When the five minutes was up, I followed his instructions. As he had promised, he was waiting in his convertible, and as soon as I got in, he raced off. We were silent for some time until we reached a quiet road outside the town, and Ryan stopped looking in his rearview mirror.
“Hey, I’m really sorry about that. I had no idea they were going to follow me to the restaurant.”
I detected a hint of regret in his voice, but wasn’t sure if it was genuine. “Don’t worry, I understand. After all, you are their idol. They have you on their bedroom wall, and I can imagine what seeing you in person would do to them.”
“I’m just sick of those crazies. Once, one of them got into my hotel room. I have no idea how she got there. But there she was, on the bed, without any clothes on. She wouldn’t leave, and I had to call hotel security to get her out.”
Had he made that story up on the spot? I couldn’t tell. “Not many men would let that opportunity slip.”
“I would, gladly. You know, my agent gives me no choice. I have to interact with my fans, that’s part of my contract.”
“Even more reason to get it on with them.”
“I’ll admit, some of them are pretty, but they’re not exactly my type.”
“So what is your type?” I berated myself for falling into his trap. But for no reason I could explain, I was dying to know the answer.
Ryan stopped the car and gazed at me with his deep-blue eyes. “Beautiful. Blond. Smart. Actress.”
Oh, he was good. He was very good. Because I felt a queer little flip in my stomach. But of course it wasn’t going to affect me. It would take a whole lot more for me to stray from my plan. By the time we had sat down and ordered our meals in the small village eatery, I was back on track.
“Thanks for taking me here. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it. At least I’ll have you all to myself now.” I gave him a wink, but strangely, it didn’t bring on one of his usual flirty responses.
Instead, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I hope you don’t mind this place. It’s a lot more low key than Wharf, but I think no one will disturb us.”
I looked around the cosy eatery, with its red-and-white checkered tablecloths, and framed photos of picturesque villages on its brick walls.
“I love this place. You should have taken me here to begin with. Why didn’t you?”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t like to go to a place like this. You look like the high-class kind, who only eats at Michelin-starred restaurants. I thought this is probably too simple for your tastes.”
Was that what he thought? That I’d only fall for men who could afford my high-maintenance lifestyle? I wondered if other men also thought of me this way. “Hey, you’ve got me all wrong. I grew up in a small country town in Indiana. I don’t think we even had star restaurants. I think it’s nice to eat some honest food now and then. At least it fills you up, unlike those tiny scraps on huge plates in those fancy restaurants.”
Ryan’s deep rumbling laugh warmed me inside and out. “I know what you mean. I never expected to do this whole Hollywood thing. Everything happened so quickly, sometimes I wonder if it was too quickly. I mean, I’m grateful for it, but I don’t have time to really enjoy it. People only see the glamorous side, but haven’t a clue about how much hard work we put into it.”
“Yeah, and they don’t take it seriously. Like my Mom. She knew that making it in Hollywood had always been my biggest dream, but she was dead set against it. She’d wanted me to be sensible and responsible like my sister, and get a steady job with steady income. But I just couldn’t do it. I felt like she was choking me every single minute I stayed there. Even now, I hardly call her because she never seems happy for me, even if I’ve had some successes. I’m just never good enough for her.”
I had never told anyone this before; not even my sister knew about it. Why, I wondered, did it feel so natural to open up to him so much?
Ryan leaned forward. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He squeezed my hand and instead of pulling it away, he held it firmly. He felt warm, strong. “You may not believe this, Kate, but I’ve wanted to have an evening like this with you from the first time I saw you.”
“Seriously? So why didn’t you ask me out?”
“I guess I was afraid you’d say no. You’re pretty intimidating, you know.”
“I am? Well, you don’t exactly look like the shy type to me.”
“I am shy when I’m truly interested in someone.”
His eyes darkened as he gazed at me. I drew in a sharp breath, and tried to stop my heart from pounding. But it was too late. A tiny flame had lit inside me, deep inside, sending rays of warmth throughout my body.
All I could think of was those sensuous lips on mine, that hard chest pressing against my breasts, those strong hands skimming the length of my back. How I would explore each and every part of that glorious body, all night long. Ryan was harboring similar thoughts, judging from the hungry expression in his eyes.
He breathed, “Let’s get the check.”
When we stood up to leave, my eyes fell on a $50 note on the check tray. Instantly, it all came back to me: his despicable bet and my big plan to thwart him. What the hell was I thinking? He was an actor, for Chrissakes. This is what he did for a living - putting on an act. If I had any hope to prevent him from winning the bet, I had to keep a cool head.
We drove back to the hotel resort that we were staying at, just across from the beach where the filming had taken place. Chatting about our film careers and our struggle to get to the top managed to clear my head somewhat.
It was a warm summer’s night. Ryan suggested to have a stroll and I consented, the beach looking inviting by the light of the moon. After taking off our shoes, we walked towards the water’s edge and stopped to admire the view of the ocean, the gentle waves lapping at our feet. Thousands of stars twinkling in the night sky formed a luminous blanket for the shimmering waters beneath.
“Look, a shooting star!” Ryan pointed at a bright white line streaking across the starry sky. “We should make a wish. I used to do that when I was a kid, and my wishes always came true.”
He closed his eyes. “I’ve made my wish. How about you, Kate?”
There, on the beach, with the moonlight highlighting the perfect features of his face, his eyes burning fiercely, there was no way I was going to escape the inevitable. So I would have to take control, do it on my terms.
“I think my wish is going to come true right now.”
I leaned into him and slid my hand around his neck, feeling his pulse strong beneath my wrist. I pulled his mouth down and pressed my lips on his, which were surprisingly soft and warm. While my tongue probed the seam of his lips, asking for them to part, my hand found the tensed muscles of his chest.
Wonderful. I would treat this like a screen kiss, making sure I went through all the motions to make him believe I’d fallen for him. I had done it so many times before, I was sure I could act it out without losing my head.
My mouth continued exploring his lips skillfully, expertly, and my tongue started to probe the corners of his mouth. Just as I was about to explore its depths, I felt Ryan’s strong hands around my shoulders. He gently pushed me away, breaking our kiss.
What the—? I looked up and drew in a sharp breath when my gaze met his. His darkened eyes burned with such a fierce intensity that I could feel it on my skin. They traced their path downwards, down to my lips. He lifted his hand to stroke my hair and cradle my neck with his palm, slowly moving his mouth downward, hovering over mine for a tantalizing, long second. I felt the moist heat of his breath, tasted his need.
Then, a whisper of a brush, his bottom lip against mine. Then, another brush, a slide, a taste. His sweet, slow kisses sent rapid swirls to my stomach, a wild pounding to my heart. His tongue found my parted lips, slowly stroking, caressing, and when it lingered inside my sensitive lower lip, I couldn’t stop a little moan escaping from my throat.
He pressed me close to his hard body, his hands
sliding into my hair, my sides, my hips. His tongue found mine, and began a teasing dance of passion. We deepened the kiss, tongues ravishing each other’s mouths.
I felt the ounce of control that I thought I had, slip away, my body responding to his every touch. I edged closer against him, wanting to bury myself inside of him. My whole body screamed for more of him, desperate to remove the layers of clothing, and feel him, flesh on flesh.
A slight shift of his body to hold me in a better position pulled me back to reality. I had to stop this, now. This wasn’t right.
I pushed him in the chest, breaking our kiss. A feeling of emptiness washed over me.
“I have to go.”
I unwrapped myself from his arms and ran away from him, across the beach towards the resort. My head was spinning, my heart pounding. Something had happened just now, something that made me furious, and at the same time, exhilarated. No other man had evoked these feelings in me before, not even my cheating co-star. Lust, I was no stranger to, but this— this warm, tender feeling that was dangerously close to touching my core, filled me with a deep fear.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. I was supposed to lead him on and make a fool of him. Now it seemed like I was the one who was made the fool. Ryan had played the part so well, I had very nearly believed in his performance. I had to remind myself what this was about: fifty bucks and a good laugh, that’s all he was after. If I didn’t want to face humiliation, I would have to keep myself under control.
I just hoped it wasn’t too late.
Dizzy and bleary-eyed from exhaustion, I stumbled into the make-up trailer the next day. Almost all night, I had been tossing and turning, thinking about the kiss. It had been so divine, so thrilling, so completely captivating, that it had made me forget every other kiss I’d ever had.
When I’d finally fallen asleep, I dreamed how it had gone further, how I was losing all control, and how Ryan was taking me to the brink of ecstasy… until the alarm clock woke me up. Ryan’s seductive smile was slipping away from me, and soon after, a throbbing headache came in its place.
I had dreaded going to the set; how was I ever going to face everyone—face him—looking like a wreck? Fortunately, there was nothing that the make-up technicians couldn’t fix. In no time, I was in front of the camera again, my usual perfect self, with all signs of fatigue, including the bloodshot eyes, completely erased.
Thankfully, Ryan had not arrived at the set yet. I wondered how I would feel looking him in the eyes again. Would I be able to act as if nothing happened? Or would I be reduced to an emotional wreck like the night before?
But when he came on set a few minutes later, he merely gave me a quick glance and a polite “good morning”, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The scene we were shooting didn’t require much interaction between us, so I had no problems concentrating on my part.
Filming went so well that we finished earlier than expected. I gathered my things and started walking back to the hotel. I planned to spend the rest of the day sunbathing by the pool, trying to work out what my next step should be, especially after last night’s fiasco. Of course I was still enraged by the ridiculous bet, but revenge might not be as easy as I had thought.
“Kate.”
I turned around. It was Ryan, wearing a serious expression on his face.
He said, “Look, I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean for it to end that way.”
“Don’t be sorry, it was nothing. I just—I don’t know what came over me.” Thinking back about what had happened and worse, my reaction to it, made me cringe.
“I shouldn’t have pushed you into it. Maybe I should have taken it slower. Do you know, I tried calling you, but since you didn’t pick up, I reckoned you didn’t want to talk to me. I guessed you needed time for yourself.” Surprisingly, his voice was comforting, almost tender. This wasn’t at all what I had expected from him. I thought he would have come up with a sneer or a sarcastic comment - that wouldn’t have surprised me. But him being thoughtful of my feelings was harder to deal with. It would have been so much easier for me if he had acted like a jerk.
“It wasn’t your fault, really. You didn’t exactly force me.”
“I still feel bad about it. Will you give me a second chance? I want to take you out and show you this fabulous place.”
Drinking him in right then—sweet, good-looking, and wicked, all at the same time—, I wanted nothing more than spending the day with him. But after what happened the night before, I couldn’t fully trust myself to keep my feelings in check, and I didn’t want the whole thing to blow up in my face.
“I’m not so sure. I was thinking of relaxing by the pool today.”
“I promise you’re going to love this. And if at any time, you feel uneasy, I’ll drive you back to the hotel straightaway. Deal?”
Ryan’s irresistible smile caused my stomach to lurch, and I heard myself say, “Alright then.”
Ten minutes later, we were on the road, driving out of the town into the lush tropical countryside, passing cane fields, small settlements, and isolated houses. It wasn’t long before we stopped in front of one of those houses, a low cream building with a tin roof. Surrounded by a wire fence, the slatted wooden structure carried a simple sign: “Happy House”.
After helping me out of the car, Ryan opened the boot and brought out a big carton board box, which he carried to the entry gate. When he opened the gate, we heard voices emanating from the building, and before long, a flock of local children of different ages, from toddlers to teens, were racing towards us.
“Mr Ryan, Mr Ryan! What’s in that box?”
“It’s a surprise, kids. You’ll have to wait till we’re inside.”
We walked into the building, and a heavy-set woman with an Afro hairstyle, which I assumed was the children’s teacher, greeted us with a warm smile.
“Mr Ryan, it’s good to see you again. And you’ve brought a friend.”
Ryan put his warm, strong hand on my shoulder. “Everyone, this is Kate. She’s a famous movie star.”
Uttering excited “oohs” and “aahs”, the kids crowded around me, and stared at me with their big, brown innocent eyes. I wasn’t used to being around children and I felt self-conscious by all their attention, but a cute six- or seven-year-old girl with pigtails broke the ice by asking, “Can we touch your hair?”
When I nodded and squatted down, tens of little fingers were touching, stroking, and pulling my hair, and little bodies were trying to climb onto my lap. A surprising warmth filled me, and a strange thought entered my mind: would I ever start my own family? I’d never thought about it before, having been completely focused on my movie career. Unlike my stable and responsible sister Jessica, I thought of myself—as did the men I dated—to be the non-marrying type. Besides, I enjoyed the short-term flings, especially the lack of emotional attachment that came with it. My bed partners were too shallow to be worth keeping, anyway.
“So, does anyone want to know what’s in this box?” A deep voice distracted the kids’ attention away from my hair. Ryan stood at the table, pointing a pair of scissors at the box. The children shrieked, jumped up, and rushed to him with eager faces.
“Can anyone guess what’s inside?” Ryan kept his hand on top of the box to prevent them from peeking inside.
“I think it’s full of puppies!”
“It’s a huge dragon egg!”
“No, a mountain of lollies!”
“Barbie dolls!”
“Racing cars!”
He slowly opened the box.
“Ta-da.”
Out came colorful balls in different sizes, skipping ropes, cricket bats, badminton rackets, and other sports equipment. The kids went crazy—screaming, grabbing, pushing. In a flash, the box was empty and the kids had flown to the grassy yard, trying out the equipment.
The friendly teacher, a wide smile on her face, came to stand next to Ryan, her hands on her hips. “Thank you so much, Mr Ryan. You’re really too generous
. Last time you came with the books, and now this. We are ever so grateful to you.”
“You’re very welcome, Ashmita. I’m just happy to see the kids so excited.” His gaze followed a group of boys kicking a soccer ball.
“How about showing your friend around the orphanage?”
I drew in a sharp breath. This was an orphanage. Not a school or a childcare center, as I had assumed. Those cute, happy-looking children had to grow up without parents, without a family. It broke my heart just thinking about it. And when Ryan gave me a tour of the modest building, I was confronted with the reality of orphan life: bedrooms with multiple bunk beds, a baby room with a dozen cots pushed against one another, two simple bathrooms to share among twenty-odd kids. I could imagine how they would be fighting over them in the morning.
Swallowing hard, I counted myself lucky that I had grown up in relative privilege, with my Mom providing a small but adequate two-bedroom apartment for me and my sister. I turned to Ryan, who was picking up a scruffy baby doll from the floor. “How did you find out about this place?”
“I read an article about it in the local paper when we arrived. It said that they needed donations of essentials like baby bottles, toys and books. So I thought I’d visit some time and when I did, I fell in love with this place, with the kids. They’re wonderful.” When he spoke about the children, his deep-blue eyes lit up.
“Mr Ryan! Come outside, I want to show you something.” The cute pigtailed girl grabbed Ryan’s hand and pulled him outside. Two girls were spinning a long skipping rope around, and the girl jumped in, up and down with the rhythm of the rope. Without skipping a beat, she twirled round and round, and finally jumped out again.
“Wow, Rosie, that’s fantastic!” He lifted her up high, causing her to giggle.
Rosie pointed at me. “Is she your girlfriend?”
Ryan kept his eyes firmly on the girl’s beaming smile. “I’d like to think so, yes.”
Vengeful Love: A Summer Love Story (contemporary romance) (Sizzling Summer Romance) Page 2
