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  Chapter 11

  “Okay, Dominic,” Edward said from his position behind the cameras. “At this point, you’ll push her back onto the bed.”

  Juliette sighed. Why, out of everything, did it have to be this scene? It was just further proof that karma was messing with her. She just couldn’t figure out what she’d done to deserve it.

  Dominic, by contrast, didn’t seem to be bothered by any deeper metaphysical worries. He simply pushed her backward and then braced himself over her. She gripped his arms without thinking about it, lifting her head to meet the rough kiss he gave her.

  Their characters, Megan and Jake were finally giving in to the tension that had been building as they tried to survive in the new world they’d found themselves in. The sex wouldn’t be gentle; she and Dominic had agreed on that. It was an exploration of their chemistry and a distraction from their fear. It was like a bomb going off. Dominic was doing really well embodying those traits. Too well, in fact.

  His mouth moved down her neck, and she let her head fall back as he nipped at her skin. Juliette bit her lip, her hands tightening on his biceps. Her body moved to meet his when he moved down. Again, it was one of the moves that had crossed over into his dancing. A full body rhythm, a way of meeting her that was almost overwhelmingly physical and yet so controlled.

  It pushed her closer to the edge than she would have liked. It was all she could not to release the moan that was rising in her throat. She couldn’t help the quick gasp as the weight of his perfect body settled between her legs.

  She couldn’t wrap her legs around his lean waist. Not without giving away how much she needed him at the very center of her. She settled for drawing one leg up. The skirt she’d worn slid up, baring her skin to the cool air of the studio.

  His lips moved over her cheek and then up to her ear. Juliette shivered when he spoke, his voice low enough that no one else in the studio would hear. Its rough intensity in her ear made her whole body tingle.

  “Goddamn, I’ve missed the way you feel against me.”

  Juliette turned her head, pressing her lips to Dominic’s as she gave in completely. She wrapped her legs around him and felt his body begin to move with hers. As frustrating as it was, feeling him move while she felt so damn empty, it was also electrifying. He’d stripped her down to nothing but nerves and synapses.

  She forgot the crew. She forgot the director. She forgot everything but how much she loved the way that Dominic moved.

  “Cut!” Edward called out. “Perfect! That is perfect!”

  Dominic’s dark eyes met Juliette’s as he raised himself up above her and stood up. This time she didn’t have to wonder what he was thinking. His jaw had gone tight, and his hands were clenched as if that would keep him from reaching for her. It did, but she found herself wishing that it hadn’t worked. Her body ached for his touch again already.

  She sat up, finger combing the tangles from her hair as she caught her breath and tried to compose her face.

  Edward was grinning at them happily, but Albert didn’t look quite so thrilled. His gaze flickered between her and Dominic suspiciously.

  “Since we aren’t able to leave for the island right away,” Albert said after a moment. “I’ve decided to throw a party at my place to mark the end of rehearsals.”

  “And to schmooze for all we’re worth. Hollywood parties are a special kind of hell,” Edward said, his voice thick with distaste. When Albert cast a glance his way, he held up his hands in surrender. “I said that I’d come by, remember? I’ll be there.”

  “It starts at nine,” Albert said, addressing Juliette and Dominic. “You’re both strongly encouraged to attend.”

  With that proclamation, he walked out and down the hall to his office. Juliette looked at Edward and raised her eyebrow.

  “Was that an invitation or an order?” she asked.

  Edward grinned. “A little from column A, a little from column B,” he admitted. A martyred look crossed his face once more, and Juliette understood—Edward was the last person she would have expected to feel comfortable at a party. “It’s a good way to meet people in the business,” he went on, seeming determined to be at least a little positive about the whole thing. “Especially for you, Juliette.”

  “Me?” she asked in surprise. “Why do you say that?”

  “It really will be a good idea to build up anticipation for the movie,” he said. “And you’re kind of a wild card. No one knows who you are. It’ll be good for you to meet some other people in the business. Make some connections. Promote yourself.”

  “I guess you’re right,” she admitted.

  “And when you get tired of that, you can always come and find me in the corner and say hello.”

  “You don’t really stand in the corner,” she said with a laugh.

  Edward raised an eyebrow. “Why wouldn’t I? Is that weird?”

  “Are you going to go, Dominic?” Juliette asked, shaking her head in amusement as she stood up, rearranging her clothes.

  She hadn’t realized how twisted they’d gotten during the scene they’d just finished filming. Dominic raked her body with a glance before he looked away. The tension hadn’t faded from his posture.

  “Do you really think I could get out of it?” he asked, his voice still on edge as well. “I’ll see you there. From a respectful distance, of course.”

  With that, he stalked out, leaving the studio through the opposite door from the one that Albert had used. Juliette tucked her shirt back into her skirt and then tucked her hair behind her ears. Edward was still standing there, watching her almost curiously.

  “Mr. Price didn’t seem happy with the scene,” Juliette said. “Is there anything I should have done differently?”

  Edward shook his head. “No, please don’t feel that way. It’s not you that Albert has a problem with.” He dropped back into his chair and rested his chin in his hand, propping his elbow on the arm of the chair. “He keeps a close eye on you because he doesn’t trust himself to know what Dominic is up to.”

  “So he’s trying to see if I look like I’ve been recently seduced?”

  Edward gave a half smile. “I’m afraid so.” His expression turned thoughtful, and he sighed. “Maybe I shouldn’t have insisted on working with Dominic, but no one else would have been right. Especially since you’re here.”

  “Me?” she asked. “What do I have to do with it?”

  “You’re perfect together.” When she simply stared at him, he hurried on. “Cinematically speaking, of course. You see, the reason that I wanted you for this part is that you’re the strong kind of delicate. It matches the vulnerability that he can project when he wants to. He’s strong, but he’s not an idiot, and that comes through in every role he’s ever played. I know that the two of you are going to produce something amazing.”

  As Juliette walked out, she couldn’t get his words out of her head. “You’re perfect together.”

  At least she wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

  In desperate need of a distraction, she called Tami.

  “So I’m going to a party at a Hollywood Hills mansion tonight,” she said without preamble. “Are you up for helping me find a dress? Preferably a cheap yet stunning one?”

  “Meet me at the studio,” Tami said.

  “The studio?” Juliette repeated. “Why?”

  “Just trust me.”

  Taking her friend at her word, Juliette cranked her truck and headed for Tami’s photography studio. When she got there about thirty minutes later, she saw an incredibly good-looking guy sitting behind the reception desk.

  “Hey there,” he said, standing up. “Are you the Juliette that I’ve heard so much about?”

  “I—yes, I am.” She shook the hand that he held out. “It’s nice to meet you…” She trailed off to let him fill in, and he did so obligingly.

  “Jason.”

  Good God. She hadn’t known that the Jason who had been so helpful to Tami looked like this.

>   “There you are!” Tami called from down the hall. “Come on in. I’ve got something to show you.”

  Juliette walked down the hall, really wondering if Tami had misheard what they needed to do. She had a little under three hours to find a dress and get ready to be at Albert’s party. Why on earth were they at the studio? And why did Tami look so excited?

  “Here you go,” Tami said, flinging open one of the doors on the left. “Take your pick.”

  Juliette’s mouth fell open as she looked at rows and rows of formal wear. “What—where did all of this come from?” She wasn’t a complete fashionista, but she recognized some of the brands. They weren’t cheap.

  “Huge fashion shoot in a few days,” Tami said simply. “I’m gonna stick my neck out and let you borrow one of these dresses for the night.”

  Juliette pressed her hands to her mouth. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope. But if you get anything on it, I’m gonna freak out.”

  “I won’t!” she said quickly. “I won’t even eat anything. I’ll drive standing up if you want me to. I’ll—”

  “You can’t drive to that party,” Tami said with a laugh as she flicked through the rack, pulling a few dresses free.

  “What?”

  “Get a driver,” she said. “Trust me.”

  “I guess I can afford it now that I’m not going to have to buy a dress,” Juliette conceded. She pointed at the gown Tami had just pulled off the rack. “What’s that one?”

  “The last one that you’re going to try on,” her friend said. “Jason will you get the equipment out of that little room by the—”

  “Already did,” he said. “Go on in.”

  “Okay,” Juliette said when they were in the makeshift dressing room. “Why didn’t you tell me how cute Jason is?”

  “Are you ready to move on from Dominic so fast?” Tami asked with a laugh as she held the first dress out to Juliette.

  “Ha-ha. Don’t try to distract me. He’s adorable, and he’s so nice! Why don’t you—”

  “Why don’t I what?” Tami asked. “Ask him if he wants to take on a pregnant woman and help her raise the baby?”

  “That might be a lot for the first date,” Juliette said.

  Tami rolled her eyes. “Look, we work together. It’s not like that.”

  Juliette would have argued, but she was too busy pulling the dress over her head. She made a mental note to pursue the subject later, though. There was way too much potential there to be ignored.

  Chapter 12

  Juliette was glad she’d taken Tami’s advice and hired a car to take her to Albert Price’s mansion in Hollywood Hills—she never could have parked her truck here and gotten away with it.

  She slid out of the car and smoothed her dress carefully. She’d chosen the cerulean blue satin, and she was relieved to find that it hadn’t wrinkled during the ride. It was still hard to believe that she was wearing something so expensive.

  There was a brief moment of nerves once she was out of the car as she realized that she recognized everyone milling around. Not from her personal life, of course. No, she recognized them from television, magazines, or movie screens. Edward hadn’t been kidding. The place was packed with influential people.

  Juliette edged through the crowds, looking into corners and hoping to get a glimpse of Edward. They could be wallflowers together. She was looking so intently for the director that she walked right past Dominic.

  “Too good to talk to me?” he asked over the music.

  She turned and gave him a smile. It wasn’t returned. His eyes skimmed her, and he swallowed hard.

  “How long have you been here?” Juliette asked.

  Dodging her attempt at small talk, he reached out a hand and caught her upper arm, surprising her. “Come outside with me.”

  “What?” she asked blankly. “I just got here, Dominic. I have to find Mr. Price and then—”

  “It won’t take long,” he said.

  Before she could object, he pulled her out a side entrance and into a dark, secluded corner of the garden.

  “Where did you get that dress?” he asked. His voice was just as tight as it had been earlier. Juliette could barely see him in the dark, but she could feel the tension radiating off of him.

  “From Tami,” she said. “Why?”

  “You wear a dress like that, and then you just walk right past me?” he went on, moving closer. “Like you’re not thinking about what happened today?”

  Juliette looked up at him as he towered over her. His body just barely brushed hers. She wondered if she should be intimidated, but she wasn’t.

  “Or are you going to say that it was just work?” he asked, tracing her cheek with his thumb. “That you don’t want me like I want you?”

  Juliette barely had time to catch her breath before he’d pulled her against him and covered her mouth with his. There wasn’t even time to analyze what he’d just said. She grabbed the lapels of his jacket and stretched up to meet the kiss, needing it with her whole body. She’d felt like a live wire since the scene they’d done together earlier that day.

  He moved forward quickly, pressing her even further back into the dark. Her back met the base of a huge stone statue, and as she was caught between it and his body, she moaned and worked her body against his. She wanted to feel even more of him. It was more than a want. It was a need.

  Dominic groaned against her lips as his hands slid into her hair. She parted her lips, allowing him to tease her tongue with his. The kiss slowed down, becoming languid as they allowed the desire to flood through them. This was something that they couldn’t do in the studio. Not without giving away just how much they really wanted each other.

  A twig snapped somewhere close by, and they jerked apart. Drunken voices cut through the air around them—a man’s raucous laughter and a woman’s joking admonishment in response.

  Dominic swore under his breath and pushed his hands back through his hair in frustration. Juliette was trembling so hard that she could barely stand. The kiss had been so sudden and so unexpected. It had ended the same way, and her shocked system couldn’t seem to help its reaction.

  He looked like he wanted to speak, but when he noticed how hard she was shaking, he led her out of the hidden corner he’d pushed her into. No one was around to see them exit, and she thanked God for that. She was sure that her face would give everything away.

  Dominic waved to the people standing on the patio a few yards away. The group greeted him cheerfully.

  It took Juliette a second or two to realize that they were all members of the crew. She blamed the kiss. What in the hell had he been thinking? More to the point, what had she been thinking?

  As they stepped up onto the patio, joining the group, Dominic looked around. “Where is everyone getting the booze?” he asked. Juliette marveled that his voice could be so level; anyone would think that nothing had happened between them just now.

  “Inside and to the left,” Rhonda said. “Price didn’t skimp, but don’t get a big head about it. There are a ton of backers here tonight too.”

  “Figures,” Dominic said. “He never misses an opportunity to self-promote.”

  There was a murmur of agreement about that.

  “I’m going to get a drink,” Dominic said. “Do you want anything, Juliette?”

  “Sure,” she replied, glad that her numb lips formed the word just fine. When he gave her a questioning look, she realized that she hadn’t told him what she wanted. Maybe she wasn’t doing so well after all. “Anything is fine with me.”

  As long as it was strong.

  Juliette didn’t usually drink. She’d seen what it could do to people. At the same time, however, it was pretty much the only way that she was going to get through this party.

  “We heard about the contract clause,” Rhonda said when Dominic had disappeared into the house. She gave Juliette a conspiratorial grin over the rim of her champagne glass. “That must be rough.”

  Julie
tte was glad that it was too dark for them to see how her face had heated up. It was humiliating that everyone knew she’d been asked to sign something that promised that she wouldn’t sleep with her co-star.

  “I don’t know about that,” she lied. “It’s just a job.”

  “Then you’re a stronger woman than most,” one of the men who ran the sound said. “Do you remember how Mackenzie used to follow him around? Like she was a puppy and he was a big strip of bacon.”

  The group laughed. “Mackenzie,” another woman said after taking a sip of her champagne. “I’d forgotten about her. She was a little embarrassing, but she was nothing compared to Elena.”

  “Oh, did she have a thing for him?” Rhonda asked, leaning forward.

  “Are you kidding?” the other woman replied with a laugh.

  Names began to fly around like confetti. Mackenzie, Elena, Lexie, Jennifer, Madison, Tamara. None of the gossip was malicious, but it was thorough. The list seemed to go on and on and stories of Dominic’s late nights and late days to set flew too.

  Juliette rubbed her forehead. God, and she’d felt like she was special. Dominic really had been to bed with literally every woman he’d co-starred with. It wasn’t just gossip magazine fodder.

  “I hope you like champagne,” Dominic said from behind her.

  Juliette reached out and took it with a nod of thanks. Then she leaned carefully on the railing and let the conversation flow around her. Most of it involved the upcoming trip to Mexico. She was content to listen.

  The strange thing was how normal it all seemed. Their conversation could have been any other group of people talking about work. It was almost a letdown from what she’d expected from a real Hollywood party, but it was also nice to feel like part of the crowd.

  Eventually, the night got colder, and people began to disperse, heading indoors to rejoin the hub of the party. By midnight, she was left alone with Dominic.

  There was no chance of anything happening between them. A huge plate glass wall overlooked the patio, and anyone inside could look out and see them. Juliette was glad. It felt safer that way. She tossed back the rest of her drink, but she couldn’t resist looking at him over the rim of her glass as she did so.