Love in the Limelight: Volume One

by Brenda Jackson, A. C. Arthur

  A huge grin lit Charlene’s face as she sat back in her chair. She exclaimed proudly as she looked at her with envy, “What a woman.”

  Rachel shook her head as she recalled the past weekend. “No, what a man.”

  And she seriously meant that. Ethan had her considering taking risks she normally would not take. He said he would make it worth her while and, considering this past weekend, she had no reason not to believe him. After that incident in the trailer a few days ago, she had been trying to keep a level head around the set and handle things decently and in order. In other words, although she didn’t try to avoid him, she didn’t do anything to seek him out either. But she was well aware that he was waiting for her to make the next move.

  She glanced over at Charlene. “What have I gotten myself into?”

  Charlene smiled naughtily. “His pants, for starters.”

  “Girl, be serious,” Rachel protested.

  “I am.”

  Rachel chuckled. Yes, her friend was serious and also right. She had gotten into his pants and was looking forward to getting into them again. How shameful was that?

  “It doesn’t make sense,” she said. “You know what a private person I am and how I hate being in the spotlight. Anyone involved with Ethan will have their face plastered all over the tabloids. There’s no way to get around that unless we sneak around.”

  “And how do you feel about doing something like that?”

  That was a good question and one she needed to think about. Were earth-shattering, toe-curling orgasms worth all of that?

  “You know what’s wrong with you, don’t you?” Charlene asked, smothering a giggle.

  Rachel took a sip of her iced tea. “I don’t have a clue.”

  “You went without a hot male body too long. Trust me, I know how it feels.”

  Rachel hated to admit that Charlene was probably right. In the past, she’d always had enough on her plate to keep her mind occupied so she didn’t think about sex. She was just as busy now as she was before, so what was there about Ethan that made her want to make him a top priority on her “to do” list? It wasn’t like she wasn’t routinely surrounded on the set by gorgeous, sexy men. Why had her body decided Ethan was the one?

  Before she could offer any more input to the conversation, her cell phone began vibrating. Caller ID indicated an unknown number. Normally she refused to answer those kinds of calls, but she felt a warm sensation in the pit of her stomach. She excused herself from the table and quickly headed toward the ladies’ room.

  “Yes?”

  “This is Ethan. I want to see you.”

  So much for him waiting for her to make the next move.

  The sound of his voice plunged her into a sea of desire so deep she felt herself going under. “Why? Do I need to save you again?”

  “No, but I do need you to make love to me like you did last weekend.”

  If she hadn’t been drowning before, she was certainly drowning now and there was no one around to throw her a life jacket.

  “Ethan, I think—”

  “You do too much of that.”

  For a moment she struggled with the possibility that maybe he was right. “One of us needs to.”

  “No, we don’t. Just consider it something we both deserve. We work hard, so we should get to play harder.”

  He did have a point. Didn’t he?

  She drew in a deep breath, wondering where her logical mind was when she needed it the most. It had probably taken a flying leap with that first orgasm Saturday night. “We’re risking the chance of you being followed.”

  “I have everything under control.”

  Including her, she thought, when she tried summoning the gumption to deny what he was asking. But then all she had to do was to remember Saturday night or the kiss they’d shared in her trailer earlier in the week. His lips had teased her mercilessly, and his tongue had nearly made her short-circuit.

  “Rachel?”

  “Yes?”

  “Will you meet me?”

  She nervously licked her lips. “Where?”

  He rattled off an address that was followed by a brief set of instructions. “Do you need directions?”

  “No, I’ll use my GPS,” she said, tucking the piece of paper she’d written on back in her purse.

  Moments later, she hung up the phone with her heart pounding in her chest. Emotions she refused to put a name to stirred in her stomach, and she knew she was falling deeper and deeper into lust.

  * * *

  Slow down, buddy. The last thing you need is a ticket while racing across town for a night of hot and heavy sex.

  Ethan flinched at the thought of that because he knew his meeting with Rachel was more than that. She was different and not just because she wasn’t a woman anxious to blast their affair to all who’d listen.

  And they were involved in an affair because neither of them was looking for any sort of heavy-duty relationship right now. He was satisfied to keep things under wraps as much she was, especially since he knew how she felt about the matter.

  He had actually been followed for a short while after leaving his place. He had driven his car to the private parking garage of condos owned by a friend of Hunter’s from college. If the person tailing him thought he was smart, Ethan intended to show he was smarter.

  Ethan had parked his car in a designated spot and had donned his disguise before getting out of his car and getting into another vehicle—one owned by that same friend of Hunter’s, who was presently out of the country for the next month or so.

  He had smiled upon leaving the garage and bypassing the photographer who was parked across the street, waiting for Ethan to come out. No doubt, the man would be there for some time while trying to determine what woman and at what address Ethan was visiting at this particular condo complex.

  Ethan couldn’t ever recall going through this much hassle to keep his interest in a woman hidden. If he wasn’t so concerned about Rachel’s feelings, he truly wouldn’t give a damn.

  But he needed tonight. He needed her. This had been one hell of a week, with Frasier in rare form, demanding more than perfection from everyone. The rumor floating around the set was that the man and his partner were having problems. Although Frasier’s policy demanded all of them leave any and all personal matters at the door and not bring them on the set, evidently that rule didn’t apply to Frasier.

  Luckily, so far none of Frasier’s tirades had been leveled at him but at a number of others, including Tae’Shawna when she had messed up her lines. After the lie she’d told to Rachel, the woman hadn’t gotten any pity from Ethan.

  He had come close to confronting Tae’Shawna on more than one occasion about the lie she had told. However, Rachel had asked him not to say anything. She worried that Tae’Shawna would resent her for breaking a confidence and possibly even retaliate in some way.

  Ethan exited off the interstate and noted a lot of cars on the road for a Thursday night. He was in Industry, a city in the San Gabriel Valley section of Los Angeles. His destination was an old warehouse owned by Chambers Winery that was used to store bottled wine shipped from the vineyard. In other words, it used to be their off-site wine cellar. More than once he had considered the idea of fixing up at least part of the place as a possible hideaway when he needed peace from the media’s scrutiny. This week he had acted on that idea, and after a few phone calls and explicit instructions, he had received word that the place was good to go. He couldn’t imagine not bringing Rachel here to help christen the place.

  More than once during the drive over, he had glanced back in his rearview mirror to make sure he was not being followed. Satisfied that he had not been, he pulled into the drive and around the side of the building that was away from the street.

  Grabbing the pair of wineglasses off the seat beside him, he got out of the car and closed the door behind him. It was a beautiful August night with bright stars lighting the sky. The perfect night for a romantic rendezvous.

&nbs
p; He had made good time, intentionally arriving ahead of Rachel. As he headed for the entrance with the wineglasses in his hands, he smiled. So far so good. His evening was going according to his plans.

  * * *

  Rachel pulled into the parking lot of the huge vacant building to park next to the vehicle already there. Her heart began pounding and her hand on the steering wheel began trembling somewhat.

  She glanced around through her windshield. She had followed Ethan’s instructions to the letter, and the huge building looming before her appeared dark and scary. But she knew somewhere inside, Ethan was waiting for her.

  She opened the car door and glanced around as she got out. It had been hard for her to consume her dinner knowing what her plans were for afterward.

  If Charlene suspected anything was amiss, she hadn’t let on. Rachel would give her best friend all the details later. But for now, the plan for tonight was something she hadn’t wanted to share. She didn’t want to take the risk of anyone talking her out of doing something she really wanted to do. She didn’t want anyone to knock the craziness out of her and force her to go back to being her logical self.

  She pushed the door and, to her intense relief, it opened, just like Ethan had said it would. The moment she stepped over the threshold, the smell of vintage wine consumed her nostrils. She could probably get intoxicated just from the scent alone.

  The place was dark. The only light was a bit of moonlight shining in through one of the windows. She’d never been afraid of the dark but there was something eerie about this place. Her heart rate increased, and she fought back a nervousness that was about to consume her as she took a step back and bumped against the hard, solid wall of a masculine chest.

  She gasped when a pair of strong, muscular arms reached around to enclose her within a powerful embrace. The familiar scent of him surrounded her and she breathed it in and relaxed against him. She could feel his hot breath at her neck, close to ear, when he whispered, “Welcome to my lair.”

  Her heart rate steadied when another type of response took control—not fear of the unknown but apprehension of the known. She knew why she was here, why he had asked her to come and how tonight would end up.

  She released her breath with a shaky sigh when he turned her to face him and leaned forward to give her a more physical display of welcome, one she had no problem receiving.

  His tongue tangled hotly with hers while his hands seemed to roam all over her, finding her bare skin not covered by her short skirt. And he was caressing her backside in a way that only he could execute. When he finally pulled back, she was grateful for his hands around her waist because her knees seemed to buckle beneath her, and she felt herself swaying against him.

  He held her tight as he continued to rain kisses all over her face while his hands gently massaged her back. They stood that way for a while as their heartbeats and breathing returned to normal. But she was completely aware of the way her hard nipples pressed against the hard wall of his chest.

  “Come on, let me show you around,” he whispered against her temple.

  He took her hand in his, and using a flashlight that he pulled from his pocket, he led the way. She glanced from side to side and saw rows and rows of wine bottles and immediately knew this was a place his family owned.

  “There’s usually a security guard around,” he said. “Clyde has worked for us at this place for years, making sure no one runs off with anything. I thought I’d give him the rest of the night off.”

  Instead of saying anything, Rachel nodded and merely followed him through another door and up a flight of stairs. She tried pushing back the question rushing through her mind. Why was she here and not at home in her own bed getting a good night’s sleep? After all, it was Thursday and tomorrow was a workday for the both of them. But she knew the reason. Ethan had called and said he wanted them to make love again. She wanted them to make love again as well. For what other reason would she be here?

  She knew getting involved with him, secretly or otherwise, was probably not a good idea, but then she could do casual dating just like the next man or woman. She wasn’t looking for everlasting love. She liked her life just fine the way it was.

  He used a key to open another door and it was only then that he put the flashlight away and flipped on a switch. She nearly closed her eyes at the brightness but not before she saw the immaculate-looking office.

  She continued to glance around when he locked the door behind them. And when she gave him a questioning look, he smiled before taking her hand again and leading her through another set of doors.

  She gasped when she saw what was in front of her. It was the most beautifully decorated room she could imagine, one designed as a lovers’ hideaway, complete with a king-size bed and all the other matching furnishings. There was even an expensive throw rug on the floor and several beautiful paintings on the wall, lit candles around the room and a vase of roses sitting on a dresser.

  She lowered her head when an errant thought hit her. Was this where Ethan brought all his conquests when he needed privacy? She glanced over at him and apparently the question was there, looming in her gaze, because he said, “I called and had this place renovated just a few days ago. I’m pleased with what they’ve done in such a short period of time.”

  And then in a voice that had thickened, taken on a rough edge in an ultrasexy sort of way, he said, “And let me go on record as saying that you’re the only woman I’ve ever brought here, Rachel. I consider this place as ours.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as she took in all he said and all he meant. He had created this place for them? Did he assume there would be many more secret rendezvous for them? So many that they would need a place to slip away to and be together without prying eyes or stalking photographers hell-bent on fueling the tabloid frenzy?

  The thought of such an idea—Ethan being so into her—was ludicrous. She could see him taking advantage of her willingness to engage in no-strings-attached sex a couple of times, but did he honestly think it would become a long-term affair? No, he probably knew that it wouldn’t be and would be satisfied with the here and now. When she ceased being his flavor of the hour, he would replace her with someone else, someone more his style. More than likely it would be one of those leggy models his name was usually hooked up with. A woman who enjoyed being in the spotlight just as much as he did.

  She fought the thick lump blocking her throat. Not wanting to put a damper on the mood he’d set for them tonight, she let her eyes roam around the room. The decor was simply beautiful in the warm glow of candlelight. Then her eyes lit on the glasses and the bottle of wine on a nightstand beside the bed.

  “That’s Chambers Winery’s finest,” he leaned over and whispered close to her ear. She glanced up into the depths of his eyes, saw all the desire embedded deep within them, and an unfamiliar sensation overtook her. It ran through her like a burning ball of heat and settled in the pit of her stomach as if it belonged there and had no intention of going away.

  Mentally she weighed her options. She could take tonight and accept it for what it was—a night two sexually charged individuals wanted to enjoy each other. Or she could go along for the ride as long as it lasted and as long as they took all the measures necessary not to get caught—providing it was all enjoyment and no emotion. There had to be a no-emotional-attachment policy.

  Deciding which option she would go with, she eased closer to him and said, “I can’t wait to have a glass.”

  The tips of her nipples were beginning to heat up, and she intentionally rubbed against him to bring her breasts in contact with his chest. The hitch in his breath let her know she’d made a hit. It seemed Hollywood’s newest heartthrob wasn’t immune to her charms. Just the thought that she had enough to hold his interest made her heart pound and her entire body begin to tremble inside.

  The look in his eyes told her that he knew exactly what she was doing and was willing to let her take the lead for now.

  “And ther
e’s something else I can’t wait to have,” she said, tilting her head back to meet his gaze.

  “What else do you want, Rachel?”

  The huskiness of his voice made a shiver ripple through her. She lowered her gaze to his chest and then lower still to his crotch. She’d never been fascinated with the makings of an aroused man before, but now she couldn’t help marveling at what a fine specimen of a man he was. His erection nearly burst through the zipper of his jeans, and she felt proud of herself that she had caused his intense arousal.

  “I want this,” she said, reaching out and groping that part of him. She heard his low growl and glanced up. His eyes could not hide the desire she saw in them.

  “Sweetheart, I’m going to make sure you get everything you want.” And then he swept her off her feet and into his arms and carried her over to the bed.

  * * *

  There was something about Rachel’s scent that got to him every time. It was an intimate fragrance that seemed to beckon him on a primitive level that even now had every muscle in his body rippling in a way he found tormenting.

  He undressed her and then undressed himself. He had seen the way she blushed when he tossed several condom packets on the nightstand and took a step away from the bed to put one on. She watched him sheath himself and the thought that she was doing so sent a rush of blood to his loins.

  Silence dominated the room and for a heartfelt moment he wished some type of music was playing to set the mood. Too late now. But next time...

  And there would be a next time. He was going to make sure of it. Like he told her, this was their place. When he’d made the arrangements on Monday, it had been with her and only her in mind. He hadn’t wanted any other woman in that bed with him.

  He flinched at the thought, like he always did when his mind would begin thinking of more than sex between them. During those times, he would do whatever was needed to get his thoughts back in check. The only reason he and Rachel were drawn to each other was their intense sexual chemistry. And they were well aware that the attraction could never go beyond what they were sharing now. Neither of them had plans of ever falling in love.