Tinseltown

by Stephanie Taylor

  He shot her a sideways glance and frowned. “I’d prefer not to talk about them.”

  “Look at me, Zach.” She shifted in her seat toward him. When he complied, she threaded her fingers through his. “You took what your parents were and grew. You’re a better person than most. Very few people rise above their upbringing.”

  “It’s taken years of therapy, Deb. I’m not perfect.”

  They sat gazing at each other.

  “I know you’re not perfect,” she agreed after a deep breath. “If you were perfect, you wouldn’t have taken advantage of me when I was drunk.”

  “Ahhh.” He sighed. “We’re back to that.”

  “You did.” She straightened in her seat and crossed her arms.

  “Sweetheart, I’ve taken advantage of you far more times than just when you were drunk, if you’ll recall.”

  She harumphed at him and looked away, hiding her grin.

  “I see your smile in the window’s reflection there, missy. Don’t worry, I’m nowhere close to being done taking advantage of you.”

  Deb ran her fingers through her hair and leaned forward, nervous jitters eating away at her. The fear of the unknown killed her. They were back to reality after all. How would things be now? She shot him a glance. “What is going to happen when we get back? Are we going to be staying together in our trailers? Where will we live? Is this something we’re going to be flaunting? What about after the filming?”

  Zach’s chuckle met her ears. “Would you relax? I think we should take this one day at a time, Deb. I love you and you love me. That’s all we need to know right now, right?”

  Deb sat back and looked out the window at the darkness. Everything was so uncertain Deb wasn’t sure what to expect.

  * * * *

  Call time was in thirty minutes, and Zach hadn’t seen Deb since they’d arrived back in LA four days previously. Both of them had to take care of some business upon their arrival and since they lived on opposite ends of the city, even though he hadn’t wanted to, he’d agreed to wait until filming resumed to see her again. Zach couldn’t help but feel like each time he spoke with her on the phone she was making excuses to end the call.

  They were scheduled to shoot the big love scene between Preston and Amanda today, and Zach hoped to get a little practicing in before the cameras rolled. But eventually, Deb would have to quit avoiding him.

  Zach wasn’t clueless and knew Deb was scared out of her mind. She wasn’t necessarily avoiding him per se; it was more an avoidance of the situation. She didn’t know what to expect from him but he would show her. Zach wasn’t going to run with his tail between his legs. He wouldn’t take off with some other actress. And he certainly wasn’t going to give up the best thing to ever happen to him just because he might be a little scared too.

  A little? When he admitted it to himself, more than fear held him back. He was tempted to cry like a baby at the mere thought of their marriage failing. But he was a man and would take whatever came. Deb and he might not be a perfect match forever, no one knew the future, but they certainly were right now, in this moment.

  It was easy to pretend while they had been secluded in her parents’ home. They had pretended their hectic lives didn’t exist outside the four walls surrounding them. They had ignored that the paparazzi had been standing at the curb waiting for the slightest glimpse of them, for one picture of them together and happy. Furthermore, it was easy to pretend their lives would go on as it had inside of those walls — making love all day, laughing, lots of downtime to spend together, waking next to each other every morning. But the truth was there would be precious little time in the weeks and months to come.

  Sure, they were together now, working on the same project. But as Deb had pointed out, what happened next? Even though Zach would do whatever was necessary to keep Deb in his life, there might be a time Deb simply didn’t want him anymore. She said she loved him now. And he knew he loved her, but didn’t life have a way of coming between even the strongest of people?

  He hated thinking along those lines, but things needed to stay in perspective. His heart had to stay aware of his brain so nothing got broken or bruised during the process.

  But even as he thought it he knew he was in as deep as he could get. He’d be portrayed as the loser, the man who pined away for his lost love. He grimaced at the thought. Talk about losing his man card.

  Glancing at the clock, he grabbed his jacket from the desk chair and pulled it on. He hungered for the sight of Deb. Just seeing her would calm his fears. Then he could stop this ridiculous train of thought and focus on the next level of their marriage. If only he could figure out what it was.

  When he arrived on set, he took one glance at the bed and grinned. Today was going to be fun, and sex tonight would be amazing after all their foreplay on set today. Before the holidays, any kind of physical romance between them in the script had been forced. Now, it would be dynamite. Their love for each other would bleed on screen and make everything real. Their fans were going to go crazy over this movie.

  Zach glanced to his right to see Deb working with Fernbank on where to stand to get the best camera angle. She was dressed in a robe, but black stockings and high-heeled black shoes peeked at him from the bottom of her robe. She was most likely clothed in some sexy lingerie he would take delight in peeling off of her while the cameras rolled. He grinned, remembering now why he loved his job so much.

  Deb spotted him a few moments later and shot him a nervous smile with a small wave. He held his hand up in return and winked, loving the sight of her. She had a hard time filming love scenes. She had confided in him on the phone late last night that even though they were in love, she didn’t want to be a faker. It made him grin. She certainly wasn’t a faker in real life.

  “Zach!” Fernbank called. “Let’s make sure we’ve got the blocking done before we do our first take.”

  This was the first time Zach had seen Fernbank since their last visit with clear instructions to make amends. Zach grinned at Deb as he approached, settling his gaze on her breasts intentionally. When he looked up into her eyes again, she blushed and glanced away.

  Hmm, not quite the reaction he had hoped for.

  After they covered their bases, Zach and Deb took their positions. She tugged off her robe and threw it to a crew member on the side. Beneath the robe was another black silk robe. Zach swallowed and grinned at her.

  A small smile lifted her lips. To the outside world, Deb Atkins was unstoppable, simply Deb Atkins, a prolific actress who had fought her way to the top and succeeded with grace and gratitude. But Zach knew her so much better than anyone else did. Uncertainty lay in her eyes. Tight lines of worry etched her mouth. Her spine was a bit rigid, and she tugged at the bottom of the robe subtly every time she moved.

  It was going to take a while for her to warm up to working together again.

  “Okay, let’s do this, Deb,” he coached. “Let’s do it.”

  He got the reaction he was looking for when she rolled her eyes. “This is going to be the end of me, I think,” she grumbled.

  “Nah.” He waved his arm. “I’m going to be the end of you when I get my hands on you. Think wardrobe would let you borrow this for a few extra hours?” She was just far enough away he had to say it at the risk of someone overhearing. Sure enough, one of the camera men snickered. Deb shot both of them an angry look.

  In this scene, Amanda, Preston’s secretary, who was woefully insecure but gaining confidence, had accompanied Preston, her high school crush, on a business trip. When the scene opened, she was in the bathroom having a little talk with her reflection about how she could seduce Preston. Little did Amanda know, Preston was trying to figure out how to tell her he was in love with her. This scene wasn’t too far away from their own situation, so it wouldn’t be too much for him to remember those emotions he had experienced only a matter of weeks ago.

  “Places!” Fernbank yelled. Amanda disappeared into the bathroom, and Zach sat on the e
dge of the bed, holding the remote. He closed his eyes for a moment, finding his place in character, and when he opened his eyes, he was in character. He was Preston.

  “Action!”

  Preston flipped channels, frustrated. After a moment he tossed the remote on the bed and fell backward, rubbing his face.

  “Get it together,” he mumbled with a huff and rose again to walk over to the table and grab a magazine. He sat on the chair and flipped through the pages quickly then tossed it back down. He heard the door creak open and looked over at the sound. Amanda stood there, nervously twiddling the knot on her robe.

  “I thought you could use a little distraction after the day we had.” She stared him in the eye, working at the knot. After a moment, she let out a frustrated sigh and looked at Fernbank. “Sorry, I tied it too tight.”

  “Places!” he called and they went back to the beginning.

  When they got to the same place in the script, Deb flubbed her lines. After four takes, they never got more than a few lines further than they had initially. Zach could tell this would get a lot worse if he didn’t step in, especially when Fernbank eyed them curiously. He walked over to Deb and took her hand.

  “Just a minute, sir,” he called to Fernbank and took her off set into a room to their left.

  “Deb,” he started when she looked at him expectantly. Seeing her standing there with those big blue eyes and gorgeous hair spilling about her shoulders made him rock hard. “I know this is difficult for you, but do something for me.”

  “I’ll try.”

  “Look at me.”

  She obliged.

  “What do you see?”

  “Zach.”

  “Remember when this moment happened for us a few weeks ago? When we were both so unsure of where we were heading and unsure of our feelings?”

  She nodded.

  “Pretend we’re in the moment again. This is Amanda’s big seductress scene. Sure she’s insecure, you’ve got that part nailed.” He shot her a grin. “If nothing else, remember how empowering it was when you drove me crazy with your perfume. And remember through this whole thing, Deb, this is me. I’m not some stranger you have to make out with. We love each other. We’re married. Let’s let our fans see this is real.”

  Deb nodded. “I’m sorry. This always happens when I do a love scene. It takes me a while to warm up.” She reached up and touched his face softly. “I’ve missed you these last few days.”

  He let his breath out in a whoosh. “Oh, honey, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you. I need you tonight, Deb.”

  She grinned saucily. “Let’s get this wrapped up so we can have some alone time.”

  He groaned as her finger trailed down his chest. “I want to kiss you so bad.”

  “Let’s save it for the cameras. Let them see how bad Amanda and Preston need each other. I think we should try something different for the scene before I come out.” She explained what she had in mind, and after they got Fernbank’s approval, they took their places.

  “Action!”

  Preston flipped the channels. He told himself to get a grip. He walked over to the magazine, picked it up and sat down again, flipping through it as the door creaked open. He continued to pretend to read.

  After a few moments, he felt Amanda’s fingers slip around his shoulders and begin kneading. He groaned and let the magazine fall onto the table, leaning back so his head rested against her ribs.

  “I thought you could use a little distraction after the day you’ve had,” she said softly. Her voice held a slight tremor, and whether real or fake, it was convincing.

  “I’ll say,” he said and closed his eyes, allowing her to massage him. He’d have to remember to ask her to do this when they weren’t filming. It felt amazing.

  Her hands slowed their manipulations and slid down to his button-up shirt, undoing the first button. He opened his eyes and looked at her fingers, confused. Those fingernails were so delicate but could bring so much pleasure when they dug into his back as her legs were wrapped around his waist.

  Preston enjoyed feeling those hands slip into his open shirt and slide provocatively down and thread themselves into his chest hair and over his tensed muscles. He felt her move behind him, then her sweet breath fanned his ear.

  “Preston,” she whispered.

  He could picture her closing her eyes, feigning Amanda’s insecurity.

  His hand came up and hooked around hers. He stood and twisted, so he faced her. Preston’s eyes widened when he looked at her, standing before him without the troublesome black robe. She was dressed in almost nothing. Black garter belt with those little hook thingies holding up her stockings. A black corset thrust her breasts up invitingly. Zach and Preston ogled her and couldn’t wait to get his hands on her. He allowed Preston and his own feelings to show — the lust, the need, the love. The camera didn’t lie. He looked at her face. She watched him expectantly. He swallowed, almost forgetting his lines.

  “I’ve never seen your hair down,” he said softly as he lifted it then let it fall. Then he blinked and turned his chin up. “I’ve never looked at anything more beautiful than you, Amanda.”

  She smiled a little, blinking slowly. She did that in real life too. “I’m yours, Preston. If you want me.”

  He let out a half-hearted laugh. “If I want you?” He moved in closer, fitting their bodies together. “Do you have any idea how much I want you?” He pushed her hair off her tanned shoulder and trailed a finger down to the curve of her breast. “I’ve wanted you since I first laid eyes on you.”

  She cocked an eyebrow, gaining confidence in small measures. “Even when I wore thick glasses and braces in high school?”

  He sucked in air through his clenched teeth and appeared thoughtful. “Honestly? I could have done without the braces.”

  She laughed then turned serious, as did he.

  “Are you sure about this?” His hands touched her cheek, reverently caressing her soft skin.

  “Yes,” she said with a defiant lift to her chin. “I want you to make love to me.”

  “But what happens in the morning, when we have to go back to the real world?”

  She looked at his chest as she brought her hand up to touch his bare skin. “Let’s not worry about tomorrow. Let’s only think about right now.”

  He gave her a crooked grin and then settled his gaze on her mouth. “Deal,” he whispered just before his lips touched hers.

  Then Zach was home. Those familiar lips worked underneath his and he had to tamp down his libido. Preston might be over-eager too, but Amanda was still uncertain and he had to feed her confidence. He groaned and stooped to her level so he could get all of her against him. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling her slender waist, and her perfect body pressed against him. He couldn’t help it, his kiss deepened. His hands did everything to her he knew she liked. When he touched her, she moaned.

  They stumbled backward until he felt Deb against the bed. His lips tore from hers and trailed down her neck. He moved so the camera couldn’t film her naked body and unhooked her lingerie. Her body pushed against him and he captured her mouth again, as his thumbs caressed her cheeks. They fell together on the bed, clawing and straining against each other. He never lost sight of the fact they were supposed to still be acting. But during the silence, filled only by their kisses and lustful sounds, there was no Preston or Amanda.

  It was simply Zach and Deb.

  Chapter 15

  “Zach, we were amazing.” Deb’s heart was still racing from the heat of it all.

  “Yeah,” he agreed as they entered her trailer and closed the door. Night surrounded them, and he turned on her desk lamp for a little light. “Kind of like shooting our very own porno, huh?”

  She punched his shoulder and he grunted playfully, holding his arm and stumbling dramatically. Grabbing a couple of bottled waters from her mini-fridge, she handed him one. “No, honey, a porno would be more like what we’re about to do on the bed. After today, I
need to get laid in a bad way.”

  He scoffed then frowned, turning away from her. “I feel so used.”

  Throwing her head back, she laughed. “If you don’t need some sex after today, I’m going to be worried.”

  His smile was feral as he put his water down and took her in his arms. “I don’t need sex, Deb. I need you. You’re all I’m ever going to need. These last few days were torturous.”

  Turning serious, she touched his cheek. “I love you, Zach,” she whispered.

  “I love you, too, Deb.”

  They stared at each other for a long time then Zach grinned. “Can I get laid now?”

  They both laughed and Deb kissed him, allowing the unknown to fall away so she could just enjoy right now before it was gone.

  Afterward, as they lay together, Zach twirled a piece of her hair, aimlessly staring at the ceiling.

  “Whatcha thinking about?” she asked him, moving her fingertip in a circle on his chest. She loved the smell of his skin after lovemaking, a combination of his exotic cologne and man.

  “How awesome you are at your job. There are a lot of great actresses out there, but you’re the easiest to work with and the best at what you do.”

  “You’re biased,” she said with wink.

  “I mean it. I’ve never worked with anyone who makes things so easy they just fall into place.”

  “You weren’t saying that before Christmas.”

  “Maybe not.” He chuckled. “But even then you were amazing. I was the one who was making things difficult. I forgot I had gone through puberty, I guess. I was acting like a kid.”

  “We all have our moments, even when we’re taken advantage of like I was.”

  He groaned and fell against his pillow. “Let it go, woman!”

  Laughing, she kissed him and nipped his shoulder. “Can I tell you a secret?” she whispered.

  “As long as you don’t have to kill me afterward.”

  “I was in love with you long before I admitted it.” They threaded their fingers together and Deb studied them. His hands were so perfect, so large compared to hers. They were the hands that had protected her against Brad, and they were the hands that had given her an unimaginable amount of pleasure.