Recovery

by JC Harroway

  He made a disgusted sound then fell silent. Tension coiled inside me, tighter and tighter until I was ready to blurt out anything to diffuse it.

  ‘I like Eccles cakes,’ he said.

  I smiled to myself. Nathan Banks had a sweet tooth. ‘Yes, they’re yummy.’ I gnawed at my thumbnail. ‘So, what do I do? I need to try a different tactic.’ I held my breath, hoping he wasn’t going to make me beg for his help, or worse, rescind his offer.

  ‘How quickly could you get hold of a killer frock?’ His deep voice reverberated from my phone, spreading tingles along my spine.

  ‘Why would I need a killer frock?’

  His playful tone was back, creating a stampede of butterflies in my stomach. ‘I have been known to attract a fair amount of media attention in my time. If you still want to, I’ll help you give them something bigger to talk about than an old story with little mileage.’

  Something creaked and I wondered where he was. Laid out on a sofa watching TV? Working in a home office? In his car? The thought of Nathan in his own environment performing mundane tasks sent a disturbing wave of heat to my core.

  ‘Which is what?’ Could I really do this? Put on an act? Pretend to be an item with one of the world’s hottest actors? My palms were clammy just talking about it.

  His tone switched from relaxed to all business, making me sit up straight. ‘I have a film premiere tonight, Leicester Square, red carpet, after-party, the works.’

  My stomach flipped. ‘I’m not sure about this.’ Cameras, the limelight, publicity—for me it represented the stuff of nightmares.

  ‘Make a show of leaving your parents’ house—you know, put your suitcase in the car, wave goodbye. As soon as the paps see you leave, they’ll follow. Lucy and Jake have been tweeting about my presence at the premiere tonight. The smart ones will be able to work it all out.’

  Would it be that simple? I needed to do something before my dad had another heart attack or my mum collapsed. And if the media followed me, returning to my flat in London after the premiere would help my family.

  Nathan’s voice dropped to a husky whisper. ‘I’ll show you a good time, I promise.’

  I didn’t doubt he could, but I’d have to keep my head. Create a bit of gossip, maintain a safe distance from the delectable Mr Banks and get out before any further damage was done. ‘And you’ll be hooking the roles you want too, right?’ I wanted the parameters of this transaction set. I couldn’t feel indebted to him, but if this was a business deal …?

  ‘Sure.’

  I sighed, the tiny shred of confidence I had waning. ‘They’ll know it’s fake. I can’t act.’

  ‘All you have to do is smile; I’ve seen you do that. You were great at it.’ The dare was there in his tone—go on, you know you want to. It called to me, urging me to be reckless. Just this once.

  ‘I was?’ My voice was a whisper.

  ‘Be ready by four. I’ll send a car for you.’

  Chapter Eight

  KNOWLEDGE of how leaving a moving vehicle at sixty miles per hour could damage the human body was the only thing that kept me in the car Nathan sent for me. I lost count of the number of times I was so choked by fear and uncertainty, I almost asked the driver to stop and take me back to my parents’ house. I wiped my palms along the fronts of my thighs.

  The dress I’d rushed to purchase after Nathan’s car collected me was simple and elegant—black, floor-length, with a low back and lace sleeves. I felt pretty confident it could be classified as ‘killer’, but the nerves that plagued me left me insecure. What Nathan would think of it? Was I suitably attired to accompany Mr Mega Movie Star?

  ‘We’re here, miss,’ the driver said through the intercom. The car, a sleek Bentley with buttery yellow leather upholstery, pulled through double electronic gates, and my heart fought its way into my throat as I glanced up at Nathan’s home in St John’s Wood.

  The house was staggering—Georgian, double-fronted and wisteria-clad in warm red brick with creamy white columns. We pulled into the gloom of an underground garage and my door swung open before I had chance to compose my trembling fingers and galloping heart rate.

  There he was. Wearing a charcoal grey three-piece suit and a white shirt, he stole my breath. I hadn’t seen him for thirty-six hours and, impossibly, he was more handsome than I remembered. His hair was dishevelled in that effortless way he wore it and his beard a little longer, lending his chiselled male beauty a dangerously sexy edge.

  I stepped from the car, clinging to the hand he offered. His green gaze raked me from head to toe as he twirled a finger, indicating I pirouette for him.

  Heat crept up my neck and I rolled my eyes. This wasn’t a real date and I wasn’t seeking his approval, but I basked in it anyway.

  Admiration shone from him. ‘Sophia, you look beautiful.’ When he raised my hand to his mouth, the blood rushed from my head and I had to lock my knees to prevent them giving way. His lips lingered on the back of my hand for long seconds, leaving a trail of heat that travelled up my arm.

  ‘Thank you.’ I covered my reaction to his unsettling chivalry with a quip. ‘Did I do okay with the frock?’

  His mouth twitched. ‘You’re perfect. Shall we?’ He gestured I re-take my seat and closed my door before rounding the car to join me.

  On the ride to Leicester Square, Nathan ran through the format, which helped to settle my nerves. But as we stepped from the car to a wall of sound the likes of which I’d only ever experienced at rock concerts, nothing could have prepared me for this glimpse into his world.

  Nathan raised his arm to wave at the fans screaming for him and gifted them his dazzling smile like the movie star he was, while I hung back. My stomach lurched. The urge to dive back into the car so strong, if Jake hadn’t arrived to encourage me forward I’d have fled.

  Nathan was consummate—well versed in the protocol of red carpet appearances, he slipped his hand into the small of my back and murmured words of encouragement as he guided me forward to pose for a photo.

  One of the TV crew hosts yelled, ‘Nathan, who’s your date?’, but he moved us on without comment.

  I’d come here to create a ‘who’s that girl’ stir, but every jumpy nerve in my body protested at the crazy number of flashes and screams for sound bites. Gripped by a sense of almost hysterical terror, I grasped my tiny clutch purse with punishing force. Was I doing the right thing? It felt unnatural to welcome media attention after I’d spent so many years avoiding it.

  It was too late now. I’d set a gamble in progress and all I could do was wait to see if it paid off. After a few terrifying minutes of exposure, Jake ushered me inside, leaving Nathan to give interviews and sign autographs.

  The vast foyer of the movie theatre teemed with smartly attired people. Breathing a shaky breath, I accepted the glass of champagne Jake offered me and turned to watch the action outside play out on a large wall-mounted screen. The view cut to Nathan and I held my breath. Leaning towards an outstretched microphone, he flashed his dimple at the interviewer as he answered her question. She laughed at what he’d said, her eyes sparkling. No doubt he’d charmed her in that understated way of his.

  As he moved along the crowds, an over-zealous female fan leaned over the barrier and kissed his cheek. Nathan acted like it hadn’t happened, moving on to shake some hands stretched out to him from the back of the crowd.

  The surge of irrational jealousy that prickled my skin both shocked and irritated me. This wasn’t a date and I had no claim on Nathan. Even if we were a real couple, I’d have to just suck it up—he was public property, a fact that had made me wary of him in the first place.

  Jake and I took our seats in the upper auditorium, which was reserved for VIPs. The film’s theme tune began and an elegant man in his fifties, whom Jake informed me was the film’s director, made his way up onto the stage, accompanied by a rapturous round of applause. He introduced his film, and then the cast, as one-by-one they joined him on stage.

  Nathan stood n
ext to Claudia, who wore a beautiful silver gown so close-fitting it appeared sprayed on. For a few minutes, the cast and director answered questions about the movie and then moved off-stage to another round of applause.

  Jake handed me a second glass of champagne from a passing waiter, swapping it for my empty glass. As the lights dimmed and the movie began, we were joined by Nathan, Claudia and the remaining cast. Nathan settled in the seat next to mine.

  ‘Having fun yet?’ His warm breath tickled the skin of my neck.

  I nodded, incapable of speech, and filled my mouth with champagne so he wouldn’t expect any comment from me. The buzz of alcohol worked its magic, taking the edge off my nerves and helping me to forget why I was here. If I didn’t slow down, I was at risk of enjoying myself so much, this would feel like a real date.

  His mouth twitched with a knowing smile as he held his own glass to mine. ‘Cheers. To … us?’ I rolled my eyes and his smile widened. We were saved from further interaction by the start of his movie, Daddy Date.

  I enjoyed the film, believing Nathan’s portrayal of a single dad trying to find something real in the shark-infested dating pool, until the action moved to a full-blown sex scene between Nathan’s and Claudia’s characters. Eyes glued to the screen, I was determined to remain indifferent to what appeared to be an intimate and very realistic moment.

  Nathan shifted slightly in his seat next to me, and I winced at Claudia’s tinkling laugh from behind as she chatted with the film’s director. I admired her confidence. She was comfortable with her nudity and had a body many women would kill for. Silently cursing the surround sound, I cringed as Claudia screamed out her delight while Nathan fucked her over an office desk.

  Heat circulated my body—a mixture of embarrassment, jealousy and arousal. Part of me wondered how it would feel to be on the receiving end of his passion. How much was Claudia really acting?

  No longer able to watch Nathan’s ‘sex face’, I stared at the glass of champagne trembling in my lap and prayed it would soon be over. A round of applause heralded the end of the fun and I exhaled my relief.

  I flinched when Nathan’s breath once more warmed my cheek. ‘Would you like to accompany me to the bar?’ I nodded, desperate for a glass of water to calm the hornet’s nest of confusion swirling in my head.

  Nathan took my elbow and stood, ushering me to the exit and across a smaller foyer to the main one downstairs. I followed him to the bar on shaky legs, jealousy coiling in the pit of my stomach. Had Claudia experienced the real thing? He’d said they weren’t a couple but the on-screen chemistry between them was undeniable.

  His deep voice interrupted my toxic thoughts. ‘What would you like to drink, Sophia?’

  ‘Iced water, please.’ I was lightheaded from the champagne—I’d practically downed the second glass while watching that sex scene, and I needed to get my emotions under control. The last thing I wanted was to make a fool of myself, especially if he’d lied about Claudia and they really had been an item.

  Nathan ordered two glasses of iced water and we sat at the bar on high stools. With a few sips of water cooling my throat, I managed some normal conversation. ‘Don’t you want to see the end of the film?’

  Coolly, he assessed me, his half shrug nonchalant. ‘I’ve seen it before. Hollywood premiere,’ he explained, his gaze flitting over my heated face. ‘Are you having a good time?’ His lips twitched. Was he was teasing me?

  I’d rather he thought me prudish than jealous. I went with sarcasm, my go-to put-down of choice. ‘Yes, I loved watching you and Claudia have sex on a massive screen with blaring sound effects.’ I was giving too much away—time to shut up. I gulped another mouthful of water.

  His body heat added to mine as he leaned close, his arm resting on the back of my stool and his lips close to my ear like he was confiding a secret. ‘We weren’t having sex.’ His words, spoken on a husky whisper, implied a world of difference between the staged version and the real thing. My toes curled as the heat of his breath warmed my cheek, sending delicious ripples down my neck.

  The kiss we’d shared in Queenstown flashed in my head, and I envisaged myself lying beneath him on that office desk. Fire raged through every part of my body, replacing the alcohol buzz in my blood with the sluggish burn of arousal.

  He straightened, seeming no more aware of me than if he’d merely asked me the time.

  I steered us onto a safer topic. ‘How do you think our charade is going?’

  His broad smile told me he saw through my diversionary tactics. ‘Good, I’d say. I’ve asked Lucy to circulate the photo of us on the red carpet. I’d say by midnight, you’ll be the newest conquest of serial philanderer Nathan Banks.’ His lips twisted but his eyes were humourless.

  My fingers twitched with the urge to touch his arm, but instead I fiddled with my hair, straightening a pin that held it in a fancy twist.

  ‘You did a great job out there.’ He nodded towards the windows. From this floor, we couldn’t see the fans lined up behind the barricades, but their roars were a constant reminder. ‘Crazy, isn’t it?’ He stared down at his glass on the bar.

  I did indeed find his chosen profession ‘crazy’. He’d lapsed into a contemplative silence. What motivated him? ‘Did you always want to act?’

  His eyes sparkled. ‘Yes. Like you, it’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.’ He turned his whole body to face mine. ‘My parents are both actors, so I kind of grew up with it. I’d put on shows standing on the kitchen table, or if no one else was around to be my audience, in front of a mirror. At school, I joined every drama group going and by the age of thirteen I was in my first real theatre production.’

  His energy was contagious. I could spend all night talking to this animated, self-assured guy. ‘But you ended up on TV?’

  ‘Yes. I got my first television role after university and I was hooked.’ We grinned at each other. ‘Ready for a little after-partying?’ He stood, ran his hand from my elbow to my wrist, and clasped my hand so he could guide me from the stool.

  My hand felt too big for my body and my palm tingled, each skin cell exquisitely aware of being clasped by Nathan.

  ‘There’ll be dancing, and I promise not to stand on your feet.’

  My hesitation dwindled when he lifted my arm, twirling me in an effortless arc. Who knew I could be so graceful?

  His flirtatious tone beguiled me. Despite the dreaded ‘D’ word, I wasn’t ready for the night to end.

  ‘Oh? Then how could I refuse?’

  He dropped my arm and we left the bar, side by side. This time, the heat from his hand in the small of my back scorched me like a brand.

  ***

  Dancing with Nathan Banks was like foreplay. He moved with a languid grace of someone comfortable in his skin, and he held me so close almost every part of our bodies brushed, bumped or slid against each other. Heat rose between us, carrying his scent to my already spinning head.

  I’d never been much of a dancer, but guided by Nathan’s confidence and pressed up against his hard chest, the appeal became glaringly obvious.

  The volume of the music made conversation impossible, so I grasped Nathan’s forearms and stood up on tiptoes to yell in his ear, ‘I’m going to get some water.’

  He nodded, releasing all but my hand, and led me from the crowded dance floor.

  We were in the Dive Bar, Leicester Square, and the deep red and silver décor was both intimate and chic. Still clasping each other’s hands, we made our way to the mirrored bar and ordered two glasses of water.

  The music was a fraction quieter here and the water so good, I bit back a groan. I stole a glance at Nathan to find him observing me with hungry eyes. He moved closer, placing one hand on my hip as his head dipped towards mine. It was no more than he’d done on the dance floor, but without the forced proximity of the jostling bodies around us, the intimacy levels soared.

  My gaze locked on his mouth and the air trapped in my lungs. Was he going to speak over the music or kiss me?
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  ‘Nathan, where’ve you been hiding?’ Claudia stumbled towards us. ‘Oh, I’m bombed.’ She laughed and grasped both of Nathan’s forearms to steady herself. Leaning in, she presented her face for Nathan’s kiss and he obliged, pressing his mouth to both her cheeks.

  ‘Claudia, you remember Sophia King, from New Zealand.’

  Claudia gave me the onceover in that way women have of quickly assessing a potential rival. ‘Of course, hi. Did you enjoy the movie?’

  ‘Sophia’s not really a fan.’ Nathan widened his eyes, wincing in mock horror.

  Why had he said that? Yes, I’d found it hard to watch him pseudo-fuck this beautiful woman, but I’d enjoyed the film up until then.

  ‘Oh?’ She turned back to Nathan, her hand still clutching his arm. ‘Darling, we’re off to The Cell. Wanna come?’

  He turned back to me and raised an eyebrow. ‘Would you like to go to The Cell?’ His expression was guarded, and I couldn’t tell if he was keen or not. I didn’t want to cramp his style but I was beginning to feel the effects of the champagne combined with jet lag. I decided to go with honesty.

  ‘I’m about done. But don’t let me stop you going.’ I opened my clutch to retrieve my phone and check the time, surprise snapping my head up when I heard him speak.

  ‘We’re going to give it a miss this time,’ he said to Claudia.

  ‘What? No way. C’mon Nate. We’re partying.’ She tossed her arms above her head and gave him a personal little dance.

  He smiled. ‘Not tonight. Another time.’

  The jealousy was back, raising its green, ugly head. Despite my reservations, I’d had fun tonight, but he didn’t need to babysit me and miss a celebrity night on the town. ‘I’m fine, you should go—I’m going to call a cab.’ I glanced back at my phone, opening my taxi app.

  Nathan reached for my forearm, stilling the movements of my thumb across the screen as his eyes shot me a warning glance. ‘I’ll see you home.’ Then to her, ‘You go have fun, Claudia.’

  Two twenty-something women joined us, tugging at Claudia’s arm. ‘Okay, your loss, darling.’ She kissed his cheek, turned on her heel and followed her friends from the bar.