Wide-eyed Zoey cannot contain her enthusiasm. She’s especially in awe of Jewel. “Wow! You’re even prettier in person!”
Clad in a bathrobe, her blond hair in curlers, Jewel’s blue eyes twinkle with laughter. “Not for long. I’m going to look like a drowned rat after shooting my scene with Brandon.”
“Oh my God. That shower scene was—I mean, is—so amazing. I can’t wait to see it for real.”
Before the gorgeous, slightly perplexed actress can respond, she’s whisked off to hair and makeup. The rest of the crew is scuttling about, prepping for the shoot. I’m more than glad I’ve brought Zoey along. Thanks to her insane memory, she’s able to put names and positions to almost everyone. I told her during our drive here that I wasn’t going to tell anyone about my amnesia. She thought that was a good idea and assured me she could help me identify most of the crew. She studied the file she put together and went over it again with me in the car. Thank goodness, I was able to retain the names of several key crew members, including the Director, the first AD, a couple of camera guys, hair and makeup, and some helpful PAs so I wouldn’t look like a total idiot.
Just after I finish my second donut, a young freckled-face woman, wearing a headset and carrying a clipboard, jogs up to me. She must be one of the PAs. Shit. I don’t remember her name. I shoot Zoey a desperate look. She mouths the PA’s name: Janine. She’s the no-nonsense type.
“Brandon, let’s get you into hair and makeup.”
“Zo, just hang out for a while,” I say, letting the PA lead the way.
Another female voice stops me in my tracks.
“Darling!”
I pivot. My body goes rigid. Katrina! Every muscle clenches. I’m still mad as hell at her. And in fact, I’m even madder. She’s brought the fucking mutt to the set.
Holding the yapping ball of fur in her arms, she prances up to me. All eyes are on the statuesque beauty. She looks stunning, dressed in a tight hot pink sweater dress with matching thigh-high suede boots, her platinum hair cascading over her shoulders in perfect, soft waves. The little white dog is wearing a matching outfit—a same shade pink sweater along with a bow in his hair and a pink rhinestone-studded collar. An unsettling thought crosses my mind—shit, maybe they’re diamonds. I wouldn’t put that past my extravagant fiancée or to put the astronomical charge on my credit card.
“What are you doing here?” I snap, avoiding eye contact with the beast.
Katrina holds Zoey in her rabid gaze. “What’s she doing here?”
Smiling, Zoey holds her own. “Brandon invited me.”
Another PA lopes up to us with a last call for donuts. He’s holding a box with the remaining few. Zoey surveys them.
“Katrina, you should help yourself to one before they run out.”
“Puh-lease. Donuts are for peasants.” She directs her snide comment at Zoey and then smacks her mouth on mine. Coated in a bright pink lipstick, her billowy lips taste nothing like Zoey’s. I pull away. Zoey stares at her icily.
Clutching the ravenous looking dog in the crook of one arm, Katrina runs a long manicured finger around my lips. “I’m sorry, darling. I got lipstick on you.”
I grit my teeth and don’t move as she continues.
“Since I wasn’t shooting today, I thought I should come by and wish you the best of luck on your first day back on the set. Plus, I really wanted you to meet Gucci. I just know you’re going to fall in love with him.”
Him? By now, all the crew members have taken notice of Katrina and her new pretty in pink cross-dresser dog. Or should I say, our new dog? Many have gathered around to congratulate her on our engagement (and glimpse the rock I gave her) and to admire the fluffy designer mutt. Everyone’s a sucker for a cute dog. Being the center of attention, America’s It Girl is in her glory—with “It Dog.”
“Darling, why don’t you pet him?” she purrs.
I want to bark at my fiancée. Tell her to get the hell out of the studio and take the damn dog with her. But with all these people around us, it sure won’t look good to have a fight. Or for it to get out that I don’t like dogs. That’s just not the kind of publicity I need right now. Besides, I love dogs. I had a Chocolate Lab growing up. I just don’t like little yappy ones.
Hesitantly, I lower my hand to the dog’s head, but as I’m about to touch down, the mongrel growls and bares his tiny razor-sharp teeth. With a vicious snap, he almost takes off my fingers. I yank them away just in time.
“Jesus,” I mutter under my breath, happy to have my digits intact.
“Brandon, are you okay?” asks Zoey.
Katrina shoots Zoey another predatory look and then shifts her attention to me.
“Darling, he just has to get to know you better.” She makes goo-goo eyes at the monster. “You’re a very sweet little dog, right baby boy?” She kisses the still growling beast on his head, leaving an outline of her pink lips on his white fur.
The PA named Janine impatiently butts in. “Brandon, we’ve got to go. It’s getting late.”
“Katrina, I have to get ready,” I say, happy to have an excuse to get away from her. The hostile dog growls at me again. I’ve had it. This time I growl back. It whimpers. Ha! I’ll show the furry little beast who’s the alpha male around this joint.
Katrina fires me a dirty look and comforts the shaking pup. “Poor baby, don’t let him scare you.”
Zoey cups her mouth to stifle her laughter. We exchange an eye roll. Score one for me.
Five minutes later, I’m back on the set. I’m wearing a bathrobe, monogrammed with my name, but beneath it I’m stark naked except for a flesh-colored cock sock. Jewel, in a similar bathrobe, joins me. Her hair coiffed, she looks ready to get started.
I spot Zoey. I’ve had a PA set her up in my folding chair by the director’s camera. I’ve told her the best way to watch the filming is on his monitor. Numerous cameras will be in play to capture different angles, including an overhead one on a crane and a handheld one for close-ups, but the director’s monitor captures the first cameraman’s master shot. In editing, they’ll splice together the various angles to make the scene dynamic and then later in post add sound effects and music.
Niall Davies, the episode’s wiry director, strides up to us. In addition to being the show’s Emmy-winning primary director, he’s married to Jewel, my co-star. They met on the set.
“Ready to rehearse the scene, my man?” he asks in his charming British accent.
“I don’t need to rehearse it. I’ve got it nailed.” I shoot Zoey a look. Our eyes connect. Smiling, she gives me a good luck thumbs up. Smiling back, I suddenly realize Katrina’s nowhere in sight. Maybe she took the damn dog for a walk. Just as well. The last thing I need is for the mutt to start yapping in the middle of my scene.
Niall turns to his wife. “Are you all right with that, gorgeous?”
Jewel smiles. “Let’s go for it, baby.”
Stripping off our bathrobes, we step into the already steamed up shower. Water sprays from the many overhead jets. In seconds, we’re soaked and in position.
“Quiet on the set,” shouts out the first AD.
The next three words are music to my ears. It’s as if I’ve heard them my entire life. Is my memory coming back?
“Lights. Camera. Action!”
Chapter 26
Zoey
“Lights! Camera! Action!”
The words echo in my ears. I’m so wet I may stain Brandon’s canvas chair. When I first saw Brandon in the raw—just seconds ago—my jaw crashed to the floor and my heart almost rocketed out of my chest.
I’ve seen him in Speedos and tight jeans and I’ve given him massages in his boxers, but nothing’s prepared me for the sight of his manliness full on. Sure, he’s wearing some kind of flesh-colored sheath that wraps around his genitals like a bag of leprechaun’s gold, but it doesn’t camouflage his size. Holy mother of God! I mean, I knew he was endowed when I felt his hardness against me in the shower. But not this big. And his enor
mity is sans an erection.
Still in a state of shock, I soak in the rest of his body. It’s as if he’s been sculpted by an Italian master. A seamless combination of lean muscle and bronze with washboard abs, a perfect pelvic-V, long worked-out legs, and a chiseled ass that belongs in a museum. As the cameras start rolling, my temperature rises and hot tingles storm my body. I’m throbbing so hard between my legs I can hear it.
I can’t keep my eyes off him. My pupils dart back and forth between the director’s monitor and the set, a near replica of Brandon’s home bathroom. It’s bathed in a cloud of steam and sensually lit in a way that makes Brandon and Jewel glow like two ethereal lovers. Like the stars they are.
Under the powerful spray, Brandon and Jewel magically transform into the characters they play—CIA agent Kurt Kussler and his beloved wife Alisha. Lit up with love and lust, Brandon holds his co-star in his arms just as he held me. After he tells her how sexy she is, he fondles her perfect, nipple-covered tits and nuzzles her long, slender neck. I relive every moment, every word. New sensations overtake me, both emotionally and physically. An unexpected bolt of envy shoots through me. Brandon and Jewel look so beautiful together. So comfortable in their skin; so comfortable with their nudity. So oblivious to the cameramen surrounding them. Passion dances in their eyes as the water pounds them. Their flesh glistens. The steam intensifies. I know they’re only acting, but every word, every action seems so real. I wonder—did Brandon ever fuck Jewel? With her blond goddess looks, she’s just his type. Are they possibly drawing from experience?
The thought fades as I watch the scene unfold on the monitor. I hardly blink my eyes as I glom on to every word. I know them so well they’re forming on my lips, and I hear myself saying them in my head. As Brandon sensuously touches Jewel in all the places he touched me, my breathing grows shallow. His moans and groans sing in my ears, causing a fresh rush of hot tingles to swarm me. I can’t stop reliving every minute of my shower with Brandon.
Every touch of his deft fingers.
Every brush of his hard body.
Every sound of his sultry voice.
Every pulse of his wondrous cock.
Any jealousy I harbor gives way to feverish lust and desire. You’re everything to me, Kurt. My breathing grows harsher, and my heart beats like a hammer. Every nerve in my body is sparking as a fire rages between my legs. I have the burning urge to touch myself. To quell the white-hot flame that’s searing every inch of my being. I squirm in the chair and cross my legs. My upper thighs stick together, slicked with wetness. I’m positive now I’ve stained Brandon’s chair. I feel faint like I may pass out any minute. Thank God, I’m sitting.
A thoughtful PA notices my condition.
“Can I bring you some water, Ms. Hart?”
“Yes, please,” I breathe out. “That would be great.”
Waiting for the water, I keep my eyes on the monitor and watch Brandon and Jewel heatedly play out the rest of the scene, making me believe the passion between Kurt and Alisha is so real. And then that kiss. That unforgettable kiss with his lips on mine, our tongues entwined in an erotic dance. Our bodies melded like one. Unable to erase the taste of him, I can’t watch anymore. I’m either going to melt or detonate. I jump off the tall chair and rush to the restroom. I dash into a stall and shove down my jeans. And finger myself until my lips silently cry out his name.
Chapter 27
Brandon
“Oh, baby!” The final words of the scene tumble out of my mouth. I’m so close to coming, but one little word stops an orgasm of epic proportions.
“Cut!”
Emotionally drained and physically aroused, my head falls onto Alisha’s. Breathing hard, we hold each other, our soaking wet bodies slick against the other’s. It takes a long moment for the word to register. It’s not until some PA hops into the stall and turns off the pounding water. I slowly lift up my head and meet my co-star’s gaze. She’s no longer Alisha but Jewel.
Her wide-set blue eyes penetrate mine. “Brandon, that was amazing. You were amazing.”
My breathing calms. “So were you.”
“Thanks.” My technique worked. To get into the scene, I drew from experience. The most erotic shower experience I ever had. Or at least can remember.
Freeing herself, Jewel casts her eyes downward. My enormous erection stares her in the face.
She smiles playfully. “Brandon Taylor, did I give you a boner?”
I ponder her question for a few quick seconds. “No.”
Jewel laughs. But that’s the truth. Someone else did. While I acted out the scene, she was in my bloodstream, filling my mind and my heart. I tasted her sweetness and felt her soft curves against my body. Dripping wet, I step out of the shower and look for her. My eyes dart around the studio.
Zoey Hart is nowhere to be found. My cock sinks as a PA hands me a towel and helps me shrug on my robe. Jewel joins me. There’s raucous applause and cheers amongst the crew. I just shot my first scene since my accident, and I’ve blown them away.
Jewel’s director husband runs up to us. He hugs his beautiful wife. I wish there was someone to hug me.
Envy grabs me by the balls. To watch and film the woman you love kiss another man must be so challenging. Let alone People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive.” But he doesn’t seem threatened. Though likely twenty years older, he and Jewel must have a very strong marriage. Something beyond sex. Soul mates? Like my parents?
Breaking from the embrace, Niall pats me on the back. “Brandon, my man, you were absolutely brilliant. You nailed it.”
Before I can thank him, a familiar breathy voice calls out my name. My eyes find her quickly. Katrina. With the dog on a leash, she breezes my way.
“Where have you been?” I ask her while the little monster sniffs around my bare feet. I curl my toes, fearful he’ll bite.
“Oh darling, I’m so sorry I missed the scene, but I had to take Gucci for a walk. He needed to make a wee-wee.”
I mentally roll my eyes. She turns her attention to Jewel and Niall. Niall’s arm is wrapped around his wife.
“Darling, introduce us,” Katrina insists.
Reluctantly, I introduce my co-star and director to my fiancée.
Katrina plays up to them. “So wonderful to meet you! I do hope the two of you will be coming to our wedding.”
At the word wedding, I feel a tightening in my chest. It’s something I don’t want to think about. Make that the last thing I want to think about.
“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” says Jewel. “In fact, we just received the invitation. So clever to have it attached to a miniature horse-driven pumpkin carriage. I assume you’re going to be a Cinderella bride?”
Katrina’s face brightens. “Yes!”
Niall chimes in. “We’ll be there for sure.”
Jewel excuses herself to get changed while Niall tells us he’s going to review the shot list for the upcoming action scene. Alone with my fiancée, I change the subject to the only one on my mind. “Katrina, did you by chance see Zoey while you were outside?”
She contorts her face with disgust. “Yes. I wish you hadn’t reminded me. That pathetic girl was throwing up by your car.”
My pulse speeds up. “Is she okay?”
Katrina huffs. “How the hell would I know? I don’t associate with her. And besides, how could you even think I’d get close to a pool of vomit!?”
Before I can respond, something that feels like molten liquid trickles down my ankle. I look down and rage whips through me. The goddamn dog has peed on me! Its leg is still lifted.
Katrina gushes. “Finally! That is so cute! Gucci thought you were a fire hydrant.”
Fuming, I clench my fists by my sides. As if enduring this humiliation isn’t enough, on my next exasperated breath, the fucking dog bites me. I yelp and then shout some expletives. Blood is pouring. An observant PA runs to get me a Band-Aid. She returns quickly and wraps it around my big toe. I thank her, wishing I were thanking Zoey.
“Bad boy,” scolds Katrina, lifting the dog into her arms. “You’re getting a time out!”
The little dog cowers at the sound of her harsh voice. For a minute, I almost feel sorry for him, especially when his big brown woeful eyes meet mine. Katrina marches off with the dog. The pup’s gaze stays on me as if he’s expecting me to rescue him from whatever inevitable punishment he faces.
While the crew prepares for the next set up, I hobble to my dressing room. Collecting my cell phone, I sink into the couch and immediately speed dial Zoey. It rings and rings. No answer. Next, I text her. No answer. Finally, I email her. No answer.
Worry washes over me. It’s not like her not to respond. If I didn’t have to dive right into the next scene and spend the afternoon shooting an action sequence, I’d go home and check on her. Suddenly, I wish this day could be over.
I take a deep breath. It doesn’t calm me. I don’t remember the last time I cared so much about a girl. Or if I ever really did.
Chapter 28
Zoey
I’m surveying the contents of Brandon’s refrigerator so I know what to order tomorrow when I hear a car pull into the adjacent garage. It must be Brandon. It’s after seven. He must be done with his shoot.
“Are you okay?” he asks, stepping into the kitchen. His voice sounds urgent.
Closing the refrigerator door, I spin around to face him. “What do you mean?”
“Katrina told me she saw you puking in the parking lot.”
“I must have eaten something funky from craft services. Or maybe that donut did me in. I Ubered home. I’m much better now.”
At least, part of my white lie is true. I do feel better. My sudden bout of nausea, however, had nothing to do with what I ate. The panty-melting, passionate shower scene Brandon filmed with Jewel made me more than hot and bothered; it made me sick to my stomach. I had to leave. And then outside, at the sight of Katrina, nausea rocketed to my chest. After puking my guts out, I managed to call for an Uber car and went home. Totally wiped out, I crawled into bed and spent the rest of the day sleeping it off. I still don’t feel one hundred percent and his presence doesn’t help.
Unforgettable: The Complete Series (A Sexy Cinderella Standalone Love Story) Page 16
