by Havana Adams
“What?” Tamara pouted.
“I have something for you,” he repeated. He rose easily, carrying her through to his office. He propped her up on the table. And then reached into a drawer to retrieve something. Tamara’s heart stopped as she stared at it. The distinctive, unmistakable square box of Cartier. A ring. And then her heart began to beat again slamming into her chest at a frantic pace. She opened her mouth to speak but found that no words would come out. Vassily was staring at her as he opened the box and Tamara stared at it as tears finally came, gathering in the corner of her eyes and then running down her cheeks. It was a long time since she had let any man see her cry. The ring was exquisite, a flawless Marquise shaped Solitaire yellow diamond. She reached out to touch it carefully, gingerly as though it might all be taken away from her.
“Marry me?” Vassily asked. It was what she had wanted to hear, what she had set out to achieve but now that she was here, Tamara felt fear settle into her. Everything was so perfect now. Too perfect.
“You know me, what I am – materialistic, vain, a bitch..” she blurted as the old fears surfaced. How could he want her? Vassily shrugged.
“Even bitches need love,” he drawled and Tamara could not help the laugh that burst from her.
Vassily moved towards her, pulling her to the edge of the table so that he could move between her legs. His blue eyes held her green ones.
“Marry me,” he asked again.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, Yes.” Tamara practically sang as his mouth crushed down on hers swallowing the rest of her words. They pulled apart for a moment, just so Vassily could slide the ring on to her finger and then he was back on her, his tongue sliding into her mouth as her body began to heat up. When they finally came up for air. Tamara was breathing hard. “Let’s do it, let’s get married soon, just us, Sasha, a few friends. I don’t want a circus,” she said surprising herself. She didn’t want Hello or OK or a media circus. She only wanted them. Vassily smiled as he pressed another kiss to her cheek and then moved away to retrieve something.
Tamara gazed down at the ring on her finger and then looked up as Vassily spoke.
“That was my thinking too,” he said. “But now you’ll be working, I think.”
Tamara gazed at him in surprised.
“Working, I’ve not even decided to do the next series,” she began and then stopped as Vassily held up the document in his hand and she saw now that it was a script.
“What is that?” Tamara asked her eyes already scanning the cover page Undone by Talia Blake.
“Your next project.”
Tamara felt a new excitement building.
“How – I mean it’s a studio thing and Talia would never…” She trailed off as Vassily shook his head.
“It’s all sorted. Alex Golden will star and you, my darling, are the female lead.”
Tamara was off the table in one move; grabbing the script from his hands as though ready to devour it.
“I don’t understand…”
“Alex wants you in the role, he wants the film to be made and let’s just say it is an early wedding present from me to you,” Vassily finished even as Tamara began to smother him in kisses.
“You financed the film?” She asked. “For me?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer for she was slithering out of her dress and then pushing him down until he sat in the leather Eames chair and then she set about thanking him.
Alex was standing next to her. She hadn’t hallucinated him into being. He really was there.
“Talia,” he said.
“Alex,” she squeaked back, unable to hide her surprise and discomfort. She watched as he took the seat across from her. Her gaze ate up the space between them. God he looked good. She didn’t notice the wait staff who stood open-mouthed watching them or the other diners whose eyes were drawn compulsively to the movie star in their midst. She had eyes only for him. She looked down at the table, at his large hands, which rested on the tablecloth and then she quickly drew her own hand back onto her lap, she didn’t want to make a fool of herself by grabbing him. She looked up at him again and the breath caught in her throat, he was looking at her like…
“How’s Isabella?” She asked and saw him wince.
“Fine I think,” he replied steadily.
His girlfriend is a supermodel. His supermodel girlfriend is pregnant. Talia chanted the words to herself. Get a grip girl! And yet she could not help the bolt of lust that shot through her. She straightened up, she was heading back to London, back to reality, away from these games that she didn’t really know the rules to.
“I was a bastard,” Alex said quietly. And Talia wondered if she’d misheard him.
“What?” She asked.
“What I said to you about Max… I was a shit. You can be with whomever you want. I’m in no position to talk, to judge...”
“Right,” Talia agreed as she tried to hold on to some of her anger. “Yes I can. I don’t need your permission or your judgement,” she snapped. Talia watched Alex wince again. “You don’t have the right to speak to me the way you did. You’ve fucked most of the models in the western world.” A shocked gasp echoed around the small dining room and Talia realised that her voice had risen. She took a deep breath. “I saw that Samson girl coming out of your room...,” she finally admitted.
“You saw Hannah in my room?” Alex asked and Talia nodded miserably.
“Nothing happened, she wants my sperm but nothing happened.”
Talia froze.
“What?”
“She and her girlfriend want a donor…” Alex at least had the decency to look embarrassed. “I said no.”
Talia shrugged. “And Isabella?” At this Alex grimaced.
“Isabella’s baby is not mine.”
“Right..”
“Seriously. I’ve not been with her in…. She’s marrying some big South American tycoon.” Talia was quiet as she processed his words.
“So….” And now she trailed off too.
“I thought we were friends,” Alex said quietly.
“Things got complicated.’
“I hope we can be friends again?” For the first time Talia saw the chink of vulnerability in Alex’s armour. Their friendship really did seem to matter to him. She placed her glass down and nodded; squashing down any disappointment she felt that there wasn’t something more on offer.
“Friends. Of course.”
In the dim light of the restaurant, Alex watched the play of emotions on Talia’s face; she’d make a terrible poker player he thought. He longed to reach across the table and pull her to him. From the moment he’d seen her, he’d wanted her again, simply wanted to shove the plates and candles aside, dump her on the table and bury himself inside her, wiping away the frustration and regret of the last few months. But he held himself in check. This time he had to take things slow. He was quiet as a waitress set down plates of food that he didn’t even remember ordering. Talia picked absentmindedly at the food on her plate and then set her fork down. She was thinner than when he’d last seen her and he worried that perhaps in her short time there, LA was already warping her body image. Alex raised his wine glass and gulped down the large glass of red. Thinking about Talia’s body, about lush, hourglass curves was not the path towards taking things slow. He fought to focus his mind.
“Cole Sidney has offered me Defender,” he heard himself say.
“It’s what you wanted isn’t it?” Talia replied, glad that Alex had finally broken the uneasy silence and yet wondering where this awkward conversation was leading.
“I told them No. I told them there was another script I had to make.”
Talia looked up at him.
“Really,” she asked, though her heart wasn’t in it. She wanted to get away, to get back to London, to lick her wounds in private and maybe, just maybe she might one day feel ready to be friends with Alex. He was watching her intently and he reached into the jacket that he’d slung over the back of his chair, pulling out a
sheaf of papers rolled up.
He set the pages down on the table uncurling them until Talia could see the cover page.
“I told them I wanted to do this.” Alex said watching as her eyes opened wide.
Talia could see that it was her script that Alex had laid on the table – not the 9th or the 13th draft but the 4th draft that she had first sent him.
“How?” She gasped out.
“I made the studio an offer they couldn’t refuse.” Talia was still in shock, torn between tears of joy and shocked nervous laughter.
“I can’t believe you did this for me.” She finally said. And Alex reached a hand out to cover hers, which had somehow found its way back onto the table. For a moment he let it rest there and then he jerked his hand back.
“We should toast this,” Talia said as the waitress refilled their glasses. Alex raised his glass.
“What do we drink to?” He asked.
“The film?” Talia asked and Alex shook his head.
“To us,” he said as he raised his glass. He watched Talia’s eyes widen.
“To us,” she echoed and when her gaze finally met his, Alex knew that his resolve was in real trouble.
As they walked out of the restaurant into the cool Manhattan night, it was to find that though the hour was late, the streets were still teeming with hipsters and bar-hoppers and taxis were thin on the ground. Talia gave an inward sigh – the universe seemed determined to prolong her time with Alex when all she longed for was a cab to whiz her uptown to her hotel, leaving him behind. She was elated of course, her film was to be made and she’d even concede that Tamara’s brand of arched malice would be perfect for the female lead but now she needed some space away from Alex, space to regroup. She felt the warmth of his shoulder brushing against her side as they walked in silence. Talia looked up as they passed a petrol station and she froze as she caught sight of the date.
“Wow.”
“What?” Alex said and Talia started realising that she had actually spoken out loud.
“The date,” she said indicating the large neon display on the forecourt of the gas station to Alex.
“Yes?” he asked not hiding his confusion. Talia smiled.
“A year ago today, I was sacked,” she said. “I thought my life was over.” Talia shook her head. Encounters and that sense of betrayal, it all felt like a lifetime ago, how quickly life spun round, she thought. For a moment she stood stock-still on the sidewalk. If there was one thing she’d learned in the year, it was to seize the day. Alex had stopped just ahead of her and he turned back to look at her.
“What are we doing?” She asked. He moved back towards her.
“Walking home?” He said with a small ironic smile that made her realise that he understood the real meaning of her question.
“Why are we wasting time?” She snapped back at him, her old bluntness re-asserting itself. Inside she was quaking but she was determined and she took the small steps that would bring her toe-to-toe with him. She thanked the stars for the high platform heels she’d worn that morning. Stretching up, she drew his head down to hers, covering his lips in a bold kiss, that left him in no doubt about what she wanted. She felt him try to move his head away but she held him, slowly seducing his lips with small laps from her tongue until his mouth opened beneath hers.
“This isn’t a good idea,” he breathed against her but Talia was past letting him make the decisions for them.
“Come back to my hotel with me,” she said hands on hips, her challenge clear.
Alex’s clear blue eyes met hers. The rules of engagement had changed and he wasn’t sure what to do. “No.” He finally answered and Talia smiled a deep confident smile, the smile of a woman who knew her power and who could see he was struggling. “No,” Alex said again, his doubtful tone revealing his dilemma.
“Yes,”
“No,” Alex bit back and Talia smiled and began to walk not bothering to wait to see if he was following her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
“Oh god yes!”
Talia said the words on a long groan as she came noisily. Slowly Alex kissed his way back up her body until her naked breasts were tight against his hard chest.
“Do you think anyone heard?” She asked guiltily and Alex gave a bark of laughter.
“They probably heard you in the next street,” he said and Talia smacked his chest. Alex rolled over onto his back so that she straddled him. They were back in his New York Penthouse, his back was on the floor of the kitchen and yet he barely noticed the chill. Though the mind may have been willing, his flesh had been weak and his resolve to take things slowly with Talia had lasted only 7 blocks. By the time they’d reached West 4th street and his building he’d been too far gone to argue with her.
“Max was only with me to get at you,” Talia had admitted quietly to Alex after they’d made love. They’d only just made it through the front door, not even managed to get out of their clothes before Alex had been inside her, his cock thrusting into her even as his fingers pinched and stroked her clit, helping her come just moments after he had climaxed.
“Fuck him,” Alex replied and for the next few hours, he set about wiping all thoughts of Max Maguire from her mind.
“This is a nice flat,” Talia said. They were sitting on the kitchen floor, him in just his white shirt and her in her bra. The rest of their clothes discarded like a breadcrumb trail from the front door through the open plan living room and finally leading to them in the vast kitchen.
“You like it?” Alex asked his interest once again focused on Talia’s breasts.
“I do,” she replied even as her eyes were drifting closed and she could feel him pushing her knee high up on his hip so that he could rub himself right where she wanted him.
“I’ll buy it for you,” Alex said and once again he pushed inside her.
Later, as sunlight filtered through the floor to ceiling windows, Talia stretched in bed and wondered when she would be able to walk again without wincing. Alex strolled back into the bedroom uncaring of his nakedness and yet Talia felt embarrassed. It still felt so very strange to be here with him. She glanced at the clock as a thought occurred to her.
“My flight leaves in 15 minutes.” Her brow furrowed worriedly and yet she made no effort to move.
“I guess you’ll miss it then,” Alex replied as he tugged the bed sheet from her grasp, pulling it until her naked body was exposed to his gaze. Talia propped her head up in her palm and turned to face Alex as he sprawled down on the bed next to her. “So what are we going to do till filming starts,” he asked as he pushed her hair away from her face. Talia laughed.
“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” she said as her fingers trailed down his chest.
“And after the movie?” Alex groaned.
“You’re doing Defender,” Talia said firmly.
“Six months in New Zealand without you,” he shook his head. “Not fucking happening.”
“It’s an amazing series,” Talia continued. She felt a moment of conflict and then threw caution to the wind. “Besides I’ll come with you.” She held her breath and felt him go still next to her. What if this was too much?
“You’d come with me?”
“I can write anywhere, besides I’ve always wanted to go to Rotorua or something,” she mumbled.
“And after New Zealand?” Alex prompted. Talia shrugged…
“Who knows?” she replied airily. She was rather enjoying throwing caution to the wind. There was a moment of silence and Talia looked up to stare into Alex’s face. She watched as a myriad of emotions chase across his face and she felt a beat of unease, perhaps she’d been too forward.
“I think…,” But before she could complete her sentence, his mouth was on hers.
“You think too much,” Alex said and then slowly he kissed her and for a long time Talia had only one thing on her mind.
“Why do we have to go out at all?” Talia asked as they walked out of the building. It was t
hree days since since she had missed her flight back to London and they’d holed themselves in the apartment. They’d made love in every room in the house, had ordered in, had barely been aware of the world going on outside. On the second day, Talia had tried to snatch a glimpse of Alex’s reviews in the New York Times that had been delivered but he was having none of it. The reviews of Alex’s performance had been stellar but as she tried to read a review out to him, Alex grabbed the paper out of her hand and tossed it away.
“No reviews in bed,” he growled.
“They said you were amazing,” Talia told him, kissing gently along his neck.
“I am amazing,” Alex answered, wrestling her back onto the bed. Talia smacked his butt hard.
“Arrogant too,” she retorted.
“Yeah but you like my big ego,” Alex sniggered and proceeded to show her how much she liked his ego.
Now finally they were coming up for air. It was dark as they emerged into the buzz of Greenwich Village. Talia drew her jacket around her. “Where are we going?” she asked again. Since he had announced that they were going out, Alex had been cryptic and Talia would have happily stayed in, ordered take away and watched cable TV.
“We need to get some fresh air,” Alex said in a reasonable tone that caused Talia to stare hard at him. He was up to something, she was sure about that. Something about the way his mouth kept raising up as though in a secret smile.
“What are you up to?” Talia felt a hint of nerves; she didn’t like surprises.
“Relax,” Alex said and there on the sidewalk, he pulled her into his arms. His fingers fisted into her hair and his mouth clung to hers in a kiss that had her mindless in seconds. Even after three days, the heat between them showed no signs of diminishing. Talia was lost. She pushed her tongue into his mouth, standing on tiptoes to reach him. All sense of time and place was forgotten and her hands ran over Alex’s back, pulling him into her. She fisted her hands with his shirt and pulled the tail of the shirt out of his waistband. Talia slid her hands underneath stroking up the warm skin of his muscled back, when a blaring horn rang out, startling them both.
