by Alexa Aston
“I’ve never—”
“Sydney Harper Revere.”
She heard the exasperation in his voice. He never called her by her full name. She knew it was because it reminded him too much of her mother.
“You grew up on movie sets. You hung around with the crew for years. You probably know how to do every job on a set, from best boy to key grip to cameraman.”
He was right. Sydney had haunted the sets of his films from the time she was young. After her mom’s death, on the set was the only time she got to see him. He was always gone from the house, out with other women, trying to find a replacement for his dead wife. Especially after Birch died, her dad had abandoned parenting her. She’d hung on as long as she could until she was fifteen. That’s when she’d stopped going to work on the set and started getting into trouble, hoping that would grab his attention.
Nothing had—so she’d left home at seventeen. For good.
“It’s been a long time since I was anywhere near the film business. You don’t know what I’m capable of.”
He gave her a long look. She remembered the PI that had given him monthly reports on all her activities. Her dad knew exactly how driven and successful she’d become.
Reluctantly, she said, “I guess some of my skills from the past few years would translate to the film industry. What about second assistant director? That might be a better fit. I’d handle scheduling and booking. All the extras. Creating call sheets for the cast and crew.”
“I’ve got a kid from UCLA doing an internship for me. Bernie Costello. That’s his role. I really want you to come to work with me, Sydney. You’ve got the management skills to oversee the day-to-day stuff with scheduling, equipment, and the script and set.”
“Dad, I’ve never directed any background action. You’ve always delegated that in the past to your first AD.”
“Do you think you’re capable of doing it?”
Sydney actually thought she could. Before she answered, though, Dash said, “She can. She’ll be great at it.”
“Then it’s settled.” Monty stood. “Why don’t you two go celebrate? You both have jobs for the next several months.”
Dash finally released her hand and shook with her dad. “I know I’m going to learn a lot working under you, sir.”
Monty grinned. “I’m going to work your ass off, Kid, but I think you’ll be happy with the end result.” He looked to Sydney. “We’ll meet at nine tomorrow morning unless Regina can move up some of the casting for Rachel.”
“You’re on,” she said.
Dash took her hand again and led her from the room. He shut the door and glanced around, then pulled her close for a very thorough kiss. Sydney found her toes curling before he released her.
“Where’s your purse? I know women can’t go anywhere without it.”
“Still in the casting room.”
“Let’s get it.”
They wound their way through the house. As they passed Jayla, she started to speak and then glanced at their joined hands. She bit her lip to hide a smile and gave Sydney a thumbs up.
Cassie remained in the audition room, scribbling away. She put her pen down as they entered.
Dash went straight to her. “I hope I’ll make you proud, Cassie. I plan to pick your brain about Paul and then fill in the blanks you’ve left on my own. I want to bring Paul to life in a way I’ve never done with any other character. Let me know when we can meet and discuss things.”
Cassie’s brows rose a notch. “What about Sydney?”
“Sydney is my number one priority, but I promise that Paul’s 1-A. A very close second.”
Cassie looked at Sydney. “Status quo check.”
“Overwhelmed,” she admitted. “In the last ten minutes, I’ve discovered that I’m in a relationship and I’m working as first AD on No Regrets. I don’t know which one has surprised me more.” She grinned. “But I’m really, really happy about both.”
“You better be,” Dash said. He kissed her. “I plan to do a lot of that,” he guaranteed.
Sydney gave Cassie a helpless look. “What can I say? I’m devastatingly attractive. He can’t keep his hands off me.” She leaned down and grabbed her tote.
Cassie burst out laughing. “I guess I need to make some calls and straighten a few things out.”
Sydney knew she meant talking to Rhett and the Camerons about Dash. “That’s a great idea, Cassie.”
“We’re off to celebrate,” Dash said.
Sydney heard Cassie call out, “I’ll bet you are,” as Dash hurried her out of the room.
He escorted her to a gray Mercedes SL and opened the door for her. Wake, for all his fancy upbringing, had never done that. Score one for the Midwestern boy.
Dash joined her in the car and started the engine. He hit a button and lowered the roof on the convertible and then pulled out of the driveway.
“I’m starving,” he said.
“Ditto,” she agreed. “I’m game for anything that’s not tofu. Or liver. Those are my two food dislikes.”
“Duly noted.”
He didn’t tell her where he was going. She wondered what celebrating meant to him. That worried her some. He was the famous actor who was seen in all the right hot spots. She was someone who’d run from her undeserved reputation for years.
Dash flipped on the radio and began singing along with Ed Sheeran. He knew every word and even harmonized some on the chorus.
“You have a really good voice,” she told him when the song ended.
“High school choir, baby,” he teased. “I was the only football player that joined it my junior year. A lot of pretty girls sang in choir and I got a lot of attention. My buddies figured it out, so senior year, we were able to put on Bye, Bye Birdie since there were enough guys.”
Dash turned on Washington and Sydney figured out where they were going. He pulled into the drive-through of In-N-Out.
“So this is celebrating?” she asked.
“When I’m hungry, absolutely. What do you want?”
“A burger. Animal style. And the fries are enough that we can split.”
“To drink?”
“Water’s good.”
They had to wait a few minutes in line but soon they had a big white sack that smelled of heaven. Dash looked like he knew where he was going so Sydney leaned her head back and enjoyed the breeze rushing by. He pulled into a city park in Marina del Rey and cut the engine. She saw a few mothers or nannies with small children playing on the playground. School wouldn’t be out for another month. She supposed this was as public as Dash could go.
He already wore sunglasses. He now reached behind him and pulled on a Dodgers ball cap. As he got out of the car, he removed the jacket he wore and rolled up the sleeves on the crisp white dress shirt. Her eyes zeroed in on his tanned forearms.
She opened her door and handed him the food while she gathered their drinks. He led her to an isolated picnic table and opened the sack. They’d ordered the same burger and he left those in their wrappers while he opened the French fries and spread them out so they each had easy access. Then he sat next to her, close enough that their hips and thighs touched.
Sydney wanted to concentrate on the physical connection between them but the smell of the golden fries distracted her. She lifted one and chewed it in bliss. Neither Boston nor New York had any In-N-Out franchises. She’d forgotten how perfect their fries could be.
“Light, not greasy. I’m in paradise,” she said. Then she bit into the burger and sighed aloud. “I haven’t had In-N-Out in over ten years. This hits the spot.”
Dash rested a hand on her knee. His touch instantly caused her pulse to jump.
“Don’t say I don’t know what a woman wants.”
As they ate, she asked, “Do you come here often?”
“I try to find places I can go and not be recognized. A small, local park in the middle of the day is usually a safe bet because no one would expect me to ever be in a place like this.”
<
br /> “I guess you can’t go shopping or to a movie that isn’t a premiere.”
He swallowed a bite. “Nope. I order a lot off Amazon and I watch a ton of Netflix. Netflix goes in spurts. During down time, I love to binge watch TV series or movies. When I’m working, I don’t have time for anything else.”
“Is that my first warning? When we start filming, you won’t have time for me?”
His hand came to the back of her neck and massaged it. “Something tells me that I’ll find a way to make time for you.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and went back to his burger.
“I just joined Netflix,” she admitted. “School and then my job kept me swamped with work. I haven’t seen many movies in the past several years. Or TV. I did sign up for Netflix the other night to see what you’d done in the past.”
“My first dozen movies were bit to small parts that paid the bills. It was work and I was glad to get it. Added to my resume. The last three years, I moved from secondary characters to starring roles. All action films. Two made really good money.”
“Well, No Regrets has a lot of action. You’ll be at home with that. Do you do your own stunts?”
He nodded and wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. “As many as I can.” He put his hand back on her knee. The casual gesture was a small one but she liked the fact that he felt the need to touch her.
“I always spend a ton of time with the stunt coordinator. I know exactly what I’m doing and where I’m supposed to be and when. I don’t take extraordinary chances, Sydney.” He paused. “Do you want me to give up stunts?”
She was moved that he would even offer something like that. They’d slept together once. This was their first date. It wasn’t as if she had any major say in his life.
“No. I trust you. If you say you’re prepared for the stunt, then you need to do it.”
“I promise I’ll be extra careful. I have a good reason now to want to stay in one piece.” He nuzzled her neck, jolting her insides.
Sydney had never felt sexual urges like she did now. In the past, she’d thought she might be asexual since sex seemed ho-hum to her. She hadn’t understood what all the fuss was about. Until now. Every brush of Dash’s lips or fingers against her drove her wild.
“Ready to celebrate some more?” he asked.
“I want to make love with you,” she blurted out.
The corners of his mouth turned up. “Okay. Wasn’t next on my agenda but I’ve always been flexible.”
“We could go to the Malibu house,” Sydney suggested. “If traffic’s good, we could make it in an hour from here.”
Dash stood and lifted her by her waist over the bench seat then let her body glide slowly down his. Sydney felt her cheeks heat. He kissed her, long and slow, though the bill of his cap got in the way. She lifted it off his head and gave in to the kiss.
He broke it and claimed the cap again, pulling it low. She realized he didn’t want to be recognized. She glanced over and saw that two of the young women near the swings seemed very interested in them. With everyone having a camera phone these days, privacy was a thing of the past.
“Time to go. Show’s over for the public. I’m ready for a private screening.”
They gathered up their trash and headed back to the car. As they drove north, Sydney realized that she didn’t know where Dash lived. If his parents were still alive. If he had brothers or sisters. She didn’t know his favorite food or favorite color or what size shoe he wore.
None of that mattered.
They reached Malibu in ninety minutes, which wasn’t bad for that time of day. She fished the key from her purse and let them in. A flutter of nerves swept through her. She wasn’t sure why. They’d already had sex together.
Dash took her hand and led her to the bedroom. She set her purse down and started to undress.
He stopped her. “Let me.”
Sydney saw the heat in his eyes. She stood wordlessly, her heart pounding.
Dash removed every item from her slowly, placing each on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed. When he finished, his eyes roamed her naked body.
“You are so beautiful,” he said and kissed her softly. He pulled the bedding back then eased the coated rubber band from her hair and dropped it on the nightstand.
Sydney sat on the bed and watched him remove his clothing. As he’d done with her, he took his time, which let her feast on his lean, muscled frame.
He joined her and tilted her back. He brushed his lips across her cheek. His fingers trailed down her arm lightly.
“There isn’t an inch of you I don’t want to explore.” He smiled. “Ready or not, here I come.”
When he finished, Sydney believed that he had touched her everywhere. Lazily. Gently, Thoroughly. Where their first time together had been wild and passionate, this was sweet and satisfying in a totally different way.
Dash wrapped his arms and legs about her. Sydney knew she was safe and secure with this man. For the first time in years, she relaxed and soaked up the joy of the moment. He’d probably tire of her soon but for now?
She would savor every minute in his presence.
CHAPTER 13
Dash forced himself to stay awake as Sydney dozed. He didn’t want to miss a moment feeling her in his arms. He could look at her all day and never grow tired of doing so. Part of him questioned how after all these years of disconnect with every woman he’d slept with, Sydney comes along out of nowhere and everything fell perfectly into place.
It rocked him to his core.
Already, he had strong feelings for her. He knew so little about her but it seemed as if he knew everything that might be important. What he didn’t know, he was ready to discover.
She stirred in his arms. Her eyes opened. She blinked a few times.
“Did I fall asleep?”
He kissed the top of her head. “You did.” Dash sat up and propped the pillows behind him. He pulled her between his legs and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her back was against his chest. Her head rested on his shoulder, auburn hair spilling everywhere. He loved its color and texture.
“We need to do some more celebrating,” he said.
“Do we have to move?” she asked.
He laughed. “Not if you don’t want to.”
They sat together utterly contented until his phone rang. Dash leaned down and brought his pants up to the bed and shook out his phone.
“It’s my agent. I really should talk to her. She’ll be ecstatic.”
“Go ahead. I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
He answered the call and put it on speaker. “Hey, Pamela.”
“Dash DeLauria, why didn’t you tell me you were auditioning for Monty Revere’s new movie? No one knows anything about it, other than Cassie Corrigan wrote it. I wasn’t even able to get pages from it. Me! Not that I thought you’d be interested, and all of a sudden I’m getting a call from Regina Stevens telling me that they want to sign you for the lead role. The lead, Dash! Regina told me it was the first day of auditions and you’ve locked it up.”
“I know. Pretty amazing.” His hand found Sydney’s breast. His thumb circled her nipple.
“Your last two films did extremely well at the box office. That’ll give us some nice leverage as I negotiate your contract.”
“Do your thing, Pamela. If I have to sacrifice some salary for points, do it.” He dragged a nail across Sydney’s nipple. She shivered in his arms.
“You want points?”
“I do. Keep that in mind.”
“You think it’s going to do that well?”
He smiled as Sydney stroked his arm. “I do. You don’t need me there. I’ve got faith that you’ll get me the best deal possible.”
“All right. Well, congratulations, Dash. I’m really proud of you.”
“Thanks.” He hung up and gently squeezed her breast.
“Pamela?” Sydney asked. Dash heard the catch in her throat.
“Pamela Otto. She’s been my agent from the
beginning. She saw something in me and stuck with me when times were lean. Her husband, Peter, was my manager but he passed away a year ago. She’s been doing double duty for me since then.”
“I thought she had to be dead by now,” Sydney admitted. “Pamela Otto was old, or seemed old, when I was a kid.”
“I have no idea what her age is. She guards it well. She’s still sharp, though. And she’s been bugging me to hire an assistant.”
“Really?” Sydney turned in his arms and rested her palm on his chest. “You don’t have one?”
“I did. She didn’t work out. I’ve made do since I had to let her go but it would be nice to find another one before I start on No Regrets.”
She smiled. “I have the perfect person for you. Brenda Pearson. She’s funny. A little sarcastic. Well, maybe a lot sarcastic. The most organized person you’ll ever meet.”
“How do you know her?”
“She worked for me before I quit my job last week. I hated leaving her behind because she’s good at everything, especially where technology is concerned. She even offered to come with me, wherever I was going.”
It made him curious about what Sydney did before she returned to Hollywood. “You think Wonder Woman would actually relocate three thousand miles away for someone who’s not you?”
“I do. She’s ready for a change. She’s an only child. Her parents retired to Florida recently. She broke up with her long-time boyfriend two months ago and found out the day before I left that he was already engaged. Brenda needs to trade in her old life for something new. Like me.”
Dash grinned. “Let’s give her a call.”
“You mean it?” she asked eagerly.
“If you say she’s that good, how could I not hire her?”
Sydney retrieved her phone and climbed back next to him.
He looked at her phone. “You definitely need an upgrade, babe. This looks like a throwaway that some drug dealer would buy at a convenience store.”
“I lost mine on the plane coming out. I picked this up but I need to get a good replacement.”
“Then maybe the wonderful Brenda can take care of that.”
“If she comes, she’ll be your assistant. Not mine.”
