those bridges, then I would have missed those opportunities.”
“Jesus,” Ruby said. “Well, anyway, Regina’s not going to be in a position to give you any work, so my advice is not to hold back.”
“Noted,” Margot said with a wink.
But there was no way she was getting into a confrontation, especially once the cameras were rolling. That would be a surefire way to be featured, and she still needed to lay low.
They both got down to business stretching.
Today was the dance competition, and though she wasn’t a reed-thin ballerina, Margot had always loved to dance. She’d taken plenty of classes in acting school too.
She and Ruby did a quick yoga routine and some stretching at the barre.
By the time Olivia arrived to get everything organized, Margot’s blood was flowing and she was feeling great.
Ruby, on the other hand, was beside herself.
“This is going to be a disaster,” Ruby muttered.
“It’s not,” Margot told her. “The choreography will be simple because no one here is a professional dancer. And it’s a waltz - it’s slow. What can possibly go wrong?”
“I could step on his feet,” Ruby began counting off disasters on her fingers. “I could step on my dress and rip it off by accident. I could trip and knock into one of the cameras and they could all go down like dominoes and end up setting
the whole place on fire…”
“You’re wasted on the wedding industry,” Margot joked. “You clearly belong in the writer’s room on a sitcom.”
“Oh, it’s funny until it happens,” Ruby said darkly. “Just wait until you’re actually on fire and then we’ll see what you think.”
The choreographer, a young woman named Honey, swept into the room and they all spent the next hour whirling and sweating, trying to learn the moves.
True to her word, Ruby didn’t take to the dance easily. She had a hard time learning the steps and then even when she seemed to have it, odd things kept going wrong for her.
At one point, a janitor entered the room just as Ruby was pirouetting stage left and she careened into him, sending aluminum cans from the recycling bin he carried jangling across the stage.
A few minutes later she inexplicably tripped over her own feet and wound up ripping her rehearsal skirt.
By the time the choreographer released them for wardrobe and make-up, Margot was feeling worried for her friend.
She had just put an arm around her and was about to ask how she was feeling when Regina and her minions breezed past.
“Jesus, what a disaster,” the one who always seemed to have an updo sniffed.
“Careful, she’ll knock you over too,” Regina laughed.
Margot led Ruby quietly away.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Ruby nodded, her chestnut curls bouncing along in agreement. But her eyes were brimming with tears.
“Listen,” Margot said. “You have to concentrate on the guy, okay? Don’t think about your feet, don’t think about what could go wrong. Just look into his eyes and let him lead you. He’s got nice eyes, so it won’t be hard.”
“Do you think they’ll even let him dance with me?” Ruby moaned. “If I break his legs he won’t be able to do the rest of the show.”
“First of all, have you seen him?” Margot asked. “His legs are the size of tree trunks. I don’t think you can break them.”
Ruby smiled in spite of herself.
“Secondly, I hate to say it, but shows like this one court disaster,” Margot added. “So if something goes wrong, just remember - it means guaranteed screen time. There are worse things to be than an underdog audience favorite.”
