The Director (Hollywood Nights) by Cara North Page B

growled and sat
the script on the coffee table. He had stopped by unannounced with two cups of
coffee and every intention of making her dinner. She had already placed an
order for delivery, so she called back and added to the order. He sat looking
at her, anxiously waiting for her to say or do something. Her green eyes lit
with mischief.
                “I have something to tell you,” she
said.
                He pushed his thumbs along the arch
of her foot and she sighed. “Tell me.”
                She pulled her foot away and he was
no longer touching her at all. He tilted his head and waited.
                “I ran into Ivy today. She said she
is backing out of Sleepers. She told me to tell Harvey to call them at eight in
the morning. I told Alex.” She looked at him with such excitement in her
expression he couldn’t do anything but smile at her. He had never imagined
himself with an actress. He hadn’t really imagined himself with anyone since
Dana, but Shay had eclipsed that youthful first love. He couldn’t imagine life
without her. Would she settle for him when her star was on the rise? “Say
something!”
                “You want to be the lead in
Sleepers?” he asked.
                “Yes!” she practically shouted. “I
auditioned for it. They liked me. They told Alex if it wasn’t for Ivy they
would have given me the part. They couldn’t take a chance on a new face when
America’s Sweetheart guaranteed to sell tickets.”
                “What’s it about?” He held out his
hand and she moved to put her foot back into it.
                “It’s a psychological thriller.”
                “Hmmm,” he didn’t want to ask the
next question, but a punch of jealousy meant he had to. “And the co-star?”
                “I don’t know. I didn’t follow it
once I didn’t get the part. Alex said to leave it behind me. I needed to focus
on the next audition. I wouldn’t get anywhere if I kept living in the past. We
reviewed what went right, what I was nervous about, and then we made a plan for
improving those things.” She said it much like Alex had said it to him many
years ago. Only Jed couldn’t leave the past behind then. He was currently the
only non-acting actor on Harvey’s list of clients. They still represented him
and had been instrumental in getting him started with documentaries.
                He was tired of talking about this.
He had her now. He needed to make her realize he could be there for her over
the long haul. He could revel in her success and commiserate in her failure. He
lifted her foot and watched her eyes round as he gently bit her toes.
                She giggled. “You’re being very
naughty today, Mr. Gunner.”
                “I missed you,” he admitted. “I
haven’t seen you in two days.”
                “You saw me yesterday.”
                “Did I?” He pulled her across the
couch until she was forced to sit in his lap facing him. “It felt like longer.”
                She put her hand between them and
slid it over his growing erection and said, “It feels like it’s getting longer
to me too.”
                She leaned in and kissed him. He hoped
he never lost the sensations that rolled through him every time they kissed.
Deep inside his core he was never more at home than when she was with him. They
had not exchanged the words, but the emotions were there. They found new ways
of expressing love without words all the time. She got that about him. She
understood him in a way no one ever had.
                The kiss ended when she lifted his
shirt and needed to get it over his head. He lifted his arms to accommodate
her. He was starting to feel less kinky and more sentimental. Unfortunately, he
had already started her on the fast track to fun so he needed to reengage