“No, my proper name.”
“What is wrong with you?” she laughed.
“Just say it,” he said, laughing too, playing with her fingers, stroking them gently.
“Joseph. There, I’ve said it. Joseph.”
He leaned forward and kissed her slowly, smiling at her. “I think I fell in love with you the second you opened your mouth.”
“You’re so romantic. At least you didn’t say my legs.”
He finally threw the covers off and got out of bed and she couldn’t help but look at his incredible body, watching as he started to pull clothes out of the wardrobe, looking for something to wear. She was one hell of a lucky woman.
“Yeah, well, that too, it has to be said.” He smiled at her, and she threw a pillow at him.
“Just get some clothes on, will you? As much as it pains me to say that.”
They were due at a photographic studio in London’s Soho to do a publicity shoot for ‘Covert One’, and when that was over they had to go to another studio in North London to do an interview and another photo shoot for a magazine before pre-recording a TV interview for breakfast television and then, finally, it would be India’s interview that evening, live on TV. It was going to be one hectic and exhausting day but at least she’d have JJ with her. Just being able to grab little kisses and hold his hand when she felt like it could get her through anything. It was like being sixteen again, being with JJ, and she loved every second of it. She loved him.
She went over to him, putting her arms around him from behind, snuggling up against his back. “I love you, Joe.”
He turned around and pulled her close, kissing first her forehead, then her nose, then her mouth. “I love you too, beautiful.”
“No matter what?”
He looked at her, trying to work out where that question had come from and why she suddenly seemed to exude a vulnerability he hadn’t seen from her before.
“Hey ... of course I love you ... no matter what,” he said, touching her face with the palm of his hand, looking deep into her eyes. “Is everything ok?”
She smiled, not really wanting to say anything else. She’d just needed to hear him say that, because she had no idea what lay around the corner - she’d certainly learnt that over the years - and the only thing she wanted to know was that he loved her.
“Everything’s fine. Come on, the car’s going to be here any minute and we really need to get moving.”
He watched her as she went over to the mirror, watched as she ran her fingers through her hair again, quickly brushing some bronzer over her cheeks, little things she did every day and he could watch her do them over and over again and not get bored. But, for some reason, today there was something different about her. She seemed scared of something and there seemed to be a part of her that was elsewhere. Was there something on her mind? Something she wasn’t telling him? Maybe he wasn’t on the right track at all, maybe he was over-thinking things, but he knew her now. He knew when she wasn’t totally focused.
He went over to her, leaning over to kiss the back of her neck. “You’d tell me if something was on your mind, wouldn’t you?”
She looked at him. “Of course I would. I don’t want there to be any secrets, Joe.”
And telling him that was probably her first mistake, on a day that was only going to get harder. She just had no idea how much.
***
Michael couldn’t be bothered to unpack. He had other things to be getting on with and unpacking a case that was only going to be packed again in a day or so was something that didn’t even register on the scale of important things to do.
He had meetings to go to, paperwork to sort out and what felt like a hundred telephone calls to make. One of them, he supposed, would have to be to Layla, although he couldn’t seem to get hold of her at all at the minute. Not even on her cell ‘phone.
He sat down on the bed and took his ‘phone out of his pocket, punching in Reece’s number. He wanted to speak to his son. More than anything right now he needed to hear that little boy’s voice because he missed him like crazy. For the past couple of weeks he’d had neither of his parent’s at home – Michael had been in Canada for a few weeks and India in Australia, although he’d had no idea why she’d chosen now to take a vacation when she was so close to starting work on a new movie. She’d known he wouldn’t be around for Ethan either, but he supposed she’d had her reasons.
“Reece? Hi, it’s Michael.”
“Michael, how are you?”
“I’m fine. I’m just fine. Listen, is Ethan there? I thought if I called him early I might catch him before he went out, I know he’s got soccer practice this morning.”
“Yeah, sure. No problem. He’s just having his breakfast ... Ethan, it’s your dad.”
“Is ... is everything ok by the way? Is India ... is she alright?”
Reece knew that India still hadn’t told Michael about her marrying JJ and for some reason Ethan had also managed to keep his mum’s secret just that – a secret. Although how much longer that would last was another matter, and Reece wasn’t altogether sure it was fair on Ethan to keep asking him to do it.
“She’s fine, Michael … oh, here’s Ethan. I’ll talk to you soon, ok?”
“Ok ... hey, Ethan! You ok, kiddo?”
“I’m good, daddy. I’ve got soccer practise today and mommy says I’m just as good as Uncle Terry was when he played.”
Michael smiled. India had always wanted Ethan to know about Terry and it certainly seemed as though he’d inherited his late uncle’s athletic talents. He was a star player on the Under-eight’s junior soccer team and he had a good goal scoring record already.
“Is your mommy ok?” Michael asked, knowing it was wrong of him to try and get information out of a six year old but what else could he do when his mom wouldn’t even look at him?
“I miss her, daddy. But granddad and grandma are taking me and Ellie on an aeroplane all the way to England soon to see her and JJ. JJ’s my new step-daddy, did you know that?”
Michael felt his stomach turn over and Reece looked up at his grandson. India should have let Michael know what was going on, she really should have done that, because God knows what was going to happen now.
“Ethan, sweetheart, when you … when you say JJ’s your new step-daddy, what do you ... what do you mean?”
“Mommy and JJ got married. I wasn’t supposed to tell you until she said I could but ...”
Ethan looked over at his granddad. Reece just nodded and mouthed “it’s ok.” What was the point in lying any longer? The secret was out now.
“When ... when did they get married, Ethan? Baby, when did they get married?”
Reece came over and took the ‘phone from his grandson. It was time for him to take control of this one.
“They got married eighteen days ago, Michael,” Reece said, indicating to Martha - who’d just come into the room - to take Ethan upstairs.
“Eighteen days ago? But ... but there was nothing ... there was no ... I ... I had no idea they’d even got engaged.” He felt sick, he felt physically sick. This had come out of nowhere, right out of left-field and he just hadn’t expected it at all.
“Nobody knows, Michael, except the few people who were invited to the wedding. Look, they wanted it all kept extremely secret, I have no idea why, that’s just the way they wanted it and that’s how it’s been. As far as I’m aware they’re going to make some kind of announcement during India’s TV interview in London tonight.”
Michael didn’t know what to say. This news had hit him like a bolt out of the blue, he just hadn’t seen it coming and it had shook him badly.
“Michael?”
“Yeah ... yeah, I’m here I’m just ... I’m just a bit taken aback. I really had no idea things were that serious between them.” But in his own mind he knew that was a lie. He should have known from the second he’d seen them in that club in Las Vegas. He should have seen it coming the day she gave birth to JJ’s baby.
All signs he’d just pushed to the back of his mind and refused to acknowledge.
“Listen, I’m sorry, ok? For what it’s worth I didn’t agree with her keeping it from you. I thought you should know. Making Ethan keep that secret wasn’t fair on him.”
“No ... look, I ... I’ve got to go. Tell Ethan I’ll talk to him soon.”
He ended the call and threw his ‘phone down on the bed, staring straight ahead. So, she’d married JJ Foster. Another speed bump he hadn’t seen coming.
He got up and went over to the small mini-bar in the corner of the room, taking out a small bottle of whisky. He needed something to take the edge off the pain he was feeling. He needed something to dull the ache because he felt as though someone had just stamped on his heart and left him for dead.
He knocked back the whisky straight from the bottle and closed his eyes as the strong dark liquid burned his throat, instantly sending a warm rush through him. It wasn’t enough to numb him completely but it was going to have to do. A lot of things still had to be done today and he needed a clear head. This latest bit of news was going to have to be something he dealt with later, and it would be dealt with. No matter how he was feeling now or how painful the thought of her married to another man was for him, it would be dealt with. Because, in reality, it was just another hurdle, another obstacle, and Michael Walsh had overcome many of those in his life. This one was just going to be that little bit harder to get over than the rest.
***
Kenny looked in the mirror. Forty-five years old and still undeniably handsome. But still ten years older than India’s new husband and he didn’t know why, but that really bothered him.
He hadn’t seen her since she’d left for Australia. He hadn’t even spoken to her on the ‘phone and he’d missed her. He’d really missed her. But now he was here in Britain, just days away from starting work on their new movie, he was going to be seeing a lot of her, and maybe now they’d finally get the chance to do the catching up they both badly needed to do.
He’d spent a lot of time with Ellie while her mommy and daddy had been away though, and that baby girl was just the most beautiful thing he’d seen. So much like her father, and with both JJ’s and India’s genes she could only grow up to be a stunner. Kenny loved her so much. His baby Goddaughter, someone that meant his connection with India would always be there. Always. He’d make sure of that.
He splashed cold water over his face and grabbed a towel to dry himself, walking back into the bedroom and sitting down on the edge of the bed. Flicking the TV on he grabbed the magazine that was lying on the table beside him, throwing the towel aside. It was a TV listings magazine and on the cover was a photograph of India and JJ as their ‘Covert One’ characters. The new season had just started airing in the U.K. and he knew both her and JJ were doing a lot of promotional work for it today, before she did her big interview that evening, and Kenny was going to the studio to support her. She hadn’t done a live interview like this for some time and he wanted to make sure she was ok because she’d be nervous, he had no doubt about that. More so because he was sure that, just as he’d done, she would have watched some of the presenter’s past interviews, and he certainly made sure no stone was left unturned. She was going to be laying her life wide open on national television and that was going to be hard.
He looked at the magazine cover again. They were undoubtedly a stunning looking couple. JJ was as handsome as she was beautiful. She even managed to hold a gun in a way that could only be deemed as sexy and Kenny had to smile. She’d come such a long way from that first day he’d seen her, walking into that screen testing room, so young and innocent and totally unaware of all the shit that would be thrown at her over the years. But at the same time, she’d become such a huge success and a talent that nobody could deny was just extraordinary. He’d been there for her throughout it all and how could he even have thought about stepping back and walking away from her when they’d been through so much together? He’d been crazy to even try it and he was just grateful that she loved him enough to accept he’d been an idiot over the past couple of years. Kenny Ross was finally growing up. Whether he liked it or not.
***
Ray Foster watched the TV screen intently. He watched the episode of ‘Covert One’ as his younger brother kissed his real-life – albeit, for now, secret - wife. He watched as the chemistry between them almost steamed up the TV screen. Somehow it was worse watching them like this, worse than actually seeing them in person carrying on the way they did, like a couple of kids, all the kissing and hand holding and the looks that passed between them. But it worked for their TV show. The two of them together was helping gain viewers with each season, so that kind of voyeurism obviously worked, people wondering if what they did on screen was mirrored in their real-life relationship.
But now it was his turn. It was time for another of the Foster brothers to take their turn with the beautiful India. It was time for Ray to show that he too could recreate that same chemistry that his brother so effortlessly could. Ray might not get to sleep with her, or even kiss her outside of a movie set, but he was going to get to do it all whilst he was on one. Playing India’s husband in this movie meant a couple of small but significant love scenes and Ray would have been lying if he’d said he wasn’t looking forward to the days when they were being filmed. Even if his baby brother was going to be watching every move he made. Some people may find that uncomfortable but if it was the only chance Ray got to get close to her then he’d take it. He’d take anything.
Five years ago he and his new sister-in-law had had a night together that could only be described as a six hour hard-core porn movie lived out for real and ever since that night he’d relived every little detail of every sordid, incredible act they’d undertaken at least once. He’d never forgotten it. Any of it. Especially the consequences that had followed, and he knew she hadn’t forgotten either. He’d seen it in her face.
He’d tried to avoid seeing her at all since it had happened. Once everything had ended they’d both decided it was for the best if they never saw each other again, unless they absolutely had to. But then she’d met JJ, so she must have known that, at some point, their paths were going to cross again.
When JJ had introduced them, when Ray had flown over to L.A. after Ellie’s birth, it had been hard to pretend that they’d never met each other before, especially considering what had happened between them. But now they were being thrown together again and in Ray’s eyes that had to be for a reason. Maybe it was time to finally get everything off his chest, to let her know how that night had affected him. He was all too aware that, for her, the consequences had been far harder, but she’d pushed him away. He hadn’t wanted to go. And now it needed sorting out. Things still needed to be said, and he was going to say them because he couldn’t let this go now. He couldn’t put it to the back of his mind when she was going to be with him day after day, not anymore, he couldn’t do that. So the goal posts had shifted. The rules had just been changed, and Ray was finally going to be able to say everything to her that he’d been denied the chance to say all those years ago. It was a secret too big for him to carry around any longer and she needed to know how he felt. Even if that did have more far reaching consequences than he dared to even think about.
***
“Have you got the rings, Joe?” India asked, as they made their way to the TV studios for the interview.
It had been one hell of a long day but in just a matter of hours they’d be telling the watching U.K. public just how much in love they really were. Their secret wouldn’t be a secret anymore and, if she was honest, it’d be a relief to finally have it out in the open.
“Yes, I’ve got the rings,” he smiled, slipping his hand into hers and squeezing it.
“Good. Because as soon as this is common knowledge I want them back on my finger.” She looked at her left hand. “I feel naked without them.”
JJ squeezed her hand again, leaning in closer to her. “I wish you we
re.”
She looked at him. “Wish I was what?”
“Naked.” He started kissing her neck, just below her ear, a place he knew she liked to be kissed. “That last photo shoot we did has really, really turned me on. I love it when they make you take your clothes off.”
“Nobody makes me do anything, Joe.”
“You have got the most incredible tits.”
“All thanks to an amazing surgeon. I’ve had two kids; you don’t think they’d stay up here without any help do you?”
Not long after Ellie had been born she’d gone under the knife for a breast lift, and it wasn’t something she’d made a secret of. She was over forty, a mum of two, and nothing stayed the same forever. She was realistic about that. She’d wanted it done, Joe had supported her and he’d made the most of them ever since.
He was still nuzzling her neck and, although she loved it, she knew this was neither the time nor the place.
“I don’t care, beautiful. I loved them before and they’re still incredible now.”
He rested his mouth on hers; slipping his hand up her top and for a few seconds she gave in, loving the taste of him, the feel of his lips on hers, his fingers on her skin.
“You’re going to have to calm yourself down, mister,” she smiled, stroking the stubble on his face, following the trail of her fingers with her eyes. “Because this is going to be a long night.”
He rested his forehead against hers, still holding onto her hand. “Are you nervous?”
She nodded. “So much has happened, Joe, and this is the first time I’ll have talked about any of it, the first time I’ll have spoken out loud about everything. The questions they could throw at me ...” She stroked his face again, looking into his beautiful eyes. “You will understand, won’t you, Joe? Some of the things you’ll hear ... I just want you to understand.”
He kissed her gently and she closed her eyes and let him, she let him kiss her; let him hold her, let his fingers hold onto hers so tight.
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