“Are you counting?”
She couldn’t remember her name. How was she supposed to count? Her head fell back. Her body tensed. The orgasm hit and the world went black. Seconds later, Colt joined her.
“Thirty seconds to spare.”
“Don’t gloat.”
“I wouldn’t think of it.”
Sable couldn’t move. She was limp. Worn out. Completely, wonderfully spent. Luckily, Colt’s reaction was the opposite. Somewhere he found a hidden source of energy. He cleaned them up and straightened their clothing. When a voice called out, ‘Mr. Landis. You’re wanted on the set,’ he looked at his watch.
“Three orgasms for you and a big fat one for me. Not bad.”
“Smug.”
“Happy.” Colt corrected. He waited for Sable to open the shed door and check for lurking boogie men before taking her hand. “And very satisfied.”
“Me too.”
Sable smiled when he kissed her palm. Colt was always doing things like that. A little touch. A light kiss. She was getting used to the casual affection. No. It was more than that. She looked forward to it. Craved it. If she weren’t careful, it could become a full-blown addiction. What would she do for her fix when she was in Harper Falls and he was a thousand miles away?
“Okay?”
Sable pulled her thoughts from the future and something she couldn’t control. She had the here and the now. And she was determined to enjoy it.
“How do I look?”
“Fantastic.”
“Not like I’ve had sex in a potting shed.”
“You look like you’ve had sex. No one would guess the location.”
“Idiot.”
“How do I look?” Colt paused. He put a hand behind his head, making his best beefcake pose.
So good. Sable hid her smile, giving him the once over.
“You’ll do.”
COLT DIDN’T ASK the cast and crew what methods they employed to get through the odd hours. He kept his secrets and let them keep theirs. Whatever they did, on the whole, everyone adjusted nicely. Experienced professionals, they behaved as such. But there always seemed to be an exception who was determined to prove the rule.
In this case, it was Candice. DeMarcco.
The diva wannabe decided the night schedule was the perfect time to assert her power as the movie’s female lead. In other words, if I choose to flub my lines and pout through every scene, so what? You can’t replace me. You can’t ruin me. I’m a star. Live with it.
“There is a woman who needs to spend a whole lot of time in a potting shed,” Colt grumbled. They were on another break while Candice looked over her lines.
Sable raised an eyebrow.
“Sex.” Colt flopped onto the chair next to hers. “I meant she needs to have lots and lots of sex.”
“I know what you meant.” Sable held up her hands, her eyes filled with mock horror. “Don’t look at me. I wouldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole.”
“You could shoot her.”
“No. Too much blood. Besides, I really like that dress she’s wearing. It would be a shame to ruin it.”
“Then I’m at a loss.”
Colt had her hand in his. Sable wondered if he knew he’d done it, the gesture was becoming second nature. So was the little ping she felt around her heart when he rubbed his thumb against hers.
“You know what you have to do.”
“I have to shoot her?” Colt shook his head, blue eyes filled with mock regret. “Nah. I’ve never discharged a gun outside of a firing range or an action movie. I might miss and hit someone important.”
“Or,” Sable playfully jabbed Colt in the ribs. His grin was her reward. “You could use that famous Landis charm. A few words of encouragement might get this party started.”
Colt sighed. “Fine. But I still say your gun is more effective.”
“We’ll keep it in reserve—just in case.”
Watching Colt drag his feet as he walked to Candice’s trailer was as entertaining as any scene in the movie. He paused outside the door. Took a deep breath and pulled his shoulders back. Before he knocked, he turned toward Sable, pointing at his huge, plastered-on smile.
Colt had barely made one rap when the trailer door opened. A hand with long red nails appeared, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him inside. The door shut with a resounding snap.
“I don’t know how he does it.” Janis, made up for the scene Candice couldn’t get through, joined Sable. She had a wry smile on her face and a cup of coffee in each hand. She gave one to Sable before hoisting herself onto Colt’s vacated seat. “No one else has the nerve to beard the barracuda’s den.”
“He feels a responsibility to the cast and crew.”
“And Candice knows it. Her little tantrums are all about manipulating Colt.”
“How so?”
“Do you mind some gossip?
“Do you mind if I take it with a grain of salt?”
Sable had lived most of her life on one Army base or another. Gossip was the fuel that powered many a backyard barbecue or weeknight poker game. Her mother had lived for every tidbit, taking it as gospel—unless it reflected poorly back on her. Then it was all petty lies and backstabbing.
Her father used to say, Listen if you must, Sable. But always remember. Gossip never benefits anyone but the teller.
“Hell. You can take it with a whole shaker full,” Janis laughed good-naturedly.
“Then gossip away.”
“Well,” Janis leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with the excitement of being the bearer of less than reliable news. “One of the grips overheard Candice on the phone. It seems she is not happy with the state of her romantic relationship with Colt.”
“What romantic relationship?”
“Exactly. By now, she thought they would be hot and heavy. The darlings of the internet. Splashed on the cover of every checkout line celebrity magazine. Colt is everywhere, but not with Candice on his arm. There’s one major problem standing in her way to the top of the trending charts.”
“That Colt is too smart to be dragged under by a publicity-hungry bitch?”
“There’s that,” Janis nodded. “But the answer is more succinct. The problem, according to Candice, is you.”
“The problem is that Colt isn’t interested. If he were, he would be with her.”
“Logic.” Janis tapped the side of her head. “Not Candice’s long suit. She sees you as her only obstacle. Eliminate you, and Colt will fall at her feet like the proverbial piece of ripe fruit.”
“Delusional,” Sable whispered under her breath.
She knew the type. Her mother was a prime example. Once Iris Ford convinced herself something was true, there was no reasoning with her. Apparently, Candice suffered from the same affliction.
“And then some.” Janis tapped a packet of artificial sweetener against her hand. She opened the packet and added it to her coffee, absently stirring it in.
“For the sake of crazy, let’s say she was right. What’s her plan? Because I’m not going anywhere.”
Until the movie wraps. Sable couldn’t help silently adding that for her own benefit. After that, Colt was free to get involved with all the nitwits his heart desired. It left a sour taste in her mouth, making it hard to swallow her mouthful of coffee. With a grimace, she set aside the cup.
“Plan? Candice? She doesn’t strategize. She leaves that up to her management team. They’ve pulled some crazy stunts to get some attention for her. But the latest tantrum has Candice written all over it. Poorly thought out and destined for failure.”
Before Sable could respond, the trailer door burst open. She and the entire production crew heard Colt’s voice before they saw him.
“That’s it,” Colt yelled. Sable’s brows rose in surprise. Angry Colt was rare. Especially on the set. She edged off the chair, poised to step in if Colt appeared to be in danger.
“Colt… “
Though out of sight, the whiney voice obvious
ly belonged to Candice.
“No. I’ve had enough.”
Colt jumped from the trailer. His hair was messed up, standing in multiple directions. But it was the state of his shirt that had Sable on her feet. It was torn, leaving his chest exposed. And if she weren’t mistaken, there were scratch marks, red and angry-looking, marring his skin.
“I’m fine.” Colt held up a hand, keeping Sable in her seat. She didn’t move, nor did she relax.
“Colt.” Candice stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but a skimpy piece of lingerie and a pout. “Come back. We were just getting started.”
“Listen to me. If you ever pull something like this again, I will have you thrown off the set. The hell with the movie.”
“You don’t mean that.”
Sable wondered at the woman’s lack of self-preservation. An idiot could see Colt wasn’t just angry. He was livid. His face was red, his fists clenched. And the vein on his temple throbbed with alarming intensity. Yet Candice, entrenched in her own cuckoo world, approached Colt without an ounce of caution.
Sable prepared to intervene. Not to protect Colt from a pending attack. But to keep him out of jail. If he strangled Candice, the cast and crew might cheer, but not even his famous charm would get him out of a murder rap—justifiable or not.
“Stop,” Colt commanded.
“I can make you feel good.” Unbelievably, Candice kept on coming. “That skinny rack of bones won’t keep you warm for long.”
Skinny rack of bones? Sable had been called many things, but that was a first. She was lean, not skinny. And snapping Candice like a dried twig would be a piece of cake.
“Listen, and listen good.” Colt sidestepped Candice’s grasping claws. “Candice.” His tone was sharp, finally getting her attention. “Get your ass in your trailer. You have exactly forty-five minutes to be on the set. In costume and makeup. And you better know your lines. I will shut this movie down and recast, no matter what it costs, if you don’t begin to behave like a professional. Understood?”
“But—”
“Forty-four minutes, fifteen seconds.”
Candice looked around, desperate for support. What she found were people, fascinated by the show, but firmly on Team Colt. The only support she had was from her pushup bra. And even that was showing signs of wear and tear.
Taking a deep breath. Then another, Candice stomped her foot in frustration. She turned and flounced to her trailer, accompanying herself with a long, ear-piercing wail.
“OMG. My hero.” Janis threw her arms around Colt. “I better freshen up. I’m in the next scene.”
“If she shows up,” Colt grumbled.
“She’ll be there,” Janis said with absolute conviction.
“How can you be so sure?”
“As we speak, little Candice is getting her makeup retouched. And calling her agent. He’ll stroke and soothe and tell her, in nicer language, to get her ass on the set. She’s his meal ticket. A big fat cash cow. No way he’ll let her derail that.”
Janis jogged off, a sprightly bounce in her step.
“Why did I become an actor?”
Sable took Colt’s hand. “Come with me.”
Without protest, Colt let Sable guide him over cables and around cameras. No one approached or tried to waylay them with the usual endless questions and requests. They wouldn’t have dared. After his confrontation with Candice, everyone looked at Colt with new respect, and a touch of fear. As far as Sable was concerned, that wasn’t a bad thing.
Because of his inherent good nature, the cast and crew came to Colt with every little problem. He wasn’t a pushover by any means. But he tried to smooth troubled waters. Perhaps now they would think twice before dumping their messes in his lap.
Sable gently pushed Colt into his trailer, shutting the door behind her.
“You became an actor because you love your mommy.”
Colt paused in the middle of opening a bottle of water.
“Excuse me? Are you saying I have mommy issues?” Colt wasn’t upset by the accusation. He was appalled.
Wide-eyed, Sable bit her cheek to keep from laughing.
“Don’t you?”
It took him a second, but Colt’s eyes narrowed when he saw the twinkle in her eyes.
“Why, you little—”
Colt tossed the bottle on the floor. He grabbed Sable by the arms, pulling her close. All she saw was a flash of bright blue eyes before he kissed her. Hard. Without preamble. Hours of pent up frustration and anger surging out of him, into her.
Sable welcomed it. Gladly. She let him back her against the door and take whatever he needed.
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You never could.” Not physically. “It isn’t in you, Colton. If you want to play a little rough, I don’t mind. I can take it.”
“Turn around,” he growled in her ear. “Palms flat on the door. Don’t move a muscle unless I tell you to. Got it?”
Sable didn’t answer. She let Colt position her the way he wanted. With one foot, he tapped the side of her ankle, an indication he wanted her to spread her legs. He bunched the skirt of her dress up around her waist.
“Are you ready for me?”
“Yes.”
“Show me.”
Sable didn’t think—she reacted on instinct.
“May I move my hand?”
“Mmm.” Colt bit her earlobe, making Sable hiss, then moan.
Licking her lips, Sable slid her hand between her legs. She was wet, moisture seeping through the silk of her underwear. But she wanted more than a trace. She pushed the material aside and coated her fingers with the proof Colt demanded.
“See?”
Colt took her wrist, his grip firm. She wouldn’t have pulled away, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
She heard his deep intake of breath. “You smell like heaven.” He drew one of her fingers into his mouth. Colt’s tongue made sure there wasn’t a drop left. “But, God, the way you taste. There are no words.”
Sable’s nails scratched at the door, finding no purchase on the cold metal surface. Her heated skin sought relief, searching for something to cool it down. But it was no match for the flame burning in her. The second her cheek made contact, the metal burned as hot as she did.
Though she couldn’t see him, Sable heard every move he made. The crinkle of foil as Colt prepared a condom made her breathing deepen. He nudged her entrance with his erection. Once. Twice. Sable closed her eyes—frustrated. Now he wanted to tease? When his every move until now had been designed to make her as hot and ready as possible?
“Colt?”
“Yes?”
He licked the curve of her ear. Sable shivered.
“Please!”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.”
Before she could say, fuck you, he entered her. One sure motion.
“Say it.”
Sable groaned. She needed to move. She needed it hard and fast. She needed it now.
“Say it, Sable.”
“Fuck! Me! Now!”
“My pleasure.”
One hand around her waist, Colt cupped her between her legs. He urged her higher, stroking with his fingers. Sable cried out his name. Her orgasm had barely begun when Colt joined her, riding the wave with her.
“Thank you,” he whispered when he could find the breath.
Sable managed a small, but happy smile. “My pleasure.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“LAUREL CANYON IS beautiful.”
“It’s a great place.” Colt agreed. He shifted to a lower gear. The turns were not meant to be taken in anything higher than second. “Perfect for someone who wants a slower pace. Funny. When Garrett and Nate bought their places, neither had any intention of settling down. They were on location so much of the time. When in town, Garrett stayed at the downtown loft, and Nate usually crashed with our parents. The properties in Laurel Canyon were more of an investment in the future.”
“The future ca
me faster than they expected.”
“Twins,” Colt laughed.
Sable turned from looking at the view. “What does that mean?”
“It’s something about sharing a womb. Nate and Garrett aren’t identical twins, but I can’t count the number of times they’ve acted as one. They think the same way. It makes sense that once Garrett had fallen for Jade, it would only be a matter of time for Nate. The way he tells it, he and Paige clicked almost immediately.”
“I was surprised when Jade told me Nate was engaged.”
“Because deep down you wanted him to wait for you?”
Deadpan, Sable said, “Yes. From the moment I kicked his ass, I was a goner. Months of pining. He broke my heart.”
“But it was me you kissed, not Nate.”
“Who says I didn’t kiss him?”
Colt’s head whipped around. “Did you?”
“Eyes on the road, Colton.”
“Answer the question, Sable.” But Colt did what she asked.
“You have kissed every inch of my body. Would it matter if Nate got to my lips before you did?”
“Yes.”
“Paige doesn’t care.”
“Paige knows?” Colt’s fingers tightened on the wheel. “Why do women tell each other everything?”
“Beats me. I’ve never understood it.”
Colt glanced at her, then the road. Then back at her. When she grinned, he let out a big, expressive sigh.
“Jesus, Sable. You were kidding? About everything?”
“Yes.” Sable patted his leg. “I couldn’t resist. Though for the life of me, I can’t figure out why it matters. I’ve kissed plenty of men. Let’s not start on the legions of women you’ve locked lips with. One kiss, Colt? Come on.”
What Sable said was true. He didn’t care who she had kissed before him because they were anonymous faces that he would pass in a crowd without a second thought. But his brother was different. Not the end of the world. Simply… disconcerting.
“I was never very good at sharing my toys.”
The second the words were out of his mouth Colt wanted to pull them back. If the car weren’t moving, he would have pounded his forehead against the steering wheel. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Dreaming Of Your Love (Hollywood Legends #3) Page 21
