Between Takes

by Morgana Bevan

  I nodded as some of the turmoil turning my stomach eased.

  “This is all pretty new for us both. I love you so much. Two months ago, I couldn’t have imagined I’d be capable of feeling like this. You helped me, and I want to be the person holding your hand as you figure out your next steps.”

  Staring into his earnest eyes, it was hard to understand how I could liken his actions to my ex. A kindred spirit held me in his arms, and I’d almost lost him.

  “I want to be that for you too, Shaun.”

  “Good. Consider me your emotional crutch and use me all you like.” His fingers toyed with the edge of my t-shirt as his smile turned cheeky. “Speaking of using me, have you ever had make-up sex?” His voice deepened, mirroring the heat darkening his eyes.

  I shook my head, and his grin grew.

  “How about I introduce you to it?”

  Before I could form a response, Shaun’s fingers slipped under my t-shirt and his head lowered. He caressed my lips with his, the gesture tentative and the pressure soft. It might have been gentle, but let me tell you, it was the best kiss I’d ever had. He worshipped me with his mouth, and any remaining apprehensions I held evaporated under his attention.

  “I do have one request.” Shaun said, breaking the kiss.

  “What’s that?” My voice sounded husky, but I got over it, watching lust skitter across his face.

  He caught my hand, squeezing. “Next time I do something you disagree with or I’m not quick enough to share, go back to the beginning.”

  Go back to the beginning?

  “Don’t let me get away with it. Yell at me like you did on set if you have to, but don’t let me shut you out.”

  Smiling, I nodded. “Only if you do the same.”

  “Always,” he whispered before his gaze turned teasing. “But Sparky, I’m not worried.”

  Shaun kissed me hard. His tongue invaded my mouth, and I focused on winning his little game of wills.

  Groaning, he pushed me onto the bed. “You’re wearing too many clothes.”

  “Then fix it,” I ordered.

  In reply, he pressed light kisses to my neck, and I shivered.

  “I shouldn’t love it when you talk like that.” He grinned. “But I really do. I’m going to enjoy spending my life with you.”

  The promise in his tone and the implication in his words should have frightened me. I waited for my heart rate to pick up, but it remained steady, calm now that I had his body next to mine.

  “Not as much as me.”

  Shaun reared back, his eyes scanning my face. “Is this a challenge now?” At my nod, a wicked light entered his eyes. “Then prepare to lose.”

  He pounced on me, his fingers prodding sensitive skin and turning the tables on me. He tickled me until all I could do was giggle and gasp for mercy.

  Epilogue

  Five months later

  “Have neither of you heard of packing light?” Finn complained. He dropped the box he held on the kitchen counter and dragged his dirty hands through his dark hair. “Seriously, who moves across the ocean and ships all of their possessions?”

  “Talk to Shaun. I tried.” I placed my own box on the counter and tried to wipe the sweat from my face. Finn’s lips twitched and I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to ask for an explanation. If my face was now streaked with dirt, it wouldn’t be the first time today.

  It was January and it was still unbearably hot in LA. Shaun and I had made the move just after Christmas, choosing to spend a festive few days with all my family and his mum first. We’d piled into my parents’ tiny cottage in Cornwall. It was a fun send-off but a tight squeeze, and I’m certain my parents were happy to see us off in the end.

  “You’re honestly telling me that the majority of these boxes are Shaun’s?” Disbelief dripped from Finn’s words as he eyed the fifty-plus boxes piled up and littering what had felt like a spacious open-plan living room. Now it seemed dangerously crowded.

  “What are you moaning about now?” Jackson asked, stumbling through the front door carrying another box. Trailing behind walked Shaun and Nathan, both loaded down with what I hoped signalled the end of the boxes.

  “Shaun’s fucking hoarder habit, what else!”

  “I don’t have a hoarder habit,” Shaun argued, placing his box on a pile near the steps to the sunken lounge.

  We had a sunken lounge!

  I had yet to get used to the crazy opulence of this place. Shaun had bought a house in a gated community in Malibu. We had beach access and an incredible view of the water from almost every room.

  “Pinky claims this is all yours.” Finn hooked a finger towards me.

  Nathan and Jackson’s eyes widened as they fully took in the changed space. We’d spent the better part of an hour unloading boxes. No one had really stopped to see it; we just wanted the boxes and the heat to stop.

  Shaun smoothed his fingers over my face. He wore an adorable smile and, even though I knew it was made of nothing but amusement at the state of me, I melted.

  “They aren’t all mine,” Shaun argued, turning back to his friends.

  Finn’s eyebrows almost hit his hairline as they jumped to me. I could read the accusation in his eyes. I braced myself for the gleeful shouts I’d come to expect from him. The first time we’d met in person, we’d had to endure it for hours while he waxed poetic about the guys never doubting him again. It took a while for them to admit that it was all because they’d bet fifty thousand dollars between them on the outcome of our relationship. The figure was staggering to me, and I’d been unable to do anything but blink in shock.

  “About ten of them are Mona’s.” Shaun started opening boxes, ignoring the ruckus laughter that followed his admission.

  Finn shook his head at Shaun. “You know I ditched everything but a suitcase when I moved, right?”

  “You were a struggling acting student without a single credit to your name. Don’t make yourself out as some kind of minimalist. I’ve seen your closet!” Nathan said, slapping Finn on the back, grinning at his friend’s expense.

  Finn and Nathan started sparring in the middle of the living room, surrounded by towers of boxes containing god knows what. They’d mostly all come out of storage. I’d wager Shaun didn’t even know what was in half of them.

  Even so, my stomach lurched as Finn lost his balance. He recovered before he could plough into a box, but oh boy, had his almost-fall sent my heart into my throat.

  Jackson turned his back on his friends with a sigh. “I hope you’ve got insurance on this lot, Shaun.” He placed a hand on my shoulder and turned me away. “They get worse with an audience.”

  Shaun chuckled.

  “Where are these beers you bribed us with?” Jackson took a seat at the island, his expectant gaze fixed on Shaun.

  Shaun had grown more confident with his ability to resist the lure of alcohol in the last few months. I no longer tensed when someone cracked open bottles around him, but I refused to drink in his presence. I wanted to support him in every way I could. He didn’t need to taste the fumes on my lips.

  A few weeks earlier, while we waited for our stuff to ship, we’d managed to go shopping for some pieces of furniture. Although, looking around the room now, I was glad we’d only bought a bed, bar stool and a sofa at this point. I’m not sure we’d have much manoeuvring room otherwise.

  Shaun took three bottles of local craft beer from the fridge and two waters. He placed them on the counter before turning to Nathan and Finn. “Hey, assholes, if you’re done trying to trash my new house…?” He held two bottles out to them, and the sparring stopped. They stumbled to the island, wearing huge grins despite their dishevelled clothing.

  I picked up my water and followed the call of the ocean waves crashing on the beach outside. I’d found myself right here on the patio, lost in thought and staring at the sea, far too many times to count in the last month. It was such a calming place.

  Arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me back into a wel
l-muscled chest. Shaun kissed my bare neck and a shiver raced down my spine.

  Another change. I’d lasted a week before taking scissors to my shoulder-length hair.

  …Joking. I went to a hairdresser, and he cut it into a bob. I’d had a fit at the price, but at least my hair no longer drove me crazy.

  “Still sure you made the right choice?” Shaun’s lips grazed my ear as he whispered the words.

  I turned in his arms, and slid mine up his chest until they wrapped around his neck. He’d asked me variations of this question every day for the last month, and every time my answer stayed the same. “Still a resounding yes.”

  I tipped my head back, pushed up on my tiptoes and kissed him. I’d quickly realised that my boyfriend was a little pessimistic. It had been fun convincing him that I hadn’t changed my mind, though. I smiled against his lips. In fact, I hadn’t stopped smiling since we’d arrived, other than the hairdresser visit.

  Next week, I started prep on my first feature film. When Shaun accepted his next role, he’d attached me as a requirement. It still seemed odd to me that something like that could be worked into a contract, but I was here, and I wouldn’t change it for anything. I got to explore a job I enjoyed and share this next chapter of my life with the man I loved. Yeah, I was pretty bloody happy about how everything had turned out.

  Shaun pulled back, smirking. His eyes gleamed with happiness. “What’s this about?” He brushed his finger across my smile.

  “For as long as I’ve got you in my life, my answer isn’t going to change.”

  “So, you wouldn’t be against marrying me?” From his tone, you’d assume he was talking about buying a new suit. It took a moment for his words to sink in.

  A pulsing started in my throat, and I swallowed again. “Is that a ‘now’ or ‘in the future’ question?”

  He turned his head towards the sea, pretending to consider the question. All the while, I could see him watching me from the corner of his eye.

  “What if it’s a now question?”

  My heart rocketed in my chest, and I tried to reign in the excitement. “Are you going to propose or just keep being a dick about it?” Okay, so I failed in that effort.

  Shaun laughed then pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. Slowly, he lowered himself to the patio on one knee.

  “Mona, my saviour. Put me out of my misery and marry me?” He opened the box, revealing a pink rectangle-cut diamond surrounded by smaller white diamonds.

  It was beautiful, and I got lost for a moment in the sunlight refracting from the stones.

  “Mona?” Shaun prompted.

  “As if I’d say no.”

  He sighed, and I held my hand out for him to slip it on. When he got to his feet again, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me so happily he took my breath away.

  “We should get back in there before Finn finds my chocolate stash,” he grumbled against my lips.

  “Hey, Shaun,” Finn called from the kitchen. “You don’t mind if I open the Vego, do you? Why don’t they make chocolate right here?”

  Shaun buried his face in my neck and pretended to cry. It’s almost like he heard us.

  The sound of the wrapper opening echoed out to us, and Shaun stilled. “He didn’t?” Horror widened his eyes.

  “How many boxes of it did you bring?”

  He met my curious gaze. “You don’t want to know.”

  “So, you won’t miss a bar of it then?” I asked, my brows raised as I silently laughed at his pain. “Well, we need to celebrate our engagement somehow.”

  Smiling, Shaun raised my ring finger to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the stone. Then he pulled me back towards the house as lust darkened his gaze, Finn’s raid almost forgotten.

  “Just let me kick them out.” He dropped my hand, his heated eyes never leaving mine. “Two minutes tops.”

  I laughed at his desperate expression and followed him inside, confident that there was no reason to rush.

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  Did Ryan and Alys intrigue you? Turn the page for a sneak preview of Chasing Alys.

  Chasing Alys Excerpt

  Music blared from every direction, deafening the eclectic mix of people crammed into the dark, modest bar. Most ignored the band prancing around the small stage, choosing to shout at their neighbour between winces instead. Some crowded the bar itself, while others leaned against the balcony above, their backs to the stage. Almost all of them wore black band t-shirts and jeans. I’d missed the memo on the t-shirts, but then, I didn’t own any. My green blouse would have to do.

  There were other women going against the uniform who stuck out worse than me. A dark dive bar didn’t seem like the place for short dresses, stilettos or faces caked with make-up, but then, it wasn’t my scene, so what did I know?

  As far as I was concerned, heels would just stick to the dirty rubber floor. The air was so stagnant and hot that sweat dripped down the walls. My face already felt like it was melting, and I wore only a thin layer of foundation. I hated to think about the time these girls had wasted perfecting their eyeliner and the curve of their lashes. It would all end up nothing more than a black streak down their cheeks in a couple of hours.

  I pressed my spine into the pillar between the bar and the stairs leading down to the entrance. Then I remembered the sweat coating the walls and shot away before it could seep into my blouse. It was the perfect vantage spot. Emily wouldn’t be able to miss me when she finally turned up.

  After scanning the growing crowd for what felt like the hundredth time, I took a deep glug of wine and grimaced, fighting an instant need to spit it out. Served in a plastic pint glass, I’d naively thought it couldn’t get worse. But the burn in my throat begged to differ. That’s what I get for drinking wine from a bar that smells like stale beer.

  Had the music been better, this gig might have turned the tide on my distaste for live music. There was a crowd, but it wasn’t claustrophobic. I still wouldn’t be able to have a conversation without losing my voice the next day, but at least I didn’t feel like there was no escape.

  Thirty minutes passed. My feet stuck to the floor, my ears felt like they were bleeding, my taste buds were a thing of the past, and Emily was nowhere to be seen. I couldn’t even get drunk to drown out the screams of the man on stage who had forgotten how to produce words.

  Foot tapping against the disgusting floor, I glared at the gaunt figure holding the microphone. He needed a haircut and an introduction to running water. Long black strands stuck to his thin body – when had he lost his shirt? – and it had nothing to do with sweat. That shine seemed far too pronounced.

  Reverb squawked through the small space, and I winced in tandem with the rest of the crowd. Why had I given in to Emily so quickly yesterday? I should have argued, resisted for at least an hour.

  I lived with Emily and when production was in full swing, we didn’t see each other much. A production coordinator’s day started far earlier than a school counsellor’s, and it ended much later. That meant we only caught sight of each other when I had a down day, which was few and far between. If my day off didn’t fall on a weekend, the most we managed was sharing a meal. Yet despite being like passing ships most days, we could still read each other with very little effort.

  I don’t know how I’d survived without my wayward best friend for the first eleven years of my life. Her attaching herself to me had been the best thing to happen, and not only because she ran off a bully with the whack of a textbook. She’d made life more exciting in our tiny village. Of the two of us, she was the daring one. She’d climb forty-foot trees on the regular, getting stuck almost every time. People would tell her she wasn’t allowed to do something, and she’d defy them all.

  Back then,
I’d wished she’d approach love with the same daredevil outlook. I’d thought she was missing out. Now I knew better.

  My eyes strayed to the entrance yet again – and snagged on an oddly familiar blond-haired man. He stood on the opposite side of the room, staring at me whilst surrounded by a group of men. All four of them were varying degrees of hot, and together they packed an effective punch. Around them, men outright gawked and women tried to catch their eyes.

  Not a single one of their watchers approached, though. Nothing but empty space surrounded them, and except for Blondie, they seemed oblivious, laughing and joking with each other. The four of them were chiselled, over six foot tall, and gave off an air of unaffected calm in the face of so much attention. I could understand why they pulled focus; they were the epitome of cool and confident.

  Despite their competing good looks, my gaze kept coming back to the blond-haired one. His friends chattered around him, but he was silent, oblivious to them. His expression was oddly restrained as he stared at me across the smoky room. His face tickled my memories, but I couldn’t pinpoint why he seemed familiar. His hair fell to his shoulders in effortless waves that would make any woman envious.

  Then his eyes snared mine, pulling me in until the music faded. An easy smile tipped up the edges of his lips, and my heart beat faster. An image of him walking down the stairs towards me last night popped into my head. What were the chances that I’d stumble upon him twice in two nights?

  He looked different with his long hair falling in messy waves. Last night he’d been cleaner cut with his hair pulled back. He’d been hot then, but this…

  Glancing away, he raised a bottle to his lips and my eyes dipped, taking in the tight swimmer’s build hidden beneath his plain white t-shirt and black jeans. His trousers moulded to his thighs, and the shirt was so thin he might as well have been topless. If I’d met him last year, I might have taken it as an invitation.