I had kissed a lot of women on sets, never having a problem acting out the passion I was supposed to be feeling. Today, as I moved in to share our first kiss, I hesitated just long enough for the director to yell, “Cut!” and start the scene over.
Just as we got to the kiss in the fourth take, I pulled back and called cut myself. A rumble went through the crowd of workers and onlookers.
I scanned the crowd. “Where is Jacquelyn?” I called out. Heads turned and whispers were shared, and then I saw her stepping out of the director’s tent, confusion evident on her face as she met my eyes.
“Excuse me for a moment, Sheila. Please don’t take this personally, but I need to get in the mood.” I stalked toward Jackie.
The people between us parted. “What’s wrong, Ryan? Are you all right?” Jackie asked, concern written clearly over her features.
I went directly to her, sliding my hands to the side of her face, lifting it so that I could lower my lips to hers. I felt her gasp and tremble as her hands came to rest on my biceps.
I put all the passion I felt into a gentle loving kiss.
When I pulled back, her eyes were dazed, and murmurs spread like wildfire. “Sorry, but I needed to get into the mood, excuse me for what I’m about to do.”
“What you are about to do,” the director called out from behind Jackie, “is get back on the set and give Sheila the same exact kiss you just gave her.”
I grinned at him before I planted another soft kiss on her lips before going back to my position.
There was a smirk on Sheila’s face when I returned. “I’m not sure we can duplicate that, but let’s try.”
I winked at her and took my place. The next take was worth keeping, and with all the softness and passion that I had shown Jackie, I acted it out with Sheila.
Although it came across on film as passionate and sweet, I felt nothing when I kissed Sheila. My emotion stemmed from the one I had shared with Jackie just moments before.
I was lucky that I was working with Sheila. She was a five-star actress and wasn’t offended in the least. If that had been Kayla, heads would have rolled.
The director gave us a break after we finished the scene, and I searched for Jackie in the crowd and found her standing near the food table. I grabbed a bottle of water and a protein bar as I joined her.
“This is going to sounds really stupid, but what is the name of this film?” she asked as I walked up.
I pulled back the wrapper on my bar, taking a bite and chewing it before I answered her, “Garda.”
She laughed. “I thought that scene looked familiar. This is based on that paranormal book Garda, Welcome to the Realm.”
“You know it?” I asked before taking another bite.
She stopped walking and turned to me. “Of course I do. Have you ever met the author?”
“Not yet, she’s supposed to stop by the set one of these days. How do you know about it?”
“Ryan, she works two townships over from here. I’ve worked on investigations with her.”
“Seriously?” I asked around a lump of chewy protein bar.
“Yes. I love that book! I got to read it when she first released it. This is so cool that I get to see you filming it.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket. “Sorry, I gotta send her a message and tell her.”
I finished my snack and pushed the wrapper into my pocket before I reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Do that later. Right now, I want your undivided attention for a few moments.”
She let me pull her closer, and I slipped her arm around my waist and held her close.
“Wait, I have a question.” She pulled back before I could descend on her.
“What?” I stopped halfway to her lips.
She gazed at my mouth for a moment and swallowed. “Why are you filming this in the day when that scene is at night?”
I chuckled low in the back of my throat. “It’s called filters. Now stop talking about work and kiss me.”
She turned her head away from me and scanned the people around us. I saw her eyes pass over something and then return to it. She locked her jaw before turning back to me and stepping up on her tiptoes to close the gap between us.
If the director had thought the last kiss was good, he would have been blown away by this one. The noise and the people around us disappeared as we got lost in the kiss and each other.
Someone passing by us jostled us, reminding me where we were. I slowed the kiss and pulled away. Her eyes were dazed, her lips swollen. She bit her bottom one and considered me for a moment.
“Sorry, forgot where we were,” I whispered as I rested my forehead on hers. She made a sound in her throat that seemed to agree with my comment.
With a deep, steady breath to get myself back in control, I put space between us, but kept my arm around her waist and led her off to the side where there were fewer people.
I saw her shake her head and roll her shoulders back, most likely trying to gain control over her own senses, as I was.
“So what did you think of the filming?” I asked as we stopped by the edge of the parking lot.
“Very interesting to see how it all works. I never had any idea how many times you have to go through a scene to get it right. It gave me a better appreciation for the cost of a movie ticket.” She peered around the area, taking everyone in again.
“There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes. This scene was pretty easy. We should be able to wrap this one up within the next hour or so if Devon and Erik can get through their lines.”
Her eyes opened in surprise. “That was easy?”
“Wait till you see a fight scene. The choreography that goes into that takes a long time or a car chase scene, that gets intense, but I don’t do those. I have a stunt double for that.”
“What—afraid you might get hurt?” she teased.
I laughed and took a swig from my water bottle. “No, Beth just doesn’t want to lose her biggest money maker quite yet.” I chewed the inside of my cheek for a moment and swallowed. “Speaking of Beth, I hear there was some excitement at the trailer this morning. I’m sorry about Kayla.”
“Pfft…” She waved it off. “No big deal; I handled it.”
“Yeah, that’s what Beth said. What did you tell Kayla anyway?”
She peeked at me and then looked away to scan the area again. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t think she’ll bother me again.”
“No way, if you want me to spill all the ladies I’ve been involved with, then you can tell me what you said to Kayla.” She blushed but didn’t respond and basically refused to look me in the face.
“Jackie,” I laughed, “come on, I want to know what you said.” I pulled her so that she was facing me.
She tilted up her chin to look me in the face, her teeth biting down on her bottom lip. “How about we talk about that later?” She stood on her tiptoes and put her lips to mine.
It was the second time she had made the first move, and a little thrill of excitement raced through me. It wasn’t a big kiss, but it lasted for a few seconds. When she pulled back, she wrapped her arms around my neck and put her mouth close to my ear.
“We have people watching us. I thought I would help out our story.”
I ran my hand up her back and tugged her hair so she pulled her face away from my ear. “You can help out like that anytime you want.” I kissed her again, this time holding her close so that it was more passionate.
I heard them calling for us to get back in place, and I reluctantly let her go. Both of us were slightly breathless, and I noticed her pupils were dilated. I kissed her on the tip of her nose and helped her stand back up straight.
“I have to get back to work.”
“All right, I’ll see you later,” she said shyly as she turned and walked to stand someplace out of the way.
Chapter 18
Jacquelyn
Beth and I considered each other for a few moments after Ryan and Troy left. It felt as if we were gauging one an
other to find the best way to attack. Personally, I was looking at this as if I would question a suspect.
“So,” she said slowly and sank back down on the sofa, “Why don’t you have a seat and let’s talk.”
I didn’t feel like sitting; I did my best thinking while I was on my feet. But standing over someone was never a good idea, unless you were trying to intimidate them. I didn’t want to come across that way to her. For some reason, I didn’t want to be on this woman’s bad side.
I walked around the coffee table and sat back on the couch, resting my hand on one of the fluffy tan pillows that lay haphazardly all over the sofa.
“Tell me, Jackie, why did you get involved with the incident at the airport?” She turned and watched me carefully.
“I would have figured you saw the press conference. I saw someone who needed help, and I did what I had to do.” I shrugged.
“There was no other reason?” She tapped her bottom lip with a well-manicured fingernail coated with a deep burgundy color.
“No,” I simply responded.
“You weren’t trying to get his attention? Get a little fame out of it?” She scrutinized me while she spoke.
I laughed quietly to myself. “No. If you didn’t notice, I disappeared as soon as I could and didn’t want anything to do with the spotlight, or Ryan. That’s not my thing.”
“You know, Ryan looks at you as some type of guardian angel or something, especially after you rescued him from the car accident.” Beth clasped her hands casually in front of her while she turned to sit sideways on the couch, facing me with one leg slightly drawn up under her.
“I didn’t rescue him; I was on my way home and just happened to be the first one to find him. Again, I did what I was trained to do, and nothing more.”
“I don’t know about that.” She got quiet for a moment. “He still thinks of you as the woman who fears no evil.”
I shook my head and looked away. “That drives me crazy. I have fear just like everyone else.”
“You know, I noticed that when you write your last name down backward, it spells no evil. Have you ever noticed that?
I laughed. I hadn’t thought about that since I was in elementary school, and we had to write our full name down and find out how many words you could make with the letters of your name. I had always felt sorry for the people with short names like John Smith. “Yeah, I knew that.”
“Rather fitting, Detective Liveon, don’t you think?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure what that has to do with anything.”
“You don’t? Hmmm, I think it has everything to do with things. Like the fact that you are here now. Why is that?” She squinted as she waited for my answer.
“You know exactly why I’m here.” The words came out more tartly than I intended.
“Do I?” She cocked her head and her kinky brown hair fell away from her face.
“I’m here because I was hired to do a job, and nothing else.”
We stared at each other, and I wondered if she heard the small piece of the lie I had just spoken. It tasted bad on my tongue. While I was here doing a job, the woman in me felt that I was also working on something else. I just didn’t know what that something else really meant.
“I think you want more from Ryan then you are letting on, that’s what I think.”
“It’s a free world, and you are welcome to your own thoughts. Just don’t make more out of them than they are.” I stood up, ready to leave this conversation behind.
The door opened and Beth and I both turned to see a very angry woman stomp up the steps, her four-inch heels slamming on the hardwood floor. Damn. Kayla. I braced myself for the onslaught I saw coming when I met her eyes.
She moved to stand right in front of me. With her heels, she was the same height as me, and we faced off. Her eyes dripped with venom as she bore them into mine.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing with my man?” I heard the door open again but didn’t turn to see who it was. You never took your focus off an enemy and, right now, that is exactly what this woman was.
“Excuse me, Kayla, what are you talking about?” I asked politely.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about!” she shouted into my face. I fought the urge to step away because I realized I would gain more if I stood my ground against her. She could very well be the one sending the threats.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t see a ring on your finger.” I glanced down at her hand to make a point. “Did I miss the announcement of your wedding vows in the latest tabloid? Because the last time I checked, Ryan was a free man.”
“He is not free! He’s mine! We’ve been together for a year! If you weren’t such a mundane woman looking for a cheap thrill, you wouldn’t be anywhere near him. He’s just using you for some stupid publicity stunt! You do know that, don’t you?” she spat. Her shoulders were visibly shaking, and the anger welled up in my chest.
I forced the violence I wanted to unleash on her down before speaking. “Did those pictures really look like a publicity stunt?” I raised an eyebrow at her. “Because you see, I was there. And it sure didn’t feel like one. It felt like a man who wanted a woman, and she shared the desire.”
“You bitch! He could never want someone like you!” She stepped back to launch a well-aimed slap across my cheek, but I saw it coming and moved faster.
I grabbed her wrist, her eyes popped open wide. “Someone like me? You mean someone who doesn’t want a damn thing from him, except to make him happy? You mean a woman who doesn’t want to steal his spotlight, but watch from the sidelines. A woman who is real, not filled with Botox and silicone?” I pushed her wrist away, and she lost her balance and took a few steps back.
“You ever try to touch me again, and I’ll have you arrested for assault. Stay away from me, and stay away from Ryan; he doesn’t want you anymore and he’s not your man. He’s mine.”
I turned to Beth who still sat on the couch, but now her mouth hung open and an excited look was in her eyes. I nodded to her. “Beth, we’ll finish our discussion later.”
I turned from her and found Roseanne grinning near the steps. “Roseanne, don’t we have some work to do?”
Roseanne giggled, and I fought the grin that tried to escape my lips. We walked out of the trailer, slammed the door behind us, and moved away quickly.
“Holy shit! I can’t believe you just said that to Kayla! That was freaking awesome! Oh my God!” She laughed and jumped up and down beside me. We moved down a few trailers, and I slipped between two of them. Rose kept moving until she realized I left her side and backtracked to find me bending over with my hands on my shaking knees.
“Jackie, are you all right?” She put her hand on my back, and that’s when I lost it. Laughter started deep down inside my belly and forced its way up. Roseanne joined in with me and, before we both knew it, we were hysterical and tears ran down our faces.
“I can’t believe I just said that to her!” I sputtered in between gulping breaths.
“I have never seen her speechless before, that was absolutely incredible. Wait till Ryan hears what happened; he is going to be amazed.”
The thought of Ryan sobered me. “No, don’t you dare tell Ryan what I said in there.” My hair whipped back and forth around my face as I shook my head vehemently.
“Are you kidding? If I don’t tell him, Beth sure will! Besides, why don’t you want him to know?”
Why didn’t I want him to know? Duh! Because I basically just said that this wasn’t a job, that this was real and I had feelings for him and I was willing to fight for him. Damnit!
“Please, don’t tell him,” I begged her and grabbed her arm to make sure she understood.
She peered at me carefully. “You really like him don’t you?”
“No. No, it’s just…” I stammered.
“It’s just that you really do like him,” she finished and beamed at me. “If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be turning as red as a fire truck right now
.”
I dropped her arm. Oh, crap. I stood there and stared at the dirt on the ground, my hands on my hips. “Hey, I won’t tell him about what you said.” She hesitated for a moment, “Or how you feel. But I think you might be in for a surprise, because you’re not the only one who has those same feelings.” She raised her eyebrows twice. “If you know what I mean.”
The slamming of a door echoed back to us and we both stuck our heads out past the edge of the trailer and watched as Kayla stomped away. Beth was grinning from ear to ear while she watched Kayla’s retreating back. When Kayla disappeared, Beth turned and walked in another direction.
“I’ve never seen Beth look so happy,” Roseanne whispered next to me. I had no idea why she was happy, and to be honest, that thought alone scared the hell out of me.
“I have to go back to the trailer. I forgot to grab the notes Ryan said he had for me.”
She pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket. “Here, I made that list you wanted about the women he was involved with.”
I looked at the piece of paper as if it was a snake about to bite me. “It’s not as bad as you might think.” She pushed it closer, and I reluctantly took it and slipped it into the pocket on my thigh. Not as bad as I might think? Or was it worse?
We got back to the trailer, and I walked to the bedroom door and pulled it open. Holy cow! The bedroom was huge. How do you fit a king-sized bed in a room like this and still have space to walk around? I glanced at the dark wood cabinets and a matching dresser, along with a sitting area and a small table. Another mirror filled the ceiling, and a shiver raced down my spine at the thought of lying on that bed staring up into it with Ryan beside me. Whoa, girl, none of that.
I straightened my back and walked to the nightstand. On top of it was a framed picture of an older couple. The man looked like an older version of Ryan. It must be his parents. I picked it up and sat down on the bed; melancholy rolled over me as I thought about how much I missed my own parents.
Spring Into Love Page 81
