Kiara glanced around the room before looking back at him. “You write screenplays and you’re obviously a movie buff. Why not design this room as an old-school movie theater complete with a vintage popcorn machine?” She waved her hands around the center of the room. “In this space, you could have recliner chairs or even a large sectional with enough room for you to stretch out. And since I notice you love accent walls, the accent wall in this room could be the names of all the film directors, writers and producers that you admire written creatively on the wall.”
Trey stepped farther into the empty room, suddenly very aware as to why his ideas had never worked in the past. “That sounds perfect,” he said, stepping closer to her. He glanced around the empty space and could visualize everything Kiara had stated.
“I’ll call the designer tomorrow morning.”
Kiara laughed. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.” He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. “There’s only one thing that could make it better.”
Her eyes bounced across his face. “What’s that?”
“If every time you accompany me on a trip to my villa, we watch a movie together in this room.”
Her lips slightly parted in surprise. Trey knew what he was doing. Without saying the words, he was letting her know that he wanted to make plans for the future with her. Not only did he value her opinion, but he wanted her in his life more permanently.
“Why am I the only person you’ve ever welcomed into your film study?”
Trey studied her eyes. “You’re the only person I’ve ever wanted to share my film study with.”
“Not even your mom and sister have seen this space?”
“Nope. Not even my mom and sister. They tease me on being so private about opening up certain parts of my home with others, but I can’t help it. I’ve always felt like there should be at least one room in your home that is sacredly yours.”
Kiara nodded. “I understand that. Yet you decided to share this with me? And you mentioned other visits.”
Trey looped his arms around her waist and pulled her even closer to him. “I’m beginning to realize that there isn’t a part of me or my home that I don’t want to share with you. And yes, I hope there will be plenty more visits to this villa in our future. That is, if you see me in your future as well.”
Kiara smiled as she entwined her arms around Trey’s neck. “As much as I’ve tried to fight it, a future with you is all I’ve been imagining lately. Although I must admit, it scares the hell out of me.”
“Me, too,” Trey said with a laugh. “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, but I welcome these feelings that we haven’t even defined yet.”
“Haven’t defined or just haven’t admitted out loud?”
Trey’s eyes briefly dropped to her lips. “I guess a little bit of both. What do you think?”
“I’d agree with that assessment.” Kiara leaned her head on his chest. “Are we completely insane to be feeling so strongly about one another when we still have so much more to learn about each other?”
“We could be,” he said, placing his chin on the top of her head. “But I’m willing to see where this path leads us if you are.”
“I’m in,” she said, lifting her head. He was sure she’d parted her lips to say something else, but Trey stole a kiss before any more words could be spoken. He didn’t understand how it was possible, but each time he kissed Kiara, it felt stronger than the time before. Before they went back to the States, he’d lay out all his feelings and pray that he didn’t scare her away. If he sensed hesitation on her part, he’d try to scale back his feelings.
Kiara deepened the kiss, eliciting a groan from Trey. Screw it. With lips like hers, scaling back is the last thing on my mind.
* * *
“Pardon me,” Kiara said as she made her way to the seat that had been reserved for her. The auditorium was packed with well over three hundred students, and Kiara was excited for Trey’s speech.
After Kiara had suggested a way to design Trey’s empty room in his film study, they’d spent the rest of the day talking about designs and walking around the neighborhood. They hadn’t made it to the beach, and before they knew it, it was almost time for Trey’s speech. They’d only had enough time to shower and change.
After a little bit of rushing, they’d arrived with ten minutes to spare, which only allowed enough time for a brief introduction to Trey’s friend, Professor Louis Arthur, and his assistant, who showed Kiara to her seat toward the front of the auditorium.
Small conversation was taking place all around her, and although French was the most prominent language being spoken, she heard quite a bit of English. She smiled at a couple of students seated next to her.
“Are you visiting?” a female student asked in a heavy French accent.
“Yes,” Kiara said. “I just arrived today. My friend is a guest speaker for tonight’s class.”
“Guest speaker,” a young man said. “Is your friend Trey Moore, the world-renowned screenwriter?”
Kiara nodded. “Yes, that’s correct. Have you heard of him?”
“Heard of him?” the female student said. “We idolize him here. His last screenplay was nominated for awards that most of us dream of winning one day.”
The man nodded in agreement. “He’s very well-known in our town. And his donations to the film program at the university have given a lot of us opportunities and internships that we wouldn’t have otherwise.”
Kiara was curious to chat more with the students, but the lights dimmed, signaling the start of the class. She sat a little straighter in her seat as Trey and Professor Arthur walked onto the stage.
Professor Arthur began speaking in French, and Kiara was grateful for the English subtitles on the back screen that she could follow along. When the professor announced Trey, the audience erupted in applause. Kiara clapped and whistled along with everyone else, a huge smile on her face when he winked at her.
“Thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen,” Trey said. “I appreciate the warm welcome.”
Kiara’s eyes bounced from Trey to the words on the screen written in French, interpreting what he was saying to the audience.
Trey cleared his throat. “My French is a little rusty, but I’ll do my best to speak as fluently as possible.” When Trey opened his mouth and spoke his first French words of the night, Kiara was sure she’d melted in her seat. He sounds beautiful. She had never been a fan of men with accents. It wasn’t that she didn’t like them; she was just indifferent. Her sister used to tease her about being the only woman on the planet who didn’t find accents sexy, and that was okay with her.
Okay, sis, Kiara thought. I get it now. Never had a man sounded as sexy as a French-speaking Trey. Except for maybe the English-speaking Trey. And even then, Trey with an accent was giving Trey without an accent a run for his money.
As Trey dived into his speech, Kiara didn’t even mind the fact that she had to read the screen to understand what he was saying. The entire room was captivated as he went through the top ten rules every writer should follow when writing a screenplay.
His voice wasn’t the only thing she found hypnotizing. Trey walked around the stage in a way that commanded everyone’s attention. It wasn’t just his stylish light gray suit or freshly cut hair that made him appealing to the eye. It was the way he stood still when his voice dropped to a serious tone. It was the way he positioned his hands when emphasizing an important point. It was the way his lips curled to the side in a sneaky smile when he was making a joke about something. Every single move he made had Kiara’s undivided attention, and soon, the room faded away and all she saw was Trey passionately speaking about his favorite topic.
When he neared the end of his speech and asked if there were any questions, hands rose across the room before he’d even finished speaking. He promised to answ
er at least fifteen of the forty people who had questions for him.
After he took a few questions, he pointed to the female student who was sitting next to Kiara.
“Thanks for speaking to our class today, Mr. Moore,” she said in English. “Most of us have followed your career for years, and it seems that every year, you write more and more screenplays. I wanted to know—on average, how many screenplays do you write in a year and how do you stay motivated in your writing?”
“That’s a good question,” Trey said. “On average, I write about eight screenplays a year, but next year, I suspect that number will increase to eleven.”
At the gasps in the audience, Trey smiled. If I could bottle up that smile, I would.
“However, I’ll be the first to admit that, lately, writing for me hasn’t held the same joy that it once had.” Trey took a sip of water before continuing. “I used to live and breathe my words, but a few years ago, I began to lose my way. I was at the peak of my career and had just won two prestigious awards, yet I felt lost in my craft.
“As a writer, there will be times when you are so engrossed in a project that you can see the success even before you’ve completed the work. Then there are other times when no matter how dedicated you are to your work, you lose focus and the words don’t seem to flow as well. I believe that the important thing to realize during those times is that every screenplay you write doesn’t have to be a Hollywood hit. Sometimes, a screenplay may pull you in different directions, and the purpose of writing the screenplay may not be to create the next big hit, but rather, discover a part of yourself that you may have never tapped into before. When I write, I try to put a piece of my heart into my work in hopes that in doing so, I will better relate to the screenplay I’m working on.”
The audience remained quiet, immersed in Trey’s confession. “When you encounter an issue in the story that keeps you from moving forward, the key is to look for solutions to help your plot. Most of the time, those solutions are in the small details of the story. Details that may help you move along a scene and are necessary to the story.” Trey’s lips curled to the side in a smile. “Other times, the solution to help your plot may not be in the story at all, but rather, the inspiration you need to fulfill your duty as a screenplay writer. It may be in a hobby you enjoy or a new experience. Maybe even a creative writing prompt to get you out of your current mind-set.” Trey’s eyes found hers. “Or the solution may be in a person who manages to steal a piece of your heart and force you to feel things you never have before and view life through a different set of eyes.”
Trey broke eye contact with her and pointed to the audience. “You see, the key to figuring out what you need to reach your fullest potential is to first figure out what your goal is as a screenwriter. What is your purpose? Whose story are you telling? Every person in this room has a story, and when you’re a screenwriter, you’re not only the star of the story in some way, shape or form, but the narrator of the story as well. Don’t be afraid to create your own personal style of writing and make sure you check your ego at the door. As writers, you have to be willing to let your words speak for themselves, so when I say check your ego, I’m talking about stepping out of your own way. No one can label you as a failure. Only you can do that. You hold all the power to your destiny. Never forget that.”
Trey answered a few more questions, but Kiara couldn’t even focus on the responses anymore. She was too busy trying to get her heart to stop beating so fast. Not only had he impressed her, but she’d been able to relate to his speech even though she wasn’t the target audience. It had been a long time since she’d heard a speech that touched her to her core. Given that the speaker was Trey was just icing on a seven-layer cake.
Chapter 13
Trey glanced over at Kiara, who was looking out of the car window into the night sky. “Is everything okay? You’ve been quiet since we left the university.”
“I’m fine,” she said, turning to him. “Just soaking in the beautiful view.” They were driving down the main road that overlooked the beautiful Ligurian Sea. His villa was only a few blocks away.
Trey tapped the driver of his car. “If you could let us off right here at this corner, we’ll walk the rest of the way.”
“Are you sure? There is a storm coming,” the driver said.
“We’re sure.” Trey looked at Kiara to see if she would hesitate, but she didn’t. Once they were out of the vehicle, he grabbed Kiara’s hand and began walking toward the villa. “Okay, now that we’re in the fresh night air, do you care to tell me why you’re so quiet tonight?”
Kiara glanced up at Trey and smiled. “You were amazing tonight and were far from boring like you claimed to be.”
Trey shrugged. “I have my moments.”
“No, I’m pretty sure your speeches are always that enlightening. I wasn’t purposely being quiet tonight, but I guess your speech made me reflect on my own life and my own path.”
Trey glanced around and decided to take a shortcut through the beach. Once their feet touched the smooth sand, he felt Kiara release some of her tension. “I’m glad that you enjoyed my speech, but you’ve accomplished a lot in your career. In case you didn’t know, you run the most elite and successful preschool and day care in LA.”
“Thank you,” Kiara said. “You’re right—I’ve had a lot of success in my career, but in some other areas, I could use a few improvements.”
“Areas like what?”
Kiara bit her bottom lip. “Areas like relationships. I’ve had the worst luck and I’m wondering if...” Her voice trailed off as they approached the ocean.
“Wondering if what?” Trey asked, turning her to face him. He sensed whatever she didn’t want to say had to do with him. “In case you need me to be clearer,” Trey said, “I want to be in an exclusive relationship with you. I want to see where this goes.”
“I want that, too,” Kiara said in a soft voice. “But I wonder if you’d still want to be in a relationship with me if you knew the truth.”
Trey studied her eyes. “The truth about what? There isn’t anything you could say that would make me not interested.”
The eyes staring back at him still looked unsure. When she turned to stare out into the ocean, he followed suit. They stood there for a few moments, neither saying anything as it began to drizzle outside.
“Kiara,” he said. “I don’t know what it is that you’re afraid to tell me, but I can tell you that what I’m feeling won’t fade. I’m falling for you, Kiara Woods. And I’m falling pretty damn hard.”
She turned to him, her lips parting as she searched his eyes. Raindrops fell across her face, but she didn’t seem to mind. “I’m falling for you, too,” she said. “And it happened so fast I didn’t even know what I was feeling until you were already in my heart.”
Trey lowered his head at the same time that Kiara stood on her tiptoes. He expected their kiss to be frenzied given the desire they felt for one another, but the kiss was slow and seductive. Kiara met the strokes of his tongue with bold strokes of her own, each coaxing feelings from the other that were impossible to deny.
The loud crackle of thunder caused them to break off. “We should head back to the villa,” Trey said. Kiara nodded, and together, they grasped hands and made a run in the direction of the villa. Within seconds, the soft drizzle turned into huge raindrops.
“This is crazy,” Kiara yelled through the falling rain.
Trey glanced around the beach and spotted an enclosed lifeguard stand. “Come on. We can wait out some of the storm in there.”
They ran, still hand in hand, in the direction of the lifeguard stand that was a few feet away. Trey could have sworn that there was usually a ramp to walk up to the stand, but it had been years since he’d been on this beach. All he saw now was a wooden ladder to climb up.
“You first,” he said to Kiara as he helped her to the ladder.
Once they were both inside, Trey was relieved to find two battery-operated lanterns and several beach towels stacked in the corner. He wasted no time laying out the towels and turning on the lanterns.
“Wow,” Kiara said as she looked outside the small front window of the stand. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Trey walked over to stand beside her and observe the storm. Although the lightning wasn’t close to them, the way it lit up the ocean and increased the size of the waves made it appear much closer than it was.
“Apparently, being away for so long made me forget how quickly the storms start out here.”
“Apparently,” Kiara said with a laugh. She lifted her hand to the top of her head and ran her fingers through her hair. “I usually love the rain, but I’m sure my hair makes me look like a wet dog right now, which is not cute. Be prepared for it to go full-blown poodle in a few minutes.”
Trey joined in her laughter. “You’re still just as beautiful.” He pulled her closer to him, and when she began lifting her legs, he caught her thighs in his hand, neither breaking their kiss. When he pinned her between him and the wall of the lifeguard stand, their kiss grew even deeper. He moved from her lips down to her neck, kissing the swells of her breasts peeking through the top of the sleek black dress she’d chosen to wear for his speech.
“It sounds pretty bad out there,” Kiara said breathlessly.
“Which is precisely why we’re staying here until the storm lets up,” he said as his lips made their way back up her neck. Her sweet moans mingled with the sound of the rain pounding against the lifeguard stand. When Kiara stepped out of his embrace, it took all his energy not to pull her back. She pointed for him to lean against the wall, and Trey did as he was told.
“I think we should take advantage of this storm,” she said quietly. Her hands made their way to her dress, as she slowly eased each strap from her shoulders. Within seconds, the dress fell in a puddle around her feet, revealing her black lace pantie and bra set. Next, she eased his suit jacket off his shoulders and began unbuttoning his dress shirt. Trey felt like he was holding his breath in anticipation of what she would do next.
A Los Angeles Passion Page 11
