The Director (Hollywood Nights) Read online

  She had fallen asleep that way, sitting up in the bed, petting him. She opened her eyes as he rolled over. He was on his back looking up at her.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “How are you feeling?” She touched his forehead. His fever was gone.

  “I’m hungry.”

  She smiled down at him. “I bet you are. I’ll go get you some soup.”

  “No,” he frowned. “No more soup. I’m starving.”

  She let him take her hand and he clasped her fingers in his. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, opened them, and then said, “Thank you.”

  She smiled down at him. His blue eyes were again clear, coherent, and alert. “I’ll add a sandwich, but only half. If you keep it down for an hour, I’ll let you have the rest.”

  She brought him his food and appreciated that he had already stripped the sheets and had replaced them with fresh linen. It had been a chore to keep changing it from sweat soaked sheets to dry ones as needed.

  “Get in the bed,” she said as she placed the plate on the nightstand. She tucked him in and noticed his smile. “You look better. I think you’re through the worst of it. I’m going to run these down to the laundry. I’ll be back in a bit.”

  He grabbed her hand and placed it over his heart and whispered, “Take part of it with you. If you come back in an hour, I’ll give you the rest.”

  She could feel the rapid beat of her heart against her chest match the beat of his. Tears threatened her eyes.

  She smiled down at him. Of course she loved him. It was entirely too frightening to say out loud. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. “I’ll be back within the hour.”

  His relief was evident by the heat of blush tinting the tops of his cheeks. The only evidence he couldn’t hide behind that beard.

  Chapter 8

  A few weeks later…

  Shay left Harvey’s office with an armful of scripts. In two days she would attend her first movie premiere. She would walk the red carpet, though she wasn’t a star. She wasn’t even an extra. She was the girlfriend of the director’s son. She had consulted with Alex and he had approved of her choice in outfit. He had been much nicer since the exchange with Jed.

  “Shay,” a feminine voice called from behind her. She turned to see Ivy Mills, once Maybelline Milner, once her nemesis, walking her way.

  This was the first time she had seen Ivy face to face since she had sent her a letter of apology, part of the steps in the Harvey Agency program. Ivy never responded. Shay wasn’t sure what would transpire. She just knew that for the first time in her life she felt prepared for anything.

  “Ivy.”

  “I wanted to say thank you,” Ivy said as she came to a halt. Her hair was brown again, natural. Her puppy dog brown eyes looked at Shay with childlike innocence. “I only recently got the letter. It meant a lot to me.”

  “I meant it,” Shay said honestly.

  “I saw you coming out of Harvey’s and I thought you might want to know…I’m backing out of Sleepers. I’m sure they will need to fill the role quickly. You should tell them to call in the morning, after eight. No one knows.”

  “Why are you backing out?” Shay asked. She wasn’t sure why Ivy seemed a little off, but she did.

  ‘Let’s see.” Ivy put her finger to her lip a moment then said, “I’m quitting. I’m tired of it. I am closing the curtain.”

  “Are you all right?” Shay was concerned for the woman. She really was.

  “No.” Ivy shook her head for emphasis. “I’m not. But I will be, because I am going to get my life back. I’ve been working nonstop for the past five years. I have had one real boyfriend during that time, and he turned out to be a jerk. I missed holidays, birthdays, and my sister’s wedding. I’m taking a hiatus.”

  “Ivy, can I call someone for you?” Shay was nervous. The woman seemed on the edge of a breakdown.

  “No,” she smiled. “But you can promise me that you won’t let it do to you what it did to me, Shay. Don’t let it take everything you love away from you, okay?”

  Shay nodded and said, “Okay.”

  “I’ll see you around,” Ivy said. “Don’t forget to call them at eight in the morning.”

  ***

  Later that night…

  Jed tried but failed to keep his hands to himself. Shay 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 his creativity. He could take his time later.

  His hands pulled at her shirt and lifted it over her head. The pretty pink bra had black polka dots on it. He knew by
the feel of the material it was custom made. She had a lot of talent that had nothing to do with being in front of a camera. “Wait a second.”

  He fished in his pocket for the phone and watched her eyes grow wide. She folded her arms and said, “Are you taking a phone call?”

  “No.” He hit record and said, “Don’t forget to talk about designing underwear later.”

  “What are you talking about?” she giggled.

  “I always forget. I see these bras on you all the time, but as soon as they are off, I forget all about them.” He sat the phone aside and said, “Where were we?”

  She bit into her lower lip and uncrossed her arms. “You were admiring my handy work.”

  “I do believe I was.”

  It didn’t take long for them to shed all clothes and inhibitions. Shay didn’t always get wound up beyond the typical positions a couple procreated in. When she did, like she was now, he knew they would both discover new things. The last time he wound her up he learned that she liked him to spank her. He learned that he didn’t mind spanking her.

  “Damn, Jed, do… something.”

  A desperate whisper that said she trusted him with her body and wanted to test its limits. He looked down at where they were joined together. Taking a chance, he placed his thumb over the tight bud of her anus. Since she didn’t say no, he removed it, tried to gather as much moisture as possible on his index finger and then pressed it into her. She groaned and pushed against him.

  “I can feel my dick inside of you. I can touch it.” He was surprised by the sensation.

  “If only you had two of them.” She said it in the heat of the moment.

  “Would you like that?” he asked.

  She didn’t respond. He stopped moving and asked again.

  “I don’t know. I just…”

  Jed pulled both his finger and his dick out of her. She turned with a slight panic in her expression. He smiled before she could apologize or explain. He never wanted her to hold back with him. “I’ll never share you with another man, Shay. Would you share me?”

  She shook her head no.

  “But I know you have something that can help me make this real for you, so go get it.” He placed his hands on his hips. She looked at his dick and then at his face. “It’s not going to multiply, babe. So go get it.”

  “Get what?”

  “Shay.” He enjoyed her blushing cheeks. “You know what. You’re a woman, living alone, and you have a vibrator. Where is it? I’ll go get it.”

  “Upstairs.” She gulped. “I’ll go get it.”

  “Bring back some lube,” he said and slapped her on the ass as she passed him. She turned with wide eyes and a sense of excitement and fear he knew was turning her on. He was never one to avoid the darker side of life. The moment she was out of sight, he began preparing the area to play in.

  ***

  Shay returned with her favorite vibrator and a bottle of lube. She was trying not to lose the momentum of the moment. It was easy to let her inhibitions go when he was touching her. When he said dirty things to her, and when his hands promised he could do anything. He would never share her. The words settled in bone deep. She would never share him. Only, if he wanted two women, she had no products to help with that request. Tossing the thought aside as she stepped into the living room she asked, “Are you checking e-mail?”

  “No,” he said and his eyebrows went up and down. “I wanted to see what position is best for this.”

  “You searched it?” She laughed. Leave it to Jed to make her laugh at a time like this. “Well?”

  “I think we had it right the first time,” he winked.

  She gulped. “I’ve never had more than a finger there before.”

  “Well,” he said as he moved closer to her. She noticed he had something in his hand even after he put the phone down. “Who hasn’t had a finger in their ass?”

  She laughed again.

  “What?” he shrugged. “I discovered I enjoyed it much less when it was done by an old male doctor than by a young female intern. Needless to say it was an examination I never forgot.”

  “Jed!” She couldn’t believe he just said that.

  “I had an allergic reaction to my laundry detergent and broke out in hives. She took one look at me and explained she needed to do a more thorough examination.” He stuck his tongue out at her and then laughed.

  “Hearing about you having sex with a perverted doctor is not turning me on,” she said.

  “We didn’t have sex,” he clarified. “She simply examined me…thoroughly. I just wanted you to know that I knew first hand that I need to be careful. Now let me see that thing.”

  “This thing,” she started. It was her turn to share stories. “Is named Mr. Spectacular.”

  He arched a brow. She moved closer to him and then handed it over. He inspected it and looked for the on and off switch.

  She said, “It’s here. That’s why he’s spectacular. The remote control allows for hands free vibrations.”

  She watched him handle the vibrator with curiosity. He looked up and said, “I’m bigger than this thing.”

  “Yes,” she smiled up at him, “You are.”

  She stroked her fingers down his chest and then gripped his shaft. He wet his lips and looked at her.

  “Do you think I’m spectacular, Shay?” he asked as his head dropped back on a moan as she gave him a nice long tug.

  “You’re more than spectacular,” she said and then slipped her lips around him. She let him loose and looked at the man she loved. “You’re mine.”

  His lips came down to meet hers. The way he touched her made her feel cherished and wild at the same time. They were back into the grove in a matter of moments. All humor faded. Soon enough she was turning around, bending over. Her knees on the cushions, her body braced on the arm of the couch, Jed’s cock filled her pussy and made her call out for more.

  He slipped his cock out of her and then pushed the vibrator in. He was careful as he explored the uncharted territory of her ass. She heard the rip of the condom wrapper, felt him apply even more lubricant, and then he pressed. Once the pain of entry subsided she was overwhelmed by the sensations.

  “Damn,” he groaned. “Do you like it?”

  “Yes,” she said with the energy she had to speak.

  “I’m not going to last long,” he said. She pushed the button on the remote and hoped he could feel what she felt. Her body tightened and the climax followed so quickly behind the activation of the vibrations it was almost instantaneous. She loved that the pleasure surged through her, and she loved that what he said next, made her laugh even as she came, “Fuck, he really is spectacular.”

  Once they had both subsided into twitches, she pushed the off button on the vibrator and felt it slipping out of one orifice and then his cock slipping out of the other. His hands stroked her back, massaged, caressed.

  “Let me take care of this,” he left the couch.

  She watched him walk out of the room. She liked his ass. He never seemed to work out, but his body was naturally lean, muscular. Her legs were twitching. She giggled. Sighed. He returned with a cup in his hand. It was one of the nice qualities of dating a grown man. He was considerate of her in ways no one had been before. She wasn’t a spring chicken by any means, but he made her feel younger, like she had a whole new and long life ahead of her.

  He winked and said, “Hot chocolate.”

  Maybe it was the completely foreign feeling of acceptance and satisfaction that he oozed when he was near her, but Ivy’s words rang through her mind. Shay had always wanted to be a movie star. It was everything she knew. It was the only goal she ever had. The warm cup in her hands, the warm man at her side, she began to think of other goals she may want to consider.

  ***

  “I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but Ms. Shay, you are going to steal the spotlight tonight,” Rob, the chauffeur said as he held out his arm to escort her. He was an older man with a full head of gr
ay hair.

  “Thank you,” she smiled. She hoped that Jed would feel the same.

  Rob escorted her to the front door of the beach house and said, “He asked me to tell you to go inside and follow the directions on the table.”

  Shay looked at the man. He shrugged. “If it was Jonas or Janice I could give you a clue, but that one…you just never know what he’s up to. I’ll be waiting in the car.”

  He reached for the door and opened it.

  Shay stepped into the room and noticed that an end table had been relocated to the entrance and on it was a note and a Calla Lilly. After reading it she followed the directions. “I’m here. I’m facing away from the hallway and looking towards the kitchen.”

  “I have a surprise for you,” he said from the hallway behind her. “That dress is…wow.”

  “Don’t you mean hideous?” Her tummy tingled with anticipation.

  She could hear his steps getting closer. He said, “Okay. On the count of three I want you to turn around. Ready? One, two, three.”

  Shay turned around slowly. She faced him. Her eyes widened, her mouth opened. He was looking at her the same way she was looking at him. He had shaved. Jed Gunner was absolutely gorgeous with or without that beard. “You shaved.”

  “I shaved,” he said. “But only my face.”

  They shared a laugh as he took another step closer. She lifted her hand to feel the bare flesh of his cheek, his chin. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I have something else for you.” He winked. “Close your eyes.”

  She had been asked not to wear any jewelry. He didn’t know what her dress looked like except that it was black and sparkly. He didn’t care. He still wanted her to not wear jewelry with it. She thought he may have been under the Harvey philosophy of less is more. The weight on her wrist told her otherwise. “Jed?”