by M. S. Parker
She stood there trying to tell me something, getting all feisty and agitated at me, but I didn’t mind. I kind of liked her when she got that way, fiery and passionate. I was trying to play it off like I didn’t care, but in reality, I only wanted to lock my arms around her and taste her sweet kisses. When she touched me, I couldn't think straight, and I knew I needed to get out of here before I did something stupid.
“I know you hired me as a joke, but I need this job.”
Obviously. She'd chosen it over me. I tried to keep my voice light. “Oh, sure, I know. Not for you, but for someone else.”
She nodded and then my focus all went to shit again when she took my hand. The touch sent a bolt up my arm and through my body, bringing with it the memories of all of our previous touches. The way her body had felt against mine. Underneath me. I tried to shake them off, but then, just as suddenly as she’d taken my hand, she let go.
“Alex?” A lilting voice called. “Alex, up here.”
Fucking April.
I tore my eyes from Chelsea and squeezed them shut. Maybe if I subtly ignored her she’d go away? No, subtle wasn’t in April’s vocabulary. I rubbed the tips of my fingers to my temple and took a deep breath. Chelsea and I both looked up to see April leaning over the balcony railing, curving her body into the perfect pose. Her white smile was bright and cheerful. Apparently, she’d forgotten the ugly tantrum scene in the foyer. But then, that was April. She had a way of leaving moments she didn’t like on the cutting room floor and editing together her own version of reality.
She called down to me, “You look all hot and sweaty. Why don’t you come up here and use the shower?”
In your dreams. I shot a glance to Chelsea, and then turned with a fake smile to April and yelled up to the balcony, “Sorry, April. I need to head back to the main house. Chelsea too, she needs to help Jamison with breakfast.”
Chelsea shook her head, refusing to let me step in. I opened my mouth to protest, but I knew my efforts were in vain. She was too damn stubborn. Before I could say anything to convince Chelsea to leave, April’s voice cut in again.
“I just talked to Jamison,” she smirked. “He’s bringing breakfast up here. Why don’t you join us?”
At that moment my father’s silver Mercedes roared up the gravel road. I hooked Chelsea’s slender waist, and pulled her out the path of the speeding car. We bumped against the stone arch of the trailhead, and I held her tight. If only we were alone I’d take her back up to the secret grove and have a taste of her sweetness again, show her that she'd made the wrong choice.
The car slowed as it passed and the window rolled down. “Better use April’s shower,” my father said. “We need to have a meeting. Hope your girl can make decent coffee because I need a cup.”
I clamped my jaw. Fuck. That was just fucking dandy. He never missed a chance to take a jab at me for hiring Chelsea. I kept an even tone and said, “She has a name you know. Chelsea. And Jamison is on his way. He can make the coffee.”
Henry ignored me and drove up to the guest cottage. April was waiting for him at the door and immediately wrapped herself around him, her expression one of distress. My father ate it up as his hands traveled down over the curve of her backside.
I scowled at them and then realized my arm was still wound tightly around Chelsea’s waist. She hadn't tried to pull away, and I hoped that meant something. One delicate hand was pressed to my chest and my heartbeat sped up underneath her gentle touch, sending blood rushing down.
“You’re going to get me all excited right here on the side of the road,” I murmured.
“Alex, I . . .”
I stopped her and breathed against the black silk of her hair, drawing in her scent. “Chelsea…”
I felt a delighted shiver run through her, but the smile she gave me was sad. “You don’t understand.”
“Make me. Please,” I said. “But whatever you do, don’t make me go in there.”
I felt her body shake as she giggled against my chest. Damn, I liked that. “Well, I have to,” she said, “so are you coming or not?”
I groaned as she spun gently out of my hold. No sooner had she started toward the guest cottage than Jamison buzzed by on the golf cart he used on the property, and I had no choice but to follow both of them.
“If it makes you feel better, this will probably be more fun for you than me,” I said as I caught up to Chelsea.
She laughed and I felt better than I had all morning. She didn't hate me. I didn't understand what was going on with her, but she hadn't chosen the job because she didn't want me.
“Last chance to run for the secret grove,” I teased.
I thought I heard her mutter ‘I wish’ under her breath, but that might've been wishful thinking. Our hands accidentally touched as we walked, and I saw the pink blush on Chelsea’s cheeks. My heart was suddenly pounding harder than it had during my run. I hadn't imagined it. She still wanted me. I smiled and dug my heels into the gravel. Whatever her reasons for choosing the job instead of me, I didn’t know. And I didn’t care. Her smile was good enough for now. We'd figure out the rest later.
April’s shrill voice rang out louder than normal. As usual she was constructing a scene, dramatically playing out what she wanted me to notice, obviously hoping I’d see her take Henry through the tall gate to the guest cottage garden and…do what? Get jealous? I shook my head as she pulled him by his tie, purring at him while he happily followed with a stupid grin on his face. I’d say the two were meant for each other, but then I wouldn’t wish that poisonous eye-candy on anyone, not even my self-serving father. And I sure as hell didn't want April vying to be my stepmother. That would be a whole other kind of nightmare.
The gate latched closed behind them just as Jamison parked the golf cart and carried a large basket with our breakfast into the kitchen. As soon as Chelsea reached the shadow of the balcony where I stood, I grabbed her hand. She looked up at me and I pulled her into the ivy that covered the stone foundation of the guest cottage, hiding us among the leaves and shadows.
My body was pulsing and hot. I needed to taste her kisses. I pressed my lips to hers. They parted on her surprised gasp and the soft rush of air made a throbbing fire race through me. I tangled a hand into her silky hair, feeling its richness as I pulled until her head tipped back. I let my tongue slide along her soft lips and slipped it in deeper for the taste I’d been dreaming of. Damn, I needed this.
“Alex…” she whispered. Her hands came up to push me away, but then her tongue touched mine and the world around us disappeared.
She arched up against me, and I rolled back against the ivy, surprised by the force of her response. My hands glided past her short skirt, and I dragged my fingers up the back of her thighs, pulling her tighter against me. She rose on her tiptoes, and the friction between us on my hardening cock drove me wild. I rolled along the wall, lifting her as I pressed her into the ivy. She brought her hands up to tangle them in my hair.
“Chelsea…” I panted.
“Oh, god, Alex,” she said, pulling my head down to her shoulder.
It was always like this with her, both of us needy, breathless and clawing at each other. I breathed in the scent of her, mixed with the fresh smell of the ivy, and it felt like I was in heaven. I had my answer, Chelsea wanted me as much as I wanted her, but a little hot groping in the shadows was only a tease, it wasn’t enough to satisfy me.
“We have to go in,” she whispered, her hands running softly through my hair.
I held her there against the wall and breathed into the leaves at her neck. “I can’t go yet. Just stay for a minute more.”
Chelsea shifted and felt my now fully hard cock pressed between her legs. She half-moaned and half giggled, “You better step back or we’ll need more than a minute.”
The thought of tugging that short skirt up to her hips, those legs opening for me, the sweet honey feel of her, made my knees wobble. It was more than tempting.
I let her down and l
eaned heavily against the ivy, my palms to the wall, pinning her in front of me. My pulse was racing, and the now-roaring fire in my veins demanded a release. I grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her to my lips and held her there just a breath short of kissing her again.
I closed my eyes and whispered against her skin, “I want to fuck you right now.” I exhaled long and hard. Oh, god, that sounded so raw. She probably thinks I’m just a horny beast. “I mean, I want you Chelsea, I want to hold you and kiss you and make love to you right now, right here. With goddamn April and everyone in the back yard. I don’t give a shit about what they think. I just want you…you…just you.”
But I couldn't have her right now. Not the way I wanted to.
I crushed her lips with one last kiss to savor and let her go. She pushed her hair back behind her ears, straightening her skirt, cheeks wonderfully flushed. Then she looked at me and smiled, wiping the back of her hand across her lips like she’d just finished a satisfying dessert.
I leaned against the ivy next to her, both of us staring out straight in front of us for a moment, waiting for our bodies to calm. Well, mostly mine.
She cleared her throat and said, “Is Henry pulling the funding from your movie?”
I laughed. “Good question. Better than a cold shower.”
Chelsea ducked her chin to her chest with a light laugh, and brushed the wrinkles out of her white shirt. “Is that what this meeting is about?”
“Yes…” I ran a hand through my hair and rubbed the back of my neck. “Henry’s here to convince me to keep April.”
She looked at me, eyes sharp and bright. “And are you?”
I turned and met her gaze, those eyes pulling me ever deeper, and realized there was another reason I needed Chelsea. I needed her advice. When she asked me questions about the movie, it felt like I could finally see the project in focus. This was the first movie that really meant something to me. I wanted to pour my heart and soul into it, and it seemed like the only time I felt I still had a hold on the real vision of the movie was when I talked to Chelsea about it.
“I can’t,” I said, my eyes drifting to the sky. “She’ll ruin it.” I sighed. “But it’s either her or the funding.”
“What if you rewrote her part?” Chelsea asked. “I remember April had suggestions for a few scenes.”
I snorted, “Yeah, she wants to make sure any real meaning is taken out so it doesn’t distract from her close-ups.”
“No, seriously. You should keep your funding and rewrite April’s scenes.”
I shot her a quizzical look, not understanding.
There was a sly smile on her face when she continued, “I get the feeling she’s more of an actress that yells ‘line’ than one that studies the script.”
I straightened and stepped away from the wall, Chelsea's words pulling my focus away from what my body wanted. “What sort of changes would you suggest?”
“There’s no reason why April’s character can’t still be the main love interest in the beginning of the movie. Subtle things can point out that the relationship’s been over for a long time and she’s just in denial,” Chelsea suggested. “Then you can shoot completely separate scenes with a new love interest. The new character can seem insignificant, a co-worker or something, and the love story kind of sneaks up on everyone. Including people who are too full of themselves to read anything but the pages they're on.”
Well, shit. Chelsea was brilliant. “Hell, yeah. This could work.”
She continued, “If you rearrange some of the scenes you’ve already got, then the love story can be unexpected. Audiences love that. They’ll see it coming before the characters do.”
“Unexpected,” I repeated. There was no better word for it. “Sweetheart, you’re a genius…oh sorry, I mean…” I realized I was referring to my maid with a term of endearment. This was way too confusing, but this wasn't the time to figure it out. “Chelsea, you always surprise me.”
Before I could continue, Jamison appeared on the front step and from the look on his face, it was obvious he knew exactly where to look for me. Chelsea smiled at me and stepped out from the shadows to head inside, arcing a wide circle around Jamison as she trotted off.
My eyes followed her as she left and I was sure I had a stupid grin on my face. “Just like her,” I said to myself more than Jamison, “to leave me wanting more.”
He huffed and said, “Just get inside. Someone has to handle April. She’s been asking for you nonstop. That horrendous woman is getting on my last nerve.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chelsea
“I asked for extra ice,” April said, holding her drink over her head as she lounged in the lawn chair in the backyard of the guest cottage.
I plucked the glass from her hand and headed inside to add more ice. Alex was upstairs in the guest bathroom showering, and April was taking advantage of his absence to make sure I knew my place.
“Honestly, Henry, don’t you think Alex is too soft-hearted?” April asked. “I mean, the ancient butler is one thing, but that half-witted girl is another. How many charity cases does he need around his home?”
Her words floated in through the open kitchen window as I worked. I knew she knew I could hear, and that she was talking loud enough for her caustic remarks to reach me. I lingered near the kitchen door, peeking out just long enough to see how Henry would react.
Henry shrugged. “Alex always had a soft heart.” I could see Henry peering into his drink glass, quiet for a moment before he said, “You should have seen how many times he tried to help his brother. It was a lost cause, but Alex just didn’t have the heart to turn his back on him.”
“Tragic,” April said without any real emotion in her voice.
I walked back out to the patio area with April’s ice-laden drink and wondered at their heartlessness. The same words in other people’s mouths would have been complimentary, respectful, but in their tones it made Alex sound pitiful.
Then an idea for Alex’s screenplay popped into my head. He could get back at April with the way he wrote her lines. I could come up with a few suggestions. A play on words could be wickedly funny coming out of April’s mouth, especially since she’d misunderstand them and deliver the speech in the completely wrong tone. Still thinking about the clever scene, I smiled as I went back out to the patio and handed the drink to April. She narrowed her eyes and all but hissed at me. Apparently, I wasn't allowed to smile.
“Why don’t you find something useful to do?” April snapped. “Change the linens on the bed…and the bathroom is completely out of towels.”
I couldn’t help but smile at her again as I said, “I’ll head up there right away.”
April sat bolt upright as soon as she realized her mistake. Alex was still in the bathroom showering. Unable to stop myself, I winked at her and turned to go. April was flustered into speechlessness, and I made it inside before she could call after me to come back.
As I entered the guest cottage, I was met by Jamison’s scowl. “What does she have you doing now?”
“April said the upstairs bathroom is out of towels. I told her I’d take some up there right away,” I said with an innocent smile.
“Quite a miscalculation on her part.” Jamison's eyes twinkled. “There are fresh towels in the closet under the stairs.”
We could both hear April complaining about her drink, and we looked out the kitchen window in time to see her get up from her lawn chair and fling the ice onto the lawn before she marched toward the house.
“You better get those towels upstairs.” Jamison winked at me. He picked up a wide tray to run interference and met April in the doorway. “Ms. Temple, here are the refreshments you requested. Let me bring them out and make a plate for you.”
I quickly found the closet under the stairs and pulled out a stack of fluffy white towels. I trotted up the stairs and made it past the landing before I realized what I was walking into.
Alex, naked in the shower.
&n
bsp; The thought of it washed over me and I had to stop to lean against the wall for a moment. My blood sizzled with the possibilities.
Just minutes ago, I'd had my legs wrapped around his waist, pinned up against the ivy. I thought I’d convinced myself to just do my job and stop chasing after Alex, stop hoping for something that was a fantasy. Alex had given me an ultimatum and I made my choice. I thought I had it all figured out, and yet nothing felt decided, because the minute he got near me I fell to pieces.
This wasn't the time for some internal debate or time for me to make life-changing decisions. I had towels to deliver.
I slipped into the guest bedroom, and saw that the bathroom door was wide open. As I moved forward, I could see clouds of steam billowing up, partially obscuring my view of his magnificent body. His skin was slick and glistening. I could see the muscles of his wide shoulders ripple as he reached up and rinsed the shampoo out of his hair. My eyes followed the suds washing down his back and over the curve of his ass. I’d seen him naked before, but the sight of him still made me catch my breath. This time, when I licked my lips, it was for real.
A quick twist of his wrist, and the water stopped. The shower dripped for a moment before he reached for the door. I froze, waiting for the moment he’d open the shower door so I could see…all of him. Then it swung wide and Alex stepped out. I was so easy. Here he was trying to clean up for the meeting and I was sneaking around, gawking at his…oh, it hung so thick and heavily against his thigh. Suddenly, his head shot up, and I was busted.
“Um…there weren’t any towels,” I said when he caught sight of me.
