She trembled while his fingertips traced a lazy pattern on her inner thighs. “I didn’t think I would need them.”
“You were so, so right.” He lay between her parted thighs, slipping his hands beneath her hips and raising her up to his mouth.
Her head fell back against the headboard as the first lick split her world in two. He followed it with more slow licks, soft suckles and lingering kisses until she thought she might die from the sheer pleasure of it.
When she shattered into bliss, he left her briefly to shed his shorts, then returned to lie atop her. She reached for him, pulling him into her arms as her legs wrapped around his waist and pulled him toward her core. She burned for him, and when he finally slid inside, her sigh was one of both relief and pleasure. They moved together, ruled by the storm of passion, until he roared his completion into the silence of the sunlit room.
Lying with him afterward, listening to his snores, she held his body close to hers. Running her fingers gently over the rippling curls of his close-cropped hair, she realized they were connected now, in all the ways a man and a woman could be. She’d shared her body, told her story and bared her soul to him. And now, she knew, he’d become a part of her.
Everything she’d believed about men, he challenged. Everything she thought she knew about relationships, he contradicted. But what would it mean to allow herself to care about him, to love him? It meant opening her heart to a pain she wasn’t sure she could bear.
For now, she would settle for this moment and let that be enough. The present was all she had, because the past was gone and the future was yet to be. She didn’t know what lay ahead of them, but she did know how she felt right now.
And right now, all she wanted was to spend the entire day in bed with him, before reality and responsibility separated them again.
* * *
Campbell sat in a booth at the Salty Siren later Sunday evening, drinking from a frosty mug of cola. Devon sat to his left and Savion occupied the leather bench on the other side of the table. Between them lay a spread of wings, onion rings and fries. When Devon had invited him to watch the football game at the sports bar, Campbell had accepted readily. The day had been long, and the pile of work seemed unending.
Savion, who’d caught Campbell on the way out the door and decided to join them, was once again staring into the pages of his leather-bound planner. He held the book aloft, so that no one at the table could see the pages, and scrawled in it with a pencil.
Campbell shook his head. “Savion. What are you writing in that damn book?”
“Noneya business.” He erased something, then looked thoughtful for a moment before starting to write again.
Devon asked, “If you aren’t going to watch the game, why’d you ask to join us, man?”
Savion shrugged. “I like the food here, and I didn’t feel like cooking today.”
“That’s my brother, the sports fanatic.” Campbell didn’t bother trying to hide the sarcasm in his tone.
Savion, in his typical fashion, ignored his younger brother’s comment.
Munching on an onion ring, Devon shook his head. “Y’all are a trip. Hadley told me to expect this kind of stuff when I told her you were both coming.”
Savion rolled his eyes. “Sis has you on a short leash, huh, Devon?”
He shook his head. “Nah. I just texted her to let her know where I’d be. I’m considerate like that, bruh.”
“Right. Sounds to me like Hadley’s running things.”
Devon shrugged. “Maybe, but when’s the last time you had a woman, Savion?”
Instead of responding, Savion frowned and shut his planner, dropping it on the bench next to him.
Campbell laughed and fist-bumped Devon. “Solid burn, man.” His older brother was way too serious, and needed to be set straight every now and then.
“You both know I love Hadley. She’s the light of my life. So, if you’re gonna tease me about loving her, and not being ashamed of it, so be it. But be prepared to have your ass handed to you.”
Savion cracked a wry smile. “On the strength of my sister’s happiness, I’ll let you live.”
Devon chuckled, then turned to Campbell. “Meanwhile, man, what were you doing over the weekend? I tried calling you Saturday afternoon and couldn’t get you.”
Campbell couldn’t stop the grin from spreading over his face. “I was with Sierra.”
Devon’s face registered his surprise. “Really? And how did that go?”
“It went very well, trust me.” He wasn’t about to go into details, because he wasn’t that kind of guy. He knew his friend would catch his meaning, without a full recap. “She’s great, man. Really special.”
“You mean the Ice Queen?” Savion crunched on a French fry. “Even those rich actor types in Hollyweird couldn’t get next to her. You’re telling me you won her over?”
He wanted to throw a chicken bone at his brother’s head, but he restrained himself. “Yes, I did. So that means both Devon and I have way more game than you, bro.”
Savion laughed. “Oh, please. You may be in good with her now, but don’t expect it to last. You know how women are.”
Campbell wondered why his brother had to be such a buzzkill. “You know, you love to take the wind out of people’s sails, don’t you?”
He shrugged. “It’s a gift, I guess. But seriously, watch out with her. You stay in the ice palace long enough, you’re bound to get frostbite.”
Devon scoffed. “Oh, come on, Savion. You know that whole ice queen thing is just a label. It was something easy for the media to fixate on and run with. You know they always go for the low-hanging fruit.”
That made Campbell think of something he’d been wanting to ask. “By the way, Devon, how did this whole thing with her being called Ice Queen get started in the first place?”
“That’s a good question,” Savion said. “I don’t remember a specific event, or even how long it’s been. Yet I’ve been hearing the same story about her for years.” He took a draw from his mug of beer.
Devon wiped his mouth, discarding the crumpled napkin. “This is how it went down. Several years ago, we worked together on a little indie film called Tango at Dawn. It was my second film and Sierra’s first. Anyway, after we wrapped shooting, a reporter from one of those gossip rags comes on set. Now we were all exhausted, after being on the set for ten hours straight. This guy latches on to Sierra and won’t let up.”
Campbell’s jaw tightened. “What was he after? A story, or her phone number?” Either way, he didn’t like the idea of anyone harassing Sierra.
Devon shrugged. “I saw all this go down from a distance, so I didn’t hear what he asked her. I know he followed her around the set for a good twenty minutes, though.”
I’d love to punch this dude right in his throat. He didn’t care for this nameless reporter, or his aggressive tactics. He made a mental note to ask Sierra about this whole thing later.
“She finally got sick of him and had security escort him off the lot. Two days later, his paper runs his story on the front page with the title Hollywood’s Newest Ice Queen.”
Savion asked, “Did you ever read the story, you know, to find out what he said?”
Devon shook his head. “Nah. Not about to give my money to a publication that would hire a creep like that. Sierra may have read it, though. Months later, when the reviews for the film came out, her performance was praised as one of the best of the year. Even got her nominations at a few film festivals.”
“Wow. All of this was started by one overzealous reporter.” Campbell shook his head.
“And because of the internet, the story probably lingers to this day. Since this all went down so early in her career, I suspect it’s influenced the types of roles she’s been offered.” Devon shook his head. “It’s kind of sad. I asked her to come do my show because I knew she�
��d be brilliant in the role, and she is. But I know she’s looking to break out of that box she’s been put in, and when the moment comes around, I’ll be a hundred percent supportive.”
Savion appeared somewhat surprised. “It’s amazing what that little bit of bad press led to for her. I bought right into it, along with the masses.”
“That’s how it is, man. Media holds a lot of power over us, and that’s true no matter how it changes form.” Devon put his empty plate on the pile in the center of the table. “Magazines, blogs, gossip reporters all say the same kind of thing about Sierra. But I’ve known Sierra for years and that’s not who she really is.”
Rubbing his chin, Campbell thought about everything he’d just heard. I definitely need to sit down with Sierra and talk with her about this. He hadn’t wanted to probe into the details of the way she’d been stereotyped, thinking it would be better to get to know her as a person rather than dwelling on her public image. Now that he could see how much it might be affecting her, he realized he needed to know more. And he needed to hear it straight from the source.
Devon tapped his shoulder. “Look, Sierra’s been through a lot, and I consider her a friend. I hope your intentions with her are good.”
Campbell blinked a few times at the irony of the moment. “Didn’t I have this same conversation with you last year, about your intentions with Hadley?”
Devon laughed. “Yeah, man, you did. So now the tables have turned. Sierra’s grown and can do as she pleases. But if you hurt her, it’ll be my pleasure to kick your ass.”
Campbell rolled his eyes, but laughed anyway. “Understood, Devon.”
On the other side of the table, Savion remarked, “Y’all are letting these women get under your skin way too much.”
Campbell eyed him. “Don’t worry, big brother. Your time is coming around.”
Chapter 11
Sierra lay stretched out on the sofa Monday afternoon, watching television. She’d been home since noon, having wrapped filming for the day early, and was using her time off to binge-watch episodes of Living Single, one of her all-time favorite shows. The show, which had its original run from 1993 to 1998, explored the friendships of six young black professionals who lived in the same Brooklyn brownstone. Though she’d spent most of her acting career performing dramatic roles, she loved a good comedy.
As she listened to the on-screen exchange where Overton called Regine “Lil’ Chief Running Mouth” for what had to be the hundredth time, she burst out laughing. This show never gets old. With all the things going on in her life right now, she needed this time to just kick back, watch her favorite nineties sitcom and crack up.
Her phone, lying facedown on the coffee table, buzzed again, and she sighed. That damn thing has been buzzing all day. She’d checked the screen a few times, to be sure it wasn’t anything important. All she’d seen were a bunch of social media notifications, so she ignored them. She’d been given a reprieve in the form of a rare early wrap to filming, so she planned to take full advantage of it by unplugging from the rest of the world.
Picking the phone up, she tapped the screen, with the intent of clearing her notification tray. Instead, she opened one of the social media apps. The screen filled with tagged posts, and as she scrolled through, she felt the knot of tension forming between her shoulder blades. Every post was maligning her in some way, calling her everything from old, to ugly, to a “trash actress.” She checked her other three accounts at different social sites and found much the same thing. While she deleted the messages from her feeds and blocked or reported some of the accounts posting those awful things, she couldn’t help noticing that Mia kept appearing. Some of the posts originated from Mia’s profiles; others had simply tagged her.
She was still busy cleaning out her social media streams when the phone started buzzing in her hand. This time it wasn’t a notification, but a call, and she saw her mother’s face appear on the screen. Swiping to answer, she said, “Hey, Mommy.”
“Hi, Sugar Plum. How are you?”
Sierra smiled at the sound of her mother’s familiar greeting. “I’m doing okay, Mommy.”
“Hmm. You don’t sound like it. What’s the matter?”
In typical mom fashion, Rachel Dandridge had noticed her daughter’s sullen mood. “It’s nothing, Mommy. It’s just that I’ve been filming a lot lately and I’m really tired.”
“I see. Well, I hope you’re getting some rest.”
“I am. We wrapped filming before lunch today and I’ve been on the couch ever since.”
“Mmm-hmm. Good.” She paused. “So now that I know you’re resting, why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you?”
She sighed. Seeing no point in being dishonest with her mother, she said, “There are some ugly things being said about me on social media right now, and it’s got me feeling a little stressed out.”
“Social media?”
“You know, those online sites where people go to talk to their high school classmates and share cat videos.”
“Oh, yes. Daddy and I don’t bother too much with the computer you bought us, so we don’t do any of that. What are they saying that’s got you so upset?”
“Just a bunch of petty insults. I feel pretty certain that my costar is the one encouraging this type of negative conversation about me.”
Rachel harrumphed. “That little young thing with the attitude? The one that’s been rude to you on set? Why, I’ve got a good mind to call the studio, and tell them—”
Sierra stopped her. “Mommy, don’t. It’s not that big of a deal. I’ll handle it.”
“Are you sure? Because I’m not about to have people out here talking trash about my Sugar Plum.”
She smiled at her mother’s strong protective instincts. “I appreciate that, Mommy. But I promise I’ll take care of it, okay?”
“Alright, Sierra. If you say so.”
Changing the subject, she asked, “Have you had a chance to see the show yet?”
“Oh, yes. I’ve been watching and it is something else! All the girls in my bridge club are talking about it. You’ve definitely got a hit on your hands.”
Sierra chuckled at the thought of her mother’s bridge club watching the show together. The women were all retirees from the claims department of the insurance company her mother had worked for, and had been present throughout most of Sierra’s life. “I’m glad you all are enjoying it.”
“We are. And so is everybody else, from what I’ve seen. I read an article about it in the LA Times, and they’re calling the show a top contender for the Emmys next year. They also say you’re a shoe-in for best supporting actress in a drama.”
“You know I don’t read the reviews, Mommy.”
“I know you don’t. That’s why I’m telling you.” Rachel giggled. “I know it took me and your daddy a while to come around to the idea of you being an actress. But I have to say, we sure are proud of you, Sugar Plum.”
“Thanks, Mommy.”
“You’re welcome.” She laughed again. “You know, thinking back on how you were as a little girl, we really should have picked up on your talent for acting. Remember how you carried on about those cello lessons? How you threw yourself across the foot of our bed and tried to stage a mutiny?”
“Yes, I remember.” She’d been dead set against taking lessons on the instrument. “But you and Daddy would not be moved, and you made me take the lessons anyway.”
“And it paid off, didn’t it?”
“Yes. I ended up playing a cellist in my fourth film.” She changed position on the sofa, facing the glass doors that led to the terrace. “That was just luck, though, Mommy. Meanwhile, I’ve yet to be offered a role with any lines in Mandarin Chinese.”
“Oh, no, honey. That was a strategic decision. You see, when you take me and Daddy on vacation to Beijing one day, you’ll be able to get us ev
erything we need.”
She laughed. “Really, Mommy?”
“Yes, child. I never joke about international travel.”
“And when would I be taking you two on this trip?”
“Our fortieth wedding anniversary is coming up.” She covered the receiver, and Sierra heard a muffled conversation going on in the background. “Your daddy says he’d be fine with going then.”
Shaking her head, Sierra said, “Okay. As long as my filming schedule allows it, I’ll take you.”
“That’s my Sugar Plum.” She cleared her throat. “While I have you on the phone, let me ask you something. Are you seeing anybody?”
Unsure of how to answer that, Sierra said, “Nothing serious, Mommy.”
“Okay. I’m not going to dig into your business. But don’t forget that me and your daddy would like a grandchild, before we get too old to enjoy one.”
Sierra sighed. “I gotta go, Mommy. I love you.”
“I love you, too. Isn’t it funny how you always have to go when I mention grandchildren?” She laughed once more before disconnecting the call.
Sierra set the phone down and turned her attention back to her show. By the time she’d watched another two episodes, the frequency of the notifications started to die down. But she was still getting far more of them than she wanted. She wondered if her agent would have some tips or resources on how she could be more proactive on her social accounts. Maybe then she could put the kibosh on this kind of thing before it got out of hand.
All this negative talk is really making me nervous. While the threats themselves didn’t pose any physical threat to her, she knew better than to keep ignoring them. Crazy people were lurking in all the dark corners of the internet, waiting to be goaded into doing something in the real world. She didn’t want any of the online foolishness to spill over into her actual life.
Picking up the phone again, she opened the dial pad and punched in Campbell’s number. It was time to revisit the issue of her personal security.
Love for All Time Page 9
