by Jamie Wesley
“Anyway,” Fliss continued, interrupting his trip down bad memory lane, “because California is a community property state, splitting our assets shouldn’t have been that hard, except Keith wanted to argue about every single dollar even with a prenup, the greedy bastard. So things got more contentious.”
“I know that,” he said, crossing his arms. “Get to the point.”
“Finally, I got fed up with the drama and really thought about what Keith valued. It wasn’t hard to figure out. After all, I was married to the man for three years. He likes the perks of fame—the cars, the bling, the money, the attention. The hard work? Not so much.”
“Once again, I know, which is why he’d agreed to sell me his shares of Crescendo after the divorce was final.” More or less. Fed up with how his friend was treating his wife, who didn’t deserve to be publicly humiliated no matter how much she confounded Alex, he’d let Keith know in no uncertain terms he was tired of his shady ways.
“Yes, but you have to understand I don’t care about the bling and cars, so I gave him what he wanted in exchange for something that held much more meaning to me. Crescendo.” Fliss dropped her gaze to the bottle in her hands. “And, umm, I might have told him that giving me his part of the company instead of selling to you would make it easier to save face in Hollywood—you know, so people wouldn’t spread rumors that his best friend had kicked him out of the company.”
Unbelievable. The anger he’d done his damnedest to control flared once again. “In other words, you stole Crescendo from right underneath my nose.”
Her head shot up. “Okay, now who’s being dramatic? You still own as much of the company as you ever did. Half. You just have a new business partner.” She beamed, clearly pleased with herself. Her beautiful eyes shone with joy.
He refused to be dazzled. Not this time. “I don’t want a new business partner.”
He liked working alone. Having his success or failure rest solely on his shoulders. Yes, Keith’s name had offered instant credibility for the company, but Keith had liked the prestige of owning a production company and the profits that came with it more than the actual work. Just the way Alex liked it. Still, legally he’d needed Keith to sign off on projects and had felt an obligation to keep his former partner in the loop.
As part owner, Fliss occasionally gave input, but for the most part she’d been busy shooting movies and then finalizing the divorce. Now she wanted to get actively involved when he was on the cusp of assuming total control and taking Crescendo to the next level with no need to check in with anyone about anything? When he was on the cusp of finally becoming the success he’d dreamed of for so long? No. Thank. You.
Fliss set her bottle down and hopped off the stool, bringing her nearly naked, gorgeous body much too close for comfort. Once again, he commanded himself to concentrate on her words and not his barely checked desire to stroke her tempting flesh.
“I know you don’t want a new, full-time partner,” she said. “You’re a control freak. Someone who likes to work alone.”
“Exactly.” He saw no reason to deny it. As far as he was concerned, it wasn’t a drawback. But that wasn’t the only reason he didn’t want Fliss as a co-owner. How were they supposed to work together after…?
“Let’s be real, Alex.”
He refocused on the woman standing in front of him, a mutinous expression on her beautiful face. “Yes, let’s.”
“You’re a little gruff, a little stuffy. That hurts you sometimes when it comes to business.”
“Are you trying to convince me with insults? Interesting strategy,” he said dryly. “Crescendo is doing fine. I’m doing fine.”
“Yes, but imagine the possibilities if we joined forces,” she said, patting his chest. It felt like he’d been branded, he felt the touch so keenly, even through his T-shirt. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Why her? Why now when they’d never gotten along? Except for that one night he couldn’t stop obsessing over.
“I don’t want to join forces,” he said. “I’ll buy your shares from you. Problem solved.”
“I bring a different energy, a different perspective,” she added like he hadn’t spoken. She continued to pat his chest. “I have connections of my own that we can leverage to make Crescendo even more successful than it already is. Together, we’d be unstoppable.”
Alex caught her hand in mid-pat and ensnared her gaze. “Not going to happen,” he said flatly.
Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.
CHAPTER TWO
Not what Fliss wanted to hear, but not all that shocking, either. Stubbornness virtually oozed from his pores. “Well, I’m not going to sell, so it looks like we’re at a stalemate. Oh, and now that I own fifty percent of Crescendo, you can’t do whatever you want, whenever you want without my input.”
“Why are you doing this?” he asked, releasing her hand.
Determined to ignore how her hand still tingled from his touch, Fliss curled it at her side. “Well—”
“Is it because of what happened that night?” he continued, cutting her off.
She recoiled, horror sweeping through her. “You think I did this in some clumsy attempt to seduce you?”
His gaze never wavered. “The thought crossed my mind.”
Ooh, he was so arrogant. Did he think he was God’s gift to women? More like the devil’s curse. She poked him in the chest. “Well, tell the thought to cross back. That’s not why I did this. That’s not why I showed up at the gala.”
“It’s not?” Lord of the Manor had returned. He was messing with her. She knew it and still didn’t care.
She poked him again. “No, and you know it. I wanted to be there. I deserved to be there.”
Six weeks ago, Crescendo had been honored at the Hollywood Gives Back Gala for its philanthropic efforts in sponsoring college scholarships for aspiring filmmakers. She’d been so proud of the honor. It had been her idea to expand the scholarship program as Crescendo became more successful. She’d gone, knowing she’d have to endure whispers and stares and maybe even the occasional rude comment to her face. She’d been so determined to prove to everyone, to herself that she was fine. That Keith hadn’t bested her. She’d been doing fine until he walked in with his latest whatever, Rebecca Peterson.
And that was enough thinking about that. The man in front of her was her concern, not her ex. She froze, her eyes narrowing. “Wait. You’re not interested in me, are you?”
“Of course not,” Alex scoffed.
Something pinched near her heart. Something she dared not call hurt. He didn’t have the power to hurt her. She wouldn’t give him that power. Not when she’d been hurt by others, who meant more to her than he ever would, and still managed to survive. She lifted her chin. “Good. Glad that’s settled.”
Fliss shifted to walk away, but his hand on her arm halted her progress. And sent another damn tingle down her limb. She pulled away and turned toward him, her eyebrows raised in silent, annoyed query.
He didn’t back away. Or back down. “You still haven’t told me why you’re doing this. Don’t you have enough going on?”
She sighed. As much as Alex irritated her, he was her new business partner and deserved an explanation for her actions. “You mean with my acting career? I’ve reached the point where I can be more selective about the movies I choose to do. I don’t have to worry about getting my name out there in the hopes of moving on to the next bigger project. More importantly, there is a serious lack of movies being produced for and about women, especially women of color, that portray us in an honest, intelligent manner. I want to change that.”
“That’s great, but once again, I’ll say that Crescendo is doing fine.”
Yep, stubborn was his middle name. Patience needed to be hers. “I know that, Alex. I’m not saying you’re doing a bad job. You’re doing a great job. But I bring a different perspective to the table. You know how flighty Hollywood is. It never hurts to keep all your options open.”
He studied her
, his expression still foreboding. “Did you stop and think this through?” He threw his hands up. “Of course not. You always act first and think later.”
“Like I did with my marriage, you mean?” she shot back before she could stop herself.
He winced. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
Fliss shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. Forget I said anything.” Arguing about her past mistakes would solve nothing. She and Alex rarely saw eye to eye, but they had to come to an understanding if they were going to work together. “Actually, I did think this through. I had a lot of time alone to think about my future when the paparazzi were camped outside my house, waiting to catch a glimpse of the poor, duped, cheated-on Felicity. Knowing they were licking their lips waiting for any salacious detail to emerge, especially after the gala.”
Alex sighed. “I told you no one noticed anything was wrong with you. You didn’t give them any ammunition.”
She shrugged. She’d done her best to pretend everything was okay at the event. She’d smiled and mingled, even greeted Keith and his date. Sure, she would have preferred kicking him in the shin for not agreeing to a divorce settlement, but that wasn’t an option in such a public setting. A smart option anyway. Satisfying, yes. Smart, no. But with every eye in the room trained on her, there was only so much torture a person was equipped to take. Somehow, despite her unfaltering smile, Alex had known she was suffering. After she’d admitted to a blistering tension headache, he’d insisted on taking her home.
As a thank you, she’d invited him inside for apple pie and wine. They’d bonded over their adventures in the entertainment industry, and the conversation had turned to a project Alex was working on about the legendary R&B singer, Farrah Blake. She’d listened, rapt, as he detailed his vision for the film. He’d even gone out to his car to get a copy of the script, which she’d immediately fallen in love with.
Then she’d turned on the TV…
She flipped through a few channels and then burst into laughter. “No way. It’s Graveland 6. My first movie,” she added in response to his questioning look. Cringing, she watched through spread fingers across her face. “Thank God I’ve gotten better since then.”
“You sure about that?” Alex asked, grinning.
She stuck her tongue out at him, suppressing a laugh. Robot Alex had a sense of humor. Would wonders never cease? “Yes.” She pointed to the TV. “You see that? That was my first movie kiss. I’m so much better at the whole puckered lips, no tongue thing now. I’ll show you.”
She surprised him when she touched her lips to his. She shocked herself when she registered the demands of “more, more” crowding her brain. She gasped, stared into his eyes filling with desire for her, and the next thing she knew, the embrace had moved well beyond the realm of a movie kiss. Tongues, rapid heartbeats, wandering, grasping hands, and deep moans joined in on the fun on both their parts. Time and place ceased to matter as she became lost in the pleasure of being in Alex’s unyielding arms.
He touched her like he wanted her, like he had to touch her in order to secure his next breath. She didn’t stop to think that this was Alex. She was too busy feeling. For the first time in a long time. Heady, wondrous desire thrummed through her veins. She gasped in delight when a large hand landed on her breast. Her nipple hardened at the contact. His talented mouth never left hers, probing deeper and harder. He settled between her thighs, the hard ridge signaling that he was as worked up as she was. That he wanted this as much as she did. She moaned when he thrust against her, sending an electric shock through her entire body. Then she couldn’t think anymore as her arousal built, driving her closer and closer to the edge.
Until a gunshot from the movie startled them both. Alex pulled away, taking his heat with him, and leaped to his feet. He blinked, shock stamped on his face. “Damn, Fliss. That was…”
“Crazy,” she whispered. Understatement of the decade.
He gripped his head with shaking hands, his chest heaving, his normally steady composure clearly rocked. He stared down at her, bewilderment swimming in his eyes. “This shouldn’t have happened. I…I have to go.”
He raced out of the house, while she lay immobile on the couch, staring at the ceiling with unseeing eyes.
That was the last time she’d seen him until today.
“No one knows anything about what happened after we left,” he said, like he too had been besieged by memories. “No one ever will because it was a mistake that won’t happen again.”
Once again, she ordered herself not to be offended. His reaction had little, if anything, to do with her. Being attracted to his best friend’s wife was the ultimate sin, regardless of how poorly the friend had treated her. But damn, hadn’t her self-esteem taken enough hits over the years?
Fliss squared her shoulders. So what? Alex’s reaction didn’t matter. Besides, he was right. The kiss was a mistake. Claiming a stake in Crescendo was not. Even if Alex came as part of the package. They would just have to act like the adults they were. “All the alone time gave me the chance to think about the direction I want my career to head in. I want to continue acting, but I’d like to have more control over my career.”
His face remained unmoved. “That’s great, but this isn’t going to work. Crescendo focuses on action movies and thrillers, not romantic comedies.”
“’Course it’ll work,” she said, inserting some manufactured cheer into her voice.
It had to.
From the outside, it looked like she led a charmed life. Parents who loved her, a more than comfortable upbringing, a lucrative career she loved. But that undoubtedly spoke to her skills as an actor, skills she’d learned from her parents. The perfect, loving couple in public. In private, they could barely stand to be in the same room. But divorce wasn’t an option because they were worth more together than apart.
They’d married after Fliss’s mom got pregnant in college because they couldn’t possibly embarrass their families, both pillars of the San Diego community. Who cared that they’d dated less than two months before the pregnancy? When they had gotten to know each other, they hadn’t liked what they’d found.
Spoiled. Inconsiderate. Vengeful.
Insults they’d thrown at each other at any given opportunity. Any love that might have existed between them was long gone by the time Fliss was old enough to question its absence.
She’d gotten lost in the shuffle somewhere in between business meetings, golf matches, and charity events. Oh, yeah, and extramarital affairs. She’d been a prop at best, a nuisance at worst, only useful when one parent wanted to hurt or annoy the other.
She’d been so determined to learn from their mistakes. She wouldn’t treat marriage like a business transaction. She’d only marry someone who loved her as much as she loved him. Turned out her husband, no, make that ex-husband, was a much better actor than she’d ever be.
The unexpected demise of her marriage had knocked her flat on her so-called perfect butt, leaving a huge bruise that had taken a long time to heal. Keith had made her question every decision she’d made in her life.
But she was done wallowing. She’d accused Alex of being a control freak, but she was the one determined to take control of her future. Producing movies would go a long way toward reasserting command of her career. As for her personal life? Crescendo would be her new soulmate. Because she was on an official man hiatus. At least until she figured out how to stop jumping headfirst into relationships and handing over her heart like it was a piece of cheap Halloween candy to men who proved over and over they didn’t want it and weren’t worthy of it. When she started dating again, slow would be her mantra.
A perfect plan. On paper, at least. She wasn’t sure she could pull it off—the business part of the plan anyway—but she had to try. Starting now. “In any case, you just proved my point about the types of movies Crescendo produces,” she said with her most confident smile. “It’s time to diversify. You know that. You even told me you were ready to expand.”<
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He hitched his right shoulder. “Yeah, but I plan to do it on my own at my own pace. Right now, thrillers and action movies sell. I’m not interested in romantic comedies.”
Fliss sighed. Fame had never been Alex’s end goal. Making enough money so he never had to worry about it again and making movies the public would enjoy were. She didn’t know all the details of his childhood, only the little Keith had imparted. Movies had offered an escape from a troubled home, something she could definitely relate to, and had become his dream career.
“You misunderstood me.” She narrowed her eyes. “Although there’s nothing wrong with rom-coms. I’ve acted in my fair share of them and plan to make more. However, in this case, I was talking about producing weightier films.” She poked him in the chest again, studiously ignoring the zap of electricity that traveled through her body at the innocent contact. “Need I remind you that your shoot-’em-up action movies aren’t any deeper than the rom-coms you like to sneer at?”
“I know. I just wanted to watch you get up on your soapbox like you do every time someone talks bad about the genre.” He flashed a half smile, the right side of his mouth kicking up.
Fliss’s heart skipped an unexpected beat. Wow. When he wasn’t being high and mighty, he could give lessons on how to be charming. He’d decided to try a new tactic, obviously. She wasn’t having it. “In other words, you were trying to distract me. You failed. And don’t bother with the ‘Damn it, Fliss’ I see forming on your tongue. You need some time to think. I’m going to take a shower.” She flicked a glance up and down his body, lingering on the shirt still clinging to his wide chest. “Maybe you should, too. You look a little hot and bothered.”
